Valley Club Christmas Bash 2024


You’d have had to try a lot harder on Saturday, Storm Darragh, if you were going to keep the Valley Club members away from their complimentary Christmas bash. Around 40 arrived to a welcome of mulled wine and mince pies and, having charged our glasses, we gave a warm Valley welcome to the Dorset Wrecks.
  

There were no less than 10 singers, most of whom were ex sea-farers and they harmonised stirring and atmospheric shanties passed down over more than 200 years. Some inspired by the African call and response format, some songs about whaling, many about tragedy at sea and a notable number seemed to make reference to beautiful women and alcohol consumption. Who would have guessed? These renditions were liberally punctuated by wry comments and exclamations from the singers themselves. As the evening went on, foot-tapping progressed to clapping along, which progressed to co-ordinated arm movements and belting out the choruses!

All this was further fuelled by delicious cheeses and biscuits, yet more mulled wine during the break, while the raffled was called.

And the bar staff were kept busy too, which may have explained the enthusiasm with which the encore was joined by the members: “What Shall We Do with the Drunken Sailor”!