All sorts of folk…

Hosted by Mark Radcliffe and Julie Fowlis the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards were an entertaining event with the presentations being made by a variety of people including Michael Morpurgo, Stephen Mangan, Martin Freeman, Matt Berry, Richard Hawley, Sandy Shaw and more, and musical interludes by artists such as Joan Armatrading, Mark Knopfler, Rufus Wainwright (doing a tribute to Sandy Denny), the Unthanks, Norma Waterson and the Gift Band (including husband Martin Carthy and daughter Eliza), John McCusker and band (including Andy Cutting), Katheryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, Sam Lee and an amazing choir, the Young’uns and breakthrough band Lynched.

The winners were:

Folk singer of the year: Rhiannon Giddens.

Best group: the Young’uns.

Best album: Mount the Air by the Unthanks.

Musician of the year: Andy Cutting.

Best duo: Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman.

Horizon award: Sam Kelly.

Young folk award: Brighde Chaimbeul.

Best original song: Mackerel by the Rheingans Sisters.

Best traditional track: Lovely Molly by Sam Lee.

Lifetime achievement awards: Joan Armatrading and Norma Waterson.

Good Tradition award: John McCusker.

Hall of fame inductee: Sandy Denny.

We watched the event from one of the boxes in the attractive Royal Albert Hall and thoroughly enjoyed the event. The lengthy travel into and out of London by public transport (tackling strikes and closures for repair works) we didn’t enjoy so much – one of the disadvantages of living out in the countryside. 

Games, games and more games…

Our semiregular games day was at James’s with Martin and we played several good games – Sons of Anarchy (very exciting game that ended in a mass brawl), King of Thieves, Formula D (that Martin romped away with), Cadaver, Pandemic (where we so very nearly beat the game) and Machi Koro (where James bought nearly all of the 7’s and rolled amazingly to thrash us). 

Springtime in the countryside…

We went for a stroll one midweek evening to see the fabulous display of blue bells at Old Simms Copse which is near us at White Downs. As a treat we then went to the Abinger Hatch and had a lovely dinner. Life is good.

Flash the cash…

Or unnecessary displays of excessive capitalistic consumption.

We went to John Lewis initially to look for some curtains and to spend a voucher Sue was given as a gift, but we did end up with a few other items we had not planned on buying. My uncle Terry and Gill had given us money for a new dinner service and so we found one we liked (Sue was so excited about the mustard spoons we had this condiment with several meals afterwards). While we were there we looked around unsuccessfully for a new food processer (our one was given to us as a wedding present over twenty years ago, and although it works fine is bulky and unattractive), and we ended up with a Nespresso coffee machine. Also we found a new sound system to replace our existing one that had become faulty. Quite an expensive visit in the end, and as it turned out the curtains had to be returned as they were too short. 

Good enough to eat off…

We had the oven cleaned recently too, so along with the faulty boiler replacement it meant a bit of disruption to our regular domestic life. We did decide to eat out one night as we didn’t want to get the shiny appliance dirty again. 

In hot water…

A new boiler has been installed after our previous one was condemned. We had a recurring fault and a service contract so we have had several engineers out over the years to try and fix it. The last managed to stop the problem occurring but identified that the insulation needed replacing. The unit was working but after they started to pull it apart they realised they would need to remove the heat exchanger to replace the rear insulation panel, doing this could be an issue as often the heat exchanger’s fragile fins are damaged and so it is usual to replace them rather than reuse the old one. After consultation with the insurance company they decided it was uneconomical to fix but they could not replace the old panels as they we now broken after being removed, so the whole unit was disabled. The insurance company offered us a payoff and we had to use this against a replacement boiler. It took us a while to get the quotes in and decide on a company in which time we used washing facilities and Sue’s work, the neighbours and had several washes with water boiled in the kettle (felt like historical re-enactment). We hadn’t realised how much we took instant hot water for granted. Luckily we had a gas fire in the lounge and the weather was not too cold. Do not fear we are all up and running again and are clean and fragrant. 

Birthday cakes and balloons…

Chris’s 50^th birthday with family and friends at their house. Also celebrated Lucy’s birthday at the same time. The large inflatable balloons in the shape of a giant 69 were a bit confusing until it was explained that that is the combined age of Chris and Lucy. We had got Chris a bottle of whiskey and a couple of glasses when we had seen him previously. 

Busy Easter bunnies…

We travelled up and visited Terry and Gill and had a delicious dinner with them and Rod and Jenny. 

The next day we visited Sue’s mum and had lunch with her and some of the extended the family at the Sun in Carshalton, a nice venue with tasty food. Strolling back from the Sun we stopped in at the Hope – a beer drinker’s heaven for a swift pint.

That evening we went to the Hideawayvenue in Streatham with Deb and Linda and saw Jazz-Funk combo Shakatak where we met up with Suniva and Tony. It was a fun place and and enjoyable evening.

Back at home we worked in the garden the following day, cleaning and getting ready for the warmer weather to come (ever hopeful). In the evening Howard came over for dinner.

The weather had been quite windy and so we helped our neighbour clear up after her fence blew over in the high winds that also did for our dilapidated gate.

We also went over to visit the godsons and their family where they were quite excited by the chocolate ‘scotch’ eggs Sue had made. 

More of wot I have heard…

Courting the Squall by Guy Garvey. Some very accomplished song writing with moving lyrics and memorable melodies.

Singles by Future Islands. Somewhat unusual and stimulating performance from this slightly offbeat band. 

More of wot I have read…

20,000 Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne

Another one of those classics you think you know but have never actually read. I must admit I did not connect with it at all and I am not quite sure why it was seen as such an iconic book. It might have been quite revolutionary at the time it was published and the mainstream audience might have been different from today, but I found it a lumbering and rather aimless story.

‘Professor Aronnax embarks on an expedition to hunt down and destroy a menacing sea monster. However, he discovers that the beast is metal – it is a giant submarine called the Nautilus built be the renegade scientist Captain Nemo. So begins an underwater adventure that takes them from the South Pole to the lost city of Atlantis.’

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and although the subject is about a version of time travel the science played second fiddle to the personal struggle of the main character and his ever powerful nemesis.

‘Harry August is on his deathbed. Again.

No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes.

Until now.

As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. ‘I nearly missed you, Doctor August,’ she says. ‘I need to send a message.’

This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.’