User:Anne Croucher

Many in my family were singers. Father's father was little devil doubt in a mumming play in his youth - I think in Youlgreave, Derbyshire - he could still recall his lines and some of the rest, wish I'd paid more attention now. I used to go to the folk club at the King George Peel street. When I left home to go to Portsmouth Polytechnic I discovered the folk club at The Star in Lake Road, the EFDSS and bought my second guitar and started going around various pubs singing and taking a collection at half time. They give you money for singing!! Moved to the Midlands and discovered more folk singers, Cotswold Morris, and John Lilburn's Regiment of musket and pike. Moved back down south to live two doors away from The Old House at Home on Locksway Rd, Milton, Portsmouth which had been one of the pubs we played at when I was a student, and they still had folk music!! I started to go to Sidmouth Folk Festival - I was definitely at the 21st, I've still got the tee shirt somewhere. I have been almost every year - possible every year, they sort of merge after a while. I even went the year there was no official festival. These days I play melodeon. Before Covid I was playing for Longsword, a women's Cotswold side, Border morris, Maypole, and going to sing at the folk club in Branksome. It was possible to do some jigs in Poole Park last year.