Brave Admiral Benbow ...

Earlier this week I was privileged to escort an elderly Auntie Margaret around the Historic Royal Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth.
I have always been engaged by this cheeky-looking fellow …

This is supposed to be the figurehead taken from HMS Admiral Benbow (1813), but I don’t think fibreglass resin had been invented then!

So, who was John Benbow?

Benbow, (1653 -1702,) was a celebrated and notorious admiral of the English Navy, remembered particularly for his bomb-flotilla campaigns against French channel ports in 1693.

On 24th August 1702, during a sea battle against ships of the French Navy commanded by Admiral du Casse in a West Indies campaign, he was seriously wounded by chain-shot that shattered his leg.
Legend has it that Benbow commanded that he should be carried discretely to his cabin lest the sight of his injures should dispirit his crew.

"Take me down to my cockpit ..."

Having been abandoned by at least two captains of other English vessels, the battle was indecisive.
The English squadron retreated to Port Royal. Benbow later died of his wound and was buried in Kingston, Jamaica, where he is celebrated thus:

[Here lyeth the Body of John Benbow, Esq., Admiral of the White, a true pattern of English Courage, who lost his life in Defence of his Queene & Country, November the 4th, 1702, In the 52nd year of his age, by a wound in his Legg. Received in an Engagement with Monsr. Du Casse; being Much Lamented.] 

HMS Admiral Benbow, launched in 1813, was a third-rate ship-of-the-line named in his honour.

Two later RN ships were so-named: an Admiral Class battleship of 1885, and a Duke Class battleship of 1913 that served during the battle of Jutland.

HMS Admiral Benbow, 1913

"Why is all this of interest?" I hear you ask.

There are at least two folk songs of dubious historical accuracy that celebrate the life and death of John Benbow.

Here's one ...

Admiral Benbow

Oh, we sailed to Virginia and thence to Fayall,
Where we watered our ship in and then weighed all.
Then in view on the seas, boys, seven sails we did espy.

Oh, we mannѐd our capstan and weighed speedily.

The first we come up with was a brigantine sloop,
And we asked if the others were as big as they looked.
Then turning to windward as near as we could lie,
We found there was ten men of war cruising there by.

Oh, we drew up our squadron in a very nice line,
And boldly we fought them for full four hours time.
Then the day being spent, boys, and the night coming on,
We left them alone till the very next morn.

The very next morning the engagement proved hot,
And brave Admiral Benbow received a chain shot.
And when he was wounded to his men he did say:
“Take me up in your arms, boys, and carry me away!”

Oh, the guns they did rattle and the bullets did fly,
But Admiral Benbow for help would not cry:
“Take me down to the cockpit, there is ease for my smarts,
If my merry men see me, it would sure break their hearts.”

And there Captain Kirkby proved a coward at last,
And with Wade played at bo-peep behind the main-mast.
And there they did stand, boys, and shiver and shake
For fear that those French dogs their lives they should take.

The very next morning at the break of the day
They hoisted their tops'ls and so bore away.
We bore up for Port Royal, where the people flocked much
To see Admiral Benbow carried to Kingston Church.

Come all you brave fellows, wherever you be,
And drink to the health of our King and our Queen.
And another good health to the girls that we know,
And a third in remembrance of brave Admiral Benbow.

Oh, yes, drink up a health, boys, to the girls we do know
And a third for remembrance of brave Admiral Benbow.

(Transcribed from failing memory - copyright issues are not involved.)

Here's the tune in D:

Being Friday the 3rd of August, 2012 ...

Isn’t Team GB doing well in the Olympics?

Many thanks to those sixteen stalwart ‘folkies’ who left their TV sets to attend the club this evening.

For reasons explained to those who attended last week I can’t tell you precisely what was performed, but here are a few pictorial clues …

Look out, Squire, she's got a knife!

The nostrum sure

Flying away

A Spanish so-called sport

Oh, this is getting really silly.
It was all good stuff.
If you really want to know what went on, hard copy of the song-list will be available next week at the club.
(Distribution elsewhere is strictly prohibited on penalty of excommunication!)

Oh, and look who came along ...

Being Friday the 27th of July, 2012 ...

Let’s begin with the bad news:

For reasons explained at the meeting this evening, the song-list will no longer be published on the blog. It is inappropriate to reiterate those reasons in this public domain.

This saddens me because those song-lists have been the raison d’être for this blog.

It has always been fun to give an account of ‘doings’, and I know that some of our participants have found it useful …

(Now, what did I sing last week?!)

I will continue to document performances and I will print out hard-copies on a week-by-week basis. These will be kept in a folder that will be available for perusal at the club. 

Now for the good news:

In spite of all that, 13 olympiosceptics gathered to share music in good company.

Angela confessed to having experienced a wild moment involving bells at 8.12am.

Berry excelled himself in the MC’s chair by providing some patriotic infrastructure.

Medals were presented, Berry adorned himself with bronze.

Lynda was awarded silver.

Angela mounted the podium, (wobbly chair,) to receive a well-deserved gold medal.

Now, I can’t publish a song list, so here are some images that might give some clues about our offerings:

Fireship

Storm

Casting fine shadows

Zeppelin

Balancing act

Gavotte

Mwah mwah!

Now, let me assure you that writing a proper list is considerably less tedious than uploading obscure images!

Oh, here's another obscure image:

Being Friday the 20th of July, 2012....

The room was set up in trepidation; would the tealights, not to mention all other essentials,  be in the correct configuration without the guiding influence of Dogsbody? The MC sets up tables and chairs wondering if this will be a futile exercise, given the oral intelligence that so many of our number are otherwise occupied this week.  She considers which are her longest songs and prepares to ask the potential few to exercise their lungs to an unusual degree with the many turns that may be required.  In the event the worries were needless as the room was far from empty at the habitual kick off point.

The evening seemed to generate an unplanned theme of travel.  In the words of the first song: 'We are going. Heaven knows where we are going, but we know within.  We will get there.  Heaven knows how we will get there; but we know we will'.  The most interesting mode of transport came courtesy of David H.  who took us on a splendid tram ride, accompanying his singing with a variety of most interesting bells.  Talk of spooning, mentionned in his song caused both excitement and merriment, particularly when a knowledgeable soul informed the gathered throng that thick cream at M&S is said to be 'ideal for spooning'. 

MC's thanks to Mave for having the brilliant idea of bringing Ray along.  Particular thanks to Ray too for agreeing to end our musical journey and send us off with a rousing rendition of Rolling Home.  For further detail on stops on our route, see below:

We Are Going:  Angela & Elayne
 I Am A Loser: Paul
The Seasons Round:  Roland & Angela
The Passing of a Queen:  Ken
Riding on Top of the Car:  David H
Stately as a Galleon:  Mave
All Gone Away:  Ray
Into the West:  Elayne
In My Liverpool Home:  Mike
Norwegian Wood:  Mick, Paul & Roger
For Ginny:  Roger
Gaudeamus:  Molly
School Days Over:  Nigel
Foggy Dew:  David
As Tears Go By:  Margaret
Two Sisters:  Angela
Blackbird:  Paul & Mick
Gentlemen of England:  Roland
The Galaxy Song:  Ken
Maire My Girl:  David H.
All the Little Chickens in the Garden:  Mave
All the Good Things:  Ray
Kathy's Song:  Elayne
Miss Ohio:  Mike
Cincinnati Flow Rag:  Mick
I'm Not Afraid to Die:  Roger
How Will You Go?  Molly
The Parting Glass:  Nigel
You Were Always on My Mind:  David
Goodbye:  Margaret
Rolling Home:  Ray