Just appeared on Phil Beers tour diary!!


And so to a busy day at Norden Farm arts Centre. We sold the evening show a couple of weeks ago and put in a matinee for four in the afternoon. This was in the studio theatre. We couldn't move over to the main auditorium because there was another show on. When we got there we discovered that the main event was a day of indian dance for youngsters featuring both traditional and film style dance. The large and partly communal backstage area was a riot of colour and exuberance as groups of kids practised and sorted their glorious costumes out and, as I put on my plain black trousers and a fresh black shirt and polished (you guessed it) the black guitar, I was struck once again by the contrast between what I 'm doing and what these kids were involved in. They were all born around Maidenhead/Slough/Reading but were full bloodedly celebrating culture from their parents homeland. They were up for it, wanted to do it and were having a ball doing it. I had a chat with some of the mums and took some pictures. The kids came to see the guitars and fiddles. As I did my thing I was aware of all this going on the other side of the door. (Quite inspiring really) My knowledge of our musical traditions only came about by a series of happy accidents and by being in the right places at the right time. What if I hadn't come across Davy Grahams 'Folk Blues and beyond' when I was fourteen, What if Katy Fincham hadn't become fascinated by the English concertina and taken me to The Jolly Porter Folk club. What if Pete and Mike Gaskell hadn't started the Double Locks club and booked people like Cyril Tawney and their very own Bob Cann. (Sticklepath boys).
We've lost more than we'll ever know etc etc
Anyway. Great gigs. Miranda was as always superb and Isambarde made a host of new friends. Thanks Mike and Ruth. Onwards and upwards!! See you at Nettlebed