Tars Lite at Teign Shanty and Maritime Festival

 

Photo courtesy of Rosie Hinge

Tars were definitely the lite version for this festival on Saturday 4 September for several different reasons.  Nevertheless the sun shone, the  crowds turned out and we got good audiences.  The festival was very well organised and thanks are due to the organizers for their planning efforts in a difficult Covid climate. As we wandered around we were reminded that Teignmouth is a really pleasant seaside town with loads of facilities to enjoy.

Singing at 125th Birthday of Tamar Barge 'Lynher'

Images courtesy of Mel Peters

The Tamar barge the Lynher has been moored at Cotehele Quay for a week with public access and entertainment.  This was to celebrate her 125th birthday very close to where she was built in Calstock.

The weather was fair, visitors were out in force and the Tars were proud to do an afternoon set on board.

The Lynher has a great local history and you can learn much more here.

Our thanks to the owners and in particular for their help for some in negotiating the narrow gang plank with gear without mishap😀.

Tars on the Quay

This evening the Tars did a socially distanced practice session on Bere Ferrers Quay. A socially distanced group of local supporters turned out. Being such a beautiful evening with HW at 20:00 there were a lot of boats on the water.  Whilst we were singing ‘Take me in Your Lifeboat’ a load of kayakers came along to listen and clap along! No kayakers were in trouble at this time and thankfully no lifeboat needed.

Tars Temporarily Silenced

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic we have decided to cancel our weekly sessions and forthcoming events until things improve.
We would very much like to keep in touch so please email any time you like tavytars@gmail.com
Best wishes and stay well from all at Tavy Tars

Clive's Memories of Ships on Which We Have Ranted and Roared!

Some of my favourite Tars sessions have been on board ships. It’s been a privilege to sing (and even dance) on board some wonderful classic vessels (although see below under ‘Scillonian III!).

Here are some of the ships and boats on which the Tars have ranted and roared – in no particular order.

Shamrock - http://shamrock-cotehele.blogspot.com/ One of the two surviving Tamar barges; she lives up at Cotehele on the Tamar. We’ve visited her for a shanty session at least twice. It would be great to return once her current major refurbishment is complete.

Grayhound - http://www.grayhoundluggersailing.co.uk/ Superb replica of a three-masted Customs lugger, built at Millbrook and launched in 2012. We were able to sing aboard when she was in Sutton Harbour, Plymouth.

Irene - www.ireness.com/ A wonderful survivor of the great fleet of sailing vessels that were so common around the shores of the West Country until the earlier 20^th century. Launched at Bridgwater in 1907, she has had a remarkable and colourful history. The Tars were able to sing aboard her at Bristol in 2011 and in Sutton Harbour, Plymouth in 2015.

Kaskelot - www.lefrancais.info/en/ A fine three-masted barque. She was built in Denmark, worked in Greenland and the Faeroes before becoming part of the Square Sail fleet at Charlestown. She was sold to France in 2018, and now sails as ‘Le Français’. We sang (and danced!) on board when she visited Sutton Harbour, Plymouth in 2017.

Kathleen and May - http://kathleenandmay.co.uk/ We were lucky enough to sing on the Kathleen and May back in 2011, when she visited the Bristol Harbour Festival. A particular favourite, as the Tars sing the song that celebrates her survival (‘Kathleen and May’). Like the ‘Irene’, Kathleen and May is a beautiful survivor of Britain’s coastal sailing fleet. She was moored in Sutton Harbour, Plymouth, for part of the 1970s but is now resides at Liverpool.

Great Britain - www.ssgreatbritain.org/ Brunel’s pioneer steamship in Bristol is a wonderful example of maritime heritage and conservation. It was a great privilege for the Tars to sing on deck and down below during the 2011 Bristol Harbour Festival.

Dart Explorer - www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/about-us-history/boat-fleet The Tars have enjoyed singing vessels without sails as well as those with more authentic shanty credentials.. In 2012, we sang on one of the river boats on the Dart. Just enough headroom, although we didn’t need the shelter as it was a fairly sunny day.

Scillonian III - www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk/scillonian-iii/ The Tars took day trips to St.Mary’s aboard the Scillonian III three years running, singing aboard to raise funds for the RNLI. Generally a pleasure - apart, perhaps, from one grimly memorable crossing, when a combination of sea state and café aromas proved a tad too challenging for this particular Tar…

James Craig – www.shf.org.au/explore-the-fleet/our-operational-vessels/james-craig-1874-tall-ship/ The song ‘James Craig’ is a favourite in the Tars repertoire (the song was written by Rudi Sunde, late of Auckland’s ‘Maritime Crew’). The James Craig was built in Sunderland in 1874 as the ‘Clan Macleod’. She was eventually sold into the Tasman trade under her present name. Although she became a hulk in Tasmania, she was rescued and brought back into superb sailing condition, and is now based at Pyrmont Harbour, Sydney. Tars member Clive was able to sing her namesake song on board in 2016.

Lynher - https://tamarbarge.org.uk/ Although the Tars haven’t been able to sing aboard yet, we came close in the July 2019. While we singing on the quay at Calstock, the Tamar barge Lynher crept up the adjacent river behind us. She was then right alongside the site of the former Goss shipyard where she was launched in 1896. Many years of dedicated enterprise and effort have brought this fine local vessel back to life from being a mere hulk in her namesake river.

Plymouth Lifeboat ‘Sybil Mullin Glover’ -  Last but not least! The cover image for the Tavy Tars’ CD was taken on board the Plymouth’s ‘Severn’ class lifeboat in Millbay Docks in 2014. Like many shanty crews we raise money for the RNLI when we can.

Event Cancelled

Please be aware that the Shanty Fundraiser planned for 7 March at Bere Alston has been cancelled by the organiser.

Support for WQSC Cadets

Today the Tars sang a couple of songs and donated a cheque at the Bere Ferrers Community Shop. This was to help support the WQSC cadets in their sailing trip on Johanna Lucretia in April 2020.  We wish them well with their adventure.

Sammy has Arrived

A memory from Doug

The Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival is an annual event for us Tars and always good fun.  The venues vary from street gigs to full stage with extensive sound equipment.

Perhaps our most informal event last year (Saturday June 15^th 2019), was in Falmouth High Street.  As usual, the crowd started quite thin but grew as we sang.  Prominent at the front was a mother with an enraptured son.

The song that captivated them was “Sammy’s Gone Away”, even though I did manage to start in the wrong key!  They loved it, and then the mother explained that her son’s name was Sammy, and where could they buy a CD?

They got their CD and we got a new and very enthusiastic supporter.

Jane Recalls a Memorable Day 'Singing to Combat Seasickness'

Over several years, our good friend Vic Stimson from the RNLI arranged for the Tavy Tars to sing on the Scillonian on a day trip to St Mary’s.

The weather was kind on the outward sailing to Scilly in September 2015 and we were able to sing on the deck - an exhilarating experience. But our return crossing later in the day was a different story, the wind had got up and the sea was unfriendly..!  Unable to stand steadily, we wedged ourselves to a handrail at the front of the lounge, and sang as lustily as we could to an unhappy captive audience.  It worked for me, never a good sailor, I was too focused on staying upright whilst playing and singing to feel sick.  I think we did a good service for our fellow passengers that day - the RNLI benefitted from a good collection as they alighted in Penzance.

Sadly, Vic died a few years ago and with him our link to the Scillonian.  

Memories and Recollections from Tavy Tars

We are planning to publish some personal recollections and memories of good (and maybe not quite so good!) times over the last few years.  Keep tuned..........