May Day 2019

May Pole (Photo: klndonnelly)

Last Friday's session had the theme of May and we were just two days late for May Day itself. This week (10 May) there will be no theme but if you have any May left-overs I am sure no one will mind the scraps.

In fact last week's session was amazing or at least unexpectedly well peopled. Tom made his first appearance of the year, John and Chris O, usually only very occasional visitors, made their second within a month, and Steffan, who I've been working on, he says, for four years, finally made a welcome appearance.

Colin, MCing as usual, started off the evening not particular in the May theme but marking the occasion of Derek's team, Glamorgan beating Gloucestershire in the cricket. He did this with the first of several Kipper Family songs of the evening: The Cricket Match.

Mike wasn't feeling to well so his contribution before an early exit was just one song, but a fine May song it was, Hal An Tow (Roud 1520) which is from the Helston May Day celebrations. There will no doubt be a follow-up from Derek and from just down the road at this week's session.

May Day 2018

Padstow 'Obby 'Oss (Photo: Bryan Ledgard)

Last week's session had the theme of May, being our closest to the first of that month. So we roved out with Colin, our MC, who started the evening off with the Pleasant Month Of May (Roud 153).

Mike led us on our customary journey to Helston in Cornwall with Hal An Tow (Roud 1520) and Colin took us 40 miles North East to Padstow, singing the Padstow Morning Song (Roud 305). Towards the end of the evening Colin sang another song with Padstow connections, though also known in other areas of the country including Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire; this was the May Day Carol (Roud 305).

Loud and proud

1961, Dancing Bonny Green Garters in Canterbury, Kent:
Woodside Morris on one of its regular Whitsun tours

After a very poor showing the previous week, last week's session was better attended though there is still plenty of room for improvement. What's more, due a very long running wake going on in our usual bar we were consigned to the main bar and it seemed sensible to most of us to sing loud and proud. The regulars didn't appear to mind and I even heard them joining in once or twice.

Colin took up the role of MC, sitting rather mister speaker-like at the pool table and taking no nonsense, though applause was permitted. Mike kicked off the evening with Sixteen Tons (Merle Travis).