Nearly New Year and much mirth

Kipper Family

I arrived this week to find everyone sitting in the side bar supping their drinks. Apparently the electricity was off to the wing of the pub where our room is situated. In times gone by this would not have been a problem since we always held our sessions by candlelight, with the sole addition of the light on the dartboard. However, since refurbishment the use of candles had been prohibited, so we are usually in the still subdued glow of the electric wall lights. Apparently Maggie S usually brings her candles just in case but on this occasion she had not. The landlord came to the rescue with candles carefully waxed into "energy drink" glasses and we were quickly underway.

Christmas II

William Batchelder Bradbury

Thanks go to Derek for the report on this week's session. As usual, I have linked to some songs on YouTube. Since I wasn't there this time, some of the songs may not be quite what was sung. There may even be the odd intentionally wrong one in there in the spirit of the season :-)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Bridge

Our second week of partying-down began, as the first, with Maggie L producing a sumptuous, not to say scrumptious and beautifully presented, repast, ably supervised by chief crumb-hoover Gertie.

The first session of Christmas

John Conolly

This was the first of two Christmas sessions. The maybe spurious reason was that some people couldn't make 13 December and others couldn't make 20th. So, if you're reading this before 11pm on 20th there's still time to join us for some Christmas cheer (or bah humbug depending on your inclination), make it a bit earlier and you can even join in with the grub, just bring an edible contribution, please.

We would like to thank Maggie 2 (who I now know as Maggie L!) for decorating the room. I guess she probably provided some of the food as well but she had been and gone before I arrived so I don't know for sure. Thank you, Maggie L! Henceforth, if I remember, our two Maggies will be Maggie S and Maggie L.

Christmas comes early, and a little later

Much to the consternation of some "bah humbug" folkies, Maggie has announced that there will be not one, but two Christmas sessions this year. These will be on 13 and 20 December. So, bring out your Christmas (or even anti-Christmas) songs and some appropriate nibbles to be added to the spread.

Happy Christmas

Mandela, floods and Scottish remnants

Hamish Henderson

The big world event this week was the death of Nelson Mandela. At the beginning of the evening only Derek had a relevant song; one he had written himself, called Mandela. This was a song which he considered to be poorly written and he had therefore sung it only three times before. This, he declared, would be its last outing. We didn't think it anywhere near so bad. Later on Terry turned up and sung another song related to South Africa. Unfortunately I've been unable to identify it.

Simon spoke of the tidal surge that has affected Lincolnshire. The flooding got to within a mile of his parents' house and flooded the homes of several people he knows. It was noted that Three score and ten would be appropriate but it had been sung the previous week. Simon had considered reading High tide on the coast of Lincolnshire by Jean Ingelow until he realised how long it is!

Saint Andrew, Scotland and the sea

The Beauchamp - the lifeboat
involved in the Caister disaster of 1901

Last Friday people were very thin on the ground at the session. I suggested that we might get more people in if we removed the poster from the door; not because people are discouraged by the folk club poster, but because removing it would reveal the sign showing the way to the alternative toilets.

I can't quite remember the reason, but it may have been this comment that started Maggie singing Seven old ladies locked in the lavatory. Well, I say she started singing... No, I don't mean there was anything wrong with Maggie's singing, it's just that although it is officially her folk club, Maggie almost never sings, and she tried to stop the fact that she had sung being recorded. Well, it went into the official book, and it's recorded here on the blog as well!