Now, I'm back home from a dream holiday. I'd visited Ireland and Britain nearly 20 times for music before, but this was definitely the most enjoyable one. I met many old and new friends including great characters from this site, such as Ptarmigan, Ceolachan, Danny, etc, etc, etc. Well, there are too many things to write down, and I'm not a good writer at all. But I do my best here before the pleasant memories fade away.
Day 1: It was 12th March (Sun). I arrived at Heathrow around 5:00 pm. It took me ages to go through immigration, but I checked in at a hostel in Camden Town before 7:30 and left a suitcase there and immediately headed for a session, which was literally across the street. I was obviously late, but the musicians kindly let me join in. Many of nice standard tunes were played, and I had a nice chat with those sitting next to me. (I now wonder if they are regular contributors to this site.) It became too noisy and the session finished up a bit early, but I was very happy to have some tunes with very friendly people only a few hours after the arrival.
Day 2: I overslept and nearly missed the bus for Birmingham. I'd never been there before, but I found it a pleasant, modern city. After a quick shower and dinner, I walked to the well-known pub called "The Spotted Dog." Well, I chose a wrong week and the pub was empty. I listened to Catherine & John McEvoy CD on a stereo over a pint of Strongbow. Thanks to the barman. I'm sure to be back there again to play Josie McDermott's flute classic "The Trip to Birmingham."
Day 3: A train trip to Yorkshire. York is one of my favourite places in Britain and has an excellent hostel which costs only ￡10 per night. I played my flute for a while in the empty room, then headed for Leeds, where I used to study for a masters degree in History of Art and learned & played Irish music for a year. Having chatted with friends including young promising musicians and dancers in the Irish Centre, I had a mini session with them. Wow, I was able to play most of the tunes! And I love how they play. In an hour, most of them left for home or for the session on the other side of the city, but myself and a young banjo player stayed for some more tunes. He was a great player but becoming even greater. We played some of our old favourite tunes and the new ones we learned recently. It was great to see we have similar liking of particular styles and tunes. That was a pleasant night.
Day 4: I took a very cheap EasyJet flight from Newcastle to Belfast. It was less than ￡11 including taxes and everything. It cost more to travel to/from the airports though. I'd been to Belfast several times before, but had to have a bit of walk to check where the Laganside Bus Station is. I was exhausted and didn't go out that night after a dinner in KFG near the hostel.
Day 5: A bus trip to further North to meet Mr. & Mrs. "Ptarmigan." Again I overslept and sadly missed the bus for Giants Causeway. So, I catch a bus to Colerain, walked around a bit in the town, and snatched sandwiches for lunch. It was very freezing and occasionally snowing while many of school girls were wearing short mini skirts. I phoned Mr. Ptarmigan around 3:00pm to arrange to meet him in Ballymoney. (See this map: http://www.northantrim.com/temporary_map.htm) We were not sure where in the town we could get together, but Mr. & Mrs. Ptarmigan managed to find a stranger from Far East. Then we drove to Ballycastle to have a quick mini session in a lovely old pub. We struggled to find out the tunes we could play together, but it was fun. After that, we got some meal for dinner in a Chinese takeaway, searched around for a spoon for soup in vain, and headed for a church service. I had no idea what was going on there, but Mr. & Mrs. Ptarmigan, their students and friends did a fine job. Having had a chat with people in the little church and a quick dinner in the car, we then drove to Portrush for a session featuring Dee Havlin. It was busy and a bit noisy, so I couldn't talk to her very much. But it was great to watch and listen to her playing. Many good tunes turned up, including very local tune "Rathlin Island." And Mr. Ptarmigan kindly let me start several sets of tunes and backed me in an excellent way on the fiddle. I think I chose right tunes everyone could join in for and enjoy playing together. It was another great night of music.
Day 6 (Paddy's Day): Lazy morning in Mr. and Mrs. Ptarmigan's nest and a cracking session in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh in the evening. After a breakfast, we drove to Colerain for an open-air concert of the London Lasses & Pete Quinn. It started shortly after we arrived. The sound was excellent and their playing was very tight though it was very freezing. Mr. Ptarmigan and myself had a lunch in a cafe during the break. (I can't remember what we were talking about.) Then back to the Lasses' concert. It was brilliant and definitely worth seeing them on the stage even though I was nearly frozen. Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ptarmigan for their hospitality and sharing a great time and fun.
So, I took a bus for Enniskillen around 3:00pm. I passed through the little town on my first visit to Ireland around 7 years ago, and was immediately attracted by its beauty. I visited there two years later and the year after to explore the surrounding areas. I couldn't visit there last year, so I was very excited about going back there again this time. It was actually a long journey from North Antrim to the capital city of Fermanagh, and I felt seriously sick on the bus. I managed to get off without annoying anybody and checked in at a hostel. It was still well-managed, and this time I stayed in a clean 6-bed en suite room just by myself for ￡13! I was still sick but felt much better after playing some of my favourite Fermanagh tunes in the room. After a very quick dinner, I went to the pub which hosts a folk music session every week. Immediately after walked in there, the barman approached me. "Were you here last year?" I said, "No, it was 3 or 4 years ago." "Are you still studying in Scotland?" How amazing to know he still remembered a lot about me. When I told him I'm now playing Irish music, he introduced me to the local musicians, some of whom I recognised. After a while, all the musicians turned up and a magical session started. Fast and furious, and they played in a lively old-fashioned style. It was a great music session to listen to and of course to join. The only thing I regret is that I couldn't talk to most of the old musicians very much because the pub was packed and we were sitting in a straight line with myself at the end. Well, I'll be back there again hopefully soon on a quieter evening.
Day 7: I woke up late and searched the entire town for "Hidden Fermanagh" CDs before catching a bus for Belfast. None of the music shops and even the tourist office had them! But I got a copy of John and James Kelly's gorgeous duet album for ￡6 instead. Back in Belfast, I went to a pub for music that night again. Well, I had nothing else to do. The pub was almost empty and quiet, and nobody came in with instruments for a while. But it was worth waiting: Jason O'Rourke and friends turned up and started an amazing session. They played some of the tunes I can play, so I approached and asked them if I can join for some tunes. Glad to know they were lovely people as well as very talented musicians. So I took my flute out of my bag, but ended up not playing any tune. It was a great session just to listen to, and I was very happy to sit back and enjoy their great music.
Day 8: I took an early flight to Glasgow and then caught a coach to Edinburgh, where I started playing both diddley and diddly music 4 years ago. The hostel was another of the nicest ones I'd ever tried in Britain, and it's only two minutes away from Sandy Bells. I sneaked into a Scottish music session in the afternoon there, but didn't play much. I left the pub a little early and cooked a microwave meal for dinner. After a quick nap, I was back to the pub again in the evening with 2 guys from the hostel, who were interested in the music session. Freddie and friends were playing there. Thankfully, they recognised me and made some room for me. It's a small, relaxed session, so I didn't feel obligated to play as many tunes as possible but instead spent a lot of time listening to lovely music, sitting between two mighty fiddlers. Then, something nasty happened to me. My flute fell off the stool when I tried to remove empty glasses. I got a crack in the bottom piece, but luckily enough it doesn't affect the pitch. So I managed to start two sets of tunes, and they all joined me. That was really great especially when myself and a fiddler from Co. Clare started playing a Josephine Keegan tune which has been popular in Clare, and then Catherine (Katherine, or Kathryn?) joined us on the fiddle soon after. Hope to see them again for some tunes on a Tuesday night next time.
Day 9: Another pleasant day in Edinburgh. I spend the day time teaching whistle to one of the hostel staff members, buying souvenirs for my nieces, and searching for a nice and cheap recording in a music shop. After a nap and dinner, the time for music in Bells again! I'd joined the musicians once or twice before and they still remembered me, so it was again easy to join them. Just like the previous night, it was a small, relaxed session. I had a great time playing a few sets and having some nice chat with them about the smoking ban in Scotland, Japanese films, etc.
Day 10: Back to Yorkshire by train. After a quick shower and lunch in York, I took a train to Leeds to see a friend from my country now studying in the university there. We had a great discussion comparing the life in Britain with the life in Japan for several hours. Then I walked to the Irish Centre to see Irish friends for music again. Compared the previous week, it was quieter after a funeral, but I played some tunes with my past flute tutor and later had a mini session with a couple of friends. We had a nice mixture of instruments: a banjo, a flute, and a piano accordion. Another pleasant night in Leeds.
Day 11: A train trip to meet the most mysterious member of this site, "Ceolachan." He loves to stay mysterious, so I won't tell you much about him. It actually took me several hours to get to his "home" town. The man showed up with a yellow whistle in the pocket of his jacket instead of a red carnation. He was a little younger than I thought. Before picking up Mrs. Ceolachan from her workplace, we had a walk in a park discussing flute players, the difference between a barndance and a highland, etc. They cordially welcomed me to their home, and I had a great time there. "C" showed me his interesting collection of whistles and flutes stored in a fiddle case, and we played a few tunes together. He also had a great collection of old tape and CD recordings, including those of different types of music. I enjoyed listening to some Klezmer CDs. Then we had a bit of walk around the area before a lovely Welsh meal. For the rest of the night we had a lovely chat listening to some of our favourite recordings, including Dow's tina playing I recorded in a karaoke box in Tokyo last year.
Day 12: I spent some more time with "Ceolachan" in the morning before going back to Leeds. After we swapped some tunes, "C" taught me basics of Irish dancing. Then we tried dancing to Harry Bradley's CD to see how music and dance interact. (Well, I was just trying to dance....) I can't thank you enough "C" for sharing fun and knowledge with me and for the lunch you prepared for me!
In the afternoon I travelled back to Leeds, and a friend and great fiddler Des Hurley picked me up at the station. We directly headed for his house and spent a good few hours introducing our favourite recordings to each other. After a proper Indian meal in his house, we drove to the Irish Centre for a poetry reading event. Well, it was actually a combination of poetry, music, and dancing, and proved to be a great success. More than 70 or 80 Irish people got together in the room, and I found some familiar faces. I was especially pleased to see a good friend again (third time during this short holiday break) and watch her dancing. I'm not familiar with poetry very much, but they had a nice mixture of interesting themes such as the scenery of Ireland, the famine, and the immigration. Michael Tennyson, Des, other finest players of the city, and myself played some local tunes before the break and some more after the event. It was a very memorable evening, and I was lucky to be there.
Day 13: I spent another day in Leeds. I checked email in Des's office, then he dropped me off near the city centre. I spent a couple of hours in an art gallery and then got lost on my way back to his house. It was very misty and I walked in the wrong direction. I finally found the house after wandering around in the rain for 3 hours. A couple of music friends visited us, but we didn't play any tune together. Instead we were drinking some glasses of wine listening to Angelina Carberry's latest recording. It was sometimes nice just to sit back and relax, especially after a long walk.
Day 14: After a good full breakfast Des cooked for me in his house, I took a coach to London. Some of the members of this site changed their plan for me that night and kindly arranged a session in the South East part of the city. Paul and Bob were playing Copperplates when I walked into the pub. Aidan arrived soon after. Then, when I was about to start a set of tunes, Danny, Cath, and Matt opened the door. Do I fail to mention another person or two? If so, I'm terribly sorry. I was really pissed like anyone else. Danny played the Blue Bell polka on the box for me. I simply had a great time with them all though I was too drunk to play some of my favourite tunes. Myself and Paul stayed there until around 4:00am. Surely it was as crazy as the session I had with Dow in Tokyo last year. I safely went back to the accommodation by taxi and went to bed around 5:00am.
Day 15 (the very last day): I slept for a few hours in the hostel and joined a fantastic session near Leicester Sq just before the flight. I actually got up around 8:00am and checked out the hostel at 10:00. I read through the guidebook and found the National Gallery is located near Leicester Sq. Why not kill time there before a session? So I took a quick nap on the sofa in front of an art-historically important piece done by Velasquez. Then I was munching sandwiches at Trafalgar Sq, wondering how I could kill some more time. It started raining, so I decided to go to the pub early and wait for the musicians. I actually joined them just before the "blasts" last year. It was a great session I personally found very easy to join: it was a relaxed, very steady and tight one. And what's more, they played many good standard tunes I've been playing in Leeds and Tokyo. So then, Andrea, Mike, and Sheena arrived one hour later, and I was glad to know they still remembered me. (Well, Conan was missing this time again!) Good music started as was the last time, and I played many tunes with them and some other musicians from the city and the States. I was especially delighted to do a bit of flute duet with Sheena. We played a Fermanagh tune in similar styles, and that sounded really good. She moved onto another northern tune I've never heard, but it was great to listen to her play attentively. The noise from the crowd sometimes distracted us, but I enjoyed myself playing and listening to good music, and of course drinking cider and whisky. I left there around 6:00pm to catch the flight to Seoul at 9:00pm. I was back home in this strange country around 11:00pm of the next day.
Hope I'm not misnaming anyone. Again, thanks to all the friends I met during this short holiday. Hopefully I'll be back next year again for music and fun!
That sounds like a great trip, and the amount of sessions you got to....20? 30?
It was a pleasure to meet you. It was no big deal to change our plan to have a session at Shillelagh's. You know of course we had a session/gig at a restaurant in Camberwell beforehand. I have to admit having had a few (mostly wine) beforehand, so I can't remember playing the Bluebell. I do remember having to leave some pints of Guiness as I'd had quite enough! I think I left about 2 or 3am.
You mentioned me Aidan, Cath, Paul and Bob....but I think you mean Max, not Matt. The other player (Fiddle)was Paul Gross.
Gosh! Yeah, that's Max. And another Paul on the fiddle. My brain doesn't work well because of jet lag. Cheers Danny for the correction. I think you had got 4 full pints of Guinness in front of you and tried to drink them all at once, then Cath stopped you.
Yeah, I remember that vaguely. I recall Paul was "encouraging" me to get them down my neck. Maybe he didn't realise that I had been on the tear from 5pm the Saturday, right after our Open Day. Thanks for saving my life, Cath! Sunday (the day after) was a long enough day as it was!
Al, it was actually Kentucky Fried Geese. They are now offering a special meal in UK at the moment.
I should have mentioned "Ptarmigan" and "Ceolachan" were a bit like identical twins. They had very similar looks with impressive beards, great stock of information on musicians, and good collections of interesting instruments. They even had similar personalities too.
Now, I'm going to bed because I need to work early in the morning tomorrow and have some other important things to do.
Well Slainte, you certainly made the most of it. You've plenty of sleep to catch on I reckon. Glad we were part of your itinerary, our change of plan that night was for the better and we were pleased you encouraged us to have a session at Shillelagh's. The landlady certainly was happy to have us there.
Keep in touch and best wishes.
Yamadasan, thanks for a nice read. You did extraordinarily well to maintain your sanity despite the company of all those strange people. It must have been torture listening to 'c' drone on and on about the differences between a barndance and highland. At least when you're online you can stop reading and go and do something else like make a cup of tea now and again So when are you going to get out to Oz?
Cath, I need to apologize to the landlady for having stayed there for long. Tell her I'll stay there a bit longer next time to sweep the floor.
Mr. Ptarmy, I might have told you but I'm living a bit away from Tokyo: around one hour down south by train from the craziest city in the world. It's near the airfield where an American guy called Douglas MacArthur landed to govern Japan after WWII. I personally don't hate him, mainly bacause of his family name. Anyway, never mind!
So, Dow-san, when are you going to settle in this hemisphere.
I wish I had known you were coming, Hiro, we could have met up - you might have been able to come to our session, which is now in Bennett's Bar. Next time, LET ME KNOW!
Hey, Nigel! How have you been? Sorry, I didn't email you, simply because I was staying there on Sunday and Monday nights. Surely next time I will. Sadly I've been learning and playing too many Irish tunes recently. But, believe it or not, the Flowers of Edinburgh popped out in our Irish music session in Tokyo last night, and of course I enjoyed playing it!
My Holiday Break in GB + NI
My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Now, I'm back home from a dream holiday. I'd visited Ireland and Britain nearly 20 times for music before, but this was definitely the most enjoyable one. I met many old and new friends including great characters from this site, such as Ptarmigan, Ceolachan, Danny, etc, etc, etc. Well, there are too many things to write down, and I'm not a good writer at all. But I do my best here before the pleasant memories fade away.
Day 1: It was 12th March (Sun). I arrived at Heathrow around 5:00 pm. It took me ages to go through immigration, but I checked in at a hostel in Camden Town before 7:30 and left a suitcase there and immediately headed for a session, which was literally across the street. I was obviously late, but the musicians kindly let me join in. Many of nice standard tunes were played, and I had a nice chat with those sitting next to me. (I now wonder if they are regular contributors to this site.) It became too noisy and the session finished up a bit early, but I was very happy to have some tunes with very friendly people only a few hours after the arrival.
Day 2: I overslept and nearly missed the bus for Birmingham. I'd never been there before, but I found it a pleasant, modern city. After a quick shower and dinner, I walked to the well-known pub called "The Spotted Dog." Well, I chose a wrong week and the pub was empty. I listened to Catherine & John McEvoy CD on a stereo over a pint of Strongbow. Thanks to the barman. I'm sure to be back there again to play Josie McDermott's flute classic "The Trip to Birmingham."
Day 3: A train trip to Yorkshire. York is one of my favourite places in Britain and has an excellent hostel which costs only ￡10 per night. I played my flute for a while in the empty room, then headed for Leeds, where I used to study for a masters degree in History of Art and learned & played Irish music for a year. Having chatted with friends including young promising musicians and dancers in the Irish Centre, I had a mini session with them. Wow, I was able to play most of the tunes! And I love how they play. In an hour, most of them left for home or for the session on the other side of the city, but myself and a young banjo player stayed for some more tunes. He was a great player but becoming even greater. We played some of our old favourite tunes and the new ones we learned recently. It was great to see we have similar liking of particular styles and tunes. That was a pleasant night.
Day 4: I took a very cheap EasyJet flight from Newcastle to Belfast. It was less than ￡11 including taxes and everything. It cost more to travel to/from the airports though. I'd been to Belfast several times before, but had to have a bit of walk to check where the Laganside Bus Station is. I was exhausted and didn't go out that night after a dinner in KFG near the hostel.
Day 5: A bus trip to further North to meet Mr. & Mrs. "Ptarmigan." Again I overslept and sadly missed the bus for Giants Causeway. So, I catch a bus to Colerain, walked around a bit in the town, and snatched sandwiches for lunch. It was very freezing and occasionally snowing while many of school girls were wearing short mini skirts. I phoned Mr. Ptarmigan around 3:00pm to arrange to meet him in Ballymoney. (See this map: http://www.northantrim.com/temporary_map.htm) We were not sure where in the town we could get together, but Mr. & Mrs. Ptarmigan managed to find a stranger from Far East. Then we drove to Ballycastle to have a quick mini session in a lovely old pub. We struggled to find out the tunes we could play together, but it was fun. After that, we got some meal for dinner in a Chinese takeaway, searched around for a spoon for soup in vain, and headed for a church service. I had no idea what was going on there, but Mr. & Mrs. Ptarmigan, their students and friends did a fine job. Having had a chat with people in the little church and a quick dinner in the car, we then drove to Portrush for a session featuring Dee Havlin. It was busy and a bit noisy, so I couldn't talk to her very much. But it was great to watch and listen to her playing. Many good tunes turned up, including very local tune "Rathlin Island." And Mr. Ptarmigan kindly let me start several sets of tunes and backed me in an excellent way on the fiddle. I think I chose right tunes everyone could join in for and enjoy playing together. It was another great night of music.
Day 6 (Paddy's Day): Lazy morning in Mr. and Mrs. Ptarmigan's nest and a cracking session in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh in the evening. After a breakfast, we drove to Colerain for an open-air concert of the London Lasses & Pete Quinn. It started shortly after we arrived. The sound was excellent and their playing was very tight though it was very freezing. Mr. Ptarmigan and myself had a lunch in a cafe during the break. (I can't remember what we were talking about.) Then back to the Lasses' concert. It was brilliant and definitely worth seeing them on the stage even though I was nearly frozen. Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ptarmigan for their hospitality and sharing a great time and fun.
So, I took a bus for Enniskillen around 3:00pm. I passed through the little town on my first visit to Ireland around 7 years ago, and was immediately attracted by its beauty. I visited there two years later and the year after to explore the surrounding areas. I couldn't visit there last year, so I was very excited about going back there again this time. It was actually a long journey from North Antrim to the capital city of Fermanagh, and I felt seriously sick on the bus. I managed to get off without annoying anybody and checked in at a hostel. It was still well-managed, and this time I stayed in a clean 6-bed en suite room just by myself for ￡13! I was still sick but felt much better after playing some of my favourite Fermanagh tunes in the room. After a very quick dinner, I went to the pub which hosts a folk music session every week. Immediately after walked in there, the barman approached me. "Were you here last year?" I said, "No, it was 3 or 4 years ago." "Are you still studying in Scotland?" How amazing to know he still remembered a lot about me. When I told him I'm now playing Irish music, he introduced me to the local musicians, some of whom I recognised. After a while, all the musicians turned up and a magical session started. Fast and furious, and they played in a lively old-fashioned style. It was a great music session to listen to and of course to join. The only thing I regret is that I couldn't talk to most of the old musicians very much because the pub was packed and we were sitting in a straight line with myself at the end. Well, I'll be back there again hopefully soon on a quieter evening.
Day 7: I woke up late and searched the entire town for "Hidden Fermanagh" CDs before catching a bus for Belfast. None of the music shops and even the tourist office had them! But I got a copy of John and James Kelly's gorgeous duet album for ￡6 instead. Back in Belfast, I went to a pub for music that night again. Well, I had nothing else to do. The pub was almost empty and quiet, and nobody came in with instruments for a while. But it was worth waiting: Jason O'Rourke and friends turned up and started an amazing session. They played some of the tunes I can play, so I approached and asked them if I can join for some tunes. Glad to know they were lovely people as well as very talented musicians. So I took my flute out of my bag, but ended up not playing any tune. It was a great session just to listen to, and I was very happy to sit back and enjoy their great music.
Day 8: I took an early flight to Glasgow and then caught a coach to Edinburgh, where I started playing both diddley and diddly music 4 years ago. The hostel was another of the nicest ones I'd ever tried in Britain, and it's only two minutes away from Sandy Bells. I sneaked into a Scottish music session in the afternoon there, but didn't play much. I left the pub a little early and cooked a microwave meal for dinner. After a quick nap, I was back to the pub again in the evening with 2 guys from the hostel, who were interested in the music session. Freddie and friends were playing there. Thankfully, they recognised me and made some room for me. It's a small, relaxed session, so I didn't feel obligated to play as many tunes as possible but instead spent a lot of time listening to lovely music, sitting between two mighty fiddlers. Then, something nasty happened to me. My flute fell off the stool when I tried to remove empty glasses. I got a crack in the bottom piece, but luckily enough it doesn't affect the pitch. So I managed to start two sets of tunes, and they all joined me. That was really great especially when myself and a fiddler from Co. Clare started playing a Josephine Keegan tune which has been popular in Clare, and then Catherine (Katherine, or Kathryn?) joined us on the fiddle soon after. Hope to see them again for some tunes on a Tuesday night next time.
Day 9: Another pleasant day in Edinburgh. I spend the day time teaching whistle to one of the hostel staff members, buying souvenirs for my nieces, and searching for a nice and cheap recording in a music shop. After a nap and dinner, the time for music in Bells again! I'd joined the musicians once or twice before and they still remembered me, so it was again easy to join them. Just like the previous night, it was a small, relaxed session. I had a great time playing a few sets and having some nice chat with them about the smoking ban in Scotland, Japanese films, etc.
Day 10: Back to Yorkshire by train. After a quick shower and lunch in York, I took a train to Leeds to see a friend from my country now studying in the university there. We had a great discussion comparing the life in Britain with the life in Japan for several hours. Then I walked to the Irish Centre to see Irish friends for music again. Compared the previous week, it was quieter after a funeral, but I played some tunes with my past flute tutor and later had a mini session with a couple of friends. We had a nice mixture of instruments: a banjo, a flute, and a piano accordion. Another pleasant night in Leeds.
Day 11: A train trip to meet the most mysterious member of this site, "Ceolachan." He loves to stay mysterious, so I won't tell you much about him. It actually took me several hours to get to his "home" town. The man showed up with a yellow whistle in the pocket of his jacket instead of a red carnation. He was a little younger than I thought. Before picking up Mrs. Ceolachan from her workplace, we had a walk in a park discussing flute players, the difference between a barndance and a highland, etc. They cordially welcomed me to their home, and I had a great time there. "C" showed me his interesting collection of whistles and flutes stored in a fiddle case, and we played a few tunes together. He also had a great collection of old tape and CD recordings, including those of different types of music. I enjoyed listening to some Klezmer CDs. Then we had a bit of walk around the area before a lovely Welsh meal. For the rest of the night we had a lovely chat listening to some of our favourite recordings, including Dow's tina playing I recorded in a karaoke box in Tokyo last year.
Day 12: I spent some more time with "Ceolachan" in the morning before going back to Leeds. After we swapped some tunes, "C" taught me basics of Irish dancing. Then we tried dancing to Harry Bradley's CD to see how music and dance interact. (Well, I was just trying to dance....) I can't thank you enough "C" for sharing fun and knowledge with me and for the lunch you prepared for me!
In the afternoon I travelled back to Leeds, and a friend and great fiddler Des Hurley picked me up at the station. We directly headed for his house and spent a good few hours introducing our favourite recordings to each other. After a proper Indian meal in his house, we drove to the Irish Centre for a poetry reading event. Well, it was actually a combination of poetry, music, and dancing, and proved to be a great success. More than 70 or 80 Irish people got together in the room, and I found some familiar faces. I was especially pleased to see a good friend again (third time during this short holiday break) and watch her dancing. I'm not familiar with poetry very much, but they had a nice mixture of interesting themes such as the scenery of Ireland, the famine, and the immigration. Michael Tennyson, Des, other finest players of the city, and myself played some local tunes before the break and some more after the event. It was a very memorable evening, and I was lucky to be there.
Day 13: I spent another day in Leeds. I checked email in Des's office, then he dropped me off near the city centre. I spent a couple of hours in an art gallery and then got lost on my way back to his house. It was very misty and I walked in the wrong direction. I finally found the house after wandering around in the rain for 3 hours. A couple of music friends visited us, but we didn't play any tune together. Instead we were drinking some glasses of wine listening to Angelina Carberry's latest recording. It was sometimes nice just to sit back and relax, especially after a long walk.
Day 14: After a good full breakfast Des cooked for me in his house, I took a coach to London. Some of the members of this site changed their plan for me that night and kindly arranged a session in the South East part of the city. Paul and Bob were playing Copperplates when I walked into the pub. Aidan arrived soon after. Then, when I was about to start a set of tunes, Danny, Cath, and Matt opened the door. Do I fail to mention another person or two? If so, I'm terribly sorry. I was really pissed like anyone else. Danny played the Blue Bell polka on the box for me. I simply had a great time with them all though I was too drunk to play some of my favourite tunes. Myself and Paul stayed there until around 4:00am. Surely it was as crazy as the session I had with Dow in Tokyo last year. I safely went back to the accommodation by taxi and went to bed around 5:00am.
Day 15 (the very last day): I slept for a few hours in the hostel and joined a fantastic session near Leicester Sq just before the flight. I actually got up around 8:00am and checked out the hostel at 10:00. I read through the guidebook and found the National Gallery is located near Leicester Sq. Why not kill time there before a session? So I took a quick nap on the sofa in front of an art-historically important piece done by Velasquez. Then I was munching sandwiches at Trafalgar Sq, wondering how I could kill some more time. It started raining, so I decided to go to the pub early and wait for the musicians. I actually joined them just before the "blasts" last year. It was a great session I personally found very easy to join: it was a relaxed, very steady and tight one. And what's more, they played many good standard tunes I've been playing in Leeds and Tokyo. So then, Andrea, Mike, and Sheena arrived one hour later, and I was glad to know they still remembered me. (Well, Conan was missing this time again!) Good music started as was the last time, and I played many tunes with them and some other musicians from the city and the States. I was especially delighted to do a bit of flute duet with Sheena. We played a Fermanagh tune in similar styles, and that sounded really good. She moved onto another northern tune I've never heard, but it was great to listen to her play attentively. The noise from the crowd sometimes distracted us, but I enjoyed myself playing and listening to good music, and of course drinking cider and whisky. I left there around 6:00pm to catch the flight to Seoul at 9:00pm. I was back home in this strange country around 11:00pm of the next day.
Hope I'm not misnaming anyone. Again, thanks to all the friends I met during this short holiday. Hopefully I'll be back next year again for music and fun!
Hiroyuki Yamada (Hiro, Kieran, or whatever...)
# Posted on March 29th 2006 by slainte
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Well done Hiroyuki!
That sounds like a great trip, and the amount of sessions you got to....20? 30?
It was a pleasure to meet you. It was no big deal to change our plan to have a session at Shillelagh's. You know of course we had a session/gig at a restaurant in Camberwell beforehand. I have to admit having had a few (mostly wine) beforehand, so I can't remember playing the Bluebell. I do remember having to leave some pints of Guiness as I'd had quite enough! I think I left about 2 or 3am.
You mentioned me Aidan, Cath, Paul and Bob....but I think you mean Max, not Matt. The other player (Fiddle)was Paul Gross.
# Posted on March 29th 2006 by Rudall the time
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Sorry I missed you! Sounds like it was a tune-packed trip. Maybe next time? Sheena told me all about it.
All the best
Conán
# Posted on March 29th 2006 by Conán McDonnell
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Gosh! Yeah, that's Max. And another Paul on the fiddle. My brain doesn't work well because of jet lag. Cheers Danny for the correction. I think you had got 4 full pints of Guinness in front of you and tried to drink them all at once, then Cath stopped you.
# Posted on March 29th 2006 by slainte
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Yeah, next time Conan, surely!
# Posted on March 29th 2006 by slainte
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Ah, I mean KFC, not KFG!
# Posted on March 29th 2006 by slainte
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Yeah, I remember that vaguely. I recall Paul was "encouraging" me to get them down my neck. Maybe he didn't realise that I had been on the tear from 5pm the Saturday, right after our Open Day. Thanks for saving my life, Cath! Sunday (the day after) was a long enough day as it was!
# Posted on March 29th 2006 by Rudall the time
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
slainte,
I was wondering what KFG was?
Kentucky Fried Goat perhaps?
# Posted on March 29th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Al, it was actually Kentucky Fried Geese. They are now offering a special meal in UK at the moment.
I should have mentioned "Ptarmigan" and "Ceolachan" were a bit like identical twins. They had very similar looks with impressive beards, great stock of information on musicians, and good collections of interesting instruments. They even had similar personalities too.
Now, I'm going to bed because I need to work early in the morning tomorrow and have some other important things to do.
# Posted on March 29th 2006 by slainte
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Hiro, I enjoyed reading your travel adventures. Will you be back at the Boghill Centre this summer? Maybe I'll get to meet you!
# Posted on March 30th 2006 by Andee
"Sláinte ag an Doras" ~ Yamadasan's missing breafast ~
~
Submitted on March 24th 2006 by ceolachan.
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/5624
# Posted on March 30th 2006 by ceolachan
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Andee, I don't think I can go there this summer. I've no money! Say hello to Sonja, Brian, Paul D, all the other people and midges.
'c', I enjoyed Bibimbap served with kimchi on the flight to Seoul. Have you ever tried that? It was nice, not for breakfast though.
# Posted on March 30th 2006 by slainte
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Well Slainte, you certainly made the most of it. You've plenty of sleep to catch on I reckon. Glad we were part of your itinerary, our change of plan that night was for the better and we were pleased you encouraged us to have a session at Shillelagh's. The landlady certainly was happy to have us there.
Keep in touch and best wishes.
# Posted on March 31st 2006 by Cath
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Yamadasan, thanks for a nice read. You did extraordinarily well to maintain your sanity despite the company of all those strange people. It must have been torture listening to 'c' drone on and on about the differences between a barndance and highland. At least when you're online you can stop reading and go and do something else like make a cup of tea now and again
So when are you going to get out to Oz?
# Posted on March 31st 2006 by Dr. Dow
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
I will say hello to all for you Hiro!
# Posted on March 31st 2006 by Andee
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
"Strange People" - indeed! I 'resemble' that remark, at least I think that's the word I was looking for!
For anyone who missed these, here's that page with 6 photos of Slainte's recent visit to the Causeway Coast:
http://www.causewaymusic.co.uk/news.html
Does anyone else have any photographic evidence we could use?
# Posted on March 31st 2006 by Ptarmigan
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Cath, I need to apologize to the landlady for having stayed there for long. Tell her I'll stay there a bit longer next time to sweep the floor.
Mr. Ptarmy, I might have told you but I'm living a bit away from Tokyo: around one hour down south by train from the craziest city in the world. It's near the airfield where an American guy called Douglas MacArthur landed to govern Japan after WWII. I personally don't hate him, mainly bacause of his family name. Anyway, never mind!
So, Dow-san, when are you going to settle in this hemisphere.
# Posted on March 31st 2006 by slainte
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
I wish I had known you were coming, Hiro, we could have met up - you might have been able to come to our session, which is now in Bennett's Bar. Next time, LET ME KNOW!
# Posted on April 1st 2006 by nigelg
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Hey, Nigel! How have you been? Sorry, I didn't email you, simply because I was staying there on Sunday and Monday nights. Surely next time I will. Sadly I've been learning and playing too many Irish tunes recently. But, believe it or not, the Flowers of Edinburgh popped out in our Irish music session in Tokyo last night, and of course I enjoyed playing it!
# Posted on April 1st 2006 by slainte
Re: My Holiday Break in GB + NI
Hey, I see that all those lucky Welsh folk have already seen the Smoking Ban introduced on April 2nd! Ah well, only three weeks to go here!
http://www.smokingbanwales.co.uk/english/
# Posted on April 8th 2007 by Ptarmigan