CHAPTER 4: Dulcimers in the British Isles since 1800 > Dulcimers in Scotland

The move South

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JIMMY COOPER - interviewed by Alan Ward - 10 of 11

So about 1952-53 we decided to pack the lot in, so we sold out, came down to Bournemouth. Well my son, he 's a pianist and he's also in the piano trade. So we came down and when I got him down here after about three years I didn't do any playing. When he came down we decided when we'd done a few hotels I got the dulcimer out and done it up and that started the ball rolling. We played in the pubs and hotels here for a number of years. I was an ambulance driver for the Shaftsbury Society - done that for a few years. That was a wonderful job.

Then I retired when I was 65, that's six, seven years ago, and I 'd started to get interested in the dulcimer again and ... I met a fellow, a policeman, playing golf in Wareham - Toop's his name and he's got a son Bob Toop who's got a band... So I was telling him I 'd done a wee bit, saying I 'd like to meet him. So I did meet him... and he booked me up for one of his dances out at the Highway Inn - you'd pass it when you're coming in out Southampton way. And when (David) Kettlewell was digging up information about dulcimers he spoke to him and he told him about me. So Kettlewell came over here, and that started the folk stuff - he got onto Dave Williams and then Dave Williams got started and booked me up for all these various things. So that's what started the folk stuff.