Today at work, on San Francisco's Hyde Street Pier, I saw a young man carrying a guitar visiting the historic ships. Since I was about to take my fiddle aboard the ship BALCLUTHA to play some tunes, then do a children's chantey program with Mudcatters Melani and BillR assisting. I invited him aboard to jam and take part in the program, which he did. His name is Joe Topping, from Liverpool - a fine voice and very good guitar player. He mentioned that his father Tom has been playing folk music for many years, and that they are in a band together. Joe was just passing through San Francisco, and stumbled onto the Hyde Street Pier, not knowing that he'd be playing music that day aboard a ship. It was a pleasure jamming with him. Spontaneous happenings like that make a day at work memorable. Do any of you UK Mudcatters know him?

-chanteyranger