June 23rd 2015

Last night's folk club was tinged with sadness. During the day his family and the village had said farewell to Bruce Wallace who died a couple of weeks ago. David earlier played 'The Fifty-First Highland Division's Farewell to Sicily' for him outside the churchyard after the funeral.
Bruce was the very first person to turn up at the folk club, saying in his modest manner that he wasn't really a folk guitarist. It turned out he was a lovely finger-picking jazz and ragtime player whose handful of Scottish tunes grew as time went on.  He became one of we three core folk night participants from the village. We will always remember his favourite, 'Bluebell Polka' and his quiet presence and sensitive playing.
Peter later brought some cake made by a member of his staff for us to share in memory of Bruce.

This was likely to be the last visit of Mike and Chris who are shortly off to Ireland to take up residence in the Mountains of Mourne. We have thoroughly enjoyed having them visit the club and I am sure they will delight their new local clubs with their wonderful playing and singing.
We were very pleased to welcome Miriam (once again) and Laura who joined us on vacation having finished their first year as students of English Literature.

So to business; we were but a select few last night, but the songs and tunes were no less memorable for all that. Tunes were provided by Mike and David on uilleann and English small pipes (English fingering - gosh, pipes are complicated). At various points in the evening Mike played 'The Green Fields of Canada,' 'The Choice Wife,' 'The Castle of Drumore' and 'I am asleep. Don't wake Me.' David opened with 'Mount your Baggage' and 'Pawky Adam Glenn' and finished with 'Buy Broom Besoms' (the Scottish version of the tune) and 'Mr Preston's Hornpipe.'
Still in Battle of Waterloo commemorative mode, Eliza sang 'The Bonny Light Horseman'  and David, 'The Plains of Waterloo.' As a former military man who used to train soldiers for duty in Northern Ireland, Robbie added to his repertoire a song by John Harvey Andrews, 'The British Soldier' and also gave us his rendering of, 'Over the Hills and Far Away.' Miriam made a judicious choice by singing, 'Where have all the Flowers Gone' (though before most of the other military ones) and Eliza did 'The Female Soldier' to the accompaniment of David's bodhran (though he thought it needed a bit of tlc, namely a drink).
As well as all of these matters military, there were some great songs of occupation from Chris' 'The Jute-Mill Song' (sung in her inimitable fine style despite house-moving related exhaustion) to Katy's 'The Dundee Weaver' and, later, 'The Miller' and David's 'Albert Berry' (the miner versus the coal) by Ted Edwards.' Mike's 'William Hollander' tells a tale of a young man who starts off as a cooper, is bound to work on a slaver with Captain Moore and how the captain became a pirate and his crew had not much choice but to follow suit and he eventually ends up in Newgate. There were also songs of food from Chris, the Irish, 'Colcannon or 'The Little Skillet Pot' and Katy's hilarious, the Scottish 'Jeely Piece Song.'
Miriam's highly accomplished 'Bryd one Brere', was not only sung in Middle English to the original mediaeval tune but she somehow communicated this as some guy addressing a bird on a briar. She gets the prize for the most original range of songs as she also sang 'The Old Penny Whistle' by Bruce Mainland.
That only leave the rather raunchy Burn's 'Dainty Davie,' though stupidly, as Katy pointed out, I missed out the most explicit verse (a Freudian slip in reverse - or perhaps the opposite). Her 'Dundee Weavers' had the better of me for bawdiness. My 'Who are you my Pretty Fair Maid' was no match. But Chris' 'Cupid's Garden' stole the laurels for the implied loss of virginity without so much as a word of it being spoken.
So there you are. All the best to Chris and Mike. We missed you Bruce, still playing...somewhere, perhaps.         Eliza

26th May 2015

Apologies for tardiness in blogging this month but this time the music began on Monday and just kept on rolling.
Tuesday's folk night was stowed out and it was great to welcome friends and new folk friends staying at Lidalia Caravan Site or, in the case of Elaine and Eric, scooting through the back-ways from Greenhead. So, along with our crew of stalwarts, we had a full house and a grand variety of songs and tunes. Gillian and Brin joined us from Wales as audience - always appreciated. There were two sets of pipes, three 'Davids', five guitars and a dulcimer present. The Davids were all instrumentalists (dulcimer, guitar, pipes) but i'll also distinguish them by their place of habitation.

David a highly accomplished guitarist from Darlington (in camper), appropriately for a (sadly) former railway village, steamed in with a rousing, 'Travelling by Steam', a Huw and Tony Williams song. Katy, staying with the locality and a different kind of pulling power, turned to matters of border history or legend with 'Willie's gane to Melville Castle' about a departing border gallant bidding farewell to admiring lasses. Carol and Eliza singing 'Searching for Lambs' were accompanied by Carol's guitar and David (of Crawcrook)'s dulcimer. Bruce picked 'Whistling Rufus,' an African-American piece composed by Frederick "Kerry" Mills on his trusty guitar and, also with guitar accompaniment, Steve gave us 'Gentle Annie' by Stephen Foster and Carol (with David on dulcimer), 'They Marry and Go.'

In honour of our Welsh guests, David of Newcastleton played two tunes on English small pipes (small pipes with English fingering - all very technical), 'Mellionen' and 'Mopsi Don' and Kevin, also on small pipes  the Northumbrian, 'Noble Squire Dacre.'

Phil's next was a humorous song by John Walsh with acknowledgements to 'The Ancient Mariner' about air rather than sea travel and Angus put his cards on the table with Bascom Lamar Lunsford (the 'minstrel of the Appalachians')'s,  'I Wish I was a Mole in the Ground'. David of Darlington asked us to imagine him having the appearance of a youthful female setting off to observe the pranks of the French with his rendering of 'The Female Drummer.' Imaginations soared. Katy raised the once vexed question of the morals of the Edinburgh Medical student in 'Sandy Bell's Man.' 

After Robbie's Napoleonic 'O'er the Hills and Far Away' with words as a prop a couple of months ago, he decided to go for it minus the written page and we all lifted the roof on the chorus. Bruce played a couple of tunes to Burns' pieces, 'Ye Banks and Braes and 'Ae fond Kiss.' Eliza sang 'The Recruited Collier' and eighteenth century ballad, at least one source being Anderson's 'Ballad in Cumbrian Dialect' (1808). Apparently A.L Lloyd touched it up by making a carter of coals into a collier. Steve sang, 'Roll on the Day, David of Newcastleton, 'Tuppence on the Rope,' Carol, 'She Cut Through to my Heart', David of Crawcrook the dulcimer tune, 'The Fair and Charming Eileen o' Carroll'.

At this point Kevin, joined by David on whistle and Angus on guitar, played tunes on small pipes; 'Neil Gow, Holmes' Fancy and the song tune, 'Chevy Chase' which is quite stirring on pipes.

Elaine, who had missed the first round, gave a wonderful performance of 'The Cullercoats Fish Lassie  with a touch of the Music Hall style. David o' Darlington continued the military and recruitment theme with 'Twa Recruiting Sergeants,' and Katy, Sydney Carter's 'Like the Snow.'
At this point Phil's mysterious beast, 'The White Dog of Yokenthwaite' reared it's head from a poem by Dorothy Una Ratcliffe and after a tension dispelling, 'I Never Realised What you meant to Me' from Angus and a Jelly Roll Morton offering from Bruce, Eliza threw in a more murderous spine-chiller set in Whittle Dene near Prudhoe.
Two rousing chorus songs Steve's, 'The Rose of Allendale' and 'David' of Newcastleton's Plains of Waterloo'  raised the voices and then Carol and Dave accompanied John Martyn's 'Spencer the Rover' on guitar and dulcimer. The instrumentalists played severe rounds of 'Eagle's Whistle' and Kevin on pipes, 'Fairly Shot on Her' and 'Highland Laddie.'
Elaine gave another fine rendering, this time of 'Mother I Would Marry'. David of Darlington on guitar finished with Matt McGinn's 'Rolling Hills of the Border,' another great Scottish chorus song and a tune by Dave Richardson, 'Calliope House'. Katy's last was, 'Woe Worth the Time,' Phil who was on a comic roll finished with 'The shelves of Herring' and Angus led his medley of polkas and Northumbrian tunes (sorry I didn't ask you for a final song Angus - next time). 
Thanks, once more, to all who trekked from far and near. 

April 2015 Folk Night

April's fourth tuesday brought a jolly night at the Grapes with a good variety of songs and tunes from fiddle, pipes, whistle and guitar. Charlie sang us Eddi Reader's, 'You are my shining star.' Ruth set out on a personal bird-themed odyssey, beginning with 'The Swallow' by Richard and Mimi Farini and which (later) featured, also "The Skylark' and song by Margaret Cropper mentioning the curlew, 'I didn't want anything new.' Katy's 'Lovely Nancy' and Phil's, 'The broom o'er the Cowdenknowes' followed.
Kevin started off the tunes with two song tunes on Scottish small pipes, 'Westling Winds' and 'The Gallowa' Hills.' Eliza threw in a song, intended to bring in the summer and the may-o, though after the two days of snow and hail showers, it seemed untimely to be singing, 'Jolly Rumbelow.'
Angus, accompanied by Charlie, Phil and David on fiddle, whistle and guitar (plus Robbie on guitar used as a drum) respectively gave us a couple of polkas, Egan's and John Ryans and a clutch of Northumbrian tunes, 'Winster Gallop', 'Jimmy Allen' and  Salmon Tails.' Charlie picked up his fiddle and gave us Jay Ungar's 'Ashokan Farewell.'
Sarah's 'Wild Rover' went down well. Everyone joined in with her on her first time singing at a folk club. 'My Grandfather's Clock' by Henry Clay Work and Erich Doll was David's offering and Ruth read 'The Dead Rabbit Myth,' an offbeat little resurrection tale. Hills reared their heads again in Katy's 'The Rolling Hills of the Border,' and Robbie's 'Over the Hills and Far Away' and Phil followed  with 'Annan Water.'
Dawn threw caution to the winds and entered the fray at this point with the hilarious 'Dad's Funeral.' It turns out she has a good line in comic songs and good comic timing and later did, 'In Praise of The Menopause' also sung by Scold's Bridle and a Roy Bailey song (unfortunately I haven't noted down the title).
At this point there was a selection of tunes beginning with Kevin on Scottish small pipes playing 'Frisky,' 'Chevy Chase' and 'Neil Gow.' Angus did Hazel Dickens' 'Hills of Home' in bluegrass style, Eliza sang, 'She Moves through the Fair' with the pipes, and Charlie played the old Shaker hymn tune borrowed by Sydney Carter for 'Lord of the Dance' in bluegrass followed by New Orleans jazz styles.
David sang Robbie's request, 'The Rambling Soldier.' Katy a lovely 'Strath...' and Phil the topical, 'And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda' by Eric Bogle.
Kevin switched to Northumbrian pipes for 'Fairly Shot on Her' and 'Bonny at Morn.' Eliza followed with 'My Johnny was a shoemaker' and Angus, Kate Rusby's 'You Belong to Me.'
Charlie's, 'The Three Sea Captains' and 'Mason's Apron' was accompanied by Angus and David and David played 'Eagle's Whistle' on small pipes. Katy raised the tone with a rousing drinking song in French, 'Chevaliers de la Table Ronde.' King Arthur would be spinning in his grave. Phil was requested to sing, 'It Went all right at Hame' and we finished off with Kevin leading the instrumentalists in 'The Rowan Tree' and 'The Battle's Over.'
A grand night indeed. Thank you all.

Here is a link to Kevin (piper)'s blog with comments
http://ethnopiper.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/newcastleton-folk-club.html#links

March 2015 Folk Night

They came through hail, they came through snaw from Northumberland, Westmoreland, Cumbria and Roxburghshire. What a great night last night was. Arrived to find the place packed to the gills with singers and musicians who came with Paul from Rock UK to check us out. We went around the room widdershins as I didn’t want to put them on the spot first off. Most snuck out before we arrived at them. Thanks for coming lads. Hope you’ll bring songs and instruments and stick it out next time. It was great that Paul, Peter and Josh of the marvellous voice stayed.


Last night was also memorable for the song Robbie has been promising this last year – a grand rendering of ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ with voices raised in chorus. As well as voices there were three sets of pipes, uilleann and smallpipes, Northumbrian and English (like Scottish only a different fingering – the more you learn about the pipes, the more extraordinary the old goat gets) and guitars of steel and gut. Colin joined us from near Penrith but his goatskin bodhran sat in state all night as Colin claimed he was enjoying listening too much to play. Mike started us off with, ‘Eagle’s Whistle’ on uilleann pipes and later played ‘Lament for Ewan Ruar’, Garrett Barry’s jig and ‘The Gold Ring’ as a set and later, ‘The Stray Away Child.’ Bruce followed with a tune on guitar, ‘Hamish's Tune’ and later with a foot-tapping ‘Maple Leaf Rag’ and ‘Dark Island.’


A theme developed among the singers initiated by Angus with the College Valley Hunt and followed by Chris and Mike with ‘Bright Phoebus’ and another rousing foxhunting one with a ‘Tally-Ho’ chorus from Chris. David sang ‘The Parting,’ Cicely Fox-Smith, a great songwriter who knew how to stir the emotions. The song is narrated someone who brings up hounds for the pack at the moment they have to part when the hound is ready. Angus subverted the hunting theme he had started with, ‘I won’t go a-hunting.’ As everyone was in fine voice there were some other rousing choruses as well as lyrical numbers among what followed.


Steve gave us ‘The Blue Cockade’ – similar to ‘The White Cockade’ about a man who takes the King’s shilling, enlisting in a regiment abroad, arranged for guitar accompaniment . It refers to a cockade of a different, probably European regiment as British wore black or white feathers in their caps. Steve later sang, ‘The Galway Shawl’ with harmonising chorus and ‘Only our Rivers Run Free.’ David followed with ‘Tuppence on the Rope,’ about the cheap beds at the workhouse where you swung, arms over a rope alongside your compatriots for two pence. And Katy sang a rollicking, ‘Fathom the Bowl’ and later, ‘The Cotswold Shepherd’ and later, rounding off the animal strand one from way back in her early life, the excellent, ‘The Kirkcudbright Centipede.’Kevin’s tunes on Northumbrian pipes were from the Peacock and the Bewick manuscripts respectively; ‘I’m too Young to Marry Yet,’ ‘Bonny Lad' and 'Welcome to the Town Again’ from the former and John Fenwick’s from the latter. Kevin also played a Northumbrian pit medley with singing by Eliza; ‘The Bonny Pit Laddie,’ ‘Byker Hill,’ and ‘Small Coals and Little Money.’ Eliza later sang, ‘An Oulandish Knight,’ the ballad offering of the evening as well as ‘The Hexhamshire Lass.’ Kevin and David played their own arrangement of ‘Buy Broom Besoms and ‘The Bonny Miller.’


Josh sang a superb, ‘Danny Boy’ and later, ‘October’ with a voice that has evidently been honed in worlds other than the folk singaround and Phil gave us that haunting ‘Franklin’ and later, Terry Conway (a deservedly famed Northumbrian singer-songwriter)’s ‘Fareweel Regality.’ Peter sang ‘In my Liverpool Home.’ Phil was prompted by the earlier Fox-Smith rendering to offer, ‘Home Lads Home,’ this one with a grand chorus. Chris lifted the roof with, ‘Dublin in the Rare Old Times,’ obviously close to her heart.


Kevin recorded the evening. We won’t do this too often, just at odd times to give a sense of what is going on and we will ask those present at the beginning rather than the end whether it is okay (apologies Chris). There will be a link/s to the icloud where this will appear when we have edited the tape (as the recorder was next to the bar some noises off dominated some parts).     


Thanks to all who came. As everyone agreed it was a lively mixture with Angus’ polly joke for good measure.       

Come again. New arrivals always welcome. 

Eliza

The Reluctant Blogger and 24th Feb Folk Club Night

Oh lawks, why am I blogging on a folk night instead of just being there and letting it all happen? Am I being dragged into this new culture of putting it all out there. The idea of course is that the odd other person might read it and think of calling in to one of our nights (Grapes, Newcastleton, 4th Tuesday). Who is it for? Singers and musicians don’t have time to read blogs. They are too busy with families and lives and don’t want yet another thing to ‘follow’ or ‘like’.

It’s partly nostalgia for the Newcastleton Festival of old; 84-98 in my case but for Charlie the fabulous fiddler who came to the club last night, it was ’74-’83 so we cover some ground between us. Having returned to it in 2013, I can report that, it is still great festival and practically the only one that doesn’t book artists apart from a band for the dance, is founded on competitions to give a platform to people who sing and play as part of their lives – some of whom have grown up singing and playing – and is a ‘Traditional Music Festival.’ I would love to listen again to more of those fantastic Scottish ballad singers I used to hear upstairs in the Unionist Club between 11pm and 5am in the morning. And to welcome back more traditional musicians.

So the idea is that perhaps the Folk Club and the site might remind more people about the festival and maybe they might traipse up or down here now and then or call in at the club as they are passing through and then they’ll remember that the festival is still that elusive place where strains of song steal into the dark – if we provide the spaces and hang onto them. In the end, though, people have to make it for themselves.

There are other things I loathe about the whole website thing; the public versus relatively private nature of it. On the other hand it can put people in touch. And Kevin our ethnomusicologist friend and bellows piper extraordinaire says what people are singing and playing should be documented. So I’m noting down what people play and sing to report below. Perhaps we’ll do some recording sometime.

But the photographs. We’re not going to be taking photographs all the time for the website, maybe just the odd one now and then. It’s going to put people off. The last thing people want when they’re mid-flow are flashes going off. And people might want to be in the corner and not in public when they go out. And I want to relax and listen. So we’ll leave the camera at home for a few months. And thanks to all the people who didn’t mind being snapped to start things off.

So there are mixed feelings about this whole blogging bit. But I suppose if anyone actually does read this I am saying, okay Newcastleton might be slightly off the beaten track but we have had some really good evenings – which is easy for us to say when we only have to walk round the corner – and we do appreciate you coming when you can and bringing your fabulous tunes and music. And to people who have never been before we’ll make you welcome and it would be great to have more Scottish singers and players and for it to be a mixture of songs and tunes and not too formally run. And there should be time for chat.

So anyway… last night 24th February

Apologies if I miss something out. I tend to get involved at times and forget about the noting down. I have grouped it more or less into tunes and songs for ease, but we go round with break-outs for tunes.

Charlie has been playing fiddle again over the last year-and-a-half after a long break and is coming out with all sorts of tunes he has had up his sleeve and that have lain dormant for so long as well as new ones. He started with ‘Ashokan Farewell’ and later in the evening, ‘Old Joe Clark’ and ‘St Ann’s Reel’ and later still, a strathspey, ‘Gloomy Winter’s Night’ and also ‘High Road to Linton’ and then, ‘New York Girls’ accompanied by fiddle and guitars.

David on small pipes was joined by Bruce on guitar and Charlie on fiddle for Noble Squire Dacre, Go to Berwick Johnny, and Lads of Alnwick. He also played ‘Little Wee Winking Thing’ and, on Anglo-French pipes, Muzurka de Servant.’ Bruce, great exponent of many genres played variously ‘Grousin’ Old man and Grumblin’ Old Woman,’ ‘Jaqueline Waltz,’ ‘Harry Lime’s Theme’ and ‘The Women of Ireland.’

David started off the singing with ‘Tarry Wool,’ and later sang ‘The Labouring Man’ accompanying himself on pipes, then ‘The Cock Fight’ and ‘I Went to Market…’ Phil stayed tenaciously with the mining disaster and other mining songs: Donibristle Mining Disaster, Jowl Jowl and Listen, Rap Her to Bank, Jez Lowe’s ‘Black Diamonds’ and ‘Miner’s Alphabet’. Angus contributed a Phil Ochs song, ‘When I’m Gone,’ Dick McCormack’s ‘Waltzing Around in the Nude,’ Chris de Burgh, ‘Broken Wings’ and ‘Five Ways to Kill a Man’ by Edwin Brock, adapted by Ian MacKintosh. Charlie and Eliza simultaneously did two different versions of ‘Tom, Tom the Piper’s Son’ to off-kilter effect (as opposed to actually having arranged the two) and Charlie accompanied himself on mandolin with ‘John o’ Dreams’ while Eliza also did ‘The Lowlands of Holland’ and ‘The Herring.’

Peter on teaching practice at the local school left his prep. for a while and joined us with a fantastic tongue-twisting song (and when singing this is some feat) and I realise I didn’t write down its title. Good luck at the next stage, Peter!

We finished up with all the instrumentalists led by Angus on guitar and Charlie on fiddle playing Winster Gallop, Jimmy Allen, Salmon Tails, Egan’s Polka and John Ryan’s and a couple of other tunes. It was another great night for us and we hope those who tramped the fells to get here enjoyed it too.


Eliza, February 2015

Newcastleton Festival 2015, Small-pipe Workshop Update

Blog update By Kevin Tilbury on his small pipes Workshop to take place at the Newcastleton Folk Festival, 2015 (see 'Festival Chat'). Kevin will be giving a beginners session on the Northumbrian and Scottish Small-pipes and providing a limited number of sets to the total beginner to get the student started. 

The progress is slow but sure, I have 6 bellows at the moment, some have been donated (one by David, the organizer of the Newcastleton Folk Club, many thanks to him) and others I have made; so there will be at least 6 sets of pipes on the day for beginners to use.

I would also like people who already have a set of small-pipes but do not play them/can't play them, but wish to do so to come along also, it is all about getting you started, sorting out the beginners problems that we have all gone through. So if you know of someone who has given up trying to play or has a set in the box at home which have been put away in frustration ! encourage them to come to the workshop.

Players who have Northumbrian sets we will be using the big drone at first (the D/C drone) this will be compatible with the sets I am making in D. Scottish Small-pipers are generally in A or D so a harmony can be achieved... all this can be sorted out, the workshop is about bellows technique, bag pressure, keeping the instrument stable, getting all parts in harmony, and obtaining a scale in tune, and if there is time left a tune!

If you wish to contact me regarding the workshop or anything to do with piping can do so at tilbsuk@yahoo.com or can see my web page at http://ethnopiper.blogspot.com

2015 January Folk Club Night

The night was chill and wet. At the Grapes the room was warm and cosy. They came from far. They came from near. From Settlingstones (where the river carves set stones for sharpening your sword) and other such outrigger spots near Haydon Bridge where witherite and lead were mined; from Brampton, Carlisle, even St. Bees and from Newcastleton itself, they came. As well as regulars, Neil was in fine voice and playing anglo concertina, Angus recited, sang and played harmonica and Peter, currently teaching in Newcastleton and a fine exponent of the guitar, joined us. There were small pipes and uilleann pipes, concertinas, English and anglo, guitar, harmonica, voices and knitting needles to boot.

Some fine tunes were played through the evening including Chris' 'O' Carolan's Draught' on English concertina with pipe and anglo accompaniment; Neil’s ‘The Road to McMurray’ on anglo concertina; by Mike on uillean pipes, ‘By the River of Gems,’ and later, 'The Humours of Ballyloughlin,’ ‘The King of the Pipers’ and ‘The Hag at the Churn’; by David on smallpipes, ‘The Old Drops of Brandy’ and ‘The New Drops of Brandy’ and by Angus on harmonica, ‘Summertime.’In no particular order, songs included Ken’s rendering of the locally set, ‘Copshawholme Butcher’ by Harvey Nicholson and later, ‘A Sailor and his True Love.’ Angus brought us Ivor Cutler’s ‘Gruts For Tea’ and ‘The Route to Morpeth.’ After Neil gave us 'The Gilsland Hunt Ball', David threw in 'The Horn of the Hunter,' and was, after a time, answered with Neil's 'The Kielder Hunt' (after Willie Scott from 'The Shepherd's Song') which made the bar tremble with hark aways.

Having two bell ringers at one session, and one a knitter, too, is always an opportunity not to be missed and Katy gave us a fine rendering of, 'The North Lew Bell Ringing.' Our guitarists were also in fine form: Phil gave us two songs on work, ‘The Shipyard Apprentice’ from Norman Buchan’s 101 Scottish Songs and the Hydro-Electric Dam song (‘The West Winds Come to Cushiville’) and Steve, ‘The Valley of Strathmore’ and ‘Magdalena McGilvory’ and Peter, in a change of mood, ‘The Old Crow Medicine Show’ and Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’.


It being the night after the night after Burns night, we couldn't let it pass without Katy offering Burns’ warning 'O Leave Novels' and Eliza's 'Dainty Davie' (bawdy version). Chris gave us, 'Tak your Buckles' and another brilliant one which I haven’t noted down, I was so involved (shame – let me know Chris). Ballads were ‘The Earl of Errol’ and 'Down by the Greenwood Sidey.' David gave us ‘The Plains of Waterloo’ and Phil rounded off the night with ‘Adieu to Tarwathy’ and ‘The Old Armchair’.

The next Folk Club night will be Tuesday 24th February. That week will be a bumper one as there will also be a traditional music concert in the village hall on the 27th (see poster on Home Page of this site and under Festival Chat) where you can hear some grand music from stalwarts of the summer Newcastleton Traditional Music Festival (3rd to 5th July). This concert will also raise funds for the Festival. With snow outside as I write, it seems far away but the Festival will be a good one if you all come. There are plans afoot to make sure there is space for the quieter sessions of old. So put it in your diary.

Eliza