Feature Night at the Somers Trad FC

We don't often have feature nights at the folk club, in the past they've sometimes reduced attendance. However, Ali decided that we should run an evening called 'Passing It On'. The idea was to sing a song you'd learned (i.e. that had been passed to you) and then another, that you wanted others to sing (passing it on). Though I was a bit pessimistic, there were many contributions from members.

I'd decided to sing a couple of bits of songs that my father used to sing from his days in the Navy. It was a surprisingly emotional experience (not because of the songs which are, at best, trite) since it took me back to some times/places that I don't often visit in memory -- for some quite good reasons, I think... Ah well!

Melanie

I loved Melanie's songs when I was young. They spoke to so many of the issues that seemed particularly relevant to me at that time. I always regretted that I hadn't seen her live.
Well, the opportunity came to do that (again at the increasingly irritating Huntingdon Hall in Worcester - illegal raffle and all).

The show started with her son, Bo, performing a number of his guitar 'compositions'. This guy is probably the least sympathetic guitarist I've ever seen on stage, such a shame that nepotism seems to have overcome talent.

Melanie's set was good, though far from the most professional; there were stumbles, forgotten words, "is my guitar in tune?" questions, etc., etc. I don't think that the performance was helped much by Bo's 'accompaniment' and the apparent inability of the sound-man to obtain a decent balance between voices and guitars.

However, a lot of the old magic is still there and it made a change to be one of the younger people in the audience!

I wouldn't go to see here again, I think, but I'm glad I went this time. Even more glad that this is our last planned visit to Huntingdon Hall, at least for a while!

Museums

Jane is a PhD student from Nankai University in china. She was in charge of looking after me when I was there last year and, currently, she's studying for her PhD in my Department. On Saturday we took her to the Avoncroft Museum of buildings in Bromsgrove which is quite interesting ,it has the National Telephone Kiosk Collection for example and an excellent 3-hole earth closet!


After a picnic lunch, we went back to Birmingham via the Lickey Hills. On the top of the highest (Beacon) hill there's a fake castle with commanding views over the whole of the city. Visibility wasn't that good (even though it was a hot and fairly sunny day) but it was fascinating to see that the area was littered with Brummies enjoying the sunshine (and smoking, too, I'm sorry to say).
Then we went to the museum of the Jewellery Quarter. Actually a Victorian factory that had stayed in business until 1982 and then been abandoned! It was rediscovered in the 90s and later converted into a museum. An interesting place with well-informed guides. Well worth a trip.

Finally, dinner at the Sundarbon Restaurant in Selly Oak. A fantastic Bangladeshi place. I particularly enjoyed the Murghi Masalla!

Friday Night is Concert Night

Played truant from the folk club and went to see Martin Simpson in concert. This is a fabulous guitarist and singer. Evening slightly marred by sharing a box with 5 other people - even though it was clearly intended for a maximum of 5.
Still, a good night - a little disappointing that no-one sang along, but that's Worcester for you!

I've been trying to get out to concerts a bit more often.

Last week we went to Huntingdon Hall (again) to see Roy Bailey and John Kirkpatrick. Sadly, the attendance was low and the average age, I guess, was around 65.

However, it was a splendid concert; both performers were excellent and I had a really good time and spent a small fortune on CDs (financed by the recent sale of my resonator guitar). It reminded me of what I've always enjoyed most about folk song; that is its role as commentator on social issues and the way it speaks truth to power.

A lot of us didn't think Roy would make it into his 70s - he has, and I'm grateful!

BERGERAC

We often choose our Easter break by seeing where we can fly direct from Birmingham; this year it was Bergerac on the Dordogne river in Perigord. A pretty little place, but rather quiet for me (at this time of year, at least). Food's typical of SW France, so lots of duck and duck products. Best restaurant we found was L'Imparfait which was exceptionally good.
The weather was mixed, but we managed a boat trip (saw lots of Black Kites - apparently imported from North Africa) and saw the French Olympic rowing teams practising.

Friday was spent in Bordeaux (about 50 miles away, but excellent French trains) where it's nice to see that the tram lines have been extended and that the work on the river bank is nearly finished, so the post-industrial wasteland had finally been revived! At last there is
somewhere to sit near the city centre at lunchtime!

(Actually, we had lunch in one of our favourite places - Chèz Edouard in the Place Du Parliament. Fascinating to see that the smoking ban seems to have been accepted pretty much everywhere.)

The airport at Bergerac is tiny (and quite sweet). Our taxi driver took great pleasure in telling us that it only has 3 gates: 1 for arrivals, 2 for departures and 3 for the bar.

After seeing spring in France, it's a bit of a shock to be back in England with frosty mornings!

Ah Spring!

So, we're well into spring. Some authorities suggest we're well into (possibly irreversible) global warming too.

So, the sight that greeted me this Sunday morning was:

This was taken at about 06:30. Of course, we don't really expect it to last and - since I'm flying off to France on Tuesday, I hope it doesn't!

June Tabor

Went to see June Tabor in concert last night. The venue was Huntingdon Hall in Worcester (great potential, poor execution).

It's probably 20 years since I last saw June, but I'm delighted to say that she still has a wonderful voice and an arresting stage presence. Andy Cutting on melodian (diatonic accordion, forsooth!) was splendid as was Marc Emmerson who excelled on viola (something you don't hear nearly enough, I think). The performance is still as stylised as ever, but, all in all a good night out!

More Good Food

Yet another restaurant review, I'm afraid. Went to Simpsons in Edgbaston (currently the only holder of a Michelin rosette in Birmingham) last Wednesday for an unusually splendid meal. Ravioli of foie gras, duo of beef and blackberry & apple crumble soufflé + all the little bits that come for 'free'.
The service and food are outstanding, but the wine list (a book an inch thick!) really is far too expensive (bearing in mind that I like expensive wine). For e.g. a bottle of the Reserve de la Comtesse 1997 is on sale for £68! this is a mark-up of about 300%. Bear in mind that this is also one of the cheapest Bordeaux wines on the list.
Nevertheless, a good evening.

We went to Liaison last night, a restaurant on the busy A34 in Hall Green. From the outside it looks more like a solicitors' office than anything, but inside is a sea of (almost) minimalist calm, decent service and outstanding French-inspired food. The seafood sausage was fabulous, but was eclipsed by the trio of game (a 'special' not on the menu).

Not the cheapest food around, but certainly some of the best; the food was (almost) of the same quality as Turners in Harborne, but the wine list was much more to my taste (good wines by the glass and some nice ½-bottles too) plus there was real espresso!