We had yet another 20+ turnout this week - at The Belle Vue this time. We must be getting something right.

As always, it was a pleasure to welcome John McCrae on one of his too-infrequent visits. He started with Steve Earle’s Mercenary Song and, second time around, sang The Road To The East. The latter was written by an upcoming (but not young) Scottish singer-songwriter who happened to be in Wycombe that evening.

Helen and Glen popped around the corner to join us. Helen sang two Johnny McEvoy songs: Going To California and The Ballad of John Williams. Glen’s first song was Jimmy MacCarthy’s Bright Blue Rose (perhaps best known by Mary Black). Her second song was her own That Certain Way, which we all found very funny, not least because of the last line of the chorus (‘The old man pi**ed off, the kids left home and the dog died’) . Someone sitting close to me thought it might be by Victoria Wood, which was indeed a compliment.

John had come along to The Prince Albert a few weeks ago and impressed us with his singing and (especially) guitar playing. This time he sang Winter in Memphis and, at the end of the evening, a medley of O Come Emmanuel, an original tune and Black Magic Woman. As well as his guitar, John also brought along Martin and his own guitar. Martin sang Surprise, Surprise and Steve Tilston’s Speaking in Tongues. We hope to see both of them again soon.

The average age of those assembled was significantly reduced when Alice arrived towards the end of the evening for her second visit, this time without her fan club. She sang a lovely version of The Lakes of Pontchartrain. We hope to find someone to give her a lift to our other venues so we can hear her more often.

Other songs and tunes were:

• Dick: Dido Bendigo, Twas On One April Morning (not very seasonal!)
• Chris: Last Thing On My Mind (Tom Paxton), Railroad Bill (Rambling Jack Eliot)
• Rosie and me: Teahan’s Favourite/Maggie in the Woods, That Ole Devil Called Love (Roberts & Fisher, known to most people from the Billie Holiday version but to some younger folk from Alison Moyet’s 1985 version), Rakes of Kildare/Tenpenny Bit, The Witches Promise (Jethro Tull)
• Dave H: Speed The Plow/Blue Eyed Stranger, 3 around 3
• Gerry: Long Black Veil (by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin and originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell, but covered by many), Cats In The Cradle (Harry Chapin)
• Karen and Roger: Long Lonely Winter, Dimming OF The Day (Richard Thompson)
• Bob: Gershwin’s Summertime, Only You (written by Vince Crane and sung by the other half of Yazoo: Alison Moyet)
• Ian: Pleasant and Delightful, Jim Jones
• Andy and Richard: Bad Moon Rising (John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival), That’s The Glory of Love (William Hill 1936), Spanish Ladies
• Simon: Enlist for a Sailor and (with Roger) Madelaine's Waltz, written by that famous Belgian Wim Poesen
• John C: The Christmas Pudding Hunt (breaking the seal on the Christmas song season)

We’ll be at The Prince Albert next week. Get there early for a good seat and to help with the furniture moving. Unless, of course, you’re Simon and have a reserved stool in the middle.