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Ellen Valley Band

Band,
Folk

Started by Gwyn Thomas in 1975, the group all met at music sessions at the Sun Inn, in the north Cumbrian, UK, village of Ireby. Most of the group were also involved in morris, sword and clog dancing with the Carlisle team. The first Ellen Valley band gig was spring 1976, for Carlisle Climbing Club. Their monthly Ireby ceilidhs in the village hall, The Globe Hall, which they organised themselves (other gigs were bookings from other people of course) became legendary in North Cumbria, with people travelling from all over the county to them - and sometimes much further afield, especially for the fancy dress Christmas ceilidhs. The line-up changed over time, gradually coalescing into personnel on the first album, and after Paul and Louise Witty divorced and moved they lost them, but gained other members - including, Davey Potts from Warrington on guitar and keyboard and local singer and guitarist Eric Hope on guitar. After finally losing Gwyn when he moved away (mid-late 1980s?) they gained a musician Frank Lee playing melodeon and banjo. The band played for some 22 years - to 1997/1998 - but did occasional reunion ceilidhs for a number of years after that, most notable of which was 2005 Ireby Christmas ceilidh - a sell-out event to which came lots of former Ireby ceilidh regulars (some of whom had first attended as young children!). The Second album ’Through the World Spinning’ was notable for including some Lakeland and Cumbrian tunes which Sue Mycock researched from old fiddlers’ manuscript tune books. Very few people were doing music of the area at that time.

Members

	Paul Witty vn, cb, vl GB
	Ed Mycock tam
	Gwyn Thomas g, ob
	Sue Mycock acc *1952 GB
	Sally Hardaker fl *1954
	Louise Witty vn

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