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Website Report For Spring Bank Holiday Roundup
Hi there! The Spring Bank Holiday Roundup was really interesting. We were visited by a couple of new gunslingers, Outlaw and
Wrangler, as well as many of our old friends. We also had a couple of new acts that we hadn't met before – Palomino and Dave Read. (On separate nights, not together!)
The first artist, on the Friday night, was Kris Davis. I hadn't heard him before – he visited while I was away – but I had
heard lots of good reports, particularly from the dancers.
Kris proved to be a cheerful, laid back sort of bloke with an amusing line in banter, which always goes down well at Rebels
Retreat. For instance, as I was taking lots of photos for this website he suggested I was working for the DHSS. As if! (Well, I wouldn't tell you if I was, would I?)
He brought his mother and wife with him. The first was a fine Scottish lady, while the latter joined in with the dancing, thus
showing me what the steps should really look like.
I think the only songs that I didn't recognise were 'Three Wooden Crosses' and John Fogarty's 'Hot Rod Heart.' However, Kris
is also making a live album of his charity night on 8th July for Wards 51 and 52 of Leeds Royal Infirmary, and so he sang two songs which he has written himself for this occasion, 'Red and White' and 'The Western Railroad Song.'
Palomino came on Saturday evening. They are a four-piece group with three soundmen, and so took up a lot of the stage as well
as the car park! This group made us feel as though we were attending a festival, for they were a great band for listening to. Fortunately the dancers didn't seem miffed that several of their songs weren't
particularly for dancing to, although it's pretty difficult to stop some of our club members, no matter what the music!
In order to make space on stage Preacher, our DJ, had speakers built into two towers in front of him. There are those who hope
that this arrangement will continue. Of course, we'll still be able to hear his voice!
Palomino sang lots of songs that I didn't recognise and so I spent a lot of the evening trying to isolate what words might
make up the titles. I think I discovered, amongst others, 'Cry, Cry, Cry If It Makes you Feel Better,' 'You Don't want To Go There' and 'Deja Vue.'
On this evening Wrangler and his wife celebrated their 41st Wedding Anniversary with a quick burst of 'Anniversary Waltz.' We also sang 'Happy Birthday' for Joan, whose special birthday it was. (We won't say which, but she may be applying for a Gold Card.)
The next evening the artist was Dave Read. At first the stage looked empty, but as soon as he started singing his voice filled
the room. His first song was 'Six Days On the Road' which was apparently how long he and his young daughter felt they'd been travelling from Blackpool to Sterndale Moor Social Club.
Dave had a really good singing voice which really lent itself to the songs of the Country greats, like Merle Haggard, Johnny
Cash etc. Meanwhile the line dancers had another good evening.
There was a Fast Draw every evening, which was enhanced by the presence of our visitors, Sundance, Wrangler, Outlaw and Jessie
James Junior. Jessie James Junior managed an amazing manoeuvre on the Saturday evening. He dropped his gun while performing some shooting stance involving standing on one leg with both arms in the air. As the light
went on he rolled over and shot from the ground. Amazing – but unfortunately not quite fast enough.
Sundance, as usual, shot from an angle that made him look as though he would overbalance backwards at any minute.
There were a few Western Sports on Sunday afternoon, and the winners were awarded certificates and medals during the evening.
(See photos.) We were pleased to see that a very young visitor, Tara, was one of our winners.
Thanks go to all the usual suspects. Also to our club founders, Buckshot and Dallas, who arrived without warning on Friday
evening. Buckshot made our night by conducting our American trilogy in style. He was wearing a Scottish soldier's outfit and made appropriate gestures with his sabre, or was it a claymore.
And so another Roundup passed into history, leaving us with another collection of happy memories and photographs. Rusty and I are
going to be in America for the next month, no doubt researching into the real history of the Wild West.
See y'all when we come back.
Mrs Rusty
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