All Fools 2025

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session turned into an event to mark a slightly belated April Fool's day with mirth, fun and nonsense. It was particularly good to mark it with a respectably large crowd. This Friday's session will have no theme, so the pressure is off and with the expected absence of a few regulars you are particularly encouraged to come along for a low-key, low-pressure opportunity to try performing your party pieces, or if you don't fancy that to see what we are going to perform. You are very welcome to join in the banter and a hopefully a chorus or two.

Back to last week, Colin, in the chair as MC, started us off with a marker of April fools (* Rob Carlson). That asterisk indicates a song that is new to the Dragon database though not necessarily a first appearance at the club since the database only goes back a fraction of the club's history which spans well over 50 years. The database is even incomplete and inclined to errors over its restricted period.

The YouTube playlist linked from "a selection" below is also incomplete, and more so this week than usually, mostly for good reason. Performances not to be found there will be marked with a hash (#). The playlist acknowledges 30 performances, but we had a total of 37 during the evening.

It was good to see occasional visitor Roger S, and his first song of the session was his own Ukrainian lament (*# Roger Stanleigh).

Simon was first in with a comedy song, which was Richard Stilgoe's The transplant squad.

Steve came in with what some consider "folk cheese": The fields of Athenry (Pete St John), and he was followed by Jane with one of her stories; this time about some stolen doughnuts (#).

Denny told us about Albert's return (Marriott Edgar) and Paul gave us Somewhere to begin (T R Ritchie).

Sue's first song was Eric Idle's Always look on the bright side of life from The Life of Brian, and Bob brought the first rotation to a close with The same thing happened to me (John Prine, Gary Nicholson).

I was sure that Denny had previously sung The lightning tree (* Francis Essex) which some of us remembered as the theme tune to the ITV children's drama Follyfoot. However, the database had no record of it, so either I'm mistaken, or it was another omission from its vault; well it is no longer.

Roger sang us another of his own compositions which he entitled Expectation (*# Roger Stanleigh).

Jane's next story was entitled Chocolate (#) and was about a soldier who liked the sweet stuff considerably more than he liked being a soldier.

Colin entered the realms of "one song to the tune of another" with Your Baby 'as Gorn Dahn the Plug'ole (Jack Spade - a pseudonym of Elton Box, Desmond Cox and Lewis Ilda [aka Irwin Dash]) to the tune of My bonnie lies over the ocean (roud 1422).

There is a previous record of Devil woman (Terry Britten, Christine Authors) being sung by an unknown attendee at the club (maybe someone who happened to wander in from the bar?), but Roger's rendition of Devil Woman (* Marty Robbins) seems to have been a debut for that song of the same name.

Jane Followed Steve's singing of When Adam was first created (roud 728) with her own unexpected story of how Adam and Eve may have been created (#).

Denny proudly displayed her footwear while singing These boots are made for walking (* Lee Hazlewood).

Roger's last song of the evening was Ned Miller's Do what you do do well from 1965.

After everyone had sung, recited, read or told four performances, Colin sang the final song which appropriately was One more song (Jimmy Monthieth-Towler, Val Monthieth-Towler).

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

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 9 performed)

Mothering Sunday 2025

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

At last week's Dragon Folk Club session we took up my suggestion of a Mothering Sunday theme with Simon and Colin following it all the way through, and both Bob and Sue making valiant attempts given that they arrived with no prior warning of it. I'm not aware of a theme for this Friday (4th April) unless you want to go for Fools and Nonsense - optional as always.

Unusually last week there were no new songs for the Dragon database, and while there was one that Colin sung not to be found on YouTube, Simon has since filled the gap, so every song we sang can be listened to by following the "a selection" link below to the customary YouTube playlist.

Colin started off with that previously missing song, The Mother Country, believed to have been written by Benjamin Franklin and sung to the tune of Greensleeves (roud V19581). It is a common myth that Greensleeves was written by King Henry VIII. However, Henry did not write Greensleeves as the piece is based on an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until after his death.

Bob asked that Blues stay away from me - a song written by Alton Delmore, Henry B Glover, Rabon Delmore, Wayne Raney. Sue sang Steve Goodman's City of New Orleans.

Simon finished the first rotation with Geordie (roud 90, child 209).

I'll pick up on some mini themes that emerged during the evening and ignore the order which the songs were sung.

Bob followed Sue's first song into a mini railway theme with Orange blossom special (Ervin T Rouse).

Colin sang two Beatles' songs: Lady Madonna (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) and Mother nature's son (John Lennon, Paul McCartney).

Sue sang Gatherin' rhubarb (Keith Hopwood, Phil Bush), a song from the TV mini-series Soul Music based on the Terry Pratchett novel of the same name. Bob followed up with Rhubarb Pie (John Fogerty). I suspect the fit isn't quite as close as it at first appears. Much like a lot of old blues songs, this newer song may be referring to something stronger: in this case a strain of cannabis. Apparently it is a hybrid strain with a sweet, dessert-like flavour much like its namesake dessert, blending together fresh sweet fruits, spicy cherries and red berries.

Simon's second song of the evening was one which our former organiser, Maggie Starkey (who was not present) does not like: Summertime (DuBose Heyward, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin). When he was asked to sing the closing song of the evening Simon thought he would make it up to Maggie (in her absence) by singing one she does like: Speedy Gonzales (Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee, David Hess / Dante).

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

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

From Pook's Hill to the Hills of Shiloh

View from Cleeve Hill,
the highest in the Cotswolds
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session had no theme and the offerings were as eclectic as you would expect and hope for. It was good to see Stuart and Carrie return and they may almost now be turning into regulars, which is great.

This Friday's session will again have no official theme, but after my slightly premature suggestion last week, this Sunday really is Mothering Sunday, so songs about Mums or the Mother Church may be appropriate.

I have an apology to make to Stuart, although he seemed amused so maybe it's not so bad. Three weeks ago I was not present, so it was more difficult to check my facts, and I credited Bryson City not incorrectly to Daniel Babin, but in fact Stuart sang Bryson City Blues (*), the only song so far that he has written himself (no link to a video I'm afraid).

That asterisk indicating a song new to the Dragon database comes out immediately for the song with which Stuart and Carrie started the evening: Oak, ash and thorn (*) with words from the poem "A Tree Song" in Rudyard Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill and music by kiplingologist Peter Bellamy.

The same duo continued with The Beatles' Norwegian wood (John Lennon, Paul McCartney).

Colin provided the main challenge of the evening for your scribe. The Labourers' Union is the one song I didn't find on YouTube and therefore the only one not included in the playlist linked from "a selection" below.

Colin had reported the week before on the health of our friend Tom Mossman, so Simon thought to bring out Tom's own Lasso the Moon, written in consultation with our late friend Ray Croll.

Denny, having sung herself out of Irish songs at the previous week's St Patrick's Day session, had realised she knew at least one more and therefore gave us The rose of Tralee (* roud 1978) which we can credit either to English writer Edward Mordaunt Spencer (words) and English composer Charles William Glover (music), or to William Pembroke Mulchinock, depending on which story we believe.

Paul brought the first rotation to an end with Somewhere to begin (* T R Ritchie).

Stuart and Carrie introduced us to The Hills of Shiloh (* Shel Silverstein, Jim Friedman), introduced to them by Martin Simpson's version, who in turn acquired it from his collaboration with June Tabor. They also made the "additions to the database" list for the week with Sandy Denny's Who knows where the time goes (*).

Colin also entered the database with Ewan MacColl's The Trafford Road Ballad (*) which was written in 1948 for "Landscape With Chimneys", a play dealing with life in Salford. It is told from the perspective of a WWII veteran who expresses his disdain for needless warfare and death. The melody is based on the 1870's Irish ballad, "Spancil Hill".

Carrie announced that she was singing 10,000 miles (*) from the repertoire of Mary Chapin Carpenter. This is an alternative name for Fare thee well (roud 422).

And so it was also Carrie who gave us our last "new" song of the evening with Stevie Nicks' Dreams (*) and a fine performance it was too. It wasn't the first song of the evening to have everyone singing along.

The final song of the evening came from Stuart and Carrie with Dink's song. Stuart told how John Lomax, on his way to collect and record songs near Huston when, passing over a bridge on the Brazos River he heard a black woman singing a song while washing her husband's clothes in a tent camp of migratory levee-builders. He was so impressed that he stopped and recorded her. Her name was Dink. He decided to come back and hear more songs from her another day, but on his return she had already died.

Cyril Tawney, while serving in the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Indefatigable, found the song in the Lomaxes' book American Ballads and Folk Songs. He was struck by the first verse, and incorporated it into the second verse of his song about the navy, The Grey Funnel Line.

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

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

St Patrick's Day 2025

Cobh, Cork glimpsed over Spike Island
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last week's Dragon Folk Club session had a St Patrick's Day theme being just two days before the actual date. This Friday there is no theme.

I am pleased to say that the new manager of The Bridge Inn, Mike, is looking after us very well and in particular keeping us warm - previously a bit of an issue for some visitors.

When listening to the songs from last week, bear in mind that though the obvious topics were Ireland or the Irish, I invited people to consider St Patrick's other patronages: Nigeria, Montserrat, Archdiocese of New York, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Boston, Rolla, Missouri, Loíza, Puerto Rico, Murcia (Spain), Clann Giolla Phádraig, engineers, paralegals, Archdiocese of Melbourne. He is also invoked against snakes and sins.

Colin, MC as usual, started us off with Steve Knightley's The Galway farmer, a timely tale of an Irish visitor to the Cheltenham Festival who puts a tidy sum on one particular horse.

Paul stayed in the same county with The Galway Shawl (roud 2737). A few of this week's videos are a bit personal to me. Mike shown here on guitar is a friend of mine, and Andy on mandolin is the player I told Denny of who I used to accompany on Bodhrán.

Denny continued the session with She moves through the fair (roud 861) and Simon completed the first rotation with Muirsheen Durkin (roud 9753). This last video is the first of several by The Boston Folk Orchestra, who aren't Irish, but several of it's current and past members attended the same school as I did, though not at the same time. This is from their 1978 cassette - remember those? In April 2025 the band celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Given the theme I didn't expect many additions this week to the Dragon database, but in fact there were four, and for the first I have an apology to make. I suggested that Denny's singing of Bold Robert Emmet (* round 3066 - Thomas Maguire) would not be new to the database, but as indicated by the asterisk I was wrong!

Next for the database was Colin's singing of The orange and the green (* Anthony Murphy).

Danny sang The Kipper Family's Bored of the dance (* Chris Sugden) and the final new song for the database came from Colin: Liverpool Lou (* Dominic Behan).

The ony song of the evening not found on YouTube and therefore not in the playlist linked from "a selection" below was Denny's King of the railways (Roy Duffield).

The final song of the evening, appropriately resulting in a sing-along, was Simon's Paddy lay back (roud 653).

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

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

New lease of life

The Jacobite Steam Train approaching Glenfinnan Viaduct
(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Your usual scribe wasn't at the Dragon Folk Club for last week's session and yet there was a decent turn-out including one very welcome newcomer, Joe, a very good guitarist and singer. Because I wasn't present please forgive any inaccuracies in this report. While I was provided with some good notes, there's nothing like being there to avoid having to make certain assumptions.

Paul Kicked off the 

Paul Kicked off the evening with Louis/Louisa Killen's The last Leviathan (*): a version of Andy Barnes' The Last of the Great Whales. This was not only the first song of the evening, but also the first new entry of the evening into the Dragon database and like all of them is marked with an asterisk (*). Denny followed Paul with The good old way (* roud 23864)

Next came Colin with Leonard Cohen's Suzanne, followed by the first pair of songs from Stuart an Carrie performing as a duo: Dink's song (* roud 10057) and On broadway (* Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller).

Bob's first song was John Prine's New train and Sue's was Swinging on a star (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke).

Steve gave us The Blarney roses (roud 6329) before newcomer, Joe performed a set of three tunes: Hector the hero (* James Scott Skinner), Merrily kissed the quaker (*), and a third the name of which he had forgotten. This brought the first rotation to a close.

It was Joe who had the next "new" song: Radiohead's No surprises (* Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Colin Greenwood, Philip Selway).

Stuart sang what I assume was Daniel Babin's Bryson city (*) and Carrie followed that with Gordon Lightfoot's Daylight Katy (*).

Joe's third performance was of The Lakes of Ponchartrain (roud 1836, laws H9).

Stuart brought us another "new" song in the traditional American Willie Moore (* roud 4816). Carrie also kept us on our toes with Ventura highway (* Dewey Bunnell).

Sue's own Recycled teenager is the only performance (apart from Joe's unnamed tune) that doesn't appear in the playlist linked from "a selection" below.

Joe's last song of the evening was also a self-penned song, but one that can be found on YouTube: Over and over (Joe Boon).

It fell to Paul to finish off the session with Dave Webber's The parting song.

We hope that Joe joins us again very soon, and that you, dear reader, also come and sing to us, with us, or simply listen.

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

(Number of people present - 9 of whom 9 performed)

Back with a bang

(Photo: Simon Meeds)

Last Friday's Dragon Folk Club session was the first after an extended break which began before Christmas. After the holidays we were faced with a pub that was closed for refurbishment in preparation for new management. Now we are happy to announce that we are back and well ensconced in the Bridge Inn for the foreseeable future.

The new management seems friendly and keen to make us feel at home. There are still heating issues in our room, which he clearly wants to fix, and in the meantime he provided temporary heating which was adequate for our needs. So we once again have a venue, and it seems somewhat improved already. There was some music audible from the next room, but it was turned down on request.

So, that's the venue sorted for now, and a bit of publicity seems to have done the trick. All the core regulars were back in the house, and they were joined by occasional visitors, Stuart, Steve C and Jane, as well as four (yes four!) first time visitors. Let's hope some of them will be able to join us again very soon.

Colin as MC kicked off this momentous evening, after announcing a rather last-minute St David's theme, with Hob y deri dando. In researching this report I've found that Joseph Haydn did two arrangements of this folk song - I never knew that.

Some people were able to follow Colin's lead even if tenuously, but I think we can be forgiven for sticking mostly to our core repertoires. Nevertheless, there were a decent number of songs new to the Dragon database, not least of course from our newcomers, and all marked here with an asterisk (*).

Denny's first song was Sydney Carter's Julian of Norwich, about the 14th/15th century anchoress and author of that name. Paul followed that with Hanging Johnny (roud 2625).

Bob gave us John Prine's Same thing happened to me and Sue gave a nod to Wales with Puff the magic dragon (Leonard Lipton, Peter Yarrow). I see that Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary) had died since we last met, so it was quite appropriate in that sense too.

Nicola and mark made their Dragon debut with Home James and don't spare the horses (*). This song, written by Fred Hillebrand in 1934 centres on an expression of pressing urgency that goes back to the mid-nineteenth century, but the statistics on its recorded use skyrocket around the time that Elsie Carlisle recorded the song with Ambrose and His Orchestra.

Simon sang Dave Sudbury's King of Rome and Rob sang his own Ballad of Reynardine (Rob Winder).

Nicola and Mark were joined by Beverley and David for Roll the old chariot (roud 3632).

Meanwhile we had been joined by Steve C whose first song was The rare ould times (Pete St John), Jane who told us a story she called "Star crossed lovers" (#), and Stuart whose opener was KC Moan (roud 4958).

The only performances of the evening not covered in the playlist linked from "a selection" below are Jane's stories, and I will mark them with a hash (#).

Denny sang The higgler (*), written by Tony Franklin, a "Cornwall Songwriter" and not the English rock musician of the same name. Cornwall Songwriters is "a unique collective writing in the traditional genre".

Nicola, on her own this time, gave us One morning in May (the bold grenadier) (* roud 140, laws P14) and mark, also alone, embarrassed his sister slightly by, for the first time in about fifty years, singing Barry Humphries' The chunder song (*).

Rob's next was also a newcomer to the database: The barley and the rye (* roud 23268). Jane gave us a short story about a shiny box in the attic which held a secret meaning (#).

Nicola, Mark, Beverley and David came together again to give us a rendition of Harbour (*) by Anna Tabbush. Stuart's next was also a database newcomer in the form of This city (*) by Steve Earle: a song about Hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans in 2005.

Denny's second new song (to the database) of the evening was Glen Isla to bonny Glenshee (* roud 832).

Nicola impressed us with her charming Spanish lullaby, A la nanita nana (*).

Jane's last story of the evening was a collection of anecdotes about her son (#), to show that she should always listen to him because he's often right.

Stuart gave us the last song of the evening to add to the database, which was Handsome Molly (* roud 454), and the very last song came from Paul, sending us home with Roll Alabama roll (roud 4710).

It was an excellent evening, much warmer than in the recent past (even Bob commented on the warmth), and with a friendly and helpful pub manager. If it carries on like this we won't have much to complain about, and we hope it will help persuade you to join us.

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

(Number of people present - 14 of whom 14 performed)

We're Back!

It is now confirmed that after an enforced break of about two months the Dragon Folk Club will be back on Friday 28th February. We are back to our accustomed venue of The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG and our usual start time of 8:15pm.

As always you are welcome to join us whether to sing a song, play a tune, tell a story, recite a monologue, tell a joke, perform in any other way or indeed none but just be our audience, and as usual anything goes as long as it's acoustic. Yes, we have our feet firmly in the folk tradition "of these isles" as my old "friend" Mike Harding would say, but we are perfectly open to songs from other sources and even from your own pen.

The pub is under new management, so while I can guarantee the usual FREE ENTRY, warm welcome and excellent acoustics, we can only hope for the usual reasonably priced bar. There is a suggestion that a new boiler may result in a greater ambient temperature, but we shall see.

Please be there, for your own enjoyment certainly, but also to help us show the new management that we are a tradition worth hanging onto. The club has been in existence for almost fifty six years, and has been at The Bridge Inn for almost all of the last thirty!

With a bit of luck we will continue to be at The Bridge Inn every Friday (with very rare exceptions) for the foreseeable future.

Good news!!

The Dragon is beginning to breathe fire again. Our regular venue of The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, Bristol (UK), BS16 9NG is open again with new permanent management and they are happy to see us return. They've still got some tidying up to do before the barn is ready to welcome us back, but we have pencilled in the 28th February as the reopening night for The Dragon Folk Club.

So, put it in your diary: 8:15pm on Friday 28th February at The Bridge Inn. Anything goes as long as it's acoustic: sing, play, recite, tell a joke, anything. There will be no theme and everyone is welcome whether to perform or as an audience. You will always find a warm welcome, FREE ENTRY, great acoustics. I assume there will be the usual reasonably priced bar, and there is a whisper that the heating might be working better, but I can't promise those two until I've seen how it goes on the night

Make it a date! See you there!

Dragon Awayday

The Dragon Folk Club is still, hopefully temporarily, without a lair, so the dragon and a small entourage had an outing this Friday to the Pucklechurch Open Mic, run by Chris Lambert who some of us know. It was a little out of the comfort zone for some of us, who rarely perform on a stage and have never before sung to a microphone, but it was nevertheless a pleasant and fun evening at the Pucklechurch Village Sports and Social Club.

Our regulars Bob and Sue were there, but apparently they are also regulars at the open mic. First timers there were Colin (who decided not to sing but regretted it later), Simon, Paul and Denny. Among the Pucklechurch regulars, apart from Chris, we knew Steve G and Alan K.

Paul, Denny and Simon introduced some of the locals to the concept of unaccompanied singing, to not a little appreciation, and Simon ventured to get his guitar out for one song. We each got three songs, and apparently if it hadn't been for a new sound man, still finding his feet, we would usually have got four.

I didn't formally note down the songs people sang, but here's a partial attempt:

•  Paul: Galway shawl; Wee pot stove; Love farewell
• Denny: She moves through the fair; I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls (the gypsy girl's dream); I can hew boys
• Sue and Bob's songs included: Something; Blackpool Belle; Rhubarb pie
• Simon: King of Rome; Tom Paine's bones; When all men sing

The Dragon is certainly looking for a new lair, or a swift return to its old one. In the meantime if you have any ideas of places that might have a suitable room for a sing-around, available on Fridays, preferably free or for a small fee, and in the area of BS15, BS16 or BS37 (Bristol UK), then please contact us to let us know about it.

We are already investigating some possibilities and still interested in returning to the Bridge Inn, Shortwood, when a new landlord or lady is appointed and if they will have us.

If we are still homeless on 28th February you may find us again at the Pucklechurch Open Mic.

Whatever happens... keep singing.

The Dragon is resting

Sorry to anyone who turned up to sing for the Dragon this evening (3rd Jan). The pub was closed. This wasn't entirely unexpected since we had heard whispers of a change of management.

At this stage I can't commit to when we will be on the road again, but it will be as soon as we possibly can. Either new management will be put in quickly and we will be accepted back, or we may move to another venue either temporarily or permanently. Watch this space.

If you are missing your dose of Dragon folk, then here is a taste of what we sang on 3rd January 2014.