SAB with Billy Maher pic. by Ken O’Flaherty
As well as great support from Stan Ambrose and Folkscene, we’ve been very lucky to have the support and friendship of Billy Maher and last night Ronnie and I were privileged to be invited into Billy Maher’s Weekend In(n) programme on BBC Radio Merseyside to meet Ken O’Flaherty all the way from Queensland, Australia,and his Brother-in-law, Alan, to have a chat and to play a few songs. Ken has a regular slot on Billy’s programme on the phone from Australia, but is on his travels at the moment and has been on the programme in person. You can hear the programme again here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p033c5yl#play; we’re there from the start in the background and our music slot starts around 01:01 in, and it will be available for a month. We played four songs including three from the Willows Suite, with some of the background stories. It was a real treat for us to be there and get a chance to communicate with Billy and Ken’s friends from the Bushwackers Club Downunder, a Facebook community with members from all over the world which you can find here; https://www.facebook.com/groups/802348899805528/?fref=ts . We have had renewed interest in The Willows Suite following on from two recent successful performances at a new independent bookshop Write Blend; http://bobstone189.wix.com/write-blend?fb_ref=Default on South Road, Waterloo, Liverpool, thanks to Tony, Bob and Sally-Anne. Ian D Hall of Liverpool Sound and Vision came to the first night and gave us a wonderful 5 star review for which we are eternally grateful. You can read that here; http://www.liverpoolsoundandvision.co.uk/2015/09/25/the-southbound-attic-band-gig-review-write-blend-waterloo/
SAB with Ken O’Flaherty, (pic by Alan)
Southbound Attic Band 
Hi Billy, you played a beautiful song on Saturday night called “I do not know the day I never loved you”. Can you please let me know who recorded it? Thank you and thanks as always for such a good show.
Susan Walker
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Hi Susan, I tried to send an email reply, but it came back “undeliverable” but the answer to your question is a song called I Do Not Know A Day I Didn’t Love You. It’s a song Tony Bennett recorded. Billy tells me that’s the version he played, and here is a link to a youtube version of the song;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zan5S0rETY Best wishes, Barry
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When is Billy maker coming back to radio Merseyside on his week end programme
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Hi Anita, I understand from Ken O’Flaherty that the current Radio Merseyside schedule sadly is staying as it is until April 2021, but the better news is that a new show is being planned for early August 4-6pm Sunday afternoons. Each week will be a different host – Frankie Connor, Roger Lyon and Billy Maher. Billy’s first programme is due to air on Sunday 16 August, but no Weekend Inn for the foreseeable future unfortunately! Very disappointing! Best wishes, Barry
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Didn’t Radio Merseyside try this before? I seem to remember Billy Maher did it once & then quit.
Has he changed his mind? If so, it’ll be good to hear him every so often. BUT the “Weekend Inn” is irreplaceable – thousands of we expats all over the world miss it so very much – to say nothing of local listeners who, I’m sure, miss it as we do.
Is there really no hope of a comeback for the Weekend Inn.
Dave & Marg Burton
Winnipeg, Canada
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Hi Dave and Marg, I’m not sure if you were intending this to go to Anita, but maybe I can answer your query. In August 2020 Billy Maher did come back for one programme on Radio Merseyside on a Sunday afternoon, apparently one of a few older presenters who were being tested out for future programmes. The format was different to the Weekend Inn, with the producers apparently wanting a phone in type programme. It appears that they (the producers) did not approve of Billy’s choice of music and wanted him to change this style, which as you know had been developed successfully over many years. Understandably Billy refused and in doing so resigned from the station. I’ve been in contact with him since, he seems ok, spending his time recording music for a new release. Many people, including myself, are deeply saddened by the events, and for my part I no longer listen to Radio Merseyside. Billy Butler, Spencer Leigh, Geoff Speed, Stanley Ambrose and Billy Maher had been very supportive of my music over the years and we always had great fun appearing on the shows. With the passing of Geoff and Stan and the departure of Billy B, Spencer and Billy M it feels like a wonderful welcoming local radio station has been allowed to fade away into the bland programming of a million other stations and, sadly, the end of an era. Billy Butler now has a show on an internet local radio programme and I sincerely hope that Billy Maher will reappear on a radio station again once the Covid 19 pandemic is behind us. Best wishes, Barry Jones, Southbound Attic Band
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