Lady A: Morris Dancer and Musician

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:52:20 GMT

Some days one could do with "The Luggage" *sit astride* *Point to Horizon* "Charge!" *Better* ^_^

images.google.co.uk/images

(The Luggage googled - nice images)

www.lspace.org/art/fan-art/groups.html

(Fans of Discworld with some seriously fabulous ideas and artwork)

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:32:56 GMT

Really pleasant night out, yesterday at Ruskins, to celebrate Amber (cassandra_7 ), getting a better job to be nearer her husband Alan. Good luck in the new few mad weeks. :@

Also really nice to see (this is where I scoot over to Amber's lj and start nicking lj names!), Tony (thegreatgonzo ), Chris (narcisse_dei ) and Nic (beebarf ), again. And nice to meet Paul, (twilightembrace ), before his lady rescued him, from the bubbling conversations of everything and anything under the sun. And what just comes to mind, as I write that, is Amber saying to Tony "Oh no, stop there. Right now!". Still can't remember what that conversation was about, but obviously there had been interesting conversations that could have gone either way before..! ;)

Thanks Amber, and catch up with you hopefully before you go, although I may see you on the flipside. :)

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:17:57 GMT

environment.uk.msn.com/wildlife/gallery.aspx

I can't remember how I managed to insert one image by itself, hence the link, ages ago, but this did remind me unless my brain foils me, of the Clanger Soup Dragon (kind of!)

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:22:43 GMT

I finished a rather interesting book yesterday. I think it's non-fiction, of someone's experiences of living in Brick Lane. It's called Salaam Brick Lane by Tarquin Hall, and no it's not a rich kid yuppie type writing. In fact I reckon it might interest sallypointzero . After seeing some of the news bits and pieces on the net sites, I found these were reflected in this book of people's struggles against interpretations of the law by a held up but unworldly minority, on the mixed majority, made up of traditional views and/or breaking away from the unquestioned set patterns of misery.

See reviews, it was a fascinating book to read: www.amazon.co.uk/Salaam-Brick-Lane-Year-East/dp/0719561574

As one of the reviewers says, he lets the stories unfold and tell themselves, and his characters and their ways of thinking and living are enthralling.

Oh and I would also lend out or recommend you find "Beautiful People" by Simon Doonan. I've never laughed so much. About him and his friend and his family, growing up as two delightful and very proud gay men. They both seemed to have lived long and glorious lives, and I really need to get hold of his other books. www.amazon.co.uk/Beautiful-People-Simon-Doonan/dp/0007269544

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:01:10 GMT

Hmm, I suppose I could get some flour and butter tomorrow and make the big leftover of stewed apple, into apple crumble, or I could find some soya custard to have with it. Best take out tje cloves first, I did get a bit excitable throwing them in..!! :@

Crabby Old "Nora" Batty :PPP

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:31:10 GMT

I am having a nasty day. Woke up after an odd nightmarish dream feeling horrible. then phone trouble, and wobbly legs and just cannot think quite reasonably and straight.

Dear old greenwyrd did remind me yesterday that stress is accumulative, and I have a lot on my plate. Right now I feel I'm plugged into an electricity socket, so I'm going to earth myself on the lawn, otherwise I shall go mad. Either that or the spirits are trying to get through - more class work needed.

I assume it's pmt, but stress is also likely. I will make time to sit and meditate to some of my stuff, as I might go "Poomph!!" in a great big cloud of Erk and red rag, if I don't make my mind see tranquil.

Tha is why I've been odd for the last week or so. I am waiting on things and patience is hard when you've decided to help yourself, and you are being helped by some wonderful others, but the slowness is doing this to me.

I will hang on, just going over the edge in a canoe. (and yes, that is supposed to be a metaphor of good things to look forward to).

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:17:14 GMT

It started raining just after going out to get juice.

Came back and stood in the garden enjoying the elementals having a party and earthing myself, as Moonswift suggested months ago. The neighbours likely think I'm nuts, but so what. It was nice to spin with the elements, appreciate them and become one with them. Now I'm going to sit by the open kitchen door and relax to the sound of the falling rain. Bliss. With juice and knitting. :)

Nicked from Hmmm_Tea

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:27:19 GMT

Thanks!

www.newsbiscuit.com/2009/07/09/councils-powerless-to-prevent-surge-in-table-morris-dancing-321/

Great one. :)

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:58:01 GMT

Tell me. What takes so long in DIY or builders in a bedroom. I'm going to stab next door with forks laced with "Mumble, Mumble, Mumble!"

Seriously, I've run out of ideas, what sounds like two people with whirring things - what are you doing, sanding? Putting shelves up? Pulling things off with electronic things? Redoing floorboards? The floorboards have been shaking, an dit would be the bedroom bang next to mine - pity that tunnel, tht leads to the gardens doesn't go all the way up.

It's REALLY starting to erk me. *GROWLS*, especially when Ican't think what they're doing on and off for so long.

Scarborough Morris Fair

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:08:23 GMT

Gosh, I never did write up Scarborough Morris Fair. It was pretty good, and I'd go again, and we'd have to go back anyway, to present the Morris staff to the next morris side!

It was a mix of weather and happenings, and trying to recall now is hard, But the old brain juices are creaking into work. Drove down with Liz, who I navigated for. It was quite surreal driving thorough one kind of weather on one side of the car, and another on the other. Gloom and thunderclouds on left and sunshine on right - luckily, it looked as if we ended up with the sun - the rain is not fun when you're camping!

Friday night saw me hanging out with the other Boggarts and catching up with old friends from festivals. It was a lovely pub, but with too many narrow bits fore accomdating the usual locals plus an enormous number of morris sides. Mix of getting the best home cooked food - ever. I'm not joking, superb cook, in that pub, and chilling out and playing in the sessions. Always torn between food and playing - usually the second wins!

Saturday saw us hauling early - argh - all over town with other morris sides, on a couple of double decker buses. Eynsham Morris from Oxfordshire are stunning. Seriously, keep your eye out for them and their energetic tradition. Pleasure to dance with you guys. :)

Having a blank on most of the other teams, that'll teach me to write up later, though it was nice seeing Glenise from Miltown Cloggies ( Long time Sidmouth friend).

We were late for the ceilidh due to grabbing a curry - which was pretty good - and walked in as Sid Kipper was doing the break - doing his Morris dancing song - love it. www.spineless.idps.co.uk/songs/hay_do_the.htm

And more dancing sunday, travelling back with Alec, but before we did, I bought amzing fish and chips from the clocktower cafe, for me and Alec.

Lots of talking and thinking happened. Shouldn't surprise me if I go hurtling feet first ina bit - in the words of Rincewind, the Nac Mac Feegles and the Librarian "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!". "OOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKK!!!". ;)

Whitby Folk Festival

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:48:43 GMT

Thinking of going along for a few days. Wondered who else was going? And dare I ask if anyone's got a spare sofa or room in town? Going to have a look at B and B's in town anyway, and ask my friend who lives there, if she knows of anywhere. Ta.

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:25:44 GMT

Possibly for want of things to do, I am going to look into the art of Indian head massage. A friend in London did a course in it a few years ago, and it occurs to me, as I'm getting rid a headache, that it would be a very useful asset to my skills.

I certainly have the healing/reiki source available, but after seeing another friend apply massage to her husband (she's actually trained in the study and use of anatomical massage, how cool is that?!!!) :) when he had a headache, it did make more sense to me, that a headache would be better relieved by careful massage, than healing. I do talk from experience, as greenwyrd 's past work to rid me of a headache, worked well, but only while he kept it up. Perhaps that was because he wasn't doing it hands on. However, I do feel that the application of massage is a good start, to actively relieve the tension and pressure causing the source of the pain. And it also makes sense that I could use Indian head massage and reiki in conjunction, various ways round, according to the needs and situation of the individual.

I am not a fan of general massage, for personal reasons, and perceive that the Indian head massage would at most go down the arms and shoulders, so that in a class when you pair up, I would be absolutely comfortable and more than happy to swap as receiving and giving.

I'd also like knowing that I'd be available to give a more bow stringed offer of help, because I can see how healing and Indian massage would make some very happy rejuvenated individuals.

Will give more thought to this as I potter along, and am very pleased about this. Credit and thanks to Ashia, who took the course! Thanks, darling. Bless you! :)

Clear Out still ongoing - Next: Les Barker T-Shirts

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:20:15 GMT

Still having a massive clear out.

I have a couple of copies of the same T-shirt. They fit me so looking at a 12-14.

Thinking they might appeal most to the folkies, who would know Les Barker's humour. They have Cohen the Barbarian, (Not Terry Pratchett's Cohen the Barbarian), raising a tankard on them, saying "Fetch me a Bagel, Wench!" And underneath: Available for Pillage and Bar Mitzvahs.

Black cartoon sketch on white. If they sound of interest to you, or you know someone who might like them, let me know.

Thanks. :)

Rest In Peace Johnny Collins

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 13:18:55 GMT

I am devastated. I am not having a great day, facing up to some truths and then I find out the Great Johnny Collins, Great, Great Shanty singer died last night.

This is how I remember him: userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/2591740.jpg (Photo) and as this photo and article describes. Click on link....

Had to nick this from Living Tradition mag interview, description of Mr Collins:

when a throbbing roar, akin to the sound of a Harrier jump jet on take off, erupted from the beard in the seat in front of me. Attached to the beard was an ex-British Army sergeant who is capable of playing Chopin preludes on the pianoforte, but who has chosen to share with the world his love of unaccompanied songs in the traditional style and especially maritime shanties.

(Article: www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart407.htm )

www.youtube.com/watch (Brilliant, video of Johnny, on sail, singing Poor Old Horse, and I swear I see the lovely Gina LeFAux witht he blonde hair and red jacket on the right).

www.johnnycollins.net/ (website) - what's so sad is he had many more gigs, I bet we'll remember him at those gigs though.

I am absolutely devastated. Great Man. One of the first to encourage me on my way at Herga Folk Club.

Great, Great Character.

Rest in Peace Johnny. And thank you. May you and Stan have the best Maritime Choir up there. May your sails always have a good wind behind you, as you navigate the sea of the skies.

The Whims of the Self on Scent and Memories

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:25:37 GMT

Goodness, what is it about the sense of smell, and how everyone's got memories brought back to them by passing whiffs of the scents of the garden, man made scent and our own personal reactions?

I'm just musing, as I got given a sample pot of the vanilla body stuff by lush, and would dearly like to like it, but I fear it's too sweet for me. I love vanilla, but not Lush's over sweet version. :( Perhaps the scent is too knockout for me with the extra combination of cocoa butter (which I hate on its own) and the very sweet tonka bean, which again makes some of lush's products too sweet for me. I suppose it's all about a person being a person. I love the smell of wet gardens and the rain, and the slightest whiff of Joop's Homme, still after all this time, has me turning to sniff the air and appreciate the scent and partly without thinking, to see if it's the bloke, I went out with, who used to wear it, all those years ago.

And of course the smell of certain places can take me straight back to moments at Sidmouth Festival, or being with someone or somewhere - whoosh!, I'm straight back there, as Pop Larkin says to Mademoiselle Dupont, in A Breath of French Air, by H.E.Bates, about his memories and associations with certain flowers.

It's also interesting, how I like a scent from lush or the body shop in one format, but can't abide it in another form. Obviously some ingredients may alter according to which form it's made for, and in certain forms a scent may be much stronger - I have the lush vanilla dusting powder but cannot feel at home with the bath ballistic or the above.

Personally I'd recommend the brazil nut butter from the body shop or lush's sympathy for the skin ( I love benzoin and labdanum -comes from working in Treadwell's! If you don't know, Benzoin smells of vanilla and nutmeg, and labdanum is deep deep earthy sweet, rich scent, if you remember impulse's Flamenco body spray!), if you're having a seriously self-loathing day. Thaere's good reasons why I make sure I don't run out of the former.

Just on a whimsical note, what do you all like and/or not like? And/or what brings up interesting and/or good memories for you? Least, I know, if I should need to buy cheer up or birthday presents!!

For all those who like Discworld and a damn Sweet moment

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:10:10 GMT

From the Discworld lj, thanks to shinysparkly :

Son of the Librarian

community.livejournal.com/discworld/954299.html

It's raining, It's cooler!

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:01:47 GMT

Thank you Lady Ganymede and Mr Thor. :) Hooray!

What's it like where you all are?

Ps miss_amethyst , if it's still hot where you are, ask these two above. Look what happened, considering the sky was blue and the night was rather sultry. Otherwise I'll aim to send you some of ours.

:) :) :)

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:45:40 GMT

*raises one eyebrow* that was one interesting class at the Spiritualist Church. We did mediumship trance. Sent Athena after one the people who left early, to keep an eye on them, and to ensure they got home safely.

Asked the teacher about belief and visualisation, being enough to be basis of deciding that I had done this. He said yes. Jolly good. Damn right. *satisfied grin*

the mood icon is because I'm thinking about something else, entirely different. Hmmm.

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:24:26 GMT

Dearest Weather Gods, I live in England for a reason. If I wanted hot weather I'd go and live abroad. ( I just realised the last two posts might sound like I'm being pro-English and anti-everything else) - I'm not. I just like Morris dancing and cooler weather.

Please take the heat away. Thank you. :@

PC Gone Mad - Do we really have to Fight for England's Glory?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:37:52 GMT

This is daft - it's an English Tradition. Just get on with it, England. Motley had a good idea of wanting to teach in the first place. See email under the lj cut. Sigh. What do you reckon sollersuk and hmmm_tea ?, who are also in the Morris scene. EDIT: Oops, and fluffymark , who's past/distant present? member of Gog Magog Molly. Sorry. :@

Not least to point out either, that people are often surprised and delighted to find that there are others types of the Morris Dance - alongside the Cotswold Tradition (Hankies and white shirts and trousers), that the media take the mickey out of - and those seeing a Border Morris Side for the first time, tend have jaws that drop and then roar appreciation. I've seen it, and it doesn't surprise me. I would leave a comment - but there doesn't seem to be any where to comment on that article - I'd say more or less, what I emailed Motley, who we danced with last year at their fabulous festival of Rochester Sweeps:

Hey all of Motley,

I don't know whether you remember me, I'm the fiddle player with Boggarts Breakfast.

One of our lot mentioned that she'd seen something on the BBC Website, about a school withdrawing your event for teaching Border Morris.

I wanted to let you know that I thought that the decisions of the schools to cancel your event was appalling and beyond belief, and no wonder England's a mess if it can't even celebrate it's own folk traditions, without worrying what everyone else thinks. I hope you find a school(s) that is run by people who realise this is living historical tradition, and gives the kids some inspiration and a feeling of achievement. With this cleansweep of madness, no wonder the kids come out of school, with nothing to reach for, and become listless rather than motivated.

Good video, I've put it up on my livejournal with a comment: http://gothic-violin.livejournal.com/

It's such a shame. Especially as I'm certain that some of Ouse Washes, have a regular happening of bringing their style of Molly into their local schools. I thought you were a damn fine team at Rochester Sweeps, pity we couldn't get down there this year.

Keep trying, if I make it down to Kent, I'd be right there with you.

All the best,

Abigail.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/8123664.stm

www.motley-morris.co.uk/

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:02:00 GMT

I did just see that this was from the mail, but that's absolutely utterly ridiculous. I know someone was mentioning this kind of subject last week., and I agree with them. For heaven's sake, the girl's got beautiful curvy legs, and looks just dandy. For Fuck's sake, leave the poor girl alone, before you send her yo-yo dieting and hating herself.

See here: www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1196019/Natalie-Cassidy-reveals-generous-thighs-skintight-leggings.html

Elevenses Tea Drinking - Any Excuse?! :)

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:56:57 GMT

I think I might go for reflection and thinking, and a cup of tea, in Pollards Tearooms tomorrow, and a peer at all the lovely preserves and chutneys etc in their window, after signing on tomorrow, say about 11am. If anyone fancies joining me, you're more than welcome.

Ps thanks to the UnOffFop Day Society for introducing me to that. This is presuming it's still open, having seen a comment on a review site that the area is due to be regenerated and the owner is thinking of relocating because of that.

Update: Apparently, it' slikely to be closed, butI hope to find out where it is, and I've just made alternate plans, but if anyone fancies meeting for a cup of tea, in the week, do say so.

Boggart's Breakfast Won The Gordon Crowther Award!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:02:53 GMT

www.open-morris.org/news.html

Will write up but just to say Boggarts's Breakfast won the Gordon Crowther Memorial Morris Staff at Scarborough Fair Morris Dance Weekend. For being inspiring, by having a range of ages, young and old, and for giving inspiration and great enjoyment to watch, and of having the spirit of the Morris Dance. We all let rip after the half second of realisation, as we thought the award had already been given. Danced Takking Boggarts and I tell you, I don't think we've ever heard such thunderous applause and cat calls for more. There were about sixty sides there on the beach, which may give away why! And we broke the world record for Morris dancers dancing the Dorset Four Hand Reel.. Believe you I, you can neither make these times up nor project how much fun we had. Thank you Yorkshire East Coast Morris, for such a fantastic weekend. :)

On another interesting note:

I think I know RCB mentioned in this review of Austin Osman-Spare. ace. :)
www.lashtal.com/nuke/Article1196.phtml

Are You Going To Scarborough Fair?

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:01:39 GMT

Yes, I AM. :) :) :)

Damn it, don't fall over in shock, but I'm actually pretty happy! I went all over town, came back to st luke's, bunped into one of the Psychic class people, and found two pairs of footwear! One I pounced on, as they looked like a pair I'd seen in Oxfam window, Victorian, big holed laced up boots, and they fit! Nearly didn't try them on as they said size 6, but I tried and whee-hee! they FIT! For four pounds, also found a similar pair to the pull on buckle heeled shoes I was wearing and those were about the same price and wil do for walking round on the morris tour tomorrow.

And I have a morris dancer adding me, on lj, after I'd been thinking, I'd could do with having more morris dancers on lj. Cheers,hmmm_tea , are you at Scarborough Fair this weekend?

fingers crossed that if anything else misbehaving happens then I can ride it. Breaking the zip yesterday on my only pair of boots was a bit of a nightmare.

Now to finish packing.

Timberland Boots

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:17:06 GMT

Anyone know any shops that stock these in sheffield? Or anywhere you've seen reeally good boots. It looks like there's a timberland store opned in meadowhall, which I will go to at the last resort. I have to admit it's the charles st lace I'm really after:

www.amazon.co.uk/Timberland-Womens-Charles-Lace-Zip/dp/B000XFTDJQ

I've come across Limeys which are now cruise? And I recall that jones bootmakers sometimes stocked timberlands. Anywhere else?

Thanks.