The powerful story of a fishing community united to campaign for far greater safety stands on trawlers will be re-told at Barton upon Humber’s Ropery Hall later this month.
Singer/songwriter Reg Meuross’s song cycle 12 Silk Handkerchiefs tells the story of Hull’s Hessle Road community were devastated in January 1968 when three Hull trawlers, the St Romanus, the Kingston Peridot and the Ross Cleveland perished and 58 men died in what became known as the Dark Winter.
First performed in Hull Minster late last year Reg is now taking the show on a national tour this Autumn supported by public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
The music which tells of fighting fishwife Lillian Bilocca, who led a battle for better trawler safety following the Triple Trawler Disaster and the songs were inspired by the book, The Headscarf Revolutionaries by Brian W Lavery.
Joined on stage by stalwarts of the Hull folk scene, musicians Mick McGarry and Sam Martyn, Reg’s powerful songs are interwoven with narration from the author and an audio/visual show that includes rarely-seen archive footage, photos and audio from the time of the disaster. Three Hull trawlers, the St Romanus, the Kingston Peridot and the Ross Cleveland perished and 58 men died in what became known as the Dark Winter.
“Brian’s book, The Headscarf Revolutionaries, is now shorthand for the four women Lillian Bilocca, Mary Denness, Yvonne Blenkinsop and Christine Jensen who fought the trawler bosses in a campaign which ended in Westminster,” said Liz Bennet of The Ropewalk.
The show also covered a fourth tragedy, from which the show gets its name, telling how Lillian Bilocca was ostracised by her community and overlooked by history, ending her days in obscurity. Her last action in 1988 as she lay dying, which was to send her daughter Virginia to buy a dozen handkerchiefs to give as gifts to those who had cared for her in hospital.
“Fans of Reg’s music, so accustomed to seeing his intimate solo performances at folk clubs and festivals across the land, will be stunned by the power of this show, and those new to him will find it impossible not to be moved by this emotional and humbling tribute to the many, many lives lost to what was once the most dangerous industry in the world,” Liz went on.
Twelve ilk Handkerchiefs, Songs & Storytelling will be performed on Saturday, September 21, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £13 in advance or £15 on the door. Advance tickets can be bought online at www.roperyhall.co.uk, by telephoning 01652 660380 or in person from The Ropewalk’s Craft Gallery/
The Barton Film Premiere
Nine Years is a coming of age story following a headstrong Bartonian teen pursuing her dreams of a career in music, set in the shadow of the building of the Humber Bridge. Based on real life stories with music by Paul Heaton of The Beautiful South. Built by Fox&Cox Productions and ENON Films
Bluegrass band The Often Herd transcend the traditional boundaries of the genre. Although they might resemble an American string band, complete with driving energy, tight vocal harmonies and dazzling instrumental interplay, their vibrant, transatlantic sound is deeply coloured by their surroundings; the striking natural and industrial landscapes of Northern England. This unique approach won them the title of “Best European Bluegrass Band 2018” at the prestigious La Roche Bluegrass Festival in France.
Rupert Hughes (guitar) and Evan Davies (mandolin), write songs steeped in personal experience whilst drawing from a wide pool of influences ranging from old-time to psychedelia. American-born fiddler Niles Krieger and jazz bassist Sam Quintana add fiery instrumental skills to the mix, launching the band’s arrangements into the stratosphere. Together, their sound is both boldly contemporary and soothingly familiar, taking time-honoured traditions to new places with a fresh perspective.
The band played at an impressive number of festivals this summer (including The Long Road, Broadstairs Music Week, Ely Folk Festival & Priddy Folk Festival) and have previously showcased at IBMA Bluegrass Ramble and Americana Music Week, Hackney. They released their debut album ‘Where The Big Lamp Shines’ in June 2022, recorded with producer Tom Moore (Slow Worm Records, Moore, Moss, Rutter).
I’m not sure if it gets much better, either in terms of music from the North-East or terms of bluegrass, than The Often Herd – Mark Walsh, BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
A study in virtuosity from a supremely talented group of musicians – NARC
Traditional, inventive, tight and sharp… for those who think they don’t like bluegrass this could be the point they change their minds – FolkWords
The Haar introduces the formidable singing talent of All-Ireland Scór na nÓg winner Molly Donnery combined with three of the most exciting instrumentalists on the folk and traditional music circuit: Cormac Byrne (BBC Folk Award/Show of Hands/Seth Lakeman), Adam Summerhayes, and Murray Grainger (both of the FATEA award-winning Ciderhouse Rebellion).
This is music that is not afraid to transcend borders – whilst recognisably born of the traditional music that all members have grown up with. The Haar are unapologetic in pushing the boundaries to create a unique and compelling sound.
The origins of the band go back to a chance meeting between Adam, Cormac and Molly at a session at the Craiceann Bodhrán Festival. This resulted in an improvised performance recorded by the shipwreck of the Plassey on the west coast of Ireland. It was to become typical of the unique “live reactive composition” that characterises their music. With the addition of master accordionist Grainger, they entered the studio at the end of 2019 to record their first album.
Their self-titled debut, released in June 2020, is a collection of traditional Irish songs tackling love, poverty and oppression. It was heralded as “a splendid balance of swirling instrumental magic and beautifully sung narratives” by Folk Radio UK and garnered attention from Mike Harding who described it as “absolutely amazing”.
The latest album, entitled Where Old Ghosts Meet received multiple rave reviews and has paved the way for outstanding festival appearances at Shrewsbury, Beardy Folk, and at other prestigious stages.
A sweeping panorama of Irish traditional music and song – Songlines
Very rarely does an album appear unheralded and threaten to make a major impact. The Haar is one of those rarities – Folking.com
We need more music like this; spontaneous, alive and affecting, The Haar will take you on a journey and have you appreciating the purest of life’s pleasures. Wonderful stuff – Folk Radio UK.
Molly, Adam, Cormac and Murray have daringly turned this oh-so-familiar repertoire completely on its head and produced what is an inspiring and delightfully bold work of art – Folk Wales
Full of great traditional music, just sung and played brilliantly – Mike Harding
“The Haar conjuring magic that had long been hidden in plain sight, responding melodically in a mesmerising impromptu arc of artistry.” Irish Music Magazine
Another installment of our ever popular comedy night.
Writer/Performer of original Spoken Word and host of the #StandUpPoet podcast on iTunes, Spotify etc…
Funny, witty, outraged, plain silly, sometimes just poignant or cathartic, but always “keeps you constantly engaged” (Kansas City Star, USA) delivering verses on life, the universe and everything (ish)… Verses inspired by modern day and social comment performed with a twinkle, a laugh, and a wry pointy finger! Plus sporadic anecdotes, wit, and his unique 55 word stories.
Greg has performed in theatres, bookshops, on beaches, under the stars, in tents, village halls, restaurants and bars in the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Japan…
Like watching John Cooper Clarke snog John Hegley while Pam Ayres watches – BBC Radio
A MUST SEE SHOW! There’s a power in the words and delivery… An excellent show for people who like their comedy to make them think – FringeReview
A purveyor of words and language that delight the ear and feed the soul – RAW
Byron is a masterful performer with a hypnotic delivery – Reviews Hub
This performance is part of our Members’ 241 Offer. Please ask for details
Michael Smith is the author of a number of widely acclaimed books about spies and special forces, including the Sunday Times No 1 bestseller Station X: The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park and the New York Times bestseller Killer Elite: America’s Most Secret Special Operations Team. He served in British military intelligence before becoming an award-winning journalist with the BBC, the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Times.
Foley: The Spy Who Saved 10,000 Jews
Frank Foley was MI6 head of station in Berlin in the 1920s and ‘30s. The full extent of what he did was only revealed in Michael Smith’s best selling 1999 biography Foley: The Spy Who Saved 10,000 Jews.
Bletchley Park and the Birth of the Special Relationship
Based on the opening chapters of Smith’s most recent, and widely acclaimed book The Real Special Relationship, this focuses on how the British and US codebreakers linked up even before America had entered the Second World War. Michael describes how intelligence from MI6, GCHQ and the little-known BBC Monitoring Service played key roles.
Intelligence and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
Michael will explain how intelligence actually worked during the 1962 Missile Crisis. when the Soviet Union tried to base surface-to surface missiles capable of hitting most of the United States on Cuba.
Presented in association with Clive Conway Productions.
