A Corrie!

Great excitement (for me) this afternoon - I went to a 'meet the author' event with Ronnie Browne of the Corries. Uncle A, knowing I was a fan, had bought me his book. I finished reading it this morning.

People with no connection to Scotland, and indeed, young Scots today, will probably not have heard of him/them. But they were very big in folk music circles in the 70s and 80s. The other Corrie, Roy Williamson, wrote ' Flower of Scotland (which has become Scotland's anthem), but Ronnie had the voice. IMHO.

As new teachers, my pal and I were very keen on folk music (just listening and clapping along enthusiastically - sadly, neither of us being blessed with a singing voice) and the Corries were tops. We saw them several times in concert and we were always in the front row of the local weekly folk club (Billy Connolly used to pop in with his banjo).

Then Bob introduced us to his record collection - Neil Young, James Taylor, Carol King, the Moody Blues, and it was a revelation! Folk music was relegated.

I was fortunate to see the Corries again in Edinburgh in the early 80s. I was back from NZ because my mum had had a heart attack and was in hospital. She was making a recovery, and in anticipation of getting home, had instructed me to buy chocolates for the nurses, and to phone some of her friends to tell them she felt up to seeing visitors. So I had a wonderful evening with a couple of pals at the Corries concert and got the souvenir tour poster. But by the time the dates on their three day Edinburgh concert stint were over, my dear old mum had died.

I still have the poster...