John Wild

I would suggest a slight change in the arithmetic there. VAT is £20 if the total price is £120. If the total price is £100, VAT is £16.67.

Some years ago, I purchased an instrument from the United States. When it arrived in the UK, HMRC charged import duty of 3.8%. Then they added VAT at 20%, which was calculated on the toal price INCLUDING the import duty. Thus for every £100, £24.56 was added, not £23.80 as I had expected.

Tim Laycock plays his Crane duet standing, and performs an amazing rendition of bell-ringing.

My recollection is that they were bi-annual festivals. The last one (I believe) was in the early 1990's, possibly 1991 or 1993. This could be confirmed from newsletter reports of the time. This refers to the ICA festivals. There were possibly others outside the aegis of the ICA.

In a small way, John popped up on BBC radio 4 yesterday. This is a short story set on Britain's canals, and at the start, we hear John singing/playing Poor old horse. bits of the song crop up at other points during the story. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qx0c

I was not one who was motivated to enter competitions. However, I would add that if you enter an event with a trained and experienced adjudicator, you are likely to get comments in the adjudication, which may be helpful.

I recall that when they were discontinued, a principal factor was that they appealed to only a small portion of the membership. This was at a time before internet usage became so widespread, and the membership base was expanding away from its London origins. Few members outside London felt motivated to make a special trip for the purpose of a competitive festival. John Wild (Former treasurer/committee member)

Were you actually hanging from the ceiling? I imagine photoshop technology was less advanced then. 🙂

Wikipedia gives this definition: The phrase "Box and Cox" has entered the English language: the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "applied allusively to an arrangement in which two persons take turns in sustaining a part, occupying a position, or the like." A further google enquiry produced this information: The term comes from the comic play 'Box and Cox - A Romance of Real Life in One Act', by John Maddison Morton. This was first produced at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, London, in November 1847. Box and Cox were two lodgers who shared their rooms - one occupying them by day and the other by night.

I have just read Edinburgh Midnight by Carole Lawrence. This is the third in a series of crime novels set in 1880's Edinburgh. The three books are contemporary publications from 2017 to 2020. In this book, at chapter 47, I read this: "The tinny sound of a concertina came from the pub, accompanied by drunken singing." The pub in the story was one of the seedier establishments to be found in certain parts of old Edinburgh.

Gilbert Carrere as I understand it founded an association for concertina players in France. At various times he was booked as a tutor for workshops at Concertinas at Witney or the WCCP weekends at Kilve. This entry is from the clubs/organisation page of the concertina faq (www.concertina.info). The contact details may not be up to date. Association Francaise pour Now has upwards of 30 members, le Concertina and a newsletter entitled Contact Gilbert Carrere at L'Hexagone. 183, rue Championnet 75018 Paris France Phone 01 42 28 42 41 Email

May I ask if you keep the wrist straps tight or quite slack?

The Rochelle, and the Jackie and Elise for English and hayden duet, may be made in China, but they are made for Concertina Connection in America, and made to their specifications.

Re Lyke wake dirge, I first heard it in this version by Pentangle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wck1MvKqYSw

Thank you Robin. I recognised 2 of them. Hard to tell which was the anglo.

Well I have to disagree with the yellow warbler.🙂 Well done. Can you name the individual tunes?

Frank Butler's tutor has a single page on bellows control. The recommendation here for beginners is to try reversing the bellows with every bar. Then, build up to every 2 bars, and continue to build up from there. The key comment is that it is important to make a change at a place which does not interrupt the flow of the music. Frank Butler tutor - bellows.pdf

After "By Corp F Brent", I read the numbers "429". I am only speculating, but this and the rest of that line might be the Corporal's service number.

see this topic also in the buy & sell forum

A treble extended down would normally be described as a tenor treble.

The ICA membership secretary has been in contact with Don, and reports that all is well. The website and email address are unchanged. However, to quote from Don's own reply " a growing number of ISPs don't want to admit that my e-mail server (a private one) is valid. Mails to it are not sent, and mails from me are not accepted." If contact by email or throught the website fail, then it would seem you have to resort to snail-mail.

In those days it was common (at least in the U.K.) to find comedy records getting into the week's top 10, along with the pop hits of the day. They got lots of plays on radio for some weeks.

Welcome Ciaran. Now I know how to spell your name.🙂 As a recent customer I had some update on what you were doing. Best wishes for the future. John Wild.

My apologies Chris. I should have remembered that. Obviously bits of my memory are missing.

I believe he was/is an honorary life member for creating he ICA's first website.