The Forecast was dire and our expectations had been lowered by some very disappointing turnouts recently. We were also worried that perhaps the weekenders at Warwick Folk Festival had been exhausted. Would people stay away? No. Last night was highly enjoyable with lots of faces old and new having fun, being entertained and helping to raise a magnificent £155 for Anker Radio in the process.
The hospital Radio station, displaced from the George Eliot Site, has had to record and transmit a 24/7/365 service from home over the last year or so. Including twice monthly shows like "Anker Folk" which continues to serve the Folk Community.
That sum raised will go towards completing a new studio in nearby Beduff-at The Saunders Club which has given us excellent support during our exile. It looks like becoming a fruitful partnership for the future. Good to see that some institutions in the Borough at least have a conscience when it comes to supporting charitable institutions near to home. Look at their screens! Never had this at the GEH!
The weather forecast turned out to be nonsense. The BBC issued a 12 hour Weather warning with a long line of its ubiquitous cloud and raindrops symbols filling their website page for the area. We were told that the area would be lashed by gales and storms. Didn't happen. Nunny basked in sunshine. The thermometers registered 22c by mid afternoon and shoppers in shirtsleeves and summer frocks were strolling about the market.
We had several new performers who had offered or requested a floor spot for last night. Singers Nights are often a problem for venue organisers. Trying to organise a running order and attempting to keep to timings is at times like herding cats. As we got under way a few artistes had declined a sound check so that helped greatly in starting promptly and then keeping to a semblance of the original timetable.
Yours truly kicked the night off with a trio of songs delivered acapella. Not by choice-but because (not playing an instrument), if I want to keep performing nowadays, that's how the cookie crumbles. I began with Dominic Behan's Auld Triangle and I have to say that from the off, the audience sang along with me gamely.
As a promo for The Hawkesbury Trawlermen's appearance at The Triumph Brewhouse in Coventry this coming Sunday ( and to advertise our growing portfolio of gigs and set lists), I followed with "Donkey Riding." Not the sanitised version which many of us had learned at school via BBC Radio broadcasts. No it was a much saltier version which would have raised the coiffeured eyebrows of my Primary School music teacher. This was again well sung by the audience.
I concluded with a tribute to the 52 blissful years which my good lady and I have now shared together. "Need Your Love So Bad," was our first dance at our wedding Reception. For anyone keen at having a go at singing unaccompanied this is a good yardstick for you to try if you wish to ascertain if you are suited. On the Fleetwood Mac cover of the Little Willie John song there are large gaps filled by a lush string arrangements and also by Peter Greens superb guitar solos. Alone, on a stage, you have to imagine those, to keep the timing right. On the Queen's Hall stage which is (literally) a bit sticky at present, tapping your feet ( an essential requirement for singing unaccompanied ) requires more effort than usual. As the picture below by Max Wright demonstrates. 
Talking of photographers, we were blessed last night. Our two regulars Max and Ray Buckler snapped away throughout but we were also delighted to welcome back John B. Smith. Photography wizard. Having successfully negotiated what he described beforehand as "the North Face of The Eiger," (our stairs) it was great to see JBS in familiar pose after a long absence away due to hospitalisation and convalescence. And (we must assume) he got back down those stairs safely at the end too, because I didn't get time to say goodbye and we were the last to leave.
With a bit of juggling of the running order Stephen Tate kindly agreed to follow me. I'd seen Stephen perform previously at a few other venues and he has often turned up at NFC to watch. Health was he has also had a fair amount of personal challenges so it was great to finally get him up there doing what he does. Which is to play with a lovely picking style and singing with a very strong Cov-influenced vocal style similar to Messrs Dempsey Stuart and Felton. 
Including Stephen we had no less than FOUR performers making their debut at NFC last night. Kyle Boswell was not a stranger to The Crew as he helps out with their Radio Station. But he had offered to come downstairs (their studio is above the Queens Hall) and share some of his own compositions with us. Playing a standout red Gretsch guitar, Kyle delivered three songs with style and great confidence. He also opened a door into new pastures for some of us by explaining that his recorded material was available to download or stream on social medal platforms. For those Folkies still trapped in the era of the wax cylinder this caused a few raised eyebrows but I can assure you that Kyle's stuff is available to view or listen to via most of these media forms. Check him out on You Tube if you want to sample his material. But not on Wax Cylinder. he hasn't released one of those. or an eight track cartridge. Photo by John B. Smith.
Not really a newcomer but under a different stage name came Matt's His Name. When we were at The Crown, aka Matt Mallen, Matt stepped in over there to help out by mixing the P.A. and running the sound for a while. When BPS eventually split up our original tripod P.A. became surplus to requirements Matt bought it off us. And he turned his hand to performance. In fact I think he featured on Anker Folk's (so far) one and only "Live Lounge" sessions where we recorded and after broadcast a succession of local artistes. Matt's guitar picking has certainly proceeded to "Wow" territory since we saw him last-he provided a pyrotechnic background to accompany his self-penned songs. Photo by John B. Smith
It was good to have a few younger performers in. Just like Kyle, Matt has material available to hire rent or buy on all kinds of Fancy dan interweb Malarkeys. Bob Wilkinson soothed any troubled brows however by following with three songs. Bob had visited NFC as an audience member previously but this too was a debut appearance. With a background in many bands including Little Mountain he is an accomplished guitar player and singer. Bob sang three self-composed songs. He has travelled a bit and so he took us on a journey around the world which stopped off in Argentina and parts of Africa. Photo below by John B.Smith
Gareth and Barbara Wyatt are not actually joined at the hip to their grandfather, Des Patalong. Together the three of them go out as Thruppenny Bits. The TBs are regulars at NFC and on Anker Folk. Des was unavailable last night so Barbara announced mischievously announced that the two of them would be appearing as "Two Coppers." Whatever the appellation their performance can only be described as delightful. Three newish songs performed acapella with the usual impeccable harmonies. Light and shade as a contrast to the contemporary and traditional styles so far received and adding to the enjoyment of what was turning out to be a most eclectic evening. Photo courtesy of John B.Smith 
Jane Moss is the pocket battleship half of Yonderland. Paul Monks was otherwise engaged, but Jane is easily able to hold an audience engaged on her own with her soaring vocals and with some excellent Ukulele playing. For her finale she very kindly invited me up to join her singing a duet of a song we have co-written recently together. By email as it happens, but it still seemed to work.. "Goodbye Stan" was an homage to a much loved cat we once owned. It seemed to bring a little water to a few eyes and that wasn't just because I was glued to the stage again. All thoughts of decapitated sparrows and hidden treasures deposited in the raised beds were forgotten. Aww!! Photo below by Max Wright.
And by now having whipped the audience into a near unbearable frenzy, what else could we follow that with but that old War Horse Dave Fry who brought the first half to a close. Concluding with an old Strawb's hit the timeless if misguided "Part of The Union." Sung boldly by sections of the audience, as Dave led us across the picket lines, fists raised in exultation. This isn't the best picture of Dave. But it is by a country mile the funniest. It really made me laugh He looks as if he's trodden on a spike here. Photo by Ray Buckler
Dave dresses so well in dapper shorts and usually takes a good photo. Just to put the record straight here is another one this time by John B. Smith 
Another good friend of NFC, Adam Wilson got our second half under way. Adam has a new album in preparation so he treated us to three of his own songs. We had not a whiff of Neil Young but Adam is no one-trick pony. He's a fine writer and I'm not just saying that because he is another I've co-written with. ( The Boy On The Beach,2021 He finished with an emotional performance of Your Daddies Girl which is from his Singer Songwriter and Sewing Machine album. Photo courtesy of John B. Smith.
Malc Gurnham then ran us through a thoughtful selection of new songs including a John tams one and a cover of one written by Reg Meuross performed with his full blessing. Malc's powerful vocals certainly fill a room that size so much so that at times the P.A. seemed superfluous. Photo by Max Wright
KC Jones closed what had been a lovely night. Colin and Karen must be quite exhausted by all the public appearances they have been making lately, promoting their new album "Roots." Indeed they originally intended to come along and have a rest by masquerading as an audience. Fortunately they were persuaded to close the show. They opened with "Sonny"- a wise move as although the audience was tiring a bit by now this got them singing again-as it always does wherever they perform it. They followed up with another popular choice-The Ivory Battle. Also a request. Photo by Ray Buckler.
And there was no other way to close a splendid evening but a long rendition of what is rapidly becoming an earworm for some of us " Time for Us To Leave You." Sung along with enthusiastically by the audience. Eventually everyone toddled off into the nights some of them clutching prizes. Thanks to the performers, Evelyn behind the bar , Ross for mixing the sound, Mags for all her help with raffles fliers and banners and to Rich for providing the venue and always laying on some lovely Church End real Ale sourced from just up the road at Ridge Lane.
