Just caught up with this thread. Harking back to the comments about Ian Woods: I hear mention of him from time to time, but not from anybody who seems to know of his definite whereabouts. I knew him in his Frodsham Folk Club days - the early seventies. (Incidentally, the club celebrated its 40th anniversary last month). As Les said, Ian had a few songs about canal life - some, at least, being his own compositions. I don't know if this is traceable, but in about 1975/76, BBC Television did a series of programmes called "Ballad of the North West", which covered various historical themes, and were part drama and part folk music. There was one on the building of the Manchester Ship Canal. The musicians involved were: Ian Woods, Gary & Vera Aspey, The Wakes (me and Tom Brown) and the Northumbrian piper from Canny Fettle, whose name eludes me (as most people's names do). There were about six or eight songs, some of which were written - or re-written for the programme - by Ian Woods. The series was produced by Douglas Boyd - known at the Beeb, we were told, as the Tailor and Cutter, owing to his reputation for ruthless editing and re-writing. I can't remember who wrote the original script for this one, but he claimed that when he saw the re-written version, he recognised four words: "and", "and", "the" and "the". Knowing the propensity of the Beeb (and ITV) for recording over tapes, I don't suppose these programmes exist any more, but would be interested to hear otherwise. I didn't see it broadcast, as I was singing at McTavish's Kitchen in Fort William at the time, but that's another tale...
John Kelly.