Anne Winters Blog

Funny, isn’t it? I can be out every night of the week enjoying my kind of music…then comes Saturday….maybe it’s just me!!!
Anyway, I know I should be a more regular contributor…so here I am.
I haven’t done a great deal of singing, because of the dreaded cold/flu thing that’s been going round.
I was pleased to be invited to do a spot at the Song for Gaza event at Westbourne on Nov 3rd featuring Frankie Armstrong and we all had a great night. From there it was up to Manchester for a football weekend with my daughter….great time, not great football, but spent time with lovely friends. Then straight off to Barcelona with good friends to celebrate Bid’s birthday…..and we did!!!!
Back home in time to celebrate my daughter’s birthday….it’s a hard life!!!!
Then a few days in Essex with my friends….Tuesday the Hoy at Anchor, Leigh on Sea to see lovely friends Legacy play, followed by a great evening at the Roundhouse to see Low Anthem and the following evening the legend…Joe Brown….fantastic…so busy but lovely times.
I finally managed an evening at Forest Folk to see the Urban Folk Quartet….if you get the chance…don’t miss it…fantastic evening. We had a good singaround at the Chichester folk song club on Tuesday,then I went to the Royal Oak in Lewes on Thursday to see Diamik…a wonderful Breton duo….what a fantastic night…I did a spot which was good. Then last night Folk on the Coast, Bognor for a wonderful evening with Jez Lowe…he really is good….a prolific songwriter with a fantastic rapport…again I was lucky enough to do a spot and sang Bay of Biscay and Mary Parker’s Lament….a song I sang for the show Ladies of the Outback.
So, now all I need is a Saturday night……..

Lovely evening of music featuring Lady Maisrey at Lewes Folk Club, on Thursday 27th October 2011

Well, the highlights of the summer were the music events, the walking, eating and drinking!!!!! Lots of lovely times. I’d been invited to do an evening at Chichester Folk Song Club with Dean, but he was unable to make it so I did it on my own……now there’s another story….probably better off on my own although I’ve really enjoyed working with a talented musician….bring on some more please!!!! Then an extended spot at Forest Gate folk club ended the same way….no show Dean…so I did a shortened spot which I didn’t enjoy, because I wasn’t prepared for the way the evening went…Thanks Dean….so that’s the end of that….must have a more professional attitude than that…what a let down all round. I went back to Lewes folk club on Thursday…the first time since before going to New Zealand…where has the time gone!! Jig-Jaw were great. Had a great day at Tenterden folk festival, then sang at the Sail Loft folk club on Sunday evening. That was a fantastic night!  We went to The Nelson to see Tim Broadbent on Monday and I sang, then a singaround at Chichester which was good fun. Wednesday evening was a trip to The Famous Willows, Arundel to see Martyn Wyndham Read and No Man’s Band….great evening and I sang Past Carin with Iris Bishop….really good. Lewes Folk festival saw Black Umfolosi 5 at the Royal Oak tonight…..wow….wonderful. i also did 2 songs which went down really well to a packed room. Lots more music to come this weekend……

Well, Autumn is upon us and it’s funny but the music seems better and there’s a lot more going on. I was invited to sing in the Hampshire Songs event at Sidmouth Folk Festival in August and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. There were numerous singers and choirs so a very mixed event but lots of positive feedback. Then on 16th August Dean and I did an extended spot at the Hoy @ Anchor, Leigh on Sea. We had a great evening and sang quite a few of the songs that we have on our c.d. Then it was up to Whitby….fantastic festival….I was involved with Martyn Wyndham Read, Iris Bishop, Carolyn Robson, Sue Houston and Ken Prato in a production….”Ladies of the Outback”…we really enjoyed putting the show together and hope we might record the songs in the future. I also did a spot at the Coliseum which went down well and so looking forward to doing some more again next year!

Well, I’ve been really busy enjoying myself…..hence the lack of communication. so, just a quick update. The Chichester folk club has been going from strength to strength for no particular reason except that we run every week on a Tuesday, so if you’re like me it’s great to know where you can be.In fact the club will have been running every week for 50 years at the end of 2011 beginning of 2012…so look out for celebrations.

So, since Fareham, I’ve been travelling and walked some of the south west coastal path and will be doing some more later in the year…..really lovely route,very challenging and weather dependant!!!

I’ve also done a CBT……compulsory Bike training…….imagine me on a motor bike or scooter!!!! I will say no more except I passed with injuries.

Priddy was a great festival and with friends we had a great weekend…..certainly go back again next year.

Tomorrow, the folk club and friends are doing a “Use your Parks” sing in the Bishops Palace Garden, Chichester between noon and 2pm. Then it’s off to Folk on the Coast on Thursday evening before taking the family up to Essex for the weekend. We’ll be at a charity music event on Saturday and at the Sail Loft folk club on Sunday, before a quick turnaround down to the Sidmouth folk fest for some Hampshire songs on Monday evening.

Loads to do, but enjoying it all

Well, it seems an age since I wrote about what I’ve been doing. I’ve spent a long time in New Zealand, travelling around with friends. Winter in the U.K. is always difficult for me so a long trip abroad is very fulfilling. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of doing a gig at the Bunker in Devonport, having met Roger and Hilary in the Royal Oak, at the Lewes folk club when they were visiting England earlier in 2010. It’s a fantastic club in Auckland and Roger and Hilary are great hosts. We had a great time and as a result I went to the Auckland folk festival where I met loads of lovely people, including the Maritime Crew, a bunch of shanty singers…..small world!

I’ve been catching up with friends and family ever since and also getting back into the folk music world…..always great for me.

I’ve recorded a c.d. “Like a Small Bird in a Cage” at Alistair Russell’s studio in Southbourne of which I’m very proud and also put together another recording of mainly traditional songs, “With Frills and Bows” with Dean Hobbs, a fantastic musician in his own rite. Next job is to put some music on the website or You Tube or somewhere!

I’ve been regularly going to the Chichester folk song club on a Tuesday evening at the Four Chesnuts, but haven’t managed all the other clubs on the south coast  with any regularity yet…….now the folk festival season is underway, I’m drawn to many of them….can we possibly have longer days and more time to fit everything in, please?

Since my trip to New Zealand I spent a lovely weekend in Stroud, hosted by Rod and Danny Stradling singing in the Stroud Spring sing. It was a great weekend in the company of some wonderful singers. I also joined in the May sing at Lodge Hill, hosted by Jim and Chris. Again, a fantastic weekend featuring some wonderful singers.

I had a great time at the Fareham festival and will be at Priddy, Bideford, Sidmouth and Whitby this year. I hope to join in the Hampshire song evening on 1st August in Sidmouth and am involved with Martyn Wyndham-Read’s “Ladies of the Outback” at Whitby.

Dean and I have sung at the Fab Club in Grays and the Bournemouth folk club, Centre Stage. Two good experiences and we will be at  music day in Essex at the end of July, the Hoy at Anchor, Leigh on Sea in August and at the Chichester folk club in September. So, looking forward to all of that.

Well. with a little help from my friend I’m up and running again! So much has happened and so much more is happening that I don’t know where to begin. I can’t really remember the last time I wrote so…….I’ll start from whenever! I really don’t know where I’d be without music….and for me particularly folk music…but not exclusively. I’m very fortunate…although I engineered it…to live in Chichester, which has a thriving folk scene. Tuesday evenings there is a fantastic club running at the Four Chesnuts, Oving Rd. and another folky club on a Friday evening at the Guide Hall, Whyke Lane…….Unfortunately, or fortunately for me both are in walking/staggering distance from home…say no more!

Over the past four years I have been singing again around the south coast clubs……having had a long break while life took its course. I enjoy singing and visiting Forest Folk, the two Chichester clubs, Arundel, Royal Oak, Lewes, Fo’c'sle, and Woolston and Bursledon clubs.

I also enjoy meeting up with friends all over the country where, given the opportunity, I enjoy a good sing! Chester folk festival, Priddy folk festival, Forest Gate folk club, Fareham folk festival, Sail Loft Folk club…wherever I lay my hat….

I am involved with GAG….the George Gardiner group…who promote the songs he collected 100 years ago across Hampshire. There are some really fantastic songs out there.

Recently, I have become an agent for the talented Mick Ryan and Paul Downes. This has proved to be a challenge! They are both respected and well known artistes and I’m always looking for a good club to invite them for an evening. So, all you folk club organisers…don’t be shy! 

As for me, I’m enjoying singing and have recently learned that I will be involved with the Sussex Songs event at Whitby this year, then a Hampshire song event in Petersfield on 18th September. I am also really pleased to say that I am featured in an evening at the Saturday folk club in Lewes at the Elephant and Castle on 25th September. I am the jetting off….as you do! to spend the winter in New Zealand, where I already have a gig at the famous Bunker in Auckland on Monday 27th December…so you know where to come!!!!!

Finally, for now, I am embarking on another interesting stage of my musical enjoyment. I have been singing, at a distance, with the wonders of modern technology, and have a really great guy who is putting sympathetic acccompaniment to some songs I am throwing at him….how scarey is that?

Watch this space….we have had one practice and two events and it’s ELECTRIC!……

As I have mentioned in a previous post, there are quite a lot of events coming up with regard to Hampshire songs.
I have been involved in several of these events and am looking forward to taking part in more.
So far, this Friday there is a launch of the Singing Landscape Map of locations of Gardiner’s singers in Hampshire, followed on Saturday by a Twyford event, celebrating the songs collected by Gardiner in that area.
On 13th March Rob Mills and I are presenting “Our Song Heritage” in Fareham at Westbury Manor from 2pm, when we will be singing songs from Hampshire.
I am then singing some Gardiner songs at the Gosport and Fareham folk festival on 4th April at 8pm in the Lysses hotel along with the Askew Sisters and Rob Mills.
We are looking to present some sort of event at Whitby this year too and in September/ October (date to be confirmed) we are holding an evening of Gardiner songs in Petersfield.
So, it would be lovely to see some friendly faces at any or all of these events!

Oh dear! how negative is that!…but I am very much ruled by the weather and I have had enough of what is being thrown at me…so I’ve booked a flight and I’m off to Fuertevantura for a bit of sunshine…I hope!
In the interim, I’m keeping busy, learning new songs and walking as much as possible, while attempting to start up an “agency” to promote folk music, musicians and initially Mick Ryan and Paul Downes. I hope that what I learn can be adapted to others, myself included…but we’ll see.
I had an interesting start to the week with a visit to the Wildgoose studios, where I had recorded by promo cd back in 2007…..that long ago…. anyway my recording was purely vocal so it was interesting to watch the process of vocals and instruments being layered on. Also, I was in good company. Doug and Sue are great hosts and the recording was for the new Downes and Ryan album to be released in the summer. It’ll be great so look out for it…they also have the lovely Jackie Oates featuring…so an added extra of great quality.
After a hasty journey home I made it for a fantastic evening at the Four Chesnuts…featuring Gracenotes. They are a wonderful harmony trio and we all had a great night. I managed a good rendition of A Blacksmith.
On Wednesday, I joined the Hampshire Song Group for a meeting and sing at the Hyde Tavern in Winchester. A great pub,… there are loads of events related to both Hampshire songs and particularly to those collected by George Gardiner.
Weather and other issues kept me away from Lewes on Thursday, but I tried a new, to me, sing on Friday evening at the Murrell Arms in Barnham. We had a good sing, a lot of Sussex based songs this time and some with a valentine theme…..not me of course!
I sang He was Under My Window…collected by Gardiner from Axford, Hampshire, Bushes and Briars and I’ll go and get Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk…my valentine contribution!!!!
A bit of a “let down” weekend… but sometimes it helps you put things in perspective.

I’ve been trying to go for walks, pockets full of songs to learn, but the weather hasn’t really been that nice, so I’ve only managed Fishbourne and Appledrum Quay apart from the usual walks round the Walls. The ground is so water logged it takes some stamina!The football is at least interesting if not wonderful for a Sunderland supporter…the Pompey game, of which I saw the sendings off and the late goal….96th minute…referee….were just unbelievable. The top of the Premiership is also unpredictable…but as we’re a long way from that one can only look on….Not such a busy week musically, but saw a very promising duo, Cole Stacey and Scott Ward present a great evening. I went with my daughter, Claire and had a couple of songs myself… Abroad as I was Walking and He was Under my Window…two songs collected by Gardiner from the village of Axford in Hampshire in 1907. Then on Thursday saw Jez Lowe at the Royal Oak, Lewes. A fantastic performer, wonderful evening and also had a sing…a version of A Blacksmith. I made an infrequent but enjoyable visit to the City Folk club in Chichester on Friday evening. We had a great evening with everyone on fine form. I sang A Blacksmith, Abroad as I was walking and first time out I’ll go and I’ll get Blue, Bleezing, Blind Drunk….Imagine.