Choir Gig at Student Union, Guildford

This time we were singing in the Chancellor's Bar, by invitation of the Student Union's 'Know Yourself' stress-busting initiative. Rather hard to find - I ended up navigating us to the Varsity Bar instead, perhaps out of habit!
I think the choir went down rather well, considering our audence of discerning students - not everyone talked loudly over our singing, and some even clapped along to 'Sloop John B'. Abba's 'The Name of the Game', although a difficult one to learn, always goes down well as everyone knows it. The African songs were well received but the Finnish 'Reindeer Calling Song' got some strange reactions! After the gig there was the chance to relax with some (cheap!) beer - I passed on the Itchen Valley Treacle Stout and went for the keg Hoegaarden instead, delicious. There was also a very good blues band on afterwards as well, maybe we'll recruit the singer into the choir!

Wittering On

Went to West Wittering recently with my friends Simon, Jane and Patrick, as well as Rosa the Dog (Five Go Down To The Beach?). Of course we could not go all the way down to Wittering without a pub stop along the way - so we dropped into the Horse and Groom at East Ashling. As soon as we entered the pub the smell of the food started driving me crazy, so we decided to stop for a meal - I had the Shoulder of Lamb which, though on the expensive side, was both substantial and delicious - well worth the money. Everyone was pleased with their meal and Rosa got to have my lamb bone! Rosa was unhappy in the car, and a neighbour kept phoning up the pub and complaining. However the pub were very understanding and allowed Rosa in to the bar area, where she calmed down considerably. The Dark Star Hophead was excellent but Pat had given up booze for Lent - so of course Simon and I extolled the virtues of the beer at length!!
West Wittering beach was nearly empty, apart for a few couples with dogs. There were lots of interesting shells and stuff - I was disconcerted to find that I've forgotten most of my seashore biology, will have to get my copy of Seashore Life out again. Simon was skimming stones (mostly) impressively with Rosa chasing after them, we lost Jane amidst the dunes but were all reunited eventually. Simon and Jane had brought some real coffee in a big flask, also chocolate and biscuits, then we piled into the car to head off home.
The stop on the way back was the Fox Goes Free at Charlton. The beer was not so good, being a bit on the cold side. The house bitter is brewed by Arundel and so it's a bit on the malty and sweet side but still a good session pint.
Then a rush back for choir gig at the Student Union, University of Surrey!

Bellowhead at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Hi all
Have decided to keep the blog up, despite some personal problems recently, especially as it annoys a certain ugly slapper!
Went to the Royal Opera House on my own. Bill Badger insisted on giving me a street map despite the fact that I know Covent Garden like the back of my hand (as any serious shopper would)! There was a bit of a scare as a stupid American woman kept asking a young couple when they thought the next terror attack was going to be and shouting "Wake up London". Eventually the man got annoyed and threw her rucksack off the train, forcing her to get off. Then the train was delayed as security people went over to talk to her.
I tried to give my spare ticket to the Box Office but they wouldn't take it, which was rather annoying as the girl sitting next to me had also had to come on her own, as her friend could not get a ticket on the door. What a waste! The girl introduced herself as Asha, and we soon got friendly enough to get a front spot together and swap dance moves! She was a great dancer and a lovely person to talk to, we swapped myspace details and I hope to see her again at a festival somewhere.
Bellowhead were excellent, danced to almost every tune, my favourites being Haul Away Joe and the intriguingly named Rochdale Coconut Dance! The Floral Hall is a beautiful Victorian white-painted iron andglass structure similar to the great greenhouses at Kew. Apparently the acoustics in the Floral Hall weren't that brilliant but from my front spot the band sounded fine.
Kate-from-Choir's husband very kindly gave me a lift home as far as Woking, and I caught a train to Farnborough within 10 minutes.
Good music, good company, fast dancing - just what the doctor ordered!

Wey Famous!

Searching for something else entirely, I found that this blog has been quoted by the River Wey and Navigations Society! Wait till I tell Patrick!!!
Take a lookie, it's quite a way down on the right hand side, under Wey Snippets - Wey Tradition.
http://www.weyriver.co.uk/theriver/places_7_guildford.htm

Ron Trueman-Border at Cricketers, Yateley

Not my favourite pub, the Cricketers serves Greene King beer brands - the IPA and Olde Trip were acceptable. We found a table easily, although we didn't want to be right in Ron's field of view, he has been known to get rather irritated with his audience!!
Ron only plays his own stuff, so for instance he hates pubgoer's requests as they tend to be for covers. Fortunately he didn't get many - apart from me, who requested one of his own songs, 'Peter Green' which is one of the most outstanding folk-blues songs written. Nobody apart from me and Bill Badger was really listening to the more downbeat stuff which was a bit of a shame, but the funloving pub crowd did dance to the more uptempo, swing-type numbers. Ron also played Bill's favourite, the more lighthearted (!) 'Covered In Blood' murder ballad. Maybe Ron liked us though, as we kept singing along to the choruses as invited, and we seemed to be the only people there who had specifically come to see him.
I hope Ron builds up a following amongst the pub crowd, I'm sure there's many out there who will appreciate his irascible wit, strong humanity, and wonderful songs.

Bully Wee Band at Twickenham Folk Club

We were introduced to the Bully Wee Band by Quintin, who has been a fan for a long time, but of course we knew Ian Cutler, the Kentish fiddle player, from 'Feast of Fiddles' and the 'Hot Rats'. The rest of the lineup were also original band members - Fergus Feely, Jim Yardley and Colin Reece who were all excellent. Loved the Anglo-Celtic dare-you-to-dance style of music - with the Bridge Violin as well it's almost perfectly my thing! Colin's own songs included a great folk story about the Lady Lovibond, an aptly named ship deliberately wrecked by a first mate in hatred of his girlfriend-stealing captain, and the Christian-pagan story of Stanton Drew stone circle. Fergus's 'Fifty Channels' was by contrast to most of the band's material, a sad, touching love story.
Very entertaining evening - Jim's cheeky 'Love Will You Marry Me' stood out for me, as well as the band's well-loved version of 'The Snows (They Melt The Soonest)'.
Quintin and I got up to dance at the end to the band's last fast-and-furious jigs (forgot what they were called, sorry). Thought we'd be told off by some of the more staid folk-club members, but amazingly we were not! Great evening, even though the bar at the Cabbage Patch had run out of Deuchars IPA.
I also bought the album, which the band kindly signed for me, called '50 Channels' recorded live in January 2006. The sound quality is great, with no overdubs or postmixing, and it captures a little of the live experience - go and buy it, folkies!

Evil Wolf-Cat

Sorry for the lack of posts, I've had a stinking cold and haven't been up to much.
We have noticed recently that our little tortoiseshell cat, Holly, is too scared to go out and started messing inside, till we put a litter tray down. If we shut Holly out at night she'd come back with deep scratches and bite marks on her, as if another cat had tried to kill her! Hubby also noticed a huge grey cat, which we call Wolf-cat, peering in at the windows.
Then the other night I was awoken by a cat fight on the landing (hubby amazingly slept though the dreadful wailing and hissing). As soon as the other cat heard me coming it must have legged it downstairs and out of the (broken) cat flap again. The next day hubby noticed Wolf-cat in our garden again, so it's a fair bet that he is the one who attacked Holly in her own home! Again Wolf-cat legged it when he saw hubby, he must be used to humans trying to scare him away.
Now we've boarded over the cat flap so that Wolf-cat can't get in, but now of course Holly can't get out. She is only safe outside with a human bodyguard. Such a shame, as she loves the outdoors! Horrible Wolf-cat. Not a lot we can do though...

Twelfth Night in Guildford

Touring around pubs doing Mummer's plays, reciting stories and singing carols and wassail songs on a Saturday night in Guildford is not easy, but I guess Pilgrim Morris are used to it! Somehow the morrismen and their entourage, including Anna and Nonny Tabbush, Nick Sowden and a handful of Guildford Vox members, managed to squeeze into the main bar of the Star to perform the usual doctor-raising-Turkish-Knight-from-dead play. This was done with far more panache than other, more ponderous Mummer's plays we've seen! Great fun. Then someone handed around songsheets and loads of us joined in the singing. Although I didn't know many wassail songs I did by the end of the night!
The King's Head was closed, so it missed out on it's lucky chalk crosses for the New Year. The Angel Hotel bar was also closed, but the manager let us into the lobby area - which was really good, not so crowded and we had good views of the plays (the doctor one and a version of Cinderella). The (young, attractive) Queen was hoisted up by a couple of morrismen amidst much merriment to chalk the lucky crosses on an oak beam below the balcony.
Next the morris entourage somehow squeezed into the Three Pigeons for another performance. I couldn't face more claustrophobia and didn't want to risk the variable beer there, so I formed an advance party to the Royal Oak and some nice Freeminer Bitter. I grabbed a few seats for the Vox and sipped my pint. The morrismen were a little late, so I only had time to sing a couple of carols before having to run off for the last train home at 12.14pm - but was accompanied by Simon Friend of the Levellers, who was there with a group of friends! Good for him, I say, suporting the old traditions.
Such a fun night out, I'll be back next year!

New Year's Resolutions 2007

1. I will learn to drive. I will, I will, I will! This year, for certain!
2. I will find a plumber somehow to fix the fresh water tap.
3. I will get a washer-dryer.
4. If any woman asks if my husband fantasises about her, invites my husband to lick beer off her tits, moans about his slim, attractive wife taking attention away from her, invites him to 'tuck her in' etc etc I will tell her in no uncertain terms that this is unacceptable! Either that or throw my beer over her!! I think this is entirely reasonable.
5. I will not spend loads of money on tat from the sales. Honest.
6. I will not spend loads of money this year on station coffee. Nice though Puccinos is at Redhill. Instead I will bring a small Thermos flask with me on the train.
7. I will keep my diary up to date so that I know what I'm doing months in advance, like Bill Badger does.
8. I will spend more time on my bike. Once the weather has cleared up that is ;-)
9. I will not buy any more bottled beer. Not till we've drunk the huge stockpile we have already.
10. I will buy less jewellery. I am not obsessed, jewellery jewellery jewellery. Damn.

Happy New Year!

Yesterday we tried to get Sunday Lunch at the Sandrock but they'd evidently changed their minds about cooking on New Year's Eve. Bought 7 pints of RCH Pitchfork and 3 1/2 pints of Holden's Golden Glow for the evening at Godalming Ceilidh, and then went to the Shepherd and Flock for posh nosh and more beer.
The day before, we'd not been able to get tickets from Record Corner in Godalming, which had sold out. We made an anxious call to our friend Jane, who kindly checked their website, and the tickets hadn't yet sold out completely so she was able to order some for us online. You SHALL go to the ball, Cinderella!
Jane also offered to drive, what a star woman. Weather was appalling as well, with rain pelting it down.
Bursledon Village Band were excellent, and we had a better caller than last time, a guy in big red pantaloons who looked a bit like Buster Bloodvessel.
As well as Simon and Jane there were lots of familiar faces at the ceilidh - choir members mostly! Spotted Joy, Tim, Jocelyn, Clare and Marie with their partners. I look forward to Climax Ceilidh Band's stint on the 24th March, it will be good to see Our Illustrious Leader with her band.
The dancing was great fun, with nobody being picky if you messed things up, and although Simon was skeptical at the beginning, he seemed to be getting into it at the end (perhaps that was the beer and single-malt whisky taking effect!). Sadly I've no pictures, Billy Badger didn't bring his camera. Probably just as well!
Laurence had brought a load of balloons and we had fun kicking huge ones around, and letting off screamers. There were also party-poppers and assorted plastic musical instruments to make loads of noise at 12 o'clock, which we did! THen followed the obligatory Gay Gordons which I messed up, apparently holding Bill the wrong way. Shame when it finished at 1am - I could have partied a lot longer!
Wishing a very happy 2007 to all my readers.

Levellers with Benji Kirkpatrick and 3 Daft Monkeys, Shepherd's Bush

After an average pint of Youngs Winter Warmer at the Brook Green Hotel we headed up to the Shepherd's Bush Empire, stopping to purchase a bottle of mineral water at a corner shop. The venue was much as I'd expected, a Victorian music-hall with some lovely features, but in need of a lick of paint. We queued for a bit then were let in to a tiny lobby, only to be told 'no plastic bottles' by security! So we drank it there and then. We headed up to Level 2 and I went to sit down at the front at one side, but Bill Badger complained about the leg room and not being able to see the drummer. So I let him choose, and he sat an the second row in front of a couple of drunken chavs, and next to a bar-trotting man. So between the chav in front swaying, lashing me with his hair, snogging his girlfriend and sitting her on his lap, and having to get up for the bloke next to us, I got far less of a view of the stage. O well. Further to the 'no plastic bottles' edict, it was interesting to note the chav girl was dangling (glass bottles of) Bacardi Breezer over the balcony which most security people regard as very very dangerous. But then she had purchased these from the bar.
But enough moaning. The music was excellent, out of this world.
Bill didn't know who the first support artist was, only that it was 'someone called Benji'. I jokingly said was it Benji Kirkpatrick but indeed it was! The hoop-earringed folkster came on stage with a guitar and bouzouki and sang some great folk-punk songs, to much applause and some screams from the girls.
3 Daft Monkeys came next, and played some of their faster, dancier songs such as 'Hubbadillia' 'Faces' and 'Hey Listen' as well as my probable favourite of theirs 'Astral Eyes'. Interesting new song 'Social Vertigo' about the perils of partying with The Levs!
The Levs came on, sober enough to remember the words and play their instruments more than competently, and gave a great performance! This came as a bit of a relief for me, having heard some bad reports from previous gigs on the tour. They played all the classics such as 'Beautiful Day' 'Hope Street' and 'Men-an-Tol' and didn't shy away from politics with 'Another Man's Cause' and pointed references to Iraq. Was glad I wasn't in the mosh pit, it looked a bit hairy to me! We managed to have a bit of a dance, as security didn't seem to mind people dancing in their places, just not in the aisles. The chav couple put on their coats and left, and their seats were grabbed by a nicer couple, then they came back and looked mournful. Everyone ignored them apart from security who said they couldn't stand in the aisle, heh heh. Boaksey came on at the end in a wonderfully camp outfit, and did some mad dancing with his large didgeridoo. For the second encore, Benji and 3 Daft Monkeys came back on stage to play 'What You Know' with the Levs, to wild cheers! What a moment on the last night of the tour.
Outside we grabbed a free Chaos Theory come-on CD, saw fake Levs t-shirts being hawked and Scouse Rich busking. Would have stopped fro a chat but he was in the middle of a song, Bill didn't stop walking being a bit man-fluey and eager to get home.
Excellent night, Levellers at their best and really good support.

BBC Young Folk Awards 2007

Made a mad dash from Redhill at 5.15pm to Islington via the Thameslink train and then bus, just getting to the Union Church for 6.45pm which was when the doors were due to open. Darren was there already, keeping a place for us in the queue bless him. This was the start of this rather surreal experience, queueing outside a forbidding-looking Congregational church watching young musicians and BBC staff to-ing and fro-ing.
When we got inside there were no tables but ordinary church pews, which I'd been told to expect but they still seemed rather bizarre. The church was tall-roofed but had relatively small floor area, so we were somewhat crammed in. The tickets are usually over-subscribed, and people at the back of the queue were apparently turned away. The stage was in front of an enormous font and a beautiful rose window with stained-glass angels.
Immediately after finding a pew for 6, Darren and Mr Badger headed for the bar whilst Ben and I guarded the seats. But it was no go - only soft drinks were allowed into the church as it was a real church, and anyway the bar was not open yet!! Bet you don't get THAT at any other BBC music awards!
Mike Harding was the host, and was very down-to-earth (much as I'd expected), introducing each act enthusiastically, clearly enjoying every minute. First on stage were brother and sister Ewen & Megan Henderson, who had come all the way from Fort William to play us traditional Scottish music on the piano and fiddle. Both looked and sounded immaculate, Megan's voice was pure and faultless - perhaps the only mistake she made was assuming that the predominantly Southern English audience were going to join in with a rather long chorus in Gallic. However the Scottish contingent were clearly enjoying the song and joining in. Second came David Delarre of the already well-respected young band 'Mawkin', a relative local boy, hailing from Essex. His clever finger-jumping guitar technique provoked some jealous coments from Mike Harding! Next Ryan Young, living up to his name as the youngest candidate for the award, stepped shyly up to the mike and announced his fiddle tunes - including 'Catharsis' whis is of course the theme for Mike Harding's Radio 2 folk programme! If deliberate, that was good thinking!! 'Last Orders', not to be confused with 'Last Night's Fun' were on next - a guitar/melodeon/2 fiddles band with lovely stripy shirts, who met through membership of Kathryn Tickell's 'Folkestra' project. The first act I felt like dancing to, they quite obviously went down well with the crowd. Next came Ruth Notman and Bryony Bainbridge, who apparently met whilst working down t'pit - orchestra pit, that is! They showed superb musicianship; I especilly loved Ruth's sensitive, powerful vocals and Bryony's fiddle playing- they were my favourites to win, till they made a mistake with a song attribution and Mike Harding corrected them. Lastly came guitarist Wilber, sharing some great jazz/blues/folk guitar tunes with us - but he had a habit of saying 'yeah' every now and them as he was playing, which I found annoying after a while. Nice hair though!
Last year's winners 'Bodega' then returned to wow us with their multi-instrumental talents and launch their new album, available to the general public soon. If only chief judge John Tams had had the opportunity to sing a few songs and show the youngsters how 'tis done.
Who were the winners? Well, it was the only time a group of folkies has voted for 'Last Orders', ha ha. Worthy winners, I'm sure they'll make the best of their prizes which included a year's membership of the Musician's Union, 3 festival gigs including Cropredy, a spot on Mike Harding's show and of course the little sculpture of two Morph-like figures playing folk instruments. The rather stunned looking lads returned to the stage to play a few more tunes, then it was off to the 'backstage party' in a little church hall!
The setting might have been a bit unusual but it was a really good night. I hope to be alble to go again someday!

Get a Moo-ve on, FGW

Trains are really p*ssing me off at the moment. Yesterday I didn't get into work till 10am because a cow got hit by a train near Betchworth. Was funny hearing people phone their bosses and trying to explain though!
At first I was waiting at Farnborough North and was pleased that my normal train, the 7.26, was "only" about 10 minutes late. On Monday and Tuesday it has been 30 minutes and 15 minutes late respectively. Great, I thought, I'll be able to get the minibus and not have to fork out £6 in taxi fares!
Then the bad news when we got to Guildford. It was announced that a cow had been hit by a train near Betchworth and they had to check the track to see if it was safe (the early train had made it through no problem, unbeknown to us, just after the cow met it's demise). So they were terminating the train at Shalford, and anyone for stations beyand there had to get off at Guildford. Great.
The rather posh announcer at Guildford told us to expect a severe delay and that we'd better go via Clapham Junction for Gatwick, Redhill etc. Trouble is, only about 2 trains a day run fast to Clapham, the rest stop at every small station. I was reluctantly making my way towards a slow train when the announcement came that the Gatwick train was just about to arrive! I ran back to the platform I'd just come from, then because they hadn't announced the platform change, we all ran to yet another platform, boarding the rather crowded 3-carriage train.
So we were now running about 45 minutes late, but I was pleased that we were underway. The usual group of us that sit together kept an eye out for bits of dead cow etc by the railway side. We met with more friends at Betchworth station, who had been told the accident was at Shalford. Turned out they were the ones who were misinformed, as we slowed down and stopped next to the stricken train itself shortly afterwards. We were then told to move out of the front carriage to make room for the 200-odd people from the irreparably-damaged train who would shortly be joining us. Some people in orange jackets then propped an ordinary wooden ladder against a door and, very slowly, the grim-faced passengers from the cow train got on. Apparently they'd been there since 7.15, ie two and a half hours. One lady was noticeably pregnant so I gave up my seat for her, then Peter kindly offered his seat to me! At least us passengers had some sense of decency. It would have been nice to have been informed of the likely length of our rescue mission, maybe it would have been quicker to go via Clapham after all. As we trundled past the train we saw a very dead black cow in the bucket of a JCB, still by the side of the railway. The rest of the herd were well away from the fence, but still in the same field, poor things.
To cap it all we were kept waiting outside Redhill for a platform!!
Apparently this was on Radio 1 - I hope FGW and the farmer were suitably ashamed.

Rachel Unthank and the Winterset at the Anvil

Not in the main auditorium but in the Forge bit. I was surprised the gig didn't sell out, but I suppose that since Rachel Unthank is from the North-East she isn't as well known in Basingstoke. Still, that didn't stop her going down a storm with the audience. She sang lots of my favourite songs from her "Cruel Sister" album (Mojo Magazine folk album of the year 2005, no less!). She does a brilliant version of Cyril Tawney's "On a Monday Morning" with Becky, Jackie and Belinda's backing vocals. Bit worried about "Cruel Sister" - I hope Becky never tries to steal Adrian, otherwise she might end up as a harp! Seriously though, I had a chat to Rachel at the interval and she was really friendly and down-to-earth. I asked about one of the new songs the band sang, a round called "The Stuking Song" which would be great for Guildford Vox to sing. She promised faithfully to email me the lyrics which was really kind of her.
Jackie was nice to talk to as well. The poor woman had her 5-string violin-viola stolen recently. I hope they catch whoever did it, as I'm sure she must have been very attached to it. As a result, Jackie had to keep swapping between a violin and a viola in the middle of songs. I love the Winterset's version of "The Cruel Ship's Carpenter" as well, with Jackie as lead singer.
Belinda was on fine form - I love her dry sense of humour. She sang a rather bitter song about judgemental attitudes to lesbianism, which surprised me. It was very brave of her to sing it, in case there were such people in the room - but folkies are generally very accepting and plenty of people joined in the song. I realised why Becky sings "Today I am a Boy" cabaret-style, gazing at Belinda on the piano though!
They've got a new album out soon and I'm really looking forward to getting it. Don't know what it's called yet but I'll let you know.
Hoping the Winterset tour round our way again soon!

Alton Trips

Alton Farmer's Market saw my first public performance as a Morris Dancer - see Valerie's Gallery for the juicy pics!! Was very nervous but it was good fun. I only joined in two dances, of which the stave dance, Portobello, was probably my best effort. I don't think "Nutting Girl", the hankie dance, went quite as well, I seemed to be hitting myself in the face with the hankies quite a lot, also waving them uselessly when forgetting the figures! Oh well, it's a start! The others seemed pleased with my efforts anyway. We went for an Italian meal in Prezzos afterwards, I had some very nice pasta & meatballs whilst Bill Badger had a Quattro Stagioni pizza. It was good to do something to celebrate together as well. Also visited the Kings Head at half-time where Linda and myself got some very strange looks in our costumes! We ended up buying lots of "real food" at the market (not to mention Mr Whitehead's mulled cider) so had to make a trip home to put it in the fridge.
Later we were back in Alton for the Real Ale Train (RAT), a steam train with racked-bright casks of ale on it. We also met up beforehand in the Eight Bells to join Reading CAMRA, bumping into them later at the Railways Arms. The Winchester Trusty Friend Porter and Triple fff Moonshine were delicious, but the beer ran out half way! Disgusting, a complaint to the Watercress Line manager in the strongest terms is required, I think;-) A lot of the CAMRA contingent got off at Alton in search of real ale in the local pubs. Bill Badger, Julie and I stayed on the train, sipping our beer to make it last. This was very wise as I was rather rough the next day!!
Very good day, I enjoyed muchly. Thanks to Other Val for the RAT organisation!

Spiers and Boden at the Boileroom, Guildford

(Have just switched to the new Google-powered Blogger system, hope it works OK!)
The Boilerroom, Stoke Road, Guildford is nice little venue, it used to be a pub called the Elm Tree and is about 10 minutes walk from the High Street. Nice decor, but not that much seating - could hold maybe 15 people seated, 50 without seats there. Japanese noodles are available for the peckish. Beer a bit pricey though, even for Guildford!
Spiers and Boden were on excellent form, playing a lot of their songs from 'Songs' and a couple from 'Bellowhead' including some of our favourites "Bold Sir Rylas" to the tune of Enrico (which Fleur de Lys dance "Magic Circles" to) , "Child Morris" and "Derry Gaol". There was a mad lady (in the nicest sense of the word) in a big floppy hat and huge shawl who started off the dancing. A young guy with a punk haircut also joined in, so then I got up as well! Most of the dances were step-dances - John Spiers played a Bampton morris dance as Mr Boden watched - laughing at my solo Morris attempts!! They really seemed to be enjoying themselves although the place wasn't a typical folk venue. The younger people in the crowd really seemed to be getting into it as well, which was great.
I hope Spiers and Boden will be back soon!

Val's Folk Awards 2006

BBC FOLK AWARDS 2007

Nomination Form (or wish list!)

1. FOLK SINGER OF THE YEAR

The artist making the most impact during the past year either through
performance, albums or a special event.

Nominations

1. Martha Tilston

2. Eliza Carthy

3. Chris While



2. BEST DUO

The award is for the duo making the most impact during the past year
either through performance, albums or special event.


Nominations

1. Show of Hands

2. Mundy - Turner

3. Bob Fox and Billy Mitchell



3. BEST GROUP

The award is for the group (incorporating Dance Bands following the huge
success of last year's specific category) making the most impact during
the past year either through performance, albums or special event.


Nominations

1. Martha Tilston and the Woods

2. Seth Lakeman Band

3. Colvin Quarmby


4. BEST ALBUM

The most significant folk/roots album released in the last 12 months.


Nominations

1. Of Milkmaids and Architects - Martha Tilston

2. New Tricks - Hoover The Dog

3. A Short Walk to the Red Lion - ColvinQuarmby



5. BEST ORIGINAL SONG

The best non-traditional song of the past 12 months. This song can be a
new song, or if it is more than one year old, to qualify needs to have
had a significant performance or interpretation in 2006.


Nominations
1. Artificial - Martha Tilston

2. Roots - Show of Hands

3. All Souls Night - McDermotts 2 Hours



6. TRADITIONAL TRACK OF THE YEAR

The best performance of any traditional song or tune on CD released
during the past 12 months. This is a category designed to recognise the
work of people recording traditional material. It is to be a new
recording of a traditional song, from any tradition.


Nominations

1. Falmouth Packet/Haul Away Joe - Show of Hands

2. The Proud Tailor - Tim Van Eyken

3. Cruel William - Rachel Unthank and the Winterset

7. HORIZON AWARD

Best new artist or artists on the scene during 2006. Any relatively new
act who have made a significant increase in their popularity or made a
special impression during 2006.


Nominations

1. Seth Lakeman

2. Rachel Unthank and the Winterset

3. Tim Van Eyken


8. MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR

This person can be part of a band, a solo artist or session musician who
can be considered to be the significant instrumentalist of 2006.


Nominations

1. Cormac Byrne

2. Dave Swarbrick

3. Nick Scott



9. BEST LIVE ACT

Any artist(s) or band making a significant impression during 2006
through live performances in folk clubs, festivals or concerts.


Nominations

1. Last Night's Fun

2. ColvinQuarmby

3. Bellowhead


10. FAVOURITE FOLK TRACK OF ALL TIME

Nominations

1. Vincent Black Lightning - Richard Thompson

Bob Fox and Billy Mitchell, Farnham Maltings

Having promised Darren a review for this gig, I've gone and lost my notes that I made at the time. Oh dear, that's me in the doghouse!
Well, maybe Pete Fyffe will write a review for him. He's one of the founders of folking.com and was supporting Billy and Bob with someone else who's name esapes me!
Billy and Bob were both equally good, and being old mates from the pub, they were relaxed and happy on stage together, with lots of teasing each other about age, lack of hair etc. The thing that made me laugh out loud was their part-cover of Arthur Askey's 'Busy, Busy Bee' - I think they should do the whole song, in between their more serious songs about the decline of the coalmining and shipbuilding industries around the Tyne - just to see how the audience reacts!
It wasn't all 'grim up North' though - Billy included 'The Rocking Chair', a song about his storytelling Granddad, and 'Born at the Right Time' about being lucky enough to be born early enough (amongst other things) to afford your own house! I often make a grateful 'phew' as well, reading the property sections of the local papers! Bob sang a version of 'When The Boat Comes In' also including new lyrics on North-Eastern family life. Of course everybody joined in the chorus enthusiastically.
You can't help but like Bob and Billy - Bob's passionate dedication to North-Eastern folk, Billy's boyish good humour and the wonderful storytelling ability of both. I hope they continue to work together and tour round our way again soon!

Martha Tilston and the Woods, Bracknell

This has got to be my Gig of the Year 2006, an absolutely wonderful experience. I’d heard that Martha was to design the stage so that it seemed like she and the band were playing around a camp fire in the forest, and sure enough, it was, er, kind of similar. Dried foliage adorned the stage, monitors were disguised with green cloth, two pillars painted like tree trunks and there was a leafy-framed projection screen showing a forest (which changed to show videos to accompany each song). The ‘fire’ was a little wigwam of sticks with those fake gas-light bulbs inside, it was hilarious when various members of the band pretended to warm their feet against it or dry off their setlists! The band members were dressed formally as if they were part of an orchestra, except with wellies, causing further hilarity. Martha herself was wearing a stunning red dress with cute stripy wellies, she looked beautiful and I couldn’t blame Mr Badger for going starry-eyed (for once!).
The music was excellent, including plenty of new songs as well as (inevitably) Red Riding Hood from Mousetales, A Surfer Courted Me (to the tune of ‘A Blacksmith Courted Me’ and two piano songs (a Steinway in the middle of a forest – amazing!). The highlight of the evening for me however was ‘Artificial' from the new album, with a brilliant video of a box-headed office drone who decides to leap across the desks and flee. Bill and I were both humming or singing that song for the rest of the week. Dammit, it’s got into my brain again! If the charts were in any way fair, this song would be No. 1 for weeks and weeks.

Pony Express

A bit of a surprise on the train this morning – as the train pulled in to Dorking West station we were surprised to see a horse on the platform! The little group of us who sit together of a morning all started laughing. The train stopped so that the horse was right in front of one of the doors, and the horse looked as if it was about to get in! A woman getting off the train took the horse’s head (it was unbridled), it neighed and jerked away, but moved away from the train. When I travelled past in the evening, it was back in its field not far from the station.
Cue extremely bad jokes about Pony Express, Neigh return to Horsham etc!