What shall we do with a drunken folk club?

Sperm Whale

A slight increase in numbers over last week was united in creating a better evening by the silence from last week's rogue speaker. In fact the only unexpected accompaniment was occasioned by Ray's phone, and since Gary was forced to admit that its warble tone was in the right key, this did not constitute a serious problem.

Those non-attenders who had their windows open and heard peals of laughter from the area of Shortwood may like to know the story of its origin. After a mention of whores, Colin was asked to raise the tone, and seemed genuinely convinced that he was about to do so. Hint to readers – when attempting tone-raising, try to avoid a song like New Zealand Whales / Coast of Peru which opens with the words “Come all of you whalermen who are cruising for sperm” (let alone the mention of se[a]men in the next line). In the absence of any other theme for the evening Robin proceeded to give us Dave Oakley's Clonakilty Whaling Song, in which they 'prefer minke to sperm', and Derek could not resist Cruising Round Yarmouth.

Aficionados of Whose Line Is It Anyway? may be interested to know that its latest reincarnation appears to be at The Bridge where Mike, singing both Who's The Fool Now? and Drunken Sailor, called on the others to sing a verse, improvised if necessary. It was a grim night for rhyme and an even grimmer one for scansion, but at least people had the opportunity to insult each other. Those who believe that forewarned is forearmed may like to consider that A Drop Of Nelson's Blood is traditionally a likely candidate for this treatment.

Finally to show that there are still occasional oases of culture in a desert of filth, Richard sang John Oxenford's rewrite of the traditional Oxfordshire song Arthur of Bradley, and Jack o'Kent and the Devil's Quoits, a story set in Thornbury.

Hopefully your regular scribe will return from France next week, and normal service will be resumed.

[Ed: Thank you Derek for holding the fort so well. Indeed I should be back to normal by Friday]