Concertina Aware

[Alan Day]

I just cannot believe how trusting people are,when by experiance you are taught the opposite.

A few years ago at a session in Brighton a Mandolin was stolen from a pub session,the owner was not aware it had been stolen untill he decided to go home.During the evening he wandered around the pub and was rarely with his instruments and a number of young lads were in the pub creating problems.

I was at a recent large auction of violins and cellos in central London and the prices were unbeleavable,like twenty times the cost of a Jeffries. By the front door was about five instruments in their cases,actually where I parked my briefcase.On the way out it would have been a simple matter to pick up my briefcase and an instrument.

At our George session handbags have been stolen, one last year. At our last gig in Cecil Sharpe House a hand bag was stolen.

Do not leave your concertina unattended,if you want to have a dance or get a pint etc.get someone you know to look after it.Do not leave your instrument near a door,If you have two concertinas with you, only get one out at a time.Do not leave it under the table edge with the lid up or a pint of beer will be spilled into it(this has happened to me and my reeds were sticking for weeks afterwards).

Above all be aware of your concertina,it is valuable look after it.Unfortunately there are some people who go out with the express purpose of stealing from the general public ,please don`t let it be you(or me)

Al

[Sharron]

Fortunately for me there is always my husband and myself at a session. Now he buys the beer while I watch his instrument and then when I need him to watch mine, well he just has to, or else buy me a new one. Poor guy, he can't win can he?

 

It is worrying though, because I always assume there is someone ready to run off with belongings or instruments, and really it shouldn't be that way should it? Plus the likely candidate to run off with gear is probably not the dodgy looking bloke sitting in the corner but someone quite anonomous looking. It's a shame but a fact of life nowadays.

 

Now apologies to all of you *dodgy* blokes sitting in corners quite innocently if I give offence, but really you are only *dodgy* if you haven't got an instrument sitting on your knee. So, BUY YOUR OWN.......

 

Now after all that, what is the betting odds on something going missing in the near future? It always happens when I open my mouth.

 

Sharron

errrrrrr black belt in everything mind so watch out.

[JimLucas]

Do not leave your concertina unattended,if you want to have a dance or get a pint etc.get someone you know to look after it.

Even that doesn't always work, unless the person doing the watching understands that watching is the only thing they're doing. The best concertina I ever owned was stolen while a friend was supposedly watching my bag on a Sword & Morris tour. His attention wandered to the dancing, and someone passing by picked up the bag (including the concertina) without breaking stride and without my friend even noticing. (The culprit was even caught in the background on video, but the resolution wasn't good enough to help the police. )

 

Even that isn't always enough. I had an alto flute stolen while I was putting on my coat next to the table where it was lying. Neither I nor anyone else saw it happen.

 

In a session, I keep my case between my feet and put my instrument in and close it whenever I'm playing something else. This also avoids the possibility of it rolling off the table.

 

Also, if I have more than one bag, I'll link their straps together where it doesn't show. That way if someone tries to smoothly pick up the one, the other(s) will come swinging clumsily behind it, attracting everyone's attention. (Of course, I have to remember to unlink them before I pick them up. )

[JimLucas]

...what is the betting odds on something going missing in the near future? It always happens when I open my mouth.

Unusual talent. Most folks catch something extra when they do that... flies, for instance.