Cult of Ffynche
Non Est Festinandum
Twitey
This is how it all started… Christmas - aged 14.
A Watkins Rapier 22 with flat-wound strings,
Dad’s surplus 10 watt mono Pamphonic
audio amplifier and an old oval speaker in a plywood box.
Hawkwind on the Garrard AP26 turntable, Sinclair 3000 amp and
Wharfedale Unit 4’s.
Then a school band - Kim on Lead, Nick (r.i.p.) on bass, me on rhythm and Pete on drums. Riding out to practice on a Raleigh Runabout. Two groupies - Jenny (Nick’s sister) and her best friend, Jill. I had hair then ……
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Bought Pete’s Eko Ranger VI for £25 - and I still have it 47 years later. Trusty ol’ thing. Hours of bedroom time - trying to learn songs by ear. Never did very well - but it almost kept me out of trouble.
Grantchester Meadows has to be mentioned. Fellow Floyd nut and Roger Waters’ greatest ever fan, Steph, taught me to play the ‘meadows’ song.
We spent many long days and nights with two guitars and trying things; in that place. 52°10'57.4"N 0°05’59.7”E
And then to college…..Student digs in Leeds.
Various spontaneous music sessions took place at 'Springy Mount'. Often, the med-school girls and friends came round - with room-mate and fine guitarist, Steve, we managed to get a few sing-along songs together. Good to learn from a better player.
Volunteering at the Union gigs got me to see the likes of John Martyn, Wishbone Ash, Santana and more. The music roots started to spread.
Spanish love affair. So, I left - and chased a girl to Spain. Wouldn’t you have? Yes - love hit me and took me to new horizons. Spanish guitar was everywhere and, also, Spanish prog rock! I found the music of Hilario Camacho and Triana.
Years later, a move to Essex found me a new music buddy and lyricist - Diane. She and I wrote a load of songs, none of which ever got to be performed until The Bluebell Inn, Hempstead, started Tuesday night jam sessions (2003-2015). Diane had moved on but with massive encouragement form Peasey and Tony - they dragged me into singing and playing.
When the doors sadly closed at The Bluebell - I found myself drawn to the gatherings in Finchingfield and ……. induction into Cult ways.
Told you. I had hair then
Silver Thunderbird
American songwriter Marc Cohn, best known for writing 'Walking in Memphis', released his eponymous first album in 1991. Ten fine tracks of his own and a version of Willie Dixon’s '29 Ways'. All great.
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This song makes me think of my dad - an engineer and car tinkerer although instead of a Thunderbird - he drove a Triumph Spitfire and not so much a 'pocket comb' - more of a 'comb-over and a hair grip'
Downtown Train
Tom Waits - what a songwriter. He tells it from the core. I stumbled across a version by Everything But The Girl and it stuck.
Heart of Saturday Night
Tom Waits again. A take on Shawn Colvin’s adaptation - from her Cover Girl album.
Twitey
