Valentine's Day - 2016

Newly weds take a trip on a traditional Maltese dgħajsa

Being the closest session to Valentine's Day, love and not a little lust was in the air, or at least in some of our songs. Derek introduced a second theme though of songs sung by Roy Harris, who had died the previous Tuesday. One or two seemed even to include both themes in a single song!

Colin as MC asked Derek to kick off the session. Derek said it was 40 years this year since he first met Roy Harris, and from his repertoire sang Poverty Knock (Roud 3491, probably written by Tom Daniel), accompanying himself on the bones. He apologised to Simon, who sometimes sings that song (Simon says that was unnecessary) but suggested that he might like to sing No Sir No (Roud 146), which he did when it came to his turn - thus hitting both themes.

Six Nations of song - 2016

George Kruis goes over for England's
first try against Scotland (Inpho)

Shock horror, it seems that the previous week's session wasn't the record breaker we claimed. According to Mike, the record for the number of songs sung in an evening at The Dragon Folk Club is 48, and last week we only managed 46. Oh well, we'll just have to try harder next time - where are all those single line songs that Mike and Derek seem so readily to bring out when you least expect it?

Colin, being MC, proposed a rugby theme since the following day would bring the first games of the Six Nations. This was followed by some with songs from all those nations being represented together with various song of more or less spurious connection with rugby.

So you want to be a record breaker?

A good crowd gathered last week at The New Inn including two visitors. Ros and Jan, who have obviously known Maggie S for a long time offered us their lovely singing.

Colin was MC and suggested an Australian theme since Australia Day had been just a few days before; some people managed to follow this last minute theme. When the evening was over Colin claimed that we had broken the record for the number of songs sung during a Dragon Folk Club session, so I feel duty bound to catalogue those songs as far as possible.

Burns' Night 2016

Burns' Cottage (photo by Bethany Weeks)

Some of our number had made it to The New Inn hot-foot from the wake after Alan Mitchell's funeral. Richard, who had officiated at the funeral service even came bearing left-over food which we gannets descended on well, taking with us most of what was not eaten on the spot. This meant that Richard and Lesley would not be eating ham rolls for the next three weeks!

Being just three days before Burns' Night, the plan was to sing some Scottish songs. Unfortunately some present didn't seem to have their diaries quite in sync. Never mind, our themes are always optional.

Danger, men at work

Photo by James Butler

There was no official theme this week, so song subjects were a little all over the place. We initially gathered as nine but when Colin, who MCed, asked Steve G to sing, Steve said he had to leave immediately. It's OK, we hadn't upset him, but it did mean we were down to eight and Steve didn't get to sing this time.

Derek kicked off the evening with The Ballad Of William Bloat by Raymond Calvert and Mike responded with The Deserter/Ratcliff Highway (Roud 493).

New Year and matters arising

Wren (photo by Alden Chadwick)

It was a perfectly respectable turnout for the first session of 2016. We had been promised songs on themes to cover the whole period between Christmas and 8 January, which is pretty much what we got.

Colin was MC and he asked Derek to start us off. Derek said he had to start off in his traditional way with Miner's Dream of Home (Roud 1749) - "For the bells were ringing the old year out, And the new year in".

Alan Mitchell - RIP

Alan Mitchell finally succumbed to his cancer at his home on 30 December 2015.

In spite of being confined to a wheelchair in recent months, he never stopped attending folk clubs. A long-time regular at The Dragon Folk Club, his last appearance was at Maggie Starkey's 'Retirement Bash' on the 4 December when he performed Runcorn Ferry ('Per tuppence, per person, per trip'), one of the many Marriott Edgar monologues in his repertoire, and in his treasured volume of Edgar's works. For those who wish to be reminded of Alan's dry, witty delivery, there is film of his reciting this monologue on Terry Helyar's YouTube pages (see YouTube playlist embedded below).

Besides the Dragon, he was also a regular at the Nova, Crossed Hands, Somerville, Salt Cellar, Bath, and many more clubs beside, all over the Bristol area. And as well as the monologues he accompanied himself on guitar with a range of songs from the traditional Dalesman's Litany to Roger Davies' Brighouse on a Saturday Night via Guthrie's Los Gatos Canyon.