Singing farmers

Subject: Singing farmers
From: GUEST,Belesta
Date: 07 Jun 07 - 05:45 PM

Hi
i'm seeking farmers who write/play their own songs. I heard a chap on Radio 4, from East Yorkshire I believe, sometime ago, singing about how global warming was going to affect his land and that 'some ruddy Dutchman would be ploughing his land' as it made its way across the North Sea.It was a comic song and the farmer was a great singer. Any info welcome. There must be others...suggestions please!
Ta muchly

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: treewind
Date: 07 Jun 07 - 05:51 PM

Jeff Wesley from Northamptonshire.

Retired from farming now but still singing as far as I know.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: Surreysinger
Date: 07 Jun 07 - 06:00 PM

Jeff certainly _is_ still singing, Anahata, and I'm hoping that I should be hearing him this weekend - but as far as I know he doesn't write his own songs??

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: GUEST,Captain Colin
Date: 07 Jun 07 - 06:04 PM

Google "The Singing Farmer" and you'll find out all about Winston.

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: Declan
Date: 08 Jun 07 - 01:37 PM

On the subject of singing farmers, there was a story doing the rounds a few years ago that an association of Irish chemists arriving at a hotel where they thought they had booked in for their annual convention were refused admission, on the basis that the hotel was already booked out by the singing farmers.

Seems that the person taking the booking had written down The Irish Farmers Musical Society instead of The Irish Pharmaceutical Society.

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: GUEST,Belesta
Date: 08 Jun 07 - 01:42 PM

That's a cracker Declan and thanks for the Winston link he's almost certainly the chap that was featured on the BBC programme

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: Surreysinger
Date: 10 Jun 07 - 06:56 PM

Further to all the above, glad that you seem to have sorted out your probable "culprit". Re Jeff Wesley I was chatting to him at a song weekend this weekend - he confirms that he has never written his own songs - although he most definitely is still singing. There was one-ex farmer who writes and sings his own songs also at the event, John Greaves, who most definitely IS a Yorkshireman, that you might want to add to your list?

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 04:16 AM

My granfer used to sing to his cows whilst milking them, he said it helped them relax and thus give up the milk more easily. He favoured 'Nancy from London' and 'To be a farmers' boy' but I never heard of him writing anything - as a working farmer he was far too busy.

LTS

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: stallion
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 04:24 AM

Interesting, my Dad sang "South of the Border" and "D-Day dodgers" as his party piece but what he sang in the middle of a field full of pigs god only knows and probably best left there!

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: greg stephens
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 05:53 AM

Lot of these Winstons about. Winston Baldwin, farmer, is the organiser of the Sandbach folk club. Though he doesn't write bucolic songs about milkmaids as far as I know, he's always beien playing blues harp when I've seen him.
    And, though not a singer so far as I know, John Hardy (a desperate little man) is a farmer, fiddler and hurdy-gurdy player who organises the Auidlem Bagpipe and Hurdy Gurdy Festival(Nov 10, Shroppie Fly, Audlem).

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 07:29 AM

greg,

why do you describe Farmer John of Audlem that way?

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: greg stephens
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 07:54 AM

John Hardy was a desperate little man
He carried two guns every day
He shot him a man on the West Virginia line
You oughtta seen John Hardy getting away poor boy
Oughtta seen John Hardy getting away

Subject: RE: Singing farmers
From: Mr Happy
Date: 11 Jun 07 - 08:10 AM

Ah, I see!

'Oughtta seen John Hardy getting away'

That hat of his'd be a dead giveaway!

Cheers,