Hi Christy and all. Thanks for mention Rebecca – have been pre-occupied since beginning of June, my dad’s cousin fell and broke her femur, she lives in Southend so between my nephew and me we’ve been spending time there, horrible journey, hate motorways, but she’s the last link with that generation of our family, she’s a game old bird, mobile again now and determined to get to 95!
But been checking into guestbook regularly, not really had anything of any consequence to add but fascinated by the content and hearing of all the intricacies of writing, playing and singing.
Was watching a programme about Jethro Tull and learnt about all the complicated issues they had musically and with group politics. I saw them a few times in Manchester back in the day and they seemed so carefree.
As a ‘sit and listener’ what do I know!
Congrats to Rory on his new darling granddaughter, mine are a constant joy. Cheers all. Pam
Loving your posts here. Missing Ireland – was hoping to visit again long before now. You make it all sound so…well…Irish…
Downunder we are in a running battle with Delta COVID-19 which sees different States either attacking full on (Victoria – “ labour State”) to halfhearted responses by pollies terrified of Conservative shock jocks (New South Wales – Conservative state) – & Delta roars with laughter & breezes through State borders & tries to kill us all…
I hope Ireland isn’t following Bozo Bojo & risking lives for money…
D: this was pre- our digital age and ready access to computers.
The page returned to me here by fax. Sub-edited, grand, but the page wasnt what I wanted it to be. Some of my verbal instructions were in the text. High risk. You’d end up falling out with people. Leave it to the professionals.
Dulcimers: years ago I heard Derek Bell, the great Derek, playing a dulcimer just beautifully. Lovely instrument played well.
D: proofreading is a loaded cannon. A job most, everyone thinks they can do. They cant. I recall my self-publishing days. A page, the typeset page got faxed back to me. I wanted to see the original typeset page just before they started to print the book. The page arrived. I looked; and sat with my elbows on my knees, my face in my hands in complete frustration.
A difficult job.
Christy hi,
On monday i was lucky enough to become a grandad for the second time.
Greer (3,213rd most popular girls name in scotland) is a little sister to Marsaili ( the only one born in these isles in 2018).
I hope they are saved from the awfulness of the ‘wisdom’ of ‘our’ wilfully blind ‘Oblivious’ leaders, that people like Gretta can stop the clock ticking down to zero ,and the music will keep their little spirits high.
Cheers
Rory
Hi mate…
congrats at being able to play at the GPO, lovely version of foggy…
I’ve tried looking for any video’s of your early glastonbury gigs, but to know avail, do you know of any on the sister site?
Or any of its members might know?
Cant wait for a live show, you declan and the crew… 👍😄
Things going good, i left the center in navan. Some piss taking going on there, not a good aire for recovery…
Its funny how things work out, i got a gig at purbeck valley folk festival in 3 weeks time.. being going through my set list,
Lots of your work …
And a few of my own…
“Cocaine”
“Mother”
“Balance” … none of these were on the album i gave you… gotta get recording again… 🐈🐈🐈
there’s a funny song about –
aldi lilidly aldi lilidly aldi lilidly dee
(You might get a laff off it) youtube
You ever played in coventry or dorset?
Anyway thats me gits…
Hope you And all your family are ok with the covid..
Biglovelovebig… 👍🐈❤
Silky ….
Appalachian dulcimer back in tune today – I’m playing songs of Mimi and Richard Farina – and Plainsong’s excellent cover versions…
There’s a superb old sounding song (written by RF in 1965) ‘Another Country’ – should you fancy another batch of covers at any point, I hope you might have a look at this song – it has such an enigmatic quality.
Tragic that Farina was killed so young. Apparently, he had huge energy and enthusiasm. There’s a great quote from him that sums up an approach from Woody onwards… ‘The right chords, in the wrong order, together with a wish for something good, can get you just about anything’
You come up with some wise words, Christy – none better than the final line in your post!
When you write the book, can I ‘bags’ the job of proofreader, please?
Thanks for the Thompsons tip off, Rebecca – always intriguing tales.
Great to know the Atkin is ringing out, in prep for gigs…enjoy the process.No sign of anything here.Age and illness of organisers/punters catching up on people, I think.Hopefully, things will pick up.
Hello Christy,
You got me thinking about that tiny little stage at the Grove. Tucked into a corner, you can fit two people onto it with a squeeze, or 1 plus a harp. Here’s a pic https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10165104471700136&id=847680135
The stage in the Bridgewater Hall is at the other end of the spectrum. You had to put up a load of that blackout fabric to your left and right to make it work. That is some place.
I’ve no idea if any of the other clubs in Leeds are still running.
I happened to bump into Miriam Erasmus online the other day. She taught music at Rastrick High School and told me that she started the folk club in Brighouse. She lives in South Africa now.
Who reads The Living Tradition here?
Dave, there’s an article in the current issue about Richard and Linda Thompson.
I listened to the gypsy. What is it about hearing local place names that’s so heartwarming.
Hi Christy
Always a treat to read your memories of the Northern England folk scene.
You mention Bob and Carole Pegg aka Mr Fox…what a wonderful, enigmatic outfit. I was so pleased to see their gig (a few hours after you)in the packed Platt Fields Marquee – 50 years ago, madly.
Their epic ‘ The Gipsy’ is on youtube, in all its glory. An update on some trad songs, I suppose – and worth a listen for the lines where the heroine’s family is described…
‘her Grandad used to ride in a pony and a trap
but now they lived in Bradford, where her father dealt in scrap’ – wonderful stuff…
Dave
Christy's reply
I could write a book about that Folk scene…I mainly worked North of Birmingham…principally Yorks/Lancs with regular forays beyond the bounderies…there were 2 week circuits in Teeside,Humberside,Tyneside,Lake District,Scotland and literally hundreds of Folk clubs to play…criss crossing the Island, boiling guitar strings, picking up songs, hookin up with new friends, making memories that still warm the heart 55 years on….got my first wheels in Bury Lancs 1966, £50 for a 1960 mini-van….changed from a cheap Spainish to a Yamaha FG 180 in Ivor Mairants in 1967 for £40…Ralph McTell came with me as a guitar advisor !..also got my first plectrum and spare sets of strings..sheer luxury….my first radio slot was the Sam Costa show which came with that first album in 1969…I was pickin up on fresh sounds..hearing Sweeney’s Men, The Watersons, Martin & Dave,Tim & Maddy,High Level Ranters, Marsden Rattlers,
failed a Transatlantic audition but gained the ear of Bill Leader which led me home 50 years ago to record my second album….
here we are Dave…half a century later and the journey still rolls out….the world half poisoned by dreaded Wuhan Rat ‘n Bat Burgers, still singing this baldy old head off…
I’m thinking of old friends as I index finger out these words….
This site has given me a space in which to reminisce…..but now I gotta get up,get back into contemporary mode..spark up the Atkin and prepare precious new songs for the few gigs that are emerging…one in August, three in September….who knows after that…album scheduled for November….
aint Boris a horrid prick
I had to post this https://youtu.be/zt6k1cyP8IA
I guess most people have already seen it, it’s been up for a week.
Thankyou for posting this Christy, I’ve wondered how you deal with rehearsals before a two hour gig, from a vocal point of view. And here it is. It’s a lovely noise, just not revved quite so much.
Christy's reply
dont think I saw that before..I loved those gigs with Declan..he coaxed sweet notes from all his boxes
The Grove had a very good club on Wed nights but The Adelphi was a cracker….every Sun night Bob & Hazel Spray ran their Folk Club at The Adelphi at Leeds Brig..for me it was the best club in Town, the “afters” back at their gaff were legendary…other Clubs included The John Peel which was Bluesy while Bob & Carol Pegg ran a Trad club before they formed Mr Fox….my first Leeds gig was at Club Memphis which happened at the RAOB every Thu..it was run by Johnny & Rita
Wall…they booked anyone who might fill the joint from Johnny Silvo to Martin Carthy, Rita always put up a mighty breakfast, the doss was good …none of these clubs had PA systems…some of them did not even have a stage….but we supped some stuff
Morning Christy! I should’ve known.. I would sing quietly around the house, but seldom to the same volume or energy of the live gig hence the strain.. gotta keep the muscle working.. that half hour or more before you take the stage always reminds me of the importance of preparation..
Hello Christy and All,
Folk at the Grove is still shut down in the real world. The pub is a low old characterful building down a back street around maybe 200 yards from Leeds railway station, as the crow flies.
Because of its closeness to the city centre it is overshadowed on all sides by towering office blocks. Theres a great view of it as you approach down Back Row.
Since the beginning of lock down the folk club has been online. They have a Facebook page and ask for videos of songs and playing that people make in the previous week. They play them in a session on Fridays at 8.30pm, their usual club time.
I’ve submitted a few videos to them.
They’ve been doing ok abd I hope it will be back in the real world soon.
Thanks for the tip off, Christy – I’ll check out Peggy’s song. Good line about the bears!
After I’d posted, I remembered Dylan’s epic from a few years back – Woody really put in the hard graft…
Good to remember via memorials – powerful in Belfast and Liverpool. Cyril Tawney was a great man of song (and the sea)’Grey Funnel Line’ and ‘Here’s the tender coming’ are among the ‘hits’…
Have a good day
Dave
Christy's reply
I met Cyril once…he played The Grove Folk Club in Leeds back circa ’67…heard him again in the West Country some time later….a fine singer who left us memorable songs
There’s something reassuringly familiar about ‘National Geographic’ – layout unchanged for ever, it seems…Today, I got hold of ‘Titanic’ – exploring the history of the ship’s construction, passengers, artefacts, the disastrous end to the maiden voyage – including the loss of passengers who had left Addergoole in North Mayo – joining the ship at Queenstown. There’s some fascinating online info about those passengers and subsequent commemorations in Addergoole.
Whilst reading the magazine, I wondered if there had been many songs written about the disaster. There have been – and excellent info at http://www.fretboardjournal.com – a new website to me.
Fascinating how history and arts collide – superb photos in the magazine as well – another timeless quality of National Geographic.
Over and out
Dave
Christy's reply
I’ve heard many songs about The Titanic, Peggy Seeger’s “Swim To The Star” stood out in particular…I tried to cover it but could not do it justice…
another song comes to mind…heard it back in the Titanic centenary year at The Góilín singers club…it was sung by Robert who always sings quirky songs…
the setting: a large crowd gathered outside the offices of The White Star Shippng Line….all waiting to hear news of survivors…at the back of the crowd stand two large Bears from a nearby visiting Circus…
Mother Bear calls out….”any news about the Bears on that Iceberg, they all belong to my Mother’s people”…
Never heard that song before nor since…only the once. That and Peggy’s are the only two that struck home……I think I recall Woody singing “when that great big ship went down”
I’m thinking of the thousands of Merchant Sea Men lost at Sea…the horrors wreaked by U Boats of various nations….Woody worked those boats
Not to be for the Lilywhites Christy but a gallant team & signs of great progress under Jacko.. Heard Liam Sheedy speak proudly of his team despite losing, once they gave it everything it’s all anyone can ask in sport…was badk playing some music at the weekend.. throat knows all about it today… did you notice the stretch in the vocal chords after the break… honey and lemon abúZz
Hi Christy and all. Thanks for mention Rebecca – have been pre-occupied since beginning of June, my dad’s cousin fell and broke her femur, she lives in Southend so between my nephew and me we’ve been spending time there, horrible journey, hate motorways, but she’s the last link with that generation of our family, she’s a game old bird, mobile again now and determined to get to 95!
But been checking into guestbook regularly, not really had anything of any consequence to add but fascinated by the content and hearing of all the intricacies of writing, playing and singing.
Was watching a programme about Jethro Tull and learnt about all the complicated issues they had musically and with group politics. I saw them a few times in Manchester back in the day and they seemed so carefree.
As a ‘sit and listener’ what do I know!
Congrats to Rory on his new darling granddaughter, mine are a constant joy. Cheers all. Pam
Hello Mooresy etc:
Loving your posts here. Missing Ireland – was hoping to visit again long before now. You make it all sound so…well…Irish…
Downunder we are in a running battle with Delta COVID-19 which sees different States either attacking full on (Victoria – “ labour State”) to halfhearted responses by pollies terrified of Conservative shock jocks (New South Wales – Conservative state) – & Delta roars with laughter & breezes through State borders & tries to kill us all…
I hope Ireland isn’t following Bozo Bojo & risking lives for money…
Keep up the banter, loving the vibes..
Go back to ‘dulcimers’ before I get indigestion thinking about it(!) My sister says I was lucky they hadnt started printing the book.
D: this was pre- our digital age and ready access to computers.
The page returned to me here by fax. Sub-edited, grand, but the page wasnt what I wanted it to be. Some of my verbal instructions were in the text. High risk. You’d end up falling out with people. Leave it to the professionals.
Dulcimers: years ago I heard Derek Bell, the great Derek, playing a dulcimer just beautifully. Lovely instrument played well.
D: proofreading is a loaded cannon. A job most, everyone thinks they can do. They cant. I recall my self-publishing days. A page, the typeset page got faxed back to me. I wanted to see the original typeset page just before they started to print the book. The page arrived. I looked; and sat with my elbows on my knees, my face in my hands in complete frustration.
A difficult job.
Christy hi,
On monday i was lucky enough to become a grandad for the second time.
Greer (3,213rd most popular girls name in scotland) is a little sister to Marsaili ( the only one born in these isles in 2018).
I hope they are saved from the awfulness of the ‘wisdom’ of ‘our’ wilfully blind ‘Oblivious’ leaders, that people like Gretta can stop the clock ticking down to zero ,and the music will keep their little spirits high.
Cheers
Rory
Hi mate…
congrats at being able to play at the GPO, lovely version of foggy…
I’ve tried looking for any video’s of your early glastonbury gigs, but to know avail, do you know of any on the sister site?
Or any of its members might know?
Cant wait for a live show, you declan and the crew… 👍😄
Things going good, i left the center in navan. Some piss taking going on there, not a good aire for recovery…
Its funny how things work out, i got a gig at purbeck valley folk festival in 3 weeks time.. being going through my set list,
Lots of your work …
And a few of my own…
“Cocaine”
“Mother”
“Balance” … none of these were on the album i gave you… gotta get recording again… 🐈🐈🐈
there’s a funny song about –
aldi lilidly aldi lilidly aldi lilidly dee
(You might get a laff off it) youtube
You ever played in coventry or dorset?
Anyway thats me gits…
Hope you And all your family are ok with the covid..
Biglovelovebig… 👍🐈❤
Silky ….
Hi Christy
Appalachian dulcimer back in tune today – I’m playing songs of Mimi and Richard Farina – and Plainsong’s excellent cover versions…
There’s a superb old sounding song (written by RF in 1965) ‘Another Country’ – should you fancy another batch of covers at any point, I hope you might have a look at this song – it has such an enigmatic quality.
Tragic that Farina was killed so young. Apparently, he had huge energy and enthusiasm. There’s a great quote from him that sums up an approach from Woody onwards… ‘The right chords, in the wrong order, together with a wish for something good, can get you just about anything’
Dave
You come up with some wise words, Christy – none better than the final line in your post!
When you write the book, can I ‘bags’ the job of proofreader, please?
Thanks for the Thompsons tip off, Rebecca – always intriguing tales.
Great to know the Atkin is ringing out, in prep for gigs…enjoy the process.No sign of anything here.Age and illness of organisers/punters catching up on people, I think.Hopefully, things will pick up.
Dave
Sorry, I meant to ask, when did you meet Hamish?
Hello Christy,
You got me thinking about that tiny little stage at the Grove. Tucked into a corner, you can fit two people onto it with a squeeze, or 1 plus a harp. Here’s a pic
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10165104471700136&id=847680135
The stage in the Bridgewater Hall is at the other end of the spectrum. You had to put up a load of that blackout fabric to your left and right to make it work. That is some place.
I’ve no idea if any of the other clubs in Leeds are still running.
I happened to bump into Miriam Erasmus online the other day. She taught music at Rastrick High School and told me that she started the folk club in Brighouse. She lives in South Africa now.
Who reads The Living Tradition here?
Dave, there’s an article in the current issue about Richard and Linda Thompson.
I listened to the gypsy. What is it about hearing local place names that’s so heartwarming.
Pam are you there. I miss your posts.
Rebecca
Hi Christy
Always a treat to read your memories of the Northern England folk scene.
You mention Bob and Carole Pegg aka Mr Fox…what a wonderful, enigmatic outfit. I was so pleased to see their gig (a few hours after you)in the packed Platt Fields Marquee – 50 years ago, madly.
Their epic ‘ The Gipsy’ is on youtube, in all its glory. An update on some trad songs, I suppose – and worth a listen for the lines where the heroine’s family is described…
‘her Grandad used to ride in a pony and a trap
but now they lived in Bradford, where her father dealt in scrap’ – wonderful stuff…
Dave
I could write a book about that Folk scene…I mainly worked North of Birmingham…principally Yorks/Lancs with regular forays beyond the bounderies…there were 2 week circuits in Teeside,Humberside,Tyneside,Lake District,Scotland and literally hundreds of Folk clubs to play…criss crossing the Island, boiling guitar strings, picking up songs, hookin up with new friends, making memories that still warm the heart 55 years on….got my first wheels in Bury Lancs 1966, £50 for a 1960 mini-van….changed from a cheap Spainish to a Yamaha FG 180 in Ivor Mairants in 1967 for £40…Ralph McTell came with me as a guitar advisor !..also got my first plectrum and spare sets of strings..sheer luxury….my first radio slot was the Sam Costa show which came with that first album in 1969…I was pickin up on fresh sounds..hearing Sweeney’s Men, The Watersons, Martin & Dave,Tim & Maddy,High Level Ranters, Marsden Rattlers,
failed a Transatlantic audition but gained the ear of Bill Leader which led me home 50 years ago to record my second album….
here we are Dave…half a century later and the journey still rolls out….the world half poisoned by dreaded Wuhan Rat ‘n Bat Burgers, still singing this baldy old head off…
I’m thinking of old friends as I index finger out these words….
This site has given me a space in which to reminisce…..but now I gotta get up,get back into contemporary mode..spark up the Atkin and prepare precious new songs for the few gigs that are emerging…one in August, three in September….who knows after that…album scheduled for November….
aint Boris a horrid prick
I had to post this
https://youtu.be/zt6k1cyP8IA
I guess most people have already seen it, it’s been up for a week.
Thankyou for posting this Christy, I’ve wondered how you deal with rehearsals before a two hour gig, from a vocal point of view. And here it is. It’s a lovely noise, just not revved quite so much.
dont think I saw that before..I loved those gigs with Declan..he coaxed sweet notes from all his boxes
https://www.timeout.com/leeds/blog/all-hail-the-surviving-traditional-pubs-of-leeds-072915
The Grove had a very good club on Wed nights but The Adelphi was a cracker….every Sun night Bob & Hazel Spray ran their Folk Club at The Adelphi at Leeds Brig..for me it was the best club in Town, the “afters” back at their gaff were legendary…other Clubs included The John Peel which was Bluesy while Bob & Carol Pegg ran a Trad club before they formed Mr Fox….my first Leeds gig was at Club Memphis which happened at the RAOB every Thu..it was run by Johnny & Rita
Wall…they booked anyone who might fill the joint from Johnny Silvo to Martin Carthy, Rita always put up a mighty breakfast, the doss was good …none of these clubs had PA systems…some of them did not even have a stage….but we supped some stuff
Morning Christy! I should’ve known.. I would sing quietly around the house, but seldom to the same volume or energy of the live gig hence the strain.. gotta keep the muscle working.. that half hour or more before you take the stage always reminds me of the importance of preparation..
Have a great week
Kev
Hello Christy and All,
Folk at the Grove is still shut down in the real world. The pub is a low old characterful building down a back street around maybe 200 yards from Leeds railway station, as the crow flies.
Because of its closeness to the city centre it is overshadowed on all sides by towering office blocks. Theres a great view of it as you approach down Back Row.
Since the beginning of lock down the folk club has been online. They have a Facebook page and ask for videos of songs and playing that people make in the previous week. They play them in a session on Fridays at 8.30pm, their usual club time.
I’ve submitted a few videos to them.
They’ve been doing ok abd I hope it will be back in the real world soon.
Rebecca
I never met Cyril, but knew his brother, Archie, on the local folk scene.
Both brothers gone now, but good people, and a legacy left – can’t say better than that…
Gonna play The Unthanks’ ‘Tender coming..’ now D
Thanks for the tip off, Christy – I’ll check out Peggy’s song. Good line about the bears!
After I’d posted, I remembered Dylan’s epic from a few years back – Woody really put in the hard graft…
Good to remember via memorials – powerful in Belfast and Liverpool. Cyril Tawney was a great man of song (and the sea)’Grey Funnel Line’ and ‘Here’s the tender coming’ are among the ‘hits’…
Have a good day
Dave
I met Cyril once…he played The Grove Folk Club in Leeds back circa ’67…heard him again in the West Country some time later….a fine singer who left us memorable songs
Hi Christy
There’s something reassuringly familiar about ‘National Geographic’ – layout unchanged for ever, it seems…Today, I got hold of ‘Titanic’ – exploring the history of the ship’s construction, passengers, artefacts, the disastrous end to the maiden voyage – including the loss of passengers who had left Addergoole in North Mayo – joining the ship at Queenstown. There’s some fascinating online info about those passengers and subsequent commemorations in Addergoole.
Whilst reading the magazine, I wondered if there had been many songs written about the disaster. There have been – and excellent info at http://www.fretboardjournal.com – a new website to me.
Fascinating how history and arts collide – superb photos in the magazine as well – another timeless quality of National Geographic.
Over and out
Dave
I’ve heard many songs about The Titanic, Peggy Seeger’s “Swim To The Star” stood out in particular…I tried to cover it but could not do it justice…
another song comes to mind…heard it back in the Titanic centenary year at The Góilín singers club…it was sung by Robert who always sings quirky songs…
the setting: a large crowd gathered outside the offices of The White Star Shippng Line….all waiting to hear news of survivors…at the back of the crowd stand two large Bears from a nearby visiting Circus…
Mother Bear calls out….”any news about the Bears on that Iceberg, they all belong to my Mother’s people”…
Never heard that song before nor since…only the once. That and Peggy’s are the only two that struck home……I think I recall Woody singing “when that great big ship went down”
I’m thinking of the thousands of Merchant Sea Men lost at Sea…the horrors wreaked by U Boats of various nations….Woody worked those boats
Not to be for the Lilywhites Christy but a gallant team & signs of great progress under Jacko.. Heard Liam Sheedy speak proudly of his team despite losing, once they gave it everything it’s all anyone can ask in sport…was badk playing some music at the weekend.. throat knows all about it today… did you notice the stretch in the vocal chords after the break… honey and lemon abúZz
no break here Kevin…