ON a Monday evening late in July, Farnham residents David and Jacky Protheroe threw open their home and garden for a house concert by latter-day wandering minstrel Garald Farnham.

On a ‘couch surfing’ tour of England, he gave a programme called ‘Passing By My Life as a Minstrel’.

An old newspaper cutting from the Herald in 1979 shows that this was his second visit to the town which bears his name.

An original feature of the evening is a printed programme from which audience members can request Shakespeare speeches, lute ayres, Shakespeare songs and Appalachian versions of traditional English ballads, and folk, pub and art songs from the 16th century to the 19th century, as well as songs from the 1960s.

The real charm of the entertainment however lies in the way Garald tells his own story – he was ‘there’ in the tumultuous late 1960s in the USA.

Conscientiously objecting to fighting in Vietman he went from his native Toledo to New York, and tells of his search for socially useful work, theatre work and many years as a costumed busker in the subway and across the world.

“A tale which is touching, entertaining, and personally authentic. A very enjoyable evening made still better with delicious home-made cakes” said David.