Stramash Tune

My old scarf gave up the ghost last night and unravelled. Now have a nice, new, very cheap scarf which, I did not realise until today, is stretchy! This came in useful when I was leaving the newsagents at lunch and, as so often happens, snagged the end of my scarf on the door handle. This would normally result in me being yanked backwards as the door shuts before I realise what has happened but, with this scarf, as the door shut, the scarf stretched and I had time to realise I was hooked and detatch it before I became door furniture. Huzzah for the stretchy scarf!

We're playing 'Song of the Chanter' (or some title aproximating that) in fiddle at the moment. It's a reasonably nice tune and it's what our class will be playing at the stramash a week on Thursday so shall be practicing that tonight. At least I have this weekend free to practice and to work on the melodeon (plus I'm getting the urge to have another go at the clarinet). At some point I will tidy, if only because I can no longer find anything at all and it would be nice to have a flat surface upon which I can start making my New Year's outfit.

Getting slightly worried about the weather. Desperately want to go and see Belshazzar's Feast when they play at Brigham Memorial Hall in December but if the weather sets in the way it's supposed to, I may not be able to get out that way and I shall be royally miffed. Not quite worried about New Year's Eve yet since the bus goes down fairly major motorways but the little roads in Cumbria are a little more concerning. Oh well, fingers crossed.

Melodeon Envy

Rapper was good last night. Not many of us so a lot of dancing done although a certain Goarsach dancer turned up on her way back up North with her 2 dogs (both adorable) and had a go at joining in with us (her, not the dogs).
Andy had a go at playing for us on the melodeon that he's only been practicing for 2 weeks. Absolutely sickening! If I can play even as quarter as well as that after 2 weeks I'll be bloody impressed with myself. Really quite excited waiting until I can get my melodeon now. Can't wait to give it a go.
There's the possibility of us dancing at Anstruther for a gala day (can't get used to that term. They will forever be 'fetes' to me.) in July. Sounds like fun so I hope we can do it. In the meantime, we've got a DERT rehearsal planned in St Andrews for the weekend after next and then, hopefully, a bit of pub touring. I don't think St Andrews has seen rapper since the Kingsman danced there during IVFDF 2002 but they seemed to enjoy it then.

The countdown to Oxford has started in my brain. I retrieved my Bellowhead DVD from Trina last night so that should be getting watched a lot in order to try and take the edge off...

Plan tonight is to get in, clarinet practice first (cause I can't mute it!), then fiddle practice (cause I can mute that) and then tidy like a tidy thing and, if I am good, I'm allowed to watch the Bellowhead DVD. (I strongly suspect I will watch it anyway but this is the intention)

At some point I should probably put Roger through a car wash. He is absolutely filthy and I haven't really got anywhere to put him to wash him by hand (if I try on the roadside I'll get killed and that's leaving aside the question as to whether you're allowed to wash cars in the street.) Before he goes through a car wash though, I think it might be an idea to get waterproof covers for the seats and me. (Not that I don't trust the door seals or anything...)

Productive Weekend (Relatively)

Spring may have occurred on Saturday. The weather was warm and dry and I quickly took the opportunity to put my washing out for the first time this year (what I hadn't taken into account was that it was also windy and I promptly got wrapped in a sheet and bashed into a wall! And so starts my washing's year long assault on me.) Having been nicely bruised, I decided to venture into town, mainly to look for rapper shoes but this was foiled by my not being able to remember where the Army and Navy store was and thus not being able to find it. No matter, I went on to find a nice wedding hat which I can wear for next weekend's sudden wedding (by which I mean that I've suddenly found out I'm going, not that the wedding is sudden) and I may have a acquired a cheap melodeon. This is probably not helpful and it's not like I don't have enough instruments to learn (although I got in a very good practice with both fiddle and clarinet this weekend.) but the idea of an instrument that doesn't rely on breathing control, finger placement, bow technique and mouth shape to produce an on-key note is very attractive and they just look really fun to play. It's a very cheap, never been used, D/G 2 row affair and, having, checked around, should I decide it's not for me, I should be able to sell it on with no loss. I suspect the reason it was being offered so cheaply was due to the preference in scottish music being for B/C tuning (and the fact that it's a cheap make) but I want to play morris tunes which suits me just fine. Huzzah for gumtree is all I can say.
One very odd occurrence while I was shopping in one of the pound saver shops (I was looking for pegs. My washing seems to eat them!). I was happily wandering along with my headphones on when this woman stops in front of me and tries to ask me something. I obligingly took out my headphones and she asked, in a somewhat irritated tone, where the *some weird item that I can't remember* was! I said I didn't know and she told me that that was appalling customer service. I pointed out that I didn't work there and she told me I looked as if I did and flounced off. I was in no way dressed like the staff and was not even wearing similar colours so I have no idea how to take that. Ah well.
Sunday, I actually did some tidying! I only read 2 books and did one puzzle book and I can now see most of the floor in the sitting room. The bed is still 'here be dragons' territory but, I feel I'm on a roll now and could be using it again as early as June!
The soundtrack to all this has been Belshazzer's Feast's 'Food of Love' CD which arrived on Saturday. The main CD is lovely with a really beautiful version of Mark Knoppfler's 'Cal' (and the CD notes are hilarious) but the main gem is the extra live CD which had me in giggles (which got me some funny looks while walking down Prince's Street, I can tell you!) most of the weekend. Can't wait to see them live.

Anyhow, rapper tonight and I'm in a particularly bouncy mood so that should be fun.

IVFDF 2010 (Friday and Saturday)

What with Roger being, how can I put this, stationary with a vengence, I decided to get the train down to Durham for IVFDF. Passed the house where I grew up on the way down and was really shocked to see that they had decimated the surrounding wood and built a huge house right next to the old bungalow (which wasn't small to start with). It really threw me to see the orchard gone. Ah well.

Got into Durham at around 6pm and managed to find Alington House straight off by basically pointing myself in the direction of the Cathedral and wandering roughly in that direction until I encountered crowds of suspected IVFDF goers. Fortunately I managed to get a ticket for the central sleeping venue, dumped my stuff, randomly met up with some of the usual suspects and headed off for the ceilidh with 422. This was a fair walk from the centre but the weather was nice, if crisp, and it was well worth it. The first ceilidh was great fun with Martin Harvey calling and some truly stonking music (I do like 422) . In the break, Star and Shadow rapper dancers did a spot which was highly entertaining and they look in good from for DERT. For the second half of the evening, 422 were getting us to dance to 80's pop songs which worked surprisingly well. I may not have liked all the songs (I particularly hate ABBA's Dancing Queen. Don't get me wrong, I like ABBA, I liked them before they became popular again but I really, really hate this song and what song do they always play?) but they also played 'Money for Nothing', by Dire Straits which is a great song and worked really well with the dance. There was a brief hiatus in the evening where the was possibly a fire alarm. That is to say there was a high pitched whistling and all the lights went out but no-one could tell if it was an alarm or just serious feedback so we milled uncertainly then decided that, since no-one was yelling at us to get out, we'd stay put in the warm and go and have a drink (and not only was there a real ale bar but it was student union prices so not bad, not bad at all). Anyhow, they seemed to get it sorted and we went back to dancing. Went back to Alington house for the late night dancing but sadly there really wasn't any room for it. We took over the sleeping hall for a short while but there were far too many people even for that space and they didn't get round to the more esoteric dances which is what I go to the late night dancing for. Anyhow, once the musicians went back upstairs to just have a session. I decided just to head to bed and drift off to the music. Sadly, not a huge amount of sleep was got, not because of the music but because I could not get warm which is not usually a problem for me. Odd but so it goes.

Anyhow, dragged myself along to the student union at 9am to go to the workshop on how to cope in a session. Some very interesting and helpful information and it was nice listening to them play but I shall have to redouble my efforts with the clarinet and fiddle cause I want to join in damn it! Rapper was next up and High Spen was teaching. As always, the class was seriously over subscribed which meant that space was tight and you kept havingt to wait until a teacher was free to learn anything else but it was still fun. It's the first time since last year that I've danced in a set that was roughly my height and it really was a nice feeling. Most of our set had also done some rapper beforehand so we managed fairly well and we all knew each other so we spent a fair bit of time giggling. All in all a good fun and interesting workshop but I think they might want to start limiting the numbers (this means I would need to arrive much earlier in order to be certain of getting in!) in future IVFDF's.
I stayed on for the Playing for Morris workshop (again just listening in) which was really good with lots of helpful advice on the difference in playing for different types of folk dance. I paid particular attention to the advice on rapper and border obviously. After this, I went along to the clog workshop. I couldn't be bothered to head back to Alington house to get my clogs so I did the class in my rapper shoes. Good to know I carted my clogs to the North East for no particular reason. Still, at least it was a nice outing for them. The clog itself was fun and all the shuffles must be improving my rapper stepping. I put my name on the e-mail list for the clog workshop weekend so fingers crossed that's on when I'm free.

I caught the end of the display ceilidh, although I didn't really feel up to dancing (apparently being laid up in bed for over a week and then dancing like mad at a folk festival leaves you feeling knackered, who knew!). I enjoyed Exeter's dem to ABBA's 'Does your Mother Know that You're Out' (something of an ABBA theme this year) but then, I usually do.
I dithered between heading for a shower or going to see the Eliza Carthy concert but eventually the need to have shower won out and I had a nice walk through Durham to find the leisure centre. I feel incredibly disloyal saying it but Durham is a far, far prettier place than Newcastle. Anyhow, shower taken (and that was possibly the best £2.10 spent of the weekend!) I headed back out to the outskirts for the Contra ceilidh. Vertical Expression were on good form so the music was fantastic and Adam was calling well but there seemed to be some difficulty with the mic so that there were problems calling the dance at the far end of the hall which wasn't helped when people started to pour in and talk while they were trying to walk through. The lighting was also peculiar with the top end of the hall in darkness and the other end brightly lit so the caller couldn't see the end sets which can't of been helpful (Also people seemed to have lost the ability to form fours from the top of the set, which was bizarre). Adam had to give up on calling a couple of the more complicated dances because the instructions just weren't getting through but other dances were substituted and I really enjoyed it despite the problems. I stayed on for the Whapweasel ceilidh cause I was too knackered to head out for the Northumbrian one which I kind of regret because, although the music was great, it was too loud, there were still the same calling problems (and I know it wasn't the caller cause Gordon Potts is usually great) and I just didn't have the energy to deal with it. Still I enjoyed the music and it was fun watching people on the floor before I headed up to the balcony and had fun playing 'what sort of dancing does this person usually do'.
I headed back to the hall after this and went to bed to the sound of the session again. Sadly another chilly night and not much sleep.

Lack of Success

Well, started tidying the burrow this weekend but, due to the burrow being full of stuff and me, apparently, being infinitely destractable, it now looks worse than it did and there is no clear space anywhere. On the other hand, I got a huge amount of fiddle and clarinet practice done, finshed 4 puzzle books and managed to get through 7 of the Matthew Bartholomew books by Susannah Greogory.

It looks like I will be attempting to replace the bridge on the fiddle myself. Have been investigating various guides and how-tos and, once I have space to put the blinking thing down, I will give it a go. (This could obviously be quite a while...)

Ended up ordering new laptop powercord online from Dell since it's cheaper and I know it will work with my laptop.

At least I got my washing done this weekend. Now I just have to find somewhere to dry it. Was considering trying the line outside again and then it started raining, so maybe not!

Ah well, rapper tonight

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.

Morris Excitement

Getting along nicely with my tattercoat. (Although I now have a blister on my thumb from using the pinking shears to cut more tatters!) Am trying to alleviate my excitement for the weekend by making lists of what I need to take. I always do this and I don't know why cause I never actually use them. Hope the weather stays nice for the walk anychance.
Really wishing I was better at using my sewing machine cause I would have had the thing finished by now. Handsewing a tattercoat is not fun (still, at least it's not as mindnumbing as handsewn boning channels. I still have nightmares about my first effort at replicating a late C16th pair of bodies. I've never worn them out (although they were a fantastic learning experience and, when I come to try it again, I'll have a much better idea of what I'm doing) but if I do find myself needing body armour (for whatever reason), they should be ideal!)

Found out that Sherlock Holmes and Avatar 3D will still be on at the cinema next week so have promised my self that I will finally get round to seeing Avatar and then I can go and see Sherlock Holmes again. Still, it's nice to know I'm getting my money's worth out of the Unlimited Card!

Fiddle class tonight and then will spend the rest of the evening sewing like a sewy thing. I've taken the whole of tomorrow off and I don't have to collect Trina until 1pm so I can sort out my stuff tomorrow morning, do some last minute sewing and possibly get some clarinet practice in.

After this weekend, I'm starting a health kick. I really do need to lose the weight I put on in the Autumn (and a little extra to be honest) and I could do with being fitter. Have bought a healthy diet cook book thing so will actually attempt to cook healthy stuff rather than living off my usual tuna, soy sauce, tomato and pasta mush. Must also take more exercise so shall have to get along to the irish set classes. (Am giving up on scottish country at the moment as, for starters, I have fiddle on the same night and it'd just be too much for one night and, also, my heart just isn't in the practices at the moment. I'll still try to get along to some dances this year (she says having already missed the Edinburgh one last weekend) but it's not the priority it once was.)
So there's that to do and the flat to finally finish tidying and rats to organise.

Random Finds

On the way home last night, spotted one of those strings of fake greenery for a £1. Bought it for no better reason than 'pretty' and 'I'm sure I can find a use for that' (which is possibly why there's no room to move in the burrow!). Anyhow, got it home and thought, 'That'll look great on my top hat!' and, sure enough, it does. So good buy, I feel. Also got some more work done on the tattercoat last night (It's actually starting to resemble something other than a shirt with scraps attached) It's going to be a close run thing but I might actually finish it in time for Hathersage! Also I found out that I've got a place on the Freaks in the Peaks canal boat trip so Huzzah!

Having not touched my clarinet since before Christmas, (much to my neighbours relief, I'm sure) I now have an irresistable urge to start again so I shall.

Also have a chance at getting a very good, very cheap rat cage so that is also very good.

Continuing to bounce about the Freaks weekend which isn't helping my sewing!