Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?

Subject: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Aug 04 - 10:48 AM

I'll be rolling down to Baltimore 9/21 and looking for nautical music sessions/swaps/parties to attend. I'll be there until 9/29. My wife is coordinating a national conference of legislative staff poeple in Baltimore during our stay but may also be available for some events near the end of our stay.

I'll be doing at least one foray to Annapolis, where I have fond memories of pub hopping from the time I sailed in with a crew of friends from the Bahamas in the spring of 1965. There may be some folks at the Yacht Club there that still remember our brief visit...

I'd also be interested in connecting with any old friends of the China Sea Marine Trading Company. I'll be bringing 5-string banjo, Anglo concertinas, and lots of sea shanties, ballads, and drinking songs. Be nice to meet some of the Pirate Royale crew if they're anywhere in the area. I certainly will be visiting Bertha's Mussels, looking over the U.S. Constellation, and prowling through whatever remains of Baltimore's sailortown.

Now we're rolling down to Baltimore,
Yes, we're rolling down to Baltimore,
We'll have our run ashore,
For them flash girls we adore,
And we're rolling down to Baltimore!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Aug 04 - 10:57 AM

Not a nibble. Clearly folks in Baltimore/Annapolis are all away, vacationing in Maine.

One of the names Capt. Bunker and Sharon of China Sea mentioned is their old friend Charley Cook, who also plays 5-strig banjo and concertina. Anyone know if he still walks the waterfront along Fells Point?

There was also a reference to the Cat's Eye Pub as a gathering place.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 10:10 AM

Three times around...

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 05:39 PM

we're thinking Charley! (I don't get to Balmer)

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 07:00 PM

Hey, Charley - why not roll down to that area a month later and go to the Getaway?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 08:12 PM

Joe and Bill-

The Getaway does seem nice, but maybe I should keep it as a dream, the Fiddler's Green of Mudcatville.

I know I'll be in Baltimore and in range of a few other places while Judy is busy leading workshops at her conference. Maybe I'll run down to Norfolk and pester Bob Zentz if no one comes up with an offer I can't refuse.

Thursday I know I'll be in Annapolis during the day and then there is an evening cruise scheduled back to Baltimore. Maybe I'll see if I can lead some "heaving" shanties to confort conference goers who are queasy. Other than that I'm quite open for musical get-to-gethers from 9/22 to 9/28.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Gorgeous Gary
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 09:45 PM

D'OH! Took three glances at this thread for it to hit me...clearly I need more sleep.

Anyway, the most likely place to find the Pyrates Royale will be at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, which will be in the middle of its run while you're here. And it's just outside Annapolis, so it would be easy to get to. The Pyrates are regulars at the RenFest; usually doing 3-4 sets a day and they've got a little compound in the middle of the site where they hold court when they're not performing. And there's plenty of good music and shows there besides the Pyrates.

-- Gary

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Aug 04 - 09:59 PM

Gary-

Thanks! I've been listening to 3 of the Pyrates Royale CD's and would very much like to rendezvous with them. I will access their website and see if I can get a clearer fix on "just outside Annapolis."

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 10:17 AM

Still haven't heard from Roger from Baltimore. I've tried a PM. Maybe he's moved to Nebraska.

Well, back to work assembling the barn door raising team. Seems like a good idea given that the remnants of Hurrican Charley will be blowing along the Maine coast on Sunday.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Gorgeous Gary
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 03:17 PM

Charley,

Also, for more details check out (and keep an eye on) the official Maryland Renaissance Festival page

-- Gary

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 14 Aug 04 - 09:44 PM

Thanks, Gary. The Fair really looks interesting, assuming I can really find it. I'll have a van to drive but without a navigator it's not easy to locate points on a map.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Aug 04 - 11:38 AM

Not making much progress here.

Maybe the best thing for me to do is walk down to Fells Point and settle down somewhere with banjo or concertina and see what happens. Of course there may be new local ordinances prohibiting the operation of IMD's (Instruments of Mass Destruction) in public.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Aug 04 - 05:05 PM

Well, I've got a raft of folks to track down from Capt. Bunker of China Sea Marine Trading Co. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that from Maine without additional help. He mentioned Linda Baer who once wrote a song about what used to happen at his old place entitled "Sitting Around Capt. Bunker's Stove." I definitely need to pay a visit to the Cat's Eye Pub and see if Larry the Duck and Railway Paul are still around. Will Priest, Martie O'Mally and Denise Whitman also sound interesting.

Roger in Baltimore- if you're still in residence and check into Mudcat, please check your PM.

Suggestions still welcomed

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Aug 04 - 10:28 PM

Refresh!

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Sep 04 - 10:53 AM

Well, I guess I'll have to do this town without any help from the usually helpful Mudcatter folks. What an adventure, exploring deepest darkest Baltimore, the waterfront at Falls Point, the Cat's Eye Pub, the replica tops'l schooner Pride of Baltimore and the recently rebuilt sailing corvette U.S. Constellation. I'm getting thirsty just thinking about it.

We take off from Maine on Monday, September 20th.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: beardedbruce
Date: 11 Sep 04 - 10:57 AM

opening of American Indian Museum in DC that week...

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 09:13 PM

Well, I might as well post my musing about exploring Baltimore's waterfront here. Judy's hotel is a few blocks north of the inner harbor so I got down bright and early to check out the U.S. Constellation, all nicely restored and armed with large fiberglass cannons, except for the one they use at noon to startle the pigeons and wandering tourists. I roamed all around her. Well, mostly below as they discourage wandering through the rigging. Apparently once a month they have a music program but not while I'm here. After I left the ship I parked myself on a bench and took our a concertina and serenaded her.She didn't seem to mind and no one else seemed concerned.

After lunch with Judy, I boarded the metro No. 10 bus for Fells Point, that mythical part of Baltimore that Capt. Bunker has regaled us with from when China Sea Marine Trading Co. was headuarted there. I exited the bus at S. Broadway, making my way past the tatoo parlors and sex shops. The first mecca I ran across was Bertha's Mussels which called for a brew while I attempted to pick the brain of the bar keep who claimed he didn't know much about the old neighborhood. Maybe it's safer not to know. There were many alternative bumper stickers on the wall, all parodies of EAT BERTHA'S MUSSELLS. I think my favorite was BEAT BUSH'S MINNIONS. I then wandered down to Thames St. and boldly walked into the Cat's Eye Pub. There wasn't a whole lot going on in the early afternoon other than some gent showing photos of his Florida vacation. They were having a blues musician playing later that evening. Across the street HBO was filming a scene for one of their mini-series and a crowd was gathering. I decided to walk over to the Ann St. Wharf where the China Sea Marine Trading Co. was last in residence, having been tastefully replaced by a French pastry shop. This called for another brew and I went back up Thames St. until a verse from "All For Me Grog" drew me into a new Irish Pub called Slainte. Well, it turned out to be a CD and the bartender didn't have a clue who was singing but he was happy to bring me some ale.

Afterwards I decided to sit on one of the benches on the Broadway mall and practice some more concertina. The pigeons seemed quite fascinated although they were probably hoping to be fed. I did get several nice comments and smiles from people passing by and nobody threatened me with bodily harm or made insulting comments about concertinas.

I had a great supper at an Egyptian Restaurant called The Nile and caught the No. 10 bus back to home base.

I somehow failed to find the Wharf Rat Pub on S. Ann St. but I'll probably track that one down on Friday. That's the pub where Wincing Devil and his gang are supposed to host a shanty sing on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.

Tomorrow it's off to prowl Annapolis.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Charley Noble-Baltimore/Annapolis Sept?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 23 Sep 04 - 09:42 PM

Annapolis was fun as long as I viewed it strictly as a tourist experience. Our bus full of legislative staff people rolled in about 9:30 AM in back of Capitol Circle and I and the other guests left Judy and her gang to work hard in the workshops while we ran amuck in the City!

What an incredible maze of streets! I did locate the Drummer's Lot, the pub in the cattacombs of the Maryland Inn where the sea music folks gather every 3rd Thursday at 8 pm but no one was around other than a person repainting the trim. I thought about making some pun about painters and sheets... It looked like a snug place to sing with lots of atmosphere. In my inspection of posters, flyers, music tabloids there was no mention of this event; I hope this doesn't mean that the people who "do it" only want to do it with their friends.

Everything else was pretty closed down at this hour of the morning so I wandered down Maryland St. onto the Naval Academy grounds and spent a couple of peaceful hours looking at their incredible collection of naval artifacs and ship models at Preble Hall. I highly recommend it if you're not into shopping for trinkets and the pubs are not open for business.

I then popped over to the Senate Buiding to join Judy for lunch. After lunch I made my way down Main St. to see if there was anything left of the port area that I remembered from coming ashore there back in 1965:

The ships I knew laid up or lost,
The ports I knew grown strange...

About sums it up. I was briefly intrigued by the name of one of the downtown streets, Compromise St., which the nice ladies at the tourist information booth failed to enlighten me about. I do love a good mystery, and had pleasant thoughts of having wqalked down a surviving remnant of sailortown. There were some interesting pubs open by then and I popped into one of them and had an Aviator's Ale. The propriator had been a long time flyer before openning the pub in the gentle years of his retirement. I'm not sure if this was one of the pubs I visited with my shipmates back in 1965. There were at least a dozen of them and my memory even the next morning was somewhat blurred.

I then went down to the docks and practiced concertina to the amusement of the local artists and a few fellow tourists. Someone actually stuffed a dollar into my concertina bag. Such easy money could go to my head.

Judy and her gang showed up around 4:30 and we boarded a cruise boat back to Baltimore and I must say I enjoy a good sunset cruise, and the free drinks and food were quite adequate. My only complaint was the musac but what the hay, when you're on the boat you go with the flow.

Tomorrow, I'll make another foray to Fells Point and nose around the Wharf Rat Pub which I failed to find the first time around. That's where the Baltimore sea music folks are supposed to hang out on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. This time I have better directions.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble