We will never know exactly what the geezer who bellowed this in the corridor outside the room where BFC was in session last week was actually intending. It was so loud it certainly got my attention. Was he just noisily greeting his mate,Neil? Or had he been so inspired by the sweet noises emanating from the concert room that he had suddenly come over all religious and wanted us to join him in prayer? Whatever-the assembled company resisted the urge to drop to our knees and continued listening to whichever song was being performed,instead. He didn't come back to see if we were all still genuflecting so it must have been his mate.
An eclectic evening at Bedworth Folk Club's Newdigate Club venue on Wednesday October 12th, with Notts Alliance the Guests, and some good floor singers in each half. I was chuffed to get the last parking space in the Car Park-it gets a bit hectic here if the floodlit Bowls League is on. (I think Neil won The Pairs ).
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| Malc and Gill auditioning for The Panel. |
Malc and Gill opened up . They were in good voice and Gill was obviously feeling chipper as she had evidently just replaced her car with a newer model. She only mentioned it a few dozen times and even set the intruder alarm off by opening an exterior door to admire it. Thankfully, before we started.
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| Brian Phillips |
Brian Phillips, Dave Webb and David Parr all did spots in the first half. Malc and GillI started the second half. Then Katherine Fear, Sam Stephens and I all did a few songs each before Notts Alliance returned.
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| Young Kate |
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| Mr. Parr-a study in concentration |
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| Webby has Brass in Pocket |
It was lovely to see and hear Sam Stephens out on the circuit again. The tragic loss of Gren Morris came as a blow to us all. They had already done me a floor spot at Nuneaton and i was looking forward to booking them back in as guests. It was not to be and Sam lost his singing partner and buddy. I still listen regularly to their album "Hums Ancient and Modern." After Gren died Sam then suffered a debilitating illness himself, one which looked as if it might have stopped him performing altogether at one stage, But Sam was back on the horse again at The Newdigate and sounding good after a shaky start. He finished with a positive shower of harmonics. Good to have him back.
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| Sam Stephens gets back on The horse |
I sang "The Odeon " and "Di Di The Ice cream Man." The audience sang the choruses gamely. A couple of them came over afterwards. I thought they wanted to hit me, but they were just excited because they'd seen one of Di Di's preserved vans parked up in Burnham-On-Sea just a few days back,and wanted to tell me. I also won a raffle prize for the second consecutive time at a BFC night. Not a bottle of rose wine this time, but a rose. Which I put in the garden the next day.
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| Some old person who strayed in from the street |
I had seen Notts Alliance before. Once again they were thoroughly professional. They sang two sets of scrupulously arranged and well co-ordinated harmonies. They fielded Gilly's heckling skilfully,and the banter between the three of them was endearingly spirited.
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| Check Out the Alliance |
All photos from
John Smith.
