newgrange

I can confirm that we in Ireland use the same plugs (3 pin) as the UK.

Harry Geuns makes Anglos for prices that won't break the bank. Harry Geuns' site -playability, is it easy to play? does the bellows move smoothly? can you easily reach the air button? Yes, Yes and Yes. Amazed at how easily the bellows move compared to the Rochelle I had. -does it have adjustable hand straps, or can that easily be fixed otherwise? Yes it has. -is the sound nice? I like it. It's not quite the sound of other concertinas. I'm not sure what the term would be for it, but my concertina teacher calls it 'very bright'. -do you generally think it's a good instrument? In as much as my opinion is worth much given my lack of experience, I like it. I find it very easy to play. The buttons respond very quickly indeed - sometimes too quickly as I'm still adjusting from the size of the Rochelle and occasionally suffer from 'banana fingers'. -size, is it small and handy, normal size? (not big and clumsy as the Rochelle) Yes, it's small. It's 15.5cm across.

Yes, I think that means it has left the US. Are you going to have to pay much VAT on it? I know the excitement of waiting, I got my lovely new baby from Harry Geuns a couple of weeks ago. I hope you enjoy your new concertina.

'Scarlet ribbons' is one I'm playing a lot recently.

I'm currently quite fond of 'Scarlet Ribbons'. Terribly sentimental I know, but it's very soothing and easy to play.

I can manage the letters to numbers translation, generally getting the push or pull right too - OK, probably more 'often' than 'generally', but the dots to the letters step eludes me still. I can do it when faced with a piece of paper, but put the 'tina in my paws and I make a bags of it.

When you're adding a link, say to http://www.concertina.net (for example), click on the 'insert link' button (to the right of the smiley above the reply box), you get a box says 'Please enter the full URL', do as asked. When you do that, you get a box saying 'Please enter the title for this item' - whatever you put there will appear as the 'short' link - in this example I have put the word 'Example' as the short link. Example I hope that's clear. I'm not sure it really saves any space, but it's often tidier to look at.

Dyscalculia.

Harry Geuns in Belgium sold and shipped me a Rochelle with a hard case for cheaper than I could have got it here or in the UK. Harry Geuns site - the site sometimes has a bit of a wobble, but you can email him and ask has he any left. I had mine within days. I liked the Rochelle to start off on (not that I'm any sort of expert player now) and I've ordered one of Harry's own concertinas as an incentive as I progress - hoping to have it late summer.

Not back long from the UK where I had a hugely enjoyable evening in Sherborne. As a non-English person, I think this film while certainly very 'English' would certainly travel to audiences outside England. I shall certainly go to see it if it appears on Irish screens. I loved the names and the old guy with the pipe.

That was very enjoyable Bob, thanks for putting it together (so to speak!).

Thanks for the speedy answers.

OK, this is probably heresy on a number of fronts (not least for Abba fans) but here goes.. I've always been a fan of the fab foursome and would love to be able to play 'Arrival' ( here on youtube) on the concertina. I'm guessing it's based on fiddle music from Sweden, but do those in the know think it's a possibility? I have sheet music for it in C, but I don't think the original is in C - I'm not good enough to work out what key it is in, but if someone could have a listen and let me know, I have a long-suffering music teacher friend who will transpose my sheet music for me. I'm learning to play Irish Traditional music, but would love to add this and some Polish folk music to my ever expanding and frustratingly slowly played repertoire.

Rochelle about 6mm before 1mm when pressed down

I have my ticket paid for and am booked into the Half Moon Inn which I must say has a delightful name. I think the lady in the tourist office thought I was crackers when I said where I was coming from. It's a splendid excuse to see what looks like a lovely part of England.