Sooty the Sweep by Harry Corbett

Apart from the Moth Traps, which produced the following 

Firsts for the Year

 DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG

 HERALD

EARLY GREY

and

 RED CHESTNUT

yesterday was by and large given over to socialising as having received an

unexpected but most welcome telephone call from my

Longest Standing Friend on Earth

let alone in Dorset, the indomitable

 JOHN 'SOOTY' STOCKLEY

 seen in company here at the 2009

Rememberance DayMemorial

only absence from the town (Weymouth) would we ever have missed this day!

Agreeing it was remiss of us both not to have seen each other

in nearly 5 years, it is doubtful we are alone in that, but the date was set!

Arriving on time but having forgotten the Canon there was a second and equally welcome surprise

as in attendance also at their house was another long standing friend and fellow

Sea Captain Tony MacKinder (right) 

 (there are few images in my archive of Tony but 

"another true story" will surely follow!)

 Yes, that last time with Sooty included all of his family, but nowhere near all of his frinds

as the Albert Hall would have to have been rented for such an occassion to celibrate his

70th Birthday.

 Now when I say EVERYONE in Dorset knows this man I do not mean 99% as THE

countywide Chimney Sweep and Socialite he is a legend in his own lunchtime.

We first met, after leaving my beloved (then) Nottingham screaming and shouting, at the 

Broadwey Seconday School for the Uneducationable

and even though one year my senior it seemed that we (and I MUST mention our dear departed

MARY JONES

at this point and of Sooty's age group) it seemed but a matter of moments before we 3 became firm friends!

 Back to the Birthday Celibrations and as if to emphasise his popularity Nigel Pope of Dorchester Brewing fame, gave over his 

Shooting Lodge at Wrackleford, 

just north of the town, for the weekend celibrations.

 These were in the days of my daliance with the beautiful, vivaceous and talented

ILLE (pronounced e-la) KALASTE

my then Estonian ladyfried.

 Along with Lorne (Bowie) Edwards and his wife Sheila we had attended a

Joe Bonamassa Concert

(seen here on the night wielding his signature Gibson 'Flying V')

at the Bournemouth International Centre and to cut out the hassel we took a taxi both ways.

 The nearest we got to capturning the full quartet with

 US citizen Joe on the left, Aussie keboardist Rick Melick under he righthand 'spot',

Carmine Rojas bass guitar from the USA and fellow Yank Bogie Bowles drums this was a 

Rock 'n' Roll

marvel!

 The Flying V salute at the end of the only Led Zeppelin track of the set and the end of the gig

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS1Tz6dzcjU

You Shook Me

Thank You, Goodnight Now It's Time To Go Home

(Dire Straits) 

To give some idea of the stature of the man, at the tender age of 12 years he

was the opening act on the latest B B King world tour!

and as an aside, for me no one, but no one messes with Led Zeppelin but just listen to his 

rendition of the heartbreaking

TEA FOR ONE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm832iUmL6Y

 written by a love and homesick Robert Plant during Zeppelin's first US Tour,

anyone who has ever really travelled has felt this way one time or another!

 With the grog still perming through our veins and Bonamassa still tingling in our ears we, next day, headed for Wrackleford where I

had volunteered to undertake the duties of

 SOMMELIER

anyone for Champers?

THE STOCKLEY 'CLAN' GATHERING

The Nook

Sweet little Ille, you'll know her if you see her, blue eyes and a ponytail
Her cheeks are rosy, she looks a little nosy, man, this little girl is fine

Never knew a girl like-a little Ille her name drives me insane
Sweet little girl, that's my little Ille man, this little girl is fine

Me and Ille go for a ride
Oh oh oh oh, I feel all funny inside
Then little Ille whispers in my ear
Oh oh oh oh, I love you Ille dear

Ille said she loved me, she said she'd never leave me
True love will never die
We're so doggone happy just bein' around together man, this little girl is fine

 Re-jigged from the Tommy Roe classic - Sheila

CANDLES in the WIND

 Top Table
(there is no pride of place on a 'round table' - King Arthur)

Bowie's brother Russell (left) couldn't keep away from Ille,
and why should he,

neither could I

Lumineries of Rock 'n' Roll 
Stompin' Dave - keyboard / vox, Graham Bundy - drums and Dave Roberts - bass 
you'd be hard pressed to name an act from the 60's / 70's that these talented muso's did
not support or enhance at one time or another!

 Dancing Queens
which ones the Girl?

After the Ordeal
Genesis

A little time to reflect with the
Lad Himself
I loved you then Sooty and nothing has changed since, may the Stockley's live forever! 
The tee shirt sports an image of 5 fully 'tooled up' North American Indians  with the words
"Homeland Security fighting the Terrorists since 1793"