then it was Saturday

So. Awake, panic, have a shower, panic, clean teeth, get toothpaste everywhere. Now why was that? The ensuite bathroom to my room was incredibly elegant with a washbasin encased in a beautiful granite surround, But.... it was very high and the basin was set very deep in the granite. So I had to stand on tiptoe and I still couldn't quite reach the basin to wash my face..I had to kind of aim at my face and throw water at it..managed it in the end though. but hence the toothpaste everywhere as well.. Where was I? Ah yes clean teeth, panic, get dressed, panic,down to breakfast, panic...etc. I was a bit twitchy as you may guess.

Anyway Jon and I went out for a walk and found errr nothing much but concrete! Being the City of London it was mainly closed on Saturday..so more concrete walking and back to the hotel, where we had a cup of coffee and nattered to Iain Matthews while we waited for the transport to take us to the Barbican, where soundchecks were going on and lunch was waiting..

I was not hungry, so I ate a handful of liquorice all sorts and nattered to whoever was passing. Practiced my harping and my recordering and panicked some more..

Finally at 6 pm it was time for my soundcheck. By this time I was really twitching and everyone else was really tired, but the sound was set up for me and my harp and my voice as I would be on first..

So I changed into my stage outfit, and tried to look as if I knew what I was doing with eye makeup and the like.. and suddenly it was time. Ashley Richard and Simon went on stage and took their places followed by me. I was going to start off the whole thing by talking a bit about where I had met them and where we had played and then began play my autoharp and to sing 'Satisfied Mind'.

I haven't really played my harp properly on stage since the Trader Horne days and the swollen joints of rheumatoid arthritis had led me to believe that I wouldn't ever be able to play again. Luckily the fearsome drug that I am infused with every two months had suppressed the disease enough for me to play the harp once more. My wrists ached and I had bruises on my arm from where the tuning pegs were pushing into my forearm but....I did it.
And I remembered all the words!. Then off with the harp and straight into 'Time will Show The Wiser', then 'One Sure Thing' with a bit of recorder playing, and finally 'Jack O'Diamonds' with a sort of odd recorder solo.

Then I was done.. Off stage and then back stage.. to watch and listen to everyone else. Till it was time for the encores. I didn't go on stage for 'Si Tu Dois Partir', because I can never remember the words, but Chris While and I joined the rest of the band and singers for 'Meet On the Ledge'.

And that was that...what a fantastic night!

Lots of natterings and chortlings, the recorder was signed by Iain, Ashley, Richard, Simon and me and I have just auctioned it on ebay in aid of the Greyhound Charity from whence Whizzy and Flower came. It raised £210 so that will be on it's way to them very soon..
Then back to the hotel and fall asleep and it was all over..

Well. That was quite extraordinary.

I was going to write about this before I went but things kind of got away from me. You know. Nerves. Terror. Emails. Phone calls - that sort of thing. I'd decided to put my harp in a wheely suitcase to take to London. Came the day and the suitcase was 2 inches too short, and the only one I could borrow was huge so it got stuffed into a bag instead along with a few other bits and pieces. Jon arrived on Thursday and kept me from running away.

Friday morning..goodbye Whizzy, be good, Nancy will look after you see you Sunday. Ed and Angie drove Jon and myself and a million bags to the station(well five anyway) where we caught a train to London.

Arriving at Marylebone, I was surprised to find a heap of Cropredyites,filming a bit of The Dodge Brothers who are playing at Fairport's Cropredy Convention this summer. So we said 'hello' and 'how are you' and went to find the car that would take us to the hotel to leave our bags, before another car came to take us to the rehearsal studios where the rest of my Fairport were waiting for me to appear.. I was only a bit late..

After the usual 'haven't seen you for ages' and 'what you been up to thens' we had a quick run through of the 4 songs I was going to do with them. One song, Satisfied Mind, was one that we may not even have done together, but it was the kind of thing we had played before we were even called Fairport and it showed off the autoharp rather nicely, and as I was singing it as well it wasn't too much of a problem.. then out with the recorder and a quick blast of Time Will Show the Wiser, One Sure Thing and Jack O'Diamonds and that was my rehearsal over and done. Jon and I then went to have a cup of coffee and something to eat, until we were sure I wouldn't be needed again, then we were taken back to the hotel.
Nothing much was happening so we set off on a tube to Hertfordshire to meet Big Little Stephanie for a meal, then back to her houseboat and then back to the hotel. Old Street in the City of London is quite a scary place at night and as neither of us could work out where we were, internal compasses definitely not working, we got a taxi to take us back to the hotel. There is such a lot of concrete in that area.. and not much greenery. Then back to the rooms to fall asleep.

Right. More later

Not Long....

...before the Barbican show.
Should be most entertaining I reckon. Autoharp is tuned ready in case it's needed. Finger and thumbpicks are gleaming in the sunlight. Old plastic school recorders have been located and decisions have been made about which one to use..white?...brown?... should I find a wooden one? More importantly will my fingers play it and have I got the puff to blow.. I expect so, anyway it will be just like the olden days...

I won't worry about that till next week. Jon the M can do any panicking necessary..
Last week I was interviewed for one of the local papers..lovely lady Gill Oliver came for a cup of tea and a natter. I'd spent some of the day in the boilingness that is Oxford seeing my beautiful Freya, who is two months old, smiling and, as far as I can work out, trying to dance, judging by the waving arms and dancing legs.., so by the time I got home I was hot and bothered, but I think I answered all the questions properly. Or possibly improperly. I'll have to wait and see what I said..

Yesterday I had lunch with Richie Unterberger an American author and journalist. Lovely interesting man to natter with.. he is in England to promote his latest book on the Velvet Underground, a fascinating subject, that I should know more about than I do!!

What else? Ah yes, I recorded some harmonies and backing vocals for the probable next Kings Cross single, Every Sentimental Moment/Never Say Never , there are snippets on there, but from before I did anything.. They may of course not like what I've done, but that's fine

And we've been sorting out the artwork for the vinyl limited edition of Talking With Strangers, which will be released by Tonefloat records in September..

And we're sorting out the album launch gig thing which will be in London in mid August. .

So it's all been a bit busy and hectic.
Writing songs? What's that? I'll have to get round to a bit of that soon as well. I suppose..but for now I will feed the Whizz and make a sandwich. Oh no...not cheese again :-)

(strange spellchecker on here..it thought enrtetraining was a proper word...???)