IT WAS a dark, bitter night.

A young couple, possibly of Middle Eastern appearance, the woman certainly heavy with child, knock at the door of a desolate public house on the outskirts of a bleak run-down conurbation.

All they possess in the world is gathered together in one battered hold-all as they wait anxiously for a reply.

“Yeh, what?” grunts the grizzled landlord, smoking a fag, wiping his bulbous nose.

“Do you have a room for the night,” the young man asks meekly.

“Yeh, sure mate. We’re empty. Everyone’s cleared off for Christmas.”

Now, whatever the rights and wrongs and whatever your opinion is about what’s happening in the world right now, there is a huge humanitarian crisis going on and according to the British Red Cross there are more people fleeing violence and conflict today than at any time since the Second World War.

The subject of asylum seekers and refugees is clearly a difficult and controversial one but the BRC are doing their upmost to help those who need it most.

 

And there’s a chance for you to help them at an all-day event featuring some of the brightest talents around these parts.

Till There was Us is hosted and organised by the lovely and fragrant Lucy Broddle and Stacey Rae Hobday, better known as the ukulele duo Till There was Uke.

 

Over the past few weeks they have been recording and filming several local musos and posting the results on social media ahead of the big bash on Sunday, December 6, at the Ayya bar in Weymouth, from 4pm.

You can see some of the videos on the online version of this page.

As Lucy tells me: “There will be collection buckets doing the rounds.

“It’s all in aid of The British Red Cross Europe Refugee Crisis Appeal.

 

“We will have been releasing videos with the bands for the eight weeks prior and they will all be appearing on the day.”

Top turns confirmed so far are Wilson, Stereoironics, Amy Mayes, Leggomen, Hustle with many. many more to come.

So remember the real meaning of Christmas, go along, enjoy the music and put your hand in your pocket. You’ll feel better for it.

Moving on, and in my four decades at this august publication I have covered some major stories: Loch Ness monster on a pedalo in Radipole Lake, Shergar working undercover as a Weymouth beach donkey, playing darts with Lord Lucan in the back bar of The Globe, but they all pale into insignificance as I bring you the earthquaking news that Freezer, the Merchants of Ice themselves, are to reform for a one-off gig.

Yep, the awesome foursome of Paul Sundt, Chris Whiteside, Dave Phillips and Pete Smith broke up some two years ago in an acrimonious and litigious fall-out over who pinched the last slice of pavlova at a wedding buffet.

But time heals and, thanks in no small part to a sponsorship deal with a bargain pack of prawn rings believed to be worth at least a fiver, they’ll be getting the show back on the road at the Park Hotel in Weymouth, the scene of many of their greatest food fights, sorry, gigs, on Sunday, December 13 at 4pm.

Right, that’s it for this week. I’m off down Rumbelows for a row with an old lady over a heavily discounted foot spa for Black Friday. Till next time..

GIG GUIDE

TONIGHT (27)

Ben Waters (Royal Manor Theatre, Portland)

Ben Poole (Electric Palace, Bridport)

Suckerpunch (Finns, Weymouth)

Under the Carousel (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

The Remedy (Park, Weymouth)

That’s Us 2 (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Leggomen (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Surfing Birds (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Jolly Boys Outing (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Fluke (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Martin Johnson Band (Royal Portland Arms, Portland)

Duke and the Broad (Clifton, Portland)

Lady Winwood’s Maggot (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Paul Anthony (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Stealing Whiskey (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

Gut and Steel (Eight Kings, Portland)

Milk & Two (Market House, Weymouth)

SATURDAY (28)

Ben Waters (Royal Manor Theatre, Portland)

Hustle (Finns, Weymouth) Lo Numbers (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Pronghorn (George, Dorchester) 7pm start.

Mad Hatters (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth)

Skatmandu (Park, Weymouth)

Highly Likely (Weymouth Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Steve Francis (Conservative Club, Weymouth)

Replay (Centenary Club, Weymouth)

Sheryl Lee (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Skinful (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth)

Average Wyke Band (Ship, Wool)

Regulation 9 (Market House, Weymouth)

Off The Scale (Wyke Regis Working Mens Club, Weymouth)

Tripod (Lugger, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Danny Adams (Wyke Regis Social Club, Weymouth)

Freak Circus (Ropemakers, Bridport)

Howling at the Moon (Tom Browns, Dorchester)

The Unpredictables (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Dale Fender Band (Shaston Social Club, Shaftesbury)

Billy Solo (Sydney Arms, Dorchester)

The Shakespearos (Snug, Weymouth)

Martin (New Star, Portland)

Splinter (Golden Lion, Weymouth)

SUNDAY (29)

Karen (Royal Oak, Weymouth) 3pm.

Replay (Wyke Smugglers, Weymouth) 2pm.

Juke Box Junkies (Royal Portland Arms, Portland) 4pm.

Remix (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Dougie Cooper Quartet (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Ricky Solo (Sailor’s Return, Weymouth) From 3pm.

Jam Night (Sailor’s Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Surgery (George, Dorchester)

Sheryl Lee’s Sunday Club (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth) 4pm.

DuKane (Belvedere, Weymouth) 2pm.

Gut and Steel (Piddle Inn, Piddletrenthide) 3pm.

Danny Adams (Boho, Weymouth) 7pm.

Blazing Strings (Ayya, Weymouth) 10pm.

MONDAY (30)

Powelly, Blazing Strings (Rendezvous, Weymouth)

Songwriters night with George Hall (Boho, Weymouth)

TUESDAY (1)

Open Mic with Martin Freed (Duke of Cornwall, Weymouth)

Replay (Weymouth Pavilion)

Jazz Guitar Nights (Boho, Weymouth)

WEDNESDAY (2)

Dave Bowen and Jazz Friends (Three Compasses, Charminster)

Jam Night (Lazy Lizard, Weymouth) Hosted by Blazing Strings

Georgie Broad (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Rendezvous, Weymouth)

Wessex Folk Night (Sailors Return, Weymouth)

Open Mic Night (Belvedere, Weymouth) With Martin Freed

An Evening with… (Boho, Weymouth) Originals night.

THURSDAY (4)

Average Wyke Band (Harbour Lights, Portland Marina)

Leggomen (George, Weymouth)

Ricky Solo (Edinburgh House of Sounds, Weymouth)

Open Mic Surgery (Tom Brown’s, High East St, Dorchester)

Steve’s Singalong (Duke of Cornwall, St Edmund Street, Weymouth)

Traditional Tune Session (Cove House Inn, ChiswelI, Portland)

Ukulele Sessions (Sailors Return, St Nicholas St, Weymouth)

SoapBox Night (Belvedere, Weymouth) Hosted by DuKane.

FRIDAY (5)

Saint The Sinner, Refuge of the Fallen, As Flames Rise, Bloodsworn (Finns, Weymouth)

Leggomen, Blazing Strings (Royal Oak, Weymouth)

Acoustic Session (Victoria Inn, Chickerell, Weymouth)

Chill (Royal Exchange, Portland)

Billy Solo (Wellington, Weymouth)

Disco’s Out Murder’s In (Ropemakers, Bridport)