Prague Farewells, 1989; Rory Allardice

Shortly before the Velvet Revolution:

A photo I had never seen before, just sent by Rory Allardice, an old friend I've not seen since 1989. Reunion tomorrow! He has a house on Lefkas. I think I was persuaded to join his group for a short set, in an impromptu session of Blues, R 'n' B and Dylan Songs.

From my journal:

9.6.1989
Great farewell party for Rory and Ophelia (and little David). Two groups performed, Keltika and Asonance. Seventy people. I sang 5 songs myself: Rock Me Baby, Honky Tonk Women, Dimples, The Midnight Special and Mr Tambourine Man

The first photo was taken at Rory's farewell party in June 1989, The second photo was taken at my own farewell party on 31 October, 1989. Note the metal slide ("bottleneck").

I guess I was singing Bukka White;s "Fixin' to Die".

Rory, below 

In Musselbrugh

Photos from the Ionesco play, The Bald Prima Donna, at Malostranska Beseda, June 1989

Update: in Zagori (Vikos Gorge):

Reunion with Rory and Ophelia  -

 in the Vikos Gorge, Zagori

More songs by Rory

Rory's Books and Travel Journals

Rory Allardice has lived and worked in France, Italy, then in Georgia, Armenia and Russia (at the time of the Soviet Union), The People's Republic of China, Czechoslovakia (as was), Poland, the U.A.E. and Greece. He has a passion for learning languages and speaks several foreign languages.

He has travelled mostly in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa and has written a series of highly personal travelogues, which are illustrated by his photographs. The books are of places which are less frequented but which have a deep fascination for the author.

The books form part of a series of travelogues dating back to 1999 and will be published in the following sequence.

Author:

1. Libya, 2. Syria, 3. Cuba, 4. East Anatolia (Turkey), 5. Lebanon, 6. Ethiopia,

7. Iran, 8. Myanmar (Burma), 9. Tanzania and Zanzibar, 10. Jordan, 11. Morocco, 

12. Pakistan, 13. Yemen, 14. Nepal, 15. Tunisia 

In addition to the travelogues, the author has edited his father's autobiography, which is now available on Amazon. 

Editor:

(Autobiography) "Friendship in a time of War" (1939-1946) by Dallas Allardice covering commando training in Scotland, LRDG, Norway, Egypt and Palestine, Gibraltar, Malta, Libya, Italy, Belgium

He plays music and organised a Celtic Folk Festival in Poznan Poland and played in a band, which he founded there. The band is called JRM Band (Jig and Reel Maniacs) and 2015 is their 25th anniversary. http://www.jrm.art.pl/index_eng.html

He has also recorded music with his son and friends: https://soundcloud.com/nextflightout