Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: North/South Annie
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 07:04 PM

Afraid I can't make the Ceilidh due to a previous commitment in North Devon, but I'll drink a toast to Ian, a lovely man. I remember him in the backbar of the Anchor at Sidmouth doing cats cradle with Brian, our daughters and I, after he'd already done a workshop on it, and he had such patience. I also remember him reciting Burn's poetry with great expression at a workshop at Chippenham festival. But of course there's also the great memory of 'the bagpipe music'- I hope you've got them dancing round the pearly gates Ian!
Kind thoughts go out to his loved ones.
Anne

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: GUEST,Warwick Slade
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 02:04 PM

I remember one Friday long ago in the gents loo at the old Foc's'le club at the Bay Tree in Southampton. I was a very nervous young man trying to tune my guitar for my first public performance at a folk club. I had not quite succeeded in getting the B string to sound in tune when there was an almighty wailing behind me. That was my introduction to Ian Ferguson.
Needless to say he played to great acclaim and I was rubbish.
Nothing changes in the folk world.
Oh and yes, he was a very nice man and said I had done well!

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Surreysinger
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 01:52 PM

Thanks to MB as well. I first met Ian at Chippenham Folk Festival, and then variously at Whitby, and he always had a chat with myself and Marian Button ... until going to Whitby for the first time , and seeing him in the final parade,I had not realised he played the pipes, although I have a photo of him in full regalia on that occasion now. I'd merely met him at various singarounds before that , where he would assiduously produce his sheaf of papers, start a song, and then on forgetting his words, apologise profusely and refer to his sheets. He would always finish his song by hook or by crook. We had noticed his absence last year at Whitby, and heard about his passing through the first issue of the Wailer when we arrived this year. As said above a gentleman in the truest senses of the word.

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 01:42 PM

Thankyou MB for the info.
I saw him about 2 years ago at Miskin Folk Festival in the April and he seemed well.I had not heard he had passed away until this week.


Scooby

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: GUEST,MB
Date: 30 Sep 08 - 01:23 PM

Ian had a stroke a year or two back and basically never recovered.Upn to that point he was still singing and playing.

MB

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: concertina ceol
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 06:45 PM

Sorry to hear that he has died. I went to "String and things" or "Things with string" at Whitby FF which Ian ran. I also remember him playing bag pipes in the parade.

Kind thoughts to all who miss him.

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 05:11 PM

I'm another one who hadn't heard that he'd died. I used to see Ian a lot at festivals in the 70s and 80s, though I hadn't seen him for a long time.

I can't make the ceilidh, but I'll think of him. Sorry to hear this belated news.

Mick

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 01:06 PM

I am refreshing this as this fellah spent hours on third site keeping us awake with his Scottish Bagpipes in the early morning with the donkeys doing what ever they do in the morning.Ian should be known more than just 12 people at Sidmouth,Miskin and the other festivals he went too.


Scooby

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 29 Sep 08 - 06:13 AM

A nice man.
He used to come out with the Whitby Scratch Morris in the early 1980s, until his involvement in Folk Week workshops started to clash with the time of day we danced.
A gentleman and a fine piper.
Quack!
Geoff.

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Leadfingers
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 08:56 PM

I think I first met Ian at one of the early Crediton Fests - Indeed a REALLY Good Lad . I LOVED his 'Electronic' Bagpipe chanter!

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Dave Earl
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 07:20 PM

Got the news on the Blackberry whilst at Whittlebury Song and Ale.

Known to a lot of my mates and I from Sidmouth festival and will be missed by us all.

Can't make the Ceilidh but hope that it will be an appropriate send off for one of the Good Blokes.

Dave

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 06:33 PM

I can remeber Ian from 1981.I will miss hearing his bagpipes.

RIP Ian.


Yasmin

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 06:26 PM

Sad indeed, a friend for many years.

Andy

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: r.padgett
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 02:31 PM

Ian I do believe did macrame workshops at Whitby folk festival for very many years, cats cradle etc


I am so very sorry to hear of his passing

Ray

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: squeezebox-kc
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 01:41 PM

is this the same who played the final night at Whitby parading the garland on. if so i am sorry to hear of his passing

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Polly Squeezebox
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 12:49 PM

Must correct you Roger - Polly Squeezebox is not Chris Mason. You will note from my original post that we received an e-mail this morning via a mutual friend which had been sent by Chris. My husband (Jack) checked with Chris that he would like an entry put on the website 'Broadside Man' giving notice of the ceilidh. Whilst they were speaking on the phone I checked that Chris would like the notice put on Mudcat also - hence my original entry - I did manage to get the quotation marks in the wrong place (I can't claim credit for helping to organise the ceilidh).

However, all of this is immaterial - what really matters is that the folk world has lost yet another real gem. Ian was probably one of the gentlest men I have ever met - but he certainly had a way of making himself heard!

Polly, Jack & Zak

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: bubblyrat
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 12:24 PM

I had no idea Ian had died. I knew him well from Ringwood Folk Club and other venues in the Bournemouth area----we often exchanged views on various Scottish songs,and he seemed to quite like my version of "Ricky doo dum day " ! I always enjoyed his anti-feminist ramblings and small-pipe playing. And his demonstrations of "Cat's Cradle " were a joy to behold !! And I never realised that "Polly Sqeezebox" was Chris Mason either----I have accompanied him a few times at Ringwood too ---Hi Chris !! And RIP Ian--a great loss to the Folk world.
                   Roger

                   Will try to attend ceilidh if Barry & Monique will put us up !!

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Terry McDonald
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 11:34 AM

Yes, Tim, your assumption is correct. He was a good friend to all of us involved with the Bournemouth folk scene in the 60s and 70s. Mind you, I think you got off lightly when you heard him play bagpipes in a hall - he used to tune them up in the gents' toilet at the Wessex Traditional Club. Now that WAS noisy!

Subject: RE: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: RTim
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 10:40 AM

I am assuming this is "THE" Ian Ferguson of Bourne River Morris and Bagpipe fame? If so - I didn't know that Ian had died! He was a very good old friend from way back in Hampshire and Sidmouth and later - Oxfordshire, who I knew very well because of his association with Bourne River, who were often guests of The Adderbury Morris Men. Ian would often play Bluebells of Scotland as we danced; and I remember one occasion in the hall on top the Stow on the Wold Town Hall when he played - and it was deafening! But such fun. I will miss him, although now very distant from Hampshire my home county, as I now live in Massachusetts, USA. Tim Radford

Subject: Obit: Ian Ferguson Memorial Ceilidh
From: Polly Squeezebox
Date: 28 Sep 08 - 07:18 AM

Received an e-mail this morning notifying:

As you probably know Ian Ferguson died back in June and, to give hime a proper
send off we are running a Memorial Ceilidh for him. The details are:

"Ian's Ceilidh on Saturday November 1st at about 8pm. At St. Marks Church Hall,
Talbot Village, Bournemouth. Bring your own booze, and bring food to share
(American Supper style). There'll be a band & dancing etc. -- we aim for a jolly
good party. There's no charge -- but I'd quite like to know who's coming so drop
me a line on:

[e-mail]"


Polly