Off to Boston and we arrived early enough that we were able to go to Greg's place for a beer/tea/coffee, see the new pond, and have a little yack before heading to the venue. The show was a bit out of the ordinary with 41 special guests (Robert and the Boston Youth Pops Choir) and an audience which was mostly more interested in the choir than in Tfoot. It was a fun thing for us, though we didn't actually get to hear the kids very well since they were in front of us and facing away. Nice to see people who are
really committed to an activity like that.

They did an opening set of about half a dozen songs. Then we did our first set and they rejoined us for Radioman at the beginning of the second set and Dollar Bill at the end of that set. Then we did an encore and chatted around a bit before packing up to head home to Greg's.

Among those who were there to see *us*, were Greg (who first brought us to Boston) and his son William (this, of course is the William about whom we have told the Canadians-shouting story, from when he was about 6 -- he's 14 now). Fiona and her son Jack who have been to almost every Boston show we have ever done and whom we first met at the Ely Festival when Jack was a little guy. He has also become a lanky teenager of 14. A couple of real leather-biker Footheads were there with their son who was a little kid when we saw him first -- he is now riding his own motorcycle. Everybody's growing up. And there were some first-time fans to whom we are brand new. Of course they are disappointed that they won't be seeing us in the future but you gotta stop sometime.

Got to Derby early so we found our way to the hall which is right on the central square. Once we knew where we were going and that we had a couple of hours before we really needed to be there, we walked off down the pedestrian mall. Mostly just wandered around and people watched. I found writing paper, Steve found chocolate, strangely enough Robert did not find a shirt. After an hour or so, we came back and sat on a bench in the square watching BBC news on a giant screen (without sound) and then went in to set up.

We've worked for Mick Peet many times and it's always great. He really knows what he's doing (like the Festival of the Peak where we played a huge outdoor stage in front of a lake...) Anyway, he said that things have been slow so he didn't know what the crowd would be like. When show time came, all the seats were full and there were people standing all around the perimeter. Guess times aren't so bad after all.

There was an in-house sound crew and rig so we didn't have to bring in our PA; they were good but it was really loud... on the other hand, the show was extremely well received and we had the best night of sales for the tour so far, so maybe that's what we need to do... Blast 'em! Oddly enough, when it's really loud is can be a bit hard to hear (for us) but we made it work and got through it. The audience loved it.

We went out for a schmooz afterward and there were all kinds of people including some who had driven all the way up from the south coast, a couple who had seen us in Schoharie, NY., (though they live in Derby), a pair of real Footheads from Milton-Keanes, some college-age kids we have seen before and some real punky guys we had not. They were all in black -- almost goth though no make-up etc. Eclectic mix. After everyone had left, Mick's partner Celia handed me a petition signed by dozens of the audience members asking us not to stop. Very touching. But you gotta stop sometime.

Mick and Celia took us for some really good Indian food after the show in a town called Ripley (believe it or not). I guess the hour was right as the pubs seem to have disgorged their clientele onto the side walk and some of the clientele were doing the same with the drinks they had been putting away a bit to quickly and a bit too often... it does seem to be an issue over here. After dinner, M&C then guided us to a pub/B&B down the road where we spent the night while they went another half mile to their home.

We needed to get up for breakfast before 9:00 am so Steve set his telephone alarm for 8:30. I wanted to get up a bit earlier for a shower so I set the old-fashioned alarm clock that was in the room. WOW! I had forgotten what alarm clocks *all* used to sound like: clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang... Waah! Sure woke me up.

When I came down off the ceiling, we all had a really tasty cooked breakfast and then went to Mick & Celia's for a cup of tea and some biscuits and a walk in the country. Very nice.

It is always good playing for Dave Jones. Sold out. Lots of fun. In attendance were many of Footheads: Dave & Ann (of course), Ken & Julie, Elaine & Les, Joe & Rob & Sarah, Derek & Janet, Lesley, Treena & Molli, Carol & Charlie, Nicky, Margaret & Dave and more friends including a young man who has just come over from Sri Lanka for 4 - 6 months and spent his first evening at a Tanglefoot show.

We got to stay with friends in two houses that night which (as one might guess) involved lots of really good food and drink at night and then again in the morning. The one house, which was pretty much a construction zone last time we were there, is all finished now and looks really nice. The other place, across the road, is the same as ever, which was very nice to begin with. We all had pretty good sleeps, visited and played with the dogs and then headed off after an excellent breakfast.

First time ever in this city, playing or visiting. Too bad we hadn't made contact with these folks a few tours sooner. But they are a new organization so maybe they weren't even around a few tours ago. They are a really nice handful of 20-somethings. They have made a good start with their concert series and although we won't continue, we made a good start too! There were 80 chairs out and there were 80 people there, so as is so often the case, if we were going back we would have had a full house/been turning them away/needed a bigger hall. Ah well. You gotta stop sometime. In the audience was a whole family with school-age kids, who had come all the way up from the south coast, on a school night no less.

Getting in and out of the downtown area (where our hotel was) was ridiculous -- too many new one-ways that the GPS didn't know about meant that she kept trying to send us in directions we weren't allowed to go. There were also a lot of streets that are closed due to construction. Eventually, we got to the hotel with only a little bit of slightly illegal driving on a 'taxis and pedestrians only' route.

The hotel staff was really nice, helping us find our way to and from check-in and parking. One of them came out to the van to ride with me and show me how to get where we needed to go to park. All we were doing was moving from the front of the hotel to the back but it took literally 10 minutes of driving because we had to go out to the ring road and around a couple of exits and then back off it and then back into the city and around all the one-ways, and blah, blah, blah. We made it back alive and parked.

We asked them where we could eat and after consultations Steve and I got a recommendationwent for a place to have a bite. So it was before 1:00 am when we headed to Dimaggio's restaurant, a highly-recommended, take-away place which was open until 3:00 am, with a menu boasting pizza, burgers, curry, fish & chips, souvlaki, donair, kebabs... you name it.

So Steve ordered a pizza...

"No, eet's all shut down" he said pointing to the oven. So how about a cheese burger? "Cheecken boorger?" he offered, as an alternative.
No, a cheeseburger. "No, jus cheeckenboorger", he said. So Steve decided he'd just have fish & chips. "Okay". That he could do since it was already cooked and ready to go. My turn and I thought: simple! I will have curry and chips. Yum. "Okay here you go" he said.

Then we paid and took our stuff. It's back to the hotel with my curry and chips and Steve's fish & chips... only there's no curry on mine... arrgh. So I shared Steve's fish.

You can bet we'll never frequent that place again... okay well we won't be in Coventry again but... hmmm... yeah, well...

Anyway, next day we went to a little place Robert had discovered and had a late breakfast up on the third or fourth floor. Each level had a room with two or three small tables so it was very cozy.

When we'd finished, we wandered around town. Almost everywhere we went we could hear a woman who was playing the accordion; it was a strange thing. She had a seven note theme which she repeated and repeated and repeated... harmonically it never changed and while there were slight rhythmic variations I am not sure whether those were an intentional emulation of Glass or Reich, or just technical inconsistency. Anyway, that music was the soundtrack to our visit at the cathedral which is both beautiful and spooky.

Coventry chose to leave the cathedral the way it was (roofless and windowless) after the bombing in WWII. A new cathedral building which is quite modern in design is attached to the remaining walls of the old cathedral building. In the old section there is a fair bit of text
about forgiveness, particularly at the original altar where there is a very rough wooden cross made from partially burned beams held loosely together at an odd angle with fencing wire. Behind it in large gold letters are the words 'Father Forgive'. A cross made of nails from the old building was donated to a church in Berlin which was destroy by allied bombing. There is also a statue called reconciliation which is dedicated to the people of Hiroshima. What a remarkable and moving place this is. Occasionally, if we pay attention, maybe we can learn something.

We are back from the first set of gigs and they went well. We're doing laundry now -- very efficiently I might add and have ordered in curry and pizzas from our fav local eatery (yum), and will likely watch a movie or something, and get some sleep.

Steve said it at the show and I shall say it again here: thanks to the folks at the Paramount, thanks Tom (amazing lighting), thanks Phil (perfect sound), and thanks Jacey (great gig... 28 great gigs, actually). And thanks to all the people who came to the Paramount for the tour finale. There were still a few people who came to chat with us at the end of the night who apparently had not seen us before but promised to return; that's always good. But I felt like I recognized almost every face I saw. We finally saw a number of our friends who hadn't been able to get to any of the earlier shows in the tour. And lots who had been to one or more, and Brian and Rosie who get to almost as many of our shows as we do! :)

This was a most satisfactory way to close the tour: the Paramount has a great big stage, excellent lighting and sound, and it is a beautiful, restored, old, music-hall/cinema, soft-seater with a big balcony. We have yet to fill it completely but the crowd had spilled into the upstairs and was having a good time. There was time for full sets as there was no support act. We ran it right out so that after two sets and a couple of encores, we hadn't left anything in the tank... as it should be.

We enjoyed ourselves immensely and when the evening was over we celebrated with a bunch of Indian and pizza take-away from our favourite: Maxi's -- our 'local'. There was a great, big, collective, 'Aaaahhhhhh' at the end of the meal and then we all went and slept the sleep of the ... of the people who have just finished a great tour :) Spent, satisfied, happy and ready to spend the next day relaxing and preparing to go home.

It seems incredible that, as good as each tour has been over the last ten years, each 'next' tour gets even better. Thanks to everyone who makes it happen. More than anyone else this means the denizens of Bedford Manor who allow us to feel so completely at home.

As for all the rest of you UK folks, thanks for having us over to your place; thanks for letting us wander around your homes and concert halls making music and making friends. Next year's tour is well-along and will begin in 52 weeks. Tell your friends. See you then!

And for everyone in Canada and the US, we're coming home.

Paul and Jayne do this sort of community concert series as well as anyone, anywhere. We were cared for superbly, fed and coffeed and tead and biscuited. While all this and set-up and soundcheck were going on, a fellow that we have met at the Chester Festival came in with his ten stone, Holstein-coloured, Newfoundland dog. Turns out I had been speaking with his wife in Chester and had told her about this concert. They were unaware of it although it is right in their neighbourhood. She was coming this night, he was not as he had a gig elsewhere, but he just wanted to stop in and say hi.

Paul and a couple of his guitar-playing pals, and a red-headed little charmer of nine (daughter of one of the guitarists) were the opening act; the guys did a few and then out came the ringer. She did a couple, including a really nice rendition of 'With a Little Help From My Friends'. The capacity crowd loved it. It is standard industry wisdom that you should never follow animals or children on stage but we seem to have lucked out. As charming as Meghan and her boy band were, the crowd did not seem in the least disappointed to see us :) Our sets went really well and, as ever, we saw people that we see several times every tour, others who have seen us a handful of times over the years, folks who saw us in Bromsgrove for the first time last year, and some who were brand new to us this night. The verdict was unanimous: it was a great evening of music and fun followed by more great food. Life is good.

We had been told that our first performance at this festival was to be a completely acoustic, acappella set which was to take place not at the festival site but right in the town at 'the church'. So we arrived in Southwell and went straight to 'the church'. This was not exactly what we'd been expecting. It is a 900-year-old Norman minster and our performance was to be right in the middle of the nave which is a huge, beautiful-sounding space. Apparently, the church hosts a Friday lunchtime short concert each week so this time they dedicated it to performers who were doing the festival. Great idea. We sang Secord's, Vimy, Hard Work and For the Day. Wow! It sounded amazing and was very well received.

When we got done with this lunchtime set, we headed out to the festival site and got maps and directions to our accommodations which were, to say the least, fabulous. The house we were staying in had been built in the 1730s as a private residence. Later, it was converted to a school, then back to a residence. A bit over ten years ago, the owners began converting it to flats (it's a big place) but they had got part way through the project and run out of money. So the current owners happened to be in just the right place at just the right time, they picked it up and de-converted it from flats. There were four bedrooms and two full baths on the top floor which is where we stayed -- likely servants' quarters at some point, but tricked out five star for us. Unlike some B&B operators, these folks said they were happy for us to have breakfast at 'any time we wanted'; and they meant it!

We had soundcheck about 4:00 and were wonderfully cared for by the backstage volunteers and by the stage crew. We had Phil Vickers with us to do front-of-house so, of course, things sounded great out there. With a quick and early soundcheck out of the way, we were at leisure to eat wood-fire pizzas and freshly made crepes, to drink coffee, to have our necks, backs and feet massaged and to mingle about with the festivees. It was a very relaxing afternoon chatting with old friends and meeting some new ones.

That evening we got to listen to some of the opening acts which included Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies -- they are terrific. I believe our set started around 10:30; throughout its length, on and off (more 'on') the ridiculously loud thudding of the bass and kick drum bored into our concert marquee from the not-distant-enough ceilidh tent. That distraction was at its worst when we were talking, but we worked through it and were really well received by the 600 or so folks in the capacity crowd. Big thanks to the whole sound crew, particularly Andy who got the stage mix 'just so', and again to Phil who got us all sorts of kudos for the f-o-h sound.

We had some more visiting and snacking time after we finished. The Moor&Coast food tent was dishing out good hamburgers -- a particular joy in late-night England...

File under: different strokes
When we were dressing the aforementioned burgers, we were advised by some bystanders, in no uncertain terms, that fresh tomatoes, relish and mustard were not the sort of condiments that one should put on a hamburger... I am inclined to ask what would be the point of eating a hamburger without at least some of those. Ah, well.

... and then we headed back to the ranch (I use the term advisedly since our home for the night had a junior soccer pitch which only took up about one third of the back garden!) and there had a lovely sleep.

In the morning, at a very civilized hour, we eased out of bed and downstairs to enjoy good coffee and a nice breakfast in an restrained but elegant dining room with a couple of large windows, one of which looks out to a cenotaph and beyond that to a home where Lord Byron had not only lived, but where he had etched his name on a post. Lord Byron!

I once toured the Chateau de Chillon, where I visited the very cell which had imprisoned Francois Bonivard in the 1500s and there saw, similarly scratched in a support beam, the choppy signature of Lord Byron. That night, taking a room at a hotel just down the road in Ouchy, I discovered that I was staying not simply in the same hotel but the very room that had housed Byron after he visited that same chateau; it is said that this was where he began writing the Prisoner of Chillon. This room! I don't know whether what happened to me was the inspiration of the castle or whether Lord Byron left a bit of his spirit behind to encourage those who followed him into the space; perhaps it was simply the awe inspiring view from that hotel toward the mountains across sailboat-studded Lake Geneva, but one way or another, I found myself sketching the view. It was an awful drawing but the urge to create was remarkable.

I saw them - and they were the same, They were not changed like me in frame; I saw their thousand years of snow Oh high - their wide long lake below, And the blue Rhone in fullest flow; I heard the torrents leap and gush O'er channell'd rock and broken bush; I saw the white-wall'd distant town, And whiter sails go skimming down

Breakfast was enjoyable; the company was even better. We hung around for a bit. Robert played some football with the children of the house who, like their parents were both charming and beautiful. I repaired to the library and finished 'The Autobiography of a Liverpool Slummy'; all during my reading of it, I had found myself thanking God that I was born when I was and where I was. Now that I was done, I sat for a bit a just marveled at the fact that Pat O'Mara, a kid who grew up in such unbelievably hideous conditions, came out of it not only in tact but with a powerful urge to read and to write and enough ambition that he authored at least three books about his life.

I found the rogue lens from my reading glasses. Not having had it turn up in Bournemouth, I was convinced that the lens had fallen on the road or somewhere in the venue (where it had been vacuumed up or eaten by snakes or something). In fact, it had fallen in with the CDs and was waiting patiently for me there. That's better.

This is another place where everyone has played -- and still does: Steeleye, Fairport, Tanglefoot :) Our soundchecks have become scarily fast, so when we were done, there was plenty of time for some of us to go for dinner at the White Hart Inn next door to the venue. I didn't go out but, instead tucked into the autobiography of a Liverpool slummy. Wow. Some life in the 20th century.

After everyone returned, we dressed and prepared ourselves though, as time went on, it began to appear that perhaps the support act was not going to show. In the end, our compere sang a couple of songs by way of warm-up and away we went. The stage has a domed roof which can make sound a bit of a challenge but, having learned this from past experience, we were able to eliminate some of the suspect sounds and frequencies and it was actually much easier to hear ourselves this year.

We had a good crowd out including our Aylesbury friends who we probably will not see again until next year. Bye! There was also a fellow sitting in the crowd with a newspaper open all evening. At one point his wife appeared to fall asleep on his shoulder. However, they clapped and cheered enthusiastically, even calling for more at the end of the night. There's naught as queer as folk, eh?

Our hotel reservations in Reading had magically, partially vanished when we arrived. Fortunately, there was a lovely woman -- another guest in the hotel -- who needed only one room for herself although the hotel had booked her (and charged her for) two. Timing is everything! We were all there at the same time and she said that, since they were insistent on charging her for an empty room, that we couldhave that room. What good karma. I hope something really nice happens to her!

In the morning, after a dandy lie-in, we headed home stopping for breakfast at a place that had some mysterious food items: cheese omelette with no cheese taste, caffe latte with no coffee taste... Ah, well. We got home and ordered in some really good Indian food which sort of
balances out the day.