I Can't Believe It's Not A Folk Club

17/09/2025

All performers here are regulars at ICBINAFC. It's going to be a fantastic event. Don't miss it. It's at The Oddies.

🍴✨ Wimborne Food Festival is here! ✨🍴
This Saturday our street will be buzzing with incredible food from our friends at Ten Bottles Wimborne, who’ll be serving up mouthwatering dishes and top-notch cocktails all day long. 🥘🍹
🎶 To keep the vibes high, there’ll be live music on the street all day – the perfect backdrop while you eat, drink, and soak up the festival atmosphere!
And we’re not stopping there… 🎸
At 8:30pm inside the pub, we’ve got The Coosticks bringing the energy with an evening set you won’t want to miss.
It’s going to be a full day of food, drinks, music, and festival fun – see you there! 🍻

16/07/2025

Sad news, everybody. I am so sorry to hear of Derek's passing. He was a super chap and sang beautifully with Kitty and solo.

He will be sorely missed.

Today we said goodbye to a stalwart member of the Dorset Folk Scene- Derek Burgess. - The kind gentle man who ware shorts whatever the season, who would ride from Dorset to London on his bike just to court the love of his life, Kitty, who loved his family ( two daughters, two granddaughters), singing with Kitty, singing with friends, gardening and mending clocks. The crematorium was packed, with many standing and some listening outside through the doorways. The time afterwards at the Old Thatch was filled with joyous singing. What a terrific send off! Goodbye Derek, You lovely man! Sending tons of love to Kitty and to all of his family today xx

30/04/2025

If you're looking for some great music to listen to, here's the YT account for No Fixed Abode, that's Tony and Una, occasional but very welcome visitors to ICBINAFC.

Music duo playing live in venues around the Uk. Female singer and acoustic guitar. From Cover songs like Streets of London, Budapest, Jolene, to originals songs and a few Irish songs along the way. Una the singer is an award-winning vocalist with pure Irish vocals that put the feeling into every pie...

24/11/2024

It is with immense sadness that I have to tell you all that our friend Rob Sowerby has passed away.

We remember Rob most as the bass singer in the No Direction acapella quartet. I think I'm right in saying that Rob named the group under pressure from our compere to give a name to the then nascent quartet before they sang at ICBINAFC.

I can say without fear of contradiction that Rob enriched our evenings at ICBINAFC whenever he joined us. When he was with us his large frame and even larger voice made it impossible to miss him. Sadly, we will now have to.

Our thoughts are with Rob's family, and our condolences to all who have been affected by his passing.

RIP Rob. You will now provide fullness and richness to the heavenly choir.

ROB SOWERBY

It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we report the passing of our dear friend and fellow crew member, Rob.
For many years he battled cancer until it got the better of him.
Rob was a big man in many ways with a wicked sense of humour and a deep, resonant bass voice. Before joining Whalers, he sang with a barber shop quartet and with Local Vocals. Along with Pippa, Steph and Simon, he co-founded and sang with the very successful quartet, No Direction. Singing was important to him and he kept it going as long as he could. Having served in the Royal Navy, shanty singing took on an extra importance to him. Les’ song “Rum Not Ale” struck a chord as he remembered Black Tot day, the anniversary of the ending of the rum tot about which he had a lot to say.
Among his achievements, Rob was a former Watch Commander with West Sussex Fire Brigade and in more recent times he supported and helped Poole Town Football Club.
We at Whalers will sorely miss him and are grateful for the many good times we shared together.
In memory of Rob, we will be collecting for the cancer charity, PLANETS who supported Rob for many years.

Rest easy and bon voyage, Rob.

18/11/2024

I forgot to post up an event for tonight, but it is on. The Oddies 7:30 as usal. See you there.

19/09/2024

Those of you who have been coming to ICBINAFC for donkeys' years may remember that we used to do a quarterly Showcase evening at The Oddies. Callum has asked us to resurrect it.

You have to have played at ICBINAFC in the 3 months before the Showcase to be selected. You will need to have a 45 minute set rehearsed and ready to go. You don't get paid, but Callum will buy some beer for you. There will be amplification and mics available.

It's not a volunteer thing, Callum and I will choose the acts we want. But I'd like to know whether you're up for it. Post below if you want to be in the running. Not posting won't disqualify you, but I'd be glad to establish whether there are enough people to make it interesting.

We're planning the first one for 7th November which is a Thursday starting at 8pm.

24/07/2024

I have some good news and some good news. First the good news. Callum, the new landlord at The Oddies has agreed that we can continue our ICBINAFC meetings, so the next one is on 19th August, usual time and place.

Now for the good news. We are having I Can't Believe It's Not A picnic again at Colehill Cricket Club. This will be from 12:30.pm on 18th August.

Now, if you read these both together, you'll see that we will have ICBINAFC events on two days running! That's even more good news!

I'll put up a Facebook event for each of these separately in a few days. This is just a heads up for those of you who look at the ICBINAFC page.

08/04/2024

I am saddened to have to tell you that Terry McDonald has passed away this morning. Terry played at ICBINAFC some time ago, but has been very poorly for the last couple of years.

It was always great to hear his memorable versions of all sorts of folk songs, and he always made each song his own. He had a unique way of telling the stories in his songs, and an equally unique way of playing his beautiful vintage Gibson acoustic guitars.

31/12/2023

And now a report from our foreign correspondent, Norman (Pa) Jones.