This brought back lots of memories

There's a version on " Voice of the People" by Henry Mitchelmore (titled The most beautiful leg of the mallard) I don't have access to my "Voice of The People" CDs at the moment so I can't say where it was collected but no doubt some mudcater wiil come in and let us know.

Henry Mitchelmore's version is slightly different from Cyril Tawney's version mentioned above and I suspect that The Yetties got their version from Cyril in the early days at Sidmouth FF.

I remember, in 1961 I think, that Bill Rutter organised roving ensembles from the festival to go round the outlying villages near Sidmouth. Cyril and me landed up in this pub and Cyril said that " The Mallard" had been collected in that particular village(pub even? ) and decided to sing it to see if it would get any reaction from the locals.

Not a blink - they continued with their dominoes even more so when a riotus rapper sword side from Newcastle with Dave Swarbrick playing fiddle for them went hurtling round in the very small pub room inches from their domino table.

Cyril sang it a lot at Sidmouth that year in the Potter's Loft between the two Fore(?) streets and it's stuck with me. Good to hear the Yetties sing it but I must see if I can find Cyril singing it on my old reel to reel tapes from that year.

Happy memories. Anyone else rememember the earl Sidmouth days?

BB