From the left Ian Cutler, Deborah Queen; an American friend of the band's, Colin Reece, Fergus Feely, from Norway Jim Yardley's future wife Berit and Jim Yardley.
Shortly after this tour Jim decided he wanted to settle down with Berit and left the band to move to Mjondalen in Norway.

Following the departure of Jim Yardley from The Bully Wee Band, Colin, Ian and Fergus carried on for a while as a three-piece until Martin Allcock joined later in the year. During this time Colin and Ian formed the scratch band (pun intended) Crabs. It's also short for Colin Reece And Band as it happens.
The Band were, from the left Phil Moore; keyboards: Ian Cutler; violin and vocals: Colin Reece; vocals and guitar: Nigel Downey; drums and Mick Peters; bass and vocals.
Sadly, a week or so after this picture was taken, Nigel died in a car crash. The band, not having the will to replace him, decided that was that.

Martin Allcock replaced Jim Yardley in The Bully Wee Band at the end of the summer 1981. Augmenting the band on fretless bass, a thing called a Quindola, basically anything with strings on and multiple fingers.
After the band split in 1983, Martin added an 'a' to his name and became Maartin Allcock of Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull and more recently Swarb's Lazarus.
To find out more about Maart and his latest projects clunk here
From the left Fergus, Martin Ian and Colin.

Singing 'Way Below The Tide' (Colin always liked to sit down for that one). Fergus Feely and Martin Allcock are out of shot.
It was this weekend that Ian broke the news to the rest of the band that he and his long term girlfriend Ayesha were going to marry. His initial intention was that it would make no difference to the workings of the band, but inevitably that was not the way it worked out.

A rather grubby newspaper cutting from Music World, March 1983 announcing the break-up of The Bully Wee Band.
Ian had decided to settle down to marriage and a family. Realizing from the bitter experiences of fellow band members, past and present, that life on the road and marriage were not altogether compatible.

After his departure from The Bully Wee Band, Jim Yardley had settled in Norway with his girlfriend Beret. Colin's solo travels often took him to Norway where he would meet up with his old friend and partner. Here they are together in Zorba's Bar in Drammen with another good friend Bård Olaussen probably singing 'Wonderful Tonight' - always one of Bard's favourites.
From the left - Jim, Colin and Bård.

In June 1984 Colin started a residency of every Wednesday at The Royal Victoria and Bull in Rochester, Kent. Shortly after that he was joined by guitarist supreme Steve Shorey, who he had know as one half of a Dartford Folk Club duo 'Tall Storey'. Colin and Steve clicked straight away and, in turn, were soon joined by Ian Cutler on fiddle when he moved to the area from Bromley.  Packing them in every Wednesday night for over three years.

In the tradition of their Wednesday night residency at The Bull in Rochester, Colin and Steve, when invited to the Broadstairs Folk Week, would ignore the organisers' pleas to do a 'folky' act and invite anyone who wanted to join them, to do so for a rock session. It wasn't long before they were regularly booked each year for the specific purpose of doing precisely that.
From the left Steve Shorey, Colin, Mick Hennessy of Roaring Jelly and ex-Jack the Lad, Billy Mitchell (Then of Maxie and Mitch fame and later to replace Alan Hull as lead singer with Lindisfarne).

On September 8, 1987 Colin received a phone call at home from dressing room 2 of the Princess Theatre, Torquay. The call was from Richard Digance, who had produced Colin's 1985 solo album 'Well Kept Secrets' and had been a friend since they met in the late 70s at The Brewery Folk Club.
Richard had been touring as support for Jim for about four years, but now, finding national fame in his own right, was ready to leave Jim and seek success in theatre tours of his own. This left a hole in the last forty minutes of Jim's act when Richard and John 'Smudger' Smith would accompany Jim on guitar and banjo for the musical closure of the show.

Colin joined the Jim Davidson Show in Skegness on September 15 1987.

This pic shows a Sunday night off during the Torquay Summer Season. Colin and Smudger were staying at the Warren Park Hotel and had been asked by the management to play for the guests at the hotel during their night off from the Princess Theatre Show. "We can't pay you", they said, "but we'll supply you with all your drinks for night instead." It was a successful night and repeated the following week. Only this time Colin and Smudger were paid in cash. It was cheaper !!!
For the second appearance they were joined by Clodagh Rogers' husband Ian Sorbie on bass and local boy Jamie Darling (then only 14) on drums. Poor Jamie didn't get much of a look in on that night. An ex-drummer by the name of Jim Davidson decided he wanted a go and that was that.
Two years later Ian was invited to join Jim's band for two summer seasons and a nationwide tour. Sadly in 1992 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died later that year. The loss of a good man, not only for Clodagh but for the rest of us too.
The picture shows from the left Ian Sorbie on bass, Colin on guitar, Jim Davidson on drums, Smudger on guitar and sitting waiting his turn is Jamie Darling.

Jezreels or The Jezreels Ceilidh Band are a band that have seen many line-ups since they started in the early 1980s. Between 1985 and 1990 the line-up included Colin. Here, the 1989 band is playing at a one day festival in Gravesend, Kent. From left to right they are Bob Kenward; bass guitar: Colin Reece; electric guitar and vocals: Doug Hudson; acoustic guitar, vocals and dance caller: Ron Horsfield; melodeon: Steve Moreham; violin.

Colin's second summer season with Jim.
On stage at the Britannia Pier, Great Yarmouth. Probably singing Maggie.
For those who don't know who Jim is, he's the one without the guitar.