I am indeed booked to appear at Lancaster over easter, so won't be at Miskin, but I'll be around at a few more festivals over the summer, and always happy to chat about duet concertinas. I agree with paul above, starting on a duet system is no more difficult than starting on any other system - also learning to play Anglo or English will be of absolutely no use whatsoever when you switch to a duet, they're that different. The Crane was my first concertina system, and although since then I've owned a McCann duet, an English and an Anglo, I've sold them all on and stick with the Crane - it's simply the best.

To have a go at Zany's question, when I started (ye gods, that was 1971!!!), I got a simple melody line book of tunes I (sort-of) knew from the EFDSS - Morris tunes, I believe. Since I knew what they were supposed to sound like, I then prodded around until the sound that came out sounded like what I was expecting. Concentrate on playing the tune with your right hand first. When you can play the tune, you can start experimenting with chords and runs on the left hand end. I've never used music with two staves, I just make up the left hand bit as I go, on the "if it sounds right, I'll keep it" principle - don't think I could cope with double-stave music, too complex for my little brain.

All the best,
Andrew