15th October 2006

We played Reading Folk Club at the Clifton Arms in Caversham on 15th October. What a nice little club – extremely welcoming and friendly. I am pleased to say that we went down very well and they have invited us back for a full spot on 1st April next year – Hmm, interesting date – I’m pretty sure they weren’t kidding!

Topping the bill was the excellent Ed Rennie who did a great set on various melodions, and his Fylde cittern and guitar. The floor spots were highly varied and generally very good to listen to. Throughout the audience was highly appreciative.

We did four fairly quiet numbers to introduce ourselves. We warmed up with Maid of Culmore which we followed with one of burgeoning number of French songs – When I Took my Horse to Water – which received a “tres bien”. Rob was inspired on Persian Ricardo and we finished off with You Came to Me in Sunshine, written by my mate Fraser Hardman.

Joe, Mandy and young Alex, our longstanding friends from Reading came along even though they are not big fans of the genre. But Joe is the video-meister – much to his family’s dismay – and he kindly undertook to do some filming of the night. We will get this loaded up as soon as we are able and you can see us in action.

So, it was certainly a late night by the time we got home – M4/M25 and a bowl of Crunchy nut Cornflakes as a late supper reward. But we both felt pleased that we had done a good, if all too brief, session – tempered by the kind invite for us to return. It felt a good return for the hard work we are putting in at the moment. Rob is digging away at finding new tunes, we’re both enthused about the French project, and with my new birthday gift (see above) I am re-discovering a whole raft of long forgotten stuff. Very exciting. Redbourne on Thursday 19th – will report again then.