Folkbluesnbeyond

 

 Bill Johnston and Sheila Darling have enjoyed a low profile presence in the East Anglian Acoustic Music world for more decades than they may admit to. We are active members of local folk clubs and dance sides, and have performed in public solo, as a duo and in bands. Our musical lives are mainly recreational at this time, (2025).

We are happy to be called upon to play music, for listening or for dance. We do not self promote. This web-page succeeds a page which was active for more than twenty years before the host discontinued operations, which prompted a review of our online presence, and what we want it to represent moving forwards in time.

A feature of the previous web page which received mainly positive feedback were Bill's Diary Notes which he maintained between 2003/4 and 2024, ceasing contemporaneous publication with the demise of the website. They can be found here: Diary Notes

Bill is maintaining the Diary Notes, updating about a week at a time, see below.

Bill also maintains a separate musical web presence on Facebook, the only space at present where his Tuesday Tunesday sketched tunes initially appear, along with other musical bits and bobs. https://www.facebook.com/folkbluesnbeyond/  If you are not FB phobic have a look...Linked FB sites relate to the U3A Folk Music Group, Facebook , and Bill's most recent band, '3 Men in a Shed Suffolk' Facebook  and earlier barn dance band 'Instep, Facebook.

Bill was also a member of John Goodluck's 'Bards of the Heath' :  Facebook

There is a  'Folkbluesnbeyond' Youtube channel with more than a thousand videos, music or folk related. folkbluesnbeyond - YouTube

Also on Bandcamp. One upload at present, a blues tape from a time when Bill was hungry to perform. Bandcamp. Bill's 1990's Blues Archive 

Always willing, even now.

These are windows into our world.....

Weekly Diary Notes

10^th December 2025: Sheila: swam, and had coffee with Linda G. Bill had a wander around Felixstowe.

9^th December 2025: Bill to town, including Minster concert. On the road to recovery. Sheila pottering and learning lines. Lovely to receive Sam H's annual card and update. One of only a few colleagues with whom IBill is in touch nowadays. Listened to Mixcloud Folk Club, (as good as Genevieve and Classic Folk), posted TT tune, (pretty scrappy this week). Supper and Song enjoyable, part seasonal, the performers clearly delineated from the Pleasure in Music elements. Holly debuted her concertina skills.

8^th December 2025: Sheila gym, Chi Gung.Fiddle session cancelled, (Rachel ill). Bill : swim, we managed a brief sing. Listened to Genevieve Plays Folk, some interesting seasonal nuggets. East Suffolk Morris practise. Revising Border Morris among others. Still not up to snuff health wise!

7^th December 2025: Exhibition ar Garagiste, we practiced a few songs. Missed sober Cafe as feeling rough, missed Woolpack session as a bad job, (now seemingly an adjunct to the Steamboat session).

6^th December 2025: both under the cosh health wise. Ha rrison's birthday party, great fun.

5^th December 2025: RiP Clive Cook East Suffolk Morris Dancer and 'Billy', Sheila yoga and art class, Bill knoodled on TT tune and U3A song. Both coughing like troopers.

4^th December 2025: Sheila stayed in, Bill attempted a swim, not really ready. Knoodled on TT tune.

3^rd December 2025: Sheila still with cold but undeterred from building panto props. Bill listened to Mel Biggs Chatterbox with Roger Watson: fascinating and essential listening. Roger ran the first workshops on melodeon that Bill attended in 1980 at Sidmouth, and he is still trying to apply the ideas included in those sessions. (Nic Jones also ran workshops there, ditto). Watched the Folk Chart Show, basically an acoustic trade show, (What is Folk Music?, is a topic for discussion at Snape Maltings shortly, Mick is going).

2^nd December 2025:Sheila has the cold, Bill dental hygienist and a wander. Posted TT tune. Started work on a John Prine Christmas Song.

1^st November 2025: Happy Birthday Harrison, Sheila: cold settling in, Chi Gung, Fiddle Group online. Bill: posted Melnet tune and theme. Listened to Genevieve Plays Folk: popped in on Ash etc to wish Harrison Happy Birthday. East Suffolk Morris practice. A nightmare journey circumventing road closures, both inward and outward so a mystery tour around the cart tracks of Heminstone, Gosbeck, Ashbocking etc. An enjoyable practice.

30^th November 2025:

29^th November 2025: Eastern Angles: Treasure Island: with Ashley, Jasmine,Holly & Sarah. Chaotic and overwritten, could have cut a third of the words and articulated the rest which at times was gibberish. The usual entertaining spectacle though. Sheila to Ipswich Sinfonia with Jorja: Bill knackered.

28^th November 2025:Sheila rejigging panto props, Yoga & Art Class, Bill sorting TT tune recordings, U3A The Shannon Bucklesham: an enjoyable afternoon, lots of interesting contributions including a new acaella trio. Marthen: Everyman Folk Club: a superb evening with Jo Freya and Fi Fraser combining with Sarah Matthews and Doug Eunice to present a largely seasonal show, Lots of friends, (including a large contingent from Essex) who we hadn't seen for a while. A very squeezeboxy evening!

27^th November 2025: Sheila: swam, panto practice but missed Tai Chi as her knee is playing up. Built props instead, (at the painting stage). Bill wandered in town, exhausting, started thinking about TT tune, listened to this week's Classic Folk

26^th November 2025: Sheila building panto props, Bill coughing a lot!.

25^th November 2025: Sheila swim, building panto props. Bill posted TT tune.Still has the cold.

24^th November 2025: Sheila gym, Chi Gung, Fiddle class. Bill took to bed for most of the day with a cold., skipped Morris practice.

23^rd November 2025:We had a run through U3A Xmas songs, Bill did some recording and published Dan and Mike first video. Charity Quiz night at The Woolpack with Jacqui and Martin.

10.11.25