England expects... and is disappointed

Today is the nearest Friday to Trafalgar Day, so we were expecting lots of shanties, tales of how wonderful Nelson was and general patriotism, but it wasn't to be. Dragon Folk Club meets every Friday, and I mean every Friday. It takes quite a lot for it to be cancelled. Since I've been going along, which is about eleven and a half years, the only things I can remember stopping the marching certainty of the club were Christmas Day, extreme weather and a murder (really).

Tonight's story though was a rather sorry affair in comparison. Apparently there had been a party at The Bridge which was supposed to finish at 17:30 but by 20:30 they were still occupying our back room as well as the rest of the pub. There seemed no prospect of them vacating, and even if they did the pressure on the toilets would be such that the function room would be like Piccadilly Circus. So, when I arrive, slightly late, I found Mike and Colin in the side bar, ready to inform all comers that the club would not be happening tonight. I could have stayed with them for a drink but I decided to head home and write this little report instead.

Ouch!

The Lambton Worm

The main story at this week's session was the death this week of our good friend, banjo player and singer, Betty. Her funeral will be on 28 October 2014 at 12 noon at Westerleigh Crematorium.

Another important announcement was that two recent sessions: Harvest and the celebration of the life of Pat Hyett had between them raised £110 for St Peter's Hospice. Thanks go to everyone who attended those sessions and contributed to that fine total.

We were pleased to see a large number of visitors, some of whom have been recently, some new faces, and one long absent friend of Maggie's who has promised to come again.

Betty - RIP

The following message was posted on Facebook by Terry Helyar today (13 October 2014).

Today is a very sad day for those of us who knew Betty McDonald. Betty sadly passed away early this morning surrounded by her loving family. Betty life was filled with a love of music and for all those who carried the tradition of performing it. She was a kind and generous woman who welcomed everyone into her life and home. Betty’s husband Norman was also a talented musician and shared a wonderful life with Betty and their children. Today I am sad and will always miss this beautiful person and friend. Terry Helyar (on Facebook)

Betty's funeral will take place  on 28 October 2014 at 12 noon at Westerleigh Crematorium.

Dogs and absent friends

The early part of this week's session was marked by some wining from Mike's dog, Indy. Mike was intending to leave at the interval anyway but made an early exit when things got too bad. This also influenced the singing, with several dog-themed songs, including Mike's own opener, Noah's ark shanty (Roud 318).

The first of two Steve's (Steve 1) continued the canine theme with Dido Bendigo (Roud 584). Simon's doggy offering was The smuggler's song (Rudyard Kipling). This last song was one of two sung from the repertoire of our late friend Ray Croll, the other being Buddy can you spare a dime (words: E. Y. "Yip" Harburg; music: Jay Gorney), sung by Roger.

In celebration of the life of Pat (Eades) Hyett

Pat (Eades) Hyett

This week's session was a celebration of the life of our good friend Pat who died recently and it was great to see an excellent turn-out. Proceeds from the evening will go to St Peter's Hospice where she was cared for in the last week of her life. Many people will know her as Pat Eades (or Patricia Eades from her articles in her local parish magazine) but this summer she married her partner of twelve years, Keith Hyett and became Pat Hyett. many people can remember that day spent with Pat and Keith celebrating their marriage, and Pat was on great form.

While Mike and Maggie were definitely present, and Mike's dog, Indy, in fine voice, MC duties were taken up by Richard, who showed his prowess in identifying tunes (most of the time) and kept everyone well in order.

Harvest 2014

Pete Shutler of The Yetties

This week was our harvest session with sandwiches provided by Maggie and most present having brought produce for the raffle whose proceeds will go to St Peter's Hospice.

Speaking of the hospice, I will get an early plug in for next week's session (3 October) which will be in memory of Pat (Eades) Hyett who died there recently. Pat, together with her husband Keith, was familiar on the local folk scene and a regular visitor to the Dragon Folk Club. Please come along and bring your friends and family so that we can celebrate the life of our friend Pat in the best way possible. Any money collected will once again be donated to St Peter's Hospice.

Dog Day Evening

Ron Angel

The Dragon this week echoed to the patter of tiny feet. No, no-one gave birth; but there was a massed canine visit by Indy (new pet of Maggie and Mike), Maggie L's new whippet Freddie and grizzled folk-club veteran Gertie, to meet each other and take part in a variety of games such as Lick the Vicar and Drink Colin's Beer.

Indy, having tried hard to join in several songs, needed to take his owners home before the stroke of midnight caused any of them to change back into their secret identities; so Richard acted as MC for the second half, as well as singing Adar Mân Y Mynydd which I think roughly translates as The Small Birds That Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain [The little birds of the mountain]. And on the subject of foreign languages, Lesley performed the Miners' Lifeguard in perfect American!

Derek inevitably began by cheering people down, if that is the correct antonym, by announcing the death of pillar of Teesside folk music Ron Angel. Since your regular scribe (hands up, who guessed this is not he?) had sung Ron's Chemical Worker's Song in the past few weeks, Derek declined to do it again and confined himself to one of the shanties for the singing of which Ron will be remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him. In this case he chose Cruising Round Yarmouth to the tune of Blow the Man Down. Firstly this caused Jan to suspect that there might be a secondary non-nautical meaning to the song, though I can't see it myself. And secondly it encouraged Richard to sing Erin Go Bragh NOT to the tune of Blow the Man Down.

We were delighted to welcome back Keith for the first time since the sad loss of his wife Pat. As always he awed the guitarists present with his precision and finger control in such pieces as The Causeway. And we also welcomed back our recent visitors Chris (Seventeen Come Sunday – strictly speaking that was her song, not her biography) and Roger who sang songs including Rhinestone Cowboy.

Paul who has heretofore confined himself to playing instrumentals, broke his duck with a song he had written called That's All I Know.

Phil amused the assembled with Plastic Jesus for which Richard and Lesley failed to trace a precise supporting biblical quotation; perhaps they were playing canny after Colin's performance of Sydney Carter's 'The vicar is a beatnik and he ought to be defrocked'. That song immediately struck home to me as one I used to hear a lot, but hadn't heard now for a very long time. Hardly had I thought that than Jan sang Jeff Buckley's Satisfied Mind (Joe "Red" Hayes and Jack Rhodes), which comes into exactly the same category.

May I end with the reminder that next week is Harvest; so please feel free to arrive bearing, for charitable purposes, anything in aid of which the fields have been ploughed and/or scattered, or money to enter the inevitable raffle for the aforementioned produce. And the following week we hope as many friends as possible will attend to commemorate the life of Pat.

Here's a selection of the songs sung during the session.

(Number of people present - 14, of which 11 performed)