Frank Sutton was my dad and sadly died of cancer in 2003.

From time to time, I search the web for any references to him and have not come across this thread before. He and his songs get a mention or two above.

Frank Sutton collected poems from around Derbyshire and South Yorkshire and set them to music - The Cow i' th' Gate mentioned above being one of these. He also wrote many of his own songs with Derbyshire themes, including Charlie Sparrer's Marrer also mentioned above, which has actions that I've known all my life :-)

He wrote a series of songs about a chap called Sam, including "Sam pick up thi musket" and "Health and Beauty" and another set of songs about "Joe Biggin". He also wrote "Jonny Derbyshire" for the same competition as Ian Carter wrote "Ey Up Me Duck". I went to the final of the competition with my dad and seem to remember you singing it, Ian!

He had a dabble with a Derbyshire take on Bluegrass in the early '90s, writing a song called "The Hope Valley Line" about the railway line, name-checking all the stations from Totley tunnel onwards.

My personal favourite of all his songs is "The River Don" although that is about South Yorkshire rather than Derbyshire.

There are decades of recordings in my mum's loft that I hope I will one day find time to catalogue and publish.

Gerald Short is also mentioned above. He was a good friend of my dad and he made my dad's guitar. He did indeed move to Scotland many moons ago, but I believe is sadly no longer with us either.

This thread has made me smile a lot, as I grew up with a lot of the songs mentioned. Thank you x