In between times

it's been a weird time; last time I wrote, I'd stopped being ill, but in fact had come down with a sinus infection, which made my teeth throb, and a chest infection.
So much better now. Had a great time back in Brentford twice in the last week or so, realise how much I've been missing all my friends. The first occasion Sunday lunch at the Brewery Tap. I had never been there before, but it was a really relaxed place. About 16 of us went. The occasion was that Mary, Graham and Bekkah were there. These are our good friends who emigrated to New Zealand about two years ago. It was good to catch up, also to see Ali, Darren, Barney and Kate and for Jake to be with some of his friends.
Well, lunch was a fiver and a bargain. A huge plate of delicious roast meat with veg and gravy. A far cry from the Sunday lunches we've sampled in the Putney eateries. The atmosphere in the pub very relaxed and uncliquey, a very nice way to spend the afternoon. We went back to Ali's to collapse and digest, and to force down a little cheese and wine later on.

The second visit was to Phil and Tracey's on Friday. A true gathering of the yummy mummies, and very nice too, fuelled by tequila sunrises. Very nice to have Ali there, and without Darren, so lots of socialising all round. Of course, the evening would not have been complete without a little sidle round to Ali's for cheese and wine a bit later.

Putney is a very different place.

Sunday in Putney

woke up with my mouth throbbing, as if I had abcesses in all my teeth at once...hopefully just a complication of the lurgy I've had. Forged ahead with the day - a busy morning while Jake spent time, and my money choosing a present in the music shop for his upcoming birthday...Then we went round to Rachel and Janine's for lunch. Such a relaxing time, reminded me of being a teenager in Putney wandering about the leafy streets from one friend's house to another. A delicious lunch featuring several of my favourite things. Tuna, cheese and wine. We then sat around on cushions smoking a shisha, which was fun, although I feel I may have shared my lurgy with everyone, too. Several games followed- ancient to modern. Rachel and I played backgammon, the others played games on the stupidly named Wii. It was a lovely day, and we are going to go round there again on Boxing Day. Hope it's a lovely wintry day for walking round there and back, we can nose into the windows all the lovely festively decorated Putney houses.

whirlwind

An exciting couple of weeks, not all good, not all bad...

Saw Katy, Donna and Penny on the 23rd, a sort of mini school reunion. Quite special, because they all came to say hello to Dad at one point or other during the afternoon. Katy in particular, had a lovely long chat to him, possibly one of his last long lucid chats before the recent madness started.
Anyway we had a great afternoon, Katy had to go back in the evening, so Donna and I met up with Penny at Dad's, and went to the Spotted Horse for dinner which was great. Phil and Robin, who was over from America for a few days joined us there. Later Penny, Donna and I went for a walk down by the river - it was very cold. Walked Penny back to near to Dad's, and then Donna and I stayed in a local hotel for the night. A blissful uninterrupted night of sleep, well approximately 5 hours by the time we'd stopped chatting and giggling and gone to sleep. Dad got iller recently and I got ill too. The third time since the end of August. I was so ill, I couldn't even go out to a folk thing at the Festival Hall on Tuesday. The biggest stress in the new Putney situation has been trying to get help from Wandsworth social services for my dad. It has been extremely difficult to get anywhere with them. Impossible to know what is available, and how to get it. When I have phoned to ask how the delivery of one or other promised service is progressing, I have been told it's up to me to chase it....It took one dedicated district nurse to pull out all the stops on Friday, and organise something in one day that social services have taken 3 months to sort out. Dianne, you are an angel. Anyway...Dad's in hospital now, and won't come home until everything's in place for him, so a result all round.
Very strange (and relaxing) being at Dad's flat without him in it.

Dublin Friday onwards

A brisk walk along the beach after a delicious breakfast at the Esplanade. Got to be the best hotel breakfast ever - help yourself to as much as you want of everything - only complaint, no mushrooms. Lovely bread and everything else.
Sean came to collect us and drive us back into Dublin, setting out things to do with Phil and us later. In the evening we went to their flat, so near to the Harcourt - an excellent night eating, drinking and singing- well, largely listening to Phil and Sean playing and singing. What could be better than live music in your own sitting room? Pom is so great and it was good to get to know her a bit more - very involved in setting up her own project, with Sean, I think, doing drama with drug addicts and teenagers, anyway that night there wasn't nearly enough time to sing all the songs we wanted to sing, and the night ended all too quickly. Plans for the Saturday included Phil doing some recording with Sean, and a bus ride around Dublin, meeting up with Sean and our nephew Chan in the evening. The only low spot was when I got moody about how we were going to organise our stay at Dad's when we got back home. That passed quickly as I couldn't maintain a grumpy state for long. Off Phil went to record, and Jake and I went for a walk, and we looked forward to the evening.
First we met Chan in the bar at the Harcourt; a long time since I had sat down to chat to him - he is renovating a house in the middle of nowhere on the road to Sligo - how wild and exciting is that?? he had a photo or two on his phone to show us; Sean arrived and off we went for something to eat. After the promise of a table in about an hour at a Japanese place, we found a table at an Italian restaurant, and after a wonderful meal (and wine) we went to a bar called Anseo, I think it means 'it's here'. Very impressed that Jake could stroll in without the big bouncers challenging him as to his age.
All too soon, it was time to go back to the hotel and try to sleep before our journey back. It was wierdly only just around the corner from Anseo, although it felt like we'd walked all over the place.
A lovely moment in the morning when Phil and I popped out to get a coffee while Jake was asleep and we walked back through St Stephen's Green, very romantic.

Dublin again

Ah, we've just come back from Dublin. I got the classic lurgy just as I started to relax, and felt pretty unwell for two days, but enjoyed myself immensely in spite of it all.
We checked into the Harcourt, oh yes, our home from home in Dublin, on Wednesday night, and as I went to reception to ask for something or other, the phone rang there and it was Sean! we arranged a couple of things for us all to do involving music, eating and drinking and went next door for food. Straight to bed dosed up with paracetamol, and off to Bray the next morning. A lovely ride out on the Dart past Black Rock and Dalkey, great evocative names and landscapes. We reach Bray and the Esplanade Hotel. We look at our rooms, and Jake immediately jealous of the sea view from our room, unfortunately I feel too unwell to enjoy it properly.
Bravely we decide to walk along the cliffs to Greystones. Stunning and precarious in parts. People coming in the opposite direction greet us warmly, some stop to chat. Phil tells me that he and the Cute Hoors used to walk that way after a gig in Bray, musical instruments, alcohol, darkness and all. I'm impressed.
A medicinal brandy later in the hotel bar later and I'm revived enough to force down some dinner. We had a lovely time at the Martello, reasonable, too. I went to bed really early and Phil and Jake stayed up to chat and have another drink in the bar. Felt much better on Friday morning, and ready for all that Dublin was to throw at me.

St Faith's barn dance, a doddle

As I had hoped, after Whitby ceilidhs etc, and the more recent rigours of Ealing Country Dance Club, it was a cinch at St Faiths. Brilliant live music, what a joy that is, and very easy dances. I couldn't believe that I could actually 'strip the willow' without too much stress. People were coming up t me and saying I seemed to know wht I was doing...what's happeneing! Must have been because I'd got into the 'this is easy' frame of mind! I feel almost ready for whatever Whitby throws at me next summer.

back up North

Well, I'm off again tomorrow, up to Scarborough, a special little in between fix of North Sea to keep me going 'til next Summer. It's the NAPO (probation staff union) agm, and I'm going with my friend Ann, and someone she knows better than I do, called Eleanor. It will be good on many levels. The journey up together, a day early, time to relax and be in Scarborough before the conference chaos begins...being by the wild North Sea, in my favourite season; crashing waves and frosty sunshine. Having a break from everything else, being back with my friends from the probation mothership, especially Ann. Oh, how we suffered together and how much she helped me through the training, particularly in talking sense into me when I nearly gave up! It will also be good not having to persuade and threaten the malingering teenager to school in the morning. it will be good not stressing about my dad and having a break from the dad rota, and...there will be dancing!!!! On Friday night there'll be a group teaching ceroc and jive, with a live band. I've packed my dancing shoes! Another live band plays on Saturday. It will be hard stopping myself jumping on a bus to Whitby while I'm there. Not forgetting lots of debate. I think particularly this year on the future of probation and the current state of a service originally designed to 'advise assist and befriend' offfenders in the hope that they wouldn't do it again!
It will be brilliant, but I'll miss home in its last few days before building chaos begins!

St Faith's barn dance

Off to a barn dance tonight. That will be weird after the quite intense but enjoyable nature of things at Whitby and at Ealing country dance club! hopefully will be relaxed and energetic. I'm in the mood for that tonight. I wonder if I'll find it easier than I used to after so much hard concentration in my dance activities over the past two months. Had a good time at the country dancing in Ealing on Monday. Each dance brings a new anxiety, and you have to concentrate really hard, but there were only two out of about eight dances that completely defeated me. The slow ones can be lovely, and at the end of Monday, I felt really proud of myself when the caller told me afterwards that I appeared to have a really understanding of the music, and moved really gracefully! That is definitely a first in my entire life, having been encouraged to abandon ballet at about eight years old due to lack of grace.
Anyway, tonight will be different, I can go back to my pre-Whitby ways of skipping about in an energetic and slightly clumsy way, bashing into people as I go..., not on purpose of course. Time to get my glad rags on.

Readers

Hello out there; I realise, by the power of google analytics that I have a steady stream of readers, dotted around the globe! who are you all? leave me a comment now and again, ask me questions, thanks for reading my blog...

The weekend's here

Oh how I love the weekend; as the week rolls by, I think this weekend, I'm going to really make the weekend really excellent and extract every last drop of life from it. A great start- just come back from tap, relaxing with 3/4 of my immediate family, glass of nice dry rose to hand - tomorrow's looking good, a visit to Putney to see Dad and just spend some time there, and have a nice time having lunch...where? decisions decisions.
A friend's birthday celebrations in the evening. A very yummy mummy of Brentford as it happens. Celebrating at Grounds coffee/wine bar in Brentford. Happy birthday yummy Jenny x
But what shall I wear?
Lots to look forward to, a work conference in Scarborough...aah, so close to Whitby. It will be very bracing by then, waves crashing against the sea wall, lovely crisp cold air. The following week, off to Dublin; here we come everybody, Sean (Dr Millar) and Phil might be doing some music together, it will be fantastic.

Facebook

Well, I'm on Facebook, too now. Great fun, and I'm sure to spend/waste many more hours on there. It seems a clever way of catching up with people, and I've yet to learn the knack of refining searches etc. It's nice and immediate though. Good thing they've blocked it at work though, otherwise no reports would get written.
Otherwise, went to a bellydancing class at Watermans arts centre today with Gerardine next door, and Sarah. All geared up for swirly hipped dancing, but it had been cancelled. Had a nice glass of wine and watched the river go by instead.

update

It's been a couple of weeks since I wrote, a bit of a whirlwind. Dad is getting frail and needs people around him a lot. This has had an upside in that my brothers have all rallied round to help. It's been weird and good. My three brothers are younger than me, and the only one I see with any regularity is my youngest brother, who lives in America. My next brother down is Barney of No Hit Records/Sounds that Swing - he lives in London and we may see each other once a year or so, and the middle one is Matt, the concert pianist, who I almost never saw. So strange seeing Barn and Matt, and looking for similarities and differences between me and them. So great to have a ready familiarity between us. Such a project to work on together, such complex arrangements. It takes all our energy, and work is just an unfocused blur at present, nothing getting done. Nice all meeting up in Putney together.
Phil and I made the pilgrimage to Pete Cooper again last week, and he said I could play something with Phil at his fiddle party at Cecil Sharp House at Christmasstime. Wow! Nervewracking. My new violin is very beautiful though and I am pushing myself to work hard at things I find difficult. It's very hard though, but will be worth it. If I look back to this time last year, or even December, and how I've moved on, there has clearly been some progress. A long way to go, but I may well be session-ready by the time we go to Whitby next year.

dancing in ealing

All returning to normal, went to tap on Friday, to be greeted by Rose in a t-shirt bearing the legend 'Rock'n Tinkabell', you may remember I called her a Rock 'n' Roll Tinkerbell in a previous post. Tap was great, so good to get back into it - the grown-ups might also be putting on a show, and I might take part...more nights to find time for though.
Decided a good thing, before Whitby next summer, might be to go to some folk/country damceclasses, or join a group ro something, so have discovered Ealing Country Dance Club. Wierdly this is also in Pitshanger LAne. Phil and I went last night, it was brilliant. Everyone was superfriendly, and tolerant and patient with us, there were no sour faces when we didn't do things properly, and we are learning to refine some of our moves. We knew it would be fun, but we had an even better time than we thought we would. One lovely moment was when we saw someone who had been at Whitby Folk Week; that was really special, seeing someone who had only caught glimpses of in the massive ceilidhs there, just locally in Pitshanger Lane. He is great and we had a lovely time talking to him. He goes to Pete Cooper's classes at Cecil Sharpe House sometimes. Our bus came just as we were really getting into our chat. Sadly these dances are on Monday night, clashing with the tap show rehearsals. Wow, I love dancing, it is so all encompassing and joyous. Particularly in a way when folk dancing is going well, and you are really with other people enjoying the music.

back from Whitby Folk Week

Well, we have returned from Whitby; all blogging ceased during Folk Week, because there was simply too much to do! Firstly, tried loads of violins for size and fell in love with the first one that Geraldine Stephenson got out of the back of her van. It's about 100 years old, and comes from France via the Shetlands; it's lovely and has transformed the sound I produce when I play. Then, it was ceilidhs and other assorted related dances every night 'til 1, and up at 8 to go to workshops! Phil and I managed not to annoy quite as many people with our dancing this year, I think we only got things badly wrong about three times, and that was also other people getting it wrong. I'm sorry to have to report there were still a couple of very sour faced people who crossed our paths once or twice during the week. What an amazing week though, and what a brilliant holiday. During folk week, the whole town becomes infused with folk music- all kinds of it, dancing is everywhere, some of it village green type morris dancing, and some more extreme like the Wytchmen- how I wish I got to see them and their exciting band more than just on the first night.
There was an Abba Ceilidh, with the classic tunes done ceilidh band style, and a band formed by Eliza Carthy for the occasion. Her dad Martin played the electric guitar for the occasion, all the band and the caller, Martyn Harvey dressed up 70s disco style. It was excellent, and Phil and I managed to join in quite a few dances without stuffing them up. It really is an incredible feeling dancing with about 500 other people, holding hands and swinging each other about. I'm going to avoid the polka in future though, it's dangerous, as the young people tend to charge about manically and I received a polka related injury when Phil and I, too, were charging about in a rather stupid way and collided with another couple; well, they were dancing crazily too and collided with us. I fell flat on my bum right in front of the band. The band Pete Cooper, my fiddle guru was playing in. Embarrassing as well as painful.
The last night was especially moving. They had a ceremony that we hadn't noticed last year to do with a 'heather garland.' It was brought in serenaded by the Goathland Plough Stots. Early in the evening, children were all encouraged to take a sprig of heather, and then later the adults. Before we took a sprig, everyone sang 'Will ye go Lassie Go'. It was very moving, probably about 5-600 people there, maybe more, all singing gently together. Lots of not very dry eyes in the house as a result. The heather is supposed to bring us back next year. I don't need heather for that, but took some anyway.

sockie meltdown

I'm sorry to have to report that sockies do not like washer/dryers. This year and last we have stayed in flats/houses in Whitby that have a washer /dryer. The temperature of the drying heat is too much for the poor sockie. Bits of molten sockie have been discovered embedded into other items of clothing. Lakeland take note.

nearly folk week

Well, it's Friday, and there has been a distinct shift in the type of tourist crowd milling about. We can observe this at leisure from our vantage point overlooking the harbour. The regatta is well and truly over and things are mellower. Folk week is about to begin. The menfolk (Phil and son) have gone on a three hour fishing trip. Geraldine Stephenson has rung to say she is here, with a couple of fiddles for me to look at- I feel sick with excitement and after I finish here, am going to see her to check them out!
I've browsed through the folk week programme- almost too much to choose from, and lots of things are on at the same time, or a long way from each other so there isn't enough time to get there. Went for a coffee with Phil at the Pavilion earlier and people were setting up PAs and stuff in readiness!
I'm amazed that son has really got into things now. He's gone from being really bored on Tuesday, to begging to come for two weeks again next year...oh if only our annual leave was more generous, we'd spend the whole summer here, bliss...will blog about Folk week in a day or two.

Blogging from Whitby

Here I am in the Coliseum again, what a useful place, a nice cafe, cinema, theatre and all round community resource. £1 for half an hour. Bargain. Although it was relaxing when we arrived on Saturday, it's really chilled out now, all the regatta crowds have gone, and there is a several day lull before the folkies arrive. Time for me to get some serious fiddle practice in, if I am going to be fit to participate in any way fiddle-wise. Son had a low half day yesterday, claiming to be bored....after sleeping for the drizzly afternoon, we went for a reviving meal at the Khyber, and he is restored to good humour, enjoying a late night 'creepy' walk with Phil and a lot of gazing at various views with us both today.
After seeing a few bods fishing on the jetty by the lifeboat house, he announced that he wished he'd brought his fishing rods to Whitby after all, and could we front him with the funds for another. We agree, as he will be able to while away a good few hours doing this, which will be particularly useful when Phil and I are doing various workshops etc during folk week. He even said it would be quite nice to live here, a concept that Phil and I toy with on a regular basis. Whitby is so great, but really a pain to get to, which probably enhances the feeling of 'away from it all' remoteness that I love. The return journey will take about seven and a half hours, but has the advantage of being only by train all the way (apart from Kings X to Waterloo).
Tonight we may go to The Magpie; Ingrid Flute gave me a £10 voucher to use in there, as I'd mentioned their agency on this blog. Am not snacking on anything until then, so that I'm good and hungry for that treat. And no, I'm not going to partake of their famed fish and chips, but something more interesting of their varied menu. Hopefully we'll get a table by the window, as I can't get enough of soaking in the many and various views available. Was speaking to Nick, who I think manages the Coliseum, and he said he had only moved here recently, and what had stopped him doing so previously was, as with Phil and I, the responsibility for an ageing relative, in his case, his mum. She had told him to go, but I can't imagine my dad saying that, also, visiting him is a pleasure, too. It gives us space as well, to think about what we will do when he's not around any more, as it will be quite an opportunity to look at change. Hey ho, more soon, back to the flat for that fiddle practice.

sockies at Donna's

The first day of the holidays we spent, as always, with Donna, Ken and Harriet. It was excellent as always. A constant round of eating, drinking and falling about laughing. For some reason, we talked about the pain of odd socks, and how to avoid them occurring, or we could've been discussing the Lakeland catalogue...whatever. I had to show them the miraculous creation that is the sockie, a little piece of plastic that looks like pince-nez which takes your pair of socks undivided from the washing basket to washing line, and home to the drawer again. Donna, ably assited by Harriet and her boyfriend Tom, cooked a nutritionally balanced meal of chicken fajitas, with plenty of veg. We added various other sayings to the understated praisings. Perfectly accetable, and adequate, made it to the collection. Phil has been ordered to complete his Billy Bunter/Biggles musical within the month-10th Sept, and e-mail it to Donna; quite right too, and we all tried to work out what superpower we would have, in readiness for Harriet's 18th in February. We got as far as Phil; he would be Sensitivo. We established this a bit earlier when we'd been discussing the series Heroes. No-one else could think of a superpower. Harriet's celebrations may now involve a night at the bingo, with us all dressed as fictional or real Londoners, maybe pearly kings and queens.
Later we got the fiddles and guitars out and Donna and I relived our teens by playing 'Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley'; Jake Ken and Donna playing a mean guitar. The tv didn't go on once, we realised later, aren't we good.

here I am

Here I am in Whitby again; we arrived on Saturday afternoon, Monday today. SO relaxing; we knew our flat would be perfect and it is, thanks again Ingrid Flute. We're in a modern flat with a clear view of the harbour, the Grand Turk and Church St from the two big sitting room windows. We were starving when we arrived and went straight to the co-op and back to the flat to gorge ourselves on french bread, cheeses and other bits and pieces. Sat and tried to take in the view; almost too much. I'd been looking forward to this since leaving Whitby last year, and here we are again with the teeming intensity of the harbourside on Regatta week Saturday right smack bang in front of us! So brilliant. We went out for a walk to try and work up an appetite for our promised first night dinner at the Khyber, but even three hours later couldn't eat it all. We had a great time though, looking at the views from the Khyber windows, and drinking a lovely dry white wine and feeling very full.
Phil and I went for a walk along the beach towards Sandsend, and then up a zigzag to the cliff-top. Clean fresh air and uninterrupted views out to the North Sea. So magical. Son, who had been at the amusements with two quid, summoned us by the magic of mobile to meet him in the little cave- type aperture by the Khyber. He just wanted to stare and stare at the view; this from the boy who didn't want to come to Whitby yet again this year. When we got back to the flat, he stayed up later than us, staring out at the night-time harbour; more transfixing than the tv.
I've discovered the Coliseum-thanks to a poster on Whitby online - where the've got an internet cafe, so will be able to blog live from here every couple of days or so. Took me about half an hour to remember my blogspot username and password to begin with, but all ok now, phew!

almost there

Packing our cases, writing lists of what to remember- racking my brains to remember everything that needs to go on the lists. Have flicked through the programme for Whitby Folk Week, too much to choose from, but we're determined to get our money's worth after buying passes for the whole week. Can't wait to see Donna, and have nutritious, delicious dinner; gin and chocolate brownies for pudding, chat and laugh with her, Ken and Harriet; always a good start to our break. What will our flats be like in Whitby; a week by the harbour, another week up on the West Cliff. First night definitely dinner in the Khyber. Will try and blog from Whitby, but will be relying on internet cafes, otherwise no blogging until I'm back. Good old fashioned pen and paper will have to suffice...then will painstakingly transcribe it onto the mac upon my return. Will have to wait and see if my dancing and fiddling passed muster. Have a good Summer one and all; if the yummy mummies and daddies check in, hope wales was wonderful (and not too wet), let's all have a great summer!

cheeseboard of the brentford/ealing borders

Went out with Philly and Ali on Saturday to sample the cheeseboard at The Ealing Park Tavern; when Ali had phoned to enquire of the existence of such a thing, they were so nice about it on the phone, and enthused about the other lovely bar snacks available, how could we resist.

A lovely evening - the cheeseboard arrived, four different cheeses, with lots grape, apple and interesting and tasty biscuits, and a pot of spiced apple. I don't know what the different cheeses were, but they were delicious, a waxy yellow one, maybe comte, a creamy blue cheese that looked like it had been cut from a loaf, a white goats' cheese, and I can't remember the other one! We ordered a slice of aged manchego with quince paste for good measure - that was my favourite. We also drank a fair bit of wine - the house rose is particularly pale, dry and delicious. All the bar snacks looked great, I could happily work my way through all of them, maybe not all on one night though. We did get asked to leave three times for lingering too long. This felt quite unpleasant, I must say as the man said I've asked you three times now. Ali took her drink with her and was apprehended, and made to return the glass. I give the cheeseboard a 9 though, just to give other cheeseboards something to beat. Back to Ali's afterwards for more wine and conversation about life and death. Left at 2.15am; Phil can't remember being at Ali's at all; he fell asleep on the sofa at about 1.

Nearly time for Whitby

Last night, made the last pilgrimage to Pete Cooper before we go to Whitby; yes Whitby!!! I've looked forward to it since we came back last year. Can't wait. The programme for folk week arrived this morning....no molly dancing this time, might try clog instead. I'm having an afternoon of immersing myself in folk music today; having read two Guardian articles yesterday, one on Fairport Convention, and one on Anne Briggs.Well, the Guardian was raving on about the album Liege and Lief, so downloaded it from iTunes, but it's a bit of a disappointment compared to Full House (in my opinion!). Sandy Denny's voice rather weedy when compared to Anne Briggs'. Could be the mixing on the album, the remastered version. The vocals sound weak, the music not as interesting as on Full House. Anyway, phoned Donna to arrange what time to meet, when she said she was going to do some food shopping, I resisited the urge to say make sure it'll be nourishing. One day Donna had cooked us a fantastic meal, and Phil said 'very nourishing....' never to be forgotten.
Anyway; last night at Pete's we rushed up the hill as we were a few precious minutes late and arrived very hot and sweaty-I was nervous and flustered and couldn't play anything properly, even things I could play alright at home. Was enjoyable anyway, but I'm not quite ready to join in a session yet! lots of workshops though, and the anticipation of all the other joys our trip up North will hold,

Cheeseboards of Chiswick

Ali la Peche and I are partial to a glass or two of red wine and a selection of nice cheeses when we go out. After a mention on Chiswick's local community website chiswickw4.com, we decided to visit a bar called Shackology. Off we went on the bus, and went into the bar- it used to be an Young's pub, and looks nice outside. Very friendly welcome, we sat at a nice round wooden table and chose their cheeseboard; a selection of three cheeses, and some really nice rose from Provence. they helpfully do most of their wines by the glass, or small/medium carafes. Looked around. Not many people, which has been commented on by folks on the W4 website. Anyway our cheese arrives., mmmm. Three big pieces of cheese. One Cheddar, one goats' cheese and one Stilton. It was one of the nicest Stiltons I've had. Creamy and moist with that distinctive taste. Also some janmmy stuff, possibly quince, possibly fig. Very nice. On the downside, the decor, formica tables. Yuk. Are they supposed to be ironic? lights too bright in the main bar area....as described above, and the toilets. Appalling an awful stench of damp and toilet smell. I would give the cheese and wine about an 8/10 and the loos a big fat zero. There was a notice saying they were trying to sort the damp out. I hope so; I definitely want to go again.

When Helly met Philly

or how I met my wonderful husband and learned to stop worrying about everything.
I had been on my own for about eight months, and really started to look at what I was doing with my life and sorting myself out. This was happening partly as Ali laPeche was hitting her big four o, and in a crisis about what she was doing with her life, and life in general. I thought, I'd better get my act together before I hit forty, and so I started to. I decided- no more stupid relationships with rubbish men, and, that I needed to do something constructive, ie training and eventually a job/career. So I started doing some voluntary work with Release, an organisation giving mainly legal advice to drug users, but also offering a kind of counselling service on the phone. met some new people, got some confidence, then in October that year, went to Rob T's 40th birthday party with Ali la P. It was great fun. At one point I started talking to Phil-I had known him very slightly through Saffron and Rob, and even seen him play at a gig in a band with Paul in their band Defrosting the Fridge in what was the Red Lion (now McDonalds) in Brentford. I had in fact gone that night to watch Saffron's band- that would have been in about 1992.. I had also noticed him at another of Rob's parties where he had fallen asleep in the middle of the dance floor, cradling his violin. Most endearing.
Anyway there we were, chatting at Rob's birthday party; for some reason I was telling him about some of the bizarre dates I had been on, and then I asked him what he was doing in the coming week-sort of asking him out. He very gallantly remembers asking me out. Anyway we were entwined for most of the evening after that- Rob T even said it would be wedding bells next, and he was right. It was a magical evening which ended in a wonderful way with Ali, Phil and me waiting for a taxi, and lying on the pavement near Rob's flat gazing at the full moon.
Phil is so brilliant and in fact we have rarely spent the night apart apart from his initial pretense of still living at Rob's..that was on Tuesdays, and we just spoke to each other at length on the phone instead-you put the phone down first, no you put the phone down first, no you etc... we got married eleven months later! lucky us.

Floods and Pilgrimage

On Friday, I went to meet Phil in Richmond to catch the Silverlink to Crouch Hill. When I got to Richmond Station, all the Silverlink and District line trains had been cancelled due to the flooding. I went into panic mode-an already difficult journey was about to be rendered impossible. Rang the boy at home and asked him to read alternative routes to our destination to me from Pete's website...this he did, and Phil and I set off to Finsbury Park instead of Crouch Hill. In the event, we got there the same time as we would have done going our usual way. Had a great lesson, Pete even said he could give us a lesson in Whitby if we liked, too! Yes, yes!
The journey home was another matter. The Silverlink seemed to be running, so feeling optimistic, we got it to Gospel Oak where we would have needed to change anyway. There were no trains going back to Richmond. Bummer. It was awful we tried to guess how we would get anywhere on alternative routes, and went to a bus stop. Luckily lots of fellow sufferers about who told us if we got the bus to Swiss Cottage, we could get the Jubilee Line. From there we knew we could get to Waterloo, and then catch one of the many trains back home. Brilliant. Alas the bus was alittle bus very, very packed, grumpy passengers, driver refusing to move, but eventually did. At Waterloo, loads of trains cancelled. We got home at 10.15, and watched wonderful Nick Lowe on TV.

Panic Attack

Woke up at 5.30 or so today thinking I was dying. Palpitations, breathlessness, hot and cold, stomach cramps,worry, worry, worry. Get breath back, test anxiety levels by conjuring up stupid worthless anxious trains of thought...back it all came. Count my breaths, come on, breathe---lie down, sit up, should I call an ambulance. Should I say goodbye, haven't made a will, God, can't go yet, I haven't sorted anything out. Should I leave a note? Get up, walk around, call Phil to come up. He sits and talks to me. Probably a panic attack. Blimey. Nearly two hours of it coming on, going away and coming on again. Talk to wonderful Phil about all my stupid thoughts. All ok, and off I went to work. Wow, I don't want one of those again thankyou.

Whitby soon

Whitby, Whitby, not long 'til Whitby.....another fiddle lesson with Pete Cooper tomorrow, and I can now almost play four tunes off by heart. Still trying to get jig bowing to come a bit more naturally than it does at present. I'm quite looking forward to the pilgrimage this time, it's nice when you get out at Crouch hill, some wonderful houses and views going up the hill to Pete's flat. Bow hold now coming quite naturally, so hopefully the rest will follow. I will have missed three tap lessons in a row. Not good, and will feel really clumsy when I go back. Being in Whitby will be so good; like a child, I can't wait to see the sea, and just wander about being on holiday. All agreed it will be the Khyber cafe for our first dinner.

This week

Still off work with the sore throated boy. Since I last wrote...the days have blended into each other a bit....Saturday stayed in with the boy and kept him dosed up with painkillers, then went to Questors to help out with the various youth groups' plays. Came home and had fun enjoying the garden.
On Sunday, it was St Faith's centenary; Phil played with the musicians, but I sat in the congregation in the long box shaped church. There was a little party afterwards, which was quite fun and caught up with a few friends. as well as having a bit of a chat to Andrew Dakers, who I haven't spoken to for about 10 years, since we used to correspond in cyberspace He is involved in a sort of forum looking at ideas for the development of Brentford town centre. Met Derath for the first time, vicar of St Faith's. Bishop Richard was there, who was hilarious and said the highlight of his reading about the history of St Faith's was the item about flannel dancing. He said he had no idea what it was, but thought it sounded saucy. I'll have to google it, or look it up on Wikipedia! Sat and chatted to Linda and Steve, who supported my need for a nice new computer, a mac of course!
Ali laPeche treated us to Sunday lunch mmmm, it was very welcome as I hadn't done any proper food shopping, and really didn't feel like cooking. At all. Met wee Lee's girlfriend, Sofia, she is lovely, and Greek!!! They are very sweet together, we talked a tiny bit of Greek, and drooled about mediterranean food.

Wednesday was a great day-Sarah's graduation at Brunel University in Uxbridge- it was in a wierd oil drum shaped stadium and very well organised. Went with Petey and Phil, and that was quite proper. She looked great in her mortar board and gown; The speeches were good, and meant something to me as well in terms of my own academic endeavours. Sarah was very impressed by the pomp and meaning of the ceremony and speeches. I was very proud of Sarah, and she really enjoyed herself, particularly later on when she went to see her tutor, and relaxed with some friends. In the evening, we took her to Pappadums, a favourite for special occasions. Beautiful food, and we sat outside for Kulfi and ginger tea, admiring the view. Magical evening, including our special walk home.

Saturday again

The week slowed down a bit this time, busy day at work on Monday in preparation for my time off with the boy as he recovers from having his tonsils out. Poor boy, so brave with operations; anyway, out came the tonsils, and he's ok, and eating and drinking normally which is the main thing in the road to recovery...nurses at the hospital - the West Mid, all fantastic, the boy went round and said thankyou to them all the next day...he's still waking up with bad earache though. He's been forbidden from going to school until next term due to risk of infection; strangely, he's been asking if he can go back on Monday Anyway nice to have time off work, and with him. Time to read and write and generally do housework and stuff that work pushes out of the way. Didn't go to tap again this Friday, Phil had to go out to music rehearsal at St Faith's and I was keeping an eye on the boy. Missed Barney's birthday drink in West Ealing - Happy Birthday Barney! Today I didn't go to Putney due/nursing duty...feels like I almost have time on my hands today, although later I have volunteered to help with a youth theatre event at Questors theatre in Ealing for a couple of hours. How I wish I hadn't said yes now. Never mind, will be fine when I'm there.
I have piles of paperwork building up around me that I promised I would deal with. Piles of stuff generally are accumulating, particularly in the sitting room. It looks like a storeroom. Phil and I obviously have 'issues' about keeping stuff and really need one of those life-laundry type people to make us deal with it all.
Booked the train tickets for Whitby yesterday, we are going to try a different route home this time, coming from Whitby station/Middlesborough/darlington /Kings Cross. Not long now!!!!Another two fiddle lessons with Pete Cooper before Whitby, I can now play two Irish tunes without looking at the music, which is progress! more soon...

Saturday and Sunday

A good weekend again; a little more relaxed after a hectic couple of weeks, Went to on the regular Saturday jaunt to Putney, saw my dad and did a few bits and pieces for him...Phil joined me there, and sat with my dad while I shopped. We had lunch at Wagamama, which is always good; not sure why people are against it, is it because it's a chain? Phil and I have tried loads of noodle bars in London, and think Wagamama packs more of an interesting punch than many of the others, our absolute favourite is number 37 chicken itame mmmmmmmmm chilli and lemongrass! Coco Noodle in Ealing does the best raw juice though. In the evening, I spent about an hour and a half preparing a letter for Phil and son for their visit to Wembley. They went to see Metallica but their seats had been upgraded due to the booked ones being unavailable due to some sort of production issues, however they needed to take a letter from me plus id for both of us. Goodness it stressed me out quite a lot getting it right. Anyway all done and packed. Then Phil went out to meet Di and Paul at the now smokeless Globe to watch the Surfing Brides. I needed a quiet night in, practicing the fiddle and chatting to Jake. So I did that for a bit and then Di and Paul knocked at the door...after resisting for less than two seconds, I went with them to the Globe. So pleased I did though, I hadn't seen them before, but really enjoyed their mix of cover versions and clever original songs. Liked the theatricality of each band member and the way the lead singer reminded me of boys I knew when I was a teenager who sang/played in bands. Only managed just over half a pint of some sort of Fullers beer, (as part of my educational foray into the world of beer)but it was very nice.
Sunday- Phil and son set off early to sort out Metallica tickets and see Metallica; a whole day's adventure. I went off to Church and planned a leisurely day after that. Church was good and I enjoyed playing the violin there and chatting to people...so wierd that Ceri has materialised there. He is someone who I only vaguely knew through my Chiswick Village friends and he just arrived at St Paul's one Sunday, keyboard ready. His presence has given a lovely focus to the music group, and what's more has given Marjorie the chance to play the flute, her first instrument! He's a record producer and will record Phil and Paul's (Talismen)album, soon as they all get it together! Ceri knows loads of other people I know, and his sister lived at the notorious co-op house in Hanger Lane. (will write about that another day). Anyway after Church we had quite a chat and possibly a not very charitable one, about why Brentford is a better place to live than Chiswick, yes it is, yes it so is!!! Anyway after that, walked round the long way to home, hoping that the coffee shop in the High St would be open, but it wasn't...up through the Butts, admiring the sunlight on the trees. Home to a peaceful house. Spent the day doing bits of housework, violin practice and blog, as well as cooking two days worth of food. 8.30 came around very quickly and off I went to call for Di and Paul for further beer education at the Magpie. First half was pretty sickly called Frulli. I do like a fruity taste, but this was fruity beyond the bounds of decency. Can't remember what was next, but they were nice. Also the Magpie was nice...all the upholstery had been replaced or cleaned, woodwork had been painted it was very pleasant. Yasmin and Jim came too, and we had a bet on when the 2000 real ale would be introduced. I reckon Feb 14 09. They all reckoned around summer 08. Pleasant walk home and then goodnight.

Last week/this week

The weeks are still rolling by (not long 'til Whitby!!!!!!) and very hectic too. Hydra, Koumihead and the boys went back to America last week...we might not see them for some time. We went to the Harvester and had a lot of fun, food and wine. Sad to see them go, wish they weren't so far away.
On Wednesday, I went to my streetdance class which was good; daughter has begun to enjoy it, and brought her friend with her, too....graduation ceremony soon, I am a very proud mum as she got a 2:1...great fun to be with her and help her make plans; next was Thursday. We had a musicians and choir planning meeting at Mary's. We all took some food and wine- it was a brilliant evening and what was especially nice, was that I happened to mention that in two years time it will Phil and my 10th wedding anniversary; also my 50th birthday....but what I was really saying was that we probably wouldn't have our do at St Paul's, due to hassle, early finish, clearing up etc etc. Anyway everybody there completely changed my mind about it, they all offered to help, cooking, flower arranging, generally organising, I did a complete turnaround in about 1 minute, what lovely people and thank you all! it's a date! Phil was busy chatting to someone else during this decision making, but very happy too. What is really nice about being part of St Paul's church and I'm sure the same goes for many other churches, religious groups and community organisations is that sometimes you get this really warm feeling of being part of something that is all good. I also get the same feeling from being part of my local community generally; a very friendly place; I rarely leave my house without seeing and stopping to chat to someone I know. Quite often the conversation among the yummy mummies of Brentford (of which I'm an honorary member)turns to how we'll buy a house together to be a sort of commune, and all look after each other when we're old and incapable. Sometimes I wonder if I'll stay here, but at the moment it feels like a yes. After all the only other place I'd rather live is, you've guessed it, Whitby. Anyway, we did a little bit of planning for the Autumn term's music. It all felt quite anarchic in some way, especially after a couple of glasses of wine!all of us suggesting music not only different to each other, but certainly very different to the choices usually on offer at church which can be mundane at times.
Friday: not tap this time, but the pilgrimage to Pete Cooper in Crouch Hill. What a journey through the grotty parts of London- see entries for a month or so ago for further tales of this- When we got out at Crouch Hill it was quite fun as there were a few mildly crazy seeming people wandering about quite harmlessly, and one elderly gent was shouting bizarre compliments at me. Anyway it is a true pilgrimage, as not only is there a guru at the end of it, but there is a very steep hill to climb up to get to him. It was a lovely summer evening and as we reached the hallowed flat, we could hear sweet violin music wafting on the air. As we were early, we sat on his doorstep and soaked up the music and the view. The lesson was fun and somehow although it seems relaxed I felt like my brain had worked really hard. There was another almost tantrum moment when Phil said something to me, but I rememebred where I was and kept myself reasonably under control. The violin is very, very difficult, but I am making progress even if in pigeon steps rather than leaps and bounds, and I'm really glad I'm learning it! Not sure I'm quite ready for a 'session' at Whitby yet, but Pete's going to check the Folk week programme anad suggest things that I might be able to cope with.
When we got back to Brentford, I'd foolishly offered to help Helen, the vicar's wife entertain/clear up after some clergy and related people. I think it was the deanery dinner or something. I felt really stressed when I got there, as although there was lots of refreshment available to me, there was nowhere to sit. My goodness, no-one offered me a seat. I was directed to where some chairs were, and had to awkwardly squash myself past lots of people who wouldn't excuse me, and their precariously balanced glasses of wine, to reach a chair, then carry it back to where my food was. Anyway all ok and good fun after that. Felt a bit wierd as I hadn't seen the dear son since the morning due to pilgrimage...Phil was at home though from 9ish, and then came to get me from vicarage,sorry, rectory and help the rector with the whisky. We left at about 1am I think, with lovely chocolates made by lovely Mark, to give lovely son. No more room to write about Sat/sun here, this one's getting long and cumbersome.

Rodrigo's blog

Rodrigo left me a comment on post for 2.7, ok it was in Spanish orPortuguese... actually not sure but something like Spanish, but I kind of understood, anyway, he's got a personalized t-shirt company and a blog about that, and the link is over on the right if you want to take a look!
Hi Rodrigo, glad you liked my blog!

Not Long Now

Only five and a bit weeks until we go to Whitby again- when I started this blog, it was nearly three months away...time whizzes by, when you're having fun, which I certainly am. Out nearly every night, lots music, lots of wine, and lots of different friends.
On Wednesday, we went out with Derek, our vicar and Helen, his wife- by a strange co-incidence, they know an old schoolfriend of Phil's, Tim, also a vicar that Derek met at vicar school, and he was in London so we all went out down by the canal for food and wine. It was bizarre when we got to the lock, as lots of children were whizzing about in kayaks - these were children of the yummy mummies and daddies we know, who were there too- it was all lovely and very wet, although not wet for us for long as we rushed into the dry of Prezzo. Lots of nice chat and food and drink and then it was quite late so I went home and Phil went to the rectory for a nightcap or two.
On Thursday I further broke my period of abstention by going out for a drink with Katie...one has to do things properly after all. We went to the Lord Nelson, a very comfortable pub in a quirky corner of Brentford. I couldn't even finish glass number two, as I'm so desperately out of practice. It was really good- yummy mums in abundance, including a couple I hadn't seen for some time. We all told each other secrets, and felt warm and friendly. When I went to the bar, it was so smoky, I thought this will be such a lovely pub after July 1st. A photography friend of Katies was in there to take a few pictures of the smokers last gasps inside the building.
Friday, tap of course, and as the dear son was away at his father's, Phil came to meet me and we went to the Hare and Tortoise for sushi, wine and noodles. I only managed one glass of wine there, what's wrong with me?
Saturday; an excellent day. Off to my dad's to see my brother, Koumihead and the lovely Hydra and their cute sons, my nephews, and one, my Godson!!!They live in America, but I see them much more often than either off my other two brothers. What was extra nice was Barney came too. My brother Barney of No-Hit records and Sounds that Swing...I'll put a link to his shop up on the side of the blog...felt bad that neither of my two children were there, as they love their uncles. I had a few brilliant games of backgammon and its near but obscure sequel games with Barn- he is one of the very few people who can beat me; I lost 4-1 although I won the last game.
Then Phil and I had to rush back again to go out with our friends Di, Paul and Richard to see Lou Reed at Hammersmith Odeon. Had forgotten what a great venue it is- up in the bar, as I walked around, I could hear loads of different people saying 'I haven't been here since....' or 'the last gig I saw here was.....'
As for myself, the last gigs I saw there were in the 80s, and I think the very last was John Lee Hooker...great to see the legend, but not that exciting musically. I also saw Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Leonard Cohen and Donovan there amongst others.
Lou Reed was freally good; he was presenting his album Berlin. There was a children's choir, and a small orchestra, guitars/bass and drums. It was a full on experience and he was a generous performer. He played beautiful updates/arrangements of a couple of familiar songs for his encores. It was excellent all being out together, a bit like being teenagers again, travelling on the bus, going to the pub (before and after the show) laughing on the bus on the way home. Poor Richard got off the bus a couple of stops before his, though. Phil and I invited ourselves back to Di and Paul's for further refreshment and dragged Tracey in too, who we discovered returning home from other fun. Lots of happy and sad poignant conversation. Di and I congratulated ourselves during the evening on how very lucky we are with all our friends-in number and variety. Lucky us!

Darren and the Yummy Mummies (and Daddies)

My friend Darren; has become the darling of the yummy mummies and daddies of Brentford. He has also unified two more or less discrete clans of friends in the area. How has he done this? .
Starting at the beginning- I have known Darren for a very long time, since back in the psychedelic 80s of the Chiswick Village era. He went out with Ali-la Peche, and they had a baby together and even after all the ups and downs, everybody is still friends.

When we moved from Chiswick Village down to Airedale Avenue, Darren joined us as our lodger and we got to know him much better

Darren is a very interesting, intelligent and capable person; he learned to ride at reform school, he learned carpentry and cabinet making as a teenager, and is generally very artistic. He got a degree in electronics and knows about plumbing! A true polymath and all round renaissance man. So when we moved into our little house, our tiny house with all our boxes full of clutter, of course we asked him- if this was your house, and your clutter, how would you arrange things. So he spent several months working in each room in turn, to create storage masterpieces; our downstairs toilet is truly delightful! Over time, my other friends in Brentford, the Green Dragon Group came over and admired Darren's work, and began to ask for Darren's number; Darren's network of admirers grew and he is never out of work. He has also become a great friend to one and all; you don't get just a brilliant design, but insight and entertainment too. The Green Dragon Group and The Chiswick Village Collective are now all at each other's parties, and now, joy of joy for many, Darren is now moving to the heartland of Brentford. Funnily enough, he is moving away from tap dance land, Pitshanger Lane, which he also was able to appreciate the charms of!
His many fans will be able to bang on his door and plead to be next in line for Darren designs, and the love will flow.

This week

It's Friday, I'm just back from tap, any of my fellow tappers looking for the big entry about tap, welcome....scroll back to early June and "Tipetty Tap" more photos will be posted tomorrow

A lot of fun has been had this week, but have been neglecting this blog...Monday we went to see Roky Erickson at the Festival Hall as part of this year's Meltdown festival. If anyone doesn't know, he was part of the 13th Floor Elevators a very psychedelic band from the 60s and when I say psychedelic- they were so 'far out' they didn't let Jimi Hendrix join as he didn't do enough drugs! I used to really enjoy their music- the two albums I knew were Easter Everywhere (more accessible) and Bull of the Woods (more wierd)
Anyway- before he came on there were concerns about what he would be like- he'd been in some kind of institution for the mentally unwell for years and become very unwell himself- now, he is well again, enough to play gigs and enjoy life generally! the gig was excellent he mainly played blues, with lyrics he'd made up, I think, at least one, 'Don't Slander Me' from the early days. I couldn't hear some of them properly as they didn't make sense, but then I thought I may well have heard correctly.
Wednesday had a great day generally as my daughter got the results of her degree- a 2:1 and lots of good grades within that- excellent news- anyway she came to streetdance with me for the second week, and quite enjoyed it this time, people there are so friendly and remembered her from last week and chatted to her. We went next door to Pizza Organic afterwards - we could smell a lovely garlic bread smell wafting through into the class from there earlier so it was an easy decision- delicious olives and a celebratory glass of wine each- very nice..the week sped by to Thursday and we went to see another Meltdown show- this time, Cornershop. The only music I'd ever heard by them, to my knowledge, anyway is Brimful of Asha which I always really liked- especially the Fatboy Slim remix- but the best thing about both nights at Meldown, was Cornershop's support band Jeffrey Lewis and the Jitters; they were so clever , artistic and funny, I will be seeking out as much info and downloadable music as I can about them- the lyrics were so quick though I must have missed loads of the humour and general brilliance.
Cornershop were great- the variety of instruments and musicianship- a lot of what they did was kind of dance music- trippy , particularly when coupled with the slideshow; even when not remotely chemically enhanced, even by a glass of wine; great stuff though and I'll be looking for an album, definitely to enjoy in a more laid back manner at home.
All the fun broken up by work, which has been ok but hard to get back into after my recent time off.
Good to come home this evening and then after a square or two of chocolate, off to tap, yes tap- wonderful invention...the man came back for the second week, and has made amazing progress; I think it took me about two months to accomplish what he has! Three more new people-hooray! our class is a joyous, ever changing place to be at the end of the week...and my hip is feeling MUCH better thanks to gruelling physio.

Friday night, Saturday Morning

Friday night, tap dancing again...excellent fun as Rose has seen my blog now...I took photos of everyone for the blog., but the one of everyone not very good, so just a few of the group in that main photo. Sue is back from her holiday and it was good to have my partner in crime there; also a brave man started- brave, the class is almost completely made up of women...also brave as we all are, as tap is very difficult- many people come and only last for a few weeks, Sue and I have been going since about Feb 06, and can just about do two sorts of time-step and about two thirds of the routine to Good Golly Miss Molly. Anyway that is the brave man in the picture- he was so enthusiastic and joined in with everything...bodes well for his future as a tap dancer!
After that, went home and watched some telly and had dinner, our regular Friday night takeaway from Sunlight Kebabs...lovely clean salad and grilled meat...no wine as not drinking while I go through lots of tests relating to my hip/back.
Anyway the weekend speeds by and before we know it, it's already Saturday morning...! a few grim moments, as I phone work to see if I need to go in... no - hooray the gods of Saturday duty smile upon me - Saturday is mine again, and I swing into the normal Saturday routine. Off to Putney to meet Phil, visit my dad and do his shopping- I enjoy this as well as visiting my dad, we treat ourselves to lunch and do bits of out own shopping too, as although Putney high Street is crowded and hassley, the goods on offer in the shops are of a far greater quality and variety than those available in Brentford.
The first thing we always do is have a coffee with my dad and catch up while we compile the list.
We get the coffee from a conveniently located Caffe Nero...after decades of coffee drinking, my dad has declared this the finest of any of the coffees on offer from the many outlets in Putney. I would agree. We do the shopping and have unch in Caffe Moomba which is great as it's on lovely Lacey Rd, I reminisce in a rose-tinted way about being a teenager and a shop there used to be there called Nimbus - Kate Butler and I think her mum used to run it...funnily enough I met her son and his partner about fifteen years later through some other friends; hi Sam and Fiona!!
Back home by 5ish and some all important violin practice- am slowly getting the hang of Pete Cooper's bow hold, in readiness for my second lesson with the master this Friday!

walking to work

one of my daily pleasures during the working week is walking to work-is that a tongue twister?
Today I walked for the first time since my back problem; it is an excellent start to the day, and quite blissful. I walk through a beautiful old part of Brentford that has barely changed in a couple of hundred years, and along Brentford High Sreet. This is the only low point of the whole route. It depresses me to see the still boarded up shops, the dirt and detritus; uncared for, neglected....
a few brighter shops have opened up; the vintage clothes shop and the bicycle shop, but generally it is a sad and tatty high street...never mind, along past poor disregarded St Lawrences church I go towards the bridge...some very old buildings have been demolished by the canalside, one had been a lovely waterside restaurant for some time, then somebody's flat; next to the pub, there was a Cafe, at one point called the Black and White cafe- some friends I knew from Chiswick Village, Fran and Lisa ran that for a few years- I wonder where they are now... Anyway those buildings are now demolished- and there is just the pub, nicely renovated. The land is interesting too, it is all bare now except for a set of three or four stairs which look like they lean from the ground up to the river's edge, just on their own- they look very strange. I think they are just going to build flats on the land. I pass Glad's newsagents and turn left into Syon Park; the walled pathway is a relief on a very hot morning, a haven of shade, and I am in the park- this is wonderful, as I walk through, there are only a few others, some parents taking their children to the nursery, some people going to the stream to fish, and others going in both directions, to and from Brentford to work.
As I wander through the park, I have a lot of time to daydream or sort through what might lie ahead of me at work; it is meditative, prayerful and prepares me well for my day...I love my walk so much, I even walked to work in the heavy snow in January, it was beautiful treading in the pristine crunchy fresh snow. Every month has new beauties. At the moment there are meadow flowers growing in the field, bordering on the road, a lush parade of colour. Sometimes there are cows in the fields, how many people can boast of seeing cows on their way to work? Wlking through the park, you can be lost in another world, as apartfrom office blocks and Gilette Corner off in the distance and sometimes a car or two, you could be back a few hundred years ago, which is fun to imagine. Soon I emerge from the park at the river in Old Isleworth near to the church- sometimes I walk on the river side, sometimes high up by the church, it is stunning to see all this as leave the park. One day I noticed the message on the church sundial- it says 'time passeth like a shadow' that gives rather a melancholy tone to the day as I am all too aware of how easily time slips by.
I then admire the grand houses opposite the river, one of them the vicarage, where my friend the Rev Anna Brooker and her family live; her husband comes from Castle Cary in Somerset, where Phil's father and grandfather lived...
I then walk through past some pretty houses on Church Street, through an elegant square and round the corner past the Swan pub, the dance shop and onto South Street- once or twice a week, I pop into the wonderful deli for a coffee, and then through more back streets with lots of history including a house where one of Shakespeare's friends lived and an old police station, now somebody's house until I arrive at work, ready to face the day. I really am so lucky to have such an inspiring and interesting walk to work.

second homes

Been thinking about second homes for a while know, especially given the temptation at times to get a little place near the sea, in Whitby, or another favourite place, Walton on the Naze...not that we could really afford it, however we have rented other people's second homes. Ideally I don't think people should have second homes, because it creates problems for the year round community, especially when things are quiet out of season. Local people say they can no longer afford to buy properties in their own villages...

Although I'm not sure that I agree with people having second homes, I do believe people should be able to buy a home where they would like to live ie in a village or by the sea, but that they should make that their only home and become part of the community. Local people in small communities should maybe get some assistance to buy or fairly rent their homes and be able to stay and work in the areas where their families have lived, although I don't know how these things would be decided, In London, very few people can live in a part of London they would like to, eg I was born in Chelsea and grew up in Putney, but could I ever afford to live in either of those places now? I don't think so.

Sean and Pom's Wedding

well, as I was saying...we were off to Sean and Pom's wedding; I was very excited, Phil was excited and nervous, as he hadn't seen any of the people who would be there, apart from Sean for 10/15 years. The only person I had met was Sean, who came over to our wedding in 1999. Phil knows Sean, as they were in a band called Doctor Millar (Sean) and the Cute Hoors, about 15 yrs or so ago; Phil came to meet Sean through Mark Huggett who was the drummer in Phil's band in Norwich, Red Harvest. Mark shared a flat with Sean...will do anoter post all about Phil's music stuff later....
Anyway, we got the plane from Heathrow; the journey to the airport was so easy, we went by tube and bus to the airport, practically door to door, for six pounds. A very good start. Going through the airport easy, as we had checked in on line, another thing I had never tried before. Disaster struck when the hem of my lovely, new (and not cheap) linen trousers from Jigsaw came down..very annoying as I had to make the journey with my trousers tucked into my socks to stop me tripping over.
Flight easy, too and before we knew it we were in a taxi driving through Dublin; fantastic, we drove down O'Connell Street, which I thought was great; a huge wide street with amazing buildings, including the post office and a couple of grand department store...hoped we'd have time to explore over the weekend!
We got to the hotel, one that Sean and Pom had suggested, the Harcourt Hotel; the people there were so helpful, definetely the most helpful of the three different hotels we stayed at- the receptionist found me a needle and thread straight away, they even had a variety of colours of thread. The minute we got to our room, the phone rang, wow it was Sean!!! He was so excited we had come, he spoke to Phil and then me; so pleased as well that Phil had brought his violin and his voice! A good night's sleep although mattress was too soft and in the morning I woke up with excrutiating pains in my hip, again, the staff were brilliant, they got me a doctor, who came and gave me a powerful jab-felt very rock star having a doctor come to my hotel room to inject me with drugs....
Then....off to the wedding; more lovely streets to admire on the way to the registry office. The wedding was lovely, Pom was beautiful, in a short, beautifully cut white dress, with daisies on- she had daisies in her hair, too. One of Sean's brothers sang, lots of chatting afterwards, and then we got a lift to the reception out in Bray. Bray was lovely and the reception was at the Esplanade hotel right opposite the sea- we had a really special afternoon and evening; a delicious meal sitting in groups of six- we sat with Robert who had been the Cute Hoors manager back in the day and now runs a project called Blastbeat which is a really positive enterprise involving young people in managing and promoting their own bands. Two otthers we got chatting to were Shane and Colette...very lovely they were too.
Out of the corner of my ear I could here people on nearby tables saying 'Phil's here, Phil's here' to each other...after the dinner it was so exciting, so many people so pleased to see Phil and that he'd brought the fiddle too. It was a massive reunion for all on this special day and I was so excited to be there. Loads of people were on a list to play a song or two, Phil played with most of them, and sang a bit, and towards the end of the night, well, before the disco, Jake got up and sang his interpretation of Whiskey in the Jar vaguely based on the Metallica version with Phil and other musicians backing him. I talked to so many lovely women, Sean's sisters and friendss' partners while Phil was doing his music, and really can't wait to take up the many invitations to visit/stay with people when we visit Ireland again.
Excellent breakfast the next morning and a relaxed chat with Sean; we got the Dart back to Dublin, and had loads of time to explore on the Sturday- a very interesting open top bus ride to the Guiness brewery/museum, powerful views, then a walk around some of Phil's old haunts later in the evening, having many chances to admire the bridges at intervals across the Liffey.
Sadly the next day, we had to return to London- it was one of the most refreshing breaks I've ever had; refreshing and exciting all in one. I can't wait to go again.

Back at Work

Second day back at work today after nearly three weeks off with my poor sore back....it's been really wierd as prior to this, have only been off one and a half days in six years...stupidly really. After the excruciating pain waned, Anyway, re-introduced myself to my wonderful colleagues and prayed there would be no urgent awful incidents or pressing reports to deal with. Amazingly, my charges had been behaving reasonably in my absence and hadn't even missed me.

Things have all of a sudden begun to happen in relation to physio and occupational health - appointments came up for both- physio was today- just what the doctor ordered, literally. The wonderful NHS- I had nearly an hour with the physiotherapist, completely free! Detailed history of my aches and pains, thorough examination of the spine and joints. Prescription? lots of exercise for me to do...this is definitely the right thing and all thanks to the many who have offered me their expertise and advice, but this is the one for me, and even better, no belief system or wierdness involved. Even better than that, he is going to see me every week to see how I'm progressing, check I've been doing the excercises properly and give me more punishing ones as time goes on. He says it's his own thing, physiopilates; should do the trick.

Tomorrow is the visit at work of the man from the occupational health dept to look at my desk/chair/ computer/typing style. Prescription? hopefully a nice new chair with arm/wrist support for my wierd circulation...boss will have to agree as will be expensive, but anyway important to try.
Am psyching myself up to write about my first ever visit to Dublin...it's almost my bedtime now, so it won't happen tonight, but as a little snippet- Phil and I were invited to Sean and Pom's wedding a month or so ago. It was really exciting- Sean is Sean Millar of Dr Millar and the Cute Hoors, Phil was one of his cute Hoors in the early 90s- you can see a clip of their Romance in A flat up on the right of the blog. Phil would be seeing people he hadn't seen for 10-15 years.... abit daunting for him as well as exciting. I had only met Sean before. Once we knew son could come too, -otherwise complicated arrangements would need to be made - we all got very excited and mentally prepared for the trip by playing Metallica's version of Whiskey in the Jar again and again, very loudly...signing off for tonight, on that happy note.

Sunday

Yesterday me, Phil and son, and dear friend Ali La Peche and son, went to the South Bank for the day to look at the Antony Gormley statues and the exhibition at the Hayward Gallery- it was very interesting; yes but is it Art- who cares, it is to us.

It said some interesting things to us, and was a pleasure to look at and think about various things; what made it art for example. Everyone enjoyed it- we had fun spotting the different statues dotted around the city skyline, and then underwent the being in a cloud experience- that was really quite powerful you were completely lost and could only see as far as your own hand if you stretched your arm out...son lost Phil in there, on purpose, and we had fun from the outside watching Phil find his way to the glass to see out. It was fun being with a lot of strangers in that situation, enjoyed it as much as the big sun in the turbine hall at the Tate Modern a few years back; the boys looked at things together which was good as they had each other and are of an age not to be tied to their adults. We enjoyed wondering about and finding out different things about the sculptures - the concrete people in the allotment that looked like they were made of wood; the spiky geometric sculptures with a space the shape of the sculptor inside. I loved the Mother's Pride exhibit- reminded me of when a friend used to send me letters in bizarre casings- once a letter sandwiched between two varnished pieces of toast-the postman always knew the were for me, even if there'd been no name on them.

After that we were hungry, and originally going just me and Phil and the boy, and then plan to go to Yo! Sushi afterwards which is always fun but Ali l-P and son not too sure. It could have been a wierd but ok feasting in separate places and then meeeting later for the train journey home; luckily once they had peeped inside Yo! Sushi and spoken to a helpful waiter, they wanted to eat with us, it was lovely - we had an adults table and a boys table- we all feasted, mmmmm, and had time for another stroll- glorious by the Thames in the late afternoon sun, no horrible hurry for the train, all in all a perfect day - train journey home quick and easy. Thought about creating statues of my family and friends and dotting them around the place- maybe a cluster in Whitby by the Abbey, maybe a couple on the Brentford skyline.

tipetty tap

Tonight is Friday night...Friday night is tap dancing night. Fantastic in every way, if you disregard my efforts.
Starting tap dancing was particularly exciting as I have wanted to do this since my teens. I can't remember why I didn't do it then, I wish I had, when I had a fresh young brain, as it's hard to get one's head round the moves and routines now; what the brain wants to do does not seem to communicate effectively to the feet.

Ideally doing tap would have meant just owning the shoes and being magically able to tapdance.
Anyway it was really exciting getting my first pair of tap shoes and made me feel like I could do it until I tried. It is really hard- harder than giggling at the back of the streetdance class and sort of getting by, a bit...very hard, nearly as hard as learning the violin.
Luckily I have a partner in crime, Sue- we've been doing tap for just over a year and are of a similar standard- we cry on each other's shoulders when it's all too much.

Anyway...the teacher, Rose, is brilliant- She's a rock 'n roll Tinkerbell; you would not mess with Rose, she looks like she hangs out with Lemmy & co...yet she is dainty and elegant; a rocker with bleach blonde hair, pink at the ends, tattoos, a leather jacket with cannabis leaf badges and appears to be completely scatty although this is deceptive- you have to be extremely sharp minded to be able to tap dance well, and to communicate to others of very mixed abilities from week to week how to do it...the class is different every week- some people just come for a week or two, and lose heart, some have been coming for years; the variety in age is even greater than in streetdance class where I am one of the oldest, if not the oldest there... I would say in tap that the youngest are in their teens, and I am possibly about two thirds of the way along to the eldest. The more experienced ones of course are excellent with rubber legs that know how to do everything. Again a camaraderie between all. We laugh and joke with each other and with Rose, and we dance to excellent music. I don't know if in your mind's eye you have an idea of the sort of music one tap dances to? maybe showtunes, maybe jazz...Well, recently we tried a dance to Walk This Way by Aerosmith/Run DMC, and one we've been working on for a few months is Good Golly Miss Molly by Little Richard! I can do nearly all of that one now....although completely falls apart when I try to demonstrate this at home- Phil says I look like I'm trying to put a cigarette out on the floor...The class can be a bit chaotic; the more experienced dancers arrive about half way through the beginners' class, some clutching mysterious looking cases which contain their shoes. Rose has it all under control- the small studio is packed by now, but we still work on stuff that beginners can manage - just! She can also do amazing balloon designs!- see link up to the right.

It is brilliant, especially at the end of the working week, I can stamp out all my frustrations with a satisfyingly loud clickety clack, laugh with friends and then go home again to my family, food, wine and comedy on the telly. Bliss.

two left feet

Yesterday I psyched myself up to go to my streetdance class after not going for a few weeks due to the dodgy hip; it's not what you might think, although who am I to assume. I do not spin on my head.
It's a lovely class with women of all ages, shapes and sizes, in fact sometimes a man or two as well- sometimes John, who works in the shop, sometimes Ken, whose shop it is, and sometimes one of the women's partners.
I started to go to this class, and the tapdancing class because I'd been looking for some jazz trainers for my son, and Ealing Dance Centre in Pitshanger Lane was the nearest place. now that the dance shop in Northfields had shut..what a happy day that was! Son tried on some of the jazz trainers, so did Phil and me- fantastic- made me feel lighter than air, a feat in itself-; I needed to go to a dance class asap. wonderful John, the huge (I mean tall!) hilarious Liverpudlian who works there told me about Nika's dance class on a Wednesday night - some excercise and a dance routine, just over an hour a week. Brilliant- I'd done a bit of dance in my early 20s and helped to run a disco dancing group at the Mayflower Family Centre, Canning Town when I lived there in 79/80. Enthusiasm is everything really, as I definitely had, and still have two left feet. I've been going since Feb '06 and there's been no real improvement, although I now now what certain terms mean which makes life easier, eg behind side front, and step ball change! It is such fun though, a real camaradierie between the people that go and Nika the teacher. I missed it so much when I wasn't able to go, as much for the friendship as the exilharation of the excercise and music. As for the music, who knows what we dance to week to week, I have never heard of most of it, or wouldn't choose to listen to it, although some of it I have downloaded onto i-tunes since I've danced to them, in the hope that I can remember the dances between classes. It's either a fast tune, or a slow tune! Another thing I like about it is the surprise value of telling people, what I did last night, yes, I was at my streetdance class dancing to 50 cent has good comedy value with the teenagers I work with!
Ealing Dance Centre is a wonderful place and so is Pishanger Lane; although I've lived just half an hour's bus ride from it for about 15 years now, I'd never been there; it is so village like and a great community, there always seems to be a community festival or event going on. Lovely restaurants and cafes too... there is also the Brentham Estate which I think was set up by an idealist early in the last century and probably as it's own website (will find out). The shop has everything, and the people that work there are so knowledgeable and helpful. At the moment there is a window display called 'Holy Communion' with lots of frilly white dresses for those making their first communion soon. They also have fancy dress costumes and a wide range of dance clothes and shoes. If they haven't got something they will get it- and you get a discount if you're a member of the local theatre group, Questors. What more could you ask. My son was horrified at the idea of me doing streetdancing, he was embarrassed - he said I should do something more suited to my age, like tapdancing - I agreed to do this if he came as well, which he did for a short while. WIll write about the tap after Friday - that's a whole story in itself...

Pete Cooper's bow hold

Went for my first fiddle lesson with Pete Cooper yesterday...It was quite a pilgrimage, a four hour round trip including the lesson! left Phil's work in Richmond at 5, home at 9....slow Silverlink train through Acton, Willesden, Hampstead - change at Gospel Oak, more waiting...dirty uncomfortable trains full of tired, end of the working day people...felt very different to the South West Trains Waterloo to Richmond journey. Depressing...but interesting, too - some great views across industrial wastelands to the city skyline around the Willesden area.
Have never been to Crouch Hill before, felt quite fresh and leafy- we were early for my lesson, so wandered about a bit before we went to Pete's flat, not enough time to have a drink /snack first, even though the Dairy looked really interesting, what a great building, must take the camera next time! still too early for the lesson- walked right up to the top of the hill to look at the view - beautiful, the air felt clean, lots of green; seemed like a hidden bit of London, probably just because I hadn't been there before, in fact I really don't know North London at all.
Went to Pete's flat anyway; it was fine, someone else was just at the end of their lesson- Phil got a chance to have a play with Pete and his student, that was fun- will I ever get good enough to just join in and intuitively harmonise like Phil can? I'm so used to reading music or even as a teenager writing down harmonies I've made up, will be hard to unlearn, although I've been inspired by Pete Cooper's musings on his website about playing by heart, and I'm determined, which I guess is more than half the battle.
Anyway, I was pretty nervous as while Phil has been teaching me, I can behave like a teenager/toddler when I can't do something, also am in my own space, so can stomp of to my room crying "can't do it" slam! yes, outrageous for a grown woman to be so childish...Knew this would not be an option in this arena...really until I began to play Flop Eared Mule, was still a bit anxious, but all was fine...gentle encouragement, useful tips about arm movements and so on, and then we got to the bow hold. That was almost it...I just couldn't do it, my arm and hand felt at once rigid and yet made of putty- I couldn't do what I thought I was supposed to be doing...almost a teenage moment...almost. Luckily Pete has put something on YouTube-Pete Cooper's Bow Hold- when he said it, I thought he said 'Pete Cooper's boho', in relation to his flat being warm and bohemian in a studenty, bookish way! (a scaled down version of our house!)
Reality far more prosaic and extremely useful...he showed me this bow hold clip from YouTube, which was good as it took the attention away from me for a few moments, and then we tried again- almost right, got quite frustrated at myself...then anyway onto the next tune, one I'd been practicing at home - 'O The Britches Full of Stitches' really this part was a perfect illustration of the difference between having a human teacher to show you things as opposed to learning just from a book, even if it is a really good book. We practiced the way of putting stresses on the bow to accent different notes and all too soon, the lesson was over, as a family of mandolin players arrived. The whole hour done without looking at any written music at all. Very good for my brain. Pete has assured me I will be 'Whitby ready' by mid August, which will be a miracle; we'll see.
Home again, wishing Crouch Hill was closer and that I could have a lesson every week- next one 3 weeks away.

today

Today, my back still hurts and I am off work for another few days. Tried to find an easy way of putting my photos on the web; seems with Picasa I can only do it one by one as I can't install the 'uploader'. Time for myself, after 2 weeks or so off work, it's been good to be able to find myself a bit again.
Later I've got my fiddle lesson with Pete Cooper...very exciting; thankfully he seems like a patient sort of guy. It's a long way to go, and the train journey will be uncomfortable, but worth it!
Lots of jobs need doing round the house in advance of builders starting in the next few weeks; luckily our holiday in Whitby will coincide with some of the turmoil. Will I be able to play the fiddle well enough to join in?!? Watch this space!

journey through folk music

My earliest memories of folk music are dancing around our sitting room when I was probably about three, to Skip to my Lou, performed by Pete and Peggy Seeger. My mother had an album of theirs, but the only other song I can remember on there was Froggy Went a Courting I wish I could remember some of the others ....as I grew older, and started buying records myself, the very first album I bought was Gather Me by Melanie Safka...I loved that record ( and still have it) In fact the one song on it I don't like so much is Brand New Key, her hit from the early 70s. I heard this album when I was in Greece with my family- my cousins, about 10 years older than me used to play it on their car 8 track cassette player as we drove to and from beaches from Athens for the day...not sure if it's exactly folk music, but what is the definition of that anyway-it had a folky feel to it. My cousins were very fashionable and cool in my eyes, I had to keep this record a bit secret from my dad, who hated pop music- we were, however, allowed to listen to stuff my mum liked and so then I began to buy Simon and Garfunkel records-wonderful, with intense, serious and clever lyrics...and beautiful voices singing lovely tunes. I was about 14 by then, and bought all of their albums...learning to play some of the melodies by ear. I still love Simon and Garfunkel-they sound fresh and relevant even 30 or so years on; I then abandoned folky sounding stuff for a few year while I listened to the Beatles, Stones and Velvets Underground, but then I found a strange way back- my friend Penny at school had an older brother Tom, who had a vast record collection- he was away at Oxford while we were 14-16, and some evenings I'd stay at Penny's and we'd go up to his room in the attic and riffle through the records...lots of 60s and 70s goodies; we tended to listen to the ones with the covers we liked, so there was Wake of the Flood -Grateful Dead, Little Feat, Genesis...we liked Lindisfarne and used to dance around the room to Fog on the Tyne-particularly Penny who used to demonstrate moves she'd learned as a child catwalk model!
A major event for local teenagers who went to St Margaret's church youth group in Putney in the 70s, was the Harvest Barn Dance- wonderful, and so much better than a disco; to do the dances properly, one had to actually touch and hold onto a member of the opposite sex and here was folk music! energetic and frantic at times...beat discos and disco music anyday. Somewhere along the line, maybe when I was about 17, I got friendly with the curate at our church- David Lee- he ran the youth group, and I helped him! He really loved the purer, more traditional folk music, and I can't remember which groups or singers in particular, but I used to go to Putney record library and borrow anything that looked serious! This music really chimed with an earlier (and abiding) love for traditional church music like plainsong, Tallis or Byrd-I found the music haunting somehow-got into my soul. This being Putney, home to the Half Moon pub, I also discovered Pentangle and Fairport Convention....Pentangle became an enduring obsession- and Bert Jansch as a solo artist- saw him again a couple of years ago at the South Bank more powerful if anything as a result of the passed years. Wierdly there was a bit of a co-incidence with him- I had a friend at primary and secondary schools, Charlotte who was born on the same day as me- our mothers had been friends back in the day- she ended up with Bert Jansch, possibly still together, who knows! Their son, who must be about 25 now, played at the South Bank gig...so if together, it's been a long time!
I also really liked American folk music; Bob Dylan, before and after the electrics, and Woody Guthrie
I am so lucky as I've always loved music, I always wanted to have a boyfriend who was in a band, and now I have a whole husband who is a musician-I remember when we were first going out, he thought I was pretending to like folk music to impress him, as he plays the fiddle... he was never as keen on folk music as me, although since Whitby we've both been learning a lot more about it-he's having occasional lessons with Pete Cooper...I'm having a lesson with him tomorrow-I'm really nervous as I'm an almost complete beginner! will post again after I've had the lesson.
Just watched Bruce Springsteen, the Seeger Sessions on DVD, he sums up various things about folk music in a way that makes sense- some of it is to do with it being people's music with none of the edges polished off as in the more anodyne offerings.

Why I like Whitby

I exercise my mind with this now and again...

What is it that appeals to me so much? I think it starts with the fact that it is very remote and small, but that it's pretty self contained with regard to shops, a clinic, entertainment of all sorts and history in abundance. Also if you're coming from London, and by public transport it takes ages. The first bit's ok, as you go from Kings Cross to York, but then you need to get the Coastliner bus/coach service which takes two hours. A very long and winding road indeed, although it's really picturesque, and the holiday feeling truly starts as soon as you see the moors...the difficulty is probably a good thing in that it addds to the feeling of being somewhere really special that is a challenge to get to! Having said that, there are now three families I know from my immediate neighbourood that go, and one of them we met by chance the first time we went to Whitby when they walked into the tiny restaurant we were in; they were hoping to get a table too, and they saw us! How unlikely was that to happen?

I like the way that there is always something to do, whatever the weather...possibly the very best thing, even if cold and rainy is towalk along the clifftop and look out at the sea...if it's raining a lot, you can go into the pavilion complex and have a coffee and stare out to sea in comfort. There are so many places that you can just go to have a drink, a snack or a complete blowout. All tastes seem to be catered for, and if you are in self-catering accommodation,which is how we like it, then there are so many places to get fresh good quality ingredients, almost on your doorstep! This summer we'll definitely get fresh fish from the Whitby Catch; even their website makes me drool, in fact if they deliver to London, I may order some to get a Whitby fix before then.
I like the fact that Whitby has several eras of magnificent history that can be easily explored when you're there. I really like to visit the Abbey; the views are tremendous, everything is so quiet up there, and if you hire one of the commentary things from the desk when you go in, you can get a real sense of what life would have been like at various points in the Abbey's history, you can walk up past the Abbey and kind of round the back of its boundary where there is a farmhouse....more views and exposure to raw elements,
I like the history to do with shipping and fishing- I love looking at the old photographs of Whitby- many places are almost unchanged.

the Captain Cook museum is another place to while away a couple of hours-good when it's raining, or too hot! The narrow streets and unusual old buildings around the museum spark off the imagination you can look out of some windows of the Captain Cook museum and know that you are looking at the same views that he would have had.
I like the way that people are friendly and say hello, and enjoy talking about where they live. I like the way that there always seems to be something going on- admittedly, I don't know if there's something for every week of the year, but it seems to be a busy place, particularly for music festivals!

I like the way that you can walk around Whitby and there is always something you haven't noticed before, a street, a shop or the style of a building. I like looking at some of the really magnificent buildings on the West side of Whitby and imagining living in them-many are being renovated; how I'd love to see inside!
I like plotting how me and my husband might support ourselves if we came to live in Whitby...could we make the break from London? Who knows.

Folk Week part 2

Folk week was a new experience for us, as Whitby, or anywhere- it was almost as though the whole town became a folk festival, but you could still be in Whitby and not be involved...what was good was that there were displays of all styles of regional dances, just dotted about the town at various times of day- the one I felt particularlymoved by was at the whalebones on the first day...dances I had never seen before, performed on a cliff edge, backed by the sea. There were some teenage Irish dancers accompanied by a boy on a guitar, and mollydancers. There was also a troupe of rather sinister dancers with their faces covered in dark material-they had a very odd name that I can't quite remember, maybe the Clack or something; they were stern and powerful...different parts of the British Isles had a different style of the same type of dance, as with morris dancing, and there seemed to be male and female morris dancers...I quite got into the idea of Morris dancing as rooted in a kind of ancient ritual rather than something to laugh at on a hot cider soaked day on a village green...
Something that really impressed me was the behaviour of teenagers involved in the festival...and I must say teenagers generally in Whitby don't seem to create the same problems as some of them do in London...maybe it's just the scale of everything is so much smaller..., or maybe it's because I'm not at work when I'm there, so don't think so much about the problems caused and faced by teenagers...
At the dances and the sessions, teenagers seemed to enter the spirit of things...joining at social events in big friendly groups, and they all looked like your average trendy teenagers...not like the stereotype of quiet thoughtful types I had in my mind of young people obsessed with folk music, however, I know there has been a resurgence of interest in folk music in the past two or three years, with some acts bringing it bang up to date and creating new music, rather than just doing 'cover versions' of old tunes. Phil and I were also very grateful to a few teens who helped us out of a spot in a dance at a ceilidh when we had gone hopelessly wrong, and seemed to have a more relaxed attitude to slip ups than some of their elders!

First time at Whitby Folk Week

By happenstance Folk Week was on while we were in Whitby...we bought a copy of the programme from a Musicport a hippyish/world music/faitrade crafts type shop on Skinner Street, and tried to plan an activity for each day- I must say, I was a bit keener than my husband or son, in fact there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm from them.

I was drawn to the idea of mollydancing- from the programme it sounded outrageous- On the first day of the festival, I walked along to a free dance display by the whalebones, and watched the Ouse Wash mollydancers - fantastic anarchic stuff, loud and lusty, banging pots and pans, their costumes made of any old anything, the dance moves looked manageable compared to some of the more intricate moves, say of morris dancing...looks proved to be deceptive. Out of a huge range of workshops on offer and a confusing programme, I decided to go for mollydancing, and fiddle for absolute beginners. It was brilliant at Folk Week as we could just pay for individual things as we went along, and didn't have to have booked way in advance for the whole week.
Went along to the first mollydancing workshop-it was great and the routine was manageable; I should point out here that although I really love music and dancing, I have no co-ordination and two left feet...felt good , the music, although simple has a haunting, melancholy quality. Things got a bit harder the second one I went to, and I was in a group/set with a rather sour faced grumpy woman who got annoyed when I couldn't work out what I should be doing...must be annoying for other people I suppose, as it messes the dance up but it was supposed to be a workshop for people new to mollydancing - I am a slow learner in that I need time to absorb information and maybe have things shown or told to me several times before they sink in...I didn't go again, but got stuck into the fiddle playing workshop instead.
Someone called Emily Ball was running this, very bravely indeed as the room was packed with wannabee fiddlers, all utterly and absolutely beginners....Emily is in a group that were playing at Folk Week called 422.
There was a lady called Geraldine Stephenson, Emily's mother in law at the workshop, she had a second hand violin stall at the festival, and kindly lent me a violin for the week...the noise I made was truly awful, but luckily everyone in the workshop was doing the same. By the end of the week I could just about play You are my Sunshine...I felt determined to carry on with the violin and my husband Phil is a musican, and guitar and violin teacher and he agreed to attempt to teach me more when we got back to London, To anyone reading this who is thinking af trying the violin....it is very, very difficult but if you have a good and patient teacher and practice a few times a week, you do find you get somewhere with it...I only started in August, but now I can play simple tunes like hymns in church, yes, in public! and some jigs - slowly! Phil has the patience of a saint...I work with challenging teenagers during the day, and I feel that when I go home, and particularly during my lessons with Phil, am 'channelling' some of the more unruly young ladies, uncanny. I have felt like giving up, but Phil bought me a bow for my birthday, which showed he had some faith in my ability, and so I persevered!
I wanted Phil to have a go at playing in one of the many sessions on offer; we went to one led by 422, but was so fast- Phil mainly plays folk type stuff with rock and folk rock bands at the moment The Bitter Springs and the Talismen but hadn't played in a session before - we asked Geraldine on the violin stall for advice on a teacher for folk fiddle to give Phil some pointers and straightaway she said Pete Cooper! Phil's had several lessons with Pete and I am going for my first lesson with him next week under strict instructions from Phil not to sulk and stamp my feet like I normally do when I 'can't do it'. Hopefully I'll be ready to join in a tiny bit on the fiddle this summer, we have booked in to do Folk Week properly this time and can't wait.