Shrewsbury
Well, Shrewsbury Folk Festival may have been a trifle damp (although not quite as bad as Ely) but it was still great fun.
Arrived in one piece, found the camping spot I wanted and managed to get my tent up just before it started raining which I felt was something of an achievement in itself. To be fair, the weather throughout the weekend was mostly dry with rainy spells with a couple of occasions of short torrential downpours but Saturday managed to be blazingly hot so I think we really did pretty well weatherwise. Shrewsbury's site drains very well so, while it may have been a bit slippy in places, I didn't need my wellies at all. Of course, it chose to absolutely hammer down while I was packing up so the tent was just given a cursory shake and thrown in the boot in a bundle to be untangled and wrung out at home.
Oh yes, in amongst the weather, there may have been some music too... Had a great time with the fiddle. A couple of sessions where I managed to play more often than not, a couple of fiddle workshops (missed the impromptu one with Sam Sweeney, because I couldn't remember where he said he was going to hold it, but made up for by Catriona MacDonald's Shetland workshop. She's a great teacher, a lot of fun and I love her playing) and bought a book of Northumbrian tunes that should keep me going over the winter.
Concert-wise, Session A9 were awesome. I went to get a CD signed by them afterwards and, due to the rain, I was the only one standing at the signing tent when they turned up (a few folks turned up after me) and got offered 2 free members of the band to go with the CD. If I'd had the space in the car...Fay Hield was as good as ever although I think I prefer the simplicity of just her, Rob Harbron and Sam Sweeney to the full band. That said, they're still very, very good. I enjoyed Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings, loved the Wilsons (as ever), bounced along to Vamm (bit of a fiddle heavy weekend now that I think about it...) and discovered Baskery, a trio of bluegrass playing, Swedish sisters who were reassuringly nuts.
Dance-wise, I went to the Blackbeard's Tea Party ceilidh which I enjoyed (have only just got into this band and I really, really like them) and some of the Blowzabella french dance which was as good as always.
I also saw Hannah James' Global Dance show. Bit of an odd one this; the dancing was excellent with Gaorsach, Berkshire Bedlams, Windsor Morris, Hammersmith, ACE (African dance company), a Bhangra group I can't remember the name of, a solo Irish dancer and Hannah and Nicola Lyons clogging, but it just went on a bit too long. Possibly they should have mixed up the morris sides with everything else a bit more since, although each morris side had it's own very distinctive style, all 3 morris sides were Cotswold and a little more variety would have been good. With each group doing 3 dances in succession, I tuned out a little but that may have just been me.
The only dance workshop I went to was Mortimer Morris' North West one which I really enjoyed. I've got a bit of a North West bug at the moment and I really like Mortimer's style. Am now wondering if Wootton to Nottingham is really that far...
Finished off on the Monday with Faustus and Treacherous Orchestra. Faustus were great, even when they had to compete with the very obvious backstage melodeon playing during their last few songs and I must remember to book to see them at Nettlebed. Treacherous Orchestra moved from Stage 2 to the Main Stage to close the festival since KT Tunstall had to pull out at the last moment due to a family bereavement. While horrible for poor Ms Tunstall, it was a move that worked well for Treacherous Orchestra since the Main tent gave people more room to dance and dance they did. I've not seen them before but everyone I've spoken to said they were great which, I have to admit, they were. I agree with friends up North that they could use a little more structure on stage (there's too many of them (12) not to have some organisation up there. I'm not saying they have to be as theatrical as Bellowhead, but a little more cohesion up there would do them some good) but, soundwise, they hit you like a train. A fitting end to a fun festival.
I also managed to come away with a new hoodie. It's green, it's got a little pointy hood, it makes me happy.
Made it home late on Monday night and, for some reason, decided to clean out the shower head at 2am and the combination of tiredness, heat from the running water and the angle I was holding my head at in order to complete the job meant I got very dizzy and ended up spending the night lying on the bathroom floor. Really very grateful that my flatmate is away on holiday!
Only 3 more festivals to go now; Wallingford this weekend, possily some of Banbury (if possible, the bits containing Something Nasty in the Woodshed) and Otley, dancing with Mons Meg (which reminds me, I must revise the dances!). Having very severe Rapper withdrawal so really looking forward to Otley!
Also went to see The Dark Knight Rises on Thursday (when I should have been packing for Shrewsbury)
Awesome film. Villain-wise, Tom Hardy was an imposing presence as Bane even though you could only see his eyes through the mask, Anne Hathaway was a good deal of fun and suitably slinky as Catwoman, and Marian Cotilliard was very good as Talia Al Ghul even if I did see the twist coming a mile away. (I think that I may have just read too many comics...). On the other side, the usual cast were awesome (but special mention to Michael Caine who had me sniffilling away) and Joseph Gordon Levitt as Blake was very good as the probable heir to the cape. Some lovely little snippets to keep the comic fans happy and some old faces (the Scarecrow for one) making small appearances. The villain's plan didn't make as much sense as I would have liked (yes, I know, even for a comic based film) but it didn't drag and was still a huge amount of fun. All in all, I found it a fitting conclusion to Nolan's Batman trilogy and will no doubt go and see it again.
In other news, started the diet today. Am trying Peppermint tea (not really anything to do with the diet, just thought I'd try it) which I'm actually liking more than I thought I would. I should probably weigh myself before I start since that would seem sensible but I haven't managed to locate my scales yet. They're somewhere in the bedroom, I know that much...
Should probably attempt to tidy tonight.
Arrived in one piece, found the camping spot I wanted and managed to get my tent up just before it started raining which I felt was something of an achievement in itself. To be fair, the weather throughout the weekend was mostly dry with rainy spells with a couple of occasions of short torrential downpours but Saturday managed to be blazingly hot so I think we really did pretty well weatherwise. Shrewsbury's site drains very well so, while it may have been a bit slippy in places, I didn't need my wellies at all. Of course, it chose to absolutely hammer down while I was packing up so the tent was just given a cursory shake and thrown in the boot in a bundle to be untangled and wrung out at home.
Oh yes, in amongst the weather, there may have been some music too... Had a great time with the fiddle. A couple of sessions where I managed to play more often than not, a couple of fiddle workshops (missed the impromptu one with Sam Sweeney, because I couldn't remember where he said he was going to hold it, but made up for by Catriona MacDonald's Shetland workshop. She's a great teacher, a lot of fun and I love her playing) and bought a book of Northumbrian tunes that should keep me going over the winter.
Concert-wise, Session A9 were awesome. I went to get a CD signed by them afterwards and, due to the rain, I was the only one standing at the signing tent when they turned up (a few folks turned up after me) and got offered 2 free members of the band to go with the CD. If I'd had the space in the car...Fay Hield was as good as ever although I think I prefer the simplicity of just her, Rob Harbron and Sam Sweeney to the full band. That said, they're still very, very good. I enjoyed Jon Boden and the Remnant Kings, loved the Wilsons (as ever), bounced along to Vamm (bit of a fiddle heavy weekend now that I think about it...) and discovered Baskery, a trio of bluegrass playing, Swedish sisters who were reassuringly nuts.
Dance-wise, I went to the Blackbeard's Tea Party ceilidh which I enjoyed (have only just got into this band and I really, really like them) and some of the Blowzabella french dance which was as good as always.
I also saw Hannah James' Global Dance show. Bit of an odd one this; the dancing was excellent with Gaorsach, Berkshire Bedlams, Windsor Morris, Hammersmith, ACE (African dance company), a Bhangra group I can't remember the name of, a solo Irish dancer and Hannah and Nicola Lyons clogging, but it just went on a bit too long. Possibly they should have mixed up the morris sides with everything else a bit more since, although each morris side had it's own very distinctive style, all 3 morris sides were Cotswold and a little more variety would have been good. With each group doing 3 dances in succession, I tuned out a little but that may have just been me.
The only dance workshop I went to was Mortimer Morris' North West one which I really enjoyed. I've got a bit of a North West bug at the moment and I really like Mortimer's style. Am now wondering if Wootton to Nottingham is really that far...
Finished off on the Monday with Faustus and Treacherous Orchestra. Faustus were great, even when they had to compete with the very obvious backstage melodeon playing during their last few songs and I must remember to book to see them at Nettlebed. Treacherous Orchestra moved from Stage 2 to the Main Stage to close the festival since KT Tunstall had to pull out at the last moment due to a family bereavement. While horrible for poor Ms Tunstall, it was a move that worked well for Treacherous Orchestra since the Main tent gave people more room to dance and dance they did. I've not seen them before but everyone I've spoken to said they were great which, I have to admit, they were. I agree with friends up North that they could use a little more structure on stage (there's too many of them (12) not to have some organisation up there. I'm not saying they have to be as theatrical as Bellowhead, but a little more cohesion up there would do them some good) but, soundwise, they hit you like a train. A fitting end to a fun festival.
I also managed to come away with a new hoodie. It's green, it's got a little pointy hood, it makes me happy.
Made it home late on Monday night and, for some reason, decided to clean out the shower head at 2am and the combination of tiredness, heat from the running water and the angle I was holding my head at in order to complete the job meant I got very dizzy and ended up spending the night lying on the bathroom floor. Really very grateful that my flatmate is away on holiday!
Only 3 more festivals to go now; Wallingford this weekend, possily some of Banbury (if possible, the bits containing Something Nasty in the Woodshed) and Otley, dancing with Mons Meg (which reminds me, I must revise the dances!). Having very severe Rapper withdrawal so really looking forward to Otley!
Also went to see The Dark Knight Rises on Thursday (when I should have been packing for Shrewsbury)
Awesome film. Villain-wise, Tom Hardy was an imposing presence as Bane even though you could only see his eyes through the mask, Anne Hathaway was a good deal of fun and suitably slinky as Catwoman, and Marian Cotilliard was very good as Talia Al Ghul even if I did see the twist coming a mile away. (I think that I may have just read too many comics...). On the other side, the usual cast were awesome (but special mention to Michael Caine who had me sniffilling away) and Joseph Gordon Levitt as Blake was very good as the probable heir to the cape. Some lovely little snippets to keep the comic fans happy and some old faces (the Scarecrow for one) making small appearances. The villain's plan didn't make as much sense as I would have liked (yes, I know, even for a comic based film) but it didn't drag and was still a huge amount of fun. All in all, I found it a fitting conclusion to Nolan's Batman trilogy and will no doubt go and see it again.
In other news, started the diet today. Am trying Peppermint tea (not really anything to do with the diet, just thought I'd try it) which I'm actually liking more than I thought I would. I should probably weigh myself before I start since that would seem sensible but I haven't managed to locate my scales yet. They're somewhere in the bedroom, I know that much...
Should probably attempt to tidy tonight.