I'll tell you a story.

Sometime in the 1970's I had this jugband - we used to call it Juggerlugs - a witty misapropriation of 'Buggerlugs' - a North of England term of endearment (for our colonial pals).

Anyway we were pretty shite, but we had a residency at Tamworth Golf Club - we got three quid between us; and we got to see the pro act; and you could order anything off the menu - chicken and chips in a basket, scampi in a basket, steak and chips, whatever....
(I remember my wife(who played percussion) used help set up the gear, and then dash home to watch Poldark!)

One night, this shitty old car draws up. And I recognise the DE registration - two young guys get out. And I say in my best Bob Cann/Ken Penny impersonation - ah! you'm fram Execketer!
(trans: oh I see you chaps hail from the city of Exeter).

fascinated by my expertise with car number plates - I have to confess that I only know abow about DE plates cos I used to live in Exeter.

The two guys introduce themselves as Downes and Beer. And after some preliminary chatter it turns out that Phil's Dad is Ken Beer, who is my Dad's boss at the mental hospital in Exeter, and Paul Downes's Mum is the Downes of Downes and Paling who write maths books for junior schools - and she has something to do with Rolle College, Exmouth where my Mum was a mature student.

As Kurt Vonnegut would say - a grand falloon!

My memory of them is undiminshed. They were simply brilliant instrumentalists. I still think Paul Downes is the best guitar accompanist in England - Phil hopped from guitar to mandolin, to fiddle - retuning the guitar (at home in various open tunings) effortlessly - he must have been three or four years younger than I was - he just had mercurial and prodigious talent.
I remember that that night they'd travelled up from Portsmouth - they were sleeping on someone's floor. the fee was £25 and they were working for the agent Joe Stead - so I presume, there was an agents commission to pay.

And they were so generous spirited - writing down the words of songs we liked.

You know the parable of the talents. these guys really have given it their best shot. I've watched the progress of Downes and Beer for over thirty years now. the Arizona smoke review, the solo projects, the Knightly connection......

godammit! they're not only pretty special - they've been special for a long time!