Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: Dave Masterson
Date: 27 Oct 12 - 04:32 AM

So very sad to hear this. I played drums with Dougie's band 'Excalibur' back in the 80's, which was great fun. I hadn't seen Dougie for many years as our paths digressed, but will always have fond memories of a thoroughly good bloke, not to mention a fine exponent of the melodeon.

So long Dougie, I hope you've found peace.

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: GUEST,Mick McTiernan
Date: 26 Oct 12 - 06:31 AM

Dear all,


I'm in the process of trying to get together a set of photographs of that nice Mr Douglas Adams for display at his "event" on 2 December.


If you happen to have any photos of Doug you would like to share, could you possibly scan them and e-mail them to me at:

[e-mail]


I'll see if I can get them up somewhere on the interwebnetty for all to see in due course. Links to any Doug related video and music would also be very welcome.


Many thanks


Mick McT

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: MartinNail
Date: 16 Oct 12 - 04:28 AM

There will be a celebration of the life of Doug Adams on Sunday 2nd December 2012 at the Horseshoe Inn, 26 Melior Street, London SE1 3QP. This is on the same day as the regular music session, of which Doug was such an essential part. The session runs from 12-3pm and the upstairs room is booked from 2-5pm. We will probably have use of the side bar after the session anyway.

All welcome, but please RSVP to Sarah Crofts so that we can make sure there is enough food and drink.

Musicians: bring your instruments; it would also be great if there was morris, mumming, rapper, fire eating, magic tricks, smashing ships in bottles, and other suitable entertainments so if you want to do something or if your team would like to dance, that would be very welcome, but please contact Mick McTiernan as Master of Ceremonies so that he can organise that. Everyone else: bring your memories, photos, funny stories etc to share.

Thank you.

Contact:
Sarah (to confirm you are coming): [e-mail],
Mick (for entertainments): [e-mail],

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 28 Sep 12 - 06:20 AM

What a remarkable bloke and musician Doug was. We did indeed pick up a load of tunes from him but what stands out is the fact that he could just keeping playing one set after another all night in remarkably unflashy, reliable and effective fashion without losing the 'feel' of the music. He drove melodies onwards but never lost sight of the fact he was playing in group sessions. He loved his morris tunes but happily mucked in and played all sorts in the course of the evening, responsive to the contributions of others. To use a cricket analogy, as far as folk session dynamics go he was the seam bowler sending down one over after another in diligent and exceptionally accurate style but with flourish, variety and an inevitable haul of wickets (or in folk terms, appreciation from others) to show for it. As a person, he was endearingly upright, honest, stoical and undemonstrative. He had the rare ability to be candid and constructive in offering advice (and criticism) to other musicians without being remotely jarring or initiating unwelcome music politics in the process. My most poignant memory of him comes from a few years ago, just after Christmas, when we were in the process of bedding in at the Lord Hood session. I had been rather shy and uncertain of what to say to him previously, and found myself sitting next to him. I make no bones about the fact I am by nature a noisy player rather than a quiet one and as such need reining in, but it was Doug who said: 'Oh dear, you've been drawn the short straw. I hope my playing doesn't put you off.' All his years of experience and his obvious passion for playing good old-fashioned tunes with good old-fashioned zeal were complemented by this remarkably modest and philosophical outlook, which earned the immense respect of longstanding stalwarts of the folk community and (relative) newbies such as myself. He will be sorely missed.

Aidan

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 12 - 05:06 AM

Sorry to hear the news. We learnt a lot of tunes from Doug at Greenwich. Ellie

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: MartinNail
Date: 26 Sep 12 - 06:00 PM

If you were thinking of coming, these are the details for Doug Adams' funeral:

The service will be at 1pm on Thursday 4th October at St Mary the Virgin, Bratton Clovelly, Okehampton, Devon, followed by the burial in the churchyard. All are then welcome to join the family for food and drinks in the Clovelly Inn.

Sarah Crofts would appreciate it if you could let her know if you are coming to the funeral by Friday 28-9-12 so that she can give the pub an idea of numbers for food: [e-mail]

If you are travelling by train from London, you can go down and back in the day with an early start, the cheapest return fare at the moment is £42. If you are booking via National Rail Enquiries, look at the train details carefully - some trains start from Waterloo rather than Paddington. You need to book London Waterloo/Paddington to Exeter St. Davids. From Exeter, you can get a bus to Okehampton. The bus timetables take some tracking down if you are searching on the internet, but I think it is either X9 or 510 which seem to be interchangeable and go at the same sort of times.

There is no bus from Okehampton to Bratton, so you will need to get a taxi. A couple of firms are: Oke Taxi snd Okehampton Taxis and there are others. I think you can pick a taxi up in Fore Street (the main street).

If you are going the day or night before, Exeter has a selection of hotels and B&Bs.

If you want to send flowers or a donation to Cancer Research, please arrange for these to go to the Funeral Directors: I.N. Newman Ltd, Griffin House, 55 Winchester Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 1HL, Tel [phone].

Musicians: bring instruments if you wish. I hope there will be a chance for some music.

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: GUEST,George Frampton
Date: 24 Sep 12 - 06:36 AM

I am very sorry to hear this. I know it was a matter of time, but it's still a shock once it happens.
I saw him on May Day playing melodeon in the band for the Deptford Jack and he told me then he was struggling to get round, but determined to get round all the pubs en route. Even at Sidmouth, he was getting around as much as he could with Sarah.

Flirby and myself both send our condolences to Sarah and all his nearest and dearest.

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: GUEST,Ted Crum (Steamchicken)
Date: 23 Sep 12 - 06:01 PM

Sad loss. He took the fight to his illness and kept at it like a hero. Our occasional business meetings in Oxford (parts of which I can actually remember) will live with me as a tribute to a brave and gutsy man and a good friend.

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 23 Sep 12 - 01:04 PM

Another Blackheath Legend passes, soon be a full side down there.made a great contribution to the Deptford Green Man as well.

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 22 Sep 12 - 07:39 AM

I'm so sorry to hear this. I don't often get to the Borough Sessions where he was one of the mainstays but he always had some good tunes.

Subject: Obit: Doug Adams (melodeon player)
From: treewind
Date: 22 Sep 12 - 06:34 AM

Martyn Whites's just posted this on melodeon.net

I have just received the sad news that Doug Adams passed away yesterday in Guys Hospital where he had been fighting lung cancer.

Many of you will know Doug from the many sessions, mainly around the London area. He was also a familiar face at festivals all over the country, the last of these being Sidmouth and Dartmoor this year.

He was a fine melodeon player and a lovely person, he will be missed by the many people that knew him."

He will indeed. RIP Doug.

Ironically I read this news while listening to a trial mix of an album put together by some local session musicians to raise funds for a cancer charity.

Anahata