Cas Smith (of Memories of Pontardawe Festival facebook) emailed the sad news that Reg Chalker, lead singer of the South Wales-based Cliff Rescue and the Helicopters, had passed away. Reg had been suffering from a brain tumour.

In recent years, Reg and his band (with a very young Mike Greenwood on melodeon) made the front page of the Welsh folk magazine Taplas. He lived in Newport, but relocated in Derbyshire, and Olly and I bumped into him when he travelled down to Pontyclun Athletic Club to sing at the late Russell Jones tribute night - Russell and his bodhran joined the Helicopters.