Tuesday 11 January 2011

Reconnected and a last few pictures of 2010

Hello good people, I'm back. I had the pictures here uploaded and was just about to add a few words to them when I was struck down by the dreaded lergy. Before I was recovered, I was whisked away to work where I found my lab internet not working. I'm now much better, only a cough remaining, and a nice man from the computer helpdesk phoned this morning about another matter but I wasn't letting him away until he'd sorted my wee connection problem too.

The next 3 pictures of a pretty good summary of my musical year. Until August I hadn't been catching many sessions for a while maily because I was never there. This one below is one of the few, in one of the Castle Douglas pubs (I can't remember which it was now).


Any shortage of tunes was well and truely sorted in September with the Portpatrick Folk festival - previously blogged here . Being the person who takes most of my pictures, it's not very often you see me parked behind the guitar - still doesn't look like I'm doing much playing.


You're more likely to see a picture of my empty seat and unoccupied guitar as below at on of Frank's Sunday afternoon sessions - nice gentle sessions, usually completely without a background rabble (this one actually happened on a Monday as the Sunday was boxing day)


Back to tea briefly - I found a little tablet of tea for sale in a shop in Glastonbury. Willing to try many things, I bought it and popped some into my teapot with a little boiling water. It was awful!! ....truly awful! I couldn't read the label as it was in Chinese but it quite clearly has 2003 on it which is a lot of years ago whether this is a production date of a sell by date, so I suppose I had better give it the benefit of the doubt and say that it might have tasted better 7 years ago (I doubt it though)


This chap painted the whole High Street in 10 minutes.


On one visit to the British Museum, they had put out a table with little objects you could pick up and handle. This netsuke (or kimono toggle) is about the most delightful little object I've laid my hand on all year - it's been carved into the shape of a rolled up rat.


These two glorious little gold cups are also from the British Museum. One has suffered more than the other from a few millenia of being ploughed over. They were found in Kent and Cornwall and date back to 1800 to 1600BC - that's about as far back before the Romans invaded this apparently barbarian little Isle as we are from when the Romans left.

16 comments:

Shundo said...

Glad you are feeling a little better - all my favourite bloggers seem to have been sick recently - perhaps there is a virus going around (sorry, couldn't resist).

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

And just what made you so sure that black suspect-looking Chinese tablet was even tea, not to mention suitable for consumption? Looks to me made from horse dung and used to unclog sewer pipes. Entertaining post. Get well.

Kim Ayres said...

The first photo - featuring the astonishingly good looking and well hung mandolin player on the left - was the Crown Hotel in CD

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear your feeling better.
You sure do remind me of Steve Earle in that photo.........
How about getting the mandolin out and giving us a blast of Galway Girl

Happy New Year

Michael (Light-In-A-Box) said...

Hey Sandy, glad to hear your on the mend & reconnected! I've actually managed to play more guitar last year, solo of course as there is no one to play with!
I see by your last post you seem to love tea as much as I love coffee!
Michael

Becky said...

I want to see and hear a video of at least one tune!

Crafty Green Poet said...

glad you're feeling better! Sorry the Chinese tea tasted so vile, perhaps its just meant to be ornamental! I like netsuke, there's a good collection of them in the Museum in Edinburgh though you can't pick them up

Sandy's witterings said...

Shundo - Oh!

Sinbad's pal - you've no idea how close you may be on the tea front, although I think it is more likely to clog up the pipes.

The crown that's what it was Kim - I'm afraid I can't answer for all the attributes of good looking mandolin players.

I can do Galway girl Poppy - but badly and after a bit of practice.

There's somebody out there to play guitar with Michael - keep looking. Tunes on you own with a cuppa is still a good way to pass the time.

I am completely videoless Becky - I might get round to sorting it sooner or later.

Juliet - the Edinburgh Museum does have a cracking collection of netsuke and other japanese carved nik naks - I don't think they're available to see just now as they're in the bit that is closed down for a while (I'd quite like to be wrong here)

Jittery said...

Wonderful pictures Sandy! Thanks for sharing.

Sultan said...

I must go to Frank's someday.

Unknown said...

So your the one that brought the dreaded mahoccus of the blowhole (lurgy in 'american Redneck)! I thought I was gonna die and for a couple of days wished I would!

BTW The Chinese script says "One tablet to 10 gallons boiling water. Steep 5 minutes prior to soaking feet. Discard immediately in a safe manner. Not for human consumption."

The Glebe Blog said...

Thanks for your visit Sandy,
I'll have to try and catch you playing this year.
Talking of Galway Girl (Take note Poppy Daydreams),I'll be heading to Auchenlarie on February the 5th.The Benidorm Rovers are visiting.

Sandy's witterings said...

Thanks folks,

RM - I'm not sure I would volunteer to stick my feet into 10 gallons of boiling water after it had that stuff added now.

Jim, I was at Auchenlarie caravan site on the 2nd January (just before the lergy struck) trying to plug the odd mandolin note in to replace Galloway Folk's missing Banjo player. I'm hoping to be off for Portpartrick again this year but no sign of dates on the net - hoping it's the 1st weekend in September.

Poppy (aka Val) said...

I love the netsuki, I want it!! lol ASeriously I am surprised they let people handle some stuff, the small things would easily fit into a pocket :(
Sickness is hitting our house too, my son is suffering from tonsilitus and flu right now, he is not good, hoping he is a bit better tomorrow. Hope to see lots more photos from you this year, take care :)

Zia Wolf-Sun said...

Good to find you well and healthy now I'm here :) You're certainly looking in fine fettle in that pic of you with the guitar! Most relieved to be able to assume you haven't got the dreaded Swine Flu and the health bringing qualities of TEA are keeping you fit and travelling the pubs with cam in hand! :)

Sandy's witterings said...

Poppy, the British Museum are very careful, they usually have two or three little objects out and a very attentive (and informative) member of staff out with them.

Thanks Zia, almost back to normal, probably due to to tea of course.