Larner, Sam
Now Is The Time For Fishing
One of the more off the wall releases on Hallmark, Now Is The Time For Fishing features the unique vocals and memories of Sam Larner, a Norfolk fisherman who spent some forty years out at sea. When on dry land, Sam would retire to the Fishermans Return, a public house located in the village of Winterton, where he entertained the locals and visitors alike with his interpretations of fishing songs. Many of the songs Sam performed were unique to Winterton, with Sam said to be the only man who knew them, but fortunately those renditions were committed to vinyl and originally released in 1961. Work songs in general and fishing songs in particular have become a popular interest over the years, and whilst Sam is no longer with us (he died in 1965), his recordings play an important part in understanding the life and work of fisherman from a bygone age.