St Andrews Tour

Spent most of this week compusively playing the melodeon. Can't seem to put it down for long. Weirdly, it also makes me want to practice the fiddle so I've been getting a lot of that in too.

Early start to St Andrews on saturday and an absolutely beautiful morning. I think we may just have experienced summer! Was really lovely waiting for everyone else to turn up while we sat in the car and listened to Dot practice her northumbrian pipes in the playground (and I'm really getting tempted by them. No, too many instruments to learn at the moment. Maybe later.)

Practice itself was very good (floor was lovely) but I seem to have managed to knack my shoulder doing the backlock in Winlaton (or Winalot as it is now known). I'm really starting to hate the backlock. I can understand the theory behind it and I can see just how it should go but my lack of height makes it so bloody awkward and has a knock on effect around the set which makes me feel horrendously guilty which is just stupid because it's not like I'm being short on purpose and there's no-one taller we could sub in at DERT but there you go. Anyhow, spent the rest of the day with pins and needles all down my left arm. Think it was a trapped nerve.
Funniest moment was when Andy had a go at playing his melodeon and then Kev stepped up to have a go and someone asked everyone who actually tried a melodeon to put up their hands. Out of 8 people, I think 5 put their hands up. It seems we are a side of secret melodeon afficianados.

After lunch we set out to tour St Andrews. Despite being severely hampered by the football being on the telly we managed to get 5 dances (one of which was in the Whey Pat which we didn't think we'd get into and has a lovely floor) and got a good reception for all of them except the last dance at Greyfriars (which I think I preferred when it used to be The Tudor.) where we had a couple of blokes walk through the set. The dances themselves went well but I managed to get kicked in the ankle in one dance and slammed my elbow off the bar in another (but I kept hold of the sword despite not being able to feel it for a good few seconds!). Obviously it was my turn as side punchingbag.
After the last dance, most of us decamped to Trina's for curry and chat which was lovely. Really nice day out all told and we did far better that we thought we would.

Sunday brought on the worst post dance come-down I've had all year. Very odd, had thought I'd gotten out of that but apparently not. Wan't helped by the fact that my sore shoulder meant I couldn't really play the melodeon (didn't stop me trying which was possibly not that bright...)
Eventually I gave in and went and sat in the shower with the heat turned way up in an effort to relax my shoulder enough to try and free what was trapped. Seems to have worked since the pins and needles has mostly stopped and my shoulder is just a little sore now. Managed to do a little melodeon practice after that (and a lot of fiddle practice since that doesn't require so much shoulder movement) so cheered up a little. Spent the rest of Sunday sat on the sofa doing puzzles and listening to Dr Faustus (I got both their CD's recently and absolutely adore them) and their new incarnation, Faustus.

On that note, apparently Faustus are playing at Ely Folk Festival in July. Apparently the Oysterband, Demon Barbers and Les Barker will also be there. Very, very tempting. May have to think about booking. Will probably book. I'm definitely going to book aren't I. Must check the tent is working order.