We have had to do some surgery to save the old Sloop session from dying, as it has not successfully survived the move from the Coach and Horses.

For those keen on UK pub session history, but not in possession of the facts, the Sloop Inn in Barton (sans) Upon (hyphens) Humber was the perfect location for a long-lasting and particularly successful mixed song and tune session that was eventually killed off by the outgoing PEL system, combined with landlord change.

Jo, the then manager of the Coach and Horses gave us a new home, and provided masses of really good grub, and the session's future seemed assured. However, she turned a failing pub around so successfully that the brewery allegedly bumped up the rent exponentially and she could no longer afford the pub. One of her last acts as manager was to find us a new home for the session at the George, and initially numbers held up.

However, the last few weeks has seen interest wane, and numbers have now dropped consistently below the level required for a viable session, as most bands have more members than we currently have sessioneers.

The concensus at last night's poor old do was that we had to move in order to attract some of our old regulars back, and that we had to find a pub with a PEL, and a sympathetic landlord who is likely to remain in office for some reasonable length of time. So we chose the Six Bells in Barrow Upon Humber, which is where we have had some cracking ad hoc Saturday night sessions, and subsequently the old Wootton session for the last several months. Barrow is three miles to the east of Barton, so shouldn't put folk off coming from near or far.

We also agreed that we would move the Barrow Last Sunday session to another venue, and that will hopefully be the Nelthorpe Arms in Brigg (aka Scanlons). That is still to be confirmed, and I will post updates as they happen.

I then called into see Jim in the Six Bells on my way home. There is a reasonably sizeable session room there that accommodates listeners as well as musicians (which includes singers!). He was delighted at the decision, and is up for seeing us next Sunday for the last of the Sunday sessions, and then again on Tuesdays in perpetuity. He will also provide some grub for the sessioneers, so please turn out in force to secure this venue as a long-term session.

See you next week!