King of Rome

Julie

I very nearly back-heeled Carrington Triangle last night; it was a foul evening, but I closed the front door behind me, turned the collar up on my coat and strode out. And I'm so glad I did.
I knew there was something about Julie when she walked in the room about ten minutes or so into the session. She sang a couple of songs including The King of Rome from Dave Sudbury's enchanting book, and I knew I had to ask her to join our choir. She has an an absolutely fabulous voice, and I was bowled over right from the off.
During the interval I introduced myself and found out we share a real passion for making bread - Julie runs a community bakery - and actively promotes the connection between singing and baking. Please take a look at her blog Eat Bake Sing - you'll be amazed at what she gets up to. She also invited me to one of her workshops, so can't wait till we organise that.

King of Rome was a pigeon, owned by a Mr. C. H. Hudson, who won a race from Italy to England in 1913. He flew, bless him, all the way from Rome to Derby, a distance of 1,001 miles. No surprise that only 62 of the 1,200 released birds made it back to Blighty. The little fella lived to a ripe old age and died in 1958. He's subsequently had a radio play written about him, and been immortalised in print and song.

Here are two quite different versions of the song. The first, sung unaccompanied by Lucy Ward, is how you'll probably hear it in most folk clubs:

The Unthanks (I have rather a soft spot for the Unthank sisters), on the other hand, give it the full brass treatment courtesy of the Brighouse & Rastrick Band. Excellent versions both.

Not forgetting little Poppy-May

Triangulate

Carrington - home to Carrington Triangle Folk Club, would you believe?

New year, new Triangles. 2017 - that was the year that was, it's over let it be. 2018 - a new year of acoustic sessions at the Gladstone. And if you don't know Carrington, the Gladdy sits in the middle of the triangle - yes it really is a triangle (see the map above).

 Last night I renewed my subs and belted out a couple of Oldies but Goldies from my, ahem, back catalogue (I love writing this stuff - you'll just have to take my word that Leeds, 1972 and Dog With a Bone went down a storm). Come along one night if you don't believe me - details on the left. That's right, it'll be my caustic wit that will get me thru this year. It never did Toby Young any harm.

                      🔺🔺🔺

Sticking with triangles, the Black Crowes borrowed a classic seventies cover from Hustler magazine for their splendid Amorica album. I saw the band quite a few times around this period - 1994/95 - and they 🔺never🔺 disappointed. I particularly remember their stoner front man Chris Robinson's mission statement he sermonised one night: "To get to it, you've gotta go through it." Ain't that the truth?

The Black Crowes - Wiser Time (1994)

Triangular

Acute 

I've joined a club. They wanted me to join a little while ago, but I hesitated; you see I'm wary of clubs. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm not a joiner-inner (if that makes sense?). But, if you're not careful, clubs get taken over by odious little men. Odious little men with chips on their shoulders who turn nice little gatherings into cliques. To say they usually sport beards wouldn't be fair; but it's a truism. And they usually have a northern connection - Leeds, often.

Obtuse

But I digress. the good folk at Carrington Triangle don't do cliquey. They couldn't be any more inclusive if they tried. Just ask the 557 members who signed on the dotted before me. In fact, why don't you have a word with Paul Carbuncle  - Paul straddles that line between folk & punk, snarling & sincere, Carrington & Dublin. Like the rest of us, he sings for his supper - a veggie curry during the half time interval when glasses are re-filled and parish notices are read out.

Looking at the who's who in their illustrious guest book reveals a plethora of superb artists who have trod the boards at the Gladstone Hotel - home to the Triangle. I'd be very surprised if Chris Sherburn and Denny Bartley hadn't played there at least once. If they haven't, I may have to put a polite request in to see if we can secure their services in the not too distant. Here they both are together with Emily Sanders - a natural trio, if not a triangle.

The Auld Triangle