The Colin Story

Colin Lennox was a huge Fairport fan who never missed a Cropredy from 1979 until his untimely death in 2003. However, he didn't allow his passing to curtail his adventures. The following was first posted to the list shortly after Cropredy 2003 and is posted here due to the number of listees who have asked for a copy...

Enjoy.

Just back from what has to be the wierdest Cropredy that I've ever attended. It was my 20th consecutive Croppers, and it'll be the one I remember the longest.

It all started on Wednesday evening, when Paul Merrick called me. I'd offered him a lift to Cropredy, and he was a very close friend of Colin Lennox. Seems that Colin's ashes have not been scattered yet - he wanted to be scattered over the concert arena, and there hasn't been an opportunity to do this yet. Anyhow, Colin's sister had called Paul to make a somewhat bizarre request. As Colin had never missed a Cropredy, would we mind taking his ashes with us, and return them on Sunday?

No problem as far as I was concerned, so we set off on Thursday morning, me, Paul and Colin. Luckily, the listees that we camped with were happy to accept our extra guest. Still, it was a little odd...

Wait, though, because it gets better....

When David Hughes heard that Colin was with us, he wondered if Colin would like to go on stage with him on Friday? We felt that he would like nothing better, so if anyone wondered what was in the black zip-up bag that David took onstage and placed between the monitors at the front - it was Colin, finally winning our race to be the first one onstage at Cropredy. David was really good - he never mentioned the contents of the bag, but took a minute or two in his set to mention "his good friend that couldn't be here today, Colin Lennox". Thanks, David, it meant an awful lot to us.

Wait, though, because it gets better....

David finished his set, removed his kit, and went to sign lots of CDs. Um, forgetting Colin... so Colin was still onstage for the Bucket Boys, featuring Dave Pegg and Ralph McTell. Oh, he would have loved that!

It continues to get better....

When David returned to the stage after the end of the Bucket Boys' set, we watched him look carefully over every inch of it... then go sidestage... then back onstage... start talking urgently to lots of people... finally, a white-faced Hughes returned to us to explain that Colin was currently lost, uh, but don't worry, he can't have gone far. (He clearly didn't know Colin as well as he claimed, we thought that Colin was probably at the bar by now).

After ten minutes or so, Colin was found and returned to us. He'd been cleared with the Bucket Boys' kit. My, would they have had a surprise if they'd taken him home!

Yet, it gets better....

By now, all the backstage staff knew about Colin, and were howling with laughter. Dave Pegg himself was mightily amused, and I was later assured that "losing Colin" was the sole topic of backstage conversation. Indeed, Procul Harum dedicated "Seagulls" to "all our friends up there... and that bag of ash that's somewhere onstage." By that time, Colin was back in my car, where he couldn't get into any more trouble.

It still gets better...

While Paul and I were at the bar on Saturday, David found us and told us that Colin was still a major topic of conversation, and that DP was retelling the story to anyone that had not heard it. "He's made it", said David. "He's finally become a part of Cropredy folklore." Somewhere, Colin was laughing fit to bust.

It gets better yet...

Colin was given a ticket to the aftershow party! In fact, there were two tickets (thanks, Rachel) so that Paul and I could take him along. After a brief appearance, we brought him back to Stage 2.

Oh, how he would have enjoyed it all - a really good Cropredy, appearing onstage with three musicians he respected, becoming the subject of a story that will be repeated for years to come, going to the backstage party... and his sister was thrilled and amused when Paul told her about Colin's escapades when we got back.

I'm giving notice that I am not taking him next year, I've got too many new grey hairs from the experience! By next year, though, he'll have been scattered under the stage area, and he'll never miss another Cropredy. What I'll remember, though, is the sheer love that Colin attracted, and the way that so many of his friends wanted to honour his memory by giving his earthly remains the Cropredy weekend he would have never forgotten. His family, Paul, and I thank those of you who either assisted or just made him welcome from the bottom of our hearts.

Mark McCulloch