The Covid, No Good, Lockdown Blues

What a two years that was! Will 2022 be any better we wonder. Well, at least we have two bookings in the diary (see Dates in the right hand column). We just have to hope they get to go ahead as Covid lurches from variant to variant some more infectious than others but all serious and devastating to some families.

During 2020 and 2021 we have played a grand total of two dates. This was 2020's September outing, playing for a wedding. We had to abide by the current rules, so we were side by side, socially distanced and not facing each other. This meant me having the keyboard in front of me rather than to the side as is our usual configuration these days.

But we went down well and it was an enjoyable event for all. Not bad considering we had been very limited in terms of how much rehearsing we could do during the year! Actually we just went back into mode as though we hadn't just had nine months of not playing together.

And so into 2021 during which we had to wait all the way into December for our one and only gig, playing in a Blackpool hotel at the Christmas lunch of a group of British Gas Pensioners. David and Miss Jeannie are ex-British Gas and members of the association so we were able to partake of the excellent meal before heaving ourselves up to play.

Once again feedback was 100% positive and we now wonder what 2022 will bring us. We have been particularly pleased to receive an invite to return to Eccleston to play the Saturday night at the large Steam Fair - Heskin Steam Rally at Malt Kiln Farm, Tincklers Lane, Eccleston. We have played this event every year that it has run since 2005 and it is always one of the highlights of our year. Hopefully it will be able to go ahead this year. Check out their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/HeskinSteamRally.

We also have a private booking for an 80th birthday party in August and now it's over to you as we invite bookings for events and parties or just a good old night's entertainment. We started as a group in 2001 and now as a duo since 2009 we have always relied on word-of-mouth and the enthusiasm of people who have seen us to spread the word. We hope to see you once again in 2022.

Return Trip to The Union, Kendal

Saturday 9 November 2019. We found ourselves back at the New Union in Kendal playing for another birthday party.

In fact this one had been booked by someone who had attended the birthday party we did there in September and we received the enquiry on the day after whilst we were still obviously on their minds!

Anyway it was another brilliant night and the pub was packed too which was a good bonus for us.

I think everyone enjoyed themselves, judging from the many comments we received afterwards!

A Birthday Party in Kendal

Saturday night saw us battling against the very wet weather as we drove from Blackpool up to Kendal to play for the birthday party of David's little sister, Elaine.

We were playing at the New Union - formerly the Union Tavern - and this proved to be a very nice pub with a welcoming host and a nice range of speciality beers and spirits.

Whilst we were in a side room, I could see the landlord and bar staff singing away to us behind the bar, so I think it's fair to say we gave them a good night with one of our famous four-hour non-stop sets.

Whilst some brave chaps got up to dance once into the second half of the night, the ladies were up on the dance floor all night and there were some anxious faces of men from the bar area who had to pass them to get to the gents... Some managed without having to dance either on the way there or the way back...

We must have given them a good night because we have already had an enquiry for another booking from someone there!

Our Fifteenth Year at the Heskin Steam Fair

Saturday, 1 June 2019. This year marked our fifteenth appearance at the Heskin Fair organised by Jack Gerrard, his family and friends.

Once again a great night with a wonderful crowd in the huge marquee on the field at Malt Kiln Farm in Eccleston, Chorley.

A Rainy Night in Southport

Saturday 26 January 2019. Our first gig of the year took us on a stormy journey to Ainsdale near Southport to play at a 70th birthday party.

The venue was Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club where we found the best "can do" staff and an enthusiastic audience who kept the dance floor occupied throughout the evening. We kept the dancers busy and were asked to do our version of the Moody Blues' Nights in White Satin which earned us a standing ovation. Thanks to all concerned - we had just as fabulous a night as we hoped you did!

Club Christmas Date for Creeping Bentgrass

Saturday 8 December saw us out at Fleetwood Cricket Club playing for a Christmas event for a local classic car club. They were joined for the event by members of the Lancashire Morris Minors Club and a good night was had by all!

Christmas Lunch Date

Friday, 30 November 2018 was an early Christmas date for us as we played following a luncheon for a pensioners' group if ex-British Gas staff.

Many thanks for the booking and for the invitation to join in the meal which was hosted by the Sheraton Hotel, Blackpool. Loved the venue, but breaking down took a while as I kept trying to pick up the white cables...!

More Gig Reports

Catching up on the latest gig reports, this entry covers two gigs, both for private parties at cricket clubs.

This was a couple of weeks ago on 14 April, a 50th birthday party in the function room at Blackpool Cricket Club.

Unfortunately there was another very loud band playing downstairs - their bass was shaking the floor upstairs and at first I thought that our gear was malfunctioning. One wonders whether the upstairs room should have been let out under such circumstances!

No such problems at Darwen Cricket Club last Friday night where we played for a retirement do. This was actually for an ex-colleague of both David and myself - the band (4 of us then) formed originally in 2000 at Myerscough College. So we got to see lots of familiar faces at this one!

Creeping Bentgrass Gigs in 2018

We've had a couple of gigs so far this year. The first I'm featuring here was in Garstang at the Banqueting Suite by the canal.

It was for a Golden Wedding celebration so we were wearing our gold sequinned ties for the occasion. We have gold, silver, ruby pink, blue and black versions of these ties, which means we can usually fit in sympathetically with different party events!

At this event a slide show of the happy couple was being projected over our heads onto a screen throughout the night!

Our second gig was in Chorley and we arrived to find both a scattering of snow and a flatteringly large advertising banner.

At the end of the night someone said "is that your white van outside?"
"No I have a black car," I said. When we got out though it was our white van... I had no gloves and clearing all the snow off left me with very red painful hands! Ah well... David got to take the poster home for his collection of CBG memorabilia!

Creeping Bentgrass Christmassy Car Club Concert!

Thursday 14 December 2017. All awash with alliteration, no... that's it. I'm not going to be able to keep that up... Thursday night saw us battling torrential rain and hail in Fleetwood as we set up in the Cricket Club to perform at the Christmas Party of a local Classics Car Club.

We have played for this club several times in the past and strangely, whenever prizes for the best car are handed out, the judges have always managed to overlook my Mazda... However, no prizes tonight as the order of the day is to celebrate Christmas and have a party!

I'm trying out my new American Professional Fender Stratocaster for the first time at a gig tonight and it sounds lovely and is a perfect match for the old faithful cherry red guitar.

A surprise visit from Father and Mrs Christmas and... surely that's not a reindeer...!