These are a regular opportunity to practice tunes popular in local English sessions, whatever instrument you play, to whatever standard, and whether or not you read music. It's a chance to identify some of those tunes you recognise when you hear them but can't quite remember, to put the names to familiar tunes, and to play them over until you are sure of them. You can record the sessions. Admission is free. You can download 180 of the tunes in Noteworthy Composer, ABC and midi form from the Lewes Arms Folk Club website www.members.aol.com/lewesarmsfolk: go to Links and then to Lewes Favourites. We meet in the Lewes Arms club-room from 8.00 p.m. onwards on the third Wednesday of every month, except in January and February. The 'Lewes Favourites' tune book is being reprinted and should be available in the first quarter of 2007.

9th. Jan (Tuesday)

13th. February (Tuesday)

21st. March

18th. April

16th. May

20th. June

18th. July

15th. August

19th. September

17th. October

21st. November

19th. December

Bryan Creer, 12, Fife Court, 99 The Hydneye, Hampden Park BN22 9DD 01323 505372 Bryan creer at aol. com

Valmai Goodyear (contact details follow signature)

THE LEWES ARMS: BEER WARS

You may have seen reports in the national press about the campaign to restore Harveys beer to the Lewes Arms following its withdrawal by Greene King in mid-December. The regulars have agreed a boycott of the pub during the festive season and have also put a peaceful occasional vigil in place, explaining to customers what Greene King are doing and what the regulars feel about it. Since three out of every four pints sold in the Arms were Harveys and the place runs on beer, Greene King's action smacks of spite rather than commercial sense. The Lewes Arms Folk Club continues to meet on a Saturday night, but at other times there is hardly a customer in the place. If you would normally drink Harveys and would prefer not to drink Greene King beers instead, bear in mind that Greene King also own Ruddles, Morlands and many other small breweries and have transferred all their brewing to their headquarters in Bury St. Edmunds.

For details of the campaign to restore Harveys, see http://lewesarms.blogspot.com/. If you want to express your views to Greene King you could try posting on their message board http://www.ipledgeallegiance.co.uk/pledge_forum/list.php?1 which they have kindly put up for people 'missing their mates down their local and fancying a bit of bar-room banter'. For some reason the only active threads on it are from supporters of the Lewes Arms.

TREVOR ARMS ENGLISH TUNES SESSION, 3.00 - 5.30 pm, SUNDAY 7TH. JANUARY

Meic Goodyear's next session will be on the first Sunday afternoon of the month as usual at the Trevor Arms, Glynde, next to Glynde railway station.

Happy New Year,

Valmai

Valmai Goodyear
20, St. John's Terrace, Lewes, BN7 2DL

01273 476757

Lewes Arms Folk Club, Mount Place, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 1YH
www.members.aol.com/lewesarmsfolk
Residents: Bryan Creer, Dave Earl, Sandra Goddard, Valmai Goodyear, Suzanne Higgins, Steve & Diane Nevill, George Oakley, Robert O'Mahony, Derek Seed

LEWES ARMS FOLK CLUB WORKSHOPS 2007
Workshops last a full Saturday and the tutor performs at the club in the evening. Booking forms are available from the club and can be printed from the website about three months before the event.

17th Feb - Cockersdale - Vocal harmony (now booking)
10th March - Judy Cook - Ballad forum (now booking)
17th March - Ed Rennie - English dance music for any melody instrument (now booking)
24th March - Tom McConville - Fiddle (now booking)
24th March - Aaron Jones - Bouzouki/Guitar (now booking)
24th March - Claire Mann - Flute & whistle (now booking)
2nd June - Jon Boden - Vocal harmony
2nd June - John Spiers - Melodeon
9th June - Tommy Peoples - Fiddle
30th June - Matt Seattle - Arrangement & harmony for any instrument
Sun 1st July - Matt Seattle - Bagpipes
21st July - Bonnie Shaljean - O'Carolan's music for any instrument
10th Nov - Craig Morgan Robson - Vocal harmony
Sun 11th Nov - Craig Morgan Robson - Ballad forum
24th Nov - Robert Harbron - English concertina
24th Nov - Emma Reid - Fiddle