There's no B in Liverpool

Liverpool's "Three Graces" (Photo: Simon Meeds)

I'm afraid I have to keep the report fairly short this week, would you believe because I'm planning to go out and hear more music, and maybe sing a bit too. But first there are some significant parish notices.
With one exception as you will read in a moment, we meet every Friday and usually you can sing whatever you like at our sessions but sometimes we have an evening with an optional theme, and we happen to have a few of those coming up. You don't have to follow the theme with all of your songs, but it's nice if you can bring something to the party.

26 October - Halloween theme (All Saints, All Souls, ghosts, witches, etc.)
2 November - Campfire theme (camping, fires, fireworks, Guy Fawkes, etc.)
9 November - No session (if you come to the pub you may find yourself in the middle of a charity Ladies' Night)
16 November - Remembrance theme (war, anti-war, remembrance, etc.)

With that out of the way, let's get on with the report.

Use it or lose it!

Liverpool Anglican Cathedral (photo Ruaraidh Gillies)

The usual scribe, as known in advance, was away vacationizing, but regrettably far more seats than his were left empty. The club has been surviving in recent weeks on the strength of holiday-making visitors. This week that supply dried up, and may well remain dry till next summer. If the club is to remain viable we need more regulars.

Where else in Bristol on a Friday night can you be treated for free to:

John Conolly’s pastiche of The Roast Beef of Old England depicting Grumpy Old Men (Richard);

Raffle discussions

The Liver Building, Liverpool

Tonight's session had no theme. Apart from a selection of regulars, we were joined by Paul, who was at the session two weeks ago, performing in public for the first time in twenty years. A first-time visitor was John who was known to Robin and Derek.

At one stage the topic of conversation turned to raffles, and in particular folk club raffles. John said that he is very unlucky with raffles and the last but one time he won one was in the 1960s. The prize on that occasion was a 45rpm record of the Maple Leaf Four singing Old Shep. Derek told of a folk club which was sponsored by a butcher, and the raffle prize was always a huge tray of meat - not much good to him as a vegetarian! He proceeded to sing a song about "A ticket for the meat draw".