A VISIT FROM OLD MICK, ALAS

T’was the morn after New Year, and all through the house Every creature was stirring, but one lazy louse Back home late from The Sloop Inn, some more I would sleep Though my first resolution, I’d just failed to keep

The kids shrieking and screaming, all fresh from their beds Whilst diabolical demons all danced in my head Stockings too were hung over, but back of the chair That’s the last time I go there in Fancy Dress wear

Young Kane playing ‘Battlefield’, on Surround TV Why did we get Madeleine that Sabbath CD? The Viennese music compounded the din As the wretched Zanussi then reached ‘rinse and spin’

On our front lawn arrived an Outlander Sleigh I knew we should have widened our narrow driveway I staggered to the window, no more I could bear I tore open the chintz so, and threw up out there

We’re taught only teetotallers, this day don’t feel sick So I knew in a moment, it was my mate Mick To the white world was added some new fallen snow Plus the lustre of carrots, on snow flakes below

More rapid than liver salts, Mick’s caustics then came As he shouted such insults, and called me such names I’d forgotten until then, that we did agree Mark New Years whilst we still can, with dips in the sea

The drive hardly did impress, whilst hurtling to Hythe As I clung on like grim death, to wobbly insides My revised resolution to ban beer and brandy Corpse Revivers, Old Cubans, and Drambuie Shandy

From the shore, the French coastline was lost in snowstorms All the penguins had coats on, to keep themselves warm I saw icebergs then looming, the sea was so cold The ice crusted waves truly did break as they rolled

Whilst Mick donned his wet ski suit, the highest of spec Me just tartan-print Speedos, to keep things in check As we swam in the cold there, I found my head cleared Though not just my hangover by then disappeared

I know some walk the fell paths, the cobwebs to blow And some people join Health Clubs, just why I don’t know The best cure for malady’s a dip in the ocean Which restores your balance whilst your assets are frozen.

Jerry Crossley 2019.

December - January

Yes, Faversham Folk Club is open every Wednesday, 8 pm til 1030... we welcome performers and audience to our popular Singers’ Nights. On Guest nights, floor spots are welcomed by M/Cs if you arrive soon enough. A warm welcome is always available at The Limes!

1 Feb Edwina Hayes - Zoom favourite Edwina has many fine solo songs, some with Nashville influence from her experience there... truly engaging and full of warmth. She also covers a wide range of contemporary issues adeptly band entertainingly. £8/9

22 Feb Four Gone Confusion - The Fab Four (John & Di Cullen, Pete & Brenda Storer) bring their exquisite blend of harmony and high-class guitar... with eclectic song selections and oodles of charm... always a lovely evening. £7/8

8 Mar Lynne Heraud & Pat Turner - More harmony and original songs from Faversham favourites- be prepared to be surprised at glorious traditional ballads morphing into music hall and deeply moving insights. Not to be missed. £8/9

22 Mar Paul Downes - A stalwart of the folk scene, wholehearted singer and fine guitarist, Paul returns to explore and interpret traditional song in his own irrepressible style. £8/9

Coming soon: 19 Apr Si Barron 26 Apr Jackie Oates... others TBA

All others Singers’ Nights, and not, necessarily, as advertised in the local paper, Swingers. All other Wednesdays are Singers Nights, only £2, where traditional mixes with contemporary and jollity is encouraged.

We ask that you please test yourself before coming to the club, to keep guests and all of us safe and well. We do what we can to ventilate and keep safe by distancing. See you at the Limes!

Sussex Folk News

Starting in the West of the county this time and with Chichester Folk Club which meets every Monday at the Chichester Inn at 38 West Street. They have a tune session to start at 7.45 and the singing starting after a ½ hour of tunes. This is a club that has been lucky enough to be supported by good range of regular singers so they only book guests one a month. This means that there will be what they call ‘Club Night Singarounds’ on February 6 & 27 and on March 6, 20 & 27th. That leaves three other Mondays,; on Monday 13th February, they will be having one of their occasional theme evenings with “Valentines” as the theme. The two guest nights in this period are both experienced and established performers from the West Country; Jim Causley from Devon and Reg Meuross from Somerset.

Jim comes back to Chichester on February 20th and will entertain with mainly traditional songs accompanied on accordion and piano. He grew up in a wassailing village not far from Sidmouth Folk Festival and sang with Wren Music before heading to Newcastle University to study on their then brand new degree course in Folk & Traditional Music. He rose to prominence singing with The Devil’s Interval and Mawkin:Causley as well as touring with Waterson:Carthy and David Rotheray. In recent years, his work has focused on his musical settings of poems by his relative Charles Causley, penning his own songs and reviving lost gems from his home county. Three fine albums in recent years reflect his love of the songs of Devon.

Reg has been captivating audiences with his beautiful tenor voice, and with breadth and depth of material that is unparalleled. Reg has toured extensively for decades across the UK, Europe, North America and the Antipodes masterfully accompanying himself on his ‘44 Martin six-string guitar, harmonica, tenor guitar, banjo and dulcimer. Witnessing a Reg Meuross performance is to experience a journey into the heart, soul and songs of one of England’s most celebrated writers. Stories that need to be told; struggles that need to be known; injustice that needs to be uncovered; social conscience that needs to be celebrated – his music has an unrivalled power to reach and move the listener. After 14 criticallyacclaimed albums, Reg continues to prove how highly relevant his songs are, whilst reaching new audiences with consistently spellbinding performances. Sunday nights are when the Horsham folk club meets at their long-term home at the Normandy Centre in Denne Road. Horsham West Sussex. RH12 1JF They have a varied programme for these months

Two of their regular singers are featured on 5th March Sylvia Akagi and Peter Golden will be joined at odd intervals by joint and several members of the folk club to bring you what they describe as “a varied evening of entertainment, from the sublime to the cor blimey, from spoken to electric - but tastefully done.” Then the following Sunday it will be one their popular “Song & Dance” evenings with the singing interspersed with dances led by their own callers and musicians.

Sunday 19th February sees a return of a popular and regularly visiting duo of Dave Ellis & Boo Howard, With Boo’s wonderful voice and Dave’s stunning song writing and guitar playing, they are always classy, imaginative and engaging On 26th February it’s Ben & Dom who are a singing duo from South London. Ben takes the high notes and Dom takes the low notes (most of the time). The intricate blend of their harmonies comes from a close friendship and shared love of singing together. Ben & Dom weave their voices around songs old and new, performing original material alongside new interpretations of folk songs.

Their first meeting in March on 5th is an Open floor night before they welcome one of the best known names on the folk scene on 12th *Pete Coe has had more than 50 years of music making on the English folk scene. His contributions include traditional song research, song writing in traditional style, the founding of several seminal bands (the founder member and visionary force behind The New Victory Band, Bandoggs and Red Shift) plus solo and duo performances, dance calling, recording, field research, local folk activism in Ryburn Three Step and teaching at various levels. Together with his wife, Sue, he received the Gold Badge Award from the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) in 2016 for their outstanding contributions to folk dance, music or song. On 19th there is another Open Stage before they take the club out of its comfort zone on 26th with Buffo’s Wake. I’ll give you part of their self-description – “Buffo’s Wake is a twelve-legged beast, hatched in the murky backwater of Brighton, UK. Armed with accordions, violins and a bucket full of gusto they waltz, tango, mosh and kolo their way through a vast array of influences from Eastern European, Balkan and Russian folk, to punk rock and cabaret, telling tales of debauchery, deformity, zombies, incest and anatomy.” Something for everybody, then. Unlike the previous two clubs, Eastbourne folk club meets fortnightly at the Lamb on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Both the first Wednesdays are Open Nights in this period which leaves two guest nights to mention. On 13th February, it will be Brooks Williams. Born in Statesboro, Georgia, this US-born guitarist singer and songwriter has been making his name over here, based in Cambridge; well, America’s loss is England’s gain for this performer is admired by both listeners and fellow musicians, and has been a leading light on the acoustic music scene for three decades. “He was playing Americana before it had been given the name.” Certainly, this is an excellent night in prospect. Then on 15th March it’s Anna Bass and Ray Taylor. They have been performing together since 2009, After touring with the band Two Coats Colder, Anna and Ray have been together both musically and romantically since around 2009. Both are equally at home on large/small stages, folk clubs and house concerts, with sets that includes a few of their own better known Two Coats Colder songs, some newly written material plus some loved folky covers of their favourite artists, such as, Karine Polwart, Mike Silver, Anthony John Clark, Tom Paxton, Joan Baez etc.

The Lewes Saturday night folk club meets at the Elephant & Castle and they have a strong programme in February. On the 4th it will be relative newcomers Dove’s Vagaries They are Sarah Pavey & Chris Evans sing & play melodeon, flute, Anglo concertinas, guitar, pipes, drum & the exotic Hulusi (Chinese gourd flute). They perform an entertaining mixture of Playford-era & music hall songs & tunes. Then on the 11th it’s a return of old favourites of the club, Pepoers Ghost Magic Lantern Show which brings Victorian Magic Lantern slides illustrated by songs, tunes & readings from Rene Marriott, Charlotte Oliver (voice, concertina, melodeon) & Richard Spong (fiddle, mandolin, guitar, voice) not forgetting Alan Marriott which is the lantern master

On 18th it will be Andy Turner who fine singing of traditional English songs is admired throughout the south of England. He sings these songs and plays tunes on concertina and melodeon with great style then on 25th February it will be local heroes The Twagger Band. They play English & Scottish traditional music & songs with a few excursions abroad from Joy Lewis (voice, hammer dulcimer, harp) Derrick Hughes (whistles, Northumbrian pipes, serpent, voice) Sue Evans (hammer dulcimer, English concertina, voice) Ian Chisholm (guitar, mandolin, voice) & Will Duke (Anglo concertina, voice)

Websites For Folk Clubs

MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE - and it is always a good idea to check that details haven’t been changed since this article was written : -

CHICHESTER - https://www.chifolksongclub.co.uk/ HORSHAM - http://www.horshamfolkclub.co.uk/

EASTBOURNE - https://lambfolkclub.co.uk/ LEWES - http://www.lewessaturdayfolkclub.org/indexLSFC.html

Vic Smith

Editor’s note – Pete Coe has just been announced as a guest at