Box and Fiddle
Year 15 No 03
November 1991
Introducing the Clubs
No 3 Tynedale
by Doreen Jewitt
In years gone by Tynedale was renowned for its eminence in the musical life of the north of England.
In those days almost all the music was live and it was partly to get back to providing a traditional platform for local instrumentalists that a group of enthusiasts came together during 1980 with the idea to form an Accordion Club.
Edward Harding had a yearning for many years to start a Club, but never actually got around to doing it. However, one night after he, myself and my husband George had been to see Bert Shorthouse at a local Club things took a different turn. At the end of the evening Bert and Edward came back to our house for coffee and there the conversation got around to Edward’s idea. And so it was with Bert’s encouragement that we decided to have a go.
September, 1980, we had a meeting in the Royal Hotel with 9 people attending. A second meeting in October had better results with 20 people turning up.
A Committee was formed with Edward Harding as Chairman, myself as Secretary and Bill Stewart, Treasurer (11 years on this still stands). Mr Kemp, owner of the Royal gave us the use of the Ballroom. To make sure our first night was successful a ‘kitty’ was started with all members putting in £5.
Our opening night was November 4th, 1980, and the guest artiste was Bert Shorthouse – admission £1. We need never have worried. £121 was taken at the door plus raffle money, and so it was that Tynedale Accordion Club was born.
I am very pleased to be able to say that in all those years we have never looked back.
We have a faithful audience who have supported us through all kinds of weather. Only 4 times in 11 years have we had to cancel.
I have heard the odd whisper from over the Border that we frighten our guest artistes (in a nice way of course) because our audiences are always so quiet and attentive.
We have players who support us every month stretching from as far away as Wigton in Cumbria (approx 45 miles) to Otterburn, South Shields and of course, Hexham.
In 1984, Albert Patrick, a Committee member, worked very hard to establish accordion tuition in Hexham. This takes place every Wednesday in the Ex-Service Club under the wing of Bill sharp from St Boswells. In the early days his son john did the teaching. The results of that teaching is coming through now with one young lady winning quite a few trophies.
We have an excellent working Committee and thanks must go to Tom Cowing who brings his own amplification over every month and also backs the local players when necessary.
1987, saw us unfortunately looking for new premises. Fortunately we found Hexham Ex-Service Club in Market Square and from September of that year we have been there, in comfortable and cosy surroundings and very pleasant management.
We are extremely fortunate to have a beautiful theatre with a seating capacity of 400 in Hexham and over the years, separate from the Club nights, we have presented concerts in it (all to packed houses) by the Bill sharp Accordion Orchestra, The John Leslie Accordion Orchestra, the Cape Breton Fiddlers and the Scottish Accent from Canada, and in nearby Haydon Bridge high School we presented the Muirhead Accordion Orchestra and Rudy Meeks in concert from Canada. Also we are presenting a show by the Cape Breton Fiddlers and the Scottish Accent when they come over to tour in September, 1992.
Many of our guests over the years have become great friends of the Club, many making return visits. To date we have had Bert Shorthouse, Robert Whitehead, Eric Goodfellow, Jim Johnstone, Ian Holmes, the Donaldsons, Bill Black, Alex MacArthur, Roger Dobson, Jim Davison, George Stirrat, Iain MacPhail, Kenny Thomson, Marian Anderson, Archie Duncan, Walter Perrie, John Leslie, Robin Brock, the Currie Brothers, Jack Delaney, Raymond Chuchuk, Bobby Graham, Bobby Coghill, Bobby Crowe, Angus Fitchet, Mike Clark, Oakbank Sound, David Ross, Bill Sharp- Orchestra, Jim Sharp, Max Houliston, Rigadoon, Dick Black, Tommy Ford, Sandy Nixon, Jock Borthwick, Jim Clelland, Robert Black, Craig McCallum, Graham and Lorna Jeffrey, Garioch Blend, Paddy Neary, Deirdre Adamson, Callum MacLean, Ronmar Orchestra, Fintry Style, Tom Alexander and Michael Philip. Apologies if I have missed anyone out.
We have tried over the years to give a variety of music to suit all tastes and I hope we have achieved that.
No 3 Tynedale
by Doreen Jewitt
In years gone by Tynedale was renowned for its eminence in the musical life of the north of England.
In those days almost all the music was live and it was partly to get back to providing a traditional platform for local instrumentalists that a group of enthusiasts came together during 1980 with the idea to form an Accordion Club.
Edward Harding had a yearning for many years to start a Club, but never actually got around to doing it. However, one night after he, myself and my husband George had been to see Bert Shorthouse at a local Club things took a different turn. At the end of the evening Bert and Edward came back to our house for coffee and there the conversation got around to Edward’s idea. And so it was with Bert’s encouragement that we decided to have a go.
September, 1980, we had a meeting in the Royal Hotel with 9 people attending. A second meeting in October had better results with 20 people turning up.
A Committee was formed with Edward Harding as Chairman, myself as Secretary and Bill Stewart, Treasurer (11 years on this still stands). Mr Kemp, owner of the Royal gave us the use of the Ballroom. To make sure our first night was successful a ‘kitty’ was started with all members putting in £5.
Our opening night was November 4th, 1980, and the guest artiste was Bert Shorthouse – admission £1. We need never have worried. £121 was taken at the door plus raffle money, and so it was that Tynedale Accordion Club was born.
I am very pleased to be able to say that in all those years we have never looked back.
We have a faithful audience who have supported us through all kinds of weather. Only 4 times in 11 years have we had to cancel.
I have heard the odd whisper from over the Border that we frighten our guest artistes (in a nice way of course) because our audiences are always so quiet and attentive.
We have players who support us every month stretching from as far away as Wigton in Cumbria (approx 45 miles) to Otterburn, South Shields and of course, Hexham.
In 1984, Albert Patrick, a Committee member, worked very hard to establish accordion tuition in Hexham. This takes place every Wednesday in the Ex-Service Club under the wing of Bill sharp from St Boswells. In the early days his son john did the teaching. The results of that teaching is coming through now with one young lady winning quite a few trophies.
We have an excellent working Committee and thanks must go to Tom Cowing who brings his own amplification over every month and also backs the local players when necessary.
1987, saw us unfortunately looking for new premises. Fortunately we found Hexham Ex-Service Club in Market Square and from September of that year we have been there, in comfortable and cosy surroundings and very pleasant management.
We are extremely fortunate to have a beautiful theatre with a seating capacity of 400 in Hexham and over the years, separate from the Club nights, we have presented concerts in it (all to packed houses) by the Bill sharp Accordion Orchestra, The John Leslie Accordion Orchestra, the Cape Breton Fiddlers and the Scottish Accent from Canada, and in nearby Haydon Bridge high School we presented the Muirhead Accordion Orchestra and Rudy Meeks in concert from Canada. Also we are presenting a show by the Cape Breton Fiddlers and the Scottish Accent when they come over to tour in September, 1992.
Many of our guests over the years have become great friends of the Club, many making return visits. To date we have had Bert Shorthouse, Robert Whitehead, Eric Goodfellow, Jim Johnstone, Ian Holmes, the Donaldsons, Bill Black, Alex MacArthur, Roger Dobson, Jim Davison, George Stirrat, Iain MacPhail, Kenny Thomson, Marian Anderson, Archie Duncan, Walter Perrie, John Leslie, Robin Brock, the Currie Brothers, Jack Delaney, Raymond Chuchuk, Bobby Graham, Bobby Coghill, Bobby Crowe, Angus Fitchet, Mike Clark, Oakbank Sound, David Ross, Bill Sharp- Orchestra, Jim Sharp, Max Houliston, Rigadoon, Dick Black, Tommy Ford, Sandy Nixon, Jock Borthwick, Jim Clelland, Robert Black, Craig McCallum, Graham and Lorna Jeffrey, Garioch Blend, Paddy Neary, Deirdre Adamson, Callum MacLean, Ronmar Orchestra, Fintry Style, Tom Alexander and Michael Philip. Apologies if I have missed anyone out.
We have tried over the years to give a variety of music to suit all tastes and I hope we have achieved that.