Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!

Subject: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: John Robinson (aka Cittern)
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 11:15 AM

A wonderful story in today's Guardian newspaper.

A former Scotland Yard detective has published a book claiming to have discovered that Lord Lucan had been living in Goa, India. This was taken up by the Sunday Telegraph newspaper who published a feature on it on Sunday, including a photoraph of "Lord Lucan", sporting a very impressive looking display of facial hair.

Presenter of BBC Radio 2's Folk and Acoustic show Mike Harding, among others, wrote to the Guardian to tell them that "Lucan" was in fact Barry Halpin, a folk singer from St Helens who was "a well known character in the pubs and clubs of the north-west of England".

A "great ballad singer and song collector; he could play concertina, banjo, tin whistle, guitar, mandolin and melodeon" according to Mike.

Any mudcatters have any memories of the man?

I mean Halpin not Lucan!

Best regards
John Robinson
http://www.JulieEllison.co.uk

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Hollowfox
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 11:32 AM

Er, who's Lord Lucan?

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: John Robinson (aka Cittern)
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 11:37 AM

Member of the British aristocracy - went missing following a murder - but his death - or more accurately the lack of evidence of his death - has fascinated the British for years. We have as many stories of Lucan living under disguise as the US has of Elvis Presley doing the same!

Best regards
John Robinson
http://www.JulieEllison.co.uk

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: GUEST,KJ
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 11:39 AM

That is a cracker of a story. So is the man they say was Lucan REALLY a folk singer ? Great stuff !

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Rara Avis
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 12:18 PM

Or is this an invasion-of-the-body-snatchers situation? Has Lucan taken over Barry Halpin/s body?

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Amos
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 12:20 PM

Or was Lucan really a closet folksinger who bolted because he couldn't stand pretending to be an aristocrat any longer?

A

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Noreen
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 12:41 PM

We've been discussing this already, below the salt:

BS: Lord Lucan/Barry Halpin

And yes, I remember Barry Halpin in Liverpool in the '70s.

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 12:46 PM

And I think I've just spotted Arkle in this thread

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: John Robinson (aka Cittern)
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 12:50 PM

Sorry Noreen, didn't see the BS posting since my mudcat threads page seems to have decided (unbidden) to stop displaying the BS threads.   

Best regards
John Robinson
http://www.JulieEllison.co.uk

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: GUEST,bigJ
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 02:26 PM

Yes, didn't Halpin used to sing with Bruce Scott (still on the Liverpool/ Irish Scene) in a club in Prescot - in the 70's,as you say Noreen?

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: GUEST,Santa
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 03:07 PM

Bruce Scott was interviewed on the NW TV news tonight. I was half-expecting Tom Walsh but I suppose having his letter printed in the Guardian is enough fame for one day.

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Folkie
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 07:48 AM

I remember Barry back in the late 70s in Australia in the Perth folk clubs

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Beardy
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 07:59 AM

Kevin

I think you mean Shergar. Poor old Arkle would be singing it far higher as he'd had his balls chopped off.


Stewart

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 12:50 PM

I think you mean Shergar.

I could never win at the races now you know why. Us Walthamstow dwellers understand dogs better.

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Marion in Cornwall
Date: 10 Sep 03 - 01:02 PM

Kevin,
Where abouts in Walthamstow are you? I was born and bred there and we lived fairly close until 10 years ago when we moved to Cornwall. Only went to the 'dogs' once though.
Regards

Marion

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Ralphie
Date: 11 Sep 03 - 01:49 AM

Thread creep I know, but, what the heck!
Marion. Kevin's been going to the dogs for years!
Regards Ralphie (Walthamstow Borders..ie...Leyton!)

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 11 Sep 03 - 04:39 AM

Thank's Ralphie, the area was on the up 'til you moved nearby....

Hi Marion.

I've lived in various parts of Walthamstow since 1978 but am currently off Forest Road near the College. If you were around up to 10 years ago did you got to The Chestnuts? I was resident/MC there until it closed.

Loads of folkie people have or still do live in the area but (to get back on the thread) I don't think Lord Lucan or Barry Halpin did.

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 11 Sep 03 - 10:27 AM

To get back to Lord Lucan, I read the web pages on him so as to be in the know about popular culture. I'm skeptical. Sounds too much like a cross between Agatha Christie and P.D. James.

Am I really supposed to believe that Lady Lucan fled her aristocratic home and rushed into a place called "The Plumber's Arms"?

Amos, you said: Or was Lucan really a closet folksinger who bolted because he couldn't stand pretending to be an aristocrat any longer?

Surely one can be an aristocrat AND a folksinger in these enlightened times.

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 11 Sep 03 - 10:36 AM

Surely one can be an aristocrat AND a folksinger in these enlightened times.

No, but you can be a folksinger AND an aristocrat.

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Marion in Cornwall
Date: 11 Sep 03 - 11:36 AM

Hello Kevin
We know your area well. My mum used to live off Wood Street and John (Kernow Jon) & I both worked at Whipps X Hospital for many years. I have been to the Chestnuts, but not the folk club their. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't really get interested in folk music until we moved down to Cornwall. John used to be involved years ago and helped run a club in Leyton for a while.   I'm glad to here there are a lot of folkies around these days.
Bye for now
Marion


Sorry about the diversion from the original thread, but if needs must...

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 11 Sep 03 - 12:10 PM

The folk club at "The Chestnuts" hasn't run for many years now, and the wonderful club down the road at "The Three Blackbirds", Leyton met it's demise even earlier. There is however a great club at Walthamstow in "The Old Rose and Crown", which both Kevin and Ralphie tend to frequent - I must try and get over there more often.

Incidently, it's not that far (via Blackwall Tunnel) to our place at Mottingham, so if Raphie, Kevin, Sandie et al - if you're free why not come to our barbecue this Sunday.

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 11 Sep 03 - 12:28 PM

Cheers Dave

I had been pondering. Sandy probably wouldn't anyway as she is still working and tends to spend Sundays preparing for Monday mornings unlike an early retired soul such as myself.

Much depends on what mood I'm after after suffering the Spurs visit to Stamford Bridge on Saturday and whether I'm ahead of myself with me chores....

Whoops, this thread keeps drifting, quick get it back on track.

Will Lord Lucan be there?

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: Beardy
Date: 12 Sep 03 - 05:26 AM

If he's a Spurs supporter he will probably be in disguise!

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: GUEST,vox box
Date: 12 Sep 03 - 09:30 AM

various stories of Barry Halpin include at the 1973 Listowel Fleadh he was walking along the street and he kicked a man up the bum because someone told him he was French. When the man asked "what was that for?" Barry said "because you're French", the man said "No I am Breton", so Barry said "Sorry Cock".

Another time, going to Ireland in a van with the Liverpool Ceili Band, a bunch of lads were sleeping in the back of the van, Barry woke up and puked on Mick Coyne and fell asleep again. Might have been the same evening, he pissed into a mug, in the morning he just pored the piss away and made a cup of tea in it.

Fond of mountain climbing, Barry came across some posers up a mountain with all the latest gear. When they weren't looking, Barry got a camera out of one of their rucksacks and filled the roll with pictures of his bum and put the camera back where he found it and didn't say anything.

I could go on...

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Sep 03 - 02:47 PM

This has the makings of a superb ballad

Subject: RE: Lord Lucan search ends with folk singer!
From: GUEST,Beachcomber
Date: 19 Sep 03 - 06:48 PM

Just woke up and saw this thread.
I met old Barry often around the late sixties. He used to come over to Ireland with Banjo (5-string) and concertina , no guitar ever but he used to borrow one (usually mine) and could pick it very smoothly too. He was the first I ever heard sing "The Manchester Rambler", and also a version of "The Black Velvet Band".. The last time he came he had given "away" the large bluegrass style banjo and carried only his concertina, he wouldn't sing anymore, for us, either. "I'm all for the music now man!" he told me. That was about 1970 I believe and it was the last I saw of him here in south-east Ireland. The first time I remember now was in a small village Festival , competing in a "Folk Singing Contest" on a public stage. The late Bobby Clancy was the adjudicator and Barry was the winner (by a mile) "Jesus man, I need that prizemoney!" he told me. After that he played around the pubs locally for months. One night, after a heavier than usual quantity of "ale" had been supped, Barry made his way to the little used barn outside the village where he had set up his "digs". The entrance he had effected was through a road level window or small opening, as the main door, at field level, was boarded up.
He dropped his banjo in (The shed had been full of hay, until that morning but the owner had cleared it out during the day while Barry was elsewhere, he was fed by many of the citizens during his stay) but jumping down after it he fell down some six feet or more and landed on the instrument, snapping the neck. He was doubly lucky as the village boasted a very good cabinet maker at that time, who effected a seamless repair both to banjo neck and it's tone and he had not broken anything of a more personal nature. It seems the local brew healed all the stiffness and strains in Barry's limbs in very short order and he was able to renew his nightly sessions much to the delight of us all..
He was a grand lad, God rest him.

Funny that other folksinger Lord whatsisname.... never came along our way at all!.

Beachcomber.