Tykes Stirrings

Tykes Stirrings
For Folk in and around Yorkshire
Monday, 11 December 2023
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Winter issue

Current Issue: Winter 2023

Editorial

THE BIG NEWS – if you haven’t yet read Jim Ellison’s open letter on page 7 then do so now. Labouring perpetually below decks in the good ship Tykes Towers for years, Jim is the one person without whom Tykes and TykesStirrings would not have been possible. Personally, I would not even have considered taking on the role of editor without the assurance of his immense, unstinting and invaluable support. He’s overseen, and often initiated, all the changes that have made it a great magazine (and I say that with no false modesty):

For now, I know I speak for the entire team, countless musicians, and every single reader when I say Thank You, Jim for all those hours, days and years of unstinting labour at the grindstone of folk journalism.

The NEWS section ... is full of clubs continuing to book. Organisers never cease to amaze with their optimistic outlook … but the energy crisis is here, and costs begin to affect us. We urge you to check with your club landlords to see how the land lies. My club’s landlord has put an upper limit on the room’s temperature setting. A very reasonable one, which we gladly accept, and we are careful to return the level to its resting position at the end of the night. We hope this will keep the relationship sweet.

What's in the Winter Issue

FORGOTTEN FAVOURITES

Tony Rose, ON BANKS OF GREEN WILLOW. “On Banks of Green Willow was his third album, recorded and issued in 1976, and it’s usually reckoned his best.” Says Chris Manners. Not overstating the fact, it’s a brilliant LP and well worth hunting it down.
The A-Side – remember them?
The A-Side – remember them?

Chris Sugden's MY LIFE AS A KIPPER

Chapter 16: Shetland: Chris Sugden continues the epic journey: “The Kipper Family were never much of an international act. To be precise we went to Hong Kong, Jersey, Holland and Shetland.”
As we were a sailing past Wells-next-the Sea,
Up jumped a merman, crying "Oh, woe is me;
You'd think topless mermaids would keep me amused,
But they're always legless, so nothing ensues".
It’s not all fiddles
It’s not all fiddles

TUNE & SONG Page

It’s a bumper spread of dots … Pamela Ward & Paul Cherrington bring us Dancing at Grenoside – 200 years of dancing outside pubs. Anahata’s Tune is the gloriously asymmetric Yellow Joak from Walsh’s third collection of Lancashire tunes published around 1731. Last is Chris Dyson’s Shona Na Duit. Says Chris – “Christmas in Ireland is known as Nollaíg, which in literal terms means ‘the hinge’ of the year, the turning point of the winter solstice.”
Grenoside at Christmas
Grenoside at Christmas

DANCING in the DALES

Dales Traditional Music & Dance Collective Update for 2023–2024: The collective's aim has been to revive some of the traditional music scenes described in Bob Ellis’ book There was None of this Lazy Dancing – Folk Tunes and Dances from the Yorkshire Dales, with monthly pub sessions at the Buck Inn in Buckden and Dales Dance events with an emphasis on tunes and dances featured in the book.
The Dales are Dancing
The Dales are Dancing

Jim Shipley's TAKE 5 … LIVE

Five memorable gigs from a memorable twosome: The Devonshire and Yorkshire partnership of the cool and classy Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman
Cool and Classy
Cool and Classy

INTERVIEW

Henry Parker explains his curatorship of I thought I Told You (I’m from Yorkshire), a tribute album to Michael Chapman featuring mainly Yorkshire musicians (Including Henry, obvs!) singing Michael's songs.

RED LETTER DAYS No. 1

January & February: "Among the more unlikely and inaccurate discoveries researching February, apart from the fact that it is the month most commonly misspelled (and mispronounced too), are these gems which tell us nothing about tradition and a lot about the way the world is heading:"

"e.g. “The song The 12 days of Xmas is about Valentine gifts: Valentine’s Day used to be January 14” (wrong on every count)"

Mari Lwyd? It must be 2nd Feb
Mari Lwyd? It must be 2nd Feb

INTERVIEW: Bryony Griffith and Alice Jones

"... two thoroughly Yorkshire lasses performing winter songs from the tradition all of which have solid Yorkshire connections – songs and tunes sung and shared over the generations as the season’s icy grip took hold of the county … glad (and sometimes sad) tidings from the three ridings."
WesselBobs & Winter Songs
WesselBobs & Winter Songs

INTERVIEW: PLUMHALL

"At the start of this year Nick Hall and Michelle Plum were looking forward to a busy year – gigs returning after the Covid hiatus, the concerts they promote at Appletreewick Cruck Barn back on track, a working holiday in the South West, enough new songs to consider starting work on their third album.Ten months in, and things have taken a dramatic change – time for a catch up ..."
Making Plans & Planning Songs
Making Plans & Planning Songs

Reviews: A BOOK, Four LIVE gigs & UMPTEEN CDs!

BOOK

The Dreaming of Place Hugh Lupton's The art of telling stories

LIVE

Costa Portugal – Chris Manners dips his toe.
Stolen From God – Reg Meuross, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne & Suntou Susso in Stolen From God, a breathtaking song cycle.
Cropredy Festival – Nick Hall visits the Oxfordshire village transformed each year into Fairportsville.
Shrewsbury FF – Simon Jones says “Ever evolving, the growth of Shrewsbury from a small regional event to one of national significance has been justifiable reward for a lot of hard graft.”
Tell me a Story
Tell me a Story

CDs: Some of the Festive and Seasonal Offerings Herein

Joy & Jubilation – John Kirkpatrick
Wesselbobs – Bryony Griffith & Alice Jones
Sooner After Solstice – A Winter Union

& Some Less so

When You’re Ready – Patakas
Backwards Telescope – Colin Cater
Love is the Weapon of Choice – Daphne’s Flight
Hello Central – The Jake Leg Jug Band
Songbird – Carla Fuchs

AND ANOTHER THING

Jim Shipley on the entertainment opportunities growing up in 60s Liverpool.
Ferry ‘cross the Mersey.
Ferry ‘cross the Mersey.

FILOFOLK

Make a date, have a sing, sink a pint.

READ ALL ABOUT IT … in the magazine — get yours from the subscribe pages