LEIGH and Bransford Memorial Hall was crowded last Saturday for the latest production by the Parish Players.

The evening began with a memorable meal devised and prepared by Jean Clift and Sheila Wright, with a selection of side dishes and marvellous puddings prepared by other members of the parish. When the diners were full of coronation chicken, ham and other delights, they settled down for the entertainment.

Mellowed by several glasses of good wine, everyone cheered and applauded as the Parish Players made a grand entrance with their signature number of Another opening of another show.

The entire company then gave a polished interpretation of Flanders and Swann's The Weather Song in which the full misery of English weather is laid bare. In a carefully devised programme, the ensemble performed at the beginning and end of each half and so the closing song for the first half was another Flanders and Swann special - the Song of Patriotic Prejudice.

In between were the solo performances. From choirmaster David Harrison came the song of the Lavender Cowboy, Linda Sinker raised the tone considerably with The Laughing Song but the tone dropped again almost immediately. John Colley gave a very convincing impression of a cranky old refugee from Bay View as he recited the Caithness Self-Lift Chair.

In spite of the presence of the local Scouting and Guiding supremos June and Paul Etheridge, Shirley Tasker and Michael Hood dared to appear as Brownie and Wolf-Cub for a truly astonishing performance of Follow Me To The Jamboree.

This was a hard act to follow but Alan Soper did his very best with his own dubious and hilariously lugubrious versions of The Ballad of Barking Creek and the Tattooed Lady.

After the interval, we were treated to a delightful performance of the lovely Slow Train before the soloists took over The finale was the most loved of all the Flanders and Swann repertoire, and the audience joined in lustily with the Hippopotamus Song. The choir recessed to the softer tone of the Irish Blessing amid warm applause from an appreciative audience.

The concert was the brainchild of the conductor Madeline Brewin who gave a huge amount of time to the planning, rehearsing and polishing of the show and, as usual, it was a great success. Those who missed it can still catch the next performance at Alfrick Village Hall on Saturday, June 21. Buy your tickets early to avoid disappointment.