Rob Howard’s two out-of-print books ‘Vintage Accordions’ (catalog robaccord05) and ‘Accordion: A Pictorial History’ (catalog robaccord06) are available free as printable PDFs to anybody who emails asking for them. Thank you to Rob Howard for this extremely generous gift to the accordion world. Email: robaccord5@hotmail.com

Each book has 300+ color photos of accordions through the ages plus notes and articles, telling the story of the accordion in its various forms from the early 19th Century to the present time.

Included are flutinas, the Shand Morino, the Uniform keyboard, and all other sorts of designs that make up the accordion family.

Rob Howard has played the accordion since 1968. At present, he has served as the concert secretary, compere and ‘public voice’ of Stockport Accordion Club. He has played in a folk group, in accordion bands, entertained in restaurants and for French-themed evenings, performed in musicals, accompanied Irish step-dancing and Polish dancing, been a member of a Bavarian Oompah Band, played in several ceilidh bands, and leads ‘wartime sing-a-alongs’ at Stockport Air-Raid Shelters.

For more than 20 years he has contributed articles and reviews to specialist music magazines, and above all, is an enthusiast for the accordion. He was the Editor of www.accordions.com for many years. Available from Rob Howard, 42 Avondale Rd, Edgeley, Stockport SK3 9NY. Paypal available.

Rob shares, “When I was much younger I spent a lot of time boxing, and later became interested in playing the accordion. I have thus gone from boxer to squeezeboxer! The day job used to be teaching English (and other subjects) in secondary schools in Manchester, but after 33 years I am free of the ‘chalk face’, and now concentrate on playing music and writing.”

For further information: robaccord5@hotmail.com