Sunday Fun

We had a rare weekend off, so I watched the British Grand Prix on TV. It was strange to see the presenters sheltering under umbrellas 30 miles away, while were were bathed in warm sunshine. Such are the vagaries of the British climate.
I'd arranged for Nicki to visit Harborough FM to meet presenter Darren Harte and record a couple of songs for his country show, so we set off for Market Harborough, arriving in good time, only to find that Darren hadn't arrived. Then the phone rang. It was Darren with the news that he'd run out of petrol on the way and could we come and collect him?
Tracy and I left Nicki at the radio station, went and collected Darren and returned a few minutes later. We all then squeezed into Studio2 and I played guitar for Nicki as she sang three songs and was interviewed. We drove Darren to a petrol station for a can of petrol and then took him back to his car. Once we were happy that the car would start we then drove over to a village near Kettering for an impromptu music session.

The Dukes Arms in Woodford hosts an "around the table" session on Sunday evenings where players of all ages and abilities come together and share a song or two. I wanted to show Nicki and Tracy a little of the grassroots and traditional music scene while she was here. We found seats (the pub was absolutely packed- so packed that there was a second session happening in the beer garden outside)and Nicki and Tracy listened as each player brought a song or tune to the group. I played a traditional air on my mandolin and on the next circuit of the room sang "Past the Point of Rescue". We took a short break to stretch our legs and sample a plate of sandwiches and slices of panini kindly provided by the Landlord Sean and carried on. The room seemed even fuller (if that was possible)and as the evening progressed Nicki stood to sing a song, accompanied by yours truly. Within a few seconds all eyes were on her and she finished to warm applause. More songs and tunes followed. Nicki moved across the room and sat with me and played mandolin on a couple of songs. Finally we sang a duet on "Proud Mary" and everyone joined in either playing or singing. It was a great night, highly enjoyable, and a complete change for Nicki.
Quite a few people said they'd try and get along to one of Nicki's local shows, so it was a great evening out and she picked up a few more friends.