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Saturday 31 December 2011

Betley Village Hall, New Year's Eve

Happy New Year!

A new venue for our new year celebration and it was wonderful to see so many people from our Brown Edge ceilis. The Betley bell-ringers left early to ring in the New Year and we all went out to listen after singing Auld Lang Syne but couldn't hear a single chime – apparently the wind was blowing in the wrong direction! We'll be back at Betley for New Year's Eve 2013 (no,  that's not a typo) – see you then.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Circle Mixer
Daniel's Delight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Strip the Willow
Shebeg an Shemor / Give me your Hand
Elsie's Dance
The Humours of Scariff / Some Say the Devil is Dead
A Simple Longways Set
The Seige of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Waltz
The Dashing White Sergeant
Jack's Alive
Clopton Bridge
Keswick Square Eight
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
The Gay Gordons
Ashokan Farewell
The Chimes of Big Ben
Auld Lang Syne
Polka Off
Circassian Circle
Turkey in the Straw

Girls just want to have fun!

Saturday 10 December 2011

The Old Brown Jug, Newcastle-under-Lyme



It's time to put on your festive dancing shoes, mark up your dance card and get ready to get jiggy as Christmas starts on Saturday 10 December when The Moody Food Ceili Band and caller Collin Higgs play their annual  Christmas Ceili at The Old Brown Jug, 41 Bridge Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 2RY. Admission is £2 (free before 9pm) and the ceili chaos starts at 9.00pm.



Friday 25 November 2011

Grappenhall Community Centre

Happy Birthday Fiona!

Moody Food travelled up to Grappenhall – the posh end of Warrington – to celebrate Fiona's birthday. This was a bit of a re-match as we also played at Fiona's wedding back in 2003. The hall was filled with a forest of balloons and the children seemed to be having their own private backstage party when they weren't dancing. A great night with great food and we only managed to trip the noise meter three times.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Patsy Geary's / Colman's Cross Jigs
The Flying Scot
The Snowball
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Goatland Square Eight
The Gravel Walk / Crowley's Reel
Sylvia's Simple Longways Set
Clopton Bridge
Happy Birthday Fiona
The Siege of Delhi
The Gay Gordons
The Old Swan Gallop
Midnight on the Water / Waltz Vienna
Dorchester Caper
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
Circassian Circle
Happy Birthday Fiona!

The usual suspects.

Backstage in the VIP lounge.

May I have this dance?


Saturday 19 November 2011

Meir Heath Village Hall


Happy Birthday Dave!

After yesterday's trip to Ashbourne Moody Food were  back on home territory at Meir Heath for another birthday ceili. Autumn seemed finally to have arrieved with the street lamps bathed in mist giving the journey to the hall an eery, Dickensian atmosphere.

The poster reads:
60 years of Dave. From young innocence to questionable style, an array of dodgy haircuts and tash choices, through fatherhood, fancy dress and one too many whiskeys ...
Collin's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Patsy Geary's / Colman's Cross Jigs
The Snowball
Thady U Ganda
Collin's Big Set
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Scatter Promenade
Happy Birthday Dave
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
The Gay Gordon's
Drops of Brandy
Virginaia Reel
The Gravel Walk / Crowley's Reel
Cumberland Square Eight
The Foula Reel
Cicassian Circle
The Cock o' the North

Happy Birthday Dave!

Friday 18 November 2011

Ashbourne, Empire Ballroom

Happy Birthday David!

This was our third trip to Ashbourne this year with Moody Food and it's beginning to feel like our second home. We've been playing at the annual Burns night bash at Ashbourne for a few years now along with the Ashbourne and District Pipe Band. David plays the bagpipes with the ADPB which explains the Saltire, tartan, and bagpipes on his cake but not the er... tractor.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Midnight on the Water / Waltz Vienna
Shebeg an Shemor / Give Me Your Hand
The Humours of Scarrif / Some Say The Devil is Dead
Cutting Bracken Strathspey and Jig / The Connaughtman's Rambles, Love in the Morning
The Glasgow Gallop
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Canadian Barndance
Goatland Square Eight
The Flying Scot
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
The Gay Gordons
Fly Away / Turkey in the Straw / Seneca Square Dance
Waltz
Oxo Reel
The Lark in the Morning / Langstern's Pony
Circassian Circle
Auld Lang Syne

Happy Birthday David!

Saturday 22 October 2011

Holy Trinity Hall, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Happy Birthday Karen!

Well this was a first – a town crier to read out a birthday eulogy – but then the hall was full of thespians. Over the years we've built up a little a ceili community and it's great when we see a familiar face amongst the dancers. Karen had been to two Moody Food birthday ceilis before and liked what she saw and decided to celebrate her 50th in the same way – great cake by the way!

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Dorchester Caper
Oxo Reel
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Circle Mixer
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
The Snowball
Clopton Bridge
The Gravel Walk / Crowley's Reel
Polka Off
Midnight on the Water / Waltz Vienna
Cumberland Square Eight
Circassian Circle
Cock o' the North

Birthday Cake.
Thalia and Melpomene.
Food arranged for James to stage dive into.
Relax – you're only 50!

Saturday 15 October 2011

Leek Cricket Club

Congratulations Sue and Brian on your Ruby Wedding Anniversary – 40 years of marriage – an achievement made all the more impressive to me as I haven't even managed one. Typically, I remembered to bring the camera but not the all important battery so we were unable unable to record the celebrations in their entirety. All was not lost as Sue came to the rescue with her iphone. Her pics are a bit lo-rez, but the grainy, arty look gives them a charm or their own. There were more, but as with the way of things, they appear to have fallen into Internet limbo.

We had a guest caller for the evening – Jason Hill from the band Alf Alfa and the Wild Oats – who calls my favourite comedy ceili dance, Salutation Square Dance.  Here's Jason's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Circle Mixer
Flying Scot
Salutation Square Dance
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Caerphilly March
Cumberland Square Eight
Stoke Golding Country Dance
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Old Swan Gallop
Circassian Circle

Saturday 1 October 2011

Barlaston

Happy Birthday Sam!

I suppose this must have been a barn dance rather than a ceili what with all the checked shirts and cowboy hats. We had another great night of dancing and food (I'm so grateful when there's a vegetarian option to the hog roast), individual cakes for everyone, and champagne to toast the good health of the birthday girl. I even managed to persuade Mike and Sylvia to do my favourite dance – Rosa (which they call 'the cuddle dance'). 

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Oxo Reel
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz /  Ragtime Annie
Circle Hornpipe
The Flying Scot
Rosa
Happy Birthday Samantha
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Old Swan Gallop
Postman's Knock
Nordal Rumba
Strip the Willow
The Gravel Walk / Crowley's Reels
Polka Off
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
Cumberland Square Eight
Circassian Circle
Cock o' the North

A Cake for Everyone

It must have been a Barn Dance

Saturday 24 September 2011

The Old Brown Jug, Newcastle-under-Lyme


Another great night with the Moody Food Ceili Band down at the Old Brown Jug in Newcastle – we had girls on a Hen Night and birthday boys all adding to the ceili chaos.

Collin's dances for your Moody Food Dance card:

Big Maggie's Set
The Snowball
Doxey Marches
Thady U Ganda
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
Falling Masonry
Virginia Reel
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Boston Tea Party
Clopton Bridge
Nordal Rumba
Cumberland Square Eight
Foula Reel
Circassian Circle
Southern Flavor

Still haven't learnt how to use a camera.


















The Basket!

Saturday 17 September 2011

The Westlands, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Happy Birthday Helen!

A riot of balloons, little ones doing their own thing,  an epic quiz based around the number 40 and the year 1971, curry for tea and back home to hear the chimes at midnight – top!

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:  

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Circassian Circle
The Flying Scot
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Simple Longways Set
The Humours of Scariff / Some Say the Devil is
Dead Lucky 7
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Happy Birthday Helen
The Snowball
Circle Hornpipe
Caerphilly March
Circassian Circle
Patsy Geary's Jig



Saturday 10 September 2011

New Mills, Muriel and Fred

Congratulations Muriel and Fred on 50 years of marriage. It was only last year that we celebrating their son's silver wedding anniversary (you can see photos of Tim and Tracey's celebration here).

I was pleased to see that Muriel and Fred kept up the family tradition of documenting their life together through the medium of cake and that granddaughter Lucy still has the energy to skip the light fandango and turn cartwheels across the floor throughout the night.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Flying Scot
Circle Hornpipe
Goatland Square Eight
Waltz (Midnight on the Water)
Old Swan Gallop
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Polka Off
Oxo Reel
Circle Waltz
Caerphilly March
Shebag and Shemor
Circassian Circle
Cock 'o the North



Saturday 20 August 2011

Whiston, Bob and Graham














The end of the wedding season saw Moody Food celebrating the civil partnership of Bob and Graham at Whiston. No Mike, no Emma – so no photos. However, I did manage to get one of the cake.

Collin's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock 'o the North / 100 Pipers
The Snowball
Doxie Marches
Thady U Ganda
Scatter Promenade
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Boston Tea Party
Old Swan Gallop
Virginia Reel
Cumberland Square Eight
Circassian Circle

Friday 12 August 2011

JCB Lakeside Club, Aine and Peter


Ceili-disco-tastic! Moody Food travelled down to the JCB Lakeside Club and back in time to the 70s – mirror balls, disco lights, a DJ and stage lights so hot and bright that you couldn't see the dancers.

Here, just for little Louise (who danced all night long), are Sylvia's dances for her Moody Food Dance Card:

Aine and Peter's first dance (True by Spandau Ballet)
Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Glasgow Gallop
The Snowball
Goatland Square Eight
Shebeg an Shemor / Give me your Hand
Simple Longways Set
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reel
The Flying Scot
Pattercake Polka
Circassan Circle

Filling in their dance cards.

Aine and Peter's wedding cake.

Saturday 6 August 2011

Long Buckby, Issy and Ian


We don't usually like to travel far from home, especially when we have to use a map, but we made an exception for Issy and Ian and set off down the motorway to Long Buckby. The 'dance hall' was a little marquee in a beautiful garden – I much prefer these small, intimate, home made celebrations where everyone seems to actually know one another.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Issy and Ian's first dance (Midnight on the Water)
The Snowball
Goatland Square Eight
The Humours of Scariff / Some Say the Devil is Dead
Strip the Willow
Clopton Bridge
Polka Off
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Mixer
Waterloo Dance
Simple Longways Set
Boston Tea Party
The Gravel walks / Crowley's Reel
Lucky 7
Postman's Knock
Shebeg an Shemor / Give me your Hand
Keswick Square Eight
Cicassian Circle
Cock o' North / 100 Pipers

Issy and Ian's First Dance.

Saturday 30 July 2011

Ashbourne, Lizzy and Jimbo



Another great evening in Ashbourne with Moody Food celebrating the wedding of Lizzy to Jimbo. A hot air balloon floating above the town guided us on our journey there, but it didn't stop us from getting lost once we arrived. We went around the outskirts about three times before we found the secret lane up to the Bowling Club high on the hill above the town – a perfect spot to watch the sun set. Thanks to everyone who danced through the night in spite of the heat and sorry about the Les Dawson moment at the end – Sue broke a string.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Snowball
Goatland Square Eight
Strip the Willow
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Polka Off
Circle Waltz
Postman's Knock
The Siege of Ennis
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
Waterloo Dance
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Old Swan Gallop
Circassian Circle
The Cock 'o the North / 100 Pipers

Who caught the bouquet?

Only phenomenal self-control prevented me from helping myself to the top cake.

Saturday 16 July 2011

Checkley Community Centre


This was our first time at Checkley with Moody Food and in spite of the power cuts we had a great time. The dance floor was packed right up until the witching hour and we also had some impromptu line dancing and a freestyle version of the Gay Gordons to top and tail the evening. No ceili seems to be complete without a hog roast these days – someone needs to create a vegetarian version for me. The auction raised around £1400 for the charity Breakthough Breast Cancer.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock 'o the North / 100 Pipers
The Snowball
Circle Dance
The Holly Bush
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
The Siege of Ennis
Goatland Square Eight
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Polka Off
The Dashing White Sergeant
Cornish Six Hand Reel
Swedish Masquerade
The Willow Tree
Circle Waltz
The Old Swan Gallop
Circassian Circle
Cock 'o the North / 100 Pipers

Aim High, Breakthough Breast Cancer.

Saturday 9 July 2011

St Peter's Methodist Hall, Newcastle


Back on home territory for a retirement party after last night's fun up in Manchester – great dancing, great food, and back home before midnight – perfect!

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock 'o the North / 100 Pipers
Dorchester Caper
Circle mixer
The Siege of Ennis
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Strip the Willow
Goatland Square Eight
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Waltz
Waterloo Dance
Old Swan Gallop
The Willow Tree
Circssian Circle
Southern Flavor

Friday 8 July 2011

English Martyr's Parish Centre, Manchester


Happy Birthday Sharon!

You never really know what to expect when you turn up for a gig. As this was at the local Irish centre we were expecting an evening of Riverdance but found ourselves in the the middle of the OK Corral – pistols, cowboy hats and straw bales everywhere.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
The Flying Scot
Sylvia's Simple Longways Set
The Oxo reel
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Happy Birthday Sharon
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Dance
Caerphilly March
The Snowball
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
Heel and Toe Polka
Circassian Circle
Big Maggie's Set


Saturday 2 July 2011

The Moathouse, Stephanie and Richard


A ceili to celebrate the wedding of Stephanie to Richard at the Moathouse on Festival Park in Stoke. This was the site of the old Garden Festival back in 1986 where I was one of the musicians – I wonder how many are still performing. It makes a change to have a decent sized dance floor in a hotel – they're usually just big enough for a couple of bridesmaids to shuffle around their handbags and despite it being a very hot evening we all danced the night away under a starry ceiling.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
Glasgow Gallop
The Snowball
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Goatland Square Eight
Clopton Bridge
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Sylvia's Simple Longways Set
Circle Waltz
Cumberland Square Eight
Circassian Circle

Saturday 25 June 2011

Goostrey Rose Festival


Summer finally arrived on Saturday just in time for the Goostrey Rose Festival, which is like Glastonbury, but without the mud. The whole village seemed to be involved judging by the amount of bunting along the street leading us to the festival field with its marquee and maypole.

As it was such a glorious sunny evening we took time to enjoy some of the excellent food on offer – I skipped the hog roast and went straight for the pudding of chocolate gateau, strawberries and cream – before getting down to some serious dancing.

Goostrey is twinned with Elizabethfontein school in South Africa and had invited over a  group of children on an exchange trip to share in the festivities. I don't know what they thought of the ceili but they seemed to be having a good time and even managed to add a few moves of their own to the dancing. Sylvia's going to use them at our next gig – perhaps not.

It was a great night and a nice surprise to meet up again with Sarah and Martin. We played for Sarah's birthday dance last year, just up the road in Marthall.

Here's Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Promenade
Nordal Rumba
Lake Arthur Stomp / Empty Bottle Stomp
Big Maggie's Set
The Flying Scot
The Oxo Reel
Goatland Square Eight
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Circle Hornpipe
The Snowball
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Old Swan Gallop
Circassian Circle
Southern Flavor

Marquee and maypole

Mmmmm – pudding!

Saturday 18 June 2011

The Old Brown Jug, Newcastle-under-Lyme


Another night of ceili chaos down at The Old Brown Jug, including a rather literal interpretation of the Flying Scot – he ended up in Arthur's drum kit.

Sunday 5 June 2011

The Holy Inadequate, Etruria


StringFing completed their June mini Etruscan tour with a gig at The Holy Inadequate. One of the most striking things about the pub (apart from the great beer and friendly staff, of course) is the huge mural painting. I thought that it looked familiar and that's because it's a copy of the album cover 'A Storyteller's Night' by Magnum.

We will be playing here regularly, so look out for dates on the StringFing facebook page.

Saturday 4 June 2011

Etruria Canal Festival


StringFing were back camping in a marquee at the Etruria Canal Festival again this year. Much better weather and a scorching sun meant that I was reluctantly persuaded to leave my woolly jumper at home.

During a break in playing I bumped into Mike Fisher who takes many of the photos at my Moody Food gigs and bought a mug with one of his canal pictures. It shows Cherry Eye Bridge on the Caldon canal and the horse Badger who used to haul a narrow boat on passenger trips from Froghall Wharf during the 1980s.


Saturday 21 May 2011

Knighton Social Club Marquee


A jolly jaunt for Moody Food down to Knighton to take part in the centenary celebrations of Premier Foods. The proceeds of the week-long festival of events went to worthy causes and were shared between the Midlands Air Ambulance and Help For Heroes.

Dancing was held in a marquee, with the wind doing its bets to uproot it, and with the poshest dance floor we've ever seen. The light is always interesting in marquees for it slowly fades as the evening melts into night.

We're often asked what the difference is between a ceili and a barn dance – well this was definitely a barn dance what with the straw bales, cowboy hats and checked shirts and even some impromptu line dancing. We don't need much excuse to play Bill Monroe's Southern Flavor, but tonight it felt just right.

Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Behind the Haystack / Merrily Danced the Quaker's Wife
The Snowball
Goatland Square Eight
Circle Mixer
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Strip the Willow
Circle Waltz
Boston Tea Party
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
Waterloo Dance
The Willow Tree
Southern Flavor
Cumberland Square Eight
Circassian Circle
Cock o' the North

Saturday 7 May 2011

Victoria On The Square, Hanley


Happy Birthday Sylvia!

This was probably the smallest dance floor that we've ever held a ceili on – we had dancers galloping up the corridors trying to find a little more space. It was so cramped that we had to do some of the dances in relays. There's an Irish tune called Round the House and Mind the Dresser which refers to the days when dances were held in homes rather than halls. We've renamed it Round the Pub and Mind the Speakers in honour of the Victoria on the Square. Thanks to Mike who was much in demand to make up the numbers and still found time to take the photos and to Tom (bass) and Arthur (drums) for halving the average age of the band.

Here are Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
The Flying Scot
Behind the Haystack / Merrily Danced the Quakers Wife
The Snowball
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Goatland Square Eight (1)
The Humours of Scariff / Some Say the Devil is Dead
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Simple Longways Set
Clopton Bridge
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
Goatland Square Eight (2)
Cumberland Square Eight
Circassian Circle
Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers

Happy Birthday Sylvia.  59 + 1 = 60.

Saturday 30 April 2011

Consall Hall, Helen and Stephen

Congratulations Helen and Stephen on your wedding.

I didn't have time to look around the wonderful gardens at Consall Hall but the young crowd who came to share the day with Helen and Stephen made up for that loss with some lively and 'enthusiastic' dancing throughout the night (piggybacks in Clopton Bridge). For the man who wanted to know the names of the waltzes that we played, they were Sheebeg and Sheemore by the blind Irish harper Turlough O' Carolan (1670 – 1738) and Give me your Hand by Ruairi 'Dall' O' Cathain (c.1570 – c.1650).

Here are Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Helen and Stephen's first dance (Waltz)
The Snowball
Goatland Square Eight
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Circle Hornpipe
Orcadian Strip the Willow
Sheebeg and Sheemore / Give me your Hand
Waterloo Dance
The Willow Tree
The Cock 'o the North / 100 Pipers
Clopton Bridge
Circassian Circle
Southern Flavor

Saturday 23 April 2011

Hannah and Daniel, Rudyard


Congratulations Hannah and Daniel. We remember a very little Hannah having violin lessons from Sue – how time flies. This is a very pretty venue for a wedding, looking out onto Rudyard lake (even though the drive down to it is a bit scary!)

Here are Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

The Snowball
Circle Mixer
The Siege of Ennis
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Strip the Willow
The Gravel Walks
Polka Off
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Waterloo Dance
Postman's Knock
Circle Waltz
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
The Willow Tree
Old Swan Gallop
Circassian Circle

Cossack Dancing!















This was also Emma's last gig with Moody Food before she sets off to travel around the world – good luck Em, we'll miss you. You can see what she's up to by following her blog, Roo and Emma's excellent adventure – awesome!

Saturday 16 April 2011

The Smithfield, Hanley














Moody Food played at Roo and Emma's fundraising / leaving party before they leave to travel around the world volunteering on community projects in Argentina, Peru, India, Nepal and just about everywhere in between. The evening raised around £400 to give to the charities they visit. You can follow their progress across the world on their blog, Roo and Emma's awfully big adventure. Good luck to the both of you.

Friday 15 April 2011

Northwood Parish Hall

A magical evening with the Growing Hearts and Minds Project at Northwood Parish Hall celebrating the turning of the seasons and the arrival of spring.

It all started with a lantern procession through Northwood park and ended up at the parish hall which was decorated with banners and lanterns. Here we had some wonderful food and were entertained with a shadow story, a rather strange ritual involving banging a nail into a man's head (don't try that at home), and the arrival of the snow bear to sweep away the winter – and everyone went home with a vegetable patch box of seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Music was provided by a scratch band comprised of guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin, fiddle, harmonica, percussion and vocals which performed songs written at a series of songwriting workshops run by Aidan and Steve.Two songs were written by young people from the Changes music group – Rattle, Hum and Strum! – which is how I became involved. We wrote down things we liked about living in Stoke and Aidan knocked them into shape to produce a song. This is what we came up with – Aidan's version was sung to a three chord rockabilly chugalug beat whilst Mary's was slow and dreamy.


It's No Joke, Living In Stoke (Aiden's version)

 

Morning duck, your dog's looking funny

Can you spare a bit of cash can you give a bit of money
For a big issue seller who's down on her luck
Thanks a million, morning duck
It's no joke when you're living in Stoke
And you can't pay the bills when you're stony . . . broke

The smog has gone, the jobs have too
We import china for the loo
Armitage Shanks isn't quite so flush
Doulton's winged it and Wedgewood's dust
Canals have dried up there ain't no barges
We just keep paying the community . . . charges

Chorus:
Do we recognise the faces, do we recognise the names?
Does the story change or does it stay the same?
Does the story change?
Or do we let it stay the same?

Stanley Matthews is smiling down
On the square with no fountain in the middle of the town
The Reginald Mitchell makes a pretty penny
Never was so much drunk by so many
The statues in the streets look pretty flash
But where is Lemmy and where is . . . Slash?

Chorus

If you ever plan to cycle west
Go round Forest Park, that's the best
Down the Trent and Mersey and the Caldon Canal
Cycle real quick or cruise dead slow
Eat those butties when you're rolling back
But don't get knackered . . . with a flat

Chorus

It's No Joke, Living In Stoke (Mary's version)


Memories all around in this great town
Which turns our frowns upside down
From Sir Stanley Matthews to the pits
From the past to the present and the other bits

It's not a joke living in Stoke
All the people are full of hope
Some are happy some are chatty
Some are funny some have money

From pubs to clubs
From parties to outings
Stoke is great
Even with all the shouting

Big issue man outside M&S
Sentinel man with his little nest
Loss of jobs, loss of money
But at least in Stoke it's always homely

It's not a joke . . .

 

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Keele University


Ceili Crystallographers! Another conference gig at Keele, this time for the British Crystallographic Association. Funny that it always seems to be scientists who book us – doesn't anyone in the humanities like to have a bit of a bop?

Here are Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Glasgow Gallop
Goatland Square Eight
Strip the Willow
The Siege of Ennis
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Postman's Knock
Polka Off
Circle Waltz
Old Swan Gallop
Circassian Circle

Saturday 2 April 2011

Whitmore Village Hall


Happy Birthday Margaret!

We haven't played at Whitmore for some time so it was nice to be back, especially on such a beautiful spring evening, with blossom everywhere. You really know that the season is turning when you turn up to a gig in daylight. Hog roasts seem to be very popular these days – I wonder if anyone does a vegetarian option :-)

Here are Collin's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers
The Snowball
Thady U Ganda
La Russe
The Humours of Scariff / Some Say the Devil is Dead
Oxo Reel
The Siege of Delhi / The Earls's Chair
Bill's Polka
The Bridge of Athlone
Old Swan Gallop
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Virginaia Reel
Boston Tea Party
The Foula Reel
Cumberlnd Square Eight
Happy Birthday Margaret
Circassian Circle


Happy Birthday Margaret

Saturday 26 March 2011

The Old Brown Jug, Newcastle-under-Lyme


Thankfully everyone had recovered from their St Patrick's Night hangovers just in time to put on their dancing shoes, mark up their dance cards and to jig-a-jig the night away with Moody Food – and we had four birthdays to celebrate as well. See you all again in June.

Collin's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Big Maggie's Set
The Snowball
Thady U Ganda
Uncle Albert's
The Gravel Walk / Crowley's Reel
Oxo Reel
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
Nova Scotia
Old Swan Gallop
Virginia Reel
Cumberland Square Eight
Happy Birthday Ann Marie /Sean / Emma / Marion
Circassian Circle
Southern Flavor

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Keele Postgraduate Association, St Patrick's Night Eve


StringFing's Eve of St. Patrick’s Hootenanny at the KPA at Keele. We were otherwise engaged at our regular monthly gig at the New Inn in Hanley so Spike decided to inaugurate a new festival into the ritual calendar – long may it remain.

Saturday 12 March 2011

Gradbach Mill, Natalie and Nick



This Saturday saw us up at Gradbach Mill in the Staffordshire Moorlands for the belated wedding celebrations of Natalie and Nick. This was all supposed to take place in December last year, but due to heavy snow the narrow lanes became impassable and it all had to be cancelled at the very last minute.

Nevertheless, it was a brilliant idea to hire the youth hostel at Gradbach and to celebrate their wedding by having a bit of a jig with their friends. These intimate dances always seem to have a special quality that's often missing in larger, more formal celebrations – there's a real feeling that you are among friends and that everyone actually knows each other!

Natalie and Nick will be off soon to Fiji for three years which explains all the grass skirts, Hawian shirts and garlands of flowers. Emma will be there later on this year, so perhaps you will all meet up again!

Here are Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Natalie and Nick's first dance (Midnight on the Water)
The Snowball
Goatland Square Eight
Strip the Willow
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Circle Mixer
Postman's Knock
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Waterloo Dance
The Willow Tree
Molloy's Favourite / The Foxhunter / Cooley's Reels
Polka Off
Old Swan Gallop
Clopton Bridge
Circassian Circle
Cock o' the North / 100 Pipers

Free-form ceili chaos!

Saturday 5 March 2011

Cauldon Village Hall

The next Moody Food Ceili will be at Cauldon Village Hall on Saturday 5 March to raise funds for First Responders who deal with  999 calls and the amblance service. 

Tickets are £10 (under 10's £3) and include a pie and pea supper and will be  available on the door. For further information contact Tim Batey 07545 501895 or email wcfrevents@gmail.c3

Monday 21 February 2011

Caverswall Castle, Anouska and Tim


Unfortunately this was probably our last wedding dance at Caverswall Castle which is a pity as it was a great venue even though the dance floor was very small. Roaming around the rooms upstairs provided a pleasant diversion between dances, although they didn't always offer jenga and twister!

Here are Sylvia's dances for your Moody Food Dance Card:

Anouska and Tim's first dance (Let's Stay Together)
Oxo Reel
Goatland Square Eight
The Humours of Scarrif
The Snowball
Discouraging Waltz / Ragtime Annie
Circle Hornpipe
Circle Waltz
Waterloo Dance
The Siege of Delhi / The Earl's Chair
Postman's Knock
Stoke Golding Country Dance
Shebag an Shemor / Give me your Hand
Simple Longways Set
The Gravel Walks / Crowley's Reel
Polka Off
Circassian Circle

Jenga!