Folk Night for Africa Aid

Our friend Dave Ford runs Africa Aid - a charity devoted to helping poor people in Africa [including taking medical supplies to a maternity hospital in Morocco] He hosts an annual fund-raiser in the form of a Folk Night, at Quorn Village Hall, and Bob does the PA for it. So last night we were out from 5pm till gone midnight [the event itself was 7.30-11ish] Dave is an ebullient, enthusiastic, in-yer-face sort of Christian, and it was good to see 100+ people there,  supporting him and raising funds for the cause. Julie, his wife made some superb refreshments -platters of sandwiches, cakes and fresh fruit, plus assorted drinks were available.

 

The MC was a delightfully eccentric chap [sorry, have forgotten his name] who also does charity work [but in Eastern Europe] He  played his accordion and brought along 2 girls who did gypsy dancing.

They were really enthusiastic - and in view of the limited space, did some amazing moves!

There were loads of acts, including The Daze [Ian, from church is in this. I like their stuff] Doreen and John [who come from Walsall, and she writes her own stuff, which is beautiful] Eric The Turtle [he finished with a singalong to "Gordon Is a Moron"] Sheila - who sang a capella, with a wonderfully melodic voice which reminded me of Maddie Prior, and The Desperate Dogs. This lady [name forgotten again,sorry!] sung "Streets of London"

   Have you seen the old man
In the closed-down market
Kicking up the paper,
with his worn out shoes?
In his eyes you see no pride
And held loosely at his side
Yesterday's paper telling yesterday's news

    So how can you tell me you're lonely,
And say for you that the sun don't shine?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London, I'll show you something to make you change your mind

    Have you seen the old girl
Who walks the streets of London
Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags?
She's no time for talking,
She just keeps right on walking
Carrying her home in two carrier bags.
    In the all night cafe
At a quarter past eleven,
Same old man is sitting there on his own
Looking at the world
Over the rim of his tea-cup,
Each tea last an hour
Then he wanders home alone
    And have you seen the old man
Outside the seaman's mission
Memory fading with
The medal ribbons that he wears.
In our winter city,
The rain cries a little pity
For one more forgotten hero
And a world that doesn't care

Isn't is sad that Ralph McTell wrote that song forty years ago - and you can still see these characters in our capital?

As you can see, Bob was concentrating intently - some of the performers required complicated arrangements of microphones etc.

Here he is just before we started, prior to the lights being dimmed.

One act I wasn't too keen on was the George Formby Tribute. I just feel GF was a Dirty Old Man who is best forgotten!

Here's a picture of him, with accomplices, singing "Swimmin with Wimmin"

The night before the event, Dave had a last-minute phone call from someone offering to perform. He said his twin loves were Africa, and folk music.

So we enjoyed listening to "The High Commissioner to the Cameroon". No, seriously! that's not his stage name - Syd Maddicott IS Her Majesty's representative to those people!

He sings very well.

Here's a picture of him last night - and the official website shot

                                                                 I wrote a note on Bob's Clipboard "Where is the Cameroon?" and he scribbled back "It is a sort of biscuit!" [I have since looked on a map - it is central west Africa, between Nigerian and Congo]

By the end of the evening, everyone was very relaxed and full of food and drink. Quorn Village Hall has recently got new chairs [very comfortable] stage lighting, and excellent new toilet facilities - but is still remarkably cheap to hire for an evening.

Dave sang "Amazing Grace" and spoke about his work, and his Saviour - and challenged us all to respond to the claims of Christ - on our lives, our time and our bank accounts! The the final act - called Bohemian Repair Company, or something similar, did some good songs.The group featured Nigel The Harmonica Player, an amazingly tall thin guy, all in red [he was teased for coming dressed as a stick of rhubarb] Compare his height to that of the bearded guy on his right!! We sang John Denver's "Country Roads", and the Beach Boys "Sloop John B" with gusto.

The we packed up all the gear and came home. I got into bed 19 hours after I got out of it.