MUSIC - some of the nice people I've played music with over the years - only those where photos exist, I'm afraidIt all started with Pete Shaw's parents going to London for the weekend in 1957. They brought back a 78rpm record for each of the three kids. Pete got the top hit from the show they'd seen - the Banana Boat Song (serious version). Pete's younger brother John got the Runaway Train. Pete's younger sister Marti's present was the new skiffle hit record in 1957. Marti didn't like it (no taste that girl, she preferred Cliff Richard) but Pete got switched on by it - Lonnie Donegan singing Cumberland Gap on one side and Love is Strange on the other. A guitar went immediately onto the Christmas list. Pete eventually got one, started to play skiffle and was in various bands at school, including one called The Layabouts with Melvyn Banham, Bernie Westwood and Martin Polson, based upon a Youth Club in Cobden Street, Peterborough. The photo left, taken 26 July 1963 shows Pete (left) and Mike Hale playing at a St Mark's youth club bonfire, behind the church on Lincoln Road. Students of Peterborough history might also spot Lloyd Watson (pre-guitar days) behind Pete, white trousers & hand in pocket, cribbing a few chords. That cribbing is all the other way these days, Lloyd being a professional musician and all. Also in the pic, with his head stuck up at the back towards the left is Tony Chapman, now of Peterborough City Council fame, and Brian Parker, (behind Lloyd's elbow) later to become the Fen Five's drummer. Being introduced to Peterborough Folk Club by a friend, Kay Bloore, at the same time as moving to Leicester weekdays and having to leave the Band, made Pete flog the solid and go acoustic on guitar and mandolin. "Hey, those guys like Martin Carthy play guitar with their fingers!!!" Pete was much influenced by the three regular singers at Peterborough Folk Club in those days; Mike Herring, Alan Twelftree and Alex Atterson. Pete eventually got good enough at folk music to play for other people, and various lineups ensued, including the Peterborough Ceilidh Band (none of us had even been to a ceilidh) with Mike Herring, Mike Steele and Bas Warrington, Pete being the baby of the group but probably the best folk instrumentalist. The friendship with Bas particularly lasted until his death in 1998. He was such a nice man. Pete first met Bas as a bronzed lifeguard at the Lido, surrounded by admiring females (Bas, not Pete). He had been a "Bevan Boy" down the pits during WW2, played trumpet in the band on the Queen Mary and latterly had a lampshade stall with a "musical instruments bought and sold" sign on Peterborough Market. He could entertain with voice and guitar, sang lead parts for Peterborough Opera Company, and played jazz piano, cello and violin. Thanks to Bas's ex-wife, Dot, Bas's violin is now one of Pete's proudest possessions and a keepsake of a wonderful man and a great musician. The Peterborough Ceilidh Band played all over, including Norwich Folk Festival, and Roy Harris' Traditional Music Club in Nottingham and Nic Jones' Folk Club in Essex. (That means nothing to the 99% of you who have never heard of either). Mike Herring emigrated for a while early 70's and Pete Shaw bought his melodeon to learn - teaching himself, as usual. Pete had a very boozy singing partnership for a while afterwards with Mike Steele, which included doing regular gig in the cellar of a wine bar in Stamford. The owner said he couldn't afford to pay us, but we could have all the red wine we could drink. Mike and Diana lived nearby, so no driving was involved, and the owner would have got off more lightly if he had paid in cash. No photos have survived of that duo nor of the Pete Hall and Pete Shaw duo (stars of Kings Lynn folk club), nor of the Peterborough Ceilidh Band
Florence is French, from the village in the south of France where Perrier water comes from, and sings really well in both languages. She is pictured here in the mid eighties singing at the Octagon, an unusual singing and dancing Club which Claudy ran for 3 years. Guests included Martin Carthy and John Kirkpatrick as well as ethnic groups, eg a Bangra band from Peterborough's asian community. She also teaches french folk dances.
The aforesaid Geordie, Brian Kell, and his wife Christine together resurrected the long defunct tradition of having a man dressed in straw wandering around Whittlesey in January each year. Peterborough Morris did not quite have the kit that first year, but those in Northampton Morris, including Pete, took part as part of Northampton, and Peterborough Morris have danced there ever since. The Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival is a staple of the local folk scene. Brian is also a formidable singer. Pic right: Brian Kell, without Pete Shaw's fiddle accompaniment, singing "My Brother Sylvest" ("he's got an arm like a leg") in the folk building at Expo Steam, held at the East of England Showground early 1990's perhaps.
After a week at Sidmouth Folk Week during the 1980's in the West Gallery music (a folky sort of early hymns) workshops, Pete joined the West Gallery Music Association and came back to Peterborough all fired up to find something old locally. As luck would have it, he prompted Stamford instrument repairer Steve Taggart to look at a book his father had acquired. This turned out to be a first edition (even the British Library don't have one) of local singingmaster William East's settings from 1748.
Pete started and ran the Octagon Club in Peterborough for 2 or 3 years around 1985. This was a combination of a folk song club and a folk dance club and featured many guests including Martin Carthy, John Kirkpatrick, Tony Hall, Irish and even a Bangra Dance group.
Pete Shaw supplied cajun accordeon and twin fiddle, and shared vocals with Gill. Band membership changed over the years, other founder members Christine Kell triangle, Barry Ford guitar,
Particularly in those early days (before the mid-nineties cajun boom) almost nobody knew how to cajun dance. That meant, unless the organiser could do it, someone in the Band had to, teaching dance for an hour before the Dance proper. Pete taught cajun dance from 1992 onwards - partner Christine Kell, whilst she was in the band - both before Harrison Shaw Cajun Band gigs and independently at festivals Photo left: Pete Shaw and Christine Kell demonstrating some moves at a dance workshop, Ely Folk Festival, mid-nineties. Hooray, both on the same foot at the same time.
Cajun Catfish, featuring the lead guitarist of the Glass Onion rock band, pumped out cajun and more with a rockier sound, played in 1999 including at Broadstairs Folk Week in Kent. Photo left: Cajun Catfish (Left to right) Guy Cuthbert bass guitar, Gavin Petz electric guitar, Pete Shaw accordeon, fiddle, acoustic guitar and vocals, Chris Petz drums, and Glenys Petz rub-board and triangle.
Pete has played in or depped with other cajun lineups over the years, on cajun accordeon, fiddle or guitar, including Doughboy Zydecajun and the Bon Temps Playboys. right: Pete Shaw playing with Dirk Powell and Christine Balfa of Balfa Toujours at The Weavers, Stoke Newington, London, Feb 1996
Whilst on a trip to America to visit New England team Handsome Molly as musician with Pig Dyke Molly, Pete got introduced to Contra dance and the exciting music played for it, including the chance to play with the buzzing New York outfit Grand Picnic (right). If you want to know about Contra in the UK, first stop Fi & Big Bad Contra and Contra Bands & Callers in the UK also Fiddlin' Around
One advantage of playing various instruments is that you get invited places to make up the music numbers by dance groups you don't even belong to.Other trips, in addition to the one above and ones below, include with Mandrake to Southern Germany, with Crosskey to Portugal, with Magog to Denmark, with Fendance to Hungary, with Pig Dyke to the USA, with Peterborough Morris to France and Germany several times, with Grand Union Rapper to Ireland and Alford in Lincolnshire, and with Hi Jinx to Germany.
May 2002 - Sept 2004, Pete was a permanent member of a noisy musical outfit, Bograt playing at first tenor sax, and fiddle, later, after a reshuffle, fronting the band on melodeon or fiddle. Photo left: Chris Petz (drums and haircut), Chris (electric guitar)(left and replaced by Gavin Petz), Pete (sax & Fiddle at that time), John (bass and vegetarian food), Bridget (keyboard and calling), in front is leadman John (whistles, wit and main caller). Not pictured is the other essential member, Colin the soundman.
Nov 2003: Pete depping for Will in The Rosinators, the Vortex, Stoke Newington - they are a very good country, cajun, gospel, bluegrass & blues band. Left to right: Pete, Fliss Premru, Paul Castle. Their website is here
Did I say I played cajun music? They certainly do. Pete & Fliss Premru of the Rosinators.
Doughboy Zydecajun playing for a cajun & zydeco dance at the Whittlesea Straw Bear festival, January 2005. L to R: Jo, Janis, Robin, Dace, Pete, Bob.
Another trip abroad as occasional musician for a team Pete doesn't belong to, this time 6 lovely days around Prades in the French Pyrenees with the Pateley Bridge Real Ale Tasting Society, known as PRATS. They danced Cotswold Morris stick and handkerchief, Longsword, Border and Appalachian dances, and very well too. Left to right in Villefranche de Conflent, April 2005: Jan, Pete, Tessa, Bob. In front, Dave.
The English Band" at Ray Warrick's 50th birthday at the Seamus Ennis Centre in Naul, County Dublin, August 2005. Left to right: Brian Kell (mouthorgan), Gill Harrison (bass), Dave Jolly (melodeon), Derek Warrington (flute), Pete Shaw & Janet Warrington (fiddles), Ronan Lawless (concertina), Dennis Warrick (guitar). Stopped updating this page in September 2005 but plenty going on. Found some from 2009 - this one of The Hannibal Quartet at a Trafalgar Day Dinner. L to R: Sharon Edwards - viola and violin, Laura Harwood - flute, Mary Nugent - violin & cello, Pete Shaw - cello, guitar & violin.
This is the irish music band Abandon, the following night. L to R: Alan Roberts - fiddle, Jan Scofield - caller, Pete Shaw - keyboard, in front: Roger Scofield - uillean pipes & whistles.
Elusive Black Dog L to R: Chris Petz - caller, Dom Seamer - bass guitar, Johnny Sismey - drums, Pete Shaw - electric fiddle & melodeon, Gavin Petz - guitar & vocals.
Hannibal's Heroes continued doing ceilidhs; here's the lineup in July 2010, left to right: Lesley Prue, Sharon Edwards, Fiona Cowan, Laura Harwood, Pete Shaw. Later, Lesley left, Pete took over as Caller, and Essex boy Pete Redman came in on melodeon. The sax got a run out in July 2010 at the Woody's 40th anniversary party:
I joined Elusive Black Dog, a very rocky ceilidh band, playing mainly electric fiddle & also the Roland midi melodeon. We had been running 18 months when we played at Broadstairs Folk Week, August 2012. Here is one of the EBD playing the Pavilion-in-the-Sands at Broadstairs:
This is Elusive Black Dog late September 2012. Left to right, Gavin Petz, guitar; "the Reverend" Dom Seamer, bass; Rich Chilvers, drums; Pete; Chris Petz, caller. Here is one, taken a month later, with the Roland FR-18, useful because it's totally electronic which means no feedback on stage, it will play in any key, and also has other sounds (like Hammond organ) useful or the rock numbers we do. These two pics courtesy of Magical Moments Photography of Grantham: |
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The original Fen Five, dressed up like kippers to play at a May Ball at Orton Longueville school on Saturday 11th May 1964. Left to right: Pete Shaw (lead guitar), Brian Parker (drums), Mike Hale (rhythm guitar), Richard Hale (vocalist), Dave Everitt (bass).
guitarist brother departed. The pic left was probably taken at the New Inn - now under the St Mary's Street roundabout in Peterborough - where we seemed to keep getting booked by the Gas Board's Social Club (our vocalist worked for the Gas Board). Pete Shaw (with £35 lead guitar) at the back, Alan "Fuzz" Wooley (vocalist) in the middle, and the shoulder of Keith Toms (rhythm guitar). Spot the white plastic microphone which taken from the drummer's old Phillips reel to reel tape recorder and mounted on a stand. When you only got £10 or £15 between you per gig and were still at school or apprentices, you had to make do. It worked fine even if it looked naff. Photo: Ian Snowdon. 
During the late 60's and 70's Pete, like much of the folk song world, was dazzled by the harmonies of the Young Tradition group, and the traditional family singing of the Copper Family from Sussex and the Watersons from Yorkshire on which they were based. Bas Warrington's brother Terry, with a fine tenor voice, Pete's sister Marti and Pete singing bass got to sing two songs on BBC Radio 2's Folkweave when they visited Peterborough Folk Club in 1974. Marti left and the group disbanded. Later, Terry and Florence, Terry's girlfriend formed a group with Ken Tonge. Pete joined, to make a fourpiece. Appearing at a local concert, Jim Lloyd refused to introduce them by the four names, so the name "Claudy" was chosen in two minutes. The picture left shows Claudy singing at their regular Sunday night Club at the Bell Inn, Stilton village. Left to right: Ken Tonge, Florence Warrington (as she became), Terry Warrington and Pete Shaw. Ken moved north, and the group continued for some years as a three piece. 
Terry, Bas Warrington's younger brother, sings a wide range of songs, not only traditional but George Formby material as well. He is a maker and player of instruments, including the hurdy-gurdy, seen here playing one he made himself.
Pete accidentally learned to morris dance whilst going to Northampton Morris to learn the tunes after hearing them played with electric guitars in the mid 70's. On the left he receives a public beating from Pete Timms, the Squire and Fool, (now deceased) whilst dancing for Northampton Morris in Cathedral Square, Peterborough probably June 1978 or 1979. 
Mind you, Pete got his own back later by forming Peterborough Morris in 1979 and becoming the first Squire (sort of President) and Foreman (dance teacher). The first Fool was a Geordie called Brian Kell, but Pete got to stand in for him occasionally, as in the pic left, taken probably in 1980 or 1981 at the Chequered Skipper pub at Ashton, near Oundle. A rare shot of Doug Sherriff, Peterborough's first musician (now deceased). 
Peterborough Morris' first trip to Germany in the early 1980's lead to a longlasting friendship with this man, Pete's host over there, Georg Pauls. He is a teacher of English and a very nice guy, although without a musical bone in his body. Due to complicated reasons, their first conversation had to be in French; Pete's was schoolboy french and Georg's was impeccable. Pete's lifelong task to get Georg to appreciate english ale continues, but not very successfully. That beer on the table isn't his.
Pete used to let a room out and had one or two ropey lodgers. But having the likeable Mark Dowding from Lancashire move in with his guitar and anglo concertina in 1986 was ideal, and lead to considerable nights of music (and nights of considerable beer as well). Before Mark arrived, he had never tasted Indian food, and it took a lot of persuasion to get him to try a mild Korma. By the time he moved on in 1988, he, erm, I mean we) was eating two Vindaloos a week. Whilst here, Mark started and ran the Black Swan Folk Club in Farcet. Pictured left: Mark, at home back in Ormskirk, Lancashire, in Val Doonican pose, taken in 1996, but he's lost none of his boyish charm, he says. He's now the webmaster for 
Since about the third year of Straw Bear, 1983, with a break of only one year, Pete has acted as lead musician for the ad hoc "Bear Band", which leads the procession around Whittlesey town. Pictured left is the front of the Band about January 2000. Some of the musicians from the left: Dave Martin (bass drum), Wocko Watkins (melodeon), Pete Shaw (melodeon), Pete Mac (melodeon), Simon Bilsborough (piano accordeon and bowler hat), the soprano sax player from the Seven Champions Molly team from Kent, Sandra Green (piano accordeon) and caller and "Dr Sunshine" Dave Hunt (melodeon). Although the road was damp, the procession very rarely gets rained upon. See the WSB website by clicking 
Pete's spare room over the years became a temporary haven for various friends whose relationships had split up and were reoganising their lives. One of these was irishman Ray Warrick. Ray watched Pete calling and thought he could do it better. So Pete lent him his country dance calling notes and Ray did do it better. Amongst other musical co-operations included this night entertaining at Ye Old White Hart, Ufford, near Stamford (see right) about 1990?
Pete also introduced Ray to the delights of Broadstairs Folk Week - a wonderful week in August each year of music, friends, and some drinking as well. Pic left: Ray, after a few drinks, having been handcuffed by some women to the radiator in the busy ladies' loo in Upton School at Broadstairs for 2 hours - it was a joke, Wendy! 
The Dennis Cuddles Starlight Band (don't ask how they got the name - there isn't enough space) was formed in 1981 out of musicians attached to Peterborough Morris. Right is the original lineup plus Ray Warrick, who joined later. Left to right: Pete Shaw (piano, hammered dulcimer & trombone), Pete Stafford-Honeyball (bodhran), Colin Turner (melodeon & concertina) in the russian hat, Pete Puxty (melodeon), Brian Kell (drums), Ray Warrick (guitar), George Stevenson (caller). 
DCSB Mark 2 or 3 From the left they are: Pete Shaw (fiddle), Pete Stafford-Honeyball (drums), Pete Puxty (melodeon), Tim Block (trombone), Terry Warrington (banjo), George Stevenson (caller). Date about 1985? The melodeon Pete Puxty is playing was later the subject of a matrimonial dispute. Her: "..and another thing, your melodeon is mine, bought with my money". Him: "No, it's only half yours." She disappears downstairs and comes back with melodeon, sliced in half down the bellows by a large bread knife. Her: "OK, which half do you want?" They are no longer married. Pete Shaw had wondered why he kept "forgetting" his melodeon and had to borrow one for gigs. Pete Puxty, wherever you are, we still love ya.
After five years with the Dennis Cuddles Starlight Band, Pete moved on and in April 1987 joined the talented Dave Jolly and Ian Clabburn in the regional band Pandemonium. Pete joined as keyboard player to make the band a three piece and later switched to fiddle. The band performed at Broadstairs Folk Week August 87 and 88. Pictured right, left to right: Ian Clabburn (hammered dulcimer), Pete Shaw (fiddle), Dave Jolly (melodeon and anglo concertina), Kate Sayer (keyboards) in the Barnaby Rudge pub at a Broadstairs Folk Week in the late 80's. 
Dave Jolly sells and repairs melodeon of all sorts, and is an very good melodeon and concertina player. 
Pic left: Ian casting covetous eyes at Pete's bagpipes and reckoning how he could probably play them better anyway. (He was right). In the end, he fell in love with them, became an octopus and lived happily ever after. Well, he borrowed them permanently, but made Pete a lovely hammered dulcimer in exchange. He makes dulcimers, including one for Chris Coe. He went on to become a bagpipe expert and later Treasurer of internationally reknowned "Blowout" bagpipe festival.
Before long the William East Quire had formed in Ketton, near Stamford to perform the material. Pete ran a West Gallery Quire workshop for a couple of years at Broadstairs Folk Week, but the knowledge came in particularly handy when Gill and Simon Bilsborough decided not to employ an organist for their wedding and asked Pete to organise a folky one. Pictured left are the instruments and musicians which lead each of the four singing parts the local folky people learned to make up a West Gallery Quire in Marholm church. Left to right: Ray Warrick (fiddle - contraltos), Pete Shaw (fiddle - sopranos), Mark Swingler (hammered dulcimer - tenors) and Mike Hurry (cello - basses). Pete, Terry and Florence sang as Claudy whilst the register was being signed. 
For a while, Pete's interest in cajun music, from the plains and bayous of south west Louisiana, had been growing. He imported an accordion from there in 1991 and in late 1992 formed The Harrison Shaw Cajun Band with Chris and Gill Harrison. The Harrisons, living in deepest Northamptonshire, have specialised in playing american music for years. Chris on fiddle and Gill on string bass and bluesy voice.
The band got to play all over England and in Wales, for six years, at festivals, dances and cajun clubs. The band's first big gig was Saturday night on the main stage at Ironbridge Blues & Roots Festival on 27th June 1993. We hadn't been sent a programme and didn't know who else was on. Imagine our delight at arriving to find that the main band on Friday night night was Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys from Louisiana - only the best cajun band in the world! The Harrison Shaw Cajun Band split up in late 1998. Final lineup included Jannette Brown, guitar and Chris Petz, drums. 
Harrison Shaw Cajun Band 1998 lineup. (Left to right) Chris Harrison fiddle & vocals, Gill Harrison string bass & vocals, Pete Shaw accordeon, fiddle & vocals, Jannette LeVoir guitar, & Chris Petz percussion.
Triolet Cajun ran briefly as a "supergroup" in 1996 and 1997 featuring Saskia Tomkins and Yves Langlois of Cajunologie, guitarist Pete Gazey ex of Morris and the Minors, and Pete Shaw of Harrison Shaw Cajun Band. Yves left after a while and the band continued as a threesome. Saskia Tomkins' fiddle style is electrifying and her enjoyment infectious. Pete Gazey on Fender Strat and acoustic guitar added a new dimension to cajun, and Pete Shaw on cajun accordeon, twin fiddle and vocals completed the three piece. Photo right: (Left to right) Triolet Cajun - Saskia Tomkins, Pete Shaw, Pete Gazey.
From an original meeting when both our bands were on the bill at Broadstairs Folk Week in 1992, Pete became friends with professional fiddler Jeannie McLerie and accordeon player and fiddlemaker Ken Keppeller - Bayou Seco - from New Mexico, USA. Their website is 
Photo left: Pete playing trombone in Whitby harbour for northwest clog team Crosskey Clog, probably 1989. The central melodeon player with sunglasses next to Pete is Crosskey main musician Mike Hurry, who died in June 1992 and who will be specially remembered by many people. Mike and Pete also ran the Peterborough Folk Club for its last year of existence. Musicians, left to right: Graham Booth, Pete Shaw, Mike Hurry, George Stevenson, Pete Stafford-Honeyball, Paul Eady.
There is a very talented group, not far away, in Northamptonshire. When they're in English or Latvian folk mode, they go under the name Ock 'n' Dough. However, the same lineup undergoes a miraculous transformation into Doughboy Zydecajun when they play that cajun and zydeco music, and right good they are too at both. Luckily, now and again one of them can't make a booking. Right: standing in for the missing Janis Zakis at the Latvian Centre in London. Date: mid nineties? Left to right: Pete Shaw, Robin Williams, Dace Fisher, Bob Fisher. Click 
Another group Pete depped for is the Higgledy Piggledy Band from Boston, Lincs, way. Lead musicians here Bill Whaley and Dave Fletcher are folk stars in their own right. Left to right: Mark Addison (bass), Pete Shaw (tenor sax), Paul Bridgewater (drums), Bill Whaley (piano accordeon & bass concertina), Tom Lane (guitar & caller), Dave Fletcher (whistle & melodeon)
Bourges, in central France, is Peterborough's twin city and Pete first met up with Notre Berry, their traditional dance team, when Peterborough Morris exchanged with them from 1982 onwards. At that time Pete met Remy Mauduit, who was just a young Notre Berry dancer. Now he is still a firm friend and the leader of their group. Pete taught the central french Bourree and Scottich dances at Peterborough Folk Festival 1985 with help from Claudy. Later the Peterborough/Bourges exchanges were continued by an ex Peterborough Morris dancer - Tony Forster - and his new team, Fendance. Notre Berry have their own centre - an old water mill. The pic shows a rest moment at the back of the mill by the river. Left to right: unknown, Jane Dowd (Fendancer with fiddle), Jannette Brown (Fendancer), a Notre Berry dancer, Pete Shaw (melodeon).
Pete played for Fendance, and their alter ego, Pig Dyke Molly, here in Bourges (pic:Fendance dancing outside a convenient cafe in Bourges 1999), in Hungary - a tour which originated from Pete picking up two Hungarian hitch-hikers the previous year in Britain, and also in the USA - which originated from an email Pete received. 
Pete was very involved October 1997 to May 2000 with the Wilkinson Family from Tranmire, near Whitby, North Yorkshire. Jim and Mu, traditional unaccompanied singers, used to run Whitby Folk Club for 15 years, and then the Saturday night folk club at Mickleby. Their various kids (and spouses) all sing. The family puts on a folk festival at the farm (pictured) twice a year for local charities. Pete took the central photo on the CD sleeve, at the White Hart Folk Club. Left to right: Sue Moore, Mu & Jim Wilkinson, Rachel Crackett, Bede Wilkinson, Steve Crackett (with guitar), Dave & Andrea Bell. Front left corner: Anne Moore. Aidan Wilkinson was missing that night.
Being an ex-morris dancer gets you invites too. Spalding don't have a morris team of their own, but one of the Peterborogh Morris Men lives there. On this tenuous link, Peterborough Morris accepted an invitation to Spalding's twin town as Spalding's representative. The town was Speyer-am-Rhein and the occasion was a Bretzelfest. This consisted of a long procession through the town - PM danced all the way - relieved by townsfolk offering us "Gluhwein", accompanied by idiots throwng bread (pretzels) off the back of lorries. The photo right is Pete calling (in English) for a bit of country dancing afterwards.
May 2002 saw a weekend trip centred on the Green Dragon Inn in Hardraw, Wensleydale, playing for Wype Doles longsword from Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire. If you think Morris dancers are hard drinkers, you've never been out with English sword dancers. With Goathland Plough Stots from the North Yorkshire Moors, Sallyport and Pengwyn (ladies) Rapper sword from Newcastle, Black Swan Rapper from York, the Brompton Scorpers, and Sullivan's Sword from Nottingham, Wype Doles were keen to avoid the title of "soft southerners". This involved drinking 10 pints on Saturday by 6.30pm. After that, the count got lost. The pic left was under the town cross in Middleham, outside the White Swan Hotel. Left to right: Pete Shaw, Brian Kell, Phil Oldfield, Stephen Mitchell, Dave Bottomley, Robert Crick, Christine Kell (drum), Don Crick, Richard Exton (front). The weekend was repeated in May 2003. Click 
Since a period in the nineties playing fiddle for appalachian dance teacher Sue Mills, Pete has occasionally supplemented the Hi Jinx Band, playing american "old-timey" music for what is known as appalachian clog dance. The pic left was taken in June 2002 near Dinan, in Brittany, during a wonderful weekend with Hi Jinx 
Pete gradually fell into the Bograt band. Firstly, they had a booking at Broadstairs Folk Week 1997 or 98 but lost their melody instrument players and caller only weeks before. Pete stepped in on melodeon and fiddle and brought, from Robin Hood's bay, fiddler Gillian Edwards and caller Nigel Staton from the Widdershins Band, Gillian also a singer in the Henwen all-girls harmony group. Three years later, another emergency meant a short notice stand in for Pete on tenor sax to dep for the missing lead guitarist.
Pete during a rare stand-in gig with most of the Waggonload of Monkeys. Left to right: Maggie Wood (caller and bodhran), Alan Wood (hammered dulcimer, melodeon & bagpipe). Steve Youngman (electric guitar, mandolin and mandocello), Pete (fiddle & sax), Ron (bass & guitar). 
Bruce Moore's Bluegrass Band played around pubs centred on Huntingdon and Pete gets invited in, pictured here in front of the menu at the Great Stukeley Country Hotel. Great Stukeley, just north of Huntingdon. Missing in this pic on the right is the banjo player (essential for a bluegrass band) Ken Scullion. Left to right: Bruce Moore (vocals & guitar), Howard Burgess (double bass), Lawrence Hagger (guitar), Keith Hagger (mandolin & Dobro guitar), Pete (fiddle)
Pete fell in love with Broadstairs Folk Week in 1987 when invited as the piano player for Pandemonium and has spent very happy, musical and beery weeks there every August until about 2003, with various bands. One of the most enjoyable parts is occasionally playing Alto sax behind Charlie Handley's trumpet in the Handley brothers' band, Triality. Left to right: Aug 2003 in the Bradstowe Mill - Pete, Charlie Handley (trumpet & vocals), Ted Handley (piano accordeon with MIDI - where's that bloody banjo noise coming from? - & vocals) and Dave Handley on bass guitar. Nice guys all. Check out Broadstairs Folk Week at 
Pete ending up playing "Smoke on the Water" (Deep Purple) on electric fiddle with Chris Petz plus rock & blues guitarist Pete Laity.
Bograt played Broadstairs Folk Week 2004, and then folded. Left to right: Lesley, Chris, Pete, Gavin & Lorna. Colin was out of sight with the sound desk.
Pete, after calling & playing for the Bishop's 60th birthday at The Palace, Peterborough Cathedral, with fiddle player Alan Roberts from March, Cambs, April 2005. L to R: Alan, Jo and Bishop Ian Cundy, Pete. 
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In a cold Aslackby (pronounced Azelby) church Jan 2010 playing for Bulby Plough Play. Left to right: Brian Kell, Alan Wood, Pete, Steve Young.
