Maxwell Renown Braybrook (22 June 1920 - 12 November 2004) We first come across Maxwell as a thirteen year old lad from Newcastle with his regular contributions to the local paper’s Smile Exchange. Japanese Submarine shelled Newcastle around 2:30 am Tuesday 9 June 1942. (No casualties) He makes a return to the paper not long … Continue reading Ballad of Braybrook
Latest acquisition to the Crackajack stable is a 1925 Mouth Organ Cover (envelope). Recently on sale primarily for philatelists as the King George stamp has a white flaw on top of the large number one in the right value shield. Thankfully a reduced offer was accepted by the seller as I wasn’t overly interested at … Continue reading Doctor Doctor (Give me the News)
Waldo Burgoyne (December 18, 1891 - June 5, 1960) photo courtesy of Ray Grieve. Waldo was indeed a magnificent mouth organ exponent racking up a life time of trophies and achievements. He was runner up to the legendary P C Spouse in the Australian Championships at South Street Ballarat in 1927. Later he would go … Continue reading Waldo the Magnificent
From my collection In 1907 Koch of Germany manufactured the Aussie branded The Kangaroo, however somewhere in time this model hopped over to Switzerland to be manufactured - perhaps during or just after the Great War when Germany was a bit on the nose. This wasn’t the first Kangaroo down under. The Kangaroo Chalmer (1s … Continue reading The Harmonica Hop
This certainly is Ollie! The lot of the session musician - as told to Harmonica Riff Raff by Steve Williams……. In 1993 I got a call from Doug at Toybox, a little studio in Northcote, for a harmonica session. He said it was a weird one. The artist, a Dutch chimney sweep called Bill Cook … Continue reading Harley & Harp
The Boomerang Chromatic pictured above was recently up for auction. Going by the hex head cover fasteners and the S.E.Y.D.E.L reverse cover plate, this had to be from the late 90s. Seydel had a few different Boomerangs available late in the twentieth century. I fired off an email to Mark Weber an authority on all … Continue reading Boomatic Chromerang
Ruffled Feathers - Ol’ Shep (with special guests Zach Grace & Lachlan - Young’un Shep) Stream/Buy here Ruffled Feathers How to follow up my first hit (well huge in Biddleonia) Locomotive Weave, which uses a train rhythm as its basis? Well why not another ol’ timey harmonica piece - a fox chase. Although only loosely … Continue reading Home To Roost
I’m often asked what I consider to be my prize possession. Although I have a very rare 1898 Hohner Up To Date Chromatic, a Koch Kangaroo and various Boomerangs and Crackajacks, I have to say this one hundred and ten year old Cobber Tin with all its patina fits the bill. Why? Well there’s something … Continue reading Calling all Cobbers
Two floors above the butcher, first door on the right Life filled to the brim as I stood by my window And looked out on those, Brooklyn Roads Thought of going back. Neil did! Neil at his childhood abode’s entrance. Then looking out on Brooklyn Roads many years later. I can still recall the smells … Continue reading Church Avenue
#636 Now for something completely different that relates to a harmonica I was gifted some time ago. The last Gowings store closed in 2006 and this commemorative harmonica stock somehow became available for other music stores. My curiosity was piqued on how many it was limited to (obviously not 500 as my specimen is #636) … Continue reading Going Gowings Gone
