Being Friday the 27th of December, 2013 ...

• Is the festive season over?
• Is goodwill exhausted?

Not at all!

We generated adequate bodies to pay the rent.
There was significant bonhomie, except that a certain participant seemed to be overcome by pantomime-fever.

Ken, (suffering panto-overdose,) and Berry, (bravely recovering from a life-threatening infection of that useless lymphoid tissue in the oro-pharynx,) repeatedly exchanged a rude word attributed to this celebrity ...

Berry kicked off with a song about this ancient contraption ...

Caption invited.

Here's Ken-the-Mando ...

"Cut mince-pies from children's thighs!"
Surely, that has to be panto?

Paul and Roger don't get out much
these days.

Connor fiddled
particularly well.

There were some musical left-overs from Christmas; two infants got weighed in a manger while some shepherds got very frightened again ...

"Have you been feeding me
those funny mushrooms?"

There were two allusions to dancing, and Paul whistled.

Ken insisted on percussing ...

Fortunately, Berry survived!

....................................................

Be assured that the City Folk Club will continue to meet every Friday throughout January, 2014 ... and thereafter, but watch the space.

Being Friday the 20th of December, 2013 ...

CHRISTMAS PARTY!

Twenty-six bodies turned up, some of them early, as requested, so for once we were able to commence music by 20.14 hours and 27 seconds precisely!

The festive company.
Notice the jolly arrangement of tables.

Bearing a cauldron, Molly's arrival was reminiscent of an opening scene from that Scottish play ...

"Eye of newt and toe of frog ..."
No, it's mulled wine.

... and look what Angela provided!

Very many thanks to everyone who turned up, shared food, music and mulled wine, and helped to make a specially enjoyable evening.

Being Friday the 13th of December, 2013 ...

Paul was in charge, but couldn't quite remember what he was doing here ...
Then he grieved for his lost adolescence.

Margaret cheered us with this little number ...

This is copyright, just a sample.
If you want the rest, you'll have to buy it from sheetmusicdirect.com

We heard of an indeterminate number of deaths, but these were ameliorated when Les sang about procreation.
Dogsbody raised eyebrows when he uttered the word 'fecundity'!

Mike advised against entering the water when mermaids are in the vicinity ...

It is said that sailors used to mistake
the fjordland penguin for a mermaid.
(Should have gone to Spec Savers!)

Angela couldn't contact Heaven ...

Vic's father was a Union Man ...

We visited two state penitentiaries.

Mike wandered over hills in Lancashire ...

Beware: here abide witches!

Reminder:

Friday 20th December is our party night.
Please come early.
... and, YES, we will be in occupation of the Guide Hall on the 27th.

Being Friday the 6th of December, 2013 ...

We remembered ...

[Always] remembered
for what [he has] done.

Ho-ho-ho ... Mandela's FREE!

We went on to celebrate in the company of Graham and Jo ... 

Rock me, Mama, like a southbound train!

Les sang about a benign mythical beast ...

My name is Puff!

Stuart reminded us of the forthcoming season ...

"Do you think he'll like myrrh?" asked Balthazar.

Jo was unsure about how to spell err ... frunkinstine!

There was much allusion to dancing, particularly in 3/4 time, but unfortunately our venue has no appropriate licence.
We remained seated.

Paul whistled a bit about this celestial phenomenon ...

Elayne sang about a juvenile musician who went to war ...

One faithful harp shall praise thee.

Of course, there was much more ... a great deal more ... far too much to document here.

Just come along next Friday, and the week after (party-time) and we'll enjoy more of the same ... only different!

Being Friday the 29th of November, 2013 ...

We had the cosy arrangement of tables ...

"Where is everybody?" asked Moseley.

It must have been the weather, although Paul and Angela, (in charge,) reassured us ... 

"The tempest is o'er."

Patrick has a red velvet one.

Dogsbody was gloomy ...

... for when the sands are still,
it is then you'll find me ... dead!

Nigel is, indeed, a hearty good fellow!

Finally we all joined in singing a song in praise of singing before going home in elevated spirits.

Addendum ...
Something you all need to know:
The hall-hire fee will be increased in the New Year, understandably, owing to increasing energy prices.
We'll need 12 body's, (not including stuffed penguins,) to pay the rent.

Being the Season of Goodwill ...

The City Folk Club
will be holding a
Grand Seasonal Celebration

on Friday, 20th December
at the Guide Hall.

Look, Joseph ... I have a present for you!

Doors will open at 7.30pm in anticipation of a prompt start at 8.00pm.

Friends and family are welcome.

Please bring a plate of buffet-style food to share during the interval, and your personal choice of beverage.
We have a supply of disposable plates, cutlery etc.

Music?
Of course!
Please come prepared with your seasonal songs and tunes.

Entry will be free, however …
In addition to our intended corporate donation to the Guides’ brick fund, there will be an opportunity for individuals to contribute to the Guides’ efforts. i.e. £5.00 per brick.
(Gift-aid forms will be available. Cheques payable to Friends of Guiding in Regnum District.)
A representative of the Guides' Friends has been invited to receive such donations.

We hope we’ll see/hear you there.

Was Hael!

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" asked Melchior.
"No," said Caspar, "We're going to The City Folk Club!"

Our resident parking-spaceman advises that your camels will not fit through the door of the Guide Hall!

Being Friday the 22nd of November, 2013 ...

Dogsbody arrived to discover a flood in the kitchen ...

Berry engaged plumbing-brain.
"Leave it on! " he advised.
(Berry has experience of such things.)
"As the pipes expand with the heat, it'll seal itself."
... Berry was right.

Then he occupied the MC's chair declaring, "I'm not really a proper person."
(Perhaps the concepts of existence, life and humanity are popular delusions?)

Berry said something about fame.
Ken opined thus: "Notoriety doesn't count!
(Ken is the only person I know who uses this verb: 'to opine'!)

Mave got lost in London ... again!

"Can you direct me to The Strand?"
The Life-Guard was unhelpful.

Then, heaven-protected ... she went home to mother in her undies!

Pam accompanied Les by playing a device that didn't look anything like this ...

"If I do a train song, will you blow one
for me?" Ken asked.

We were treated to two crossings of the wide Missouri ...

The instrumental version was by far the best!

Question ...
Who, what or where is Shenandoah?

• A river tributary?
• A place/town/village/third-rate hostelry?
• A native American chieftain who has a lovely daughter?
• None of the above?

(Such is the obscurity of traditional song.)

Lucy changed the subject ...
"What do you do with left-over wine?" she asked ...

She can find advice here ... making wine vinegar

.................

Important announcement ...

There will be a seasonal celebration on

Friday, 20th December.

Details will be circulated shortly.

It's Panto Time ... Look out, there's a wizard about!

Has anyone else observed that Ken's facial hair is becoming longer and more luxuriant?

No, that's not Ken!

Why?

This popular and regularly verbose participant at The City Folk Club will 'tread the boards' again in Eastergate Players' next panto - their 37th.

Ken Hobbs will take the title part in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz": an original script based on the famous book by Frank L. Baum.

Ken writes ...
It promises to be to the usual high standard of The Player's pantos.

There will be lots of fun, as usual, with an enthusiastic young chorus, actors: adults and youngsters, and brilliant staging and musical direction.

All the famous characters will be appearing: the Munchkins, Tin Man, Scarecrow, Lion and Dorothy ... and not forgetting The Wicked Witch of the West.

Performances are nightly from:
Tuesday, 28th January to Saturday, 1st February, at 7.30pm, with a matinée on Saturday at 2.00pm, all at the lovely Eastergate Parish Hall, Barnham Road, Eastergate.


For more information and tickets, please visit www.eastergateplayers.org.uk

Being Friday the 15th of November, 2013 ...

Look what's happened next door ...

Oh, well ... we still got on with our usual activities, and didn't need hard hats!

Moseley wore his poppy
with pride.

Paul looked after us all with his customary courtesy and consideration.

Dick sang about his wishes ...

Lord, won't you buy me a ...

A Vincent, 1952, 'Black Lightening'.

Patrick remembered a nuclear-powered disaster from 1963 ...

... gone, gone, gone
to the bottom of the sea.

You have to admire a man who plays a pink instrument...

Paul collaborated with everybody ...

"If I can't keep the key, I'll just slope
away quietly," said Paul.

Mave went 'a bit low'!

Angela engaged us and fulfilled Brenda's request with this wonderful song ...

Thank you, Angela.

No, Berry, that's not the Japanese version!

Sue sang about catching wind ...

Worry not ... wind is not infectious;
is it?

Dogsbody penned the following note to Nigel:
You do your solo, then we'll have that [lousy] war!

Then we went home humming in hope that joy will be with us all.

Bonum nocte cum omnibus vobis cum gaudio!

Being Friday the 1st of November, 2013 ...

Being also the Celtic festival of Samhain ...

Nobody dressed up specially.
There were no bonfires, pumpkins, ritual sacrifices nor visitations by the departed.

Ken, however, graciously advised us thus ...
"Don't take any notice of anything I say."
Nobody did.
(No change there then!)

Elayne bravely transported us to the wild and windswept moors of Yorkshire ...

... it's me, Cathy, I've come home.

Berry demonstrated some new hardware ...

"Now, do I suck or blow?"

"Cider is a great thing," sang Mave.

There were two references to hair-tearing, and one episode of intense hand-wringing, but no teeth were lost despite Dogsbody's desperate effort to play something that looked like a cheese grater ...

Actually, it's a bowed psaltery.

You will find a commentary here.

Finally, led by Paul, we set sail on the evening tide ...

Haul away down channel ...

... and God be by my side.

Important reminder ...

The City Folk Club will not be meeting on Friday 8th November.
However, we are assured of continued occupancy of the Guide Hall every Friday evening until the end of the year.