Charming times.

         



Afternoon Strumpets,

The Charmers have decided it's time to get some demo's done, no messing about.   We've set ourselves a target of two a month for the next twelve months.

I'll be posting the efforts and you'll be able to hear them on our website alongside other stuff.

http://www.thealicecharmers.com

Here's the first song.  I wrote it following listening to a brilliant talk by Bob Fischer regarding the legend of the Hob Man, which was prominent in Yorkshire up until the late nineteenth Century.  The legend brought over by the Vikings (it's believed) told of a small naked being who helped run farms and houses through the night whilst the owners slept.  All he asked for in return was a nice bowl of cream to be left out for him to drink.  One story tells that a farmer's wife feels that cream is far too extravagant and one night leaves a bowl of milk.  The Hob Man doesn't like this one little bit and spends the next couple of nights running around the house screaming till the cream is reintroduced.

Occasionally people, feeling sorry for the poor little fella being naked leave clothing out for him.  He puts the clothing on and immediately feels superior to the other Hobs and runs away as he now is above the role previously allocated to him.

The most famous Hob story concerns a family who's lives are being ruined by a particular Hob, and one morning they decide to "flit" the farm with all of their belongings.  An hour into their journey to their new home they stop their wagon to ask a stranger for directions and when he asks them what they are doing a voice from the back of the wagon yells out "We're flitting".  Realising they will never be free of the Hob Man they turn their wagon round and return to the farm.

There are some great stories, but as Bob says in the talk don't just google it.  Get yourselves out to bookshops, second hand ones particularly, and look around for the old legend.

Anyway here's the song.



Till the next one learn something new,

Mark.