Christmas in Madchester

With Margot in Romania Jim took up her ticket to come to Selby with me to see Vin Garbutt "The Teeside Troubador". One of a kind. Theoretically a folk singer but I think the chat between songs takes up more of the evening than the songs themselves. Very funny. I noticed he tours down south and abroad and wonder how anyone outside of the north-east understands a word he says.

That's the end of the Selby season so looking forward to the new programme dropping through our letter boxes in the New Year.

Kept busy while Margot was away, getting in a tree and putting up some lights, though we won't be here to watch them. The five of us are spending Christmas in Manchester at Matt and Sam's with the young people doing all the work. Sounds good. Other than that, finished my coursework 40 minutes before the deadline and helped Rahab set up her broadband connection - the one-eyed man in the land of the blind (Kipling?)

No-one told me table tennis on Tuesday night was a party rather than a normal night but no-one commented on my tracksuit, probably thought that was my party outfit. Did get a couple of games in.

Jim set off for Bassingbourne, taking in a visit to Becca's grave and Christmas Eve lunch with Jeff and Debbie, aiming to arrive in Manchester later that evening. Margot and I combined a bit of last minute panic shopping with looking after Florinda's shop, Florinda having headed off to Scotland. Too wet and miserable for most people but we probably sold enough to make it worth while opening up.

Christmas was great. Probably more food and TV than was good for us but we did walk Bones a couple of times and on Boxing Day Team Huxford did a few laps of the park to get back into training. Jim and Matt did the Christmas meal - we were impressed.

Margot gave me "Home" by Marilyne Robinson(the author of Gilead, which I raved about earlier this year) though I have just started "Out of Romania" by Dan Antal. Its about the revolution there in 1989. Interesting if you have seen the carefully preserved bullet holes where the secret police shot at demonstrators. Margot got "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett which apparently is better than the film.

Matt and Sam gave us "The Illusionist" a beautiful little film by the maker of Belleville Rendezvous. The background paintings of Scotland, and Edinburgh in particular, ae worth looking at on line - http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2309062656/tt0775489 - if published in bookform that's what I want for next Christmas.

Boxing Day saw a walk alongside the River Mersey (yes the same one, it winds its way through Manchester on its way to the Pool) and then, the next day we went into town for the ultimate movie contrast. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protoool at the IMAX. Suspend disbelief and enjoy the vertigo, but try and see it at an IMAX for the full impact. If you like bungee jumping,you will love this.

Back at home now and a few days before a quiet New Year's Eve before the Grand Tour of the M25 scheduled for next week

Home Alone

The charity rugby match went well, though the change from Rugby League to Rugby Union at half-time made things even more confusing than usual. Thirty players turned up and as many spectators. With a raffle in the clubhouse afterwards we raised several hundred pounds and the teams signed a Burley RFC shirt which will go to Becca's parents as a momento

In the evening Margot and I went to Selby to see Lau, a three-piece folk group taking a music in new directions. Very atmospheric. Fantastic evening and well worth looking out for. http://www.lau-music.co.uk

if that wasn't enough, on Monday night we went the National Centre for Early Music, a converted church in York with fantastic acoustics and a venue that performers really like. As well as early music they do folk, jazz and world music. We went to see Emily Smith, a Scottish folk singer we saw in the same venue a couple of years ago. She’s been nominated for Radio 2’s Folk singer of the year award and rightly so. She’ll be touring again in May 2012 so watch out for her. http://www.emilysmith.org/

On Tuesday we went over to Manchester for Matt’s birthday. We went with Sam and Jim to Sapporo, a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant. In case you haven’t come across this it’s a sort of indoor sushi/noodle barbeque with your own chef, who doubles as a comedian. Sounds dubious, but was good fun and the food was terrific. http://www.sapporo.co.uk

Jim drove home but Margot and I stayed over and in the morning I took Margot to the airport. She was off to Romania for some workshop with teenagers up near the Urkraine border. She’s still there now in 2 feet of snow so let’s hope she get’s out in time for Christmas.

Had a game of squash with Matt before heading back to York (despite me going back to coaching on Monday, he won). He’s on a fitness regime and both he and Jim have signed up for the 3 Yorkshire 10k runs next year. Their main aim seems to be to beat me, which shouldn’t be too difficult unless they persist in playing rugby the day before.
Jim’s moved back in with us temporarily with his TV and his computer and is looking for a flat in York in the New Year. We watched “Animal Kingdom” on his big screen. A good film but - like”The Slap” which finishes this week on TV – not quite the side of Australia the Tourist Board would want us to see.

Dovedale

Dovedale - the Izaak Walton

The discount weekend at Dovedale went well despite Jim having caught my bug. He bravely joined us on Saturday on a walk up Dovedale as far as Milldale with Matt and Sam, Margot and myself and the two dogs. In the evening he went to bed and missed the dinner dance included in our bargain break with an ageing 'beat combo' working its way through the hits of the 50s and 60s. Margot and I danced and eventually Matt and Sam were persuaded to join us with a few moves - in a post modern ironic sort of way I think.

Sunday morning I took Storm for a pre-breakfast walk up Thorp Cloud which proved sheep free so I let him off the lead. If I hadn't he would have surely pulled me over the edge. Later in the day we walked along the Manifold River before heading back North, stopping for lunch at the Arkwright Mills in Matlock.

I'm glad he got a good run in on as on Monday things went pear shaped. I took Storm for an early morning walk down by the river and on the way back an elderly cyclist came round the corner (on the pavement) and before I saw him Storm lunged and bit his thigh. As I pulled him off the guys jeans leg came too. After I took Storm home I took the gentleman to A&E and offered to buy a new pair of jeans. He was OK and not too upset but we realised that we could no longer be confident we could control Storm and took him back to the Dogs Trust. They don't put dogs down and the police seem to feel they wouldn't need to take any action but we were really sad to see him go as for 99% of the time he was a loving, if over-exuberant, dog who now seems destined to live his life out in the Dogs Trust home.

Jim is going to put off considering another dog until he has got his life a bit more sorted. He plans to rent a house in York for a few months while selling his house in Wakefield and buying one in York. Its a shame as I now realise I am a dog person but it makes sense.

Thursday I went with a group of youngsters with learning difficulties to start on a project to turn Balloon Tree Copse into a nature reserve. If you want to know more go to our website at www.yorkgreenwaychampions.btck.co.uk

READING

Deadline for my Development Psychology course essay loom so have given up fiction for a bit.

Nevertheless still have time tonight to watch last Saturdays two episodes of The Killing II - I now want it to be tomorrow so I can see what happens next. Shouldn't be wishing my life away but it is very exciting.

COMING SOON

Sunday sees the charity rugby match arranged to raise funds for Becca's hospice. Some semi-pro players are coming to Jim's rugby club so we shall be spending 2 hours standing around in the cold -better than playing I suppose given Jim's injury record.

To Selby to see Lau in the evening.

Book Club

During the summer I started to work my way through a history library inherited from my dad, my uncle and my son, Jim's, undergraduate course. Come the autumn and half way through the first thick tome I have put that on hold as the demands of my Development Psychology course at the uni took over.

Needing a break I picked up Jodi Picoults "My Sisters Keeper" to take to Norfolk and which I devoured over the weekend. She deals with a big Issue in each story and this one was to do with a couple having a child to provide donor parts for a sick sibling. She really manages to bring the topic to life and together with the pace and twist of a detective novel it was one of those reads that makes you wish you hadn't got other commitments to get in the way.

So much so that I scoured the shelves and went straight into "Vanishing Acts" which touches on issues of child abuse and abduction, alcoholism, abduction and honesty. It coincided on my Development Psychology module on morality and probably was more useful, certainly more gripping.

I'll probably go back to her, but for now I'm racing through a memoir "In Search of Fatima" by Ghada Karmi. A refugee from Palestine as a child, she grew up in the UK and it really gives a human face to the tragedy of Palestine as well as actually bringing out some of the history that seems to have been forgotten. The first part covers much the same ground as that series on TV The Promise which deserves another viewing. My uncle Peter was in Palestine but I never talked about it with him. So much is lost because we never ask - and then its too late. So I have plans to do my own memoir while my memory is still (more or less) there. Just don't hold your breath.

Sick as a Dog

This blog is mainly about kulcha - sharing the music, films exhibitions and other events we've managed to squeeze in but I'll take my current convalescence as an opportunity to catch up on what else is going on too.

The week after Musicport was Kim's 60th birthday. She booked a huge luxurious barn conversion in Suffolk and invited 17 family and old friends for the weekend. I was a bit apprehensive about the combined brainpower being concentrated in such a confined space but turned out really nice, good food, plenty good wine, excellent company and unseasonal walking weather that would have graced a summer weekend. Along the coast from Dunwich on Saturday, Aldebrugh on Sunday and on Monday Margot and I went to Orford Ness on our way to Claire's over the border in Norfolk. A beautiful part of the country.

By this time I had a streaming cold - probably too much time in the hot-tub over the weekend - but managed a nice sunny walk on the Fen on Tuesday. Wednesday we set off for home with me driving the first bit as Margot hates the country roads. Stopped at Grantham on the A1 for lunch and Margot took over. As we left the service area the van began to do barrel rolls. I grabbed the door and dashboard so as not to be flung out but it seems it was just in my head. On Margot's advice I shut my eyes and put my head between my knees. She pulled over but it was half an hour before I could even lift my head and peak out to check the world has stopped spinning. For someone who hates Alton Towers it was one of the scariest turns of my life, especially as half an hour earlier I had been at the wheel at 70mph with 40-ton trucks in front, behind and to the side.

With my eyes closed all the way we made it back to York. Next day I went to the doctors and had some tests and nothing wrong so they reckon it was an ear infection. Bit un-nerving though.

The cold then morphed into a some form of viral attack so have spent last week in bed with nasty flu systems (despite having had the flu jab) and synchronised diarrhoea. Feeling better today and actually went round to the shops with Storm for the first time but it certainly takes it out of you and will need a couple more days to get back to my normal bouncy self.

Of course this has left Margot in charge of Storm sitting when Jim is at College. When push comes to shove, Storm can out pull Margot so it makes walkies a bit of a challenge. I can sit in the garden throwing balls for him so that helps and its luck that I managed to get the garden 'dog-proofed' before going off sick.

Although he seems to be getting better, Storms behaviour is still a bit erratic. Most times he is well behaved but sometimes without warning will lunge at passing bikes or dogs. He's not bitten anyone but its a bit frightening as he looks like he could tear your face off. Was going to the dog behaviourist this weekend but was still in bed. In the meantime we tend to take him to places where there are no other dogs and no bikes.

He also has a problem with guitars. He cowers when I pick mine up (no, he hasn't even heard me play). It would be fascinating to know what is behind this.

Next weekend Margot Jim and I are taking Storm to Dovedale to meet Matt and Sam with Bones for a weekend at the Isaak Walton (discount thanks to Groupon). Fortunately Storm and Bones seem to get on fine.

MUSIC

Margot and I went to Selby last Saturday to see HOT CLUB OF COW TOWN a threesome from Nashville mixing hot jazz and western swing. Absolutely gob-smacking, so much energy and quite honestly I think Stepan Grapelli himself would have had to look to his laurels. http://hotclubofcowtown.com Back in the States now but in Maine in July so watch out if you're over there.

We intended to see CATHARINE MACLELLAN http://www.catherinemaclellan.com from Prince Edward Island at Sheffield as part of our support-any-acts-from-Canada policy but I was too sick. It was this policy that got us to Selby the first time to see the Wailing Jennies a couple of years ago. Still our favourite venue and waiting expectantly for the spring programme due out any day now.

TV

Watched 'August Rush' from my sickbed. Rather dubious plot but fascinating sound track, not just the music.

KILLING II has started and we are already hooked. It was better with series one where we had them stacked up on the hard-drive. TWO EPISODES A WEEK IS NOT ENOUGH !

Musicport 2011

Previous years we have parked our camper on the site at Bridlington, home of East Yorkshires indoor answer to WOMAD. The rain-soaked walk back along the prom at 1am on a November sunday morning was never a highlight of the weekend so this year we booked overnight at Caitlin's B&B just 5 minutes from the Spa, very comfy and very welcoming from Caitlin, born in Glasgow but with the strongest cockney lilt north of Bow Bells. At £40 (OAP discount) money well spent.

Saturday was outstanding as we moved from one venue to the next, insulated form the rain and wind, and from Kentucky to Gambia, to Portugal, Tibet and Sheffield.

CELTALABRIA are a local duo who do a great show. The clue is in the name and they bring a fan base of local belly dancers in tow every time. The North Sea stage with its glass wall looking out over the surf and seagulls gave a bizarre backdrop

CHRIS WOOD Unknown to us (shame!) but "The finest and most original singer-songwriter to have emerged from the British folk scene since Richard Thompson" – The Guardian. did a stunning set. But then he was Folk Artist and Album of the year 2009. Seems to be back on the road in March so we shall be off across the Humber Bridge to catch him in Barton-upon-Humber http://chriswoodmusic.co.uk/ Also on in Bury St Edmunds, Claire

GEOFF BERNER, back on the North Sea stage, is a one-off. If you like punk tinged kletzmer music with biting politcal satire and a good knees up (you know you like it) then this is your man. http://geoffberner.com/ Apparently in his element in run down bars at night but currently in Scandinavia then heading back to western Canada for the new Year so no chance for a while.

RANDOLPH MATTHEWS & BYRON JOHNSTON were an unexpected treat, mixing spanish guitar with African soul, vocal gymnastics and infectious enthusiasm http://www.randolphandbyronmusic.com They seem to play the South Bank loby from time to time so FREE! if you are in the neighbourhood.

We both love Portuguese Fado and CLAUDIA AURORA is currently one of the best with a great backing ensemble. Haven't been back to Portugal since Salazaar died, probably Fado is the only thing that hasnt changed. http://www.claudia-aurora.com/ Must get there next year.

Another treat was BRIGID KAELIN from Louisville Kentucky, near where my ol' buddy Adrian lives. "ALT-COUNTRY CABARET MUSIC WITH KENTUCKY ROOTS" hardly covers it. Multi-instrumental, a great voice and excellent songwriting. http://www.brigidkaelin.com/Site/Home.html She seems to have just resettled in Edinburgh so as yet no dates set up but should be hopeful. I've advised Selby Town Hall to book her. Lots of good cheap or free downloads on her website.

JULABA KUNDA was an interesting combination of Scottish fiddler Griselda Sanderson and Gambian Riti player Juideh Camara . We also caught some of MARY COUGHLAN. Not part of my history but the same cant be said for the evening's mainline act HUGH MASAKELA. How is it that someone who was such a name in my youth is still playing so well? Part of it of course is getting together a really good band and this was so very good! Absolutely tight with amazing soloists, just reminds you what good music is about. http://www.myspace.com/hughmasakela

SUNDAY

A comfortable night and full english (for me) at Caitlin's B&B left us wIth time for a stroll round Brid harbour before heading back onto the Spa. Not fair to talk of a let-down but Saturday was so brilliant it was always going to be difficult to follow

JOHNNY KEARNEY & LUCY FARRELL were talented but still young and a bit too gentle for me. Worth watching out for. We took time out after lunch at one the ethnic food vans parked up by the promenade exit to see a Moroccan film "Ali Zaoura" about homeless kids in Casablanca. Not an easy view but ultimately uplifting unless you remind yourself how may kids live this way, and how few do get to have happy endings.

In the afternoon, IAIN MATTHEWS and KIM RICHEY were both good so it was by any other measure a grand day out (or in) but nothing really I would go to see again. How easily we get so picky, but there is only so many hours in a day.We missed FRAN SMITH as she clashed but also she is local, from Wakefield, and we could catch her in a local pub. Great songwriter pianist.http://fransmith.com

There we were a couple of good acts lined up for the evening but we agreed enough was enough so we retrieved the van from Caitlin's mate's driveway and headed home.Got home early enough to catch a couple of episodes of THE KILLING on BBC4. We've been watching both Danish and American versions simultaneously though not necessarily synchronized - quite fun but a bit confusing at times. Danish version definitely better of the two but US version good in its own right. Great to hear series 2 is starting in a month's time.

Why blog?

This blog is mainly for me. I enjoyed doing the round the world blog and just recently looking back at it brought back some great memories. More critically I had a scary moment when trying to fill in my tax return for our first year back in the UK and I couldnt remember for the life of me what I had done. Twelve whole months! I was pretty sure I hadn't had a paying job but what else did I have to show for it - no great american novel, no home extension, no meteoric rise to political power. Two years later it makes a lot more sense. Having worked full time (and more) for 10 months in 2010 I was back dong nothing in particular and once again time flies with never enough to do all things I'd like to do.

The other reason is that much of what I (we) like to do is going to music gigs and movies so this is a place to share and keep track of stuff we enjoyed or mean to see if time and chance allow.

So here goes .....