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| CHRISTINE's TRAVELLING DIARY.... Spring Solo Dates 2006 |
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(Well, dear reader, in the last instalment of this thrilling On The Road Adventure, we left as our heroine, CC, was about to enter the unknown world of the Rattan and Rush Tea Rooms...and it is at that same place that we pick up the story....)
The Rattan and Rush tearooms, another new venture for me and a fabulous experience. I was looked after royally by the promoters: Penny and Paul whose hospitality is wonderful and the food delicious! The audience eat Penny’s wonderful food before any singing takes place and they’re ready for whatever happens at that point with real enthusiasm. It was later than I normally play and I had to pull myself up from a very comfortable position on my bed upstairs watching tv … a surreal few moments for me at the beginning of the show trying to remember why I was there! But a great night ensued and everyone went away happy on many fronts!
The party continued after the audience had left and several people stayed behind to carry on their enjoyment. I was far too tired to join in and whimped out early on … ready for a good night’s sleep. I enjoyed breakfast with everyone on Sunday morning then found my way to Troutbeck near Lake Windermere, a favourite place of mine for many years now; there’s a wonderful old Inn called the Queen’s Head that does superb food but because I faffed about in Kendal first, I was too late for lunch! A fresh coffee and home baked shortbread went down a treat all the same!
I played at the Platform in Morcambe that night a fabulous place to sing! I love it. As I finished the first song I noticed, directly in front of me, Mike Williams and his gorgeous wife Bev; Mike was one third of “Shy Talk” along with myself and Anglin Buttimoore 25 ish years ago!! I was delighted to see them and kept pointing to them – most embarrassing I’m sure. Sorry Mike but it was just great to see you. There were two other people from the Isle of Man there that night, Esther and Barry, Aaron’s other grandparents! Hurrah.
I drove home that night exhausted and ready for a few days off. Bob had been to Corinne’s gig in Sheffield that night but had started with, what turned out to be, the worst throat infection/head cold he’s ever had. It laid him extremely low for 4 days and he had to miss the last 3 gigs – bless him. He was left with a nasty cough for several weeks after. He’s fine now!Bob felt fit enough to come to my next gig on Friday 14 th April – Good Friday and usually not a good day to be gigging.
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The New Cut Arts centre in Halesworth Suffolk turned out to be a fabulous venue with equally fabulous volunteer staff. It’s a privately run converted warehouse supported by many of the locals in Halesworth itself which Bob tells me is a really picturesque place; I opted for getting myself up to concert pitch (pun intended!) while he wandered this pretty little town.
I was pleasantly surprised by the turn out and even more so by the overwhelming response, most heart warming and great to have BtBF back on board however frail he was at the time. |
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| Left side audience, Halesworth... and... |
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Right side audience, Halesworth! |
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After a relatively relaxed Easter just hanging out at home, resting OI was ready for my next gig on Thursday 20 th April at the Musician in Leicester (BtBF in tow-hurrah); a local gig now! Again this was a new place for me. We were both really impressed by the venue and it’s owner/promoter Darren Nockles who puts live music on a staggering 7 nights a week! It’s a fantastic venue full of great atmosphere and music memorabilia. Unfortunately not very many people turned out for the show and those that did weren’t the most vocal of audiences until the very last song and then they went berserk! Phew … I thought I’d lost them along the way. This was the first time I’d remembered to bring my camera with me but totally forgot to take pictures of the audience! Doh! I did take some of me back stage for some reason...
Bob was also able to come to the Mill at Banbury the following day, Friday April 21 st. Not only Bob but our great friends and neighbours Bryan and Diane Ansell along with Ann Knott and her new fiancé another Brian, which can be a little confusing at times, who live in Banbury itself. It was also great to see and hear, Chris Howarth again. This was a fabulous night with much bantering with the audience and a rogue scat singer in Dirt in the ground- I was very nearly put off my stride but she wasn’t!
At the very end of the evening before Songbird was sung, I presented Ann and Brian with a beautiful bouquet and a bottle of champagne to celebrate their good fortune at getting engaged and then sang Songbird for them. Ah. It was a lovely moment … and not one photograph! |
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Backstage at The Musician in Leceister - and plaque marking BTBF's other pad! (see below for explanation) |
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We drove home that night and enjoyed a relaxing day off at our lovely home. Sunday April 23 rd was the Cabbage Patch in Twickenham an old (very old!) favourite. This was the last show that Bob was able to attend … it’s been great having him around for these few shows. A fair gathering of discussion group members showed up this evening: Martin and Pam Dury, Mr and Mrs Squidney, Chris Howarth, Marmalade, John Kane, and JK asked if he could video some of it … which you can still see on the Audio & Video page! Thanks John. For some reason that I couldn’t work out on the night, I couldn’t keep my guitar in tune very well … I soldiered on and most people were oblivious I think but it felt a bit weird to me; never mind.
Bob and I stayed with our lovely friends Pam and Martin Dury and "Mr & Mrs Squidney" came back for a bit of a midnight feast … we laughed a great deal and went to bed happy.
Bob flew off to Germany the following night after recording the Jools Holland show with Corinne and the band … yes! I decided to stay in Ely at the Lamb Hotel and took myself off to the Orchard Tea Rooms in Latchingdon earlier in the day … I’m a very lucky girl. I also ate out that evening too with Paul and Julie who made me feel very at home.
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I enjoyed a good look round the Cathedral next morning and actually took some photos … hurrah. (You can see them in the previous instalment of this diary by clicking here.)
I even remembered to take photos at the Bluebell Inn west Hemstead near Saffron Walden that night! I arrived with enough time to walk up to the local church, which was closed unfortunately but I did take a few snaps of the outside. I walked past “Millers Cottage” – Bob’s surname!
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| The Bluebell Inn |
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Dick Turpin Woz 'ere! |
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I’ve only played this gig once before and then it was for the Landlord’s birthday! Rod Stokes and his lovely wife Marion run the Bluebell brilliantly and have managed to boost the local music scene with real fervour. The gig is the small room normally taken over as a dining room (delicious food!) and only seats around 50 people (at a push). Which obviously makes for a hot and very lively atmosphere. Graham Robins did a lively set before me and was deservedly well received – I’d badgered him relentlessly earlier about his smoking – bless him, I hope he gives in to my mothering routine … probably not but he really aught to give it up his wheezing was terrible. Go for it Graham!
There were several board members squeezed into the tiny room: Up the clump, Chris H (again!) and Marmalade (again!) – hurrah.
It was a great gig with much interaction and good-humoured heckling and Mr Benn was very happy. I drove home through the night and enjoyed a relaxing day in the country on Wednesday.
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On Thursday April 27 th I headed up towards Barton-on-Humber, another new place and venue. It was a beautiful bright sunny day and the drive up was a delight and not too far from home … hurrah.
When I pulled up outside “The Carnival” I have to admit it wasn’t the most inviting of places. A huge square 70’s building that looked remarkably like a “working men’s club” but is in fact a pub complete with very large car park. |
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Carnival left... |
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Carnival right! |
I was met at the entrance by the promoter Mark Keable, who put me at my ease immediately. The upstairs room where he holds his regular music nights had recently been refurbished and was actually very nice: hard polished floors gave the room a lively sound which I happen to like a great deal. After a relatively painless sound check Mark very kindly invited me back to his lovely home where a feast lovingly prepared by his wife awaited not only myself , but also the delightful support act Angie Palmer, another favourite of Bob Harris. The evening itself was a great success and everyone there felt they’d had a special night, including myself! Another drive home but luckily not too far this time.
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| Some of 'The Rock'-ingham's Arms |
The GREAT Rob Shaw |
The rest of 'The Rock'-ingham's Arms |
Though I had a rogue couple of dates in May I felt the following night, Friday April 28th marked the end of the tour. The Rockingham Arms is definitely one of my favourite gigs and promoters too!
Rob Shawe has been running the “The Rock” – as it’s affectionately called- for many years and is incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about music; he and his club won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for best club several years ago … very well deserved too!
Even though I’ve played here countless times over the passed 20 odd years I managed to get lost! I still got there with plenty of time to spare – thankfully. Rob was particularly pleased because he knew it was nearly sold out and there was a festival in the area with the Oyster band on that night and it could easily have been a “quiet” evening for us. It was in fact a riotous event! Hurrah. One of my favourite singers was in the audience too … Dave Burland! He gave me a lovely compliment … he said I was a proper grown up singer … me and Bonnie Raitt! Hurrah. I found my way home easily feeling loved and appreciated.
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After a week on the Isle of Man visiting family and friends we returned on Friday May 5th and the Blues Band were playing in Newark that night; I’d invited Dave Kelly to stay and he’d invited me to sing a few songs! It was a packed show at the “Palace Theatre” in the centre of town and a great place to sing in.
I did a couple of songs with the full band in the second half: Love Me Like a Man and Guilty … both of which went down a storm and then Dave and I sang Baby what you want me to do? |
Gary Fletcher came back with his camper van and parked on the driveway near the cemetery – very brave and we all went round to Diane and Bryan’s for a “swift half” and to watch Corinne on Later with Jools. We all agreed she was the best thing on … not that we’re biased in any way!
The following Thursday, May 11 th had me playing at the Pavilion Pier in Cromer, Norfolk. This well run and wonderfully friendly festival is an absolute treat to perform at. I’d never been to Cromer before and was knocked out by its quaint beauty. I took a few pics! Unfortunately I missed Vin Garbutt’s afternoon set but he very kindly came to mine – always a humbling experience to know someone I admire is in the audience. Did you know that Vin Garbett heard me sing on the Isle of Man when I was 16!?
There were other friends I’d not seen for a while too: John Eels did a wonderful job as ever on the out front sound and much, much later back at the L’Hotel De Paris’s (yes really!) bar John Tams and Barry Coope joined us all for a well deserved relaxing drink after a long drive. One big happy family …
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John Eels and friend! on a bench..in Cromer |
Cromer's beautiful pier |
- and from a different angle! |
The following day I’d rather ambitiously made an appointment to have a lesson with my singing teacher Oleg Lapa in Hammersmith, London! I hadn’t really thought it through … luckily I took advice from several sources and left myself 4 hours to do it in. I needed the whole time and just managed to get there on time. Phew.
I also had a gig with Dave Kelly and the Travelling Gents that night at the Hundred Club on Oxford Street … no rest for the wicked. It was a very hot and sticky day (hard to recall now at the end of May with a gale blowing outside and a decided chill in the air!) and the drive from Hammersmith to the centre of town was … not my most favourite of pastimes.
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I’d not played here since 1993 when Dave and I did our first gig together … how the memories came flooding back. This is such a rock’n’roll venue and not the most flattering of sounds, the room itself has a very hard edge to it which I generally find difficult to sing in but we made the best of a rocky job and when it came down to it had an energised show.
Nobody appreciated the level of noise from the bar area and I had to "ask" the rowdy rabble to shut up when I started Guilty which they did … for the first verse! I was very tired by the end of the night but still managed to stay up eating humus at Dave and Gilly’s at 1 in the morning … oh what a rock chick I am! |
DK, CC and the TGs! |
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My last gig was on Friday May 19 th at High Barn in Great Bardfield Essex – yet another new venue for me and what a gorgeous place it is, I was blown away by the atmosphere and the people who’ve renovated this wonderful building – apparently the oldest timber framed building in England. First of all I was met by Simon a young man who looked so young I couldn’t quite grasp the fact that he was in charge of the sound and lights; he also looked after me with great care and respect and I was full of admiration for his professional approach – he did a really great job on the sound.
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There were many friendly faces in the audience that night, along with a fair smattering of “Collister Virgins” and the response was truly overwhelming – a fantastic way to finish this run of shows. The night was not without incidence. In the first half just as I struck the first few chords of Sad and Beautiful World … my G-string broke! Again! This time a man from the back of the hall heroically bounded to the front of the stage and took the guitar off to re-string it for me … I called him Barry the String at some point – oops. |
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Bardfield friendly faces! |
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I was very grateful but I’m not sure the audience were as I decided to tell jokes instead of singing something, for the life of me now I can’t think why. Let’s say everyone was very tolerant. Phew.
At half time, unbeknown to me Ian James aka SM25 on the message board, put on stage a huge yellow box with a bright pink ribbon on top which I only saw as I stepped out to do the second half! I had a little peek inside the box and realised what it was but decided to keep the rest of the audience in suspense till the appropriate moment.
The appropriate moment arrived when I began the “Space Hopper joke” – in the immortal lines of Rolph Harris : “Have you guessed what it is yet?”. That’s right : my very own bouncy space hopper! I refused to demonstrate it’s abilities on the night much to the disappointment of the front row in particular – not in that dress! It was a delightful present and a very memorable moment. Whilst I was doing my final Mr Benn impersonations at the back o the hall, Marmalade and SM25 presented me with the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers I’ve ever received! They were from a syndicate of discussion group members and I was deeply touched by this gift. They were beautiful and I want to say a very big thank you to all who played a part in their delivery (mostly Marmalade!). Please check out the review section on the discussion site as there are several fantastically written reviews and photos of this tour and I’ve enjoyed reading them myself – there are some very lovely people in my life! Thank you!
Bob and I go to Portugal at the end of this week for a well-deserved rest; we’re very much looking forward to it. There are a few gigs smattered around June and July and I start another solo jaunt in early September. There is also another tour confirmed for CC/DK and the TGs in October - dates are on the gig page. Those of you on the mailing list will have been informed of this by now...
Thanks once again for stopping by to read through my ramblings and just a reminder that if you haven’t already, sign up for the emailing list and get news of tour dates and cd releases on a regular basis and most definitely have a look at the discussion group and once there … join in!
Hope to see you all out there very soon.
Much love, Christine xx
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CC, Barry The String, the lovely bouquet from the discussion group (thankyou!) and "SM25" |
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