Phil Preen's Website Home Page

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Welcome to the home page of my website. My name is Phil Preen. Here you will find information concerning folk music, morris dancing, barn dances & ceilidhs, website development, computer software projects, crossword and sudoku puzzles and various other semi-random topics.

My main interests are folk music and dancing. I enjoy calling the dances for ceilidhs and barn dances. For many years I played percussion, and sometimes called the dances, with The Bang On The Wall Band. I was involved in running The Poppy Folk Club, and I still enjoy attending folk clubs, singarounds and music sessions. Since I moved down to Somerset I am now working with various different bands mostly as a dance caller.

I am still working part-time as The Software and IT manager for Lacerta Technology Ltd. I also do website design and general software projects for private clients.

Phil calling for a barn dance and playing percussion.

If you would like to contact Phil because you have a job in mind for him, you are probably best going straight to one of these pages: Ceilidhs and Barn Dances, Morris dance tuition, Folk music and singing, Website design services, Computer software development / debugging.

If you want to just take a look around the website, I would suggest starting at one of the following pages and follow the links from there: Music and Dance, IT and Software. If you want to find Phil elsewhere on the internet take a look at: Social Media.

Music and Dance

I have been playing percussion in a barn dance and ceilidh band for over 20 years. I also now work as a dance caller, originally with The Bang On The Wall Band, but now with various bands including The Four Foot Four, The South West Ceilidh Band, etc... I was a founder member of The Poppy Folk Club in West Bridgford, Nottingham and still attend various folk clubs, singarounds and music sessions. I dance with a number of Morris sides, and have held the roles of squire, bagman and foreman. I have run workshops in Morris and folk dance, both for complete beginners and for experienced dancers.

I have been bagman, squire and foreman for Anstey Morrismen, and foreman for Sergeant Musgraves Dance. I also occasionally dance with The Bunnies From Hell. My first side though was, and still is The Hinckley Plough Bullockers.

Barn Dance and Ceilidh

I call the dances and play percussion with The Four Foot Four, The South West Ceilidh Band and with a few other barn dance and ceilidh bands here in The South West of England. Contact me if you are organising an event, or looking for somewhere to go for a dance.

I am currently working part-time from home as a website developer mostly on small one-off projects. I am proficient in the basic website development tools and systems, html, css, javascript, php and mysql.

Software and IT

I have worked all my adult life as a computer programmer / software engineer. I am currently working part time as Software and IT manager for Lacerta Technology Ltd as well as doing bespoke programming work and website design for private clients.

Phil's Puzzles Page

I have always had a passing interest in puzzles, but this has become a bit more of a serious obsession during lockdown since I discovered the Cracking The Cryptic YouTube channel.

This page will be for anything that doesn't fit in any of the other sections on the website.

Music and Dance

I have been playing percussion in a barn dance and ceilidh band for over 20 years. I also now work as a dance caller, originally with The Bang On The Wall Band, but now with various bands including The Four Foot Four, The South West Ceilidh Band, etc... I was a founder member of The Poppy Folk Club in West Bridgford, Nottingham and still attend various folk clubs, singarounds and music sessions. I dance with a number of Morris sides, and have held the roles of squire, bagman and foreman. I have run workshops in Morris and folk dance, both for complete beginners and for experienced dancers.

I work as a dance caller for ceilidhs and barn dances, so if you are organising an event, whether it be a party to celebrate a birthday or wedding, a pta, church or village dance, a festival or corporate event, please do get in touch. I have recently moved from Nottingham to Somerset, so I mainly work in the East Midlands and the South West, but am available to travel anywhere in the country.

Barn Dance and Ceilidh

I call the dances and play percussion with The Four Foot Four, The South West Ceilidh Band and with a few other barn dance and ceilidh bands here in The South West of England. Contact me if you are organising an event, or looking for somewhere to go for a dance.

The Bang On The Wall Band

The Bang On The Wall Band is a barn dance and ceilidh band based in the East Midlands. Martin Wildig and I formed the band in 1997 after the previous band (The ACME Dance Company) that we both played in folded. The band works with a number of different dance callers. Our main regular caller for many years was Laz Gilbert, but nowadays I usually call the dances myself.

Poppy Folk Club

The Poppy Folk Club meets once a month at the Poppy and Pint in the Lady Bay Area of West Bridgford, Nottingham. We have a nice big room upstairs at the pub. Generally we alternate each month between a songs and music session and a concert night where we have a guest artist to perform, followed by a singaround for anyone wanting to stay afterwards to sing or play.

Singing and Playing

I play percussion and tin whistle with The Bang On The Wall Band. I also play a little on the Anglo concertina. I enjoy singing traditional and not so traditional folk songs. I started, and still help to run The Poppy Folk Club in the Lady Bay Area of West Bridgford, Nottingham. I also attend a number of music sessions and other folk clubs, singarounds, etc.

Lacerta Technology Ltd.

Lacerta Technology Ltd. design and manufacturer scientific instruments, in particular devices to aid in the measurement and characterisation of polymers using thermal analysis and related techniques. The company was formed out of what remained when the previous company Triton Technology Ltd. was sold to Mettler Toledo.

I am currently working part-time from home as a website developer mostly on small one-off projects. I am proficient in the basic website development tools and systems, html, css, javascript, php and mysql.

Computer programming

My main career for over thirty years has been as a computer programmer and software engineer. I am currently available to work part time on small projects, so please get in touch to discuss any programming or website design jobs you may have.

Barn Dance and Ceilidh

I call the dances and play percussion with The Four Foot Four, The South West Ceilidh Band and with a few other barn dance and ceilidh bands here in The South West of England. Contact me if you are organising an event, or looking for somewhere to go for a dance.

Dance Tuition and Workshops

I have been foreman (dance teacher and choreographer) for Sergeant Musgraves Dance and Anstey Morrismen and have taught dances for The Bunnies From Hell. I have led workshops at Chippenham Folk Festival, Folk East Festival, Barefoot Festival and Nottingham World Music Festival. I also ran classes in morris and folk dancing at Deda dance studios in Derby.

Singing and Playing

I play percussion and tin whistle with The Bang On The Wall Band. I also play a little on the Anglo concertina. I enjoy singing traditional and not so traditional folk songs. I started, and still help to run The Poppy Folk Club in the Lady Bay Area of West Bridgford, Nottingham. I also attend a number of music sessions and other folk clubs, singarounds, etc.

I am currently working part-time from home as a website developer mostly on small one-off projects. I am proficient in the basic website development tools and systems, html, css, javascript, php and mysql.

Computer programming

My main career for over thirty years has been as a computer programmer and software engineer. I am currently available to work part time on small projects, so please get in touch to discuss any programming or website design jobs you may have.

Music and Dance

I have been playing percussion in a barn dance and ceilidh band for over 20 years. I also now work as a dance caller, originally with The Bang On The Wall Band, but now with various bands including The Four Foot Four, The South West Ceilidh Band, etc... I was a founder member of The Poppy Folk Club in West Bridgford, Nottingham and still attend various folk clubs, singarounds and music sessions. I dance with a number of Morris sides, and have held the roles of squire, bagman and foreman. I have run workshops in Morris and folk dance, both for complete beginners and for experienced dancers.

Software and IT

I have worked all my adult life as a computer programmer / software engineer. I am currently working part time as Software and IT manager for Lacerta Technology Ltd as well as doing bespoke programming work and website design for private clients.

I am fairly active on Facebook although nowadays it is mostly just posting my daily Wordle results. I should probably use Twitter and other sites more for promoting gigs etc... but I have got out of the habit of doing this since lockdown. I seem to be doing fairly well for gigs at the moment though, so perhaps it isn't necessary. I also have accounts at Twitter, Instagram, Discord, Twitch, Linked In and YouTube.

Music and Dance

I have been playing percussion in a barn dance and ceilidh band for over 20 years. I also now work as a dance caller, originally with The Bang On The Wall Band, but now with various bands including The Four Foot Four, The South West Ceilidh Band, etc... I was a founder member of The Poppy Folk Club in West Bridgford, Nottingham and still attend various folk clubs, singarounds and music sessions. I dance with a number of Morris sides, and have held the roles of squire, bagman and foreman. I have run workshops in Morris and folk dance, both for complete beginners and for experienced dancers.

Software and IT

I have worked all my adult life as a computer programmer / software engineer. I am currently working part time as Software and IT manager for Lacerta Technology Ltd as well as doing bespoke programming work and website design for private clients.

Event and Gigs list

Here is a list of gigs and other events that Phil is involved in:

I have been bagman, squire and foreman for Anstey Morrismen, and foreman for Sergeant Musgraves Dance. I also occasionally dance with The Bunnies From Hell. My first side though was, and still is The Hinckley Plough Bullockers.

Barn Dance and Ceilidh

I call the dances and play percussion with The Four Foot Four, The South West Ceilidh Band and with a few other barn dance and ceilidh bands here in The South West of England. Contact me if you are organising an event, or looking for somewhere to go for a dance.

I am currently working part-time from home as a website developer mostly on small one-off projects. I am proficient in the basic website development tools and systems, html, css, javascript, php and mysql.

Phil's Puzzles Page

I have always had a passing interest in puzzles, but this has become a bit more of a serious obsession during lockdown since I discovered the Cracking The Cryptic YouTube channel.

This page will be for anything that doesn't fit in any of the other sections on the website.

I work as a dance caller for ceilidhs and barn dances, so if you are organising an event, whether it be a party to celebrate a birthday or wedding, a pta, church or village dance, a festival or corporate event, please do get in touch. I have recently moved from Nottingham to Somerset, so I mainly work in the East Midlands and the South West, but am available to travel anywhere in the country.

The Bang On The Wall Band

The Bang On The Wall Band is a barn dance and ceilidh band based in the East Midlands. Martin Wildig and I formed the band in 1997 after the previous band (The ACME Dance Company) that we both played in folded. The band works with a number of different dance callers. Our main regular caller for many years was Laz Gilbert, but nowadays I usually call the dances myself.

Poppy Folk Club

The Poppy Folk Club meets once a month at the Poppy and Pint in the Lady Bay Area of West Bridgford, Nottingham. We have a nice big room upstairs at the pub. Generally we alternate each month between a songs and music session and a concert night where we have a guest artist to perform, followed by a singaround for anyone wanting to stay afterwards to sing or play.

Singing and Playing

I play percussion and tin whistle with The Bang On The Wall Band. I also play a little on the Anglo concertina. I enjoy singing traditional and not so traditional folk songs. I started, and still help to run The Poppy Folk Club in the Lady Bay Area of West Bridgford, Nottingham. I also attend a number of music sessions and other folk clubs, singarounds, etc.

Lacerta Technology Ltd.

Lacerta Technology Ltd. design and manufacturer scientific instruments, in particular devices to aid in the measurement and characterisation of polymers using thermal analysis and related techniques. The company was formed out of what remained when the previous company Triton Technology Ltd. was sold to Mettler Toledo.

Computer programming

My main career for over thirty years has been as a computer programmer and software engineer. I am currently available to work part time on small projects, so please get in touch to discuss any programming or website design jobs you may have.

Dance Tuition and Workshops

I have been foreman (dance teacher and choreographer) for Sergeant Musgraves Dance and Anstey Morrismen and have taught dances for The Bunnies From Hell. I have led workshops at Chippenham Folk Festival, Folk East Festival, Barefoot Festival and Nottingham World Music Festival. I also ran classes in morris and folk dancing at Deda dance studios in Derby.

I am fairly active on Facebook although nowadays it is mostly just posting my daily Wordle results. I should probably use Twitter and other sites more for promoting gigs etc... but I have got out of the habit of doing this since lockdown. I seem to be doing fairly well for gigs at the moment though, so perhaps it isn't necessary. I also have accounts at Twitter, Instagram, Discord, Twitch, Linked In and YouTube.