North East and North West

F. Parker Glass Plate
King George V Bridge, Newcastle-on-Tyne

Last week's session had no theme but as often some emerged as the evening went on. In fact at the beginning we thought we weren't going to be quorate and were resigned to singing a couple of songs each and calling it a night when who should turn up but Mike and his canine companion and occasional singer (OK, howler and winer) Indy.

Colin kicked off the evening with I Wish They'd Do It Now (Roud 1401). Derek picked up on the first line of the song, "I was born of Geordie parents" and decided to make Geordies his chosen theme, for a while at least. He warmed up with Jowl Jowl And Listen (Roud 3191).

Simon wasn't yet ready to join in that theme, so he gave us Sally Gardens (Roud V28639) which as has been noted here before, WB Yeats wrote based on half-remembered snatches of The Rambling Boys Of Pleasure (Roud 386).

Bon Voyage to Richard and Lesley

(Photo: Tim Dobson)

Last week was a farewell to our friends and Dragon Folk Club regulars for fourteen years, Richard and Lesley who as I write this report have now headed up to North Wales. We hope we will see them again at some time in the future but for now we wish them well in their new home and with working in the Welsh language!

We were also joined by Tom, Steve G and John B, and Maggie L with her canine friends Gertie and Freddie.

We heard this week that Terry C's wife has had a stroke. She is still in hospital but is apparently walking around. We wish her a speedy and satisfactory recovery.

Somewhat unconventional

USS Portsmouth

It is advertised on this blog that Dragon Folk Club starts at 8:15pm when in fact it's not a secret that the music rarely gets going much before 8:30pm. The earlier time is however useful because you can pretty much guarantee that the regulars start drifting in around then, so a visitor will not be left wondering for long whether they are at the right pub. I mention this because I arrived at around my usual time to find Derek already in full flow.

Apparently the story was that Richard, who was MC for the night, was so shocked by the early arrival of Colin that he accidentally kicked off the session by trying to sing Farewell To Grog. I'll come to the song later but suffice to say that at this stage something went wrong and Richard barely got started before he had to give up and hand over to Derek who sang The Water Is Wide (Roud 87, Child 204).