11th January 2025
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Spiders and Winter
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Cambridge Folk Festival, Friday
28 July 2023
The Cambridge Folk Festival kicked off its second day with a late start, giving the attendees plenty of time to catch the bus and enjoy the ride. On my way to the festival, I met a colourful storyteller who had performed at Glastonbury in the kid’s field. He entertained me and the other passengers with his interactive stories that involved remembering the order of some animals. It was a fun way to test our memory and imagination. A good Alzheimer test?
I arrived at the festival site and headed to Stage 3, formerly known as the Club stage. This name change had caused some discontent among some long-term folk fans, who felt that the management was ignoring their feedback and losing the charm of the festival.
Stage 3 featured some lesser-known artists who showcased their talent and diversity. I watched a couple of acts there and was impressed by their originality and passion.
Heather Ferrier
First up was Heather Ferrier who was a remarkable performer who combined tap dancing and accordion playing in a dazzling display of skill and rhythm. She played a variety of tunes, from traditional folk songs to modern pop hits, while tapping her feet in perfect sync. She also engaged the audience with her witty banter and charming personality. She was a joy to watch and listen to.
Maddie Morris
The stage was then taken over by Maddie Morris, a solo folk singer who captivated the audience with her guitar and storytelling skills. She sang songs that reflected her personal experiences and social issues, such as gender equality, mental health, and environmental activism. She also shared some anecdotes and insights between the songs, making the listeners feel connected and inspired. She was a powerful and authentic voice of folk music. Unfortunately, my time was limited because I wanted to see Symbio for the second time.
Symbio
But Symbio’s enchanting journey didn’t stop there. As the festival’s energy lingered in the air, the duo found themselves enthralling an intimate audience within the marquee at the Coldham Common campsite. Here, their music found an even deeper connection, wrapping around listeners like a comforting embrace, resonating within the cozy confines.
Symbio’s performances were more than just musical interludes; they were journeys of the soul. The intricacies of the hurdy-gurdy and the harmonious dance of accordion and kickbox demonstrated the boundless potential of folk instruments in the hands of true artisans. Their presence at both Stage 2 and the campsite marquee marked a pivotal moment in the annals of the Cambridge Folk Festival, etching Symbio’s name into the hearts of all who had the privilege to bear witness.
Jinda Biant
Jinda Biant is a singer-songwriter who blends blues, folk, and Indian classical music into a unique and captivating sound. He started his musical journey by playing tabla at a young age, and later picked up the guitar and learned from the legends of blues and rock. He released his debut album “Restless” in 2022, which featured his powerful vocals, slide guitar, and stomp box. He also appeared on BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephen’s Show and gained recognition for his originality and talent.
This year, Jinda Biant performed at the Cambridge Folk Festival, one of the longest running and most famous folk festivals in the world. The festival, which started in 1965, showcases a diverse and eclectic mix of music from different genres and cultures.
Jinda Biant is a rising star in the folk scene and was a must-see act at the Cambridge Folk Festival. His live performance was electrifying, inspiring, and unforgettable. Don’t miss your chance to see him in action and witness his musical journey.
I took a break from the music and explored the festival grounds. There were gardens of colourful flowers, a pond with ducks, and some smaller stages with different acts. I tried to snap a picture of a duck at the pond, but it was not easy. Then I returned to Stage 1 for the last four performances.
Eliza Carthy – The Restitution
Eliza Carthy, one of the most impressive and engaging performers of her generation, performed at the Cambridge Folk Festival in 2023 .
Eliza Carthy had been twice nominated for the Mercury Prize and had won numerous other accolades over her 20-year career. She had performed and recorded with a diverse array of artists including Paul Weller, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Patrick Wolf, and Bob Neuwirth . Eliza Carthy had revitalized folk music more than most and captured the most hardened of dissenters with intelligent, charismatic, and boundary-crossing performance.
Eliza grew up immersed in the world of traditional music. She still divided her time between touring and recording with her legendary parents, Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson, as well as engaging in numerous pioneering solo and band projects. In what had become something of a parallel career, Eliza had co-presented the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards, been a regular guest-presenter on the BBC Radio 2 Mark Radcliffe Show and had made many appearances on BBC TVs ‘Later with Jools’. In her own right, Eliza had been the subject of an hour-long ITV documentary (‘Heaven & Earth’) and ‘My Music’ on Channel 5.
Eliza Carthy performed with her band ‘The Restitution’ at the festival on Friday, July 28th. The Restitution band was known for its splendid performances that were sure to leave you spellbound.
In conclusion, Eliza Carthy’s performance at the Cambridge Folk Festival was one that I didn’t want to miss. With her captivating voice and engaging performances, she was sure to leave me wanting more.
Lady Blackbird shines at the Cambridge Folk Festival 2023.
The Cambridge Folk Festival 2023 was a memorable event for many reasons, but one of the highlights was the performance of Lady Blackbird, the rising star of soul and jazz music. She sang fantastically, captivating the audience with her powerful voice and emotional delivery. Her backing group, composed of some of the best musicians in the scene, proved very rewarding, providing a solid and dynamic accompaniment to her vocals. Lady Blackbird performed songs from her debut album, Black Acid Soul, as well as some covers of classic tunes by Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and Aretha Franklin. She received a standing ovation from the crowd, who cheered and clapped for more. A very good performance from her indeed.
Arrested Development
Arrested Development brought their unique blend of hip-hop, soul, funk and Afrocentric vibes to the Cambridge Folk Festival, delighting the crowd with their energetic and uplifting performance. The band, formed in Atlanta in 1988, played a mix of their classic hits and new material, showcasing their political and socially conscious lyrics.
Arrested Development proved that they are still relevant and innovative, as they incorporated elements of jazz, blues, gospel and rock into their sound. They also interacted with the crowd, sharing stories and messages of positivity and empowerment. The band received a standing ovation from the fans, who appreciated their musical diversity and authenticity.
The Proclaimers
The Cambridge Folk Festival is supposed to be a celebration of folk and world music, but this year it made a huge mistake by inviting the Proclaimers to headline the main stage on Friday night. The Proclaimers are a Scottish duo who have been milking their one-hit wonder, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), for decades. The Proclaimers seemed to be playing every festival around this year, but they should have known better than to show up at Cambridge. Their performance was out of place.
Back at the Campsite
Back at the campsite Symbio were weaving their magic for the third time. A stayed and listened with a pint in my hand.
Gallery
Wells Farm, BBOWT Reserve
12th July 2023
We visited Wells Farm in Little Milton. This was an organised trip by BBOWT. The reserve is a working farm, managed on a traditional rotation basis. The hedge margins are more than six meters wide, giving plenty of habitat for insects and birds. The fields have a mixture of soils. from chalk to sand and wet clay. Walking the fields, it became obvious as the soil types changed.
We were given tea and coffee in the Little Milton village hall. A wonderful village hall with an integral community run post office, shop and cafe.
The fields had many flowers and insects. The bird life was sparse, but then there was a group of 40 plus people walking around. It would be interesting to spend time there quietly.
BBOWT have the land on a 999-year lease, on the condition it is managed as an environmental farm. The lease was gifted to them by the previous owner. One does wonder how we could survive if all agriculture was performed in this same way…..
Glastonbury Festival 2023
21st June 2023 – 26th June 2023
Glastonbury Festival 2023
This was my 13th Glastonbury Festival. I first started going to Glastonbury in 1998, and then 1999. I still have the T-shirts which I wore to Glastonbury. A few suitable comments were made by other festival goers. I took a break for a few years and started attending again. I’ve been to every Glastonbury held since 2009. The Glastonbury Festivals I have been to are 1998, 1999, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 ,2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023.
This year was another dry Glastonbury. A week or so before Glastonbury, showers were expected during the show. As the date neared, the rain disappeared from the forecasts. Those who arrived on Tuesday were rained upon. I arrived on Wednesday, and it was dry and hot throughout the whole festival, with only one exception of a very small shower early on Monday morning.
I drove to Glastonbury in my EV on Wednesday, arriving in the early afternoon. Stopped for a coffee and a quick charge on route. The Blue route, taken by campervans, was empty with no delays. I arrived at Love Fields and was soon installed in my yurt. Love Fields has installed a large building, called The Barn, replacing the Teepee for breakfasts and meals. Breakfasts served downstairs, and cocktails upstairs. The bar and stage area lower down the fields were still in place.
Met up with Ed, Mary, her brother, and Jon while they were still on shift at the Silver Hayes area. Afterwards we had a few drinks, and then watched the opening fireworks. This evening we wandered around spending time in the Green Fields. I was back in Love Fields at 4am.
Thursday
Some bands were playing today in the small venues. I started off at the Rabbit Hole, watching Prima Queen, and then spent most of my time at the Bread and Roses, listening to small bands, such as Duo, The Love Buzz, Frankie Morrow, N’Famady Kouyate. I rushed over to the Southwest corner to see some metal, but the place was so packed I gave up and returned to the principal areas. It’s a shame I somehow missed the Vlure playing at Bread and Roses. Not to worry, the Glasgow band was playing again on another day.
Friday
The main days of the festival open. I started off with an exercise class run by Joe Wicks. Twenty-five minutes, plus a warmup session beforehand. I met up with Ed and Mary, it was their day off. After a while I went my own way and headed to West Holts stage. It is my favourite area, good cider, decent food and good music. I watched Louis Cole, Young Fathers and the headline act Kelis.
Saturday
The first band of the day was The Last Dinner Party at Woodsies (the new name for the John Peel Stage). Here I met Mark and his daughter. They were standing two rows in front of me. After this show I rushed back to the Greenpeace Stage to watch N’Famady Kouyate., again. He was playing five shows during Glastonbury and had won the emerging talent show at the Pilton Working Mens Club. Then it was Sudan Archives before rushing over to see Vlure at BBC Introducing. At the Other Stage, I watched the Manic Street Preachers, Plenty of room. Next for me was Guns and Roses on the Pyramid stage. I was disheartened because the area looked full for Lizzo. But after Lizzo finished, space opened up and I was able to find room in front of the barrier. Despite the reviews, the show was enjoyable, the crowd were ecstatic. Rumours circulated that Paul McCartney may come on to sing Live and Let Die. This did not happen. Shame it would have been a nice touch. After the headline act, I went on over to The Glade to watch the The Steve Hillage Band.
Sunday
Already I was nearing the end of the festival. First off was a hike up to the Crow’s Nest to see Professor Alice Robers with Rebecca Wragg Sykes talk about early humans and archaeology. Now back to normal, The Chicks at the Pyramid Stage, Bird on the Wire: The Songs of Leonard Cohen at the Acoustic Stage, followed by a fabulous show by Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp. I wasn’t going to miss the Mongolian Metal band, The Hu, at the West Holts. Saw them at Download. I then watched Barrington Levy at West Holts and headed over to the Other Stage to see the end of The War On Drugs and finally Queens of the Stone Age. It was a shame for the The War On Drugs, when so many people left to get to the Pyramid Stage to watch Elton John. Queens of the Stone Age were excellent.
Monday
Pack up and leave. Join the queue on Pylle Road. This can be slow as the mobile homes are allowed out onto the road from the same exit. It took me an hour to go the few miles. Once I was on the A37, there was no problem. I did hear that some people leaving the festival from the main car parks were held up for 7 hours. I count myself lucky. What I don’t understand is that despite all the walking, I seemed to put on a kilo.
Beating The Bounds
16th May 2023
Beating the Bounds is a tradition where members of a parish walk around their parish boundary. In the case of Grendon Underwood this is around 15 miles. The walk is performed once every 7 years, and has a number of strange customs. Crosses are chopped into the bark of prominent trees on the boundary, failing a tree, a cross is cut into the soil.. Children are supposed to have their bottoms smacked with a spade at these locations. This is to remind them of where the boundaries are. In our woke society this becomes men and women having their turns at being beaten. Thankfully the police were not around, with their new arrest powers what would they have made of us, carrying spades ands axes along and across the HS2 line.
I have done the walk once before, twenty one years ago, in 2002., Yes I have pictures and a write up on this blog, Beating the Grendon Underwood Bounds 2002.
As you can see there were a couple of detours which added to the distance. Nesting birds neccesitated us to walk around the perimeter of the BBOWT nature reserve and not along the Tetchwick Brook. Because of newly laid concrete by HS2 we had to take a detour around the incinerator to cross HS2.
The day was an ideal walking day. No rain, a breeze and not too hot. The ground was wet underfoot, the recent sunny weather had not yet dried the land out,
We started the walk at Gallow’s Bridge, walking around the perimeter of the reserve, being led by the BBOWT warden, Ilona. (As I said, the walk along the bounday of Tetchwick Brook not being allowed because of nesting birds.)
There were a further couple of short detours from the route before we reached Edgcott, these because of unsympathetic landowners.
We stopped at Prune Farm for tea and cakes and then headed onwards to the Energy from Waste incinerator and HS2. A large detour around the incinerator, because of newly laid concrete, back on track we headed to Finemere Hill House for our packed lunches. Lovely views, but spolit by the Incinerator and the workings of HS2.
After lunch we headed on down the hill and across HS2, almost on the correct path. In all these crossinsg we were helped by four HS2 employees to ensure we didn’t tie ourselves to the trees. After that, we were back in wild Buckinghamshire walking through Grendon and Doddershall woods, stopping to view the King Tree. We met up with the Waddesddon boundary walkers at Ham Home Wood. Another welcome stop was in store for us, beer and sandwiches at Canaletto. The sandwiches kept on coming!
Now the final couple of miles and we were back at Gallow’s Bridge. in all we walked 25.4km, taking 9 hours and 20 minutes. We started at around 51 meters, and rose to a maximum altitude of 135 meters.
Google Map of the Walk
Link to the Google Map.
OS Map of the Walk
This is useful view, you can see where we strayed from the parish boundary. There is one tracking error in the route. I some how turned off the tracker as we exited Doddershall woods, and failed to reenable it untilwe had walked a 100 meters along the road. The Google maps track is correct.
Beating the Bounds Gallery
Fully Charged Show at Farnborough
30th April 2023
I attended the Fully Charged Show at Farnborough (leaving R and her new hip behind) to take a look at the new EVs on the market. The show was mainly boycotted by the big manufacturers, leaving the space open for the new upstarts and Chinese to exhibit. I also visited to get some inspiration on what was available to generate and store electricity for the home.
I was impressed by the new wave of Chinese vehicles which are coming to market in Europe. The ORA Funky Cat was one such. One British EV also impressed me. It looked very much like what an electric Land Rover should look like. It was one hell of a beast. Built in Scotland, it is called The Munro.
There were a number of conversion companies, converting old minis and other classic cars to run on electricity.
Another company was converting the new VW ID Buzz to be a campervan. Not sure how practical this is, the van was rather small with very little storage space. Maybe, the newer van which is larger, will be a better way forward.
I did see a Rivian and the Ford 150 electric trucks. These are not sold in the UK, but a company imports them, and rents them out. Maybe a birthday treat for me??? [Oh, R has seen the rental prices. Am I worth it??]
Fox, Badger, Muntjac, Magpie and Rabbits living in harmony
A couple of videos of our foxes from Christmas until April. We believe these are the same two foxes starring throughout both videos. The Fox with the bushy tail is a dog fox, while the fox with the skinny tail is the vixen.
Hopefully the next video will be some fox cubs. Now the sun is out, I am assuming they will be venturing out from their den.
Cambridge Folk Festival the Sunday
31st July 2022
The tolilets and showers were holding up at the campsite. The new generator, and waste water pumps were working well. Today we headed in early because R wanted to do a craft course and weave some willow into a shape. When she arrived she was disappointed in that most of the work had been done already. There did not seem to be much opportunity to tailor the course to your own needs. We moved on to the arena, stopping by the wild flower gardens.
Sunday Performances
We sat again in a similar place to before, but a little further back. There appeared to be rules depending on where you were located. In the tent/marquee area you could only stand or sit on the ground. Outside the tent you could or were expected to sit on chairs. These had be aligned in rows. If you created a round circle group, you were reprimanded and had to align your chairs in a row. Further back, behind a line, you could group your chairs in circles. There was one such group near us. We heard about the rules only when this group was told to line up their chairs. They refused and reminded the usher that they were behind said line at which she apologised and moved on.
I am not sure if this group actually saw or heard music, they spent their time chatting and drinking.
Programme
We watched and listened to all the bands on this stage. Enjoyed listening to Billy Bragg and N’famady Kouyaté. The Gypsy Kings were definitely very popular. I did not make any attempt to get near the front. They performed a good rendition of the Leaonard Cohen classic of Hallelujah. After they left, the crowds significantly thinned for the finale of St. Paul and the Broken Bones. I managed to get to front of the stage to watch them.
Main Stage 1
St. Paul and the Broken Bones – Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes – Billy Bragg – Legend Slot: Clannad – N’famady Kouyaté – The Spooky Men’s Chorale – Billie Marten Katherine Priddy
Main Stage 2
Orchestra Baobab – Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram – Sam Lee – O’Hooley And Tidow -Lilith Ai – The Mary Wallopers – The Honest Poet – Mishra – Kids Show: Jason Maverick
The Club Tent
The Mary Wallopers – Trials Of Cato – Nick Hart – Flo Perlin
The Den
Fuzzy Lights – The Drystones – The Ocelots – Siv Jakobsen – Angeline Morrison – Judy Blank – Tape Runs Out – Daisy Chute – June Road
N’famady Kouyaté
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
Gallery
Kilimanjaro Trek – Day 12
Today I was flying home. My two travel companions left at 4.00am for their flights. They were flying by Kenyan Airways, flying to Nairobi and then on to the Heathrow and would be home today. I had a 6pm flight with Ethiopean Airways to Addis with a 7 hour stop over before continuing to Heathrow, arriving on the morning of the next day.
A lazy day, a limited number of beers, reading a book, taking photographs of the weaver birds and ear wigging on the next group of Kilimanjaro trekkers who had arrived yesterday. Jimmy appeared and told me that I mustn’t leave it long before I attempt the climb again. Not sure if he meant that I mustn’t wait years, or months. If I did attempt again, I must do some strenuous practice trekking in the French and UK hills.
Elvis appeared at 2pm to take me to the airport. At the airport, I had some lunch and then boarded the flight. Addis was a pain, 7 hours waiting, and the flight was a little delayed. The duty-free shops did not sell the alcohol I wanted, so I was unable to take advantage of Boris Johnsons, ‘most generous duty-free allowances in the world’ of four litres of spirits. There was also only one terribly busy food outlet, so I was bored, bored and more bored.
Airline meals were fine, along with their wine. Arrived in Heathrow, not enough of those passport scanning machines, so long queue in the immigration hall. At least the luggage was waiting for me. The Piccadilly Line was good, so much cheaper than the rip off Heathrow Express, and gets you where you want to go. I was wondering if the Heathrow Express will disappear. The Elizabeth Line will get you into London as fast as the Heathrow Express. Will there be a premium on the Elizabeth Line? Heathrow passengers will pay a premium, but those Heathrow passengers who continue to use the tube on the same day will not pay more than the daily Zone 1-6 cap.
Arrived at Bicester village where I was met by Rosemary.
Kilimanjaro Trek – Day 8
Millennium Camp (3790M) – Mweka Gate (1653M)
Today we had a five-hour walk (12km) walk down to Mweka Gate. We split into two groups, the fast group (mine) making it down 20 minutes before the rest. We sat around with some Internet and a drink. Pictures at the bottom. When the group was together, we visited a restaurant / tourist shop for lunch. The lunch was cooked by our chef. There was also singing (loudly this time).
After lunch, there was a drive back to Weru Weru River Lodge. On route we stopped at the bank for Jimmy to change the tip dollars into shillings. Finally arrived at the hotel for showers and supper. Before I could shower, arrangements were made with the Safari driver who was taking three of us on for a mini safari to see the Big Five.
Tonight, we sat and drank Kilimanjaro beer and ate a hot buffet supper in the bar.
Certificates were handed out to those who had completed the climb of Kilimanjaro. (I actually got one, but it wasn’t as ornate nor in colour as were those of the others.)
