Peter Stephenson

Well Sharron hinny your taking your time thinking of a collective noun for Sheffield concertina players, so hear is a shot of Dave Prebble in contemplative squeeze on the opening night at the Royal to stir things up. Pete.

Geoff Was that the Royal we ? I agree, as there was no door to the room the sound/noise found the ears of the regulars in the bar who would appear eyes agog, some asking was that Portmouth ? Pete.

Hope the weather holds out. Better thow a sleeping-bag in the car in case we get snowed-in.

Alistair Anderson plays The Entertainer on 'A.A. plays the English concertina'.

Could someone record this, and any future sessions with a view of letting members hear how the players of the North West can squeeze ?

Let me chip in by adding that my Crabb 30 button anglo, 1967. and never had the ends off just took 43 seconds. Although its hard in the latter stages to decide when the thing has finished extending or if my arm was getting tired and lowering. Perhaps a more reliable test would be to hang the box and play a high note until the sound stops.

Samantha and all I agree, Ciaran Carson's book 'Last night's fun' is a fluid account of how Irish musicians live and breathe. Every chapter is a different tune and the way he describes food makes your tummy rumble. But the tune from Nortumberland they call Bonny at morn will always raise the hairs on my neck. I first heared it in the Cutty Sark in Whitby maybe Thirty years ago sung un-accompanied, but there is a recorded version with harp on one of Cathrin Tickell's records. Works well on concertina.

Bonny at morn

Clive I have been playing a 30 key Crabb anglo for 30 years. Recently a woman came to the Sunday session with flute and box. in the box was a 'multi' buttoned Jeffries, it looked brand new. She let me play it. My first impression was that it was better than sex. Second that it sounded very similar to my Crabb. But the action, with its heavy ends made it almost play itself. For Two short minutes I was on a different planet.

Hi everybody Item 2566783516 on e-bay gets such an bad description. never-the- less, J G France and Jeffries are not too far removed. What do yoy think ?

Perhaps judging by quckey13s Bart Simpson mooning logo that he's non too serious about his 'research'. Seems the new forum lends itself to cod straw polls etc.

One thing I notice when playing outdoors is the male blackbirds take an interest, as if they think I'm competition, so to tease I play those bits from 'Somewhere over the rainbow' that sound like birdsong. Once at an outdoor session in Greenwhich (England) a Mr Dave Bryant was singing along with his concertina when the resident barn owl took exception and began dive-bombing with screeching more dischordant than Mr B who scuttled off to the bar. Anyone else had problems playing outside ?

With a house to ones'self it's worth trying out the differing accoustic effects arround the place. Compare playing at the foot of the stairs to the top, at the end of the hall... My son Ed only got interested in the instrument when he looked over my shoulder once when I was looking at a battered old Jeffries on E-bay it had red Duck tape (or duct tape) round one end and the latest bid was two months wages.