Well first the White Horse (UPPER Stoke) was going to have a St Pds song/ssn.   So we didn't go to Linda's.

Then they booked "Irish Karaoke".

Then they decided to split the night between the karaoke and acoustic sesion etc.

Then the karaoke did not turn up. I arrived to discover another Richard (more later) with a big piano-accordian. The other other Richard had gone to fetch Slats and Dilligaf, who were having a rest, know what I mean?

So there was Dutch Pot (not, I'm sure, named after the herbal remedy) who sings mostly English songs and "Tell me Ma" to the similar but different tune of "Mary maid of the mountain Glen". And me. I do mostly English song too. Accompanied with a guitar. I can join in with my mandolin on quite a range of things though.

Then Slats came to the rescue so he led a few songs (Rare Ould Time was nice) and I acompanied on the mandolin or sang harmony. I dug out "Rue the Day" and "Step it out Mary". It turned out that the another Richard could only play in C, only played Scottish, and did everything at half tempo - or close thereto as tempo was anything but strict. Dutch Pot tried to read some Irish songs that he thought he knew the tunes to, off the words - but had left his specs behind, so the words tended to wander.

Then the other other Richard bagged my Martin and lent it to Mel to play. Mel plays very quietly (without rhythm), doesn't sing, and does 12-bar blues only. Oh, and "The house of the Rising Sun". So that stopped me leading any songs (which may have ben the plan) leaving Slats to do it all.

And both the Courage and the Speckled Hen were getting close to the ends of the barrells and were not very nice.


All in all? The revenge of the raparee!