Kettle Bridge Concertinas

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Report by John H.

Quantock Lodge
(courtesy of Wikipedia).

A merry group of 7 Kettle Bridge members attended this annual event, organised for many years by the West Country Concertina Players (WCCP). It was the third year that the weekend had taken place at Quantock Lodge, a lovely remote and rambling mansion on the edge of the Quantock Hills, about a half hour drive north-west of Taunton. The house itself, the grounds and the beautiful countryside on the doorstep all present an ideal place to learn. As a first timer I was struck by the friendliness and enthusiasm over the whole weekend.

From Friday evening to Sunday afternoon there was barely a break from a busy schedule of workshop sessions. There were tutor groups for players of English, Anglo and Duet systems, with an option for intermediate and advanced players of any system. On Saturday afternoon there were options to play rounds, slow tunes, to try another system, or to join a dance workshop, co-led by our own Liz Millward. Concertina Tinker Dave Elliott was busy all weekend in his clinic for poorly concertinas, also finding time to offer a session on concertina care and maintenance. On Saturday a stand was provided by Barleycorn Concertinas, and on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon there were plenty of opportunities to participate in or listen to some wonderful playing.

It must take an enormous amount of time and energy to arrange an event of this sort, all done by WCCP volunteers of course. I was very impressed by the way things were managed so efficiently before and during the event. My own meagre efforts with the concertina took a noticeable step forward, I made lots of contacts, put on a fair bit of weight and enjoyed the bar. I definitely recommend next year’s event to anyone who is thinking about it.