The Hatfield Brigade lost one of its shining lights a few days ago as Sandra Lanaghan, wife of Mick and mother to Karl and Kerry, lost her long battle with cancer. Sandra worked the soup kitchens during the Miner’s Strike, and she did this having learned she was pregnant the day before the Strike Ballot. Her support and guidance, her love and her friendship have meant so much to so many over the years, and that is obvious in the stories being told in her memory over the last few days.
Mick asked me to sing at the funeral last Thursday and I wrote a song especially for the occasion which I released on Saturday August 5th as a download. All funds raised from the song will be donated to helping open a new family room in Ward G5 of Doncaster Royal Infirmary, so women suffering have somewhere to spend a few hours in peace and dignity with family and friends.
The song is called ‘Keep The Faith’ echoing both the Northern Soul all-nighters that Mick and Sandra frequented in their younger years, and the Strike motto from 1984/85.
You can download it at:
https://joesolomusic.bandcamp.com/track/keep-the-faith-2
and the song is set to ‘Name Your Price’ so if you can spare a little more toward the cause then please do, as every penny raised will help.
Here’s the lyric:
And all-night Northern SoulÂ
Until the day that pit fallÂ
Put me on the Rock’n’RollÂ
We had good times, we had bad timesÂ
But we always made it throughÂ
Now I’ll Keep The Faith for you I’ve the Devil and the Irish RebelÂ
Burning in my bloodÂ
That’s what Sister Agnes saidÂ
I’d never be no goodÂ
But your smile it lit up the worldÂ
And made it all brand newÂ
Now I Keep The Faith for youÂ
Now they’ll hang your plaque up on the WallÂ
Of Memories in this roomÂ
And the sun will shine back off itÂ
On a summer’s afternoonÂ
And I hope someone finds your strengthÂ
To see their struggles throughÂ
And I’ll Keep The Faith for you.
