Oxford Fiddle Group in Leiden, Netherlands

Leiden, Netherlands is twinned with Oxford and the Oxford Fiddle Group went to Leiden 26-30 August 2010 primarily to take perform in the Rapenburg Festival. However, we did seven performances in four days ranging from bars and music venues to a performance for a group of Special Needs youngsters.

We stayed at the picturesque Stochemhoeve Campsite in the Cronesteyn Park on the edge of the city. Individuals in the group had varying levels of accommodation at the site - staying in the house, a chalet, trekking hut, tent etc. Mine was definitely the lowest level and can be seen next to the trekking hut below where group members are getting ready for breakfast. It's the orange dot under the gazebo needed for rain protection.

We played in three bars in various parts of the city as performances or sessions including The North End English Bar.

On the Friday evening we performed at the Q-bus Music Venue. The photo above and the two below show the performance.

We played twice on the streets around the Leiden canals. The two photos above show us playing outside the Town Hall.

The highlight of the weekend was taking part in the Rapenburg Festival - playing on a huge stage on a barge on the canal. The audience was made up of people on either side of the canal and people in various boats. There was even a wedding reception boat listening! Although there was plenty of rain during our stay, the sun came out for our Rapenburg Concert performance and there were even people dancing on the canal side.

Our hosts from Leiden Twinning Association gave us a wonderful time and the people of Leiden were friendly and welcoming. Our fiddle music from The British Isles and North America went down really well wherever we played and we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves despite the weather and my tent!

Cuddington Fete July 2010 - always a special day

Cuddington Village in Buckinghamshire always goes "to town" with its fete. There's always a theme and all the village gets involved. This year's theme was medieval and unlike many villages, the fete starts with a procession from the Village Green to the village hall. In Cuddington's case the hall in question is The Bernard Hall, made famous in numerous episodes of the television series "Midsommer Murders."

This year was no exception and the photos show this year's band 'Balance the Straw' of Matt (whistle) Penny (fiddle) me (bouzouki) and Tim (some sort of homemade instrument!) Some of us managed more of a medieval theme in our costume than others but it was a great day and our traditional music played on these instruments seemed to be appreciated.

I have been involved in providing the music for the fete for a number of years in various forms - playing for dancing from the Appalachian Dance team The Haddenham Hoofers, playing in the procession and entertaining the visitors taking cream teas at Tirringham Hall.

King Arthur and Queen Guinevere leading the procession through the village

Towersey Morris Christmas 09

There was a packed programme over the Christmas period for Towersey Morris and for me playing my most recent instrument aquisition - the English Concertina. On 20 December we performed at Cecil Sharp House's Festival of Christmas Carols and Customs in London.
Boxing Day saw us at our local - The Three Horseshoes, Towersey with a large crowd in the sunshine.

Boxing Day at the Three Horseshoes

Boxing Day

New Year's Day found us in very cold but sunny conditions at The Mayflower, Hazlemere, Bucks as guests of North West Morris side Taeppa's Tump from Maidenhead. I was under some pressure as I was the only musician apart from a guitar accompaniment. My 9 months since taking up the concertina was fully tested!

New Year's Day at the Mayflower

The following day, our final performance of the Christmas period was at the Haddenham Village Ceilidh.

Wasps' Nest found in Guitar

In the last blog I spoke about collecting a guitar I'd bought on Australian ebay. We had a four hour trip inland from the Sunshine Coast through the Bunya Mountains and beyond to the tiny town of Bell. Pictured below is me collecting the guitar from the Bell Art Gallery which the seller was running on this Sunday afternoon.

The new strings that were on it were too light for me so I decided to change them. When I started the first string I noticed something strange in the top corner by the neck inside the guitar. It was a wasps' nest! With the help of a screw driver, I managed to prize it out whole. Here it is pictured below.

Luckily there were no signs of life. I wondered if I was the first person ever to discover a wasps' nest inside a guitar! I suppose it could only happen in Australia - or perhaps you know different!!

Irish Session in Australia

I'm in Australia visiting my daughter and family on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Yesterday we drove up into the Blackall Mountains (The Hinterland as it's known) to Maleny - about a 35 minute drive. There I took part in an Irish Session at Finbar's - a bar run by an Irish man. There were eight of us playing fiddles, mandolin, guitar, whistle, keyboard and bodhran.

It was a most enjoyable evening spent playing familiar and not so familiar Irish tunes in a really friendly atmosphere. It's amazing that you can travel halfway round the world and feel so at home - almost like being with The Haddenham Shamrocks!

I even ended up doing a couple of songs on the guitar I bought on Australian ebay!

Details of sessions in Brisbane and surrounding areas can be found at http://users.tpg.com.au/folkrag

Towersey Morris tribute to Denis and Sheila Manners

Last weekend in the scorching sunshine, local Morris Sides met at the Three Horseshoes to pay tribute to Denis and Sheila Manners, founders of the Towersey Festival, Towersey Morris and Towersey Folk Dance Group.

Towersey Morris outside the Three Horseshoes

Various Morris Musicians joining together

Oxford City Morris

Barefoot Belly Dancers joined in the dancing

Other Morris Dance Sides taking part were Long Crendon, Owlswick and Cry Havoc, Oxford.

The May Day Weekend

The May Day weekend was very busy for me this year. In addition to the normal May Day activities, The De Kegelaar Folk Dance Group from Antwerp were guests of the Haddenham Hoofers and two were staying with me for the weekend.

The May Day weekend started for me at 5.30am on Friday 1st playing for the Towersey Morris Men at the Towersey Crossroads as day broke. I then played for them at Thame Town Hall at 8am and three schools and a Day Centre in High Wycombe at 10am, 11am, midday and 2pm.

After a short break, I met De Kegelaar with the other Hoofers at The Rose and Thistle, Haddenham at 5.30pm. An enjoyable meal and conversation was followed by a music session with the Hoofers and De Kegelaar musicians.

On Saturday morning, De Kegelaar and Haddenham Hoofers took part in the Haddenham May Day procession and danced on the Green.

Haddenham Hoofers dancing at Haddenham May Day celebrations

Hoofers musicians

After lunch, Hoofers and De Kegelaar performed outside Thame Town Hall. In the evening, De Kegelaar performed at the Haddenham Ceilidh.

On Sunday morning I played for the Towersey Village May Pole Dancing and then for the Towersey Morris Men.

Towersey Morris men at The Towersey May Day celebrations

I then rushed to Cuddington where De Kegelaar and Haddenham Hoofers were dancing outside the Bernard Hall.

De Kegelaar outside the Bernard Hall

Hoofers out side the Bernard Hall, Cuddington

The weather for Friday, Saturday and Sunday was glorious but as usual, it changed for Bank Holiday Monday, where its was rather cool for the Wheatley May Day celebrations.
I played in the procession, May Pole dancing and the barn dancing which followed. The musicians then retired to the Cricketers Arms, Littleworth for a music session.

Wheatley May Pole dancing

Musicians at the Wheatley May Pole