John Dengate Political Songwriting Competition, Gulgong Folk Festival, 2017- won by Derek Dowding

Click on pictures for full-screen image
 
The winner was Derek Dowding with his excellent parody Mr Minister to the tune of Mr Piano Man by Billy Joel

Thanks to the Di Clifford of the Gulgong Folk Festival committee for obtaining permission from Derek for us to publish it.

Letter to the editor of the Mudgee Guardian by Di   A popular highlight of the 2017 Festival was the John Dengate songwriting competition, flushing out parody writers. This NYE afternoon session in the CWA Hall played to a capacity crowd, with ten people offering an item of interest, and 85 minutes of amusing entertainment. Some entrants possibly known to locals included Jean Hydleman and Blue Hutchison. The judges, including Ross Kurtz and Ray Loughlin, had some difficulty in choosing a winner, but eventually Derek Dowding from Wallsend did prevail, with a ditty entitled 'Mister Minister' set to the tune of Billy Joel's song, 'Piano Man'. A fine parody.

 

 ....................................

Winners of Illawarra Folk Festival's John and Dale Dengate Parody mug,

John & Dale Dengate Parody Competition, Illawarra Folk Festival, 2014 to 2017


Dale & John Dengate Parody Mug, Illawarra Folk Festival 2018


2019 Dale and John Dengate Parody Mug attracts brilliant Songs and Performers 2019


 *****************************************

Duke Tritton - Tritton family documents published with permission.

Click on pictures for full-screen image

Thanks to Don Tritton (son of Duke's youngest son Don) and Chris McLean (son of Duke's daughter, Linda McLean) for providing these copies, and to Dr Diane Bull (daughter of Linda) and Literary Executor of her Grandfather and her Mother for permission to publish their writings.

In 1959 The Bulletin published Duke's autobiography, Time Means Tucker, and in 1982 APCOL published Linda McLean's biography Pumpkin Pie and Faded Sandshoes. Both books are available in Libraries across Australia.




Time Means Tucker has been reprinted several times and is also available in the second-hand market, but Linda's biography has never been reprinted and is a very rare book and not currently available on the Australian second-hand market.

Pumpkin Pie and Faded Sandshoes starts with the story of the Tritton family in the 20s and 30s.
Linda was 19 with a toddler and baby in 1937 when her husband got his first full time job, as a labourer on a large project. Her father was also employed on this project, and leaving her toddler with her mother, the 3 of them (& baby) set out to  Sandy Hollow, the subject of one of Duke's most powerful songs.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


1. Review of Four Capitals Folk Song concerts


2.Review of Four Capitals Folk Singers


3. Review of Time Means Tucker, Country Life, Jan 29, 1965


4.  Letter from Russel Ward, Uni of New England


5. Information on Australian Folk Arts Centre activities


6.  Information on Folk Arts Australia, the magazine of Australian Folk Arts Centre


7. Letter dated Friday 14th February 1964 from Australian Broadcasting Commission inviting Duke to appear on Town and Country program in a segment on gold panning, for a fee of £6.


8. Letter from Golden Press, Shakespeare Head Press dated 17th July 1963, regarding delayed publication of Time Means Tucker.


9. Letter from Paul Hamlyn publishers to Linda McLean regarding reprint of Bill Scott's Book of Australian Folklore which includes an extract from Time Means Tucker.  (blurry photo)


10. Biographical note with word play by Duke.

from Diane Bull

I was very close to my grandparents as they lived with us for the last twenty or so years of their lives. I typed all my grandfather's manuscripts and much of my mother's work. This piece of writing with encryptions at the bottom shows my grandfather's habit of using any piece of paper several times. The paper was a practice copy of his writings; he would do several copies prior to giving them initially to my Aunty May and in his later writings to me to type up.
The writings at the bottom were for his daily penchant for doing the anagram puzzles from the newspaper.
I would often do these puzzles with him and this has left me with a lifelong addiction to cryptic puzzles.

************************************************************************************************* *************************************************************************************************

Report on Bundanoon DanceFest, 2018

Click on pictures for full-screen image



1.   Set up Friday evening

2. 

3. 

4. 

5.  Alan McCulloch - Scottish country dancing, Saturday


6.  Don Richmond - Ladies in chains

7.

8. 

9.

10.


11. Madeline & harp

12.  Ralph Pride

13. Colin Towns

14.  Morris dance at Saturday night dance

15.


16.

17. Cathy & Beck Richmond - If the shoe fits ...

18.

19.

20.

21. Bruce Lemin - Sparking waltzes, Sunday morning

23.

24. Margaret & Bill Winnett - Irish Set Dancing

25.

26.

27.


28.


29.


29.  Anish & Bob

30. Ray removing the dust, Saturday afternoon

31.

32.

33.

34.  Kath, Colette, Yvonne

35. Kathie McMahon
 
36. Sunday night, before the Ball 

 37.  Colin, June, Mike, Ros

38.

39.

40.

41. June & Colin

42. Julie & Alex Bishop

43.

44.
45.

46.  Caroline Barrell

47. Bustle dress

48.


49.  Niamh & Colin
50.  Antique suffrage brooch, replaced ribbon

51.  Russian dance teacher Nina Kharakoz leading

52.

53.

54 & 55. Presentation to Keith Wood for TSDAV Dance Composers' Competition 2018.
Beatrice Klippel Memorial Trophy for General Social Dance was awarded to Keith for his Green Apple Quickstep, and the VFMC Perpetual Trophy for Dances for more Experienced Dancers for Eureka. 

55.


56.  Niamh teaching tap dancing at the Ball on Sunday night

57.  June Staunton teaching Charleston

58.  And when they dance, their dresses spin round ... (lyrics, Roy Abbott)

          (Photos  1-58,  Sandra Nixon)



59. Attendees who had been to every DanceFest - most are BMC members. 
        (Photo Keith Wood)
*************************************************************************