Happy Birthday Mike H

Mike Harding

(any plug for Mike's folk show is purely incidental)

A slightly better-attended session last week heard the big news that had been rumbling all week. Maggie has decided to retire from running the club and after the next session (30 October 2015) and will be handing to baton to Colin. Mike reminds Colin that you are only ever lent the reins of the Dragon Folk Club.

In preparation for taking over, Colin suggested to Mike that the next session would have a theme of Halloween. Mike accepted the suggestion, adding that it might also involve Australia and New Zealand (a rugby reference), so that gives a bit of scope to everyone.

Tumbleweed blows over Westerleigh

Frank Harte

I admit I have had to stretch a point in this report to make things look reasonable. Yes, there were only four of us last Friday, although we were joined in the bar by a couple who while not entirely involved in what we were doing didn't seem to consider it objectionable, so I've included them in the count.

Colin was MC for the evening and he asked Derek to start us off. It later transpired that Derek was suffering from some nasty lurgy but he soldiered on with Johnny Doyle (as requested the linked recording is Frank Harte).

Terry - Profile

This article is one of a series on regulars at the club.

Terry first came to the club in about 1976. His songs range from ant-war through mining, maritime and love songs to humour. He plays the guitar, melodeon and mandolin.

He discovered folk clubs in about 1976: Chipping Sodbury and Iron Acton clubs, the latter being the ancestor of the Dragon Folk Club. The atmosphere was so friendly and everyone joined in the choruses; it soon inspired him to learn some songs, initially singing unaccompanied. Some time later he bought a guitar, which he still uses and learned enough to accompany himself.

Terry started morris dancing in 1988. He says it's never too late: he was fifty five then and even now he still manages one or two dances in an evening.

Since this profile was written Terry has given up morris dancing, but he is understood to still go out playing sometimes. As part of a tidy-up this profile entry has been moved to archive status though we very much hope to see him again.

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.

Best Known To Fame

The Runcorn Ferry (Old Ted, The Boatman)
drawing by John Hassall

We started off a bit thin on the ground last week; in fact it seemed that few of us that there were, we were perhaps the only people in the pub. However we gained a few people during the evening and some more appeared in the other bar as well.

Richard was MC and he started off with Bessie Of Ballantown Brae (Laws P28). Lesley's singing of A Kiss In The Morning Early set her going on a theme of cobblers ("And off to the shoemaker's shop sure she goes For a kiss in the morning early") which she followed up with more rubbish (I jest) in the shape of Cobbler's Daughter (Kate Rusby). I have previously credited Cobbler's Daughter to Kate Rusby and have not been challenged. This time I found a video claiming to predate Kate's singing of the song but I'm not sure I believe it. Your comments on this matter would be very welcome.

Forty Years On

Photo by Simon Meeds

With many of last week’s absentees recaptured and brought back in chains, our numbers reached 11 (9 singers), liberally supplemented with our canine Honourary Members. The latter led to Leslie having to perform songs such as To Be A Pharmacist whilst simultaneously trying to calm either the Waggy or the Howlly.

We were happy to welcome new blood in the shape of Sean. Sean is a Morris Mate of Terry, but unfortunately for him, fortunately for us, had been invalided out of this week’s morris practice with Plantar Fasciitis, or Morris Dancer’s Heel as it is always called in Holby City. Although claiming not to have been in a folk club for 40 years, he had no difficulties in entertaining us with traditional material (Child 81 Little Musgrave/Matty Groves) and some self-penned songs including Ribbons and Bells – a tribute to Morris Dancers with unfasciated plantars. Derek is already learning the words of Forty Years On: but hopefully Sean's next visit will be much sooner than that! We even let him win the raffle….

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers

photo by Hamish McConnochie

Many of us were afraid that the above words, famously used by Henry V on his last visit to the club (in those days still at Iron Acton) would be needed to describe this week's meeting, given that regulars Mike, Maggie S, Colin, Simon and Martin Carthy were all away on jaunts.

But happily a respectable 8 (7 singers) appeared and when Roger appropriately for the time of year sang Kurt Weill's September Song it was merely the days, not the audience, which had 'dwindled down to a precious few.'