I think I sang my first sea shanty back in 1976 when I was at College and playing in what would now be called a "Celtic Band", I told a cousin of mine about the gig and he said, "Oh that'll be one of Stan Hugill's songs then." He'd been at the outward bound school at Aberdovey and had picked up one or two songs from Stan .

About 8 years later I was living in Guernsey and singing with Jenkins Ear, by this stage I knew a whole load of Stan's songs and regularly sang them around the islands. Imagine our great fortune to be invited to Douarnenez in (I think in 84 ) - what an experience, hearing Peter Hasledene singing shanties in a chip shop at 3 am in the morning (or was the next outing in Paimpol?) , rubbing shoulders with Shay Black and meeting Stan for the first time. I remember having a few words with him backstage and then meeting outside a dock side tavern for a few shanties (it must have been down by the river. possibly the Porquoi Pas, before it succumbed to rock and roll) , I think he probably only sang once that afternoon, but his youthful enthusiasm rubbed off on all of us. I recall the next day he was singing with Stormalong John and instead of walking onto the stage he leapt on board with such vitality we all looked at each other and said "Bloody Hell I hope I can do that when I'm forty! " He was remarkable.

My one big regret is that I didn't discover that George Hocart was still alive in the 1980's and living only three miles from me. Stan and George had been on the Garthpool together and it would have been great to let them meet up. George had collected a number of Stan's articles from Sea Breezes and I'm sure the yarns they would have had would have been worth bottling. Alas it was not to be. But still I fondly remember those hot Breton days when the tall ships crowded into Douranenez Bay and Stan's voice was heard cutting through the summer heat with those authentic hitches and yelps.