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It’s done. A massive effort from everybody involved.

Fifty Years of Fylde Guitars

At the end of 2022, we began, a little late in the day, to think about how to celebrate the fiftieth year of Fylde Guitars.

My very favourite idea was to have a Single Malt Whisky specially bottled. Perhaps "The Fylde Fifty". I have lots of contacts and I did try, but it seems I would need all sorts of licences, take about a year and I would need to be nice to people in authority. That wouldn't work then.

So, I'm now thinking of a Fylde Fifty-One, but doesn't the "Fylde Fifty Five" sound so much better? See if you can keep me going that long and see what happens?

We considered plans for a book, a party, and a new Album, but time was running away with me, artist diaries were filling up and Moira and I were getting overloaded.

Mike and Sam English, good friends as they are, suggested the video idea, and it took a load off me. Until it started to happen at least, then it just added more work for everybody.

Will McNicol

I hold my hands up for that. Whenever Mike and I have a project, it starts nice and simple, then gets progressively more complicated. Neither of us are ever satisfied and there is always something else that must be included.

But here we are. I'm so pleased with the result, but more so with the efforts that people put in, just to be there and help out. Some things were impossible, and I do worry that I might have left out something important. We did try.

Roger and Gordon in the Workshop on the first day of the film shoot.

I started by testing the water with some key people. Gordon of course is crucial to the story. Pete Townshend was very quick to send his own contribution. I wrote a little list, then a bigger list, then, you've guessed it, a still bigger list . Everyone said yes. Where there are gaps, it's only because of failures in logistics.

Richard Hawley

Mike and Sam filmed at various "professional" locations, there were some people they simply couldn't get to, but those were usually able to supply their own contributions. The technical quality of all the recordings had to match. Sam is very critical over such things and I'm very impressed. As far as I understand it, initially the video is on VIMEO because of the higher video quality and we have better control, we may well post in on other platforms later.

Martin Simpson

At one point, the choice of locations and the logistics were becoming a problem. A few were shot at the workshop, which involved everybody stopping work and keeping quiet, plus all the tools, wood, and guitar parts were rather distracting .

We needed somewhere else.

My pub! It's not actually "mine", I'm just a shareholder in a cooperative, but I love the sound of "My Pub”.

John Smith with Helen and Simon - the landlords!

It wasn't all that funny!

The licencees, Helen and Simon, were amazing helpful, they host music nights, sessions, and weekends so it all suited them.

They opened the pub specially and kept everybody else out, even provided food and beer free of charge on every occasion. Everybody has a LOVELY time. There are certain risks in combining stimulants and recording, but there are benefits as well. Just check the history of Fleetwood Mac. Maybe this video could be called Rumours of Fylde Guitars? It's rather more than rumours though.

It is now reality.

Jule Malischke

Remi Harris

David Mead

I do hope you enjoy it, and you get a better idea of what we've been doing all this time.

Here's to the next fifty years.

Roger

Adam Palma and Peter Howarth

Roger with Martin Simpson and Stefan Sobell in the woodstore

A big thank you to all who took part! Eric Bibb; Clive Carroll; Troy Donockley; Martin Carthy; Gordon Giltrap; Remi Harris; Richard Hawley; Megan Henwood; David Holmes; Peter Howarth; Seth Lakeman; Jule Malischke; Will McNicol; David Mead; Ken Nicol; Adam Palma; Martin Simpson; John Smith; Pete Townshend; Ben Walker and Chris While. THE TEAM at FYLDE GUITARS; Alex Reay; Paul Ferrie and of course Moira Bucknall. The whole thing was narrated by my good friend Tristan Seume and Stefan Sobell makes a cameo appearance.