Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 11:40 AM

JennieG-

We are sorry to have missed you as well.

Curiously enough we're seeing dandruff like flakes falling from the sky this morning. What can it mean? Could it be from the hair of the dog?

I seem to have picked up a nasty cold on the way back, one of the hazards of air travel. I'm just as happy that it didn't snag me on the way out so I could participate in the singing, and enjoy the lovely weather. Judy did get snagged by some kind of chest cold on the way out, and it took two weeks to shake. I think I'll go back to bed and do some more reading.

We may have flown back just in time. This morning the entire country is tied up with fog on the west coast, with rain and snow in the middle and in the northeast. With the extra pressure from the annual Thanksgiving travelers, it will take at least a week for the air lines to sort everyone out, and recover their missing luggage.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, back in Maine

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: JennieG
Date: 20 Nov 07 - 04:58 AM

Right this minute Charley it is 8.55pm Sydney time! So sorry to have missed you this trip but I have been trying to sort out some health issues, that has taken some time and most of my emotional energy lately. However the light at the end of the tunnel is hopefully nigh.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Nov 07 - 05:48 PM

We arrived safely back in Maine this afternoon (Monday by our calendar), and with all our luggage (there may be a TimTam or two missing but the inspectors did leave us some).

You know, it's very strange driving home from the airport. There are all these massive icicles hanging from the road-cut ledges. And Judy almost froze solid waiting with the luggage while I retrieved the van from the parking lot.

Our two cats appear pleased to see us. One is lying in my lap right now and threatens to claw me if I try to get up. The other is awaiting quality time from Judy in the bedroom.

There are several hundred e-mails that appear urgent! But there are also 3 weeks of on-line comics that we've been neglecting. Whatever!

The house is slowly warming up now that we've reset the thermostat for its regular programing. I dare say that we got pretty spoiled with the wonderful weather we had in Sydney the last week, clear bright days in the 70's (F).

We'll post some pictures from our trip in a week or so on our website with a link to this thread, certainly not all of them but a nice sampling!

Thanks again to our gracious hosts, music friends, and other fine people we met on this revisit.

I wonder what time it really is?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 06:23 PM

Well, this will be our last morning in beautiful Sydney for a while. It's bright and sunny, and everything looked beautiful as we made our way up and down the flowery lanes to Glebe Point Road for breakfast. We've found a calico cooncat nearby who behaves much the same as our one back home. She looked well cared for but was happy to get more attention.

Last evening's din-din at the Greek restaurant in Annandale, where John and Jenny took us, was another great success. The lamb was delicious, the live band was full of energy, and the pack of young girls was amusing to watch as they danced in the aisles while taking digital pictures of one another. We then drove over to Margaret's neighborhood, picked her up, and went back to the Dengates for a final round of chat and singing. I'm afraid that we were poor hosts by that time. We just can't keep up with the energy of the Sydney folks.

Around noon today we catch a taxi to the international airport, check in our luggage carefully, and head back to Maine and winter!

Once more, our grateful thanks to everyone who made our revisit so wonderful!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble and JudyB

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Nov 07 - 12:53 AM

Yes, the dinner at Leichhardt's Little Italy with the Dengates and the Boltons was a great success. The Sicilian restaurant we remembered from a previous visit had disappeared but another one had surfaced nearby and proved more than adequate. We provided a couple of bottles of white and red wine to start with, Judy and John ordered a lovely dish that looked like a giant fried spider nestled on top of a mound of pasta. I was astonished that Judy would even consider such a thing but she made quick work of it. John kept us all amused with a continuous stream of sketches of our adventures, including our "terrorist assault" on the pub accross from the National Maritime Museum.

Today we paid a morning visit to the Queen Victoria Building for some last minute gifts. The young Queen Victoria was there as usual in all her slendour (evidently a permanent exibit), along with various crowns, bejeweled swords, septors, and other bric-a-brac, and a circle of and tourists.

Now we've finished up our initial packing, and are sharing a few more ditties with John Dengate while we await Jenny and John Warner's arrival for our evening din-din at their favourite Greek restaurant. Life is hard!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: JennyO
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 09:50 PM

Well it's nearly over - commiserations at the Dengates later this afternoon, and dinner at Scorpios (I managed to secure the last 4 places - it's a popular place!) followed by more commiserations until we roll home.

So when's the next trip?

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 07:39 PM

G'day Judy, Charlie and all,

I have back my camera pack. It was picked up with the other event's goods & chattels and moved into the Saloon. The chap who then took all that back home found an invoice along with the new Nikon lens and flash unit ... and rang me at home. I picked it up yesterday afternoon before our farewell dinner at a local Italian Restaurant ... a short walk from my home in Leichhardt - Sydney's "Little Italy".

It was a great session on the James Craig and some fine songs form Charley ... as well as a great 'sing around' on deck afterwards (... which did run a bit longer than the "capstan shanties ... with all hands to the capstan"!).

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: GUEST,spindrift
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 05:13 PM

The Cuenins are going to Portsmouth tomorrow & were hoping that Charlie & Judy would be there. Barbara came to this thread to see what kind of doings they had missed down under. It was great to read all the posts from the Sydneyites & to remember Gael & Danny's lovely home as well.

Al & Barbara

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: JennyO
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 01:31 AM

Well I caught up with Charlie and Judy yesterday for lunch at one of the ubiquitous Thai restaurants in Glebe Point Road, before I had to head off to put in my few hours of hard slog across the other side of town. fortified with one (only one) beer, I breezed through the afternoon, and was soon fighting the peak hour traffic to get back over to Glebe and the Dengates.

There were some nice munchies waiting there and a good glass of red, before Judy, Dale, John and I set off in the tram for the Craig. Charlie had left earlier. We could hear the strains of Charlie and the banjo as we approached the ship. The weather was perfect - a warm and balmy night, and the lights on the harbour were magic. We managed to ignore the sound of thousands of noisy merrymakers drifting across the water, and made our own merry.

Charlie has already mentioned the pub fiasco with the hats. When we couldn't get into the first pub, I decided to ring George, my son who lives just up the road from there in a top floor security apartment overlooking all of that part of Sydney. It was only about 10.45, and I thought I might be able to encourage him to join us. Unfortunately he was having an early night and I woke him up. He must have thought his mother was drunk (I wasn't), with me babbling on in high spirits, surrounded by a noisy crowd. At least he managed to tell us where to find another pub before he went back to sleep. They don't make young people like they used to, that's all I can say!

We finally got our round of drinks, sitting outside a pub across the road from George's place, with Sandra naughtily trying to get me to ring him again and wave to him. Fortunately for George, I didn't do that. A bunch of yahoos in a car called out to us as we were sitting there, and asked us if we were sailors (Charlie looked the part). I called out "No - we're PIRATES! ARRR!" the trams having all gone by the time we were finished, we shared a cab back to Glebe, I collected my car and went home. It was a great night!

We are meeting up again with Charlie and Judy on Saturday (tomorrow) after they have completed their packing, and we are hoping to take them to our favourite Greek restaurant - Scorpios in Annandale. The Greek Lamb there is to die for!

What a shame your trip is almost over! I hope you are already planning the next one!

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 09:32 PM

Another member of the Roaring Forties, Don, was present but not singing as he had the best (worse?) case of speechlessness I've ever (not) heard! He's a teacher & managed 2 days at school, before giving up & going home.

But he made it to the session.

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 07:39 PM

Sandra-

Thanks for posting evidence that we were all aboard the Craig!

It was a wonderful evening. Those who were there early got to see John, Chris and I exercising the capstan on the foredeck, lustily singing Roll the Old Chariot. We were going to try a pumping shanty as well but some vandal had abused the pumping handle.

The weather was warm with a slight breeze up on deck by the main hatch where most of the singing took place. Across Darling Harbour were discordant sounds of several rock bands, wafting their way across the cove and bouncing off the warehouse adjacent to the Craig. But it was easy enough for me to sing my set of sea songs with banjo and concertina and still be heard by the twenty or so people assembled, and it was great to have folks pick up so well on some of the more challenging choruses. Barry Finn's version of "Roller Bowler" got a nice airing, as did his version of "Yangtse River Shanty." The Burt Franklin Jenness poem "Sea Dreams" got appreciative grins with its reference to hearing "the Roaring Forties day and night about your ears." And after my set there was light refreshments below and then more general singing on deck with songs led by some of the shipkeepers, John Dengate, members of the Roaring Forties (John, Margaret and Robin), JudyB, and a couple of other folks.

My special thanks to Mike for featuring me as main performer. He now has a full set of my CD's as well as one from Barry Finn and one from Roll & Go. We still have a few CD's left from our inventory of trade goods. We may leave a stash with John and Jenny.

I note with some bitterness that the Craig sails next Sunday, the day we are winging our way back home (while my banjo takes flight to Tanzania, no doubt).

I did find the pub crawl afterwards somewhat perplexing. There I was armed with banjo, a backpack loaded with a concertina and God knows what else, and it was my blue denim hat that drew the bouncer's attention. In retrospect I should have completely stripped in response to his demand for the removal of inappropriate apparel, but maybe not! Fortunately we did find a warmer welcome at the Quarrymen's Pub a block or so down the street in Prymont.

Today we are doing reconnaisance into Bob Bolton's neighborhood of Leichhardt, in search of a fabled Sicilian restaurant where we hope to dine this evening. We were there four years ago but C. Fox Smith's observation that "the ports I knew grown strange" may be an apt description of the urban neighborhoods of greater Sydney. But we have charts, cell phone numbers, and courage!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 04:38 PM

link to Mudcat pic which I forgot to post

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 04:36 PM

tradesman is working on my bathroom - by the end of the day the tiles & bath will be restored & as shiny as they were when the building was renovated in 1979! Then of course the peeling paint will look even worse than it does now ...

And the Mudcatter pic has been uploaded so you can see the offending headwear!

sandra

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 08:44 AM

it was a fantastic night - lots of good songs & choruses & company. Just a few things marred the end of the evening - first, Bob's camera case was not to be found. No doubt by now, the temporary custodian has plans to contact the shanty master in the morning.

Secondly, a few folks decided on a final drink, so off we headed to the nearest pub. We were a small sedate company, Charley Noble, JudyB, JennyO, Chris Maltby, Robin Connaughton & me.

I was last in line as we arrived at the nearest pub, formerly an inner city workingman's pub, now trendy. I couldn't hear what Judy was saying to the big bloke (security/bouncer) but they started heading in. I vaguely noticed Charley had removed his cap & then the bouncer said I had to remove my beret, pointing to a list at the door. No beanies or caps.

Apparently this is a security thing - the camera can't see our faces if we wear fisherman's caps or berets!!! I can understand notices in banks asking patrons to remove motorcycle helmets, but a beret!!! & as I come from 2 lines of stubborn (my father & my mother's mother) I said I wouldn't enter & would wait outside.

Everyone followed me out & we stood around for a while then headed for another pub. Same notice there, so it wasn't just one publican's rule. So we sat outside (hats are ok outside!)

I've downloaded all my photos & can't post the Mudcatter group pic which shows us wearing the offensive hats cos MyOpera is down for a grease & oil change or whatever they do to websites (wash the pixels?) so you will all have to wait!

what is the world coming to if a hat wearer is asked to remove her hat - I never go anywhere without a hat - I still can't believe it.

anyway off to bed, I have a tradesman ringing my intercom in about 7 hours, which gives me less than 5.30 hours sleep, if I get to bed immediately (which I probably won't)

sandra

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Nov 07 - 02:34 AM

Well ... by now Charley & Judy should be making their way to Darling Harbour ... by the traditional (... ?...) Light Rail System. Anyway, the night is fine (too bloody hot for me ... but ... ) and no rain on the radar closer than the Blue Mts -and heading nor-west.

Indeed, the Weather Bureau's 4.15 PM guess is:
Forecast for Thursday evening
Fine. Mostly sunny, though some cloud in the west. Moderate southeast winds tending northeast.
Precis: Fine.

Any locals still reading ... get up and head off to the venerable James Craig .. we won't let Charley and his jackknife anywhere near the mooring cables!

Reagrds,

Bob

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Nov 07 - 06:47 PM

Evidently I'm the featured performer aboard the James Craig this evening, opening the evening with an hour of sea songs beginning around 7:30 pm. This will be fun, and a whole lot less stressful (for me and everyone else) relying on my own 5-string banjo. I think I'll do the version of "Yangtse River Shanty" that I learned this year from Barry Finn, and maybe I'll "cover" two or three more of his and Neil's wonderful renditions. But most of the songs will be my arrangements of nautical poems by C. Fox Smith and old sailor-poets from the early 1900's.

Right now it's bright and sunny in Sydney but we can never guess what weather will sweep in for the evening.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, in Glebe

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Nov 07 - 06:37 PM

Barry-

Check!

But isn't it enough that we know so many instructive traditional sea songs?

All we have to do is sail south through the Tasman Sea, swing left at the Snares and catch the Westerlies. round Cape Stiff and race Northeast and then swing Northwest. Should be a piece of cake! After setting sail, we'll hardly have to touch a line.

Of course we may have some problems deciding what key to lead the shanties in, and who does what harmony. Those are the really tough questions!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, at large in Darling Harbour

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Barry Finn
Date: 13 Nov 07 - 12:51 PM

Charlie, if you're cutting cables you'd better find out if the Craig's equiped with EPPIRB, Sat Nav, Loran-C, GPS, storm, emergency & heavy weather anchors & a crew willing to go down with the ship. Good Luck. If you make it back I'd like a ride, please.

Barry

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Nov 07 - 04:46 AM

Bob-

We agree that the Southern Cross appeared to be low on the horizen dispite the claims by others that it was actually very high! Who knows for sure? However, with another bottle of fine Australian chardonay I'm sure the Southern Cross will orbit around our very heads!

We had a delightful brunch with Sandra at Badde Manors. Tommorow we get together with Margerat, and hopefully we'll get together with JennyO Thursday evening for a run down to the Craig withthe Dengates. I believe our plan is to cut her cable and sail out of the harbour, hauling away at the haillards to as many a shanty as is necessary to propell her beyond Sydney heads. Is there high speed internet access aboard the Craig?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, 3 sheets to the wind at or near Darling Harbour

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 Nov 07 - 07:35 AM

G'day Charley,

"We had no luck on finding the Southern Cross in the sky on the way back. It was probably up there somewhere but clouds were there as well."

Currently, during the evening hour, the Southern Cross is low ... just about due south - and "upside down" (Alpha Crux very near the horizon). If you are in a high spot, with an unobstructed (and cloud-free) view to the south ... you might pick it out - but you probably won't be anywhere in inner Sydney!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Nov 07 - 12:31 AM

Bob, you're welcome to miss the Committee meeting - if you want us to load you up with work!!

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 12 Nov 07 - 12:22 AM

G'day Charley,

We've been back all month (fairly literally ... flew back in - Perth to Mascot in 3¾ hours with a strong tailwind ... just heading for midnight Wednesday 31 October when we reached home). I've been keeping close tabs on this thread - and visitations locally.

As you known, my walk home from work takes me straight past Bellevue Street ... and a 600 metre diversion often takes me past chéz Dengate. My Monday(Bush Music Session)Mob are on tonight ... and Backblocks Musicians are at my house tomorrow night ... and I have a Committee Meeting on Wednesday night (or face Sandra's wrath!) but I aim to be at the James Craig on Thursday.

Somewhere along the line, I have to get out edition #184 of Mulga Wire (doesn't 30+ years of editing fly past ... when you're having fun?) ... but that always has to fit in with real life!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 02:49 AM

Bob got back a few days after to Dog. I was talking to him this morning, and I'll remind him about the James Craig session on Thursday. He doesn't live far from Glebe & might be able to meet you after work one night.

sandra

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 02:06 AM

Anyone have a clue when Bob Bolton gets back to town? We'd love to get together with him as well.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, Dangar Island

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Nov 07 - 01:14 AM

Charley - the Southern Cross is getting harder & harder to see in Sydney's atmosphere. The faintest star has not been see for years, & the others are getting harder to see.

from the Sydney Observatory site -
Nov 2007 night sky podcast

Other things to look for in the dark night sky include the two Pointer stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri, pointing at the Southern Cross or Crux Australis. This is the worst time of the year to see Crux Australis, but looking almost due south you'll see it upside down in a clear dark sky - still very rewarding. A small telescope will also see, just underneath the cross-bar, the bright collection of stars known as the Jewel Box.

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Nov 07 - 06:34 PM

We now have digital images of the baby dropbear and the HUGE egg for you disbelievers.

We did see clear signs of bush fires when we circled the island the other day, the charred lower trunks of some major trees. We also were impressed with the wave-cut cliffs near the summit of the island,some of which carved out cave like shelter for previous generations of picnicers.

This morning I got up early and enjoyed watching the birds at breakfast, the lorikeets, parrots and cockatoos. They appeared to be having problems reaching concensus on their plans for the day. Very noisy, with many exiting suddenly while others flew in late for the meeting. There was no sign of anyone taking minutes.

We're expecting Bron's parents to be joining us here for lunch today. They live up the coast in Terigal, and they're both administrators in the secondary school system.

Last evening we took the boat over to Brooklyn for dinner at the wharf, consuming more delicious fish and delightful wine. We had no luck on finding the Southern Cross in the sky on the way back. It was probably up there somewhere but clouds were there as well.

Monday, we'll definitely take the train back to Sydney.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Rowan
Date: 10 Nov 07 - 12:41 AM

Charley, your Dangar Is rellies ought to be able to entertain you mightily with stories about the various bushfires and the bushfire brigades in the area and may even know Peter Watson, who was with the Brooklyn RFB before he got seduced by geology. The train trip is great, so I hope you can do it. I was one of the thousands serenading the James Craig when it entered Sydney Harbour (in 1980?) for restoration; in my case it was with my concer and a few friends on one of the ferries engaged in the Great Ferry Race that year.

Give it a good bel canto!

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Nov 07 - 12:29 AM

Ooooh Charley - you have been very privileged to have seen a drop bear - they are very shy creatures and don't show themselves readily.

I'm sure that is a memory that will stay with you forever!

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 09 Nov 07 - 10:17 PM

Rowan-

We missed the really exciting rainstorm by a day on our trek down to Appolo Bay, but we were very impresed with the large trees that had blown down, hauled off to the side of the road and neatly sawed up, not to mention the huge boulders hauled off to the edge of the road. The coast road was reopened by the time we made it down.

We also managed to avoid any major thunder showers in Port Douglas, although several threatened. Our last evening there was spent at a hilltop restaurant called the Nautilus. I can hardly imagine a more romantic setting, tables spread out on the deck under tall trees, high backed chairs and candle light. Very pricey but the food and wine were excellent.

I should apologize for our brief scrambled post above. The internet cafe was closing in ten minutes and I'm not a very fast or accurate typist.

We did make our flight to Sydney with plenty of time to spare, and arrived there with ALL our luggage several hours later. One for three ain't bad. We checked into the Heaven Inn again on Glebe point Road, and then had a short visit with the Dengates to drop off musical instruments and a couple of suitcases, and enjoyed some more wine and a few songs.

This morning we bused up to Brooklyn (the rail is being repaired over the weekend) and caught the ferry out to Dangar Island where our nephew and his wife are resident. Now we're sharing their hillside cottage, with lovely internet connections, a resident white cat, a nearby boat, and walking paths. It's really a beautiful place to explore and we're looking forward to the evening birdwalk.

We'll be heading back to Sydney on Monday via rail, assuming that all the repairs are actually made.

What fun!

No sign of bunyips on the trip thus far but we did see one young dropbear sprawled out a stump on the way to the cottage. We also saw an enormous birdnest with a really huge egg on the roof of a shed as we walked up to this cottage, a really HUGE egg.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble and JudyB

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Rowan
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 10:54 PM

Does my recollection of your timing along the Great Ocean Road mean you caught the rather exciting weather there? I was wondering whether you managed to dodge the closures.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Nov 07 - 06:31 AM

Just surfacing briefly in Port Douglas. We had a fine time the last day of the Malden Festial, sharing a set with Danny Spooner of sea songs and shanties. The only gold we say was at a museum store, but lots of old diggings, and beautiful countryside.

We did run down to the Coast Road, via lovely coastal range forests and switchback roads. Had lovely lunch at "whats-it" bay and then proceeded east to Queenscliffe, and then up past Geelong to Melbourne.

Wew made all our connections to Port Douglas, but the banjo took another side trip, this time to Hobart; it arrived a day later intact. In Port Douglas we did snorkling on the barrier reef (Wavelength Tours), the Wildlife Habitate Zoo where you get to have breakfast with the birds, and feed the wallabees and whatever else shows up, inluding one very big stork-like bird that tried to eat Judy. The crocodiles we didn't try to feed.

Tomoorow it's back to Syndney and on to Dangar Island to join our nephew and his Australian wife for the weekend. Then it's back to Sydney, where we'll be staying at the Dengates and more music fun.

Then it's the Craig Thursday evening.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Rowan
Date: 02 Nov 07 - 09:53 PM

In Daylesford you're also in Michael Leunig territory; watch out for Mr Curly.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 02 Nov 07 - 02:42 AM

it's always colder south of the border where you are closer to the South Pole!

Hello, Danny & Gael - we hope to see you both @ The Dog in the second half of 2008. We're fully booked to June & acts for the later part of the year are planned!

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 02 Nov 07 - 02:27 AM

;~)

Just in case anyone is worried about us, we're having a great time hold up in Danny Spooner's house in Daylesford, Victoria. Danny and his wife Gael are wonderful hosts and their home is a joy to explore, all kinds of odd rooms added on by generations of people, bizarre roof lines, a flock of chickens, a lovely vegetable garden, not to mention lovely flowers, all in bloom to greet us, and two ancient resident cats to befriend.

We're learning about the old gold mining days, the Eureka Rebellion, the art museums, the current tourist trade, local wines, smoked dead critters, other interesting things to eat, or interesting things that might eat us. And I had no idea that the surrounding landscape was shaped by active volcanoes just a few thousand years ago.

Danny and I did a live radio interview to help publicize the Malden Folk Festival. Once I got over forgetting the first line of my favorite C. Fox Smith song, I did quite well but I'm somewhat humbled. I hope to do better at my workshop Saturday morning, and I do hope a few folks show up.

We've been having a fine time swapping songs, and Danny does have a nice version of "The Yangtse River Shanty," maybe the best one yet!

The weather is a few degrees cooler than Sydney so we're glad that we brought some long-sleeved shirts in addition to the boating jackets. But it's really nice to enjoy spring again, while our friends back home are enjoying fall.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Rowan
Date: 31 Oct 07 - 05:38 PM

And, just like many makers of maps, Hobart gets forgotten;
it's been a long time since Darwin was rotten.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: JennieG
Date: 31 Oct 07 - 05:23 AM

Charley, something to keep in mind as you approach Melbourne:

The people of Melbourne
Are frightfully well born.

Of much the same kidney
Is the beau monde of Sydney.

Adelaide's forte is culture,
But in Brisbane the people insult yer
And don't even know they've been rude
They're that ignorant, common and crude.

It's hardly worth
Mentioning Perth.


Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Rowan
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 10:47 PM

Charley, don't let those Sydney slickers mislead you about Melbourne; if you come from there you pronounce it "Melb'n".

I hope the weather is pleasant for you; up here we've had spectacular electrical storms and quite handy rain.

I hope you run into the relicts from Tipplers All (Helen and Ian I mentioned above) and Flying Pieman (John Ross, Barb Scott, Peter Anderson et al.) at Maldon. And Doddsy's a local there now.

Have fun,

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Oct 07 - 10:34 PM

Thanks for all the great advice! We're still in Sydney and doing quite well, borrowing Margaret Walter's computer right now to provide a brief update. This evening we take the overnight train to Melbou'ne (that's how we're supposed to pronounce it!), rent a car at the airport and head upcountry to Danny Spooner's house.

The Roaring Forties did a workshop on C. Fox Smith poems/songs recently, and I've had a lot of fun discussing that with Margaret, comparing notes. John Warner has some fine arrangements that he's worked up for Smith's poems, and a new song focused on CFS's relationship with the shantyman Dan. We've delivered to Margaret copies of all the CFS musical adaptations that we've collected including Alan Fitzsimmons, Bob Zentz, Tom Lewis, Gordon Morris and Peter Massey, Pint and Dale, and others.

We'll be back to Sydney in a week or so, and we're really looking forward to the sea music session aboard the James Craig. We also hope to meet Bob Bolton there again; he's been off on walkabout.

We had a fine musical evening with John and Dale Dengate, where we'll be staying when we return to Sydney. There house is conveniently located adjacent to the light rail line down to Darling Harbour with its Maritime Museum, tall ships, and last but not least shopping mall.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 07:02 AM

ps. thanks, Barry for the proper title

sandra

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 06:41 AM

Oh and visit Federation Square, and eat at the Chocolate Buddha there.
St Kilda's nice too!
G

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 05:34 AM

Plenty of hire car places around the airport Charley. On Melbourne Cup day the whole town grinds to a halt.
Try to get up to the Dandenong Ranges behind Melbourne, and visit both the Healesville animal snactuary [they have platypii], and the William Ricketts centre.
I wish I was there too.
Giok

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Barry Finn
Date: 29 Oct 07 - 12:22 AM

Charlie, would you keep an eye out in Sydney for my long lost sailor friend, Sheldon Leon? Have a grad time. Glad youu got you duds back, any longer & the pants might walk off on ya.

Barry

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Oct 07 - 06:47 PM

Dman! The machine just hic-cupped and posted.

Anyway, we'll be in Sydney for another couplke of days and then it's off to Melbourne.

By the way, no one mentioned that we were arrivng a day before the world-famous Melbourne Cup races, and that we might have trouble booking a rental car or a hotel. We do hope that the one night when we're sequestered in the airport hotel that not many of the guests will be galloping up and down the halls.

When we return to Sydney we are looking forward to singing with more folks aboard the James Craig, Thursday, November 15.

Love to everyone back in the States. Enjoy Getaway!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Oct 07 - 06:38 PM

My apoligies for not keeping our journal up to date but we do find it hards to settle down and log in.

We're both doing great! The Loaded Dog was a blast and although I missed the comfort of my own banjo, the one that John and I customized was a lot of help, and did not fly apart at critical parts of my songs. Barry's correct that it's "The Lee Fore Brace" that I was singing to Jerry Hallom's musical setting of "The Outside Track." There are one or two shared lines which make it very risky to sing them in sequence: "Ten men..." The Roaring Forties also sing my version of the song but use the first bridge as a chorus all the way through except for the last verse. I think I'll try that as well.

Jenny and John's BBQ was wonderful! John greated us with a salute from his home-made blunderbus. The tenting was far more substantial and the weather threatened once but then went on its merry way. There was lots of fine singing from sea songs to labor songs, to parodies of the same. There was ample supplies of beer and wine, dead animals to grill, and other fine refreshments. But for us it was just wonderful to set back and relax, or chime in with a song inspired by what someone else was singing.

Our luggage finally arrived in the late morning so we finally got to change out of our travel clothes, and I finally got my banjo back in time for the BBQ. I think I'll try to "gate check" it next time, rather than check it into the general cargo "wormhole." We were surprised that it took two days for our luggage to catch up with us but we are grateful that it finally showed up.

The weather has been lovely, including the fireworks of a major thunder storm which happened when we were safely under cover.

Today we are shifting to a small hotel, running down to Darling Harbour to check out the trade goods, and arranging for copying what I'll be presenting for my C. Fox Smith workshop at the Maldon Folk Festival.

We are certainly appreciative to the many folks who have made us welcome!

And Peter, it's good to hear that you and the Black Sheep are safely back in the UK

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: SINSULL
Date: 28 Oct 07 - 06:27 PM

Wish I could be there. Some day... Meantime, enjoy each other.
SINS

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Barry Finn
Date: 28 Oct 07 - 05:42 PM

Hi Sandra, Cicely Fox Smith's "10 men", I believe it's called "The Lee Fore Brace". It is a nice one, Charlie does preform some lovely marriages between tune & words. I hope you got to hear his marrying of "West Indies Blues".

Barry

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Oct 07 - 09:51 AM

8 pics loaded!

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Oct 07 - 09:01 AM

last night was wonderful - great songs from Charley then more good stuff from the Wheezers. For me, the best musical memory was Charley singing Cicely Fox Smith's "10 men" (not it's real title but I'm too tired to go looking & find it) - sung to the tune of Henry Lawson's Outside Track (& don't ask me what tune that is - it's too hard to reach over & pick up my copy of the Lawson CD!!) Getting back to my narrative, th audence didn't know Cicely's lyrics but they did hum along to the song & it was magic.

Today Charley was accompanied by his banjo, & he & John played a bit of a banjo duet!

We had a great party - JennieG did not make it, but I'm sure we'll see her in November @ The Shanty night, along with Bob Bolton who gets back from his holiday next week & Chris Maltby who was AWOL. Freda & Hilda were there, as was (Guest) Gerry & I've just realised we did not get a Mudcatter pic.

We will all have to assemble on the James Craig for the obligatory 2007 Charley Noble in Oz Mudcatter group portrait.

But I do have other pics & will load them onto my pic site tomorrow

sandra

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: stallion
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 11:55 AM

Hi Charley and Judy,
We arrived back today, at least I only lost one shoe a razor and two cd's! But the flying thing, the difference between "no Frills" and regular flying is "f*****ng" awful and bloody awful! Anyway glad to see you made it in one piece. Played the new CD all the time in the car and Jo is humming and singing at least bits of three of the songs and knows most of Neptunes daughter, you have managed to do in one short visit what I have not managed in thirty five years! Jo singing "folk songs" ( ok I know they are sea songs but the general genre Chas. the genre) Jo sends both of you her love, we shall look forward to the posts on your trip, take care.
Peter

Subject: RE: Charley Noble Revisits Oz Fall 2007
From: JennyO
Date: 27 Oct 07 - 11:46 AM

Good! Look forward to seeing you, Jennie G. Haven't seen you for a while.

Well, the night at the Dog went off really well. There was a very large crowd, and I think everyone was very pleased with how it all went. John's banjo did its job. Now the stage is all set for the BBQ tomorrow. We've even got the coloured lights. Now all we need is 'camera.....action!'