David Stacey : MTDL660

24 tracks, 74 minutes,+ 24 page booklet.

David Stacey was born and brought up in Saffron Walden, Essex, in 1943. From his twenties he spent many years alternating between archaeology in Israel and apple and hop picking in Kent. There he met Mary Ann Haynes' son Ted, and Nelson Ridley's nephew Henry - and through them, many other Gypsies and Travellers in the area. He was privy to many of the sing-songs they participated in, and learned a good number of their songs.

Back home, in later life, he encountered a number of other Travellers in north Essex and Cambridgeshire, and a local traditional singer, Walter Jarvis - learning more songs on the way - in addition to the repertoire he'd acquired from books and records. This is a most interesting and unusual CD.