Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Broadland Boy]

Just found this snippet in the East Anglian Film Archive which may interest

http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/5148

[triskel]

Steve Dickinson learned about concertina making by going into the Boosey & Hawkes factory on a Saturday morning (in the early 1970s) to help Sid Watkins, the last of the old Wheatstone concertina craftsmen. But he was astonished to turn up as usual, one Saturday morning in 1974, to find everything thrown out in a skip, and to hear that Sid had died that week - so he then set about rescuing the old Wheatstone firm and eventually took it over.

Sid Watkins is the man to be seen grinding strips of reed steel at the beginning of the Concertina Factory British Pathé newsreel, issued on 3rd April 1961.

I'd see the latter film as a swansong for the old Wheatstone firm, since the Model 7ANP instruments shown being built in it must have been from the very last batch to be made completely at their own workshop (an old house at Duncan Terrace, Islington that they shared with the celebrated flute makers Rudall Carte & Co.). Shortly afterwards both firms were absorbed into the Boosey & Hawkes musical instrument factory at Edgware in North London - completely losing their own identities and management.

I used to visit Steve Dickinson when his workshop was at Thornham Magna, and Dick Miles (who is the singer of "Mexborough Memories" at the beginning of the BBC report) used to live at my house, so this has rekindled more than a few memories...

[Stiamh]

Fascinating clips both of them, thank you gents. Almost enough to make me want to take up the concertina!

[Anahata]

Steve on bass at one end, Dick Miles at the other end and singing, so who are the middle two players?

(and I just about remember Steve looking like that, when I first met him in the late 1970s)

[pikey]

When I first started late 70s the story of the hoard of concertinas in Mexborough was rife.

Steve was well known then as a repairer, before anyone had heard of Colin Dipper.

[pikey]

Rob McKie and Nigel Pickles.

[Broadland Boy]

Thanks for the Pathe link Triskel, the wet string has a knot in it here so I shall have a look later on when neighbours are abed 

Glad the EAFA clip was of interest, there is a clip of  melodeon / stepdancing / singing at Blaxhall Ship at:

 http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/5     Not as extensive as the Pathe 'dump' on utube but some nice stuff nonetheless

[triskel]

Glad the EAFA clip was of interest, there is a clip of  melodeon / stepdancing / singing at Blaxhall Ship at:

 http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/5     

Talk about turning full circle!     

I received a Facebook invitation this afternoon, from Steve Dickinson's wife Mary, to "The annual Percy Webb Memorial Trophy singing competition [which] is being held at the Blaxhall Ship on Sunday 4 May (about 7.30pm onwards).

Singers compete by singing a traditional folk song, with the winner being decided upon votes cast by the Entrants. The winner’s name is engraved on the silver Memorial Trophy, and the tankard is held by the winner for one year. http://www.suffolkfolk.co.uk/percywebbtrophy.html"

It's getting exceedingly spooky for me on here today, and all courtesy of the BBC - starting with a hurdy gurdy player happening to strike up with a tune that I used to play on that instrument (in the Hurdy Gurdy and 'Harpa spot on BBC thread) - and now this...

Welcome, to the Twilight Zone - is a melodeon-shaped alien spaceship coming for me next? 

 

[Broadland Boy]

Welcome, to the Twilight Zone - is a melodeon-shaped alien spaceship coming for me next? 

Spooky, and just as Charles Chiltern's Martian invasion of Earth (Rad4 Extra 00.30) culminates tomorrow - unless Jet Morgan, Jock, Snowy, Tintin & Tonto* can fight them off single handed**     

Will you be in a position to attend / participate ?

Richard

* appear to be suffering from nostalgic version of mixed metaforce
** Rules out Melodea, Accordea & other 2 handed weapons of interplanetary destruction


 

[Steve_freereeder]

Rob McKie and Nigel Pickles.

yes...
Rob is on tenor-treble next to Dick Miles, and Nigel on baritone next to Steve Dickinson on bass