Freaks in the Peaks

Well I didn't quite manage to get my tattercoat finished in time and managed to be 2 hours late picking up Trina due to various silly stuff and happenings (which might or might not have involved me getting lost in Edinburgh) but we finally set off to the Peak District. Journey down was easy enough (although there is still some impressive snow up on the Snake Pass which, up till this weekend has only been a name heard on the radio. Usually in travel reports saying that it's still shut because of snow!). Got down to Hathersage for around 21.30 and headed to the pub where we had a nice evening chatting to folks and listening to the session before heading back to the hall. I meant to go to bed but had a sudden urge to sew and managed a bit of my coat (while chatting to a castles expert which was nice!) before heading to bed (and I will say again that that airbed is probably my best buy of 2009!).

Saturday morning was spent practicing the dances (which was a good deal of fun) interspersed with mad bouts of sewing which meant that my coat was finished by lunch time! Huzzah! (Although, even as I was finishing it off, I was thinking of all the ways I could improve it, so there's still work to do!) Trina (who seemed to be supplying a small army) fed me lunch and then we were off to the Little John Pub where we danced a few dances before heading to the Scotsman's Pack to do a few more. dances went well, the pubs were nice, the weather was lovely and I got to wear my coat and hat for the first time. (Must remember that the hat makes me a couple of inches taller when swinging hankies round my head!). After this, we went and danced in front of the Gent's public loos for reasons best known to ourselves and got probably our largest audience of the day before retreating for tea. Trina and I retreated to the Little John Inn and had some fantastic bangers, mash and gravy (in absolutely huge quantities!) before heading back to the hall for a nap. This was when Trina apparently mistook me for a matress and tried to lift me up by my ankle! I think I should be worried about this!
The evening ceilidh was fun with all sorts of dance types attempted and we were treated some of John's fantastically funny and bizarre songs (including the one about breeding soft toys again!).

On Sunday, we walked across to the Tea Room at Grindleford (temporarily losing a large part of the side on the way!). You have to love a tea room that serves tea in pints!. Also saw the most labradors I have ever seen in one place. I was so tempted to steal one. I seem to have a soft spot for labs. (Fitting, I suppose, since labs do tend to be 90% soft spot themselves.) The walk itself was lovely with fantatstic views in the crisp, cold air even if we were vaguely knackered by the uphill climb.
We did a fair few dances at the Tea Room while dodging the traffic. I had a go at Lorenze's Butterfly and Twiglet, 2 of the more complicated dances, which didn't go as well as they had the previous day due to sudden memory blanks but I'm glad I had a go and think I will do better next time. We then walked back along the riverside (much flatter and just as nice) to an absolutely beautiful pub with an open fire that I can't remember the name of sadly and did a few more dances before heading back to the hall. We tried to help with the clearing up a little before we said goodbye to folks and headed back up North.
While we were crossing the Snake Pass, we came across a dip in the road where there was a deep puddle where cars had been splashing water up against the roadside trees which had frozen leaving them just covered in icicles and they looked absolutely stunning.

Made it back at around 23.00 where I had a bit of a nose round my green fabric coloured burrow before having a shower (and unknotting my hair which, due to a combination of me forgetting my hairbrush and having it under a hat all weekend, had tangled itself into a knotty mess that kept trying to eat the brush!) and slinking off to my (green fabric covered) nest on the settee.

I am now shattered, missing morris very much and saying 'ow' every time I try and walk. My shins really hate me! I do not think that my rapper stepping will go well tonight!

For some reason, I always think that morris is faster than it actually is (which is what put me off taking down the fiddle) but, on really listening during the dancing, I think I can actually keep up (what it'll actually sound like is another matter!) and I will have to play out some time and Freaks are a very beginner friendly side so next time I am definitely taking the fiddle or clarinet or both and, while I may not play for dances with audiences, I am definitely going to have a go at playing for practices.