Rag Fair

2015
06.14

Jon admits “I like the sound of ‘Rag Fair’. It’s a shame this song doesn’t go in to more detail, but I also love the closing image of this.”

It’s very much a near relation of New York Girls, but like Jon I’m rather taken with the fact that the errant sailor hasn’t learnt his lesson at all and rather than getting himself suitably clothed decides to get bladdered instead. There’s not a lot more to say other than you’ll see from Mainly Norfolk that Bellamy has done this. I’ll also throw you this link on Rag Fair and while we’re at it there’s this one and this one along similar lines that paint a picture of sordid London life.

 

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25 Responses to “Rag Fair”

  1. Phil says:

    I leave at once for foreign parts, for I have mentioned mittens.

    More to the point, I’ve mentioned the thing that takes music from this broadcast facility and stashes it on computing machinery, and my comment has gone into limbo as a result. Which makes it a bit hard to report difficulties with the thing that takes music, etc, etc, but there we go. I’ll try using another name for it.

    As I was saying, or trying to say, the iMittens feeding facility doesn’t seem to have renewed itself since “After the Ball” – could you give it a swift kick?

  2. Phil says:

    It worked! iMittens it is.

    The other half of my embargoed comment went somewhat after the following fashion (don’t suppose you can squeeze in a bit of Rambling Syd in the last few days?)…

    Ungrateful lot, these sailors.

    I’d like to thank Jon & AFSAD for encouraging me to investigate Peter Bellamy – what a phenomenon he was! I read once that such-and-such a writer had fallen into obscurity not because their work was forgettable but, paradoxically, because it was so important – you don’t see a mountain when you’re living on the side of it. I didn’t think much of the idea at the time, but I think it makes a lot of sense applied to Bellamy.

  3. Sally Q says:

    I have really enjoyed & appreciated this project – and wonder what I am going to do without my daily “fix” of AFSAD. Very many thanks to Jon & everyone else involved with such a superb & brilliant idea. I, too, am wondering what the final song will be. Or is it going to continue in some form or other?

    Like Phil above, I am also having trouble with my mittens, not having been able to download anything since “After the Ball”. Any suggestions for someone who is not very computer literate?

    Thanks again (in advance) for the year, Jon.

  4. Simon says:

    Folks – Profuse apolgies for the podcast issues, it seems I’ve been doing it wrong. I’m still not quite sure how, but it obviously hasn’t been updating and that seems to be me putting the update in the wrong place. It should be sorted today and from now on normal service will be resumed. Thanks for your patience.

  5. Sally Q says:

    Back in the mitten business!

    Thanks very much, Simon.

  6. Nick Passmore says:

    Thanks for sorting it, Simon!

  7. muzza(s.e.England) says:

    Good old Cecil Sharp died on 23June 1924…..
    you fellas have kept quiet about this gig!…or did I miss something?

    http://londonist.com/2011/06/a-folk-song-a-day-midsummer-concert-cecil-sharp-house.php

  8. Paul Slade says:

    Podcasts now up to date again. All better now.

    Thanks

  9. Jane Ramsden says:

    You are not alone, Muzza! I did not know either! Would like to go, but £500 for Dinky cat to have an eye removed puts the kibosh on that! *Sighs*

  10. nev perry says:

    I find this song quite amusing, the chap takes advantage, or tries to, of an unsuspecting young woman only to find she got the better of him, leaving him with just his birthday suit! The lyric and the music bond brilliantly together. Once again a great interpretation.

  11. Diana says:

    Love it! Retribution for all those fellows who took advantage of innocent young maidens!!!!! Shades of “New York Girls” here.

  12. Old Muzza(NW Surrey UK) says:

    I thought…….that sailor is on to something-what a cunning rouse to get money for a drop of the hardstuff…..sadly it doesn’t work in this modern world….I have now been standing, in the buff, outside my front gate for almost 20 minutes and nobody has taken a blind bit of notice of my ‘plight’……….Oh-hang on….my luck has changed.
    ….this car with flashing blue lights looks as though it might pull over!

  13. Diana says:

    As I have said before Muzza you are a wicked wicked man. Still I am surprised that nobody took a blind bit of notice. Surely someone must have looked at you cos somebody reported you – rotters! Will look out for you on the news.

  14. Pewter says:

    Brilliant piece of whimsy, this! Title is misleading though; he never goes to Rag Fair, instead the five shillings are spent on wine…

    Drat…we will be without ‘Old Muzza’ for a bit…unless they allow laptops in the clink….heheheherherher….do you like the Muzza-style dots and equal opportunity Skippy/Rammy-style laughs! Really gonna miss you lot, come July!!!

  15. Diana says:

    Pewter I am with you I don’t think they will allow Muzza his laptop. They might lock him in solitary confinement and then throw away the key. Then what would we all do? I do like your Skippy/Rammy style laughs and the dots are definitely Muzza’s give away when he uses an alias.

    It doesn’t bear thinking about the end of AFSAD. I am glad I communicate with Janey on FB so will be able to find out how you and MUuza are getting along – that’s if they let him out from the pokey.

  16. Linda says:

    Cheekie little song. Super

  17. Diana says:

    Hi Linda have just finished listening to Mike Harding’s interview with Fay – courtesy of iPlayer as missed it yesterday.

  18. Linda says:

    Just caught up after a holiday . Saw Eliza and Martin Carthy at Bury Met last night Congrats to Eliza on MBE .
    @Muzza glad you had some company while I was away sorry I missed the oil change.
    Still like this cheekie little song.

  19. Old Muzza (NW Surrey-UK) says:

    See Phil’s comment above….June 14 2011……click on the Rambling Syd Rumpo link to brighten your day

  20. Linda says:

    Catching up after a holiday in Cornwall….love this cheeky little number …although going into a gin shop for a bottle of wine ? need I say more. By the way there are some brilliant Cornish gins about at the moment!

  21. Old Muzza(N.W.Surrey UK) says:

    Hi Lindy Lou…..hope the weather was good to you……mind you …….doesn’t worry you if you were in and out of Cornish gin shops….

  22. Linda says:

    O the pictures this song conjures up……have you learnt this for YouTube yet Muzza !!!!

  23. OldMuzza(NWSurrey UK) says:

    Hi Lindy Lou….I know you’re there….how’s the old gin going down

  24. Linda says:

    Yes I m here…..been watching Jon, Ninebarrow and The Young Uns on virtual shows looking forward to seeing Spiers n Boden on tour at an actual concert………Gin going down nicely thank you hope your keeping well……

  25. OldMuzza(NWSurrey UK) says:

    Cor Blimey guvnor….I jumped a day ahead and that gave me time to explore the links about Rag Fair that Simon gives in the introduction…..wow…..I am glad that I didn’t have to survive in London in 1852 as noted by a journalist at the time.

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