Coast Inn featured in Essex Life magazine

See page 103 of this month's Essex Life magazine for a 'Me and My Local' piece about the Coast Inn, as described by Mandie Holgate.

There's a nice mention for the acoustic evening, 'which is great fun', and Moondance Club, and a plug for Regatta Day too (. . . 'live music' and 'bands' and a 'great atmosphere' . . .)

Thursday Sessions - business as usual from this week onward

Apologies to musicians and audience alike for the blip that occurred last Thursday at the Coast Inn, when there were no reserved tables or seats available for musicians. Half a dozen players who couldn't get in held an impromptu session elsewhere and others simply went home. A select band who did manage to secure seats entertained the expectant audience for the evening, so hopefully people who stayed didn't go away disappointed at the end of the night, but it was an unfortunate turn of events nevertheless.

Belinda has apologised for the breakdown in communication which occurred on a particularly busy day at the Inn, and all is set for a return to normal service this week.

So do please come along to play and listen this Thursday as usual. With so many people coming back from their holidays now, hopefully we will have a really good turnout and a resumption of the kind of lively session we all enjoy.

A letter from the RNLI to everyone who supported Shanty Night

Shanty Night Photos

I've put Shanty Night photos on their own page HERE .

And there are more, taken by Patrick Higham and Sheelagh Ross, on Flickr, HERE .

If anyone else took pics at Shanty Night I can add to the collection, do please email them to me.

Massive thanks, again, to Belinda and Tim of the Coast Inn for hosting the whole event; to the staff at the Coast Inn; to all the musicians who - as always - gave so generously of their considerable individual and collective talents; to Anthea from the lifeboat station for lending the banners and bunting; to Hattie and Iona for selling the songsheets; to Tig for coming all the way from Australia to be our official photographer and to everyone who braved the torrential downpour to come along, listen, join in, dance and contribute so many £££££s to the RNLI.

Let's do it all again next year!

Shanty Night - sound recording

HERE'S A RECORDING of Shanty Night kindly made by Patrick Higham, who runs the wonderfully comprehensive Essex Live Music website. 

It features Greg's intro and Billy O'Shea, John's A-Rovin', Barry's first hornpipe medley, Caroline singing The Mermaid, Liz's version of Pay Me My Money Down and Adrian's Little Boy Billy.

Shanty Night 2011

Thanks to all the brave people who turned out to support this event despite torrential rain during the first half of the evening. Sales of the songsheets plus donations raised £300 for the RNLI.

Huge thanks to Belinda and Tim for organising the marquee and for being such perfect hosts.

Hope everyone's up for doing the whole thing all over again (only even better!) in next year's Mersea Week.

Photos here soon.

Thursday 11.8.11

This week's photos all by Tig Martin:

SHANTY NIGHT - TONIGHT!

WRAP UP REALLY WARM - IT'S GOING TO BE A BIT CHILLY IN THE MARQUEE!

Shanty Night - 18th August: your chance to name the song/s you want to perform

A list of songs for inclusion in the songsheets on 18th August will be circulating at this week's Session. 

If you will be there, please feel free to suggest additional songs for inclusion, and also put your name down for any song/s you'd like to lead, or perform as a solo (though be prepared for audience participation in the chorus!) 

For those who can't make it to the Coast Inn tomorrow, I'll be publishing a list of everything that's going in the songsheets (which we'll be selling for £2 a go to raise funds for the RNLI) here over the weekend.

Please do get in touch by email email or via the Facebook page as soon as possible if you want to add anything or claim a favourite song to perform, as I'll be typing up all the lyrics and printing out the songsheets early next week.

Colchester Free Festival - 27th August

Colchester Free Festival is looking for volunteers to help on 27 August in the Castle Park, Colchester. See their  website  for details.

Thursday 4.8.11