2024!

Sun 11th February
Tha Actress and Bishop
36 Ludgate Hill
Birmingham
B3 1EH
6.30 start

 Sat 24th Februrary
The Cafe Metro Bar
 46 Church St
Bilston
WV14 0AH
8.30pm start

Sat 16th March
The Wheatsheaf
4 Birmingham Rd
Walsall
WS1 2NA
9pm start

Sun 31st March
The Brasshouse
44 Broad St
Birmingham
B1 2HP
3pm start

Sun 7th April
The Actress and Bishop
36 Ludgate Hill
Birmingham
B3 1EH
6.30 start

Sat 18th May
Saturday Blues Club
Hare and Hounds
High St Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 7JZ
4pm start

Wed 12th June
Nuneaton Blues Club
The Crew Bar
75 Queens Rd
Nuneaton
CV11 5LA
9pm start

Sat  15th June
The Chestnut Tree Inn
21 Lansdowne Rd
Worcester
WR1 1SS
9pm start
 

Sun 7th July
The Brasshouse
44 Broad St
Birmingham
B1 2HP
3 pm start

Sat 31st August
The Wheatsheaf
4 Birmingham Rd
Walsall
WS1 2NA
9pm start

Sun 22nd September
The Gunmakers Arms
93 Bath St
Birmingham
B4 6HG
3pm start

Sat 19th October
Saturday Blues Club
Hare and Hounds
High St Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 7JZ
4pm start

Sun 10th November
The Brasshouse
44 Broad St
Birmingham
B1 2HP
3pm start

Sun 17th November
Chas Manns
71 The Green
Kings Norton
B38 8RU
3pm start


 

 

 

An impossibly bright moon was riding shreds of black cloud above as captain Harding peered into the mists ahead. The sea was restless and brooding, swirling around the ship much as a big cat would pace up and down in it’s cage. 

"Don't worry cap'n" said the annoyingly jocular bosun "There's bound to be another way through" 

Their ship - the 'John Wesley' was a privateer - of course, they had Queen Elizabeth's warrant, but they were still basically pirates. 
They had already bagged two Spanish merchantmen this trip and the gold and other loot was below in the hold. 
As they had approached a third merchant ship that afternoon, a Spanish man-o-war had swept around a nearby headland and after a brief exchange of fire, the John Wesley had escaped in the confusion into the costal archipelago they were now trying to pick their way through. 
Now, night had fallen and captain Harding, knowing the Spaniard would still be waiting in deeper water was risking the uncharted waters in search of relief. 
What his investors, probably drinking wine in some London tap house would think of it was another matter - but then again, they were not risking their lives. 
"No need for any more excitement, Mr Chandler" he told the bosun "We only need to keep our heads" 
He looked down at the deck where the crew, having been given a rum ration, were joking around and singing some bawdy ballad, although they were still going about their sailorly business. 
"We've been through worse, cap'n" said Chandler "'tis not our fate to be taken today" 
" It is surely late in the day, Mr Chandler" replied Harding " but we may not have seen the last of it yet" 

******************** 
Captain Diego Flores de Valdes stood with his officers on the quarter deck of The San Cristobal surveying the dark coast. He was of noble blood and the desire to find and destroy these British pirate curs was strong in him. 

A barefoot cabin boy climbed up to them with a fresh tray of glasses of wine passing two of the ships concubines who were on their way back below having been dismissed. 

Somewhere along the coast the tide was being pressed through some constriction in the rocks, making a suppressed growling noise that was being carried to the ship by the wind. 

"Naves a la vista!" came a cry from the crow's nest and the officers turned to see two sets of dim running lights on the horizon.