Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Dec 20 - 02:06 PM

Here's a blue clicky for that -

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Dec 20 - 02:02 PM

I've just received the Frank Harte book. liberty Boy sent me, with my song in it. Great book, and I've only just started digging around in it. And there's a link inthere to Frank singing the song in a pub somewhere, which is preserved in the website of the Irish Traditional Music Archive which gives it a touch of permanence.

I sat down and put a version of it with me singing it on YouFTube - https://youtu.be/SV2b6gyPgv0

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: G-Force
Date: 30 Nov 20 - 06:50 AM

Our ukulele band has sung the Marmite song (but you might not wish to know that!)

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Nov 20 - 05:22 PM

Thanks for letting me know that, Tattie - I really admire Adam and his songs. I remember him saying he liked the song - I think at a session in Sidmouth where he sang Cholesterol - maybe he sang that first, and that prompted me to sing the Marmite, or maybe it was the other way round.

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 29 Nov 20 - 02:20 PM

Happy Birthday Kevin!
Another person who obviously rates your songs highly as he sings them, as well as many good ones of his own, is Adam McNaughtan: he was the first person I heard sing the Bovril/Marmite song.

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Nov 20 - 12:16 PM

I'll try and drop in for the sing in tomorrow. But I doubt if I'll last out five hours!

Hi Mike. I don't so much mind uncivilised comments in a verbal confrontation, though I prefer it being a discussion. But just because someeone might, being uncivilised, feel a need to be hitting someone over the head, there's no reason to get personally disagreeable about it. As I understand the Mafia are prone to say about killing a rival, "It's just business."

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: GUEST,Jo-Jo
Date: 28 Nov 20 - 06:40 PM

Hiya Kevin, happy birthday (belated) I have missed you muchly since I moved away from the South - especially your Marmite/Jam song and the very funny Body in the Bag.


Keep well, Stay safe
Warmest regards from Jo xXx

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Mrrzy
Date: 28 Nov 20 - 05:13 PM

Hippo birdie, and hope to hear you on the Singaround!

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Nov 20 - 11:57 AM

What a pleasure to see the birthday return of Kevin McGrath, one of the nicest Mudcatters I've been able to meet in person. Happy birthday, Kevin!

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: GUEST,MikeOfNorthumbria (Sans Cookie)
Date: 28 Nov 20 - 05:17 AM

Hi Kevin,

Belated birthday greetings! (Apologies for the delay, but being no more than an occasional visitor here nowadays, I've only just caught up with this thread.)

I do share your regret that so many posters nowadays seem unable to express their disagreements in a civilized manner - which is one reason why I drop in so seldom - but your wit and wisdom still remains the gold standard.

Wassail!

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 27 Nov 20 - 05:47 PM

Very glad I revived this thread and pleased to see that Kevin has caught up with it!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Liberty Boy
Date: 27 Nov 20 - 06:27 AM

Hi Kevin,
Glad to hear you're still in the land of the living. I've sent you a personal message. Have a look and get back to me!

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 06:03 PM

ah yes, kevin , macs club, you had to go through q grave yard before that it was at the railway, and happy birthday

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Richard Mellish
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 04:23 PM

Many happy returns Kevin (a greeting that remains valid even if not seen until after the end of the birthday).

And I would love a copy of the book, pretty please, paper or electronic, whichever's easier.

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 01:38 PM

Well, I might have met you in Stortford, because I used to go often to the folk club there, in a church hall. But I've never played the pipes - I wish I could.   I think I might have been in a few song sessions with you at folk festivals over the years. Maybe in Whitby or Fylde?

Yes the club in Harlow was OK, and pretty shambolic at times. Hank was a memorable bloke - he died a few years back. So did the club, after a few moves around town and different people running it. A few sessions, but the Covid has put the kybosh on those.

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 12:45 PM

i remember a folk club in harlow that ran almost by itself by a fellow called hank

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: The Sandman
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 12:18 PM

well kevin are you the same man i met years ago in the bishops stortford area?did you play the pipes at one time

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 11:16 AM

Typo in that first post of mine. I meant to say "A lot of the people I used to have arguments with seem to have moved on. ". One letter wrong, and the meaning is more or less reersed. The kind of typos that spell checkers always miss, like "not" and "now".

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 09:33 AM

.... here.

I'll try and get along to Joe's international song sessions, which I trust are still going strong had some problems with making the technology work for me, so fell out of clocking in.

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 09:28 AM

Hullo people. No, I am still going. My wife came in and told me I had some birthday greetings on Facebook, which I rarely look at, because I can't really make much sense of how to navigate it (and I don't trust it either.) So I saw Kitty's message.

I'd completely missed seeing this thread. My visits here are less often these days. A lot of the people I used to have arguments with seem to have moved in. Banned in some cases I assume, or died, like Keith of Hertford. (In real life he was a lot quieter and more affable than his Mudcat persona.I disagreed with him profoundly on all kinds of stuff, but I never mind that. I can't understand why so many people seem to feel you have to hate the people you are fighting, whether its words, or real fighting for that matter. Being angry spoils your Aim.)

Anyway this thread is a lovely and unexpected birthday present. Thank you to the people who have said such nice things about me. And even more, about my songs.
I should be able to dig out some of those little songbooks I put together, and can let people have them. And there are a fair number of lyrics printed in postsI've made here over the years.

Right now I'm locked up in this modified House Arrest because of The Covid Crisis. I don't feel that ancient, but for Covid purposes I fall into the most vulnerable slot. So no more pub sessions till the vaccines

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 09:26 AM

Kevin posted in the Brexit thread on 13 Sept.

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 26 Nov 20 - 08:50 AM

I've just been notified by Facebook that Kevin likes the message I posted about this on 4 July last year - today's his birthday, so I guess he might actually have checked his FB account on his birthday this year! Anyway, it suggests that Kevin is still in the land of the living...

Kitty

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 13 Jul 19 - 05:45 PM

Have never met Kevin - more's the pity! His "Bovril" song was a favourite of the late, great Frank Harte - and you can't say fairer then that!

Regards

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: The Sandman
Date: 12 Jul 19 - 06:00 AM

I hopeKevin is alive in harlow and still writing songs.
yes sadly keith died i met keith a couple of times he was a pleasant man and loved trad music

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: vectis
Date: 12 Jul 19 - 05:04 AM

Ah! Yes. Quite possibly a name mix up. Been out of the UK for years now. Sorry Kevin.

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 09 Jul 19 - 07:37 PM

"vectis : didn't Kevin die?"

Could you be thinking of 'Keith A of Hertford'? Nov 2018 - I often got confused. Keith\Kevin Harlow\Hertford
thread.cfm?threadid=158818#3962388

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 04 Jul 19 - 03:24 AM

I've left a message on Kevin's Facebook page to alert him to this thread.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jul 19 - 02:59 AM

He last posted at Mudcat 14th June 2019. I've not read anything that has mentioned his passing in the past few weeks.

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 04 Jul 19 - 02:43 AM

I haven't seen Kevin for a few years (the last time was at a mini-festival in Bishop's Stortford, after the heart attack that nearly did for him) but he does still seem to be writing the occasional letter to the Guardian newspaper.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jul 19 - 02:28 AM

I thought he did
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: vectis
Date: 04 Jul 19 - 01:31 AM

Didn't Kevin Die?

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Jul 19 - 11:37 AM

I've met a lot of Mudcatters, but Kevin McGrath is one of the nicest ones I've met. Gee, that was almost twenty years ago. He must be an old man by now.....like me.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: GUEST,Surreyfiddler
Date: 03 Jul 19 - 10:12 AM

Thank you, I have emailed Joe and will be in touch asap.

---

Email forwarded. -Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: The Sandman
Date: 03 Jul 19 - 09:55 AM

I did that, surrey fiddler if you are serious you must e mail me, contact joe offer

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 02 Jul 19 - 06:20 AM

Why not PM Kevin directly?
RtS

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: GUEST,Surreyfiddler
Date: 02 Jul 19 - 01:28 AM

I would like this book as my husband sings a couple of Kevin's songs and I know he has not got this book.

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 01 Jul 19 - 03:43 PM

Yes, Dick, that is the Mudcat member McGrath of Harlow (who wrote "The Bovril's with the gravy and the Marmite's with the jam, among other things), and I wouldn't mind having the book if no-one else deserves it more!

Kitty

Subject: RE: Kevin McGrath blowing the whistle
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Jul 19 - 10:46 AM

It is an interesting home produced book ,but one i have not used so it might be of more use to someone else

Subject: kevin mcGrath blowing the whistle
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Jul 19 - 10:17 AM

I came across a book of songs by kevin mcGrath harlow 1994, does anyone want it, is this mudcat member mcgrath of harlow?