Thanks, Jim.

I once attended a workshop on song collecting led by John Howson who made the comment that "they all sing Buttercup Joe" referring to people he had interviewed. Mike Yates reinforced the idea that some of his source singers learnt Music Hall songs from 78s. Len Pierce also sang Sarie (not Sarah), but as I've said, he learnt his version from Albert Richardson - as probably did Cyril Phillips and George Spicer. Len Pierce also sang/sings Varmer Giles, but I can't recall whether I asked him his source. It seems that in both these cases, the source seems to have been the 78 rpm record rather than the Music Hall original.

Re- the Old Sow. The story goes in Burwash that Albert learnt it from his father Ebenezer. When Albert sung it at Queens Hall in May 1928, one other member of the cast was Leslie Sarony who later 'claimed copyright'. That said, it was probably Sarony who introduced Albert to Jack Hylton in around 1934/5 when he found himself double-booked for a gig at the Palladium (my hypothesis based on circumstance). Does anyone know who else might have been singing this before the 78 was released in November 1928?