I did enjoy your song - good way to start the week - thanks.

A song about the Nottinghamshire ‘UFO Crash’ of 1987.

On the 12th of November, strange aerial phenomena were reported throughout the villages and woodlands south of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Windows blew in, chimneys were toppled, main roads were closed, and several woodlands were cordoned off by the army and police. Confusion, surprise and rumour gripped the local communities. Witnesses saw up to three objects streak westwards before crashing into either Thieves or Annesley Woods, which became the focus of police and military activity. Meteors, Fireballs, aurorae, missiles, earth tremors, downed aircraft, a war film and ball lightning were all blamed for people’s experiences. 

No official or entirely satisfactory explanation of what happened has ever surfaced and The 'Thieves Wood Incident' has since morphed into a little known, but compelling UFO crash / coverup story. Nearby Hucknall airfield was sometimes used for testing for experimental aircraft (see my track https://soundcloud.com/druryhillghosts/flying-bedstead )

Though the lyric about the Goblin Friar of Newstead's fear of the UFO is my own speculation, the rest is true. Sort of....

Sit while I tell unlikely stories,
Sit while I tell these truths I know,
And I don’t care who don’t believe me,
But I once saw a UFO.

Maybe a helicopter crashed
And flashed like fire through the skies,
Maybe the army picked up debris,
Maybe they told the public lies

There were lights up Misk 
And on Coxmoor,
A thunderbolt in Blidworth,
And you know what’s more,
Annesley trembled
And Kirkby shook,
And the army put a cordon all around Thieves' wood.

And they said "Pull the other one,
Why would any aliens,
Fly all the way to Mansfield only to crash down?"
Though I may not know the answer,
I tell you what i do know,
Is that something funny happened that night in this town.

And yes I admit, its a funny story,
But not if it blew your windows in.
Spaceships blazing down in glory,
And landing in a Coxmoor bin

So now that Kirkby’s twinned with Roswell,
And Hucknall’s Area 51,
From Harlow Wood to Beauvale Priory
There’s Men in Black in everyone

There were flashing lights
In Ravenshead,
And the poor old Goblin Friar had to leave Newstead,
And a noise so loud that it shook my bed,
Knocked chimneys off of houses
And the police just said
That they’re searching for something,
Not confirming anything,
And no ones getting in or out of Fountaindale,
Thieve’s Wood’s off limits and,
Well, nobody knows everything,
Especially not the truth of what it was come down.

Thieves Wood Incident

Robertson’s Reel/Colgrave Sound/Hurlock’s Reel

Reacclimate

Take, Take, Take

O Great Mother

There is no love of life without despair of life -- Albert Camus

inside my head a strange conviction
I am separated from everything I used to know
is there a name to put to this condition that leaves me so hollow

waiting for a break in the weather
waiting for a sea change in the back of your mind
stranger things have happened 
but you're wasting precious time

or was I just meant to be a broken thing
was it fiction to believe it would be otherwise
in the final reckoning

you woke last night to the sound of her voice
calling your name once again
she said you still have a choice 
but your chances are getting slim

inside you're bleeding
because you know it's never going to be the same again
and I know that every memory  
is like jagged glass in your hand

were you just meant to be a broken thing
was it fiction to believe it would be otherwise
in the final reckoning

you feel the weight of a thousand miles
every step that remains should be easy now

but the road goes on

there's a rain that flows away
every doubt and darkness of mind
and it comes to remind you
that every child will find the light

let us never take for granted
all the blessings of the rising day
brother if you and I are the last ones standing
we'll raise a glass to the ones we knew on the way

Broken Things

Spotify Link

Done on my 1945 Martin 0-18.  
For my wife, who loves angels.

I'll Fly Away

The Green Hills Of Earth

A tune I wrote for a dear friend, Julianne, who taught grade school band and now plays drums in a couple of bands.

Song For Julianne

First time recording with autoharp, gift from Marc. This tune is dedicated to him, we met in Israel long time ago, still friends.

Tune For Marc

From the album ”Rain.” 
Cover art by Gray Lee.

Lyrics:

Rain

Rain is right
Right as rain
Rain is right
Right as rain

Last night you went sleepwalking in the storm
I heard your muddy feet coming in the doorway
Open eyes but blind you were carrying water
And you woke me up with kisses and you went on your way
You left me here with nothing, nothing to say 
But thank you for giving me a midnight taste of

Rain is right
Right as rain
Rain is right
Right as rain

I feel like I've been sleeping through my days
You loom larger now that you've gone away
I can hear you whispering hurricanes
And you wake me up with kisses then you go on your way
You leave me here with nothing, nothing to say
But thank you for filling up the ice cube tray with

Rain is right
Right as rain
Rain is right
Right as rain

Rain

A tune written on a strumstick after watching a documentary on condors. 

Instruments:
McNally strumstick, Killarney whistle, shruti box, organ, tingsha bells

Condor

Multi-instrumental folk. All songs and tunes are originals, with many lyrics inspired by history and folklore. Played on mandola, charango, mandolin, maulincho, whistles, melodeon, accordion, balalaika, glockenspiel, venezuelan cuatro, nykelharpa and streichzither amongst others. Recorded on a Boss BR-1200 12 track.

Thieves Wood Incident

Drury Hill Ghosts

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