My dad used to 'play' the jews harp. Yeh - I know: jaw harp, or whatever you want to call it. He actually called it a sturmant, as that's the word for it in North Wales. He was completely un-musical but you could always recognize 'You are My Sunshine'.

Well, actually, that's the only thing he could play so, once you worked that out, you guessed correctly every time.

I've fooled around with a cheap-o one that someone gave me years ago, but not really got the hang of it. Then I came across Dad's in an old odds-n-ends box and, Good Grief! It's made of cast iron or something, and takes a team of oxen to shift the 'tongue'! How did he do it?

Still, I'd love to be able to play one like some of these French Canadian groups do. Wow. What a sound - in the right hands!

sian