I put a post on melodeon.net asking for some background on this tune and got a nice answer from Greg Stephens of The Boat Band on whose record I heard it
Barry Callaghan's book says it had no name in the book but Greg says it was called Westmoreland and was in 6/8 time from Walsh's book of 1718 before the waltz as a dance was introduced. Greg's band slowed it down and called it WW. It's a lovely slow waltz and a pretty ordinary Jig (IMHO)!

................and here are the notes for it. Robin

that's the one! thanks.
Mike

It was in the 1686 Edition of Playford's Dancing Master where it was also called "Westmoreland". It was in 6/4 time in Playford - which can be thought of as similar to 6/8 but with the note values all being doubled.

Although it predates the Waltz, when the Waltz became fashionable quite a number of existing tunes were adapted to the Waltz. This is quite likely what happened with Westmorland.

It's a lovely tune which I play quite a lot - usually on the tenor recorder which it fits beautifully and I have also heard it played on Northumberland pipes. I first heard it on a York Waits CD.

.......................just out of interest here it is in 6/4 time
I've taken it from the Complete Country Dance Tunes.It's almost identical............but bar 5 is a bit odd ?
Lovely tune,eh. I'm surprided it's not more widely popular...maybe it will be now it's on the Hardcore English Cd etc.
Robin

Thanks Robin and Geoff. The 6/4 must have echoes of a 3/2 hornpipe, I'll try to figure that out, but the waltz is great, I agree.

If you are looking for a perfect companion for the Westmoreland waltz, try the Sommervals

Dave

.........................................

X: 1
T: Sommarvals
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Gmaj
|:d2c2|B3A G2|A4F2|G6|E3FE2|D2G2A2|c4B2|B2A2G2|A2d3c|
B3A G2|A4F2|G6|E3FE2|D2E2G2|G4F2|G6|G2:|
|:F2G2|A3AA2|A2F2D2|c6|B3AG2|E2ABc2|d3cBA|G2F2G2|A2B3A|
G3AG2|F3GF2|E3FE2|D2G2A2|1B3AG2|A2d2F2|G6|G2:|2c3BAG|A2d2F2|G6|G2||

Recorded by Frifot (Per Gudmundson, Ale Moller, Lena Willemark) on the album Jarven. Also recorded by Old Swan Band and Andrew & Margaret Watchorn

Nice tune ,Dave.
I've been trying this one,called "Life in the Trenches", to see if it works.It's nice and minory (!) I found it in some on-line ABC collection, which one I now forget.It said it's English but is obviously French in feel.
It also stirs some vague recollection of a theme for a TV programme of my youth . Any ideas ?
Robin