Our jazz band played at The Captain Cook Inn, Staithes, in August. This is a small venue, famous for its selection of real ales, which always has an enthusiastic audience for music events. As ever it was organised by the totally jazz-committed landlord Trevor Readman, who is already planning the 6th Staithes Jazz Festival for next Spring.

          Once again we have had absences in the band, but fortunately have been able to cover these from our pool of regular 'deputies'. In September, Brian Robson from Bridlington played valve trombone, enabling me to move to tuba in place of regular string bass player, Tom Derbyshire. In October, ex-regular clarinettist John Jacobsen from Cottingham covered for Graham Macpherson and Mark Gerrard from Chopgate [about 10 miles N of Helmsley] played banjo to cover John Hesp's absence. This borrowing of players could become more necessary with the news we received recently. Bassist Tom lives near Darlington and has a round trip of over 120 miles to attend a club session [over 2 1/2 hours travelling on a good night - we actually increased his journey when we moved back to the Beansheaf from Kirkbymoorside]. He is due for some hospitalisation soon and is likely to be convalescing as winter strikes. Having experienced the severity of the last two winters, including one clubnight when he had to abandon his journey in the Sutton Bank area and retreat to home, he has decided that he will retire from Ryedale Jazz when the hospital demands his attendance. He will be greatly missed, but we fully understand his reasons. We thank him for his excellent services since he joined us in August 2009 - for his playing, his singing, [his jokes?] and his travelling - and we wish him well with his medical adventure. Of course, we are now looking for ways to fill Tom's place, so if you are a string bassist, a tuba player or bass guitarist who is interested in giving traditional jazz a go, please get in touch. You will be provided with chords and lots of encouragement, if required.

          On clubnights we put invitations to join the jazz audience out in the bar and restaurant and the feedback from those who take up this invitation is generally very positive - good for our morale and an addition to what the hotel has on offer. Do you want to join too? All are welcome on the second Wednesday of the month, free admission, with a raffle to cover expenses.

          Finally, a word of thanks to our regular members who turn up each month and show their appreciation of the efforts of the musicians - that's what gives our club its genuine 'atmosphere' and makes the evening so enjoyable.

Wilson Hepplestone, secretary