Crew pages: - Terri kennedy
Terri is the least hairy member of Baggyrinkle. She doesn’t perform, well, not on stage, well, not singing shanties anyway! Terri’s official title is “Business Manager” although it has been hinted that her unofficial one is Nagger-in-Chief. It’s her job to administer to all Baggyrinkle’s little foibles. At the same time, attending to transport, uniforms, accommodation etc.
Her introduction to folk, unlike the other members has not spanned many decades, although she has attended 98 Springsteen concerts & has his photo hanging on the wall with her family members!
Consequently Terri’s children were dragged around Europe from ship to ship and knew more shanties than nursery rhymes. Joseph, at the tender age of nine, made his first public performance in a quayside pub at the Falmouth Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race. He proudly boasts the Keelers backed him singing “Billy Boy”, still his favourite. He and Rachel were members of “The Nipperjacks”, Swansea’s junior shanty crew & Jacob and Grace were conceived, carried & born at a shanty festival, well nearly!
It was no surprise when both boys joined the Royal Navy, but having been bought up properly with tall ships… submariners!!!
Terri has always had a fascination with tall ships & particularly square-riggers; this led to a life-long friendship with Mike Stafford, (a founder Baggy & instigator of the name) who was a regular in her pub (in her landlady days!). He introduced her to the shanty “Bulgine Run” which captured her interest in all sea-songs and shanties. In 1991 having witnessed Motley Crew live at Milford Haven Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race & then the first of the Swansea Shanty Festivals she was well and truly hooked.
She started turning up at shanty & maritime events all over Britain with her “Y Ddraig-Goch” (Welsh flag for the illiterate) & regularly attended the Baggies rehearsal night in Swansea. As she nagged them on their presentation so much, they thought they had better make her an official member.
Having been lucky enough to sail on several square-riggers and sung appropriate shanties and forebitters, Terri now feels like a true shellback.
