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Yorkshire Grit
The Watersons (and Carthys) are one of English folk’s
royal dynasties. Colin Irwin travels up to Robin Hood’s
Bay to hear the Waterson family story.
T
he cliffs are intimidating and years earlier, swap affectionate insults.
the sea looks angry, but it’s a “Have you met my brother the Memory
sunny day and all is well in Man?” laughs Norma after Mike goes into
Robin Hood’s Bay. A family of the wrong verse of Country Life, but the
holidaymakers politely ask if audience is enraptured by the still potent
there’s an ice cream shop nearby while a magic of their voices. And well it might be.
brisk couple of walkers in shorts, heavy Whatever other ailments that may have
duty boots and serious sticks glance dis- beset them, Norma – now 70 – remains the
dainfully towards them as they march most inspiring, joyously full-blooded
with intent towards Whitby. singer we hear all weekend and Mike –
You don’t need to enquire where the
wonderful, whooping, flat-capped, beer-
Carthy family live. The door is wide open
drinking, incorrigible Mike – still delivers
and you instantly see the family rushing
words and stories like he’s opening a
around inside in a state of cheery chaos.
magic box for the first time. With them on
Mike Waterson has just arrived, engaging
stage are Martin and Eliza, Mike’s wife
a local builder in raucous banter and three
Ann and their daughters Rachel and
conversations are instantly on the go.
Eleanor and the late Lal Waterson’s son
Tonight they will head for Belfast en route
Oliver and daughter Marry and by Sunday
to Letterkenny Festival but that somehow
night even those with little knowledge or
seems a long way off in the hurly burly of
interest in English traditional music are
ringing phones, travel arrangements
still talking in wonder about their set. It
being adjusted and anecdotes constantly
doesn’t quite have the emotional intensity
flying around from all corners. Martin
of their famous London Albert Hall show a
Simpson is here to do some recording in
couple of years ago, but if anyone needed
Oliver Knight’s studio across the road for
reminding about the power of those songs
the forthcoming Norma Waterson/ Eliza
and these voices to lift your heart and
Carthy duo album – “Oh it’s sounding
move your soul and take you to another
good,” he says, swathed in smiles after
place, then the Waterson family do that.
making his contribution – and Martin
Carthy is on tea duty as Norma talks about
the roles Danny Thompson, Longfellow,
Ukulele Lady and Delia Murphy have on
the duo record. “You know Delia Mur- T
hey have, of course, been doing
it for five decades since first
emerging from Hull, setting up
one of the country’s early folk
clubs in the process to give tra-
phy?” she asks. “When we were kids our
ditional song a thrilling, vibrant new life
grandmother loved Delia Murphy. She
force… and with it they made an indelible
had a big hit in the forties with that song
impact on the burgeoning British folk
Spinning Wheel, but she also sang really
revival. Martin Carthy vividly recalls the
good traditional songs.”
first time he saw the Watersons – Mike,
It reminds Mike he’s just seen an LP Norma, Lal and their second cousin John
called Songs From The Flighty 40s for sale Harrison – at London’s Troubadour in Earls
at the Help The Aged shop in Whitby and Court in 1963. “I remember them singing
Norma thinks she might like to buy it, but Three Score And Ten and being aston-
Mike’s already changed the subject, fret- ished. Nobody had ever sounded like that
ting that he may have missed “Our Lass’s” before. Sometimes they sang in harmony,
birthday. “Which Our Lass are you talking sometimes in unison and they were
about?” says Eliza as she comes in to intro- extraordinary. It’s a lot to do with being
duce the future Prime Minister – ”or blood relatives and a lot to do with com-
maybe a drummer” – Florence Daisy, the ing from a family who made music, be it
newest member of the family and the smi- light opera, jazz or classical. They had a
liest baby in the world. “I’m just going to choice of what to do and what they decid-
whack my baby down here and change her ed to do was sing Yorkshire songs because
mucky arse,” says Eliza. “Just what I want- no one else was doing it – and what a job
ed with my tea,” says Mike. “Mmmm jal- they made of it! Those early Watersons
frezi… lovely!” says Eliza, with that recordings are timeless – they could have
endearing cackle of hers as the future been made yesterday.”
Prime Minister lies on her back giggling.
Mike, Norma and Lal were raised by
A couple of weeks later nine members their grandmother, Eliza Ward, after the
of the Waterson family play a glorious set deaths – within 18 months of one another
at Cambridge Folk Festival which sets – of their parents. Their mother Florence
everything into context. Mike and Norma was a chronic asthmatic who died, aged
Waterson, the only artists on the bill who 38, of double pneumonia in the terrible
sang at the first Cambridge festival 45 winter of 1947. “It runs in the family but if
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