Not getting there till noon on Saturday meant I missed the "Beginners" Session at Shrewsbury.

However joining the "Improvers" session on Sunday was quite possibly the highlight of the weekend for me (and I saw lots of great music on the concert stages!) It's difficult to describe the buzz you get from sitting down with a bunch of complete strangers and playing a few tunes old and new. The selection was good and the level (complexity and speed) seemed right for most people participating (ie I was just about able to keep up!) Plus you get some weird and wonderful instruments too....we intentionally positioned ourselves close to the lady playing the bassoon! Moreover, that pint of 'breakfast beer' was the best I had all weekend.

Izzy (and colleagues), you're a complete star for organising this and I know there's lots of people out there who would join me in congratulating you (and buying you a beer). When I come back next time this will be the one thing I won't dare miss at the festival. In fact it would be good to have another session on the Monday morning also.