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.