We hadn’t seen Fred for a while. His first number this week was the round-up song Get Along Little Doogies. He decided that the rest of us should make mooing and yee-haw noises as he sang. This worked much better than I expected, despite the laughter. I guess he was singing in E moo-nor.

Delia had a similar idea, and had come well prepared with copies of the (few) words and dots for ‘Laugh Kookabura Laugh’ which we sang as a round. I remember this song from the ‘Singing Together’ radio show that we listened to at my primary school. Delia and Stuart’s concertina duet this week was Maxwell’s Adieu’. Later on, Stuart played the lovely Shetland tune, Da Slockit Light, with tasteful spontaneous accompaniment (at Stuart’s speed!) from Roger.

It’s also been a while since we’ve seen Dave and Norma, not least because Dave had broken a finger and was unable to play. The finger’s still not in perfect shape, but Dave was able to play guitar on Judgement Day, a environmentally-focused song he’d written during his enforced absence. Norma added backing vocals. Second time around, Dave got out the melodeon and played Morgan’s Run and Blue Eyed Stranger.

It’s quite common for some of us to forget which key to play songs in. Terry had one of those moments when starting Jez Lowe’s Drink to the Wheels of Industry and declared ‘I'm in the wrong key’. Quick as a flash, Dick retorted ‘you’re in the wrong pub, mate’. It’s just as well they’ve know each other a long time. Dick had started the evening in a saucy fashion with My Boy Billy, and later contrasted with a fine rendition of the lovely Fair Rosamund.

Ian followed Dick’s saucy lead with Cruising Around Yarmouth, which does seem to refer to Great Yarnouth rather than the Isle of Wight. His other song was Factory Girl.

We heard more of Martin and Kerraleigh’s expanding and eclectic repertoire. I was particularly pleased to hear Personal Jesus, by my favourite 80’s electro-pop band, Depeche Mode, and covered by Johnny Cash on his penultimate album. We also heard Low Anthem’s The God Damn House and Nick Drake’s Pink Moon.

We also heard:

• Rosie and me: two sets of jigs, Jake Thackray’s Grandad and Randy Crawford’s Almaz
• Tring John: Whiskey for My Johnny (with optional –O), Colum Sands’ Rest for a While
• Steve: Garth Brooks’ every Now and Then (for which he possesses, but did not wear, the cowboy hat), Tom Paxton’s Can’t Help But Wonder
• Karen: Road to Aberdeen
• Karen & Roger: Rare Old Times (it’s almost March!), Bells of Nowich
• Martin B: Hamish Imlach’s Candyman’s in Town, Don William’s I'm Just a Country Boy
• Fred: Brafferton Village, a Northumberland bagpipe tune, on the Low E plumbing pipe
• John C: Les Barker’s Nolans and Elton John
• Glen: Brian Bedford’s What’s the Use of Wings

We were also pleased to welcome Debbie for her first visit and look forward to seeing her again.

We’re at the Prince Albert in Frieth next Wednesday, where space will be at a premium but atmosphere will be abundant.