Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Les from Hull
Date: 16 Sep 10 - 02:26 PM

You can travel by public transport in about an hour (train to Darlington, bus to Richmond). Use this site
to plan your journey. Of course you may be on your way to Otley, but it may make an interesting day out for you both.

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Sep 10 - 02:06 PM

Les-

Thanks so much for filling in the missing names. And we are keeping busy!

We just returned from a lovely day at a falconry center where we got to see all kinds of raptors. We also got to see an owl, a vulture, a kestrel, and a great golden eagle go through their training routine. The birds seemed to really enjoy the workout.

Then we walked along a massive plateau (avoiding the gliders), surveyed the ruins of a giant abbey, and now we are recovering!

Tomorrow, it's the Otley Festival.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, resident in York

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 04:08 AM

Yesterday we drove out to the Otley Festival, with Judy and the GPS navigating. We're getting quite good at roundabouts, anticipating which lane we should enter and when to shift over to exit. We used to just scream in terror!

We arrived in Otley well ahead of time, found a convenient car park, and then found Jim Saville waiting for us in front of the Festival Office. We all walked in and Jim mumbled the magic words that secured our passes. We also learned that our workshop had been relocated to Korks and rescheduled an hour after what was previously scheduled. Jim had made up some posters with the correct time and place and hopefully anyone who showed up at the deceased Black Horse was able to track us down. Bob Watson did manage to track us down.

I set in on a number of musical events, one in the back garden of a pub which featured "traveller songs" led by Mick with banjo and his wife Suzie with accordian or mandolin; they were great to listen to and watch. And I managed to swap one of my CD's, the one with "The Traveller" recoded on it, with Mick.

I then went next door to the Red Lion where I knew there was an open singing session somewhere upstairs. There was quite a crowd there but I managed to find some seats for myself and Judy. Some of our Hull friends were there as well. We heard some fine singing there as well, including some sea shanties. So when my turn came I led "Fire Marengo" which seemed to fill the room nicely. Judy did equally well leading "A Parting" by C. Fox Smith. The session ended with "Bully in the Alley" with some great harmonies.

About ten people found their way to our C. Fox Smith workshop and Jim and I had a fine time describing her life, Jim reciting poems and I filling in with songs based on her poems. Jim ("shantyfreak") now has my remaining stash of Songbooks if anyone is interested in acquiring one in the UK.

We then dashed over to another pub where Jim and Les Barker were doing a joint presentation of poems. The upstairs room was packed to the rafters but it certainly will be pleasant memory to treasure. Judy and I are familiar with Barker's work but only as rendered by others. He is a brilliant writer and a wonderful presenter. It is a miracle that the room survived the volume of groans and laughter.

I'll continue later with a description of the evening concert but now we need to go for breakfast and decide if we're returning to the Festival. The evil rain gods are at it again, I fear!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, resident in York

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Sep 10 - 05:00 PM

I failed to mention the stress of driving back last night after the final concert in the rain. What I wasn't used to was the orintation of the dimmed lights, with my right side light pointed extra low so that I couldn't see the center line. I'm not sure if this is common prqctice in the UK or something peculiar to our otherwise fine rental car.

Today we drove back in the rain to the Festival for the Sunday sea shanty session, which waqs fortunately relocated indoors. Robin was doing a good job of coordinating it and leading a few songs himself. Monkey Fist was the resident shanty group and did a couple of sets with fine harmony, spirit, and instruments. I particularly liked their rendition of "Ten Stone."

I got to hear Steve from Fore 'n' Aft lead a song about a ship's dog that I have to add to my "animals at sea set." I got to lead Bill Adam's "Bound Away" and my own song "Cowardly Act" which describes the sinking of a Japanese trawler by a falling cow. Jim Saville recited "Lee Fore Brace" by Cicely Fox Smith and his own version (I believe) of the landlocked shantyman. And Judy did another good job of leading "A Parting" by C. Fox Smith.

One of the nice things about this session is I got a chance to hear some very different versions of familiar shanties/sea songs as well as some entirely new ones.

There were two hours of singing altogether and I couldn't be happier.

Tomorrow we return to London and our next singing stop will be at Sharp's on Tuesday evening.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, still resident in York

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: GUEST,stallion on the Cost Brava
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 04:39 AM

Hola Charlie & Judy, you are getting about! Glad to see you are keeping up your exhausting schedule

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Sep 10 - 04:57 AM

Peter and Jo-

We are certainly giving it our best! Hope you are all relaxing in sunny Barcelona.

I've also provided Martin with a file for the CFS Anthology. There's a Grimsby poem he's interested in as well as one about a country fiddler. He may even be intrigued by my setting for "Old Fiddle."

This morning everything looks bright with sunshine. I'm all packed while Judy is more systematically doing her packing.

Our trip back to London should be quite leisurely. Our goal is to be there before major rush hour, and drop the rental car off in Hampstead, in North London, and then get a cab to our nearby hotel.

Tomorrow I meet Chris Roche in London's old sailortown, and we'll see what we can find of old taverns, dockyards, shipping offices, and junk shops. Probably not much but we both have active imaginations and a lot of literary and musical leads to follow up. I wonder if "The Locker" is still there? Or "The Mahogany Bar"? Or "Tiger Bay"? Or Nan and Pol?

Then we'll all (Judy and her friend Pat) have dinner at an Italian restaurant in Camden Town a block or so from Sharp's. We plan to be at Sharp's early in an attempt to get a good table.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, preparing for the road!

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Sep 10 - 03:51 AM

Yesterday I met Chris Roche on Tower Hill in London and spent a pleasant day walking along what's left of Radcliffe Highway. We began with the memorial garden for merchant sailors lost at sea during World War 1 and 2, Trinity House (the HQ for Thames pilots) and the "Chain Locker" (the shipping office where sailors signed on or off for voyages), and the remnant of the old Roman wall, all in and around Tower Hill.

There's not much left of London's "sailortown" that an old shellback would recognize other than some of the warehouses which have been converted to luxury condominiums, a few churches and sailor hostels, the dock-pools, and a few old pubs. We managed to talk our way into one of the former sailor missions which was converted into a nursery school; we got to see and photograph a number of plaques commemorating sailors who were lost at sea, some hiding behind children's artwork. The pubs were the most fun, and the best of all was The Whitby, all dark varnished wood, the bar set on old barrels, a ship's mast supporting the stairway, nautical paintings and prints, chock-a-block with memories going back 400 years or more. We also got to see the Old Mahogany Bar which C. Fox Smith mentioned which has been converted into Wilton's Music Hall; it seemed an appropriate use for such a place and it looked very well used.

Later that day we joined Judy and her friend Pat at the hotel in Hampstead and then took the tube to Camden Town for dinner at a favorite Italian restaurant, followed by an evening of singing at Sharp's. I didn't recognize many people at Sharp's except for David Jones but everyone was very friendly and their voices certainly filled the room. We all got to lead two songs and I did "Mobile Bay" and "Bound Away." I wish I'd been able to get a list of names of those attending but I'm never very good at remembering new folks that I've met.

Today we do some more wandering around London, pick up some last minute gifts, and begin final packing.

This trip has been a whole lot of fun.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, resident in London

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Micca
Date: 22 Sep 10 - 04:43 AM

Charley, My appologies for not making it to Sharps last night but I was too late getting home to get food and out again in time for it to be worth while.
With Reference to Londons seafaring community, Some of the more"modern" seamens hostels are still in existance(tho with changed functions) along Commercial Road which is the main artery road North of The Highway, These include the Edward the VII Hostel building, which is of particularly ugly yellow bricks (hence its name among seafarers "The Stack of bricks") built in about 1900-1910 and the rather handsome Norwegian Seamans mission (now sadly converted into apartments) which is a few hundred yards further east. If you get the chance to travel on the Docklands Light Railway(DLR) it takes you through much of the remaining docks and gives a good idea of the sheer Scale!of the commercial capacity of the Port of London since Victorian times. If you get a chance ,in Rotherhithe, there is The Mayflower pub still in existence from Elizabethan times where the Pilgrims Ship allegedly left from to go around to Plymouth to pick them up for their voyage to the Americas, it is still in pretty much the same condition too as it was then!

Good Luck
Micca

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 22 Sep 10 - 11:22 AM

Micca-

Sorry to miss you as well. I would like to do some more Sailortown wandering, next time with a list of places to track down such as the Mayflower Pub. Of course having a glass at each such stop has its own problems.

I had a nice chat with Malcolm at the library at Sharp's. I wanted to be sure they had received their copy of the Sea Songs of C. Fox Smith, which they had, and a chance to peruse their shelves again. I did find a couple of more books to search for on the used book websites. I can't say that I've found much from my more random process of visiting used bookshops here in the UK but it's always fun to search,

Now that it's our last day in London I can think of all kinds of things to do, which is always the case with me. I guess we'll just have to plan a revisit in a year or two.

Thanks again to all who made us welcome, provided us hospitality, and swapped songs with us.

You know who you are, and the three lobster special is waiting for you in Maine!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, resident in Hampstead, London

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 08:51 PM

I'm happy to report that Maine still exists. We're back home at last with a minimum of travel woes. Even the luggage, including the banjo, made it back with us.

It's about 2 am UK time and I think I'll make a longer post much later this morning.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Ross Campbell
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 09:04 PM

Glad you both got home OK. It was great to meet you and Judy and to hear you both. You seem to have made the most of your time over here, with no shortage of ideas for another trip (or more!)
All the best
Ross

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Leadfingers
Date: 23 Sep 10 - 09:04 PM

Charlie - Thins got in the way of getting to Sharps - I'll see you at Getaway anyway !

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Sailor Ron
Date: 24 Sep 10 - 06:33 AM

Echoing what Ross said. Thanks for visiting Fleetwood F.C., you made a gradley impression with everyone. On a personal level, thanks for 'Clan Alpine'.
Next time you're over we must arrange a 'full' evening at F.F.C.

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Sep 10 - 08:37 AM

We did have a fine time at Fleetwood with Ron Baxter, Ross Campbell, Sean, and a host of others. It shines as a creative music community and we'd be delighted to return there, or to reciprocate the hospitality if possible here in Maine. The same goes for our gracious hosts John and Carol Bailey for providing us housing.

We did meet Steve from Fore 'N' Aft at the Otley Festival whose bandmate Chris Locke set another of Baxter's lyrics to music, "Tramps (chantey for steam)." I'd love to hear the band perform live.

Terry-

Looking forward to seeing you at Getaway as well. I have a copy for you of the new CD recorded by Two Black Sheep and a Stallion.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, in a rainy morning in Maine but with a very happy cooncat in my lap

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Ian Hendrie
Date: 25 Sep 10 - 07:06 AM

Lovely to meet you and Judy and pleased to see that your visit seemed to be both busy and successful.
Regards,
Ian

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 25 Sep 10 - 09:44 AM

Ian-

Thanks again for the lovely cruise in Moonlight Shadow and everything else that you and Estelle did to make us feel welcome.

Today Judy and I take our final seasonal cruise in the 1958 Boston Whaler, up the Sasanoa River from Robinhood Cove to Bath, to check out some eagle and osprey nests. The eagles, we know, are still around but we think the ospreys are off on their annual migration south.

Someday you must journey to Maine so we may reciprocate your hospitality.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble and JudyB

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 12:29 PM

Still editing pixs!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: gnu
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 03:27 PM

Glad we will get to see them Charley. Better that they are edited, of course.

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Off to UK September 2010
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 05:24 PM

I bet get back to work on them, and then when I finish there are all of Judy's to do as well!

Charley Noble