G'day John,

I first met Jim at the first National I attended - Adelaide in 1971. I have a nice shot of him playing lagerphone that nearly got onto my photo site, except that there were so many for which I wanted names ... and I knew Jim. I know that it was used in Warren Fahey's brochure for one of the Sydney Nationals ~ mid-1970s.

I think he played lagerphone in the original season of Reedy River, in Melbourne, before it opened in Sydney. Melbourne (mainly Shirley Andrews) did a lot to develop the dance side of the show but the Sydney production really polished up the song side.

I think anything I say about Woodford has to set against my increasing aversion to hot climates. I swear it is just getting hotter ... and stickier ... every year. I think I'm going to have to organise a festival on top of a mountain somewhere ... I already organise the occasional "Fire Shed Hop" to raise money for Rural Fire Services, as well as the odd folk music camp at Clarence, about as high as the roads go in the Blue Mts!

Regards,

Bob Bolton