The working man

It was great last week to see a totally new face at Friday's session. Sam was apparently at a loose end and found us on Facebook, which is what we like to hear. He didn't have anything prepared to sing but it sounds as though there's potential for the future if we haven't scared him off.

Colin as MC started the session off with The Agitator, believed to have been written in 1873 by Henry Taylor. The subject of the song is Joseph Arch, known as the agitator, who founded the National Agricultural Labourers’ Union in 1872. Taylor was a carpenter, who was admitted to the Union because of his previous trade union experience. The song was included in Roy Palmer’s A Ballad History of England.

Not a dangerous sport?

Kathleen Behan
(Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

With Richard and Lesley on holiday in Auld Reekie we could have been very thin on the ground this week but we were saved by a rare appearance from Tom, and the presence of our two friendly morris dancers: Terry and Sean. In particular it was good to see Sean on his second visit during his convalescence from a dance-related injury. He promises to return, which is a very good thing.

Colin took up the MC's mantel and invited Derek to start us off which he did with The Rambler From Clare.

Mike's first song of the evening was Tom Lewis' Recall.