Paul Draper

I have an Altura pannier bag which is perfect for a concertina with bubble wrap. I don't actually cycle with it as I usually carry a melodeon as well and public transport is far easier late at night but as I already had it i pressed it into service.

The case from Sainsburys is 46x29x20cm and weighs just over 2kg. There is a lip that makes it a little awkward putting the melodeon in (Oakwood model 7), the concertina is a 30key Lachenal Anglo. There is just enough room for the two. I will be adding some form of padding and some storage for whistles in the lid.

That's the one. I'll try to remember to take a tape measure next time I go shopping.

Sainsbury's are doing a metal case for £20 that should do the trick with a bit of foam padding. They can be found in the gardening section.

Surely it's The Liberty Bell by Sousa? As heard on Monty Python.

A good reason for that would be that you can't play 7th chords on a whittle and dub or a fiddle. There would have been few chordal instruments for traditional music until the free reed instruments came into use. Maybe the church quires used those harmonies but the early collectors seem to have collected from solo players.

I think the reason I chose Am is that that's the key I can play it in on a DG melodeon so I'm more familiar. I've tried it in Dm and I think I could manage that as well. No harm in being able to play a tune in more than one key, eh? I already do this with some polkas. I'm also trying out Alex's suggestion for the air button. I bought some leather straps and have sliced up a whisky bottle stopper but I might change that if I can find the sheet cork I had. It seems to work but needs some adjustment. Thanks again to all of you.

Sean and John, Thank You. I've been shying away from playing on the G row because my left hand isn't so nimble after years of melodeon playing but the way you do it makes a lot of sense. Regards, Paul

That's pretty neat and I will be making one ASAP, thank you. I still have the problem of where in the tune I should use it.😗

I have a 30 button Lachenal Anglo and I've just started to learn the reel New Mown Meadows in Am (The New Mown Meadows (reel) on The Session). The A part seems to be ok but I'm having trouble with running out of air on the B part. I've only been playing for 18 months and haven't gotten the hang of the air button (short thunbs!) yet. The B part seems to have a lot on the pull and I can't identify a suitable place in the tune to use the air button. One solution to this would be to play the starting A note on the push on the accidental row. Is this the best solution? Has anyone got a better idea? Thank you.

Hi, I've just purchased a Lachenal anglo from Chris Algar so you probably have the details of this already. 30 bone keys, metal ends, 6 fold bellows, steel reeds, number 149617. I've had a look inside as the typed number was incomplete. The only date I've found is 23/4/15 but as this is placed next to a modern sticker for Vintage Strings and Accordions in Cheltenham I think this marks a restoration date. To my untrained eye the only modern parts are the wrist straps and the pallets(?). From what I read above this would date to c1897? Regards, Paul Draper London, UK

Apparently Custer's regiment was almost entirely made up of Ulstermen.

I've got 2 pieces of plastic with slots in that I can slide across the buttons so that when the two pieces overlap they hold the buttons in place. Then I can just drop the end over the buttons with perhaps a little poking with a knife or screwdriver and then slide out the plastic before screwing the end back in place. I made the plastic 'combs' by marking the position of the buttons and then cutting the slots along the rows.