Obit: Doug Fowell - leader of the Abbots Bromley

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Fowell - leader of the Abbots Bromley
From: GUEST,Derek Schofield
Date: 26 Nov 06 - 11:11 AM

Doc Rowe pas emailed me with this information:
Funeral on Tues 28th November at Abbots Bromley Church 1.15
Stafford crematorium at 2.30 for those who wish to join the family and then return to 'The Crown' in Abbots Bromley.
Derek Schofield

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Fowell - leader of the Abbots Bromley
From: alanww
Date: 24 Nov 06 - 06:39 AM

Any more news?
Alan

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Fowell - leader of the Abbots Bromley
From: alanww
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 06:02 PM

[Tangent: And hello to you, Jane. Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival was very good and I'm glad you like the CD!]
Still no news on the funeral arrangements?
"Fading away like the stars in the morning..."
Alan

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Fowell - leader of the Abbots Bromley
From: GUEST,Jane
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 07:48 AM

Off at a tangent, hallo Alan!
(I was in a wheelchair at Great Yarmouth in September, bought a copy of your CD - and love it! (the photograph came out well too ;->)

So sorry to hear about Doug, though. Abbot's Bromley, one of the events still on my list and not ticked-off ...

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Fowell - leader of the Abbots Bromley
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Nov 06 - 06:03 AM

www.alanwhitbread.co.uk

Subject: RE: Obit: Doug Fowell - leader of the Abbots Bromley
From: alanww
Date: 20 Nov 06 - 07:21 AM

Oh dear, Folkiedave! So sorry to hear this.
I often chatted to Doug at the annual Abbots Bromley Horn Dance Day and did so again this year on 11 Sept and so I offer this recollection as a recent anecdote of Doug.
This year we mostly talked about the "Abbots Bromley Horn Dance" tune, which was probably collected in the late 19c and which is used by the Thaxted Morris Men in their annual presentation of the dance on the first Saturday in June each year. The way Thaxted perform the dance is very mystical, with the tune being played by a single violin.
However, Doug was adamant that in Abbots Bromley the tune was never used for the dance itself, as they have always varied the tunes during the day and hardly ever use tunes in minor keys. He said that "it was never used in my time and it was never used in my father's time either!" And that's about 100 years! But he did say that it might have been collected as a tune which was played while walking between dance spots and, although it was written down as the Horn Dance tune, that was in error!
Even though Doug dismissed it in a very forthright manner, nonetheless it is a very haunting tune and I love it. So much so that I have it as a track on my CD. It is an MP3 on my website at www.alanwhitbread.co.uk if anyone wants to listen to it.
Doug will certainly be missed. He was a real character.
Please can someone post the details of the funeral arrangements when they are known.
"... only remembered for what we have done!"
Alan

Subject: RE: Obit: Abbots Bromley
From: Morticia
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 03:12 PM

He was quite a character and will be sadly missed.

Subject: Obit: Abbots Bromley Leader
From: Folkiedave
Date: 19 Nov 06 - 02:48 PM

From Doc Rowe

Doug Fowell leader of the Abbots Bromley Horn Dancers, long time dancer and musician, died in hospital around 1.00 a.m. this morning. The family were with him and it was all very peaceful.

He has been very ill for a few weeks now but the family did not want it publicised. They already knew last month that he had advance stages of cancer and that it was terminal. Doug was only told a couple of weeks ago after he had fallen out of bed and was returned to hospital where he had been previously. He'll be missed greatly.

Although not really well he was out playing for the dancers last September on the annual perambulations at his 71st Horn Dance!