While we are unable to meet we continue to look back at the start of the club. This is the write up from the Ninth meeting of the club on the 10th June 1998.

“Our June meeting opened with Chick Stephens and his magic accordion, Chick started with After All These Years, Old Flames and Bunch of Thyme before ending with Dark Isle. Next up was Frank Scholes who provided us with renditions of Peggy O'Neil, Have You Ever Been Lonely, Little Old Wine Drinking Me and Pretty Woman. Frank gives up his time to play for the Amounderness Ladies Morris Dancing Team but is looking for an accordionist to help out, see the other side of this newsletter if you are interested. Tom Bennett was next to entertain us with A Whiter Shade of Pale which he said was being played from a very faded piece of music, I haven't tried that excuse yet - I must remember it. He followed this with 59th St Bridge Song and ended with Ballad Pour Adeline. Tom has been practicing his left hand technique and it is showing, I used to wind him up whenever he came to my house, by playing tunes on the left hand as well as the right hand, this was because whenever Tom played right hand he always seemed to leave fingers behind while continuing with the tune and the only way I could keep up with him was on the left hand. Now he is practicing and getting better with his left hand I had better start learning to sing. Let nobody say that accordion clubs don't encourage improvement! I just hope he doesn't start dancing while he is playing otherwise I give up. Ian Carter followed Tom, he giving us Barren Rocks of Aden followed by Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, this was the piece at the top of my playlist, I had decided that nobody would play it so I practiced it for a whole week. I don't think it matters if the same tune is played by two or more people on the same night because we all have our own personality in our music, this is what makes music human and interesting. I believe that if dots were meant to be read and played strictly one way and without any personal interpretation or embelishments then we might as well put a computer at the front of the club and listen to that. Ian continued with Teribus, Tinkers Waltz, Isle of Capri and finally finishing with Jacqueline Waltz. Jean Southern followed with Belle Fiore, Oslo Waltz, Soiree Parisienne and finishing with Tyroleon Accordion. Our resident accordion and keyboard duo Jay and Jeff Ward were on next, Jay has just bought a new keyboard, (not that she needs one, she sounds good now), this keyboard has, amongst its millions of instruments, an accordion. This is not just one accordion sound, but a whole bag-full, you can even see a picture of the accordion on the colour screen while you are playing and what's more you can choose which couplers you are using by selecting the couplers on screen, I tried to sneak it out of her house but she was on to me. Once she has mastered it I am sure Jay will bring it to the club and let you hear how much it sounds like an accordion, oh nearly forgot, Jeffs' a good player too. He told us he did not play keyboard, then proceeded to put a pianist to shame. Jay and Jeff gave us Barcarolle, Pennies from Heaven, All of Me and Speak Softly Love. Andrew Figg made his debut appearance at Leyland Accordion Club playing Amour Amour, Dance of the Puppets, Somewhere My Love and Luci E Ombre. Another new player was Bill Agnew who plays a lively accordion, Bill played La Paloma, Cuckoo Waltz, You Can't Be True Dear, Mocking Bird Hill, If Your Irish and many many more, many of the tunes Bill said he did not know the title but he certainly knew how to play them, I felt tired watching him. Robert Hood who has just joined the Internet society was next with Inspiring Hope, Nichola, Memory and Band Boys which was a tune he heard on his Will Starr cassette, the music of which is out of print. Robert spoke to that well known accordionist Gary Blair who gave him a contact in Scotland who could get it for him, the end result we heard at the club. Basil Berry followed Robert with Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses, Charade, A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square, A Man and a Woman before ending with the Panorama Theme. I was next with A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, followed by two others which escape me. It was now 10.45 and just time for another first time player Ken Hartley to give us March of the Accordion De Lyon, Beethovens Sonata in G, All The Things You Are and the Happy Mountaineers. Jay and Jeff Ward took us to 11pm and hometime. I look forward to meeting you on Wednesday 8th July when Johnny Coleclough promises to make us think about the kind of tunes we play on the accordion. Keep Practicing. “

David Batty

Hopefully that was an interesting blast from the past, now to move up to date with some items to keep you entertained during the lockdown.