Meet The Crew
Clive Marquis-Carr
I have enjoyed folk music since childhood when I used to watch the White Heather Club with Mum and Dad on a grainy black and white telly when I was allowed to stop up a bit later on a Friday night. In my mid-teens I sang and played guitar with some friends in a group, performing in the local church hall, as well as writing songs.
After a hiatus of 30 years during which time I was busy with family and career, I picked up my guitar again and rediscovered my love of roots music and have since played regularly at open mic nights. In 2015, when I got wind that a shanty group was setting up, I jumped at the chance. When the founder and leader of the Crew, Joel Wrigley, left, he press-ganged me to take over his role which I thoroughly enjoy.
I continue to write songs performed by the group including, Lytham Shrimps, Where Did The Shantyman Go and Edward Bransfield, as well as others sang as a solo performer at local folk clubs and festivals.
As well as playing my guitar I have added a banjo and a mandolin (both 6 string) to my collection. The 3 together referred to by the Crew as “ Clive’s music shop”. I have no plans to add to these – there’s no more room on stage!
Steven Green
On 5 October 2015, three friends and ex-work colleagues came together to see if they could sing some sea shanties, Joel Wrigley, Julian Bowden and I attended the inaugural meeting of what became Lytham St. Annes Shanty Crew. The crew soon grew, as did our friendship.
Having left my career in IT, I took up creative writing, painted watercolours and I was intending to rekindle my musical skills. Years before I had been a pianist with a short-lived swing quintet and subsequently I became musical director and accompanist for the Blackpool Theatre Company. Maybe this experience led to me becoming the crew’s musical director.
As we progressed I found myself playing guitar, something I didn’t originally expect to do to any great degree – and that included picking out some bass lines. Occasionally I’m called on to play a melodica – easier to carry than a piano!
Being a member of the crew prompted me to write a number of songs including The Good Ship Dipso, The Captain was a Ladies’ Man, Glasgow Sailor and Shanty Blues, and arranged some others including some of Mike Brown’s compositions.
I think I can tick the box “rekindling my musical skills”!
Julian Bowden
Who would have thought that getting together around a piano with two of my best friends would turn into something so worthwhile?
At that time, the only shanties I knew were Drunken Sailor and the first verse and chorus from Spanish Ladies, after hearing Captain Quint singing it in Jaws!
The first song I led was South Australia and I’m still leading it today, together with lots of other shanties and songs written for me by Steve and Clive.
You’ll usually find me on the far right of the crew trying to hit the high notes and occasionally contributing to general crew silliness
Mike Leach
I’m the main percussionist in the crew trying to keep everyone in time (no mean feat), and have been known to create my own home-made instruments. The Monkey Stick, which Mike (Brown) expertly wields*, is one of my creations from lots of bottle tops and an old boot.
I’m one of the original crew; I heard about Joel’s crazy idea to form a local group singing shanties to raise money for the RNLI, and signed up immediately for a bit of fun.
You’ll find me somewhere in the middle of the group, sitting on my cajon, looking like a pirate, and leading shanties mostly about beer.
*I paid him to say that (Mike B)
Mike Brown
I joined the crew in 2016 (I think, it’s a bit hazy now).
You’ll usually find me on the far left of the stage, singing the bassiest of bass notes that only whales can hear. I’m the one banging the monkey stick. That’s not a euphemism.
I also write the occasional song for the crew (often with Steve Green, who adds the music to my lyrics). If you like Fleetwood Lights, Haul Our Way Home, Sea Salt (title track to our second album), or Kilgrimol Bells (title track to our third), well, they’re mine.
And if you don’t like them, I’ll tell you the other Mike (Leach) wrote them.
Murray Riggs
I joined the crew in the summer of 2018.
I’ve been involved in folk music for many years and was often seen at pubs, festivals and fetes in the Preston / Fylde Coast area dancing with Stone the Crows Border Morris. I’m the only Guinness World Record holder in the Crew being part of the World’s Largest Morris dance in Preston in 2015. I have previously sung with the Shellback Chorus and at numerous folk events.
I was born and brought up in a small village near Teignmouth in south Devon, and am proud of my Devonian heritage (cream on first). I spent my formative years messing around in boats, and on the local beaches, and it wasn’t unknown for me to supply the odd salmon to the village pub. I started working in this pub from the age of 15 and most weekends there would be a good sing song in the public bar. I think this is where my love of group singing started.
I have recently retired from a lifelong career in telecommunications which brought me to Lancashire in 1995. Prior to that I considered a day trip to Barnstaple as going “up North”! After 30 years in Lancashire I am slowly becoming acclimatised, and have even been known to sing the Manchester Rambler – albeit in a dodgy accent.
Tony Cox
I joined the Lytham St Annes Shanty Crew in the summer of 2021 to assist with the lower tones of the group. I’ve sailed many seas during my time as Engineering Officer in the Merchant Navy, and now work full time for the RNLI at the Lytham and St Annes Lifeboat stations as Senior Station Technician. When I’m not fixing and maintaining the equipment I also volunteer as Coxswain/Mechanic, and am able to take our Shannon class lifeboat, ‘Barbara Anne’, to sea in all weathers.
I’m a keen motorcyclist and cyclist, and live with my wife Nemesia and our beautiful young girl, Matilda. The three of us are kept busy converting our Victorian dwelling in St Annes into a wonderful family home.
Debbie Wood
I joined in September 2024 and spent my first winter with the crew learning the songs!
I’ve been a singer from a very early age. With the Faringdon Singers (still going strong!) I learned a range of musical styles from the grand choral works of Mozart and Vivaldi to lighter works from Gilbert and Sullivan. I got stuck into school productions and often sang solo in concerts, and my musicality continued at St Aldates Church music group, which involved lots of free-style harmonising and a cappella (which is coming in handy again now).
I moved to York in 1991 to start my nurse training and was proud as punch to sing with the 300-strong choir in York Minster (bucket list moment!).
I now live on the Fylde with my dogs, Molly and Alfie. I’m a specialist eye nurse, and partial retirement has freed my time to become a shanty-er. As well as singing, I’m the one accompanying the crew on pipes and whistles.
Chrissie Mason
I joined the crew in 2023 having been a “Shanty WAG” for a number of years.
I reside somewhere on the right-hand side of the stage singing the high harmonies and occasionally joining in on my aerophone.
My claim to fame is playing the clarinet in the band on the BBC’s Songs of Praise episode filmed at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom in 1992 (it’s on YouTube if you know where you’re looking!).
If you think I look familiar, it’s probably because you may have seen me with the local ladies choir, The Capricorn Singers, with which the crew have sung a number of times.
Marianne Day
I’ve been a crew member since January 2026 – a fan for longer!
I’m the Canadian international contingent having moved to the UK decades ago but most recently emigrated from Derbyshire, drawn to the Fylde coast. When house hunting I had to make sure there was a choir nearby to join so I’m also with The Capricorn Singers led by fellow crewmate Chrissie. Even before moving here I’d already bought my ticket to be in the audience to enjoy my first Lytham St Annes Shanty Crew performance with the choir. Before joining the shanty crew, I’d been following their quality performances online for several years along with attending their great gigs and had the privilege to be among the choir backup singers on the crew’s Kilgrimol Bells CD.
Music is a big constant in my life with singing in groups and choirs. Our family is so musical even our sewing machine was a Singer! Awesome three kids inherited my music gene too. My mother lived on the east coast of Canada while my grandfather was in the navy so I grew up with tales and songs of the sea. Thoroughly enjoy harmonising with the crew, blending my alto/tenor voice with their dulcet tones. My husband says I already swear like a sailor and now I sing like a sailor too!