Surfacing again! This time we're in York at Peter's (ofTwo Black Sheep & a Stallion) house, where we'll be for a few days before shifting to Martin's house around the corner.   

It was a lovedly drive through the hills to here from Fleetwood today, fields lined with hedgerows or stone walls, ancient brick or stone barns and farm houses, sheep and cattle grazing in the fields. Rain changing to bright sunshine and back to rain.

Yesterday in and around Fleetwood was certainly great fun. Ross and Sean took us out to see the sites in town but the best for me was the walk out to the point to view the abandoned ships rusting and rotting in the marsh grass. Surreal! We would view them from afar and never seemed to get any coser to them. Eventually we found a path through the marsh, without a water hazard, and were able to examine them from a few feet away.

The session last evening at The Steamer was great. Even more impressive given that most everyone there was still burned out by the Festival. Bradfordian, one of my C. Fox Smith researchers, was there and I was able to convey my personal thanks for his amazing work on sifting through 30 years of Punch Magazines looking for poems that C. Fox Smith hadn't published in her own poetry books. "Mobile Bay" was one of his finds and I was able to sing that as part of my set. The host band Spitting on the Roast (I believe that's what they called temselves) did a brillant job. Sean and his wife led two songs with lovely harmonies and instrumentation. Ron Baxter was mecurial! And Ross Campbell did two more of Ron's songs backed up with his concertinas. Bradfornian recited two of his favorite C. Fox Smith poems. There were several others in the circle but other people will have to join in to sort them out.

Judy led "A Parting" and "Outward Bound," two C. Fox Smith songs.

I led "West Indies Blues" and "A Cowardly Act," based on a cow sinking a Japanese trawler a story which folks appeared to be familar with. My set included "Bound Away" by Bill Adams, "Mobile Bay" and "Pagoda Anchorage" by C. Fox Smith, "Clan Alpine" by Ron Baxter, and "Mid-Watches" by Burt Franklin Jenness.

We're doing supper now so I have to run but we had a great time in Fleetwood, and special thanks to our hosts John and Carol!

This evening we'll be at the regular York Folk Club Session at the Tap and Spile, 8:30 pm. Everyone is invited!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, resident in York, UK