It wasn't even a dark and stormy late afternoon when we made our way up the rolling brick sidewalks of old Portsmouth to The Press Room, to assemble for the monthly Shanty Swap. And it was good to see familar faces and a few new ones in the welcoming circle.

I'm again impressed with Barbara's robust voice, and she also did a great job of backing up "Mollymauk" with Jeri. Linn did a fine job with "Race of Long Ago" without a "Bruce sheet" and another fine rendition of "Nine Times a Night." There seemed to be a loose set of songs where those listening were not sure whether we were singing about ships and their assorted parts, or about wenches; it's always about ships!

I esecially liked Barry's working up of "Come Down, You Roses." And I think we'll get more use out of "The Mariner's Compass", and it's a song with a message that should resonate with the master of an Exxon tanker as well as a crew of dissipated but aspiring shanty singers. I thought Nor did a fine job of leading Bok's "Jerico" which he normally doesn't lead in Roll & Go and sometimes that gets one in deep trouble.

It was good to see Sharon and Bunker of China Seas Marine Trading Company, although I wish they'd arrived earlier so we could have heard some more songs and stories from Bunker. Nor and I hung around afterwards with them for dinner and more stories, some about Bunker's encounters with Stan Hugill.

Thanks again, Tom, for setting this shanty swap up.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble