On a recent visit to Mrs. Crotty's festival in Kilrush, an anonymous photographer spotted these three scurges of the Concertina world, who dominate the Ebay bidding for such items as Charles Wheatstone's handerkerchief, grainy photos of Louis Lachenal's front parlor, and photos of Percy Honri accepting bribes from the International Concertina Association's secretary-general. These three men have cornered the market, shamelessly driving up prices so that honest concertina players (who truly deserve to own this material) can no longer affiord to do so. They must be stopped. So I call on the concertina.net community to keep a careful eye out for each one of them. They live and work among the innocent squeezers, dwelling on these pages, searching out the gullible and robbing them of their birthright. Although we cannot reveal their names, their Ebay handles are displayed for those who must know.

WARNING: Viewing this photograph may cause anxiety among the innocent victims of these shameless Ebay bidders.

But where's the dreaded "dockboggs", buyer of posters of fraternal concertina-playing clowns - whose daughters' instruments were gilded?

Oh, he's behind the camera!

Come on out Richard, we know you're there...

Oh, and thanks for the Indian meal in Kilkee!

Stephen:

Richard is correct.
I am shameless, as I too late realized I neglected to pay you for the button I "pinched" from your premises.
You have my word that pawprintbooks will show his true colors in the end as I will send to you the required funds and was wondering if one of those Symphoniums could be had for a few additional Euros?

Thank you so much for the guided tour of your amazing "stuff" and your very fascinating dissertations.
You even had my wife, Marcy, interested and asking questions.
We can't wait to return to see what was not shown.

Hope we'll keep in touch.

Have fun and see you on Ebay,
Perry

PS: Great choice on that Indian place.
I love eating a nice meal which 25 hens are clucking at the next table !

PPS: Loved Kilkee. Would like to spend more time exploring.

Yep, and I even bought yet another "wonderful instrument" off eBay tonight (a German one from the 1850s/60s):



Shameless, that's me!

You devil, I'd forgotten about that!


Just multiply by several, and add a few zeros to the end...


I think it becomes much more interesting, and comprehendable, when you have all those early and rare original instruments right there in front of you. I only wish I could make a living talking/writing about that "stuff", instead of it costing me every penny I get to buy those things...


Ditto.


I think we may have finished the meal only just in time, before the arrival of the male stripper...


You didn't even get to see our cliffs and rock pools, never mind Loop Head and Carrigaholt Castle, like I showed the Worralls. Maybe next time?

Definitely!!!!!!!!

And as far as the restaurant, I"M STILL WAITING FOR MY WATER!!!!!!!!!

Best,
Perry

Shall I remind them?

And I still think it sounds like an Irish joke: Did you hear the one about the Indian restaurant in Kilkee? It's on O'Curry Street!

Stephen. That would be great since the beverage they served me on the flight home landed in my lap (along witht eh lousy chicken and rice.

O'Curry St.
Pretty funny,

How about O'Kilkee.
I like the sould of that.

Perry

Perry,

People would think you'd made it up, but it's true. Curry/O'Curry is an Irish surname.


Would that be anything like "Oh! Calcutta!"?

(Which is maybe how the hen party finished up, after we left... )

Stephen:
If that's the case, we left of quickly in which case I would have to say O'Damn!!!

Best,
Perry