Did I mention?

Oh goodness, Christmas has come and gone, and I've probably missed lots of 'bloggable' opportunities. There was the trip to London with Cathy, visiting museums and meeting her brother; a gig in Cambridge where the band outnumbered the audience (and we are a duo!) at one point; a week working for a drinks company; a week stacking shelves in the local supermarket and - well plenty really.

And of course changes in job circumstance too! I'm moving back into the not-for-profit sector in the New Year, reviving my fundraising marketing talents with an amazing organisation called Fauna and Flora International.

They are a fantastic international organisation who do amazing work. They are based in Cambridge and I hope to start in February. Meantime I am also doing some consultancy work and still running http://www.thecompletetrainer.com/.

The 'Shave' crew had a get together for some lunch and photos - just for fun.

Well, a short post with not a lot of detail, but once I get my 'flow' back, I'll be blogging again!

Kevin Hill

Kev and Ro, and then Richard. Kev we met through our friend Kevin, the singer in our rock band, Aardvark and No Money - there were always lots of Kevins in our musical world. We quickly became good friends with Kev and Ro and years on, 25 or more years on even, we are still friends.



Kev and Ro are a bit younger than us, but their son Richard is about the same age as our son, Alex. Richard is a talented artist, Kev and Ro worked in the same school (different jobs). The shock of hearing that Kev died, is almost impossible to process. He was, as far as we knew, in good health. He just came home one Friday night, sat down, and said he didn't feel well. And that was it. A heart attack. Not even 50.



We had some good times with Kev and Ro - one of which I will retell here. For New Year's Eve, many years back, Kevin (not Kev, to distinguish the two) worked for Critall Windows in Silver Street. They wanted a band for their party and Kevin suggested that the members of Aardvark play. Not everyone was available so we set up a scratch band which, when we reviewed the wonderful standards we had decided to do, we called 'Shame and Scandal'.



The band featured me on bass, Bryan and Terry (he was our sound engineer) on guitars, Tony on drums, Ro on vocals and tambourine, Kev on keyboards and Kevin singing. It was a riot! In the changing rooms (well, toilets really) Bryan came out and said 'I know you girls put on makeup before a gig, but I've never seen a chap do it'. Kev wore eyeliner, well... it was the 80s!

We had a lot of good times together - Kev and Ro came to festivals with us in the Shave the Monkey days, and we stayed in touch - even if we didn't see each other as often as friends like.

Unfortunately I had to work and couldn't go to the funeral, but John said it was amazing - standing room only and a sunny December day.

I will remember Kev with fondness and affection. And Ro and Richard, I will not lose touch.

So, in loving memory my friend - and to those who have lost someone they love this holiday season, I send my love and warm thoughts. Think of those people as they were when they were living and sharing our lives - and remember those times.

Updated adventures!

It’s been a long time since I posted my last blog, and it’s been a long time since I’ve written anything other than application letters, emails and marketing articles. I’ve just not had the ‘creative muse’ visit me recently, despite having:

- Clambered up the slippery slopes of a small mountain
- Visited the haunts of my youth (and entered a 5000 year old tomb)
- Been to London with my friend from Ireland and ‘done’ the museums
- Visited a Hindu Temple
- Had a couple of gigs
- Been made redundant
- Started winning some squash games!

As you can see, certainly plenty of bloggable material there, but with no muse to date. I’ve not even written any songs lately (or even of my awful poetry). So – what brought it back tonight? No idea! But even though I’m tired out, I’m going to post!

So, where should I start? Perhaps the mountain – Skellig Fawr. I went to see some friends in the West Country at the beginning of November and on the Saturday we headed over the Severn to Wales and ‘climbed’ the path to the top. I had to stop quite often because I am, alas, unfit, but at every turn it would be ‘not far now’ and then, as we crested each ridge there was an ‘oh, it’s a bit further on than we thought... haven’t done this in ten years’... Aaargh! Well, though the day started off a bit damp, it was only when we reached the top (but not the end of the ridge) that the rain started to come down. ‘Do you want to go on?’ – well, it wasn’t that much further (only another quarter of a mile).

By the time we reached the very end (see how happy I look. We did it!), the weather was appalling. Rain slanted sideways at us, wind whipped at us, and even those hardy folk who had embarked on a remembrance walk for a recently departed friend (we talked to several of them on the way up) had given up and started heading down again. But it was worth it! The view, albeit cloudy, was tremendous.

On the Sunday I left my friends and headed to Wellow, a small village just outside Bath. As a child, my parents and aunt had jointly owned a small holiday cottage there. I spent many happy holiday as a child splashing in the brook, catching fish (loggerheads) with my hands, and enjoying time with my friend Paul, or maybe my cousin Nick or even my brother (like most siblings, we fought a lot). I went for long walks through the village, back to the ford, through the fields and out behind the church. As I went past fields of horses, the sound of the choir and the organ playing drifted gently with me on the chill but dry wind.

Later on I drove a bit out of the village and, after negotiating an extremely narrow lane, parked in a small gravel area and clambered over stiles and through more fields to reach the Stoney Littleton Long Barrow. It was raining by the time I got to the barrow, but not hard. I crawled in – it seemed smaller than when I had visited it last (as a child and once again on my honeymoon, many, many years later). I didn’t go too far in, having to crawl on hands and knees on rough gravel, but at the very end I could see something white that shone, even though there was no light inside the barrow. A couple who were also at the tumulus said that it was a letter – a sad love poem – left by some distraught soul.

I went back to the car and took a slow and happy drive home. I must have walked miles that weekend, and I certainly felt better for it.

So... coming soon! My visit to London and the Museums (and my night in an Irish pub on a football night), and my change in career circumstances.

If you'd like to see more photos of my 'adventures', then please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8100559@N04/ which also contains some pictures of the historic market town of Ware in Hertfordshire.

Abuse

If you get a chance, read this article on the Times on Line Site:

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article6860532.ece

Abuse by women on children is an awful subject to contemplate, one that the interviewer in the Times suggests we 'refuse to accept' or block out. It's not a subject I can talk knowledgeably on, but like many people, I know people who have suffered abuse, in many forms.

Read the article if you get a chance, and check out the Aurora Health Foundation:

http://www.aurorahealthfoundation.org.uk/

They need support to continue to provide front-line services to survivors. If you can help, or know someone who could, please forward these links and let's see if we can make a different to support a worthwhile charity who are not funded by the Government.

On Thursday 15th October Susannah is on the This Morning programme on ITV. http://www.itv.com/lifestyle/thismorning/ - please tune in if you get a chance.

Thank you.

The best chat up line yet!

Never mind etchings - how about:

"Do you want to come and see my eagle owl?"

OK, it was late and I'd had a few ciders (er, rather too many ciders actually!) but I didn't take up the offer and see his eagle owl, or his buzzard, or snowy owl or any of his other birds. He was a falconer and a Welshman with a nice singing voice. This bird is a crossbreed, beautiful creature! I do like birds, and I understand the conservation work that falconers and other raptor rescuers do, but I love to see them fly free - not chained to little posts in the ground. I know - they probably know no different - but I like watching birds wild, not captive. However - I digress - what was I doing to get asked this question anyway?

Well, another of those 'mad gigs' that we end up doing, of course! We played at a medieval fair in the depths of the Fens, an evening gig for the stallholders once all the visitors had gone home.

By the way, on the way to the gig we saw hot air balloons - I will try and download the photo from my phone showing them descending near the windfarm. It was quite spectacular.

We set up outside the beer (and cider, did I mention the cider?) tent and played as the sun went down. Thankfully there was enough ambient light from a nearby food trailer and the bar itself! It did get a bit chilly though.

It was a fun evening with Penni, Craig (a friend of Penni's) and Martin on drums (me on the old bass). Much to my surprise I met up with some of my friends - people who I knew as Viking reenactors, not medieval! "We just slipped a few centuries" Emma explained. It was great to catch up with them and to meet their lovely nippers - feet and faces dirty from running round the field all day. A lovely passtime for little ones, these medieval fairs and reenactment shows.

Later in the bar, I met a chap who asked if I had played in Aardvark and No Money. Goodness gracious, yes! That was our first folk rock band back in the 80's - it was Mark, the guy who engineered our very first recording at Woodworm Studios all those years ago. Small world! We munched on a pig corpse in the bar - leftover from the hog roast. Weird sort of bar snack to offer, but tasty.

After we finished playing is when the enthusiastic (and also a little drunk) falconer targeted me for some further entertainment and though the offer of a night in his caravan (shared with his birds?! I don't know) was politely refused, it was still charmingly made and gave my ego a bit of a boost.

I usually go swimming on a Sunday morning - this morning I decided to sleep in. You know, just because I was tired, not because of a headache or anything like that, oh no... not at all.

The most amazing blog party on earth!

It's over - a whole month of blog party on Nadine's site, - and it was amazing!

It had visitors from 56 countries! Authors gave away 31 books... and there were not only many participants in each daily 'party' (with some days running to nearly 100 comments) but hundreds of 'lurkers' who just hung around and watched the fun.

Nadine is not only a good writer, she's an amazing friend to writers all over the world. She shares her experience and wisdom (I keep telling her she should charge for this!) and her blog party was incredible - giving other authors exposure, new site visits and more sales.

When it comes to writing, people think it's a lonely world (visions of dusty attics, clattering typewriters and smoke-ridden, dusty dens), but the internet has changed that. Writing is usually a solo experience, but with forums like http://www.mywriterscircle.com/ and authors like Nadine out there, it isn't like that any more.

Visit her blog, take a look through the posts, find out about some amazing books, and visit her website too. Spread the word, spread the love, and help independent (and mainstream too) writers:

http://www.nadinelaman.blogspot.com/

http://www.nadinelamanbooks.com/

Simple Guide to Mallorca

I went over to Mallorca again to visit mother and so that I could travel back with my daughter Melody, who'd been over for some weeks..

On the flight over I heard some kids talking 'So they talk Mayorceese do they? Spanish?' and I thought, well... not a lot of folks know much about Mallorca beyond the hotels and beaches on the holiday channels. So here's my simple (slightly tongue in cheek) guide

1. Is Mallorca part of Spain? Think of Mallorca to Spain like you do Wales to England. Own language, own culture, own history, but governed by the local 'big boys'. The Mallorcan (pronounced mayorkeen) language is a derivation of Southern Spanish language. So, like Welsh and Irish are both Gaelic languages, so Mallorcan is a Catalan language.

2. How do you tell the difference between a Mallorcan and a Spaniard? Not easy for visitors! The difference is accent is hard for a non-Spanish speaker to tell. But there are more blondes (natural) in Mallorca than in Spain. But be polite, do not assume everyone on the Island you speak to is Mallorcan or even Spanish. If you can, ask.

3. Are the natives friendly? I have found them to be so. When you walk down a small town street, people will say hello. Say 'Ola' to the younger generation, and 'Buenas Dias' to the older people (show respect). If you are in a really far flung place, where they may only speak Mallorcan, just smile.

4. Can I get egg and chips in Mallorca? Of course you can - there are plenty of English bars and places that will sell you all sorts of international foods - but if that's your cultural exploratory limit in cullinary tastes then forget going to this lovely island, pay for a few sessions at your local tanning club and stick with your local chippy.

5. What is good Mallorcan food? There is good Spanish fare and good Mallorcan food on the island. Fritos Mallocan are lovely - but bear in mind it is chips and liver! The rabbit and meat roasts are wonderful (not great for vegetarians). The traditional Spanish tappas, tortilla, paella and, of course, marvellous fish dishes from the ports are also highly recommended. Pan bolli (phonetic) is a plate and then lots of cold meats, salads, bread (the pan bit) and olive oil instead of butter.

6. Mallorca is just beaches and hotels. Wrong... it has some amazing beaches and some super hotels I'm sure, but it is an amazing island with wonderful mountains, fantastic little bays and ports and lots to explore beyond the pool and the hotel bar. If you can, go on trips away from your resort and explore what your locale has to offer - for example the Monastery at Lluc, the Cathederal and the Arab baths in Palma, the extraordinary caves and the wonderful architeture of towns like Alcudia and the beautiful Pine Walk in Pollensa. The island is a haven for those who are sailing enthusiasts, and anyone who loves the sea. Explore a little!

7. What is beach etiquette? The first thing that I notice is that the sandy beaches are accepted as one giant ashtray. Though they clean the beaches every night, you will find that everyone leaves their fag ends on the beach. This is disgusting. But the beaches are still cleaner and tidier than any English beach I've been on for a long time.

You may bathe topless at most beaches. I recommend if you want to that you don't sit next to another English family though - as long as no one knows you are English (or a visitor of any non-residential kind), then unless you have startlingly white skin (as per me) then no one will bother. If you are heard speaking English and go topless, they will think you are weird. This is just my take on it though... try it for yourself and see.

Dogs are mostly not allowed on the beaches. Watch out for the 'jellyfish flag' which means that there are jellyfish in the water and you may get stung.

8. What's the sea like? Wet. Apart from the odd jellyfish, it's pretty clean and warmish - though if you go into deeper water it can get quite chilly. Sometimes it can get quite rough, and there are hidden currents further out from the beaches, but make sure you follow beach safety rules wherever you go swimming. Little hidden beaches are wonderful, but make sure someone knows where you are and don't fall asleep on your inflatable and end up drifting towards Africa! There is some flotsam - but mostly weed and the occasional plastic bag; the latter is not the sea's fault.

Here's something that may be a surprise to you... There Are Fish In The Sea! Swimming in Illetas I love to snorkel over the weeds and watch the fish (I counted about seven different types, quite pretty). They also swim around you in the water but you don't know they are there. When returning to the beach after one little snorkling session I told a friend how wonderful the fish were. "You mean there are fish in here? I don't like the thought of that..." said one British woman. Der... it's the sea?

9. Do they like animals? Yes, especially roasted, grilled... but as a nation they seem to prefer dogs to cats. Cats are everywhere and a useful pest control population, but they need control themselves. There are many places where feral cats multiply and they are not the most hygienic of creaters. However, there are usually some ex-pat do-goders around who will either feed them or otherwise look out for these feral felines.

Dogs are everywhere and where I stay they are a nuisance... they bark day and night and the poop on the pavement doesn't get cleared up by owners. Dogs are used for guarding empty properties, dogs are companions and dogs are also taken into places like restaurants and shops, but not all.

10. Can I smoke in a bar in Mallorca? Of course you are not allowed to by law. Which means, broadly speaking, yes, if anyone else is. Restaurants have areas for smokers, bars don't seem as worried about the non-smoking regulations as they are in the UK, but for goodness' sake ask before lighting up.

11. Why should anyone go to Mallorca? Because the people are friendly, the architechture is amazing, the history is troubled and fascinating, the beaches are great, the sea is warm, the food is great (unless you are vegetarian) and the mountains beautiful. If you want to sit on the beach and suntan, you can. If you want to swim, you can. If you want to cycle or climb or run or explore - you can. There are water sports, land sports, equestrian centres, every kind of activity you could possibly imagine.

12. Why should anyone not go to Mallorca? If you want to avoid the English, German, Spanish or Smokers, this isn't the place for you. It is a hugely popular holiday and retirement destination. The island is crawling with expatriot residents who have happily lived there for 40 or more years and will still have strong opinions on the economy and government of their home country, even though they've not lived there or participated in the democratic process since they left. However, they do expect to be cared for by social services or the NHS when they return 'home'.

OK, a light-hearted look at Mallorca - but seriously, don't just book your hotel and flights and head for the beach. If you do, you will be missing out on a lot.

Entertainers needed for London Charity

Hi folks - anyone able to help with this request from Wendy?

"I am currently in the process of organising a firewalk to raise money for our charity. The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading campaigning organisation in the UK which campaigns for equality between women and men.

We don’t have a budget for any entertainment, but having someone there to entertain the crowds would mean the event was much more than just a firewalk. I wondered if there was anybody that would donate their time for this event. It is happening on the 3rd December 2009, from about 5.30 in the evening in London, E1. In return we would promote them on all our materials, on our website and in any marketing that goes out.

It really would be amazing to have someone there, to bring the event alive!

I really want this event to be a success and am contacting anyone I can think of to ask for help! If you aren’t able to help then don’t worry. "

Many thanks

Wendy Hall
Business Officer

The Fawcett Society
1-3 Berry Street
London, EC1V 0AA

Our vision is of a society in which women and men enjoy equality at work, at home and in public life. Add your voice to our campaign! Join us at www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

Fawcett Society. A company limited by guarantee no. 4600514. Registered in England. Registered Charity no 1108769.

If you are interested in helping - please email me at carolyn (at) thecompletetrainer.com and I will forward your offer.

It's my turn to party!

Nadine's Blog Party features yours truly today!

She's put up some of my songs and has written a (flattering!) piece too. Go take a look - join in the party and win prizes ALL month!

http://www.nadinelaman.blogspot.com/

Bombs in Mallorca

I know the lovely Ballearic Island of Mallorca reasonably well, compared to most holiday destinations I've visited. Reason is, I go back there often as mother lives there part of the year. - in a small village above Palma.

My daughter is out there now, with her friends, with my mother. And the bombs, claimed by ETA (the Basque separatist group), are in places I know, places we've been. The first bomb killed two policemen and was a 'military' (establishment?) target. Subsequent bombs have been in tourist areas. But no tourists killed. ETA don't want that kind of publicity I guess - but see policemen as acceptable targets?

I don't know the politics - I think of Mallorca/Spain a bit like Wales/England. A separate cultural history, language, but subsumed (not always a negative) by the larger neighbour. But no matter what politics is involved, I can't accept bombing - even of static targets (buildings, things, not people).

Am I worried? Not really - I think statistically the chances of my family being hurt by a bomb in Mallorca are probably smaller than them getting hit by a car in our home town. But I'm a long way away, and that does hurt. Good thing I'm going out soon.

Blog Party!

It's a blog party! Sounds a bit like 'block party', doesn't it? And has some similarities - Nadine's Blog Party is bringing together bloggers from all over the world to have a knees up!

So much going on - I can't begin to cover it all here. The thing to do is visit Nadine's blog (First Draft) next week and join in the fun!

www.nadinelaman.blogspot.com

You can win one of my books (The Ghost Sniffer) on one of the days - check out Nadine's blog every day to see what you could win (and how!)

Painted Ladies!

Watch the painted ladies dance
In a gentle breeze
Their light lives
Flitting, fleet.
Let them stop to sup
And watch
As their wings
Stretch in the sun.

At least 12 painted ladies in my garden! Ah... but you know actually I mean butterflies, not any other kind, so it's not so bad. At one point I saw 14 butterflies on our buddlea, including Peacock, Painted Ladies, Red Admiral and Cabbage White.

Here's the Painted Lady in all her splendour. I spent ages in the garden today just watching them. the buddlea is collapsing on to the lawn and needs cutting back, but whilst it is host to such a glorious assortment of butterflies, bees, lady birds and other creatures, I can't bring myself to do it. Once it's finished flowering though...

Storytelling

I wrote a post on my work blog about storytelling. I think that 'storytelling' is my skill/talent/passion. Whether it's in song, the written (or spoken) word, for entertainment or for business.

When I write articles (and quite a few have been published I am not shy in saying), I still access that 'storyteller' part of me to deliver my business message in an accessible way.

And the posts on here - they are 'mini-stories' too. Some recount my exploits, some are just reflections. But if you wonder why I post my writing on a blog that probably very few people read, the answer is simple: I am a storyteller. I have to keep writing and telling stories (even when no one is listening).

When my kids were little I made up all sorts of adventures and characters to tell them at night; for example The Emerald Isle was populated by extremely clever and magical horses (for my daughter). I used the stories to help calm and relax the children, to get them to use their imaginations - asking questions as well as 'telling'. "Well, what colour do you think Starlight's mane was?" and the child's answer was always right, of course.

Writing a book or an article a great way of delivering your message, but by storytelling you can engage on a totally different level. I'd love to try proper storytelling one day - there are lots of professional storytellers out there. A really good storyteller can entrance an adult audience as well as a young one.

When I sing one of my story songs, I usually have a chorus that people can join in. I want to bring people in to my world, engage them directly in the story - perhaps why I personally prefer songs just to instrumentals. The power of the word, without the picture, is that the listener's imagination provides so much more of the 'fill'.

When you see a film, watch TV or visit a live performance, everything is provided for you. Sound, action, character, visual and also (think of cinema or theatre) other senses are engaged too - smell, touch, temperature... we are given a full range of sensory experiences that leaves the imagination very little to play with.

Perhaps that's why I love reading books and listening to radio plays. The characters are built in my imagination, as I like to see them. Everything is set up in my head - from the huge country house for the murder play, to the hot desert sands in the action adventure. I have, of course, plenty of references to build these images from.

I love storytelling and I love reading - fiction, biographies, historical, factual, business, leisure... the power and versatility of language is what fuels me.

Check out the storytelling article on my work blog - I'm always grateful for comments: http://www.thecompletetrainer.blogspot.com/

Summer

Yesterday when we left work at just gone 5pm, the temperature was about 15 degrees celcius. It was warm, but muggy. By the time we had travelled a few miles in the car, the temperature had plummeted to 7 degrees, we had driven through torrential rain, thunder and lightning and were then bombarded by hail!

It has rained almost permanently for a whole week. That night the sky went a dark, purply grey and we had more thunder, rain and lightning. But this morning the sun is shining and bright and warm and everything is green and growing and almost stretching in the sun - escape at last from the relentless rain.

I walked down to the town market, bought some goodies for the kids (and some chocolate for me.. shh, no one else has found it yet!) and then walked home. I walked back through an alley and at one point, where there is a small car park at the top of a lane, there were blackberry bushes and they were burdened with ripe fruit.

Sticking very much to 'above doggy pee height' I tasted some of the ripe, juicy berries. They were warmed by the morning's sun and tasted of England. There is nothing so delicious as wild fruit, ripe and warm, juicy and 'scrumped'.

I checked my blackberries at home - at the bottom of the garden - they are ripe too. Blackberry and apple pie tomorrow!

Mister Mister

Last Tuesday we attended the funeral of an old family friend - Don Anderson. We'd know Don for about 29 years - he was the partner of our best friend's mother, Veronica. I've know Guido, Veronica's son, since I was 14 (so that's a LONG time!). We spent many Christmas holidays with his family - often going to their house on Boxing day and nearly always seeing them over the holiday period at some time.

Last Christmas Don and Floss (Veronica is known to some as 'Floss') spent Christmas day with us along with Guido, his wife and children. I'm glad now we had that time together, as Don departed rather suddenly. He was 73, but had been hale and hearty up until a short while ago when he was diagnosed with a cancer that took him rapidly.

His funeral was in New Southgate and the small chapel was very full - it was standing room only at the back. There were family (the children and family of his first wife), his friends from the RAF, fellow steam train enthusiasts and many others who knew him.

The service was very touching. And, as always at these events, we learned more about Don now that he was dead from the eulogies and conversation than we had known of him when he was alive.

But why have I called this post 'Mister Mister'? Because Don and Veronica spent a lot of time in Spain, and it always amused the Spanish to hear him called Don (which means Mr in Spanish), so he was dubbed Don Don - meaning Mister Mister.

He was not a man I knew well, but he is a man I have fond memories of. I am gald I knew him.

It's a strange world

Bryan's band Strangeworld played at Ely Folk Festival last weekend and, by all accounts, they stormed it! Here's a snippet for you to enjoy.


There's lots more on their site at Strangeworldmusic.com, and you can buy their CDs from their site too (or from me).

A trip to Bath

Friday I had a business meeting in Bath - a location chosen not only because it was nearer to the person I was meeting (a trainer named David) but also because it gave me the opportunity to visit friends and to return to one of my favourite cities.

On the journey down I stopped to answer a call of nature. The ladies loos at the service station were reasonably tidy. On the door of the cubicle I was in was scrawled 'We must be the change we wish to see - Ghandi'. Below it, neatly written, was 'Love the sentiment, shame you can't spell Gandhi'. And below that.. was 'F*** off, just be yourself'. I didn't realise I'd visited the philosophy booth!

I arrived in good time and followed the sat nav instructions to the car park where David and I had agreed to meet. I arrived first, but he was not long behind me. When we met up he was suited and booted from a coaching session he'd attended, but wanted to change into jeans.

One he had changed (without the aid of a Telephone Box) we walked into town and found a hotel where we sat and discussed business (we have a great product we are launching in partnership with our two businesses) and then just nattered away before driving to see my friend Amie. I met Amie on line and she kindly offered to put me up when I came to Bath.

We drove around the city, out on the Radstock Road, up to Odd Down and down a steep road back towards the City. We tried three houses before we eventually found Amie and her husband Paul. After brief introductions, we went in Amie's car to the Wheatsheaf pub where we had booked a table for supper. I had known this pub in years back and outside it looked the same - perched on a Mendip hillside, dovecotes integral to the white painted walls, thatch and a beautiful garden. It was in the next village to Wellow, where I had been often as a child and where my step-granny, Peeps, had lived.

We walked in and immediately saw that the pub had experienced a radical make over. There were flush lights, glass panels, modern furniture and smooth pale wood bar - it was now a nouvelle cuisine restaurant. So - probably not a ploughman's for supper then! We had a superb meal - even though it was 'nouvelle' we had plenty to eat. Started with little hand-made rolls, then a neat little coffee cup of lobster bisque (not ordered, just part of the meal), and finally our main courses which looked superb, tasted wonderful and were actually filling! We didn't even have a dessert.

Conversation over dinner was interesting - I was with three engineers! Different kind of engineers, but engineers none the less. David had been an engineer in the army, Amie works for a national standards body, and Paul works for a company who makes devices regulated by the board Amie works for. It was a bit like 'copper and thief' at the table sometimes - Paul and Amie didn't always agree about the process for approving products.

After dinner we went back to Amie's house. David left (concerned about the fact he was late feeding his parrot) and then Amie, Paul and I watched the last thrilling episode of Torchwood. Their cats kept us company, the two sister cats snuggled up on Paul's lap. We nattered for about an hour and then, pretty tired, I headed for bed.

In the morning I woke at 6am - the sounds of railway, the city, unfamiliar, but not disturbing. I went back to sleep and woke again at 8. At about 10, I left my kind hosts and headed for a walk round the city. I walked down and went through the newly built up Southgate Centre. They are keeping the style of building and it works well - but the bus station is something else. I visited the Baths (the free access section) and the Abbey. When I entered the Abbey the vicar was giving a sermon. He was in his pulpit addressing an audience of wandering Italian children and a few people sitting politely in the seats at the front. He finished shortly after I entered and as I wandered round this superb building, I came up to him and offered a simple 'good morning' and he smiled. It must be strange addressing a non-congregation.

I enjoyed my walk around and found a snack in the old Guildhall market. I chatted with a girl on one shop where I bought some postcards. She described the new bus station as 'the baked bean tin'. At the back of the market was a stone table which says:

Market Pillar. This 18th century pillar or 'nail' stood on the site of the markets since 1768 for the transaction of business and for prompt payment in bargaining. It is said this gave origin to the phrase 'pay on the nail'.

I wonder how many visitors to Bath ever see this? I wandered on through the city - past the house where my Aunt used to live, through the park (some amazing trees - the outstretched branch on this maple was nearly 70 foot long!) I walked around some of the back streets, not just the main tourist routes. I would love to get to know this city better. It's odd, but I like being a lone tourist.

I returned to Amie and Paul's house. We had some lunch and then I headed off to my next meeting - a visit with an author (and trainer) in a small village in Oxfordshire. On the motorway I noticed signs to Watlington - where Peeps had lived when she was with my grandpa and where my mother had spent some of her youth.

The red kite, a rare and protected bird of prey, was first reintroduced in the UK near Watlington. I have seen them where I live now, but only very occasionally. On my journey to visit Alison, the author, I saw 11 red kites - at one point five of them playing in the air above the motorway itself. Amazing birds! Very distinctive with their sharply forked tail - easy to spot in the air without taking your eyes off the road.

I arrived at the village, which is on the river Thame. Alison's house was very picturesque and her labrador, Jasper, very welcoming. She greeted me in tennis whites, having been playing in the garden before I arrived (I never found out with whom, or whether she was playing on her own). We worked for a couple of hours, getting the last edits sorted on a book we are publishing, and then I headed for home.

As I drove I thought about my quick trip away. I love the city of Bath, I miss not going there to see family (none left there now) and I miss the deep greens of the Mendips. Next time I go I will visit Wellow and some of the villages I used to know. Yes, everything changes, and it will be different when I go, but I can still visit places just to enjoy them for how they are.

There's some more photos on my flickr site

The Kathryn’s Beach Trilogy

Book review of the trilogy by Nadine Laman

I’m an avid reader and I read all genres, from sci-fi to biography, novels to history. I love to read and the key to me is a great story and ‘engagement’. Even if you don’t like the characters, you have to engage with them.

That’s what I loved about Nadine’s trilogy – I read Kathryn’s Beach and I felt that the active, first person style was very engaging. You are right there, in the moment, seeing the world through her eyes. The upsets, the challenges and the drama all feel very real when you are reading from the first person point of view, even though it is not that common a form. The story in Kathryn’s Beach is also one that engages – you understand the distress she feels and why she had to ‘run’, the curiosity as strange events unfold, and grief and joy as different action takes place in Kathryn’s life.

Nadine has a blog where she talks about her writing at www.nadinelaman.blogspot.com and you can buy her books off her website www.nadinelaman.com.

Once I’d read Kathryn’s Beach, I just had to read the others. High Tide, the second book, still used the ‘drag you along’ style and the shocking events that happened, and how Kathryn handled them, still felt personal. Though maybe you don’t agree, as a reader, with everything she says or does, you are taken along by the story and follow her life changing encounters with a family that you kind of wish you had, and are very glad you don’t have.

The final book, which we had to wait a bit for (keeping us in suspense! Everyone I know who read the other two books was dying to find out what happened in Storm Surge) kept the character strong – you knew it was Kathryn (like recognising an old friend) and wanted to find out how she coped with a complete life style change and some quite tragic, and heart-warming events.

From start to finish, I wanted to know what happens, I wanted to follow Kathryn on her journey and I enjoyed meeting the people she interacted with along the way. The reader gets comfy with people like Mr Goldstein, the elderly and kindly neighbour, Karen, the ex-boss who is a bit of a fixer, the demure Mother Elizabeth (I never met any nuns, but I believe this one) and the close companion Maggie, who is lost so early on.

All I can say is buy Kathryn’s Beach – and you will want to read the whole trilogy.

Nadine has an excellent blog where she talks about her writing: www.nadinelaman.blogspot.com and you can buy her books off her website at www.nadinelamanbooks.com

Another work article

One of my favourite quotes is from Winston Churchill:

“I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

We learn best by doing, and Churchill certainly ‘did’ a lot – from his career as an officer in the British Army, through his exploits as a historian, writer, and artist to being the only British Prime Minister ever to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.

There was no on line learning in Churchill’s day, but I am sure he would have embraced it. You may think on line learning was not available during Churchill’s life time, but in fact on line learning pre-dates the internet. The first recorded system was the Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching Operations, developed at the University of Illinois in 1960 (and remained in operation until the 1990’s). In 1994 the Open University in the UK developed a Virtual Summer School.

As computers became an everyday item in households throughout the Western World, so on line learning also grew. During the early 1980s (in the days of 8” floppy disks) I worked for a large international computer company. There was excitement as the concept of desk-top computers equally as powerful as machines which, at the time, occupied whole rooms, were a reality that we saw grow nearer every day.

On line learning is now part of everyday life. Children today are given homework assignments and assistance via the internet, you can gain business qualifications and learn new skills without leaving the comfort of you own home. You can study with fellow students at a University half way round the world, if you so choose.

However, if you want to train to be a chef, you can complete a training programme, check recipes, find out about new foods, techniques, purchase the best tools – all on line. On line learning is an excellent enhancement to classroom and practical learning, in this example. The practical side can be done without external tuition, but the results and the credibility of the training may be perceived as inferior.

There are tremendous advantages to on line learning – but what are the barriers to learning? Access is important: you need a computer, probably internet access, and appropriate programmes for audio and video content. Learning styles are also highly individual and many people don’t like ‘reading’ what to do. There are also issues for those with reading disabilities (though audio and visual options are available for many systems). Some people just don’t like learning with a computer instead of a person. For example, I may find using the internet an excellent way to research a subject, but if I want to learn to identify birds, no matter how great the video, audio and catalogue resources on the internet – I actually want to be outside, listening, watching, and learning with a book or (even better), with an expert.

With management development, in a corporate environment, access is usually facilitated through the workplace. Individuals can work not only in the place of their choosing, but also at a time that is convenient for themselves and the business. Teams can work together in remote locations, company competency frameworks can be implemented globally and individuals can be given access to the tools they need to develop their skills.

Much has been, and continues to be, written about on line learning. What advantages does it hold over face to face, how flexible is it, do people really learn from electronic resources or is it just a cheap alternative to ‘proper’ training? I don’t need to go into a detailed breakdown of the pros and cons, because they are highly individual – the important thing is that this resource exists, in many forms from simple on line documents through interactive e-learning to simulations and live web and pod-casts.

On line learning is, above all else, a wonderful opportunity. For self development, business development, individual skill building or implementation of organisation wide knowledge sharing – on line learning is an extraordinary resource that, had he been alive today, Churchill would no doubt have welcomed with open arms and mind.

The Complete Trainer has launched their own on line academy - find out more on the main site.

Footnote: I published this article on Hub pages, ezines, on my work blog and on here - I wonder if that will affect the links status of the product? I do find using these different methods interesting to try and promote the business and do everything I can to try and increase search engine rankings.

Swimming

Sunday mornings I go swimming at our local leisure centre. I usually get there from around 8am to 9am - the earlier I go the less kids, so though I swim in a lane, it's quieter if I go earlier.

I go regularly and so do others, of course. Because I am not set to a precise time every week, I tend to see different people. And, as I can't resist observing, I also watch these people (I am not a speedy swimmer so there is plenty of time).

Sometimes I just watch the water - the sunshine creating patterns that shimmer and dance, seeing how the movement of my hands sends whorls of current scattering the light. I enjoy the sensation of swimming, of being light and able to move in the water with the buoyancy of this marvellous element.

But back to people! There are two ladies (older than me) who go regularly. One is dark haired, the other (bottle) blonde. If they are in the 'slow lane' (my favourite haunt) with no one else, they go up and down together, side by side instead of following. And they walk the first half, right up until they have to swim, because they are so deep in converstation. These are not ladies who lunch, but the 'ladies who swim'. The darker haired one is a grandmother - and when her child arrives with partner and their two twin babies, she lights up. She abandons the lane and heads to the 'free for all' section to dote upon her two grandchildren. And they are incredibly cute and love their swimming, even though they must be less than a year old.

Then there is the couple who swim in separate lanes. She in the 'medium lane', and he with me in the 'slow lane'. There are signs at the end of each lane with arrows showing which way round to swim - up one side, down the other. Mostly you can gauge which lane to be in by who's already in there and how they compare to your natural pace.

The man I reminds me of a whale - not because he is huge (he is large, not huge) but because he breaches on each stroke, like a whale. His back rises and his head plunges - all the way up and down the pool.

Then there is 'grunter'. Another chap who plods slowly up and down and makes a female-tennis-player type grunt with every stroke. These are all familiar faces to me, as we share the slow lane at different times (all of us at once would be madness!). Today I went swimming and I have a new person to add to my list of characters - she is 'bubbles'. On the downstroke she blows out through the mouth (not uncommon, of course) but makes lots of bubbles (noticeably!) and also a noise. You make some noise when you breathe out, but to make this odd sound she must actually vocalise. So - even from the other end of the pool - you can hear her bubbling as she rises and falls in the water.

I wonder what, if anything, they think of me? I must have some foibles, but mostly I am just slow. I don't swim to be competitive or for a massive health workout, I swim because I like it. I am in my own space, in my head, I can think about anything or nothing and just enjoy the sensation of exercise without stress or competition.

By the way - the photo is just one I nabbed of the net - from a club in the USA. I just liked the picture!

Sunday

This Sunday morning early I went outside into my garden. I heard the loud clear song of the blackbird and the syruping lilt of the goldfinch. No traffic sounds - just the creaks of the world as it stretched itself ready for the day ahead.

On blackberry blossom near the dogroses, the bumble bees were busy, intent on nectar collection. There was the sweet scent from the mock organge, drifting on the breeze. The lawn was long enough to allow the clover to flower. Dandelions crept out, hoping to escape my notice.

Overhead two old planes flew past - their ancient engines rattling the sky briefly as they passed. On their way to Duxford perhaps, chasing the few white smears of cloud.

Back on the ground tall toadflax with purple flowers, also beloved of the bees, waved gently in the light breeze. My vegetables watered, fed and tended, I just watched the world for a moment.

The wings of the bird, the wings of the bee, the wings of the plane. The church bells rang - a long peal that could be heard for years, their sound drifted on hidden wings. Sunday morning, a precious moment for me.

Profile of the Month

Here's something from my work to show you how I write for business:

June 2009: An interview with Sharon Gaskin

Sharon Gaskin is the Founder of The Trainers Training Company. She works with freelance trainers to help them create successful training businesses. I first met Sharon last year via Ecademy and since then we have stayed in touch and shared ideas and information in our shared passion – learning and development.

About The Trainers Training Company

Carolyn (The Complete Trainer Ltd): Tell me about your company and why you started this venture.

Sharon Gaskin (The Trainers Training Company Ltd): I started the Trainers Training Company in 2008. It was an idea that I had had for a while, but had never done anything about. It was only when I had a spate of questions from different people – all wanting to be freelance trainers – and all within the space of a week – that I realised there were people out there who really needed my help.

We help trainers develop their businesses. Our clients include trainers who have been made redundant and decide to go freelance. It can be a bit overwhelming coming from the secure environment of being employed to going freelance. We help them get started and approach their future in a positive and purposeful way.

Sometimes trainers make the decision to break out of corporate life voluntarily – they have tremendous experience but may find taking that first independent step daunting. Our company offers support and guidance – helping people turn what was just the dream of being self-employed into a reality.

Not all our clients are brand new start ups. Many people we are working with start out with lots of ideas and enthusiasm but are now becoming disillusioned because the market is challenging and they haven’t got enough work. We help them with practical strategies that they can start applying to the business to bring in more clients fast.

Carolyn: What about trainers who have been in the business a long time? Do they come to you for help too?

Sharon: As, they say, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” In these times, even the most established of trainers and training providers need to look at their practices and re-energise their business methods to really get their business moving forward.

Carolyn: What is your business vision?

Sharon: We aim to be a 1 Stop Shop for freelance trainers providing a range of services to suit all needs and budgets including Workshops, Teleseminars and 1 to 1 Business Coaching.

I am passionate about helping freelance trainers to develop and grow profitable businesses. I know what it feels like – I am a freelance trainer myself. I have been there and done it and know how hard it can be, particularly when you first start out. The reason I can offer such good advice is that I am not shy to admit my mistakes and to share them. In the first year as a freelance trainer I learned a lot – not about training but about how to operate as a successful business.

Carolyn: Where are you based and where do you tend to work mostly?

Sharon: I live in the West Midlands, about half an hour from Birmingham. The beauty of my job is that most of it is done from home, I give people coaching sessions and run Teleseminars over the phone.My workshops are run in Birmingham but I have plans to widen the net next year.

Carolyn: What is the weirdest experience you have had as a trainer?
In the course of 20 years as a trainer I’ve seen a lot of things and dealt with all types of people and situations. But I have to admit that the weirdest thing I have ever experienced is having my husband as a delegate on a management training course - and having to put up with everyone else's jokes!

Carolyn: Sharon, any last words to say about training in today’s economic climate?

Sharon: I’m seeing a mixture of people who are undoubtedly finding it more challenging than usual but there are also others who have never been busier. In my experience the most successful freelance trainers are the ones who continuously market themselves regardless of whether they have plenty of work or not and who make it a priority to work ON as well as IN their businesses. And I think in the majority of cases these are the trainers who are reaping the benefits at the moment.

Products/Links:

Downloadable E Book: How To Launch A Training Business in 30 Days
Teleseminars: Live Teleseminars and Downloadable Recordings on topics such How To Build Relationships That Win Corporate Business and How To Overcome Your Fear of Selling Your


1 Day Workshop: July 2 2009 in Birmingham - Workshop: How To Create A Successful and Profitable Training Business - The Easy Way

Get your FREE Enterprising Trainer Pack at http://www.thetrainerstrainingcompany.co.uk/

Testimonial
“Having recently taken redundancy after 31 years of working for a major retailer, I’d decided to start up my own freelance training business. I’d attended several workshops on self-employment, networking etc, and my brain was buzzing! I was unfocussed and beginning to worry about where to start, and then!I discovered How to launch a training business in 30 days!

This book is fantastic! It helped me order my thoughts, gave me focus, and produce a clear plan of action. The language is easy to understand, the exercises are practical, and the overall product gave me the motivation to continue – and I’m now feeling much more confident. One of the major plus points for me, was that it is specifically about a training business – everything else I’d read or attended was quite general.

Thank you Sharon – a great tool for brand new freelance trainers!” Sue Parsons

Spare time

In my spare time - of which there isn't an awful lot - I like to make jewellery. Mostly earrings, as that's all I've learned to do so far.

I have made far more than I could ever wear, so I take them to places I play and try and sell a few too. My favourite ones are the ones made out of guitar picks - and when I found picks featuring a certain cartoon character from TV, I couldn't resist! See what you think - the photos are not great, but hopefully you can see enough to get an idea.

These I call 'sparkly' - you can't really tell on here but they are faux diamonds that are very pretty. They are on silver posts.

These I call 'Rock Chick' - you can't tell but they have a 'beaten alumnium' look, very metal or grunge or... er... well, whatever! They were expensive to make as the picks were not cheap, but I really like these.

I made a necklace to go with them too - at the moment it hangs centrally with the chain going through the two outer holes, but I may change it so that it hangs at an angle, like the earrings. And if you had these, you'd never be short of a plectrum at your gig again (as long as you remembered to wear them).


These I christened 'Peacock' because they have that wonderful shimmering appearance when the light hits them, just like a peacock feather. They are simply four sequins on the end of a headpin (the long bit) with two purple glass beads on the pin, attached to metal fishhooks (not real fishhooks, but earring hooks).

These are made using a gold coloured metal, which gives a nice contrast to the dark bluey-black of the sequins and the shiny purple beads.

Now I guess you may recognise this smiley fella, but I'm not sure I can name him because of copyright and all sorts of issues - but I paid for the picks, so I've paid my licence fee for using him! He is of an underwater nature and has rectangular underwear. I have another pair I made featuring two of his pals (see below), great fun!

Having shown you a few of my earrings, I hope I get some feedback. I would love to know if they are worth selling, and any ideas for how I could sell them. I think putting them on Ebay would probably not be worth it as they are only going to be sold for between £3-£5, and if you want a box, then that's another 45p, plus postage. I love doing them, but I have such a collection now I really must look at ways of selling them if I can.

I need some advice on how to photograph them too - my digital doesn't really seem to capture the colours right or the detail.

The first pair are wooden beads on silver fishhooks, the second are oblong enamel beads on gold coloured metal, and the last are the cartoon ones on silver coloured metal.

A walk on the Heath

I was the last to leave the office Thursday evening, but as my office is on the top floor, folks don't always yell 'bye' to me. And yesterday, the 'last out' actually locked the door and set the alarm! Well, the result was that I could either sit in my chair all night or I had to move, set off the sensors and rush downstairs to stop the alarm bringing a cohort of policemen... hmm, now why did I turn off the alarm?

Thursday was also elections, so our family got in the car to visit the local primary school and make our marks. On the way we spotted our neighbours. we gave them a lift too and, when we reached the school, met some other people we knew. Then, after voting, we bumped into a band Bryan knows (Megson). Just as we were chatting the 'Poll Guardian' (or whatever they are calle said 'Excuse me, are you Carolyn from Shave the Monkey?'. Turns out he recognised us from the 'good old days'.

later on that evening I went to the 'annual outing' with the local Writers' Circle. We had planned to go to the fire station but that was cancelled, so we had a choice between doing the Town Tour or going to Therfield Heath. The Heath is accessible to us by just walking 100 yards to the end of the road where we live, but we met in the town and drove up to the parking places on the Therfield Road and started our walk. Julie, the Circle Chair, is also highly knowledgeable about plants. She told us the medicinal and edible properties of plants such as 'jack by the hedge' and burdock, of the many natural laxatives on the heath and, usefully, what used to be used as a natural toilet paper (silver birch bark).

Julie told us about the plants that you could eat, how members of the mint family (including the white 'nettle' which doesn't sting) all have squarish stems, and the myths surrounding the versatile elder. This was exmtremely useful for me as I am writing a longer story set in medieval times - I can add a few of these plants (common then as they are now) to the diet of my characters, and also use little side stories like the leaf of the plantain being a useful antibiotic 'bandage'. Julie said they called them 'fairy bandages'. And how one plant (I forget which) creates blisters and how beggars used to use it to make themselves look more pitiful. Creative humanity!

The idea of the annual trip is that we use it to find ideas to inspire us for our writing exercise at the next meeting - I have lots of material, just haven't worked out how I am going to use what we learned. I wrote a story about 'Longbarrow Jack' in the past (a fictional encounter with a barrow wight) as there are barrows on the heath, but I think I will write something about someone who tries to use some herbal recipes and gets it a bit wrong.

One of the team was very keen to find any poisons - she loves writing what she calls 'dark' stuff. I've not heard or read any yet. There was no Deadly Nightshade on the heath - no Belladonna. Translate Bella Donna - it means 'Beautiful Lady'. Why call a poisonous plant that? Because if you put the juice in the eye, it makes the pupils dilate - makes them more beautiful. Oh, makes you blind too - but then in times past folks used lead to make their skin white too, didn't they!

It was a very enjoyable walk, the sun setting orange over the fields - we could see for miles across Cambridgeshire - flat open spaces below us, as we stood on the chalky hills. As the seven of us headed along the top of the heath path and towards the golf club end (about a mile) it got a little chillier. I suggested we continued onwards instead of turning back to the cars and stopped at my house (our road was just about in view) and had tea, coffee and hot chocolate. Then I could drive everyone back in my car (7 seater thankfully) back to where we started from.

Now all I have to do is check my notes, look at my plant pictures and remember which is which, and try and have some ideas for writing up at the next meeting. We all liked this tree - maybe there's a starting point!

Danny La Rue and Marty Feldman

I just heard that Danny La Rue died, aged 81. See my previous post about the time I met him. I would say it is sad to hear he has passed - but instead I would much rather celebrate his extraordinary life. Let's be happy for what he gave us as an entertainer.

Here's a (short) obituary for him from Lurgan (he was an Irishman): http://www.lurganmail.co.uk/latest-irish-news/Death-of-entertainer-Danny-La.5321976.jp

I'm sure we will hear more about the 'comic in a frock' as the news pick up on the story and the researchers put together all the wealth of material they have about him. He was in the Black and White Minstrel show, a TV series that my mother also worked on, so I may have met him then as well. All I can say is I found him a nice guy. He wasn't nearly as frightening as Marty Feldman who I met when I was about 5 years old.

I met Marty in the changing rooms of Queens Park Rangers football club. They were filming a comedy sketch with the Royal Family as a football team. I remember him leaning over me, friendly, saying hello to the little girl on the bench... bless I'm sure he meant well but it did unnerve me.

For some reason, and I don't know what (and I'm not sure Sally remembers either), she had to do a plaster cast of his nose (which was, shall we say, prominent). We had this plaster cast for many years, along with many other weird and wonderful casts (including some 'Vulcan' ears), but plaster deteriorates and, after storage in a damp shed, it had to be disposed of.

May they both rest in peace - two great entertainers who added humour to our world.

Image courtesy of NNDB.com - original owner's rights asserted.

Drummers

Have you heard the one about the guy who kept hanging around musicians? He was a drummer... boom boom! Oh dear, there are stacks of bad drummer jokes, but there are stacks of jokes about banjos and accordions and their players too. But I didn't start this post to make bad jokes, I was just thinking the other day about the drummers we've played with. And what an interesting and varied bunch they are!

Let's start with the first drummer I played with, properly, in a band. This was a band we put together where I worked with various members of staff. My boss and I both had music in common and we formed the aptly named 'Mike Mucus and the Membranes' for a couple of fun gigs. Nothing too serious, a few cover songs and basically good fun. But we didn't have a drummer in the office cadre of musicians, so Mike brought in a friend of his called Follett. He was a good drummer, and although we rehearsed together, we never actually gigged with him for some reason. I remember one rehearsal where he dropped his joint behind the radiator. He spent the entire rehearsal trying to fish it out with a drumstick, and then dropped the drumstick down the radiator too. All very well, but we rehearsed in the office canteen! I hope the evidence of his shady habits were never found. Well, they must have been one day, for that building is now the headquarters of McDonald's in the UK.

Follett couldn't play for our one main gig - at a night club in London supporting some pop/punk band called Scarlet. So Mike brought in another friend of his, Bill. Now, we didn't need to rehearse with Bill because he was a 'professional'. He was amazing! He played that one night with us an we had an absolute blast. He was a quiet guy, very pleasant, amazingly talented and had longish hair and a moustache. That's about all I can remember about him - but if you want to know what he looked like when he was 'top of the pops', just look up Bill Legend - from TRex!


The next drummer we played with was Tony (pictured left) who was the drummer in our folk rock band, Aardvark and No Money. This was in the 80s and Tony had naturally curly hair whilst Bryan and I had perms! Oh yes - matching perms. Tony was a rock solid drummer - his timing was so spot on that when we recorded, whilst being mixed someone asked if he was a drum machine! He used to play in a vest top and I do remember one gig, at the Old Bull Arts Centre in Barnet, where I 'oiled him up' with glycerine to make him all shiny under the lights. Hey! It was the 80s, OK?

Tony was a great drummer, but for reasons I honestly can't remember, we parted ways and he was replaced by Kevin (pictured right), who even now still plays with Bryan in the dance band Swindlers & Gentry. Kevin came into Aardvark in, sadly, its declining years, but he stayed with us as we formed Shave the Monkey which played (and I have to say, didn't do too badly at all!) together for over 16 years.

At one time my son Alex played with us - he did a couple of barn dances when he was only 7 or 8, but he was easily good enough. He still plays now (aged 17) but exams and skateboarding and other distractions keep him away from his sticks these days.

Shave called it quits in the early part of the new millennium and it was time to seek pastures new. One gig I depped on bass for was in an ad hoc dance band in Kent. The drummer this time was a quiet chap but extremely talented, called Carlton. Turns out he was a professional too. Played with a quiet outfit called Bad Manners!

For a short while Bryan and rehearsed and recorded with a band called Fire Giants, but it never quite got going. We had an amazing drummer called Martin who was very different in style to the other guys - he had spent time in Cuba learning some incredibly complex rhythm stuff. He played all sorts of percussion too including weird African drums, shaky and wobbly things of all descriptions.

The next drummer that I played with (and still play with) was Baz - he was a friend of Penni's and we played at a few ad hoc gigs at Rougham together (more stories about some of the weirder gigs are on this blog).

As you can tell, quite a history of drummers. And all of them, without exception, excellent. I consider myself very lucky to have played with such great drummers. And, as a bass player, it's important the bass and drums 'click' to get a great rhythm section. Hopefully the drummers I've played with have enjoyed playing with me too (though I should think that Bill and Carlton probably wouldn't remember those one off gigs).

Now the other day, Kevin couldn't do one of the barn dance gigs. So Bryan called up a friend who he hadn't played with for years, but who had recently got back in touch. Full circle it seems, Bryan and his mates played a gig with Tony - but he doesn't exactly have curly hair any more, and Bryan doesn't have a perm either.

So, who do I play with now? Well, Shani, my music partner in our band Tu, is also a drummer! We can't exactly perform live with the drums though - because she plays bass, guitar and sings too. Talented as she is I think playing drums at the same time as bass or guitar is going to be a challenge... unless we change and go for a 'White Stripes' type act at some time!

What's the difference between a drummer and a drum machine? With a drum machine you only need to punch the information in once. And there's a really rude riposte to this about bass players too but, funnily, I can't remember it...

Relaaaaaxed

Ah - I did something today I've not actually done in ages. Nothing! Yes, nothing. I lay on the lawn in the warm sun and did nothing. I felt the tickle of small bugs as they crawled over me - a huge interference. I listened to the screech of the swallows diving across the clear blue sky.

I heard the snore of my cat who chose the discomfort of heat so that she could have companionship in the sun. I heard the chatter of neighours and smelled the smoke of early barbecue preparations. And the rustle of the frogs amongst the pond plants - a splash as they chased the sun from the edge of the pool.

I felt the prickle of the grass beneath my back and the hard, dry ground underneath me, unyeilding. I lay, content to do nothing except, occasionally, read a few pages of my book. But mostly I just felt that warm sun on my skin and the weight of a lovely lunch settling in my stomach.

What a peaceful afternoon.

Upstaged!

Last weekend Shani and I played at Rougham Air Field at the Suffolk Kite Festival. It was an incredibly windy weekend (good) but rainy too (not so good). There were kites like a crab, Tweetie Pie (pictured), an octopus, a giant teddy, as well as the fantastic stunt kites. But we didn't get to see much of them.

Shani and I were in the tea/bar tent, playing in the afternoon to the visitors to the show. We played both Saturday and Sunday for about three and a quarter hours over a four hour period - mostly because we were having such fun.

But - on Sunday - we were upstaged! Oh yes, upstaged by a guest performer. You see - I always ask the audience (when there is one - sometimes there weren't that many people in there, but we always had the bar staff!) what they'd like us to sing. 99% of the time of course we don't know what they want, but one young lady asked me for a song I knew!

"Horsey, horsey, don't you stop, just let your feet go clippety clop, your... mmmmm.... and your wheels go round, giddy up we're homeward bound". OK, I've probably not sung that since my own kids were about four, but I remembered all of it but one line. I asked the little girl if she knew the line and she did. I asked her if she'd like to sing it, and she said she would.

With a smile of consent from her mother, the cutie clambered onto the stage and I put the mike down to her level. With a loud and confident voice she sang the song with us accompanying, and 'tail goes swish' was the missing line. The audience of course applauded hugely. Her little eyes went round as saucers and I could see she loved it. Another soul lost to the lure of the stage! Even if it was in a tea tent in a field at a kite festival.

Two days of solid playing our fingers were sore but we had a grand time. John, the guy who runs all the events, was not happy with the layout of the event and there weren't really enough people there to make him completely happy, but even so he seemed happy with the music and it was, for us, a good time. They run some superb events at Rougham (and some of my earlier and more bizarre gigs have in fact occurred there too), so worth a visit: http://www.roughamairfield.org/

Muppets and Drag Acts

Here's something from my personal history - I dug it out of my old writings when I was talking about the Muppets with one of my colleagues.

With theatrical parents (in more ways that one), I was brought up in a very open atmosphere - where more 'artistic' views, exaggerated personalities and attitudes were acceptable. I met many fascinating people - I only regret that being so young, I did not fully appreciate how lucky I was to meet them.

Certain instances remain fairly clear in my memory, such as watching a production of the Muppet Show and seeing not only how it was done technically, but just how much the puppeteers 'lived' the characters. Even though from the studio floor you could see the operators, the characters of the puppets were such that you watched them and followed their dialogue, almost ignoring the puppeteers 'below'. The show was staged on two levels - the studio floor being where all the human muppets moved, and a secondary level from which the show was filmed, and from where the lives of the puppets themselves were all that could be seen.

The episode I watched being filmed featured Racquel Welch. I remember her laughing most of the time - you couldn't help it with the crew and the 'cast'. The pure fun of such television magic made the whole experience magical, even though the 'technical magic' was revealed.

(I found part of the show on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEuEx0qJyO8)

Perhaps being brought up in the theatre had disadvantages too - my mother tells me that when I went to see 'Peter Pan' on stage I loudly cried that I could 'see the wires'. Peter wasn't flying at all! The wires aren't so easy to see these days (on screen they can be edited out and cgi is a wonderful thing), but I know they are there. I wasn't much good at the suspension of disbelief I guess. Perhaps that's why I liked reading so much?

For one production my mother worked on, I can't remember which (probably something at the London Palladium), I was down in the dressing rooms with her whilst she fitted head dresses. Danny La Rue entered in full ball gown, wig and makeup. He was very funny, even just chatting to his companions, and he loved to say in a sudden, deep, butch aside "I'm a fella really". All the men I met were charming and tolerant of a young girl, and I think the strong affinity between theatrical people stems from comradeship and a history of tolerance that has been around longer in their profession than in perhaps any other (save the oldest, I imagine).

Muppet picture from Wikia Entertainment website, Danny La Rue from BBC website. Unknown origins, no copyright claimed, original owners' rights asserted.