Being Friday the 29th of July, 2012 ...

We observed that some of those jubilee balloons are sadly deflating.

These should be returned for a refund!

Paul gently guided us through an evening that encompassed the entire spectrum of human experience. The evening proved to be a ‘roller-coaster’ of musical variety and feeling such that Dogsbody lost emotional continence. Even Berry was scrounging tissues.

Anything That's Part of You: Paul
When I'm Gone: Angela & Paul
Blackberry Fold: Roland
Born to Fly: Elayne
Most of us are Sad: Lynda
If I Could Only Make You Care: Berry
Bold Fisherman: Jane
Streets of Laredo: Margaret
Here, There and Everywhere: Tony
We Shall Overcome: Les
Love Changes Everything: David
Field Behind the Plough: Nigel
Braes of Yarrow: Colin
Sisters of Mercy: Paul
There'll be no Sorrow There: Angela
Oh Good Ale: Roland & Colin
Song: Tony
Annie's Song: Elayne
I'm a Freeborn Man: Lynda
As Long as You Pretend: Berry
Song to the Siren: Jane
Try to Remember: Margaret
Family of Man: Les
Perhaps Love: David
Now Westlin' Winds: Nigel
Love Farewell: Colin
Mary Skeffington/Lead Kindly Light: Paul
Little Yellow Roses: Angela
Among the Leaves so Green-oh: Elayne & company
Morningtown Ride: Lynda
I Just Wanna' Dance with You: Berry
Row On: Colin & company

No trains, no birds, but here are some little yellow roses for Angela:

Remember, remember ...

Now, it's time for someone to own up ...
Who was it that put that 2-Euro coin in the contributions pot?
Is it worth anything these days?

Being the 22nd Day of June, 2012 ...

Now, what can I write about the doings of this evening?

• We were there; some people weren’t.
• Everyone was breathing; (Oxygen is good for you!)
• Brenda stuck her tongue out at Berry, our MC.
• We discussed deodorants at some length.
• It was claimed that Napoleon suffered with piles ...

Doesn't he look miserable?

It all became considerably better when we got down to the real business of making and sharing music ...

I Love You 'cos You're You: Berry & Ken
If I were a Carpenter: Paul
Waterloo Sunset: Laura
Crazy Man Michael: Colin
Lord Franklin: Roland
Sweet Fern: Angela & Paul*
One Misty Moisty Morning: Elayne
Abide With Me: Roger
Civilisation: Tony
Eighteenth Day of June: Nigel, Roland, Angela & Colin
Bright Fine Gold: Mave
Lonesome Town: Ken & Berry
Take These Chains From my Heart: Berry & Paul
Michael in the Garden: Paul
Over the Hills and Far Away: Laura
Old Shanty Town: Tony
Drinking Old England Dry: Colin & company
The Flying Cloud: Roland
Who Will Sing Me Lullabies: Angela
Roll Alabama Roll: Nigel
Colours of the Wind: Elayne
Dungeons Deep: Roger
You are my Honeysuckle: Mave
Big Jack Cosgrove (?): Ken
From a Jack to a King: Berry & company

*There was only one song that explicitly referred to a bird ... Sweet Fern.
Angela speculated that this might be an American bluebird:

Nothing about trains, but here's Terry meeting Julie at sunset near Waterloo Station:

... I am in Paradise!

On the Eighteenth Day of June, my boys, Eighteen hundred and Fifteen.

An anniversary:

… the nearest run thing you ever saw in your life. (Wellington after Waterloo)

Don't forget the 95th Rifles:




Sorry for the violence depicted in this vid.
Enjoy the music of Mr. Tams & co.

Or, if you are a Francophile with a taste for rocky-folk, hit Bonny Bunch of Roses.

Being Friday the 15th of June, 2012 ...

Oh, what joy!

The room was just right: not too hot, not too cold.

This was another evening of superb musical quality.

If we’d had a clapometer, Roger would have won, only very closely followed by a collaboration in French from Suzanne, Elayne and Angela.

Bob visited from Kent and assured me he had a passport, and that he had cleared immigration. He was really good with some self-penned topical songs. Unfortunately he has a return ticket to Tunbridge Wells.

There were a few deaths, one of which conjured up a disturbing notion of infanticide.
There was also a slight nod towards bestiality, but these were only songs.
In the following song list, for the sake of good taste, I will translate the title of Elayne’s delightful G&S song into Latin generic terminology.

Leaving of Liverpool: Colin & company
Jimmy Brown the Newsboy: Paul
Once I had a Sweetheart: Lynda
Farewell Dearest Nancy: Roland
Scarecrow: Angela
Deep Water Rovers: Eddie
The Space Girl's Song: Suzanne
Martha's Harbour: Molly
I'm a Dreamer: Mike
Emily: Elayne
Long Gone: Les
Romeo and Juliet: Roger
Great Navy Days: Bob
Last Train from Bacup: Mave
Masochism Tango: Ken
Winchman and the Herbalist: Bob
Au Jardin de la Reine: Suzanne, Elayne & Angela
Rolling Down to Old Maui: Colin & company
Every Time we say Goodbye: Paul & Roger
The Parting: Lynda
Young Roger Esquire: Roland
Thousands or More: Eddie & company
Mad Mad World: Angela & Paul
English Country Garden: Molly
Lover's Cross: Mike
parus salix: Elayne
Going Back to Blue Ridge Mountain: Les
Slow Rider: Roger
My Mother Said: Mave
Romney Tower: Bob
Galaxy Song: Ken
Talking in Your Sleep: Suzanne
Parting Song: Colin & company

Now here's something for train-spotters:

... and that was only one old penny a mile to get to school!

Being Friday the 8th of June, 2012 ...

A lot to report from this evening, including a couple of highly dubious song titles:

The Storms are on the Ocean: Angela & Paul
Maid of Culmore: Lynda
Just as the Tide was Flowing: Roland
Lonely when I'm with You: Eddie
Loving You Makes me a Better Man: Eddie
Love Minus Zero: Mike
The Lowlands of Holland: Roger
Rubery Quince: Lorna
The Carter: Nigel
The Bitter Boy: Elayne
The Day after Tomorrow: Annie
I Can't Give You Anything but Love: Lucy
The House that Jack Built: Paul
River of Jordan: Angela
Peggy Gordon: Lynda
God Bless the Master of this House: Roland
Moonlight on a Silver Tree: Suzanne
Empty Days: Eddie
Have You Ever Seen the Rain: Eddie
My Creole Belle/Brownsferry Blues/Railroad Bill: Mike
Roll on John: Roger
Winster Gallop: Lorna
Autumn Leaves: Elayne
Banks of the Tees: Nigel
Bunch of Damned Whores: Annie*
Cry Me a River: Lucy & Roger
Nowhere Man: Paul
Hushabye Mountain: Lynda
Dancing with You: Eddie
I Like my Women Just a Lttle on the Trashy Side (!!!) Les**
I Need Your Love so Bad: Roger
Turkey Rhubarb: Nigel

*Advice to all: do NOT google images for a 'bunch of damned whores'!

**A warning to Les: be careful what you wish for!

Being Friday the 1st of June, 2012 ...

We arrived to discover the Guide Hall patriotically decorated in honour of Her Majesty's jubilee celebrations ...

In Dogsbody's absence, the documented 'doings', according to Paul, were as follows:

Wild in the Country: Paul
Kiss me Mother: Angela
Hello: Lynda
Summertime: Elayne
Songbird: Suzanne
Main Theme to 'Morrowind': Owen
Her Majesty/Leaves that are Green: Mike
No Regrets: Roger
Johnny my Man: Nigel
Skye Boat Song: Margaret
Journey of the Sorcerer: Mick
Girl: Paul
I'm Going Down this Road Feeling Bad: Angela
He Ain't Heavy, He's my Brother: Lynda
I Dreamed a Dream: Elayne
Lovely Day: Suzanne
Lost Woods: Owen
No Telling: Mike
The Leaves of Life: Roger
Tickle Dew (or should that be 'tickled you'?): Mick
Getting Over You: Nigel
Queen of Hearts: Margaret
Blue Moon: Paul
Chewin' Gum: Angela
Raglan Road: Lynda
Paddy McGinty's Goat: Elayne
Wild Mountain Thyme: Suzanne, Elayne & Angela
Wall of Death: Mike
Lost Love Blues: Roger
Angie: Mick
Down River Road: Margaret
Success to the Farmer: Nigel

So, lots of you had three goes, and I missed you all!

Now, what's this 'Morrowind'?
Is it an overnight alimentary complaint?