All Go

The pace is starting to pick up now (and I wasn't exactly standing still to begin with!) Am now booked on Tom McConville's fiddle workshop (I honestly don't know why I bother considering stuff since, the second they enter my mind, I'm pretty much certainly going to them! Impulse control, I seem to lack it...) and have booked for Shepley Spring Festival (didn't actually mean to do that at that particular point but, since the early bird prices stop at the end of February, glad I did.) The Festival plan is now, IVFDF, DERT, Bristol, Oxford Folk Weekend (being put on by Ian Giles as a stopgap for the actual festival. I do like Ian Giles!), Holmfirth, Shepley, steward at Ely, Sidmouth and Shrewsbury. May consider Bromyard depending on who's on and what I feel like. Fortunately my cheque from British Gas came through which will cover the costs nicely provided I remember to put it in the bank. Should probably do that tomorrow.

Am also actively in the process of finding a fiddle teacher so that's something at least. At least I'm still practicing. Am also working through the Folkworks tune books I got at Whitby. scary how many of them I recognise. Completely unsurprised at the fact that I still can't remember the names of any of them.

Have been looking at the programme for IVFDF. As pre usual, most of the stuff I want to do clashes but, so far, the plan is to switch between the French Dance and the ceilidh on Friday night, (May venture in to see Jim Moray if there's room), then Irish Step, Contra, Step Clog and Rapper workshops on Saturday followed by the Contra evening dance before I slip away to the Tickled Pink ceilidh and then Border, North West Morris and Melodeon on the Sunday. As I say, that's the plan and I have never followed a plan in my life. Must remember to take my melodeon anyway so that I can get the straps attached.

Got told at work that I seemed in a particularly sunny mood today. That'll be what listening to Belshazzar's Feast all morning will do to you. Definitely still enjoying the job, the fact that I can listen to my headphones while doing it is just a happy little bonus.

At some point I will tidy my room. Probably just in time to move out of it at the end of the year...

Coach Fatigue

Spent this weekend (well, the Saturday anyway) in Edinburgh with Mons Meg in order to get out one and only rehearsal for DERT (yes, we're taking it ultra-seriously this year...). Caught the national express coach up on the Friday night and it was packed to the gills so by the time I got up to Edinburgh (having passed through snow in Northumberland, not that that worried me at all, oh no!), I'd concertina'd up nicely. Add to that the fact that I'd had no sleep at all due to personal space defence (and I think my personal space is getting larger as I get older. At this rate, by the time I'm 50, I'll have to go and live on a deserted island.) and I was heading for silly mode the minute I got into the city.
Had a lovely Saturday. It was great to see Mons Meg again and to dance in The Village. We made the most of our practice time and I think we've got a respectable (if not precisely prize-winning) dance and our borrowed Monkey dancer fitted in just fine. The pub tour was also great fun (although the audiences were a bit odd. They cheered us at the end, fair enough and we wound up with plenty of money in the hat but very few cheers for the tumbles which is unusual. Never mind) I thin the stand out pub (for possibly the wrong reasons) was the Southsider. We walked in just as a live band were doing their soundcheck. On questioning, they said they were going to just try one song for the soundcheck and then we were fine to dance. They actually did 2 songs which were...not my cup of tea precisely but, heigh ho and then we went on to dance. We had a hairy moment when Mary Ann went a bit haywire and we ended up with our new number 3 on the wrong side of the sword for his first tumble. He managed to fix this by jumping over the sword while it was still at thigh height and then doing his backward tumble. We were all suitably impressed, the audience seemed harder to please. Far more annoting was, the whole time we were dancing, the drummer putting beats in. I'm not entirely sure whether he was just trying to join in (in which case, that band need a new drummer because I don't think he managed to hit a beat during the whole dance) or whether he was trying to put us off in which case he failed (I suspect our cock-up was us putting ourselves off as per usual) because he was up against a melodeon and, while he was amped, melodeons really don't need to be and they come with the beat built in, so to speak. We finished the night with 2 good dances, one at Doctors (the site of Trina's former bloodbath. Well, one of them anyway) and the second at the party of one of Dot's friend where the audience were super receptive and I think we did our best dance of the night. We all ended back at Trina's (with the usual suspicious cocktails) and just had a great evening. I was really sad I had to leave so early on Sunday morning (and incredibly grateful that I still seem to be immune when it comes to hangovers), I'd have loved to stick around and go round Edinburgh with everyone else but the coach called again. And what a hellish trip. Another packed coach with people encroaching on my little bit of space from all sides and a heater that they couldn't turn off again so we were all roasting for 10 hours. I think that irritation and access to twitter may be a bad combination for me since I think I moaned on it all the way down so apologies to anyone who had to put up with that. I managed to grab a rather nice steak sandwich in a pub while I was waiting for my last connection which turned out to be far less crowded and a much nicer experience altogether (Huzzah for the Oxford Tube) so I was almost calm again by the time I got back to Oxford. However, I have spent today with a particularly quizzical tilt to my head thanks to the kink in my neck from my travels. Have decided that I need to set up a train fund, especially as I'm heading back up to Scotland for a Borderers event mid March (and I don't want to miss it , particularly after my dismal showing last year!)

Still, all worth it for rapper and DERT. Only 2 weeks left now! Little bit excited, just a little bit...

Have booked my coach tickets for IVFDF (I know, I know but this journey 's only a couple of hours so nowhere near as bad!) next weekend so looking forward to that and am contemplating going to Tom McConville's fiddle workshop in Lewes on March 12th. Have had a look at the music and it may be a bit of a stretch but I love his style and I can usually pick up something, even from difficult workshops, to have a go at (The one with Matt Cranitch being a case in point) besides which, I still haven't found a fiddle teacher and I'm desperate for some form of tuition. Yep, I think I'll give it a go. Now just have to find my chequebook. Just let me go and get my rope and climbing harness....

But still, DERY, DERT, DERT!!!

Cheltenham and Other Festivals

Spent last weekend at Chetlenham Folk Festival. Obviously I ended up stewarding during the thing I really wanted to see (which would be Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings) and, it being on the Friday night, I didn't have time to swap with anyone but it turned out well since the person I was on the doors with didnt like them so let me do all the inside stuf so I caught mosy of them and they were brilliant. Loved all the different mixtures of instruments (although have to say that Paul Sartin looks terrified of holding the melodeon, never mind using it) and the mix of songs from the album (greatly added to by the sound of the oboe, I felt) and from the Folk Song a Day project were great. Gorgeous rendition of 'Rigs of the Time' all on strings and really liked Sportsman's Hornpipe (at least, that's what I think it was) leading into 'Penny for the Preacher. Also really liked the song about Francis Drake (whose title I just can't remember). I was off duty in time for the singaround afterwards which was great fun. We all sang along to 'Butter and Cheese and All' which was being recorded for the dollowing day's podcast and The Bailey Sisters treated us to a lovely rendition of 'The Cuckoo' before Paul Sartin brought the house down as well as not so much lowering the tone as boring a hole in the bottom and scuttling it with the hilarious 'Cock-a-doodle-doo'. Just a really nice end to the evening and I hope it catches on.
Saturday included, Jackie Oates, The Askew Sisters, Freya Abbott Ferguson, Hannah James and Sam Sweeney (introduced as Hannah and James by a slightly confused Pete Grasby which resulted in ahuge cry of 'Sam' from the audience which apparently made Sam Sweeney, backstage, wonder what on earth he'd done!), Pete Coe, The Crucible Trio and Kerr and Fagan who were just brilliant. Also managed to buy some fingerless gloves and some new melodeon straps (which was a little more involved than I suspected since the original Pokerwork strap fittings won't take the nice new straps so I'll have to get new fittings which PJ sadly didn't have with him at the weekend. He has, however promised to bring them to IVFDF and fit them for me and, in the process of all this, found that my current fitting was hanging by a thread so he fixed that so that my melodeon won't fall off the current straps in the meantime so disaster narrowly averted there). Also bought the new Blowzabella CD, 'Dance' which is just great!
On Sunday I managed to catch Mike Wilson and Damien Barber and their song to talk ratio is improving (although not by much! Doesn't matter though. Could listen to them do either all day). Went to Simon Care's melodeon workshop and he really is lovely. Didn't really teach us anything new but spent the whole session just reassuring us that what we were all doing was absolutley fine which was actually really, really helpful. I'm booked on one of his workshops at Squeezing Shropshire later in the year and I'm really looking forward to it. Finally managed to see most of The Melrose Quartet's set (and they were very, very good) before having to head for the train. Which was cancelled so they put us on a bus which didn't quite make it in time for my connection (although we were treated to a highly exciting 3 point turn in some incredibly narrow streets) so I had to wait an hour for the next train. Still I got back in one piece and it was still less time travelling than any festival I've managed from Edinburgh. Travel notwithstatnding, I had a great weekend with some lovely people and some fantastic music (and even ran into a Mons Megger. We turn up everywhere you know!) and Cheltenham has now been added to my list of likely festivals.

On Monday, I got to see The Remnant Kings again at the O'Reilly Theatre in Oxford (and, oh, the novelty of a gig I can get to with a short bus ride...). They were even better (possibly because I wasn't having to keep ushering people through doors during it). Was absolutely fascinated by the workings of the phonographs (one of which was right in front of me) and I also now have some slight urgings to have a go at the concertina after watching Rob Harbron. He really is a bit good. Anna, who I was at with, apparently fancies the double base, but I'd never be able to see over one!). We had a bit of a mad dash for beer during the interval since the bar was apparently in another building which made it interesting to find and it took them ages to serve us. (We were quite calm until we'd noticed that the band had just been served and were heading back. Panic set in a little then. The sing around was great fun again. This time we got to join in on 'Cupid's Garden' for the podcast. Lovely rendition of 'Don't Go Out Tonight Dear Father' by Jon Boden with slightly hilarious backing vocal antics from Messers Sweeney, Harbron and Sartin and we got a couple of numbers from Ian Giles to join in with. I do like him. He always seems to be so surprised to be talking to people. And, of course, Mr Sartin managed to get 'Cock-a-doodle-doo in again to general merriment.
Lovely evening with good company and good music.

Festival-wise this year, I'm definately going to IVFDF, Bristol, Shrewsbury, Holmfirth and Sidmouth. I was planning on the the Oxford Folk Festival and The Big Session but the Big Session is reduced to one day at the 'Beautiful Days Festival' which I can't make while they look for a new venue now that they'll not be using the DeMontfod Hall anymore and Oxford has just had to cancel due to economic difficulties. Fingers crossed that both of these manage to get off the ground again in 2012 because they're both great festivals and I shall really miss them this year. Anyhow, am currently considering Sheppley, Beverley and Ely. Sheppley's looking pretty good at the moment (list includes Bellowhead and Belshazzars Feast) and I really enjoyed Ely last year (may volunteer as a steward this year). Will have to see.

In the meantime, this weekend, I'll be heading back up to Edinburgh for a DERT pratice (and, hopefully, a pub tour) with Mons Meg. It'll be nice to dance some rapper again (rapper withdrawal is a bit severe currently since the Mables are busy trying to organise DERT so aren't really dancing at the moment) and it'll be lovely to see Mons Meg again too. I have missed them!

Also, at some point, I shall get round to sorting out my room since it is ridiculous to need a climbing harness in order to find clothes!

Becoming a Southerner

Well things have been a bit hectic recently what with one thing and another.

Move down south has been accomplished and I am now installed in new room although I still haven't had any time to actually sort out any of my stuff so it's still all sat in a big heap (currently known as Mount Stuff!) and I occasionally rifle through it in search of important items. Thus has lead to least one impressive case of subsidence and I reckon I'm going to have to take a couple of days off to get it sorted since I appear to have no free weekends ever again.

Speaking of which, I spent my 1st weekend down here in Witney (well, I commuted just for the novelty value) at the Hands On Fiddle weekend. Due to the move, the sheet music didn't catch up with me until the night before which meant I ended up winging it in the 'Developing Irish Fiddle Class' with Matt Cranitch. Although this was aimed at Basic and Intermediate, those of us at the bottom end agreed that he might have missed the 'Basic' part. We'd be (in my case attempting) playing the tunes at some silly speed and then he'd say, quite seriously, 'well, now that we've run through it slowly...'. Still, picked up some tips which I can take away to work on and I still enjoyed it. The concert on Saturday evening was lovely and I've decided I really like Peter Cooper (even aside from the fact that he really reminds me of Eric Morcombe). Sunday's workshop was a bit easier. It was 'Developing Shetland style' with Catriona MacDonald and we were all learning the tunes by ear so I wasn't quite as put off by lack of practice. Lots of things to practice from this one and I really enjoyed it. (Even though I spent the next 2 days with my left hand cramped in fiddle playing position. May need to increase my practice time... ) Still need to find a teacher down here as well. Must look into that.

Work has been great. Working with some lovely people in a job that I can do (and I'm finding a use for my medical knowledge. My German may be rusty but most of the medical stuff is roughly the same so I can translate about 70% of written German without having to resort to Google) Am actually happy to go to work and everything seems so much lighter. Didn't realise just how much stress the lack of any real job in Edinburgh was causing. Think I was right to get out and should have done it so much sooner.
Walking to work at the moment (mostly because the keys to my bicycle lock are somewhere at the base of Mount Stuff and I've yet to locate them). It's about a 40 minute walk (when I don't stop to help little old ladies who fall over in the street. Well, I didn't get much choice after she practically fell on me) so not too bad and the buses here actually give change which is another huge novelty. Plus the local library is set in gorgeous old building in a lovely park (sadly, it's also one of the ones under threat of closure. Fingers crossed it makes it.) and I walk past a shark in someone's roof every day (this has yet to stop being hilarious). Have even managed to practice the melodeon and fiddle with no complaints from my flatmates who seem very nice if a bit bemused (that said, I did pick up a heavy duty mute for the fiddle at Witney, just to be nice.)

It's still a bit surreal being down here. It's quite different to living in the North but, for the life of me, I couldn't tell you why. On top of all this, have bought a new mobile phone which has all sorts of features such as access to Twitter which I'm actually finding a great deal of fun. (not least when listening to the folk awards, while drinking gin and twittering with friends. Very funny indeed.) Even better, it can do google maps so I don't have to panic about getting lost. Slightly worried about the amount of times the instructions mention that it might explode....Given my track record that does not bode well. Still, lets hope it makes it to the end of the year...