Leyland Accordion Club, Leyland, Lancashire, England.

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8th April 1998

Our 8th April night started with Leo and Les Thurston playing Tulips from Amsterdam on their MIDI accordions, followed by a German Tango, Summertime and House of the Homeland, Leo and Les also play, and have recorded, a tape under the name The Klavaccords. Next Frank Scholes played a folk dance tune and Lord of the Dance. Frank was followed by Tom Bennett with the second Tulips from Amsterdam of the night, Snow Waltz and Eye Level. Agnes McClaren next gave us House of McDonald and When Irish Eyes. Agnes recently became the owner of a MIDI accordion, this was the reason she chose the headphones in the raffle last month, she can now practice at home without disturbing her family, some of whom work night shifts. This is one of the advantages of having a MIDI setup. Our next player was Basil Berry who played Cavatina, In the Mood and a James Last medley. Basil recently wrote a magazine article about his vision of a new accordion for the future, this was a 48 Bass Electronic instrument with auto rhythms built in and a simplified Bass side. If you would like more information on this idea then have a word with Basil at the club, I am sure he will be interested in sharing his ideas with you. After the break, Jay and Jeff opened the second half with Happy Birthday for a surprised Lady in the club. Walter Perrie and George Hicks They then followed with Autumn Leaves, Romany, Spanish Eyes and Marie Elene. Hazel Haddon made her debut appearance with Tico Tico, Hazel is the person who plays so well during the breaks - after listening to her during the breaks, I have had quite a few requests from people asking me to get Hazel up to play for us, well she did it this month, well done Hazel. George Hicks played a German Clarinet polka which he heard on a record he bought for 50p. George learns all his tunes from records or from memory and has won the Buskers section of the Wyre festival numerous times, he does not go out busking on the street though, I think he would earn a fortune if he did. Last month George was presented with a Trophy by the Wyre Accordion Club for providing the best singalong music of the year. Walter Perrie had to leave early so when I found this out I made sure I put him on next before he left, Walter played March to Spey and Reel, Walter then invited George Hicks to join him for a duet. Ian Carter was next playing Oslo Waltz, Earl of Mansfield and Cuckoo Waltz. Ian is not going to let me forget that I put him on after Walter played, it is hard enough getting up in front of everyone and playing without following a professional. I have promised Ian that I will put that David Batty on after Walter next time! I was last to play but I cannot remember what, I remember doing it but the only title I remember was the Long Long Trail Medley. I nearly got away without playing but someone always seems to remember that I have not had a turn, this took us to 11pm, that was it for another month. I am looking forward to our next meeting on 13th May, we will be treated to Deirdre Adamson who is travelling all the way down from Scotland to play for us. I look forward to seeing you all again.

Accordion World Magazine I gave away thirty copies of Accordion World Magazine at the last club night and I have a few more copies of this magazine to give away at the next club night on 13th May. Simply ask for one.

The Leyland Accordion Club Website has had 2800 visitors as at 10th May 98, over 500 visitors since last month. I am getting Email messages from all over the World saying how much people like the site and how they keep in touch with the UK Accordion Market through the site. This prompted me to add to it and I decided to produce an on-line accordion magazine aimed at the UK accordion scene, this is called Accordion Newsnet UK, it is on the site and is the first UK on-line accordion magazine on the Internet. I started it because I predict that, in the future, we will all read magazines on-line rather than buying information printed on dead trees and the accordion movement might as well be one of the first in the country to make this change, who better to start it than Leyland Accordion Club. We are being watched by people from all over the World because as one message from Canada put it “it’s interesting to hear about the accordion scene in England and to vicariously learn about these events”. I will bring some of the Email messages I have received to the club on 13th May for you to read. One Mark Farey from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada said “I wonder if the Leyland Accordion Club members realise what tremendous ‘reach’ their web site gives them”, a couple from Australia wrote that they intend visiting England next year and Leyland Accordion Club is on their list of places to visit while they are here. The on-line magazine will attract even more visitors to the site in the future and is something I am going to develop. I am about to write to other clubs and accordion traders throughout the country offering advice about getting their club on the Internet. If they do get on there, I will provide a link from the Leyland site to their site, this should then become a decent accordion network from which to promote the accordion in this country. I have just given up my job as a College Lecturer to spend more time designing business Websites. This will save me from traveling 70 miles per day to Lancaster because I can work from home. I have been designing commercial computer software since 1985 and I felt it was time I got back into something that challenges me, I will continue to teach from home alongside all the other computer related work I already do, but I will have to find companies looking to get on the Internet to replace my College income, if anyone knows of any business looking to get their own website then I would be grateful if you would give them my phone number. Thanks.

Charity Accordion Night On Wednesday 27th May some members of the club are playing at Longridge in an evening of accordion music, all the proceeds going to the Brittle Bones Society. Tickets can be obtained at the club for the bargain price of only £2.50, come along to St Wilfreds Club and support these people who have been giving up their time and practicing for this night. Why not bring your friends along, refreshments will be available and you can look forward to three hours of accordion music.

Free Accordions! I bet that got your attention. It is true if you are aged between 14 and 25 years old you can apply for a Princes Trust grant of up to £500. Fifteen year old Bethany Johnson from Stockport applied, two weeks later Bethany was visited by a local representative of the trust, ten days after that she received a cheque for £500 to purchase a better accordion. I did find out our local contact for the Trust and I have passed the information on to one of our members who has sent her application form off and is now waiting to see if she is successful. If you qualify, ring Preston (01772) 263408 or call in at County Hall and ask for an application form.

After seeing him play at the recent accordion festival, I contacted Tom Alexander of the World Famous Alexander brothers and booked him to play at Leyland Accordion Club on 9th September. In order to fund the cost of booking Tom I will have to charge a higher entrance fee on that night than the normal £2, this will probably be between £3 and £4. I will let you know nearer the time.

Last month, as many of you were aware, the new manager of The Highfield said that he could not guarantee to honour our bookings because we do not have a contract and he could get a party or wedding reception asking to book on the night when we have our club night and he would make a lot more money from them. He said that he would give us a months notice before changing our night thoughand that he was putting our rent up 250%. He also said it was illegal to sell our tea and coffee during the break, after being challenged he admitted that it was not illegal but against company policy to allow us to sell drinks which could be bought downstairs. I told him that we have a private hire room which we are allowed to do what we want in, I am continuing to sell tea and coffee during the break and we will not allow our nights to be changed. I pointed out that we have a contract with The Highfield until December 1998 and I will ensure that The Highfield sticks to it. He demanded to see the contract and changed his demands when I pointed out that as a lecturer in Business Studies I know the difference between a contract and the paper a contract is written on. He has now conceded that we keep our nights, we sell tea and coffee and the rent is not going up. I also said I want next years contract sorting out before September 1998. Failing this I will have 3 months to find a new place to hold our meetings next year, somewhere that deserves us.

Channel 4 have sent me a form to fill in asking why I wish to produce a video diary about the accordion. Better get practicing.

I now have accordion carriers back in stock, these fold down to a small size and open up to allow you to wheel your accordion around rather than having to carry it. These carriers will hold up to 120lbs, about the weight of three or four accordions. You can try one at the club on Wednesday night, a bargain at only £15.