Remembrance 2024

Remembrance Sunday parade, Bristol 2023
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

11th November is Remembrance Day or Armistice Day in the UK, so the Dragon Folk Club session on 15th was our annual Remembrance theme. Traditionally we include anything to do with war, anti-war sentiment and wartime songs. We stayed reasonably well on topic though there are a few songs where you might struggle to find the link.

This Friday we have a break from themes with an entirely themeless session, so anything goes as long as it's acoustic.

The following week (Friday 29th) will be our St Andrews Day theme, where anything relevant to Scotland or St Andrew will be ideal. It has been suggested that since Lancashire Day is on 27th we should have that as a second theme, and that's fine. Remember that the traditional county of Lancashire also includes Manchester, Salford and Liverpool, so that gives plenty of scope! Remember also that all our themes are optional, so ultimately anything goes as long as it's acoustic.

Let's get back to last week's session. It was started by Colin, our MC, with Robert Garioch's Kriegie Ballad (*). I've marked it with an asterisk as being new to the Dragon database though it has previously been mentioned there. In 2019 our good friend Derek sang a song he called The Kriegie Ballad which somewhat resembled Garioch's song, but instead of starting "Yes this is the place we were took Sir", its first line was "We sailed on the good ship Rapallo". While Garioch's song is easier to find on the web than the one Derek sang I still haven't found it on YouTube and it is therefore not included in the playlist linked from "a selection" below.

Denny sang Cicely Fox Smith's Half past eleven square recalling the destruction of French towns in the First World War. Paul followed with the non-wartime destruction of Close the coalhouse door (Alex Glasgow).

Simon completed the first rotation with The Accrington Pals, the first of three Mike Harding songs which he sang together with one other which Harding recorded but didn't write:

• Bombers' moon (Mike Harding)
• Jimmy Spoons (Mike Harding)
• The band played Waltzing Matilda (Eric Bogle)

Colin added two more new entries to the Dragon database:

• Mademoiselle from Armentières (* roud 4703 -  a clean version of course)
• We haven't got a hope in the morning (A song from a book of songs used by 54th Wing of the RFC - not included in the YouTube playlist)

This last song started the final rotation of the evening which continued with Denny singing White cockade (roud 709) and Paul with Lowlands (roud 681). Simon finished off the evening with the junior school version of Boney was a warrior (roud 485).

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

(Number of people present - 4 of whom 4 performed)

St Andrew's Day 2023

We knew that some of our stalwarts would be missing from last week's Dragon session, but with just two singers present you could say we met a bit short. Nevertheless we sang 33 songs, all somehow on the theme of St Andrew, whether songs from or about Scotland, by Scottish writers, or relating to Andrew's other patronages which include fishermen, miners, textile workers and pregnant women. We didn't even have to resort to his patronage, very useful in this context, of singers.

Now we have one week's respite without a theme (on Friday 8th December), before our Christmas session on 15th. We will see how the wind blows before deciding whether we will meet for a final Christmas bash on 22nd, so watch this space closely.

Colin as MC started things off last Friday with Matt McGinn's The hielan' man (*), marking songs new to the Dragon database as usual with an asterisk (*).

Simon for the first time sang a song from the repertoires of our friends Derek B and Rob W: The dowie dens o'Yarrow (roud 13, child 214). And so ended the first, very short rotation of 16 and a half through the evening before the landlady gave us a not-so-subtle hint that it was time to pack up.

Colin's next song was interesting for the casual way he proclaimed that he may have written it, or maybe not. I have been unable to trace it anywhere, so let's assume he wrote The Thistle (* Colin Owen). The song told of that symbol of Scotland, comparing it with England's rose, Wales' daffodil and Ireland's shamrock. It definitely wasn't The shamrock and the thistle (Hamish Henderson, from a trad fragment heard on board an Irish ferry), which Colin has sung before.

I won't quite count Colin's Tommy Linn (roud 294) as a song new to the database since it is a version of Tam Lin, which we heard from Derek B in times past in the form of Old John Wallis. The linked video isn't Tommy Linn, but Tam Linn sung by Steeleye Span, for which Colin had been searching.

Simon had long wanted to sing The twa magicians (roud 1350, child 44), but couldn't get the tune to stick. This time he had a breakthrough, that the verses go tolerably well to the tune of Bonny ship the Diamond (roud 2172), which he also sang - the chorus being sung to approximately the correct tune.

Colin brought another new song to the party in the shape of Morris Blythman's Superintendent Barratt (*), one of several songs about the theft of the Stone of Scone (Scone pronounced "scoon" in this context of course).

Eric Bogle's Glasgow lullaby (*) gave Colin his next "new" song. Running out of songs about Scotland, Simon also drew on the songwriting of originally Scottish Eric Bogle with The band played waltzing matilda before resorting to songs of St Andrew's other patronages:

• Miners - Dark as a dungeon (Merle Travis)
• Textile workers - Poverty knock (Tommy Daniel)
• Fishermen - Fiddlers' green (John Connolly)

Colin sang St Andrew's day - a toast, which is a poem by Jean Blewett and doesn't appear on YouTube.

Colin added two more songs to the database before we closed for the evening. The first was The broo road (*) about which we know very little. It was composed during the depression in Dundee, and was included by John A Brune in his collection "The Roving Songster". His last and the final song of the evening was Tramps and hawkers (* roud 1874)

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

(Number of people present - 2 of whom 2 performed)

The pub with no beer

IMPORTANT NOTE: We are hoping there will be a Dragon Folk Club session this Friday (15th September 2023), but we're not certain at the moment. This isn't because of the current situation with the pub (see below - which should have improved by Friday), but because some of our key members may not be available due to family matters. I will post an update here later in the week, so keep watching, and mark us in your diary anyway in expectation that all will be well.

Last week at The Bridge was interesting... hmmm. True, there was only one singer present, and true he did sing sixteen songs - you'll have to trust him on that. But stranger, there were no bar staff and no beer. Wait, that's not quite as bad as it sounds. Apparently The Bridge's faithful regular drinker, Allie, turned up and found nothing happening. She asked what it was about and was told there were no staff, so she volunteered to work behind the bar, and a pretty good job she did of it - friendly and warm as always, and seemed to know what she was doing. According to Allie the beer had not been ordered, so not only was there no Doom Bar (shock, horror), but no other beer on tap nor even in bottles and cans. However there were several ciders, which did the job for one lonely singer, even if the effect was a slightly burpy (TMI?) rendition of some songs - maybe best that there was no one to hear.

Simon started, continued and finished the session, so I won't bother to add too much detail to this report, but in the process he sang loudly in case someone passing the door on their way into the gents heard and felt moved to wander in (they didn't), and he sang some songs rarely sung by him, and some rarely in the club. There was only one song new to the Dragon database which I have marked below with an asterisk (*), and even that was certainly not new to the club, just not previously electronically recorded.

Here is the complete list.

• Margarita (Harvey Andrews)
• Small High Window (Mike Harding)
• City of New Orleans (Steve Goodman)
• Bully in the Alley (roud 8287)
• The World Turned Upside Down (Leon Rosselson)
• Portobello Road (Cat Stevens/Yusuf, Kim Fowley)
• Cousin Jack (Steve Knightley)
• The Boxer * (Paul Simon)
• And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda (Eric Bogle)
• The Gambler (Don Schlitz)
• The January Man (Dave Goulder)
• Martin Said to his Man (roud 473)
• The Mighty Quinn (Bob Dylan)
• Summertime (DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
• The Tailor's Breeches (roud 1610)
• This Land is Your Land (roud 16378, Woody Guthrie)

I think that a pretty eclectic one-man performance. It's just a pity there was no one to hear it.

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

(Number of people present - 1 of whom 1 performed)

Remembrance 2022

Yes, we were back down to two singers at the Dragon Folk Club session last week, but those who were there stuck pretty well to the Remembrance theme throughout and an interesting variety of songs were sung. If you can be there this Friday that would be great and to make things easier there will be no theme.

Colin was MC as usual and started of proceedings with Jim Woodland's Ghost Story, from the singing of Roy Bailey.

Simon gave a first outing to his rendition of Mike Harding's The Accrington Pals. This was the first of four songs Simon gave us from Mike's singing, three of which he wrote. The others were: Jimmy Spoons (Mike Harding), Bomber's Moon (Mike Harding) and And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda (Eric Bogle).

In the absence of Derek who sometimes sings it, Colin performed The 51st Highland Division's Farewell To Sicily by Hamish Henderson (roud 10501), set to the first, third and fourth parts of the pipe tune 'Farewell to the Creeks' by Pipe Major James Robertson of Banff.

Colin sang the Vera Lynn version of Lili Marlene (roud 15403, German words by Hans Leip, tune Norbert Schultze, variously translated into English by Norman Baillie-Stewart, Tommie Connor, and Theodore Stephanides). After this Simon had to sing The D-Day Dodgers (roud 10499, Lance-Sergeant Harry Pynn) to the same tune.

I was unable to find a YouTube recording of The Kriegie Ballad (roud 10516, Robert Garioch) which Colin sang so you won't find it in the playlist linked from "a selection below". 

Colin sang a couple of Steve Knightley (Show of Hands) songs: Battlefield dance floor and The Gamekeeper.

Simon finished the evening, probably slightly off-topic with Claudy Banks (roud 266, laws N40).

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

(Number of people present - 2 of whom 2 performed)

Cowboys and war

"The Cow Boy", taken near Sturgis,
Dakota Territory (now South Dakota)

This Friday (18th March 2022) we will have a theme for our session closest to St Patrick's Day, so any songs from Ireland, of Ireland, about Ireland, or about any of the other patronages of Patrick, will be very welcome. Failing that, remember our themes are always optional. Also bear in mind that there will be no session on the following Friday (25th March 2022), so don't go to The Bridge Inn, Shortwood that evening expecting folk in the pool room, but do go if you would like a drink. There may even be other types of music in the bar. but I haven't got the pub calendar to hand.

We were back down to three singers for last Friday's session, but it was worthwhile nevertheless. There was maybe less "folk music of these islands" in evidence than usual, but variety is no bad thing and anything goes at the Dragon.

Colin, in his usual post as MC, started off with Graham Nash's Teach your children. Simon followed with Graham Moore's Tom Paine's Bones.

One of the mainstays of Geoff's repertoire consists of Irish songs, so when he heard about the following week's theme, he needed to be careful about what he sang. He therefore focused mainly on another of his genres: cowboy songs, and particularly on this occasion the songs of Marty Robbins, from whose pen he sang: El Paso, Five brothers and Big Iron.

Not to be outdone, Simon went a little bit country with The Gambler (Don Schlitz) and The son of Hickory Holler's tramp (Dallas Frazier).

The link between cowboys and war might be found in children's games, but the reason for war and anti-war songs is obvious today with conflict going on in Ukraine, and so it was that we had songs of this genre.

Colin sang PF Sloan's Eve of destruction and Lenny Galant's Maria Diaz - Garth Hewitt's I didn't speak up could also fit here. Simon came in with Mike Harding's Jimmy Spoons and Eric Bogle's The band played Waltzing Matilda. Geoff contributed Buffy Sainte-Marie's Universal Soldier.

It was Geoff who closed the evening on a lighter note with Bird Dog (Boudleaux Bryant).

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

(Number of people present - 3 of whom 3 performed)

St George's Day 2019

The later "England Winners" of
the UK 1966 4d World Cup Stamp

Last week we met to mark St George's Day, which is of course also believed to be William Shakespeare's birthday (as well as the day he died).

This Friday's session will mark the beginning of May, Beltane if you wish. In fact last Derek believed that our canine folky, Indy might have been practising his maypole dance as we wound his extendable lead around the chair and table at which Derek sat, so we are expecting some interesting performances this week. What can you add to the session? If you don't perform then please feel free to attend as an audience member.

Colin, our regular MC, started off last week's session with Richard Thompson's The New St George.

Derek joked that he was unsure of the origins of his first song and suggested that I might be able to research it. That "song" was the Engerland football chant. Mike suggested that it might be contemporary with Lonnie Donegan's World Cup Willie, released in 1965 for the 1966 world cup.

Anzacs, a story of two Bostons and space oddities

The dock at Boston, Lincolnshire

Last week's session was originally to have been the proxy St George's Day but it has been moved to this week, so get your George, dragon and England songs, tunes, poems and stories out this Friday and come along to the Bridge. If you need any more inspiration, apart from England, St George is patron saint of:

agricultural workers; Amersfoort, Netherlands; Aragon; archers; armourers; Bavaria, Germany; Beirut, Lebanon; Bulgaria; Bulgarian Army; Cáceres, Spain; Cappadocia; Castilla y León; Catalonia; cavalry; chivalry; Constantinople; Corinthians (Brazilian football team); Crusaders; equestrians; Ethiopia; farmers; Ferrara, Italy; field workers; Freiburg, Germany; Genoa; Georgia; Gozo; Greece; Haldern, Germany; Heide; horsemen; horses; knights; lepers and leprosy; Lithuania; Lod; London; Malta; Modica, Sicily; Montenegro; Moscow; Order of the Garter; Palestine; Palestinian Christians; Piran, Italy; Portugal; Portuguese Army; Portuguese Navy; Ptuj, Slovenia; Reggio Calabria; riders; Romani people; saddle makers; Serbia; Scouts; sheep; shepherds; skin diseases; Slovenia; soldiers; and Teutonic Knights.

Back to last week, Colin was MC and started of with Utah Phillips' All Used Up.

St George's Day 2017

Raphael - Saint George and the Dragon, 1506

It was good to see Maggie S at last week's session, and we were joined by two very welcome visitors from Yorkshire who didn't want to sing but did want to publicise the Cleckheaton Folk Festival which takes place in June/July, so there we are, I've done it. It will also appear on our links page.

It was two days before St George's day so the theme was George, England, dragons and anything else that seemed appropriate.

Colin as MC asked Steve C to start us off which he did with Jock Stewart (Roud 975) which wasn't exactly to theme but we don't mind that.

Derek had other plans for the evening's theme but started off with a token song from Norfolk: The Bailiff's Daughter Of Islington (Roud 483, Child 105).

Colin was first to really hit the theme will full force, singing Billy Bragg's Hard Times Of Old England Retold.

No train wreck

This week's session (18 March 2016) will be our closest to St Patrick's Day, so you might like to bring along some Irish songs and tunes. Next week (25 March) will be Good Friday and there is an event at the pub, so we will not have a session but we will be back the following week for the 1 April. There's no official theme yet but I wonder whether some fooling around might be in order?

Last week, Colin was MC and Derek started us off with The Bailiff's Daughter Of Islington (Roud 483, Child 105). Mike got us all singing with Drink Old England Dry (Roud 882).

A good crowd for St George

There was a superb turn-out for this week's session. I am sure that was thanks mostly to Maggie's efforts in ringing round the regulars and irregulars. Thanks go to all who turned out for this only slightly belated St George's Day session and to give the best possible impression for Neil, who returned to the club to film the first half of the evening.

Neil is planning to make a documentary film about the club. On his previous visit he found our accustomed lighting level too low for his camera, so this time he brought  his own light source and proceeded to shine it at anyone who dared to open their mouth to sing or touch a guitar to play.

There were a lot of people there, and we only got twice round everyone in the evening, so here goes trying to mention everyone present at least once...

Battles, Yeats and slashed wrists

Stanley Holloway

This week's session was well attended. Robin brought along Sylvia, who is an occasional visitor. Mervyn was with us for the first time in two years - not particularly surprising since his usual habitat is Newbury. We also had a couple of non-singing visitors who were very welcome - sorry I didn't get their names.