User:BEGGARSBOG

Beggars Bog (Folk/Rock Band)formed in 1984 featured David Webster Hiles, David Hutchinson, Francis Joseph Lawton and Alan Bell.

The Band played the first major gig at the Washington Arts Centre in County Durham England on the 4th July 1984.

In October 1984 the Band was featured in a Japanese documentary based around the Washington area prior to the NISSAN car plant being built in the area. The band played in the Washington Arms Public House just opposite Washington Old Hall in Washington Village the birth place of George Washington U.S president

In December 1984 the band famously brought the Tyneside Metro transport system to a stand still as they busked in the Monument Metro Station concourse in aid of Ethiopia raising £1000, s for Oxfam.

The Band featured on the BBC'S Radio Cleveland and Newcastle of that year and performed on TYNE TEES TV local news show TYNE TEES TONIGHT on 24th December 1984.

By August 1985 the band had performed hundreds of gigs playing three to four times a week and with record companies showing a great interest in the band the bad split.

The members performed in a number of different combinations

Dave Webster Hiles and Alan Bell performed as OLD BILL along with Pete Thompson they then became known as the DINAMITE TWINS meanwhile Dave Hutchinson performed with Frank Lawton for a short time before forming HAZZLIT with Terry Gorman and Eric Crystal the band was named after the last Highway man to be hung in Old Washington.

A chance meeting between Alan Bell and former manager Colin Reay resulted in all four of the band Meeting for the first time in 20 years in December 2005 at the Washington Arms Public house.

After a few weeks they all decided to reform and started rehearsing unfortunately after a few weeks Alan Bell who was performing solo could not commit to the project and decided to leave the project.

April 2006 saw the remaining members perform in public for the first time once again the Washington Arms was the venue as the band played to a packed house.

After a few months playing at the ARMS work started to come in and the band set of on a new adventure.