Hello, me hearties.

My dear old plywood datebox is 50 years old this year, and as she is the ship that launched a thousand accordions (here's hoping!), we thought we would do something suitably whacky, raise some money for the lifeboat and raise the profile of the much-maligned free reed instrument.

So, rather than train sailors to play the box, or box players to sail, we searched the folk world for someone who could do both. He is James Delarre, better known as the fiddle player with Mawkin.

James and I will be playing Black Diamond melodeons and accordions respectively, and respectfully, in that they aren't very waterproof, or buoyant, so we can't play them in stress moments or it is likely to cost the RNLI more in rescuing us than we'll raise for them!

This is the Facebook page

This is the full story, with press release

And this is the all-important Just Giving page

If you can spare a few bob, it will be greatly appreciated.

All the best
Greg