Transported from Bristol to Australia (and back)

Cootamundra Wattle (Photo: John Jennings)

Well, last week's Dragon Folk Club Session had a slightly more satisfactory turn-out than the previous one. Let's see if we can make a big effort to get a good crowd this Friday for the last in our series of 50th anniversary sessions. We will be two men down, so we really need to make an extra effort. If you can't make it this week then remember that you are welcome any Friday from 8:15pm at The Bridge Inn, Shortwood, Bristol, BS16 9NG. Barring Christmas Day, very deep snow, tempest or a rare double-booking of the room, we will be there. Watch this blog or our Facebook page for such information.

The Songs People Sing

Appleby Horse Fair (Photo: Bryan Ledgard)

A brief traditional riddle for readers to solve: what did the following people do on the specified dates, which on 22nd June 2018 gave the Substitute Scribe 20 minutes respite from scribing, while the others argued about the answer?- Joe South (1968), Freddy Weller (of Paul Revere and the Raiders 1969), Dolly Parton (1969), Conway Twitty (1969), Don Gibson (1970), Sami Jo (1974), Dick Gaughan (1983), Tesla (1994), Inner Circle (1994) and Don Williams 1995.

The answer is that they all recorded The Games People Play (Joe South), which Colin sang in the course of the evening. As far as I am aware Colin has not recorded it, but 'Basement' tapes may begin to appear soon. And I need to point out that two other songs – but with the same title - were recorded by The Alan Parsons Project (1987) and The Spinners (1975). Sorry, not those Spinners, but an American R&B group [Ed: known in the UK as The Detroit Spinners to avoid just such confusion].

Onward and Upward

Vincent Black Lightning

There was a pleasing increase of bums on seats this week – just as well since we had the additional expense of sending the regular scribe away on another holiday, and remunerating his Deputy Scribe. In all there were 20 attendees, with 13 (12a if you are superstitious) performers. The word performers rather than singers is specifically chosen, because we had a welcome visit by Kath and her Koncertina, who gave us such tunes as Planxty Irwin (Turlough O'Carolan) and Salmon Tails Up The Watter (James Allan - yes, you non-Geordies, the second "t" IS compulsory).

Dodging around the matter of D-Day

A pretty good turnout this week, and 100% singers! However I won't celebrate about that too last part too much since the 100% mark was only reached because Maggie S isn't feeling too well; get well soon Maggie!

We had a brief visit from Ant and Alan (?) of Downend Folk Club which is a new guest club meeting one Friday a month at Frenchay. There's an obvious conflict of interest there but I hope we can get on and be neighbourly. Unfortunately they weren't able to stay long enough to see what we do.

Setting up for a theme, Mike asked us all what happened "tomorrow" (7 June).. I'm still not exactly clear what he meant. Derek, jokingly referred to the third practice and qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. Mike went on to theme himself on D-Day but that was 6 June, so I'm still confused but some of us followed that as a theme anyway.

Colin provides the detail

Fred Jordan

Experimenting with a post from my phone. Many thanks to Derek for this great report from Friday's session.

The attendance at start of play was rather sparse; but before long we got up to a count of 28 legs. Admittedly these figures are slightly massaged by including putative club mascot Gert 'Ratty' V, who was introduced by Mike to the old Bristol craft of chewing beermats. Relaxed by this, she was able to resist Steve's attempt to coax her into doggy noises by starting off the night with Dido Bendigo.

The night's new visitor was Dave from the Bath songwriters' workshop. Unable to find a socket into which to plug his electrical gubbins, he reverted to a capella, singing his own songs and Blow the Wind Southerly, which those of your scribe's generation still associate mainly with Kathleen Ferrier. He also won the raffle.