The Stan Hugill Guest Book 2003
HI! I just checked out your website! It's great! I didn't know, that stan also did paintings, they're wonderful! Are there prints available? By the way; who are you? Who's behind this site? Do you have any information on Stans legendary manuscript of bawdy songs? Cheers Sam Pilip Moor
A lovely web site - brings back lots of memories of when Stan used to come to our folk club in the Angel Inn, Aberystwyth back in the sixties, and left a permanent corner of my brain dedicated to shanties. Cheers Ray Banks
Fantastic! Hans and Wanda Weehuizen
Listening to Stan sing again sent a shiver down my spine and only ever seeing his drawings in Shanties From The Seven Seas I found his paintings amazing. What a treasure Stan was to this world.
From Pete Sumner I had the pleasure of arranging Stan's trip to Bermuda in 1976. He was there with Lou Killen for the Tall Ships, they performed individually at various locations in Bermuda through the Bermuda Folk Club. From what I understand Stan's career "took off" after he was 'discovered! during the Tri-cenntenial celebrations in New York. There seemed to be no stopping him after that ! I will look up some of the photo's when I next return to England and let you have some for the web site. Good Luck with the site Pete Sumner
This is indeed a wonderful, and long overdue, site. I only had the pleasure of hearing Stan sing once, nearly twenty years ago in Portsmouth NH, but the memory will always be with me. At that time he was fighting a cold and was thus obliged to take a pull from his "medicine" bottle, with the comment, "You probably never saw anyone do this in a church before." Also, I had the honor of arranging an afternoon concert for Martin Hugill, also in Portsmouth, while he was singing around the US. Keep up the good work -- Tom Hall
Nice site. Never saw Stan at a gig (more's pity) but seem to remember a Spinners programme on telly when i was a nipper which featured Stan. Brilliant paintings - would love one on me wall! Vince
Looking forward to sharing with others many fond memories of a good friend and mentor. Thanks for setting this up. Bonnie Milner of the Johnson Girls.
I saw Stan for the first time at the 7th Mystic Sea Music Festival - it must have been about 1985 or '86 and was moved to write the following song. It's not a shanty but is shanty-like; if you tried to work to the cadence of the choruses you could hurt yourself! We sang this song at a folk club in Christchurch in 1996 and one of Stan's sons was there (I don't remember which one, sorry to say) Anyway he said that at that time he had a whole folder of songs written for and about Stan. That might make for an interesting addition to the site. A Song for Stan Hugill ©1986, Fred Gosbee Lay on to the line one more time, old man. Sing out and give us a working rhyme PULL FOR THE OLD MAN These days the sails are just for show But now before you have to go Tell us how it was so long ago, old man PULL FOR THE OLD MAN, PULL WE WON'T SEE HIS LIKE AGAIN PULL FOR THE OLD MAN PULL PULL FOR OLD STAN Your eyes have seen the working sail, old man In summer sun and winter gale PULL FOR THE OLD MAN You've seen the sail replaced by oil Gone the tops'l, course and royal And the songs that helped you with your toil, old man. CHORUS Your mind is sharp, your eyes are clear, old man And your arm's still strong after eighty years PULL FOR THE OLD MAN With your tattooed arm and rolling gait Your silver hair and your beard so grey You're a bridge through time to yesterday, old man CHORUS So have a drop of Nelson's blood, old man And tell us about that scouse and grog PULL FOR THE OLD MAN Within your songs and books we find The treasures you've had in your mind And we thank you, you've been very kind, old man
An interesting site with plenty for everybody, those who knew him, those who know of him and, the lucky ones, those who are just about to discover him. I particularly like the renderings of some of Stan's artwork and the personal reminisences. I look forward to reading more on future visits. from Jim (SHANTYFREAK) Saville
Delighted to discover this site and to leave a message. I never knew Stan, but spent many great times playing music with his son Martin, himself a fabulous musician and singer. Well done for putting this site together. Hugh Mackay (Scotland)
In 1978 I had the pleasure and the honour to translate Stan's beautifull book "Songs of the Sea" into Dutch and I'm still a little proud of the result. While I was working on it I talked to Stan a couple of times on the phone. Now, 25 years later, I often use his book "Sailortown" as a reference. Great man. Great site. Theo Horsten Aridea Greece horstent@otenet.gr
Hi. I met Stan and his family when I lived in Aberdovey when I was a child. I was thinking about Aberdovey the other day and decided to see what came up on the internet. I had no idea that he was so well known for is songs although I do recall bumping into him and one of his sons is San Diego about10 or 12 years ago when they were here for the sailing of the Star of India. I am amazed to see the Painting of the Sacking of Panama as I vividly recall that painting hanging on the wall in his living room in their house in Aberdovey and I remeber being fascinated by it at the age of 4 or 5. The website brought back a lot of great memories of Aberdovey and that part of my childhood.
I first met Stan at the Bristol Sea Shanty Festival in 1986,as a fellow artist I had taken an interest in Stans Drawings and Paintings as well as his writings,He was sat in the front row of seating on his own,along Princes Wharf,between performances,I stoked up enough courage to introduce myself and talk with him about his Art work and Shanties,he was a most engaging man and seemed quite delighted that I was a new lad on the scene who had been inspired by his writings,he put me quite at ease and signed my book of `Sea Shanties``To Nobby, nice to have met you in Bristol`When I met Stan at a later Bristol Festival,he agreed to have his photo taken with my son Morgan,to my amazement, he remembered me from our previous meeting.Nobby,The Harry Browns Of Bristol,
I am very pleased to find this most valued site. I hope it will become a major resource. Abby Sale
I too was a member of the Spinner's club in the heady days of the sixties and well do I remember Stan at Gregson's Well. I still sing occasionally here in Oz - who could forget a rousing chorus of "Go Down Ye Blood Red Roses" after a few pints of beer and fine company with the sound of Liverpool buses on a wet road outside, happy days... Don Fogg Adelaide
I commented at the weekend, having just walked past the plaque in memory of Stan, that it didn't seem that long since he had died - 1992. My sister suggested I look Stan up on the internet, she said I would be pleasently surprised. As a family we have a caravan at Aberdovey & have had for 40 years. When I was a little girl I remeber the Hugill family as being very warm & friendly. Then as I got older I can remember having a real crush on Phil for what seemed years. Mrs Hugill is an absolute sweetie. Stan used to tell us stories about his paintings, in particular the Sacking of Panama, which to me as a young girl was the most frightening picture. I do have quite vivid memories of some pictures & I'm very glad of that now but I wish I'd been more attentive then. On special occasions we were allowed to play with the train set that was set up on a huge board that was fitted to the wall. Again there would be stories about the model railway, which I'm sure were just made up to entertain the troops. I remeber the pipe gripped between his teeth while Stan sang & we all joined in. I still see some of the folk from then & I love it. God bless Stan. Peta Collier
Piekna strona o ostatnim wielkim szantymenie. Goraco polecam wszystkim milosnikom piesni morza! Poland. SAIL HO!
I knew Stan well and brought him twice to the West Coast of U.S. I did several joint concerts with him and of course he was my mentor in what he called "Shanty singing business." David Baumgarten
Great site but needs a little work. Informative and touching in dealing with such a great man. Keep up the good work RichardAlistair North West England (soon to be on the high seas – Christmas Day 2003)
Found your site and it brought a little tear to me eye ............part owned the Dovey between 1986-1990........Stan was often in the back bar ...........first time i met him i saw a long grey plait and thought what an interesting old bloke ...............we asked him to paint summink for us .......me being the artist was fascinated but the others never realised what we had :o)............he did the glorious 4th July........i guess its still there i got divorced and left aberdovey in 1990 .............what a lovely man xxx