Two by two

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

We always knew that last week's Dragon Folk Club session was going to be an intimate affair and so it was, but we rattled through the songs, interspersed as usual with some chat, and even added a few "new" ones to the Dragon database.

We should be back on track this Friday, so please come along to further swell our numbers. There's no theme, and in any case our themes are always optional. If you need inspiration it may or may not help will be the birthdays of among others Jake Thackray and Steve Harley, and the anniversary of the deaths of Frankie Lymon and Ray Ellington. I realise that with the possible exception of Jake, these aren't folk musicians, but they represent the wide range of styles we have been known to cover on the fringes.

STOP PRESS: I have been reminded that this Friday is the nearest one to St David's Day, so there should be a theme (optional as always) of everything relating to St David, which of course includes Wales and anything Welsh.

Back to last week, Colin was in the chair and started the evening with the Ballad of real ale (# Kevin Pratt). Simon completed the very short first rotation with Sailing to Philadelphia (Mark Knopfler).

When the audience is small we tend to head towards the songs less sung, and therefore there were a surprising numbers of new entries in the Dragon database:

• Colin - Squarin'-up time (* Arthur Scammell)
• Colin - My brudda Sylvest (* roud 10682 - Jesse L Lasky, Fred Fisher)
• Colin - I know where I'm going (* roud 5701)
• Colin - Syracuse the elephant (* Jim "Crun" Walter, Andy Cresswell-Davis) - This song from the band Stackridge is about the life of a fictional elephant at Bristol Zoo which had elephants of various names in its collection between 1868 and 2002.
• Simon - Gimme hope Jo'anna (* Eddy Grant) - a song campaigning for the end of apartheid in South Africa
• Simon - Mona Lisa (* Ray Evans, Jay Livingston)
• Simon - The sound of silence (* Paul Simon)

Colin finished off a good evening with Cousin Jack (Steve Knightley). The only thing that would have made it better was if you had been there! See you this Friday or soon.

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Valentine's Day 2026

Dragon regulars Paul and Denny
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was a little lighter on the ground than the previous one, but with a Valentine's theme of love and lust it was nevertheless entertaining and convivial.

There's no official theme this Friday, but I see it (20th February) is the World Day of Social Justice, 21st February is the UNESCO International Mother Language Day, and 22nd February is important for scouts and guides. For the guides it is World Thinking Day, and for all in the scouting movement it is Founder's Day being Lord Baden-Powell's birthday as well as that of his wife, Lady Olave Baden-Powell. It's also this dragon's mother's birthday.

Back now to last Friday, with Colin back in the MC's chair it was he who started proceedings appropriately with Last Valentine's Day (roud 6475).

Simon billed his first song, Sovay (roud 7, laws N21) as an antidote to his more usual Claudy Banks (roud 266, laws N40). In the latter a sailor home from sea tells his girl that he is dead to test her faithfulness, whereas in the former a girl dresses as a highwayman and robs her man to test his. Although Martin Carthy famously sings Sovay, Simon first heard the song sung by Isla St Clair on her children's TV programme The Song and The Story, and so it is her version that is linked.

Denny's first song of the evening was The beggar's bridge (Vin Garbutt). In 1619, a packhorse bridge called Beggar's Bridge was constructed over the River Esk by Thomas Ferris, the son of a local moorland sheep farmer. The bridge's history is intertwined with a romantic legend about Thomas and his sweetheart, Agnes Richardson. Allegedly, Thomas used to wade through the river to meet Agnes secretly since her father disapproved of their relationship due to Thomas's lack of wealth. Years later, having returned to Glaisdale, a wealthy man and married Agnes, Thomas constructed the Beggar's Bridge.

Paul gave finished off the first rotation with Green grows the laurel (roud 279).

Unusually there was only one song new to the Dragon database, and that was Bob Dylan's Sara (*), sung by Colin. This song led to a mini theme with contributions from Simon and Denny: Sarah and Pretty Saro (roud 417) respectively.

After a fun evening it was Colin who brought the session to a close with The games people play (Joe South).

Before anyone comments, unfortunately Paul and Denny who are featured in this week's blog report photo will not be present this week due to folky duties elsewhere. In their absence please come and help us raise the roof this Friday.

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

(Number of people present - 4 of whom 4 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Welcome new faces

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

It was a great turn-out at the Dragon Folk Club last week. Apart from some regulars, Paul and Denny brought non-singing friend Jill (don't believe it, I saw her singing along to the choruses). Also long time follower on Facebook, George, made her debut and brought her friend John who was visiting her from the far reaches of East Anglia. And let's not forget that George brought her very well behaved dog, Juniper. Let's hope we see and hear a lot more of George in the future - John's great too, but he's got a long way to come.

Next week's session will have a theme for Valentine's Day so songs of love and lust will be of interest though as always with themes at the Dragon Folk Club, it is totally optional and just for fun.

Simon was standing in for Colin as MC and Paul started the ball rolling with Grey funnel line (Cyril Tawney). Denny's first song was The shores of old Blighty (Graeme Miles).

George's first song for the Dragon was Glen Isla near bonny Glenshee (roud 832) and John's opener was his own Grandad (* John Hare).

Simon started with The world turned upside down (Leon Rosselson). We hadn't seen Rob at The Bridge for a while and he marked his return with MacPherson's rant (roud 2160).

Bob and Sue brought the first rotation to a close with Bear Creek blues (roud 17345 - AP Carter) and Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) respectively.

As is customary, I will mention all songs sung by newcomers, in this case George and John:

• George - The ballad of old Seth Davy (Glyn Hughes)
• John - Rolling to Cairo town (* Dillon Bustin)
• George - As I roved out (* roud 3479), not to be confused with As I roved out (roud 277, laws O17)
• John - Little Brigid Flynn (* roud 39674 - William Percy French)
• George - Peggy Gordon (roud 2280)
• John - Clancy of the overflow (* Banjo Paterson - to a tune by John Hare himself)

Other songs new to the Dragon database were:

• Rob - The ballad of Lucy Jordan (* Shel Silverstein)
• Rob - The factory girl (* roud 1659), not to be confused with The factory girl (roud V4694) or others of the same name
• Bob - The year that Clayton Delaney died (* Tom T Hall)

The session was closed with Denny singing Byker Hill (roud 3488).

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

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 8 performed + dog)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Time is ticking

Bristol Exchange Clock times three
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

We had a great theme-less session at the Dragon Folk Club last week with 47 songs being sung by five singers. It's great that Heather and Hazel are now regulars when they don't have other commitments.

We will be without a theme again this Friday (6 Feb) and Simon will be MC, so he would very much like to see you whether you sing, play, perform in some other way (as long as it's acoustic) or simply come and listen, partake of the banter and maybe join us in a chorus or two.

Back to last week, Colin was in his MC. He would have started the evening, but Paul pre-empted him, getting us all to join in singing Happy Birthday to you - Heather (roud 36104 - Mildred J. Hill, Patty Hill).

Colin started the session proper with The apprentice song (Ian Campbell).

Heather reprised her Highland fairy lullaby from the previous week's Burns' Night celebration before Paul took us to Old Maui (roud 2005) and Denny carried on a sort of maritime theme with The pickled herring man (# Cathy Wallis) which together with Paul's Tracks in the snow (# Steve Thomason) are the two songs of the evening not found on YouTube and therefore not on this week's playlist.

Staying with the sea Simon gave us Bonnie ship the Diamond (roud 2172) and brought the first rotation to an end.

There were only three songs at this session which were new to the Dragon database. Heather sang Mother of mine (* Bill Parkinson) which was made famous by Neil Reid in 1971 to win ITV's Opportunity Knocks. In reply to Heather's singing of Grandfather's clock (roud 4326 - Henry Clay Work), Simon gave us the less famous Sequel to grandfather's clock (* Henry Clay Work). The final on this week's "new to" list is Heather's singing of Home on the range (* roud 3599 - Brewster M. Higley, Daniel E. Kelley).

Colin brought the evening to a close with Haul away Joe (roud 809).

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Burns' Night 2026

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was our annual Burns' Night theme, just two days before the actual event. There was a surprisingly large number of genuine Burns songs, not least thanks to the presence of Heather, our very own Scot who arrived with her non-singing friend Hazel.

This Friday (30 Jan) there will be no theme, so anything goes whether that's a song, tune, story, poem, joke, monologue or whatever other type of performance you can muster. If you don't think you are ready to perform then don't worry, come along to listen and join in the banter. Everyone is welcome.

Back to Burns, Colin started us off with Tramps and hawkers (roud 1874).

Heather was the first to sing a Burns song with A red, red rose (* roud 12946 - Robert Burns) and Simon followed with another: Ye Jacobites by name (roud 31021 - Robert Burns).

Denny kept the ball in the air with The collier laddie (roud 3787 - Robert Burns) and Paul didn't let it drop with a creditable rendition of Address to a haggis (Robert Burns). And so ended the first rotation.

I'll do my best to list the remainder of the Burns songs and poems performed though please forgive me if I miss any:

• Heather - Comin' thro' the rye (* roud 13589 - Robert Burns). I couldn't resist also linking this.
• Simon - The whistle (* Robert Burns) - sung, to "prove" a rule, to the tune of Villikins and his Dinah.
• Heather - Scots wha hae (* roud 27546 - Robert Burns)
• Simon - The deil's awa' wi' th' exciseman (* roud 16787 - Robert Burns)
• Heather - Ca' the yowes to the knowes (* roud 857 - Robert Burns)
• Colin - Afton water (roud 24637 - Robert Burns)
• Simon - John Barleycorn (* roud 164 - Robert Burns). While we have often had versions of John Barleycorn, I am not sure we have previously had Burns' version although it has been mentioned. My latest information is that the oldest versions are Scottish and include the Scots poem Quhy Sowld Nocht Allane Honorit Be. In 1782 Burns published his own version of the song, which influenced subsequent versions.
• Denny - Leezie Lindsay (roud 94, child 226 - Robert Burns)
• Heather - Auld lang syne (roud 13892 - Robert Burns)
• Colin - Such a parcel of rogues in a nation (roud 31022 - Robert Burns)
• Heather - To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest With the Plough, November, 1785 (* Robert Burns)

There were two others new to the Dragon database and both were performed by Heather:

• Highland fairy lullaby (*) - A traditional gaelic children's song.
• Wee Willie Winkie (* roud 13711 - William Miller) - Scots poet William Miller (1810-1872), appears to have popularised a pre-existing nursery rhyme, adding additional verses to make up a five stanza poem.

Thw two songs not found on YouTube and therefore not included in this week's playlist both came from Colin:

• The Loch Ness monster (Iain C MacKintosh, Hamish Imlach)
• The broo road (link to a recording) - Composed during the depression in Dundee, and was included by John A Brune in his collection "The Roving Songster".

The evening was closed by Colin singing Dougie McLean's Ready for the storm.

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

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

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Knock knock

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

It was another great session at the Dragon Folk Club last week. We were back to reasonable strength in numbers with seven people present and all singing. There was no theme which left the field wide open.

Speaking of themes, this Friday's session (23rd January) will be our Burns' Night special (though Rabbie's actual day is Sunday), so bring your songs written or collected by Robert Burns, general Scottish songs, or anything you can vaguely link (I half-jokingly suggested songs about fire). Failing that, remember that our themes are always optional, just a bit of fun, so the most important thing is to turn up to sing, play, listen and chat - or whichever subset of those is your fancy.

Back to last week, Colin was MC and started the ball rolling with In these hard times (roud 23324 - RP Weston, Fred Barnes).

Simon delayed his planned first song and instead went for Les Barker's poem Have you got any news of the iceberg.

Roger introduced us to his self-penned song Can't be doing this any more (*#Roger Stanleigh).

Denny sang Poverty Knock (roud 3491 - Tommy Daniel). I always knew that there were stories to tell around this song, but I've done a bit more research.

Tommy Daniel was a 5ft tall weaver from Batley, although he had other jobs during his working life. He was born around 1890, started work aged 11, and died in 1970. He is variously credited with writing, re-creating or collecting the song. Piecing together the stories of various individuals who knew him, knew weaving, or simply knew the area, anecdotally the song had been in existence in some form since at least the 1920s.

Tommy himself wrote: "This work song dates back to the early Dobby power looms. Owing to low wages and the slow dreary 'knock-ity knock' sound of the looms, weavers were called 'Poverty Knockers'."

According to Wikipedia, Dobby looms first appeared around 1843, roughly 40 years after Joseph Marie Jacquard invented the Jacquard device that can be mounted atop a loom to lift the individual heddles and warp threads. The word dobby is a corruption of "draw boy," which refers to the weaver's helpers who used to control the warp thread by pulling on draw threads.

It seems that Tommy may have collected some verses of the song, edited out others that he thought too risqué, and maybe written or "recreated" some more. He sang various verses at different times and I'm sure I've heard a story that claimed he would come up with a new verse and say that he had recently "found" it somewhere.

Whatever the case, it's a great song to sing, and get people singing along. Apparently Tommy required the audience to do a tap-tap after "poverty knock".

Paul's first song of the evening was Fathom the bowl (roud 880).

Sue sang the Crawdad song (roud 4853) and Bob completed the first rotation with The last ride (Robert Halcomb, Ted Daffan).

Apart from Roger's "Can't be doing this any more" which has already been mentioned there were three more songs not found on YouTube and therefore not in the playlist linked from "a selection" below:

• Sue's own A chilly song (# Sue Lonsdale) written specifically for the Dragon Folk Club - the heating's now working, but best to still bring warm clothing at this time of year
• Colin - My favourite things (*#), which is of course a parody of My favourite things (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II). OK, my pedantry forced me to use the original Mary Martin performance from the Broadway show. Here is the Julie Andrews film performance you were all expecting.
• Roger - Together we fight (#Roger Stanleigh)

Paul finished the session off appropriately with the Farewell shanty. Mervyn Vincent from St. Issy and Alan Molyneux from Plymouth are largely responsible for the revival of this West Country shanty. Mervyn found it in an old book on boat-building and it later served as the closing song at Alan’s Breakwater Club in Plymouth.

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

(Number of people present - 7 of whom 7 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).

Thirteen each (plus one)

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session was great despite there being only three singers. We were joined by Ray, a second-timer at the club, who didn't appear to be phased at all by being asked to sing thirteen times. We would have perfectly understood if he'd run out of steam. One of the great things about the Dragon Folk Club is that you get to air lots of your songs, and being a friendly and small (though not usually this small) group it's absolutely fine to bring things out that still need some perfecting - it's good practice.

We knew we would be short when several of our regulars said they would be elsewhere, but at least some of them should be back this Friday (16th January) when it will once again be a theme-less session in preparation for next week's (23rd January) Burns' Night theme. As always our themes are optional, but if you can bring something appropriate it will be much appreciated.

Back to last week, having been first to arrive, Simon was asked to get the ball rolling and he did so with John Conolly's Punch and Judy man. Colin, back in the MC's chair, sang Tom Lewis' Radio times. Ray completed the first rotation with Dominic Behan's Liverpool Lou.

Only one song from the evening wasn't found in YouTube and therefore doesn't appear in the playlist linked from "a selection" below:

• Colin - Epitaph (# Colin Owen)

The evening added an impressive eight songs to the Dragon database:

• Ray - Angie (* Keith Richards, Mick Jagger)
• Colin - Goodbye my lover, goodbye (* roud 15381)
• Ray - The flower and the young man (* Dave Cousins)
• Colin - Shapes of things (* Jim McCarty, Keith Relf, Paul Samwell-Smith)
• Ray - And a bang on the ear (* Mike Scott)
• Ray - Catch the wind (* Donovan Leitch)
• Ray - Hurt (* Trent Reznor)
• Ray - Lady Midnight (* Leonard Cohen)

Simon finished the session with The smuggler's song (Rudyard Kipling).

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

(Number of people present - 3 of whom 3 performed)

In the above report songs new to the Dragon database (though no always new to the club) are marked with an asterisk (*) and any songs not included in the "a selection" playlist are marked with a hash (#).