Brid Free Press in song

The Quicker Vicar

You can now listen to some of the Free Press and www.bridlingtontoday.co.uk articles in song thanks to the efforts of local singer/songwriter Shirley Highton, a member of Bridlington Folk Group. Just click on the links and listen to Shirley's own take on our stories!

A selection of these songs are on sale at Smugglers Records, in Promenade, Knight Music, in Hilderthorpe Road, and from Shirley on 01262 604866 The proceeds of sales go towards the Free Press Community Bus Appeal.

Track 1 - Desmond the Dragon is about a street festival to liven up the town centre (Free Press April 13) Desmond, a main attraction at the Bridlington town festival, loses his flame on the morning before the event. (This song is mainly aimed at young children and is my four year old grandaughter's favourite)

Track 2 - Eddiee and the Windturbine is about the wind farm proposal which has stirred up mixed feelings (Free Press June 22) Lisset and Ulrome parish councillor Eddiee Bartram has been taking a lot of stick for speaking out in favour of a proposed wind farm near Lisset. Eddiee, a fellow Bridlington Folk Club member, has a wonderful sense of humour and I can safely say he was tickled pink at this light-hearted musical take on the situation.

Track 3 - Eryc the Mascot - (People in Focus - Free Press May 4) Bridlington man Paul Russell took on the task of walking from Land's End to John O'Groats to raise money for the charity Action Aid. Paul works for East Riding of Yorkshire Council and its mascot, a teddy bear called Eryc joined him for the journey. Unfortunately Eryc soon began to wish he'd stayed at home!

Track 4 - New-born (New-borns - Free Press June 22) This song was written for Bridlington Free Press chief reporter John Edwards and his partner Jenny, who on June 19 were blessed with their baby son Benjamin. It is quite an emotional song and writing it stirred up many memories. My first born had recently celebrated his 30th birthday. How quickly the years go by!

Track 5 - Potholes (Paper Clip, Free Press April 6) We have a problem on our roads - potholes - and in the words of Paper Clip "Bridlington is in danger of becoming a Pothole Town" "Some of the biggest potholes have been around for years. I sometimes wonder if they are going to be turned into a tourist attration". But ... as always, there are two sides to every story.

Track 6 - The Alien's Song (Have UFOs visited Brid? - Free Press, April 20) Well ... why shouldn't alien's visit our wonderful seaside town?

Track 7 - The Dentist (Dental Crisis, Free Press, March 30) Sub-titled Lay Your Head Back Over My Kitchen Sink. As more and more dentists leave the NHS, the character in the song decides to set up a dental practice within the confines of their home. This is quite a gruesome tale and is definately not for the squeamish.

Track 8 - Quicker Vicar (Quicker Vicar, Free Press, February 2) This one almost sang itself off the page! How could I go wrong? A news article in front of you with the title Quicker Vicar followed by a photo caption of Cleric on the run and then with the additional information "in training for the London Marathon". There you have it, an immediate chorus! Priory Church assistant curate Phil Lamb has since completed the London Marathon, raising more than £3,000 for Macmillan Cancer Relief and the Macmillan Wolds Unit of Bridlington Hospital.

Track 9 - World Cup Fever (WI ladies learn about throat grabs - Free Press, March 16) Through a self-defence course, a group of Flamborough WI ladies were taught how to tackle bag snatchers, muggers or would-be attackers. On a previous attempt to write a take on this story I failed miserably but with the onset of the World Cup the ideas began to flow. So, with the St Trinian-like tactics executed by the WI ladies against our beloved Free Press team, we have the makings of a very colourful football match!

Track 10 - I yuv you hittopotomus by Chrissy. a Free Press In Song writer of the future! Chrissy is my grandaughter. She was three at the time of the recording but has since had her fourth birthday. Chrissy is often around when I am working on the Free Press songs.

Track 11 - Just Sleeping (New Spa to take centre stage of town's regeneration -Free Press, March 30) I initially intended a humorous take on this, especially as the article began with "The town's best-loved venue looks a bit like an old friend who has been mugged. Battered and bruised but still recongnisable." Immediate thoughts were - Leisure World did it! It mugged the Spa to get rid of the competition so it could become Bridlington's largest entertainment venue. (Good job I changed my mind!) I then went on to read: "Inside the Royal Hall the strains of Joe Loss and his orchestra have been replaced by the melancholy moans of the wind as it waltzes across the once magnificent Spa Royal Hall dance floor, causing the grubby and droopng stage curtains to twitch in the dust." I found these words very moving and I suddenly realised just how important this old building is. Not just to the locals but to the thousands of visitors who have flocked to Bridlington over the years. When I have played this song live it has had quite an impact on some members of the audience. Some have told me they met their partners at the Spa in their young days and for many it was the venue where they'd had their first experience of a live concert or dance. Some had given their first stage performance here. The memories attached to this place are endless. The Spa truly is an old friend.

Track 12 - Hurricane Dean. Free Beans For Every Reader ... Aug 31. The front page of the Free Press said it all .... 'Free Beans For Every Reader'...'Wind Farm Bid'.... and last but not least... 'Freak Weather!' Need I say any more?

Track 13 - Fraisthorpe Beach Fancy Dress Ball. The song will be on sale soon with proceeds going to the Community Bus Appeal.

Track 14 - Halloween Blues. As there has been reports of mysterious goings on at the BBC building in Hull there is to be an investigation by local ghost chaser Mike Smith and one of his colleagues. This is to take place live on the Late Licence show on Halloween at 10.30pm. In this song Mike is faced with much more than he bargained for. Hannah, Betty and Beryl, who get a mention in the song, are all part of the Late Licence team but it is Radio Humberside presenter Paul Hartley who saves the day!

Track 15 - The Centenary. Bridlington Excelsior Brass Band celebrated their centenary this year with a concert on October 18 at Emmanuel Church, Bridlington. I have been a member of the band for just over a year and play the cornet. The band members have a wonderful sense of humour so the rehearsals are very enjoyable. One of the band members asked me to write a comedy song about the band. I performed this song on the night of the concert, mainly as a surprise for Bernard our band leader but also for the other members. The proceeds from the concert and CDs of this song will go to the RNLI.

Track 16 - A Christmas Tale. This is a story about strength and courage. Santa battles through against all the odds to find his missing reindeer. The song will be appreciated by children as long as they have no idea what venison is!!!

Track 17 - The Clockwork Soldier. This one is a little bit naughty but hopefully it will amuse rather than offend. The influence for this probably came from the Rolf Harris Jake the Peg song and many years of watching the two Ronnies (I have visions of Ronnie Corbett performing this one in a musical sketch!)

Track 18 - The Best Christmas Tree Ever Seen. The CD will be on sale soon with proceeds going to both the Give Us A Lift appeal and the Making Waves appeal. The CDs raising funds for the Making Waves appeal are on sale at the BBC open centre in Hull and can be bought via my blog on this website.