In the middle of Mascagny’s Intermezzo

the bridesmaid ran over and plonked her head-dress on my head and then ran off again.  Ten minutes later she was back and danced to the Irish Jig I was playing and snatched the head-dress from my head and gave it to the Groom.   I have nearly finished my dress for my son’s wedding in August.    It started months ago when I spotted some pink/gold dupion silk on Keighley Market.  We rummaged deep and found some matching organza.  I had twenty quid in my pocket and spent the lot on some of each.   Week’s later whilst sat in a hospital waiting room I spotted a biro on the window ledge, grabbed a leaflet advertising ‘PALS’ from a display stand nearby and started sketching and designing the dress.  When I came home I had to check how much material I actually had to work with but with a few adjustments I started to cut it out.   My son and his fiancé had printed RSVP cards with suggestions to tick along the lines of:- ”YES, I AM COMING WITH BELLS ON”, ”YES, I AM COMING BUT NOT SURE ABOUT THE BELLS”, ”YES, I AM COMING BUT HATE BELLS” etc.   My son has since told me that no-one quite understood any of that.    Luckily I have been asked to play the harp in Church, in Ireland so of course they are going to get BELLS – and needless to say none of the guests will be left in any doubt – I have also made myself new matching sets of bells, one for each ankle …

A poem from my Husband

To my Wife
Your smile is radiant your heart is as warm as the sun
You fill me with joy and make me feel number 1
Your energy , your tenderness , your ingenious and your warm caress.
Your youthfulness, playfulness , to me you are simply the best.
The talent you possess the way you work things out with your cleverness .
To me you are my everything whatever life may bring
Scarlets ribbons emblazoned against a bright blue sky.
I think back to the time that we first met
And I smile as we shook hands how could I forget?
You took me home and loved me and you fed me too
You put me back together without using glue.
You filled my heart with love so earnest
And that spark of love became a raging furnace.
Before I met you I was broken unfixable and so I thought
But with your patience , a great love you taught
A love so special that I am so grateful for
I love each day more and more
I do not feel worthy of the love you give
You are so special and it is for you that I live.
We have been married 8 years now
Gosh the time has passed “Holy Cow”
As I take your hand in mine again today
I will think back to our wedding day
Where a garland of flowers filled you hair
And it was our special day and we did not have a care
I love you my mad harpist , joiner , farmer , friend
My love for you I could not pretend .
I love you freely , and you make me the happiest man ever
To me you are my everything whatever life might bring
Scarlet ribbons emblazoned on a bright blue sky.

A Night at Black Dyke Mills with Seth Bennett, Dave Widdop and co

Really enjoyed the reception and venue last night – thank you Black Dyke Mills.   They weren’t joking – it was cold, but there were settees and comfy chairs where people were snuggled up under blankets with hot water bottles.  Lots of wine bottles and picnics at the chairs and tables.   Luckily they had a pa system as the space was vast and my expensive microphone decided to break alas … I have another one but it needs a mic stand which at the moment is being used as a ‘gibbet’ to dry a batch of hands for some more puppets we are making!  One of our parrots, Bennie, is still very sweetly saying ‘hello’ to the rabbits who now live opposite her!  She is absolutely fascinated and spends here time watching them from her low perch.  In the summer last year when we moved the parrots outside in the sunshine they were all quite happily chatting away to the hens who came to peck at any seeds thrown from the cages.

A trip to the Doctors with a harp in tow

The title of the blog today might be a little bit misleading as I was not at the doctors because of been ill.I was at a clinic / practice as part of a community programme where different musicians play at a GP Practice each week .

The practice forms part of a much bigger community programme which involves a cafe where patients can get a drink and a bite to eat . New mums can meet each other thus cementing the community together.

it has been a very busy week for me and tomorrow I am demonstrating the harp in a local school . I will be taking along a few harps and some mini instruments to get the pupils involved in the project.meanwhile back at our farm Dave is busy making heads , arms and bodies for the ventriloquist dolls he makes which are based on characters from his books. The Book of Caris and The Book of Anon .  He continues to write and is currently working on his third book and is researching more and more historical legends.

Teaching / Website update

This morning we discovered that part of the wall had collapsed at the side of the field and our sheep were having a good nosey at the opening which had appeared we were left with little choice but to rebuild the part which had collapsed which took about twenty minutes. The afternoon was spent teaching pupils on the Welsh Tripleharp.

Dave my husband continues to work on redesigning my website  www.tripleharps.com 
Eventually the plan is that my Blog, Facebook, twitter and my website will all be linked together and should auto update

As part of the continued process of  re-designing the website Dave has scanned more than one hundred thank you letters from Brides and Grooms I have played for, Recitals and concerts I have performed as well as Charity fund raisers

I hope to be able to display many of the cards and letters I have received from all over the world on the website soon