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Hero. Legend. Good Bloke.
John Peel OBE, 1939 - 2004

Red Lick Records



 

 

“RAILROADIN’ SOME” by 'Mississippi'Max Haymes
(The Tennessee, Mississippi & Arkansas Book Signing Tour)


This is the tale of 'Delta Bound Blues: 3 Brits Hit the South' - the jottings and photos of our recent book signing trip to the Southern States. Max Haymes is the storyteller (with interjections from 'Ramblin' Rex and 'Pic-poppin' Al) and Alan White is the photographer and website master. Hope y'all enjoy it!
_______________________________________________________________________________

DAY THREE: Saturday, 2nd September 2006
Square Books Store, Oxford, Mississippi, then to the 'N. C, & St, L, Depot & Railroad Museum' and the 'Casey Jones Railroad Museum', both in Jackson, Tennessee

© Copyright 2006 Alan White. All Rights Reserved.After having breakfast we left kind-a early to head on down to Oxford, Mississippi and a book signing at the famous Square Books store.  I hadn’t been there since 1992 - fourteen years ago.  I had forgotten what a great book store it is.  Alan made the 80-odd mile run  down Highway 51 (Yes! Yes!) in good time. On the way travelling through Hernando and Senatobia, one-time haunts of blues men Robert Wilkins, Jim Jackson, Garfield Akers, and Frank Stokes. We arrived in the square of picturesque Oxford around half-an-hour ahead of schedule.  This was just as well, as due to some communication mix-up Square Books didn’t know we were coming!  But cool book-selling man James soon got things sorted and plied us with some very nice (and welcome) coffee while we put the books and posters out.  Unfortunately, due to our schedule we couldn’t stay very long, but we left some copies of Railroadin’ Some to tell ‘em where we been!  Thanks, James, baby!

Alan and Rex now took turns to drive the 120 miles (or so) to Jackson, Tennessee, where we were due for a book signing at the Railroad Museum.  We arrived just 4 minutes late-some cool driving, guys – and when Alan wasn’t at the wheel he was still clickin’ and-a flickin’, clickin’ and-a flickin’.  All in all, over the entire 9-day visit, he took 1,000 shots!!  Pic-poppin’ Al-yeah!

When we got to the 'N. C, & St, L, Depot & Railroad Museum' David Falk, the Director, was there to greet us along with a veteran railroader, Ken Thomas, who took us inside where we were looked after with coffee, etc. by another lovely lady called Greta.  Tables were already set up and we soon had a fine display of Railroadin’ Some.  Only a small number of people there but we all took time out to check on the fascinating  Southern railroad memorabilia.  Some illustrations (dating back to the 19th. Century) were under glass but David kindly removed them so Alan could photograph them (what a star!).  Some of these are included in this article/travelogue.  Sometime around 3.45 my friend Keith Carter arrived from Hermitage, Tennessee, with his lovely wife Donna.  Keith is originally from Lincolnshire in the U.K. and an excellent harp player.  Some 5 years ago he decided to up stakes and head for sunny Tennessee.  It was good to see him again and he and Rex soon started jamming the blues.  You’d think they’d played together for years instead of being a ‘first-time meet’ event.  The museum staff loved it and having left more copies of Railroadin’ Some the staff told us about the Casey Jones Museum down the road a-piece! The five of us checked this out and met Director Lawrence Taylor.  On seeing the book he bought one and said he could ‘sell a hundred of these’.  After jiving each other and digging the place we eased on into a fine eaterie (Old country Store & Restaurant) where I had catfish and hush puppies for the first time in 14 years.  Good!  Good!


 


 

© Copyright 2006 Alan White. All Rights Reserved.
 

© Copyright 2006 Alan White. All Rights Reserved.
 

© Copyright 2006 Alan White. All Rights Reserved.
 

© Copyright 2006 Alan White. All Rights Reserved.
 
© Copyright 2006 Alan White. All Rights Reserved.
 

© Copyright 2006 Alan White. All Rights Reserved.
 

Alan, Max & Rex - The 3 Muskateers

Day Four: Sunday, 3rd September

To order the 'Railroadin' Some' book click here

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Text (this page) © Copyright 2006 Max Haymes, Rex Haymes & Alan White. All Rights Reserved.
Photos (this page) © Copyright Alan White. All Rights Reserved.
Website © Copyright 2000-2006 Alan White. All Rights Reserved.
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