After a journey to the east earlier in the week, this time it was our turn to journey north - to Stony Stratford, a small village on the outskirts of Milton Keynes, to visit the renowned Song Loft folk club. The club meets on a Friday night in a very nice room upstairs in the Cock Hotel on Stony Stratford’s High Street. As with the Hoy-at-Anchor folk club, the welcome at The Song Loft was very warm from the moment we walked in.
This is a busy and talented club. MC for the evening Brian started the proceeding with an excellent song and great north-eastern wit which was evident throughout the whole evening. Fellow club organiser Maurice and his partner then did a couple of very nice songs. We went on for three numbers in the middle of the first round and I am pleased to report tapping feet and nodding heads were much in evidence as we played; the reception to our material seemed very positive indeed. The first finished with a nice Scottish set performed by club regulars, (small) bagpipes and all.
The second half had a very similar and high level of club talent on show as the first, and Rob and I were honoured to be asked to return to play another couple of songs. The standard of banter remained absolutely excellent throughout the evening and the impression was very much one of a group of friends enjoying each other’s company greatly.
Friends Paul and Pam Ward, who we have seen at various clubs around the region over recent times were also visiting The Song Loft that night, and it was really nice to get the chance to again listen to their very beautiful songs about industrial Sheffield and a terrific song about experiences Pam’s father had in the Second World War. Pam has a great voice and Paul is a very fluid and silky guitarist who makes some lovely sounds.
We had a good chat with the club organisers at the end of the evening and we very much hope to make the return trip to Stony Stratford early in the New Year. With some good sounds on in the car on the way home and a bottle of beer as a wind down once back in the house, the night was happily complete.