Thanks to all the workshop presenters . I have a C/F Anglo but went happily to English Concertina workshops too. I learned a lot about chords from Harold Barnes of the Bacup Britannia Coconut Dancers, Dave Ball of Cheshire, who oranized the Consort, Roger Digby of Suffolk who clarified theoretical aspects for an ear player like me, Jody Kruskal of Brooklyn on rhythm in American music and Steve Turner of Nottingamshire on singing and chords. All excellent and with their own individual approaches.
I'd have welcomed a workshop on Irish style playing but maybe that's another week somewhere. The chords and drones we discussed will help with getting the pipe sounds and fiddle double stopping soundsinto my playing . That's what Jody seems to have done with bringing back concertina into Old Time US playing.

I certainly have enough to work on til next time!
The sessions were good too, both programmed and informal, 'Irish' and 'English' all high quality and pretty tolerant, although people did tend to gravitate to sessions where they felt comfortable.

I came back buzzing and energized with a lot of new tunes and the shoulder pains weren't too bad! The Anglo is a lot easier to lug round than my melodeon which is a big factor with all the hills.

Similarly, 'buzzing and energised' is completely true, had a fabulous time. Learnt lots after attending some of the workshops above as well as the festival orchestra, spent evenings in the Elsinore, overall heard many, many excellent tunes which will take me twenty years to learn. Made welcome in every session / workshop despite being only just above beginner stage. The only, pedantic, downside was that my concertina now exudes a strong unpleasant odour of stale pub, so if you see somebody playing a box displaying 2 dangling lemon air fresheners - you know that's me.

So many tunes, so little time.....

Joy

I forgot to mention Keith Kendrick's workshops at The Fleece pub whichwere about English and Anglo All equally useful and dealt with chords. Thanks Keith!