We had a great time! Where were you?!! Our regular floor singers were on top form, and the atmosphere was magic. What a variety of guests - up and coming youngsters, old (sorry Bernard!) favourites - there was something for everybody!

Roy Clinging was, unfortunately, not up to his usual form due to illness - but he battled on nevertheless! Dearman, Gammon and Harrison lived up to expectations and beyond - Annie's enthusiasm and enjoyment was evident throughout, ably backed by Vic and Steve; Vic gave a few of his inimitable renditions of old favourites. What was really heartwarming was the way our guests sat in the audience to watch - and not just the other guests, but our regulars, too.

Dave Burland brought Saturday to a close with his unique brand of traditional songs, interspersed with Richard Thompson favourites. We all staggered home, aware that it wasn't all over - we still had to face another day of this!!

Keiron Means is one of those rare people - a young, quiet and unassuming American! His mother, Sara Gray, will be visiting us later in the year, and she can be justifiably proud of her son! He performed mainly traditional American folk music, with some contemporary material. He showed vigour and enthusiasm despite the relatively small audience, as did Spiers and Boden. These two youngsters proved that our English folk heritage is in good hands, and won't be allowed to die out! How refreshing to hear old, well-known tunes given lively new arrangements - without the aid of electronics, just talented young fingers! Last of all we had Emmerdale's Barry Clegg, Coronation Street's bread man and the man with ferrets down his trousers on the beer commercial. No, not a trio! Bernard Wrigley was all of these! We visited Yarmouth Town, the Morket Cor Pork in Blackburn, and the Ramsbottom household when Albert swallowed his Jubilee Sov'rin!

It was hard to believe that the Extravaganza was over - it hardly seemed to have started! Perhaps the most memorable song of the whole weekend was our own Archie Tawney - the Hole in the Elephant's Bottom!! And we recorded it! Should make No. 1 - or at least a lot of No. 2's... ahem... (click here to hear the MP3, around 305Kb file size).

Archie Tawney is seen chatting with Spiers and Boden (centre of picture, left) - some generation gap! Archie is over 80! Pauline is chatting with Bernard Wrigley in the background (right). On the left, Kieron Means is talking... erm... to one of the tables?!

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