Ray Collins

I was luck enough to pick this up a couple of years ago in a very dishevelled state. It was completely restored by Steve Dickinson last year, with rebuilt action, retune and new bellows. It comes with a new fitted case. I was intending to keep it and learn Anglo, but the conversion is too difficult after 40 odd years of playing English. Price - £5,750. If anyone would like to inspect/play it before purchase, please drop me a message. I am based in East Sussex, near Tunbridge Wells.

Thanks for this info. Penny Hop does ring a bell, so that may well be them. I have mp3'ed the tape, but as it's around 50Mbit, it's not easy to pass around. I'm fairly new to forums - what's the simple way of sharing this file? By the way, there are just 3 or 4 dances plus the floor spot and the quality is not great, but when they get into full swing on 'Banish Misfortune', it's still a treat to hear. There is a certainly a recorder player, plus Piers(?) on drums, an electric bass plus sax and possible slide trombone.

I have come across an old tape that I must have recorded live at one of the Sidmouth late night extra dances, late 70's or early 80's. It features a great sounding band including Nigel Chippendale on Anglo/Melodeon and Laurie Harper on fiddle, with a sax and brass section. Has anyone any idea who they were? Another clue is that Ralph Jordan did a floor spot inbetween dances accompanying a mystery female singer on 'Hard Times' and 'a Blacksmith courted me' to a hymn tune. Any thoughts?