Day at the Races

Cheltenham Racecourse

Wonderful day down Cheltenham Racecourse catching up with Create Goucestershire, Theatre Gloucestershire and some other familiar faces. All down there awaiting the Olympic Torch. 20,000 people!

The weather's gone crazy!

It is SO completely summer all of a sudden.

Rolled up my jeans. My legs haven't seen sunshine since 1987. Even toyed with a dress - but that was a step too far. Once a year, when forced. Rarer than the annular eclipse.

It was such a nice day. Went with my new volunteers, Siobhan and Marten - they're just the best. After schmoozing, we adjourned to the grassy knoll with free ice-cold coke. Starships has got to be my song of the summer so far. Seems to play everywhere. Just the best song when you're driving along in 28c with the windows down.

It was my first time at the racecourse. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Cheltenham is hideously affluent. Beautiful dresses, beautiful cars - both in obvious excess. Stunning backdrop of the hills.

  

Didn't stay to watch the torch arrive. Zara Philips rode it in on Toytown, but I'd fulfilled my quota of sun for the afternoon. I have to admit, I'm not really that fussed about the Olympics. I quite like the equestrian rounds, but that's about it. However, the torch relay idea is rather a good one. Reminds me of the pagan Bel-fires across the hilltops. Sucker for a bit of symbolism. Certainly seems to have brought people together. Thousands of people lining the routes, bunting everywhere, more turning up to the evening events. Real sense of 'spirit'.

Olympic build-up this week, Diamond Jubilee next week... my concerns are far more immediate. Friday is opening night at the theatre, and I'm fluctuating between excitement and sheer terror. Thankfully got a good team. Wondering whether Front of House might outnumber the audience, but we were on BBC Gloucestershire this morning for a full fifteen minutes - brilliant interview with the cast. Let's see how things go. 

Got another volunteer, Rob, who's going to start a video diary of our struggle to get off the ground.

All that sun's made me sleepy. I'm going to go and lounge.

Dreads4Kinamba

Excellent road trip!

Left Friday, picked up Cathryn and drove for the 8pm ferry. Arrived about half-past midnight in Torhout. Felt like we never left - February was yesterday.

The next morning, we were up and ready to de-dread by 10:30.

I'm used to putting them in, so taking them out was a bit of a shock.

All in a good cause though! We've already raised nearly €200 for the Kinamba Project and there's still time to donate.

The music on the video is Maguru by Holy Jah Doves (lyrics). That was Kassim's band in Rwanda - it was a major anthem from our time there, so a very suitable backing track.

Brings back loads of lovely memories.

Had a few musical moments. Doing the bump down the M20 to MC Hammer's Can't Touch This, air guitar to INXS' Never Tear Us Apart on the way there and the way back (only got one radio station in Belgium - and one track...) and Lana Del Rey's Video Games playing whilst we waited for the ferry at Dunkirk...exactly like last time. Creepy song, creepy coincidence.

Totally proud of what we achieved. My biggest fear was that it would be a lot harder to salvage Lies' hair from the dreadlocks and we'd have to cut it really short. But, thanks to there being two of us, and 'evil comb', we managed to do a really good job in not too long a time.

Survived off caffeine, nicotine and donuts, so been catching up on sleep since I got back last night.

Finally returning to writing. Can see the end of my short story collection. Needs a little fine tuning, but I'm proud of it and looking forward to launching it e-side. Will line up some signings later in the year for the others. 

Time consuming stuff. May need to go on retreat again. Possibly not 1,400 miles away this time. Anyone got a closer suggestion?

Gorgeous Garden

Been having a lovely day in the garden. You don't have to go all the way to Oxenhall to see daffodils, Dad's got a few of his own...

Also watched Howl's Moving Castle for the first time in ages. I do love it. I get terribly emotional when Sophie runs out and cries by the lake, and Turniphead comes and stands over her with an umbrella. If I could be any fictional character in the world, it would be Sophie. 

And everybody needs a Calcifer:

 I don't cook! I'm a scary and powerful fire demon! - Alalalalalaaaa!

Heehee.

Daffodils

Dad's Garden Buddha

Had a lovely day in glorious sunshine. It's like mid-August here in Gloucestershire. Headed out to Oxenhall, a little village with an annual display of Wales' national flower, the daffodil.

Swapping the white snowdrops for a blanket of golden light:

That last one is a lovely spring Primrose.

Long woodland walk, delicious stilton ploughman's, and plenty of cream tea and cake.

Also looked around an unusual church in Dymock, which was the home of the Dymock Poets. These were: Lascelles Abercrombie, Rupert Brooke (the 'handsomest young man in England' according to Yeats!), John Drinkwater, Robert Frost, Wilfrid Gibson and Edward Thomas. You can even become a friend of the Dymock Poets. 

(click to enlarge)

Beautiful place with unusual stone carvings:

Pretty Pettles

The weather has been glorious in Gloucestershire the past couple of days. Headed off to Colesbourne Park yesterday. It's one of the most acclaimed snowdrop parks in the UK. We visited last year and were trying to go the other week when it was closed due to snow.

Had a lovely time wandering around in the sunshine. Tea and cake and all good things. 

I absolutely adore the Blue Lake at Colesbourne. They believe the colour is caused by colloidal clay in the water. It's incredibly beautiful.

 

 But mostly, people come for the snowdrops. Click on pictures for a better view:

Hanging The Star

The night before we headed to Belgium, I coerced my friend Cathryn halfway across London to my cousin's album launch.

Halfway Across London

It was a pre-big-album-launch at an extremely cool venue called Bush Hall. Crazy family reunion. Unfortunately, Dad and Marilyn couldn't make it as they were off on a Valentine's sojourner to Cornwall. Lots of extended family were there. My other cousin Jim (Alx's brother) was playing the drums - mostly with his hands, because that's just how damn musical he is.

Was a fantastic night, full of double bass, saxophone, brass and strings. It was my first day feeling human after an horrific head cold. Shared a bottle of red, then heard the immortal lines: "Want another? It's only a bottle each." Had to be a good night after that! Also received a lovely little commemorative bracelet made by Beady Bea Bracelets - worth looking up for special occasions.

Alx looked stunning. There's a nice picture on the HtS website if you click 'Bush Hall', along with a review from The Upcoming. There's also a new music video which you can watch online. And you can purchase her Concussion EP from the gig. Follow along and give her a 'like' on Facebook. 

Also give Kristy Clark a 'like' - seriously talented Aussie singer, song writer and musician who was supporting. Love her song Dots and Dashes. Have a listen on MySpace.

Them done good. So proud.

Moon Over Shepherd's Bush

Beautiful Belgium

Excuse the previous post. T'was a little filler whilst I went through my pictures from Belgium. I'll try and keep the holiday snaps to a minimum - no falling asleep at the back there!

How fast time flies!

Started off with a gig in Shepherd's Bush, which I'll post about separately. Suffice to say: my cousin rocks, much was drunk and life is rosy.

More on that later.

Some highlights covered in the video above: Ma and Ra on catnip. So entertaining we almost considered smoking it ourselves. 

Ra, the morning after the night before...
Off to rehab.

The beautiful White Cliffs of Dover also featured. We were lucky, it was a gorgeously clear day and they were stunning against the setting sun. It was Baltic out though, so I literally took a couple of snaps and ran back inside.

Kitty in the Snow

 
We had one day of extremely heavy snowfall whilst there. Sooo pretty. And plenty of play with wee Noah, whose world currently revolves around Bumba, Rastamouse and Tinga Tinga.

Cheeky Chappie

Due to work commitments, Cathryn and I were left to entertain ourselves on Valentine's Day. There was no getting away from it!

On Valentine's morning, Cathryn inadvertently managed to butter her chocolate spread in the shape of a heart! Subliminal or wot? Well, she had thrown over her boyfriend to be with us, so I guess it was to be expected.

Rwandan fertility idols - and Bob Marley.
Sort of the same thing, really.

Another blast from the past came in the form of Primus. Once upon a time, you could only get two types of beer in Rwanda: Mutzig or Primus. It became our staple diet. They used gas from Lake Kivu (one of the world's three 'exploding lakes') to bottle it and there's even a Primus boat that sails from Gisenyi to Chyangugu. Cathryn and I went to their 50 year anniversary bash at Amahoro stadium shortly before we left. Guma Guma - shake it, shake it.

Rwandan Primus
(Image courtesy of Ludovic Hirlimann)

Naturally, when we saw it on sale in a bar in Torhout, we simply had to strike a pose!

Love is in the air...

Relying on Cathryn's internal Irish GPS, we managed to find just about every bar in Torhout. Entertainingly, we even ended up in a Sapphic bar. How romantic! Très funky wallpaper...

Rasta Beer?

Caught the final of the Africa Cup. Went to penalties - nine of them!

The never ending football match! But well done Zambia.

Also well done to the person who invented the fresh bread vending machine. I love it! Why do we not have these? It's my new most favouritist invention.

Vending Machine for Fresh Bread!

Co-Pilot Percy Rabbit also got to meet up with his cousin. Returning to the place of his birth... Torhout mini mart.

Reunion: Percy (R) with Noah's Bunny (L)
Bought on the same day at same supermarket.

A lovely visit. Might not be long before we return, but therein lies another story. Will explain all shortly.

Murabeho - Tot Ziens - Au Revoir - Goodbye