NORTH OF ENGLAND STEEL FESTIVAL 13/ 14 AUG

[Digby Hardy]

Here's the latest list of Players:
Tony Russel-Davis
Ken Byng
Keith Wilson
Mike Eacock
Peter Lindsley
Rod King
Donny Johnston
David Hartley
Basil Henriques
Derek Evans
John Davis
Will Cowell

[Nick Bidmade]

Hope this weekend goes well for everyone - sorry I'll miss it. Some great players on the bill!
(But I didn't know about tickets, so wouldn't have got in anyway.)
Any chance of a full set of 'rules and regs' being published prior to NESGF 2017?

[Keith Wilson]

Oh crikey - didn't expect to see my name mentioned - just offered to play a bit of back-up guitar for Tony !

Keith

[Ken Byng]

Shame that the UK's top pedal steel player, Pete Haywood, couldn't make this weekend. The venue is not a million miles from him.

[Will C]

It's been a great weekend, a big thank-you to everyone for coming, but particularly to Tony Russell Davies for organising everything. Nice one, Tony! It was a real pleasure to meet some members I haven't met before. The experience was well worth the journey - we all start from somewhere, and it's a treat to come away with the feeling of progress. Thanks everyone for the encouragement!

[Ken Byng]

I enjoyed the weekend immensely. First time I have seen Rod King for a while. Lovely man with a really great personality. Basil was, well, Basil. I saw some improvement in some of the players, including Derek Evans and Tony Russell Davis. Donny was on form too and played and sung some nice Haggard numbers. Basil's orchestra performed immaculately. I have to thank Peter for the use of his laptop. I used Basil's homopolymer bar on my sets throughout and I don't think that I will go back to a steel bar again. It was a really nice session today, controlled and measured. I will get Dave Wheelhouse to try to get the incomparable Peter Haywood to attend next year. He would blow people's minds with his ability. A great weekend and ditto thanks to Tony and the other organisers for doing a first class job.

[Tony Russell Davis]

Thanks go to everyone who supported the event.
To Will - bless you for that and please thank Di for that great guitar cake, what a lovely surprise
Ken, glad you enjoyed the weekend; your second visit to our village within a few months
I'll post more when I've slept
Please email any photos/vids to me for inclusion - PM for an email addy if you don't have it already.

[Digby Hardy]

Wonderful comments - thought of you all weekend while Chantal and I were packing boxes and making trips to the tip.
Next festival is South of England Steel Guitar Festival 2017 , 10 & 11 June 2017
Get it in your diaries now.
See you there

[David Hartley]

It was nice seeing you all again.
How the ladies put up with us all, I don't know..

Personally, I feel the steel will die along with us all, eventually, which would be a shame.
I'm just grateful that I've been part of growing up with steel guitar and playing in country music bands.
I still enjoy it, while my 'bits' are still working.
It must be the tablets... They affect us all in different ways ! I heard Basil rattling when he walked.

Thanks to those who carried gear in, and Tony the landlord for carrying it out for me.
He was probably glad to see me go.

[Keith Wilson]

Hi All - thank you for the very warm welcome at the Festival which was fabulous.

Sorry for being too cowardly to play steel (and panicking over the little I did on guitar)! I will come prepared next time.

Already ordered one of Basil's bars and will be studying hard!

Now if I can only persuade Liz to let me go to Forth Worth Jamboree!

Keith