Time Traveller

An unscheduled party and some old times revisited

In the late 1970's B and I played in a folk trio with a chap called Ted. We played quite a few clubs and got bookings, and built up a good repertoire. Things changed, Ted moved away, and eventually left the country. We moved on to Aardvark & No Money (when will we ever choose SENSIBLE band names?!).

But here we are, 30 years later, and Ted is in our front room singing those same songs with me and B, and it's like it was yesterday! The occasion was an impromptu party, decided the previous night at around quarter to midnight.

But, to start at the beginning (which is out of character for me, I know, but may help in this instance). Ted contacted us by phone about two years ago, and came over one Christmas to visit his family and fit in a flying visit with us. This time, he came over for a longer visit and though his family were stricken by a sad bereavement, he reached us eventually for the Friday night.

Friday we went to the folk club, the Red Lion, and played together the old songs that we'd sung 30 years ago. It was - it was the same. Yes, we are all older of course, but the music, the naturalness of playing together was simple, comfortable.

Following the folk club, the 'gang' went to the petrol station and had late night coffee - this is when the party plan was hatched.

Ted came and stayed with us, and he and B stayed up till 2 talking (I can't do late nights, which is pretty useless for a musician I know) and the following morning it was food preparation time for me whilst B and Ted spent the day recording Ted's songs.

About 20 people (including us) plus two toddlers turned up. It was a lovely evening - talking, eating, drinking (no body drunk, just all relaxed) and playing music together or listening to each other. A highlight of the party was Mr & Mrs Potato Head, brought by the parents of one of the toddlers. It entertained the adults equally as much as the children.

But having Ted with us was like having a time traveller in our midst - here he was 30 years on and it was like it was yesterday. Maybe we were the time travellers?

The party was deemed a success though (they ate all the food which I take as a good sign) and everyone seemed happy. Ted stayed over again, recorded a couple more songs in the morning, then went to take a coach to visit more friends, this time in Birmingham.

They say 'you can't go back' - and yes, that's true, but you can keep some of the good bits from the past, and they can still work in the present and maybe even in the future. Nostalgia seems to be in the air at the moment (hence the new site for a band that has been disbanded for over 20 years). We even bumped into the drummer from Aardvark last weekend (first time in 20 years).

A touch of grace

Reminded of the important things in life

I was late home from work - the exhibition stand man was an hour late in arriving to show us how to put up the stand for Monday, computers had been going wrong all week (the bit - the ONLY bit - that I am responsible for) and on the way home the traffic was awful.

I got home and was greeted with a 'computer crisis' - the Xbox was not talking to our internet connection, our computer would not talk to Xbox websites, and I had an unhappy son and a stressed husband.

I had a quick look, but a tecchie friend phoned and offered some advice. No resolution found. By now, quarter past six, I was late for karate. Very late. I rushed out with a quick 'have a good concert' to the old man (off to see Jethro Tull - my, are they still alive, and playing?) and got to the hall. I looked for my cheque book - couldn't find it! I knew I'd had it on Sunday... eventually remembered it was in my training kit bag, not my handbag. Relief. I got into the hall and the lesson half way through. With no seniors training (not just grown ups, but of a certain level - belt colour), it would finish in 20 minutes. Ho hum - too late to train, but at least I did manage to pick up my new gi. Why I didn't have one is another story - but I purchased my nice bright white karate suit and left the hall, leaving small people doing small karate, but with big ambition.

The main hall we do karate in (our dojo) is divided into three and two other martial arts groups train the same night as our club. I paused to look through at the next group (I knew a few of the guys, karate black belts who were now trying something new) and a small girl, standing there with her father said "Hello."

She had an engaging smile. She looked slightly different, something about her facial proportion, her manner, her stance, and she had a lovely smile. Her father, standing by, smiled down at his daughter. "What's your name?" she asked me. We had a five minute, and very pleasant, exchange. She is 8 years old, has an older sister (who was doing choi kwan do in the furthest part of the hall). She liked doing drawings of flowers today, and she likes magnets. She and her father were watching the other groups, the dad said he was considering starting karate. What about your daughter? She's old enough to join, I said. He said she had balance problems, part of her condition.

She asked me where I lived, I said in the town - I knew where she probably lived from the name on her school jumper. She was a sweet child. I looked at the father, and the child. I shook her hand and said how nice it was to meet her, and went on my way.

Her name was Grace.