In the 194O's and 50's, public houses such as The Cherrytree at Bromeswell in the heart of unspoilt rural Suffolk would have their own musicianer playing for the people what he felt the people wanted. There was not the now common sight of a host of musicians from the 'urban folk revival' playing at the people for themselves with foreign tunes for, to quote Keith Summers, 'it was the job of the sole musicianer to judge the mood of the evening and then bring out the tunes, songs and stories that his audience could relate to' and thus be entertained through all of his many self-learned and even unconsciously-held techniques. Techniques learned only from the experience of life and which would build a rapport with his audience, a communication which, apart from just the show-off of 'clever' instrumental skill, is rarely seen today. Tradition is essentially oral and cannot be recreated from inkstains. It is passed by word of mouth and only word of mouth. It is a human condition in which literate devices have no place. It is not therefore controlled by the 'standardisations' of literacy and the beauty of it is that it displays the self expression of the individual like nothing else. Here, it is the self expression of one raised and saturated in the idiom of the people — his people, for he carries with him all of his personal history absorbed from his forefathers and kinfolk that goes to form his personal identity, his regional identity and with it national identity The 4-stop single key accordian is the people’s choice of instrument for use in making our local music. Almost always in the key of 'c' and never in D and G, as is now played by the folk revival. At 27/6d in the 1930s it was affordable and played by most. Landlords at many local pubs would keep one under the bar should 'good company' arrive. The interesting thing about it is its ten only buttons and in-and-out action for changing notes give way to a very personal interpretation and thus with the music comes this whole individual way of playing by varying the timing, where the note is changedand decorated, that is relative only to the individual and a delight to those who love to hear this musical expression of local character.

Andrew Stannard. who runs evenings where music from the likes of Cocky King and all that they stand for, says that listening to music from outside the building one can tell without looking who is playing, such is their individual expression in this oral tradition. ‘The only ones who sound the same’, he says, ‘are those who have had tuition in the folk world’. David Nuttall, who played with such eminent traditional musicians as Scan Tester, Oscar Woods, Fred List and Stan Seaman, describes Cocky as ‘The Master’. ‘He lives the tunes’, he said . ‘I could listen to him all night’.

Tunes: 1 John Peel 2 Red Sails in the Sunset 3 All Through the Night 4 Story 5 The Wedding of Lily Marlene 6 When the Poppies Bloom Again 7 A Little Kiss Each Morning 8 When I Grow Too Old to Dream 9 The Old Rustic Bridge by the Stream 10 South of the Border 11 My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean 12 Little Old Lady Passing By 13 When Irish Eyes are Smiling 14 Silver Threads Amongst the Gold 15 Dancing Cheek to Cheek 16 Story 17 Play to Me Gypsey 18 If Those Lips Could Only Speak 19 Take Me to Your Heart Again 20 Because I love you So 21 The Isle of Capri 22/23 Songs-Landgirls 24 You Are My Sunshine 25 Among My Souvenirs 26 This Is a Lovely Way to Spend an Evening 27 Let Me Call You Sweetheart 28 Wooden Heart 29 Paper Roses 30 Story 31 Goodbye Old Ship of Mine 32 Souvla Bay 33 When They Begin the Beguine 34 Springtime in the Rockies 35 The Old Rugged Cross 36 Jesus Bids Us Shine 37 Cling to the Shore Sailor 38 The Stein Song 39 How Great Thou Art.