Saturday 30 November 2019
Of Floating Free 2 - The Morning After
This is the return journey from the funeral mentioned in the last entry. Of course, being in a boat I couldn't simply reverse and go back the way I came. Although theoretically possible, maybe, it is fraught with potentially awkward moments and not something I would really want to do with any kind of wind. It is only possible to turn round where the waterway is wide enough and while the nearest place would have been to reverse to Outwell Basin, there is no control over the direction of the boat when moving in reverse except by correcting the direction with bursts of forward thrust. This can mean a very short journey can take longer than a longer one going forwards. There is also the danger that a sudden gust of wind could swing the front end of the boat into a moored boat or some other stationary object. I opted to travel down to the next village. The five minutes in the van is now about an hour's journey.
Wednesday 27 November 2019
Of More Sad Goodbyes And Floating Free
I may have mentioned that I run a monthly acoustic evening for writers to perform their own poems and songs. I know I am reaching that age but, rather disturbingly, the last two of these included performances by two of our regular songwriters who, within hours of giving fine performances passed away. I've been to both funerals in the past few weeks and it is enough to bring me up a little short. I know we all have to face the reality of our own mortality, but I feel honoured to have witnessed two such fine performances. Both funeral services took place in nearby crematoria and it was comforting to be able to spend time with mutual friends at both. I have pretty much always felt that funerals should be for those who are left behind. It makes sense that we should be able to honour the departed in the way that seems most appropriate.
Barry, whose funeral was last weekend, wrote his songs as poems and sang them. He didn't read or write music, he didn't record his melodies, but somehow he just remembered them. I have to write my songs down, including the music, or I forget them, so I appreciate his dedication to being able to remember his own songs. Many of his songs were historical documents about his life as an engineer with a particular passion for boats, trains and other engines. As I type this I have the part of the tune to his song, "Legging" going through my head. It was about the "leggers" who, working in pairs, used to lie on their backs on a board across a narrowboat with their feet pressed against the tunnel walls in order to propel it through a tunnel in the days before steam or internal combustion engines. This was an arduous and risky occupation with several fatalities.
After our sessions Barry and I often talked about boats. He is the only person ever to have observed and remarked correctly concerning my affectation for wearing odd socks. He correctly noticed I always had a port and a starboard sock, i.e. I generally wear a sock with red in it on my left foot and something on the blue/green end of the spectrum on my right. I'll miss Barry, as I'll miss Mike with his "French Polisher's Blues". Cabriole legs will never be the same again. We are approaching the final Friday of the month when we hold our Songwriters & Poets night. I do not wish to go to any more funerals just yet.
The wake following Barry’s funeral was to be held in a hotel a few miles away that stands just across the road from the river. Of course it seemed quite appropriate for me to go by boat. I left a few hours hours to give me enough time to turn the boat round in a wide bit of river about fifteen minutes away and set off back passing where I started towards the hotel. The lock was against me and the lock-keeper unavailable - just me then. Closing the open penstocks (that’s what we call paddles in the Fens) left open by the last user, emptying the lock, manoeuvring the boat, closing the lock gates, filling the lock again, mooring the boat at the nearby staithe while I went back to close the gates again took the best part of forty-five minutes. I arrived at the hotel with enough time to order a lunch and eat it. The boat had behaved impeccably all the way. This must be what other boaters feel like when they go out on their boats. I made four videos during the journey. Here's the first of them.
Barry, whose funeral was last weekend, wrote his songs as poems and sang them. He didn't read or write music, he didn't record his melodies, but somehow he just remembered them. I have to write my songs down, including the music, or I forget them, so I appreciate his dedication to being able to remember his own songs. Many of his songs were historical documents about his life as an engineer with a particular passion for boats, trains and other engines. As I type this I have the part of the tune to his song, "Legging" going through my head. It was about the "leggers" who, working in pairs, used to lie on their backs on a board across a narrowboat with their feet pressed against the tunnel walls in order to propel it through a tunnel in the days before steam or internal combustion engines. This was an arduous and risky occupation with several fatalities.
After our sessions Barry and I often talked about boats. He is the only person ever to have observed and remarked correctly concerning my affectation for wearing odd socks. He correctly noticed I always had a port and a starboard sock, i.e. I generally wear a sock with red in it on my left foot and something on the blue/green end of the spectrum on my right. I'll miss Barry, as I'll miss Mike with his "French Polisher's Blues". Cabriole legs will never be the same again. We are approaching the final Friday of the month when we hold our Songwriters & Poets night. I do not wish to go to any more funerals just yet.
The wake following Barry’s funeral was to be held in a hotel a few miles away that stands just across the road from the river. Of course it seemed quite appropriate for me to go by boat. I left a few hours hours to give me enough time to turn the boat round in a wide bit of river about fifteen minutes away and set off back passing where I started towards the hotel. The lock was against me and the lock-keeper unavailable - just me then. Closing the open penstocks (that’s what we call paddles in the Fens) left open by the last user, emptying the lock, manoeuvring the boat, closing the lock gates, filling the lock again, mooring the boat at the nearby staithe while I went back to close the gates again took the best part of forty-five minutes. I arrived at the hotel with enough time to order a lunch and eat it. The boat had behaved impeccably all the way. This must be what other boaters feel like when they go out on their boats. I made four videos during the journey. Here's the first of them.
Thursday 7 November 2019
Of A Placeholder Update and Downloadable Music
I do apologise AGAIN for not adding anything to this blog for such a long time. I began with such good intentions too.
I have been out and about in the boat and I have been performing to promote the album a little and have been very pleased that it has received plays on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, West Norfolk Radio and Future Radio. I have also been busy with other projects, mainly ceilidh bands, and drum workshops, but other musical projects too. I have even played drums in a rock band for the first time ever and had a lot of fun doing that. I was offered a busking spot at a small festival recently which was also a lot more fun than I anticipated. I didn't earn much and didn't sell any cds, but I did earn enough in about an hour and a half to feed myself that day - result! I have also finished a couple of new songs for the first time in months and I am happy with those. I've even trialled them at the monthly Songwriters nights I run. Did I mention the extraordinary Lâg/HyVibe guitar I've had for the past six months? I must do a bit about that in a future blog essay.
This week I have been drawing together some thoughts on the Byelaws that are being proposed for this waterway. This follows the introduction of new laws last year, which conferred the necessary powers on the navigation authority here to make these Byelaws. Not really good news, unfortunately, but hopefully some of my objections will strike a chord. It is amazing how many powerful people are not really aware of their actions on others; or is that just people in general?
I've experienced losing a couple of musician friends suddenly and unexpectedly in the last few weeks. I suppose I'm at that age when this will increasingly become a feature of my life. I've been asked to read one his poems by the widow of the latest to go.
Much less drastically, but also unexpected and unfortunate, I have had some gigs cancelled that I thought were settled. As one door closes, another one slams shut! It wouldn't affect me so much if I had a proper job (or any job I suppose) maybe? Perhaps more busking ...
I just thought I would mention though, that FINALLY I have got round to sorting out putting some music on Bandcamp. That means people who want to buy a download instead of the physical cd can do so. Naturally the download is cheaper, although it is nice for us musicians that customers, followers and fans can add a little extra if they would like to. This is the place ...
I understand some people prefer not to use PayPal. If you buy from Bandcamp I believe it doesn't have to go through PayPal unless you want it to.
At some point I have to address the daunting prospect of redesigning my websites I have to reflect what I actually spend my time doing these days. It's another one of those jobs I've put off for years. Work begins on costumes and masks for February's 2020 Venice Carnival very soon.
I have been out and about in the boat and I have been performing to promote the album a little and have been very pleased that it has received plays on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, West Norfolk Radio and Future Radio. I have also been busy with other projects, mainly ceilidh bands, and drum workshops, but other musical projects too. I have even played drums in a rock band for the first time ever and had a lot of fun doing that. I was offered a busking spot at a small festival recently which was also a lot more fun than I anticipated. I didn't earn much and didn't sell any cds, but I did earn enough in about an hour and a half to feed myself that day - result! I have also finished a couple of new songs for the first time in months and I am happy with those. I've even trialled them at the monthly Songwriters nights I run. Did I mention the extraordinary Lâg/HyVibe guitar I've had for the past six months? I must do a bit about that in a future blog essay.
This week I have been drawing together some thoughts on the Byelaws that are being proposed for this waterway. This follows the introduction of new laws last year, which conferred the necessary powers on the navigation authority here to make these Byelaws. Not really good news, unfortunately, but hopefully some of my objections will strike a chord. It is amazing how many powerful people are not really aware of their actions on others; or is that just people in general?
I've experienced losing a couple of musician friends suddenly and unexpectedly in the last few weeks. I suppose I'm at that age when this will increasingly become a feature of my life. I've been asked to read one his poems by the widow of the latest to go.
Much less drastically, but also unexpected and unfortunate, I have had some gigs cancelled that I thought were settled. As one door closes, another one slams shut! It wouldn't affect me so much if I had a proper job (or any job I suppose) maybe? Perhaps more busking ...
I just thought I would mention though, that FINALLY I have got round to sorting out putting some music on Bandcamp. That means people who want to buy a download instead of the physical cd can do so. Naturally the download is cheaper, although it is nice for us musicians that customers, followers and fans can add a little extra if they would like to. This is the place ...
I understand some people prefer not to use PayPal. If you buy from Bandcamp I believe it doesn't have to go through PayPal unless you want it to.
At some point I have to address the daunting prospect of redesigning my websites I have to reflect what I actually spend my time doing these days. It's another one of those jobs I've put off for years. Work begins on costumes and masks for February's 2020 Venice Carnival very soon.
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