Special edition

Jane Turriff

This is a special edition report, which serves as an addendum to the report on the session of Friday 30 August 2013. It picks up where that report left off, and covers some more of the songs sung on that evening, together with some stories behind the songs.

Simon sang Mike Harding's Jimmy Spoons, about a shell-shocked First World War veteran who plays harmonica and spoons on the streets. On this occasion, Derek produced a pair of spoons and played along to one chorus. When Maggie asked why only one chorus, Derek indicated that with the spoons, less really is more!

One of Derek's contributions this week was Andrew Lammie. He admitted that he had sung it fairly recently at the club but wanted to repeat it because he learnt the song from Jane Turriff, who had recently died aged 97. Until hearing of her death, Derek wasn't even aware she had been still alive so recently. He recalled that in her younger days she would take folk club bookings all over Scotland, always travelling by public transport to fulfil them. If that wasn't remarkable enough, she would be accompanied on her trips by her harmonium and her husband, Cameron, who was blind and needed constant attention.

Richard sang Bold Sir Rylas (Roud 29) which is a version of Sir Lionel (Child 18). It was collected by Alfred Williams from Daniel Morgan who lived "amid the woods of Bradon". While Morgan sang the song to Williams, he was cutting out clothes-pegs from greenwhithy and his wife was making potato nets.