Melbury Osmond, last of the great Victorian actor-managers ...

Much silliness usually accompanies us on our long journeys to gigs around the South-West, and we've discovered that Dorset, in particular, is full of names which we believe to be taken from the cast list of a Victorian melodrama - Litton Cheney, Burton Bradstock, Bradford Newton and Lychett Matravers (along with that dissolute reprobate Okeford Fitzpaine) probably all toured together in the 1880s, and here we were at Melbury Osmond ... possibly the more famous brother-in-law of Tarrant Hinton ...

Seriously though, we really did have a gig in Melbury Osmond, and very enjoyable it turned out to be! Key ingredients were a fine little village hall, a sizeable stage, a very warm welcome from our hosts, and a lively and enthusiastic audience ... what more could we ask for? Well, interval 'nibbles' are always welcome when offered, and here we were right royally fed and watered at half-time, so thanks are due to our hosts for their splendid hospitality!

Owing to blues legend Hamish Maxwell being on holiday somewhere distinctly exotic, we managed to fly in Ali Whiting all the way from Portesham to help us out with a few vocals and some nifty violin playing, and Keith Hall also joined us on banjo and guitar, in order to staff the gap in that area of our engine room. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, encouraged by a very good-humoured and responsive audience, and we very much hope to return at some point in the future! Thanks for inviting us!