Halloween 2025

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

It was Halloween  (quite literally on the 31st) last week at the Dragon Folk Club and everyone joined in on the theme for at least part of the evening, which was great. This week's theme, optional as usual, is for Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night if you prefer. Consider songs, poems, monologues and stories on themes such as Guy Fawkes, fire, fireworks and campfire songs along with anything else appropriate that you can think of.

Back to last week, and I'm keeping this report brief, Heather was asked to start us off. She was obviously looking forward to this week as she read her own poem "What, no fireworks?" (*#).

Simon got into the current theme with Zombie jamboree (Conrad Eugene Mauge, Jr or Winston O'Conner (Lord Intruder) - disputed). The linked version by King Flash is the first to change the original "Jumbee Jamboree" to "Zombie Jamboree".

Stuart and Carrie gave us Ghost (Kate Rusby) followed by Long black veil (roud 18510).

Colin, also on topic, sang Hallows Eve (Chris Hoban).

Paul read a poem, So many different lengths of time (* Brain Patten) and Denny completed the first rotation with Davey Dodds' The magpie (*). Brian Patten, on of the Liverpool poets, died in September.

Now with limited time I will simply list those remaining songs (and poem) which have been added to the Dragon database this week, though as usual it doesn't necessarily mean that none of them haven't been performed at the club before:

• Heather - NWR Halloween (*# Heather, poem about the National Women's Register, Chipping Sodbury branch)
• Stuart and Carrie - I wandered by a brookside (* Words by Richard Monckton Milnes, 1st Baron Hougthon; tune by Barbara Berry - Ed: I knew Barbara and I heard her sing it at least once, see the video for the full story)
• Paul - Sweet William's ghost (* roud 50, child 77)
• Stuart and Carrie - Wonderful life (* Black, real name Colin Vearncombe)
• Denny - The coal and Albert Berry (* Ted Edwards)

Stuart and Carrie closed the session with A horse with no name (Dewey Bunnell).

See you this week, 7th November, for (metaphorical) fireworks!

Now listen to a selection of songs sung during this session.

(Number of people present - 8 of whom 7 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).