Bully Wee Band at Twickenham Folk Club

We were introduced to the Bully Wee Band by Quintin, who has been a fan for a long time, but of course we knew Ian Cutler, the Kentish fiddle player, from 'Feast of Fiddles' and the 'Hot Rats'. The rest of the lineup were also original band members - Fergus Feely, Jim Yardley and Colin Reece who were all excellent. Loved the Anglo-Celtic dare-you-to-dance style of music - with the Bridge Violin as well it's almost perfectly my thing! Colin's own songs included a great folk story about the Lady Lovibond, an aptly named ship deliberately wrecked by a first mate in hatred of his girlfriend-stealing captain, and the Christian-pagan story of Stanton Drew stone circle. Fergus's 'Fifty Channels' was by contrast to most of the band's material, a sad, touching love story.
Very entertaining evening - Jim's cheeky 'Love Will You Marry Me' stood out for me, as well as the band's well-loved version of 'The Snows (They Melt The Soonest)'.
Quintin and I got up to dance at the end to the band's last fast-and-furious jigs (forgot what they were called, sorry). Thought we'd be told off by some of the more staid folk-club members, but amazingly we were not! Great evening, even though the bar at the Cabbage Patch had run out of Deuchars IPA.
I also bought the album, which the band kindly signed for me, called '50 Channels' recorded live in January 2006. The sound quality is great, with no overdubs or postmixing, and it captures a little of the live experience - go and buy it, folkies!

Evil Wolf-Cat

Sorry for the lack of posts, I've had a stinking cold and haven't been up to much.
We have noticed recently that our little tortoiseshell cat, Holly, is too scared to go out and started messing inside, till we put a litter tray down. If we shut Holly out at night she'd come back with deep scratches and bite marks on her, as if another cat had tried to kill her! Hubby also noticed a huge grey cat, which we call Wolf-cat, peering in at the windows.
Then the other night I was awoken by a cat fight on the landing (hubby amazingly slept though the dreadful wailing and hissing). As soon as the other cat heard me coming it must have legged it downstairs and out of the (broken) cat flap again. The next day hubby noticed Wolf-cat in our garden again, so it's a fair bet that he is the one who attacked Holly in her own home! Again Wolf-cat legged it when he saw hubby, he must be used to humans trying to scare him away.
Now we've boarded over the cat flap so that Wolf-cat can't get in, but now of course Holly can't get out. She is only safe outside with a human bodyguard. Such a shame, as she loves the outdoors! Horrible Wolf-cat. Not a lot we can do though...

Twelfth Night in Guildford

Touring around pubs doing Mummer's plays, reciting stories and singing carols and wassail songs on a Saturday night in Guildford is not easy, but I guess Pilgrim Morris are used to it! Somehow the morrismen and their entourage, including Anna and Nonny Tabbush, Nick Sowden and a handful of Guildford Vox members, managed to squeeze into the main bar of the Star to perform the usual doctor-raising-Turkish-Knight-from-dead play. This was done with far more panache than other, more ponderous Mummer's plays we've seen! Great fun. Then someone handed around songsheets and loads of us joined in the singing. Although I didn't know many wassail songs I did by the end of the night!
The King's Head was closed, so it missed out on it's lucky chalk crosses for the New Year. The Angel Hotel bar was also closed, but the manager let us into the lobby area - which was really good, not so crowded and we had good views of the plays (the doctor one and a version of Cinderella). The (young, attractive) Queen was hoisted up by a couple of morrismen amidst much merriment to chalk the lucky crosses on an oak beam below the balcony.
Next the morris entourage somehow squeezed into the Three Pigeons for another performance. I couldn't face more claustrophobia and didn't want to risk the variable beer there, so I formed an advance party to the Royal Oak and some nice Freeminer Bitter. I grabbed a few seats for the Vox and sipped my pint. The morrismen were a little late, so I only had time to sing a couple of carols before having to run off for the last train home at 12.14pm - but was accompanied by Simon Friend of the Levellers, who was there with a group of friends! Good for him, I say, suporting the old traditions.
Such a fun night out, I'll be back next year!

New Year's Resolutions 2007

1. I will learn to drive. I will, I will, I will! This year, for certain!
2. I will find a plumber somehow to fix the fresh water tap.
3. I will get a washer-dryer.
4. If any woman asks if my husband fantasises about her, invites my husband to lick beer off her tits, moans about his slim, attractive wife taking attention away from her, invites him to 'tuck her in' etc etc I will tell her in no uncertain terms that this is unacceptable! Either that or throw my beer over her!! I think this is entirely reasonable.
5. I will not spend loads of money on tat from the sales. Honest.
6. I will not spend loads of money this year on station coffee. Nice though Puccinos is at Redhill. Instead I will bring a small Thermos flask with me on the train.
7. I will keep my diary up to date so that I know what I'm doing months in advance, like Bill Badger does.
8. I will spend more time on my bike. Once the weather has cleared up that is ;-)
9. I will not buy any more bottled beer. Not till we've drunk the huge stockpile we have already.
10. I will buy less jewellery. I am not obsessed, jewellery jewellery jewellery. Damn.

Happy New Year!

Yesterday we tried to get Sunday Lunch at the Sandrock but they'd evidently changed their minds about cooking on New Year's Eve. Bought 7 pints of RCH Pitchfork and 3 1/2 pints of Holden's Golden Glow for the evening at Godalming Ceilidh, and then went to the Shepherd and Flock for posh nosh and more beer.
The day before, we'd not been able to get tickets from Record Corner in Godalming, which had sold out. We made an anxious call to our friend Jane, who kindly checked their website, and the tickets hadn't yet sold out completely so she was able to order some for us online. You SHALL go to the ball, Cinderella!
Jane also offered to drive, what a star woman. Weather was appalling as well, with rain pelting it down.
Bursledon Village Band were excellent, and we had a better caller than last time, a guy in big red pantaloons who looked a bit like Buster Bloodvessel.
As well as Simon and Jane there were lots of familiar faces at the ceilidh - choir members mostly! Spotted Joy, Tim, Jocelyn, Clare and Marie with their partners. I look forward to Climax Ceilidh Band's stint on the 24th March, it will be good to see Our Illustrious Leader with her band.
The dancing was great fun, with nobody being picky if you messed things up, and although Simon was skeptical at the beginning, he seemed to be getting into it at the end (perhaps that was the beer and single-malt whisky taking effect!). Sadly I've no pictures, Billy Badger didn't bring his camera. Probably just as well!
Laurence had brought a load of balloons and we had fun kicking huge ones around, and letting off screamers. There were also party-poppers and assorted plastic musical instruments to make loads of noise at 12 o'clock, which we did! THen followed the obligatory Gay Gordons which I messed up, apparently holding Bill the wrong way. Shame when it finished at 1am - I could have partied a lot longer!
Wishing a very happy 2007 to all my readers.