Stories and links

19th-century lithograph of William Price

It was a quieter session for the Dragon Folk Club last Friday for a number of reasons, but not least because the flow of people through our room had been alleviated by the reinstatement of the proper gents toilet. There were again only two singers and this time no extras. Fewer songs were sung (a total of just 20) because we had some good chat on a wide variety of topics, among them: old friends, post-Roman Britain, BBC's Repair Shop, and even on the subject of folk songs.

Rather than a theme or even themes emerging through the evening we tended to have pairs or small groups of songs with mutual connections, some of which I will refer to here.

Talking of themes, this Friday's session will have the theme of St George's Day. The patron saint of England has among his other patronages: agricultural workers, farmers, field workers; soldiers; archers; armourers; equestrians, cavalry, saddle makers; chivalry; peacekeeping missions; skin diseases, lepers and leprosy, syphilis; sheep, shepherds, and scouting (oh and let's not forget he's said to have slain a dragon). That should give plenty of scope for songs to sing, tunes to play and stories to tell for all those types of performance and more are welcome as long as they are acoustic. Also, don't worry if you can't stick to the theme, it's intended as a fun guideline, not as a straitjacket.

Colin as MC started things off with Doctor Price (Meic Stephens) about William Price a Welsh physician and political activist best known for his support of Welsh nationalism, Chartism and involvement with the Neo-Druidic religious movement. After cremating his dead son in 1884, Price was arrested and put on trial by those who believed cremation was illegal under English law; however, he successfully argued that there was no legislation that specifically outlawed it, which paved the way for the Cremation Act 1902. Upon his death, he was cremated in a ceremony watched by 20,000 onlookers.

Simon started something with Jez Lowe's song The Bergen because Colin replied immediately with The wrong bus from the same writer, and later with his Tether's end.

Colin said he had experienced some difficulty finding the story behind The London steamer (roud 17760). The song is about the SS London which sank on 11 January 1866 in the Bay of Biscay on its way from Gravesend, England to Melbourne, Australia. A story later highly publicised after the loss states that when the ship was en route down the Thames, a seaman seeing her pass Purfleet said: "It'll be her last voyage…she is too low down in the water, she'll never rise to a stiff sea." Indeed she was overloaded and the words were prophetic.

Colin's Jim, the carter lad (roud 1080) is a surprising new addition to the Dragon database. It must surely have been sung at the club before, but probably not recently. It was also Colin who came up with the next database addition: Canny miner lad (Ian Campbell).

Colin brought out Coaly Tyne (roud V21088) which led Simon to sing Mark Knopfler's Sailing to Philadelphia which quotes the same description of the river in its chorus.

Colin sang the only song of the evening not included in the YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below, and that was his own song In the country. This led Simon to respond with that "country chap" Buttercup Joe (roud 1635).

The third and final addition of the night to the Dragon database was Colin's singing of the theme tune of BBC sitcom Last of the summer wine by Ronnie Hazelhurst with lyrics added by Roy Clarke (series scriptwriter), Bill Owen (the actor who played Compo), Alan Bell (series producer/director).

Simon finished off the evening with a song which, when he originally tried to learn it, confused him by its tune's similarity in part to that of Last of the summer wine. The song in question was When all men sing (Keith Scowcroft, Derek Gifford).

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

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

Hoppin' around

Former ICI prill tower at Avonmouth,
since demolished (Photo: Simon Meeds)

We were slightly down on numbers at last week's Dragon Folk Club session, but not that long ago five would have been a achievement so there are no complaints. We do however convey our hopes for a speedy recovery to Sue. Due to her illness Bob joined us on his own.

Colin, as MC, started proceedings with Jez Lowe's Bother at the Hoppins about a Europe's largest funfair that takes place in Newcastle. This was the first of three of Jez's songs of the evening. The second was Simon's first contribution: The Bergen about a shipwreck off Seaton Carew, County Durham. The final Jez Lowe song came from Colin and was The wrong bus with a First World War theme.

Back to the first rotation, Bob gave us Livin' with the blues, written by Brownie McGhee.

Denny took us to The Mountains Of Mourne (Percy French) and Paul introduced us to The Rose of Allandale (roud 1218 -words Charles Jefferys, music Sidney Nelson).

Simon finished off the first rotation with the aforementioned song The Bergen.

Bob's next song, Blackland farmer, was (like Livin' with the blues before it) a new one for the Dragon database though not necessarily to the club. The song was written by Frankie Miller amd was a US country hit for him in both 1959 and 1961.

Bob also added to the database with Hank Williams' I'm so lonesome I could cry.

Colin was concerned that he might be accused of cultural appropriation singing Dip and fall back. Simon reassured him by climbing in the same barrel with Big bamboo.

Denny added a new one to the database with Mike Jones' Along the Rossendale. And so did Colin with David Gates' The guitar man.

Simon sang Ron Angel's The chemical worker's song, which is based on Angel's experiences of working for ICI, presumably at Billingham, County Durham where he was born. The song considers the long-term effects of working in the chemical factory. Conversation related the ICI factory at Billingham to the one which used to be in Avonmouth, not too far from where the Dragon Folk Club meets. Simon referred to the prill tower which used to be there and to the similarity of the prill manufacturing process to that of making lead shot, a process developed by William Watts in the nearby Redcliffe area of Bristol. By chance I came across this video which tells some of Watts' story and that of his shot tower.

While Colin's singing of The galaxy song (Eric Idle, John Du Prez) created another new entry in the Dragon database, I know for a fact that Colin has sung that here before. Colin also made the last new entry of the evening into the database with Jez Lowe's aforementioned song, The wrong bus.

It fell to Paul this week to close the session which he did with Leave her Johnny (roud 354).

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

(Number of people present - 6 of whom 5 performed)