Thursday 8 September 2011
Wednesday 6 July 2011
Dentdale music and beer festival
Well----been and gone now--As predicted the weather turned and Saturday dawned with a rotating weather system that just kept rolling around the Huge green bowl that is Dentdale and soaking everybody to the skin. The festival site was getting well churned up as the kids ran round in their brightly coloured wellies but everybody had fun and the music was great! Dick Goughan's set was well recieved and the beer flowed!
The food was superb thanks to the lovely Kate and her girls and boys who made all the produce freshly and cooke some super burgers! Not your usual "Festival specials" that you can taste a week later , but really good and well seasoned. The morrocan lamb wraps were great too!
I attended a couple of sessions in the "Sun Inn" and had a great time
. We had Small pipes and banjos a fiddler par exelence and a raft of guitar/vocalists --and my humble contribution on Portuguese mandolin and harmonica.
Roll on next years sessions --hopefully in better weather!!
The food was superb thanks to the lovely Kate and her girls and boys who made all the produce freshly and cooke some super burgers! Not your usual "Festival specials" that you can taste a week later , but really good and well seasoned. The morrocan lamb wraps were great too!
I attended a couple of sessions in the "Sun Inn" and had a great time
. We had Small pipes and banjos a fiddler par exelence and a raft of guitar/vocalists --and my humble contribution on Portuguese mandolin and harmonica.
Roll on next years sessions --hopefully in better weather!!
Saturday 18 June 2011
Dentdale beer and music festival creeps closer
First we have the CAMRA night in the Everyman bistro on Wednesday 22nd ---Drinking in the last chance saloon in the most literal sense of the expression!! countdown to closure continues and another fine Liverpool traditon dies.
Its a kind of "Warm up" for the attack on the barrels up in Cumbria! Fingers crossed for good weather. This side of hell there is no worse place in the rain , Beer or no beer!!
Camping is the way forward here to stay in the loop and enjoy the best of the "Festival" atmosphere like the old days when we slept in barns and hedges and howled at the moon ;-) I have some insect repellant that I got in Bangkok to see off the mozzies , It worked well apart from the backs of my legs which I forgot to cover and they sneaked in under my chair and begulged my blood unhindered through the gap in my defenses --My bad!--- No such mistakes will be made in Dent however I know them and they know me and I just know that they have me marked up for supper.
My bro. and I will pace ourselves to keep the momentum going for the evening sessions in the Sun Inn or the George and Dragon. I am looking forward to laying down my mandolin in favour of a few old favourites at the top of our voices! There could be naked hoochies dancing on the stage and Y' still wont lure me down there if theres a good session in the boozer!!
We used to be able to get a good shanty session going in the Drunken duck back in the day but sometimes the musicians take themselves toooooo seriously to have fun! Play the music --yes! But leave space for ragarse time.
Sedbergh have their folk fest the same days because they pinched the idea from Dent to grab the revenue (Allegedly) on the grounds that Dent is too small to sustain the crowds ---Ha! High Laning camp is the best in the Dales for facilities and central location , And Dent is uberquaint . Sedbergh lacks that medieavil charm--Its big plus is that it is easier to get out of!!!
Its a kind of "Warm up" for the attack on the barrels up in Cumbria! Fingers crossed for good weather. This side of hell there is no worse place in the rain , Beer or no beer!!
Camping is the way forward here to stay in the loop and enjoy the best of the "Festival" atmosphere like the old days when we slept in barns and hedges and howled at the moon ;-) I have some insect repellant that I got in Bangkok to see off the mozzies , It worked well apart from the backs of my legs which I forgot to cover and they sneaked in under my chair and begulged my blood unhindered through the gap in my defenses --My bad!--- No such mistakes will be made in Dent however I know them and they know me and I just know that they have me marked up for supper.
My bro. and I will pace ourselves to keep the momentum going for the evening sessions in the Sun Inn or the George and Dragon. I am looking forward to laying down my mandolin in favour of a few old favourites at the top of our voices! There could be naked hoochies dancing on the stage and Y' still wont lure me down there if theres a good session in the boozer!!
We used to be able to get a good shanty session going in the Drunken duck back in the day but sometimes the musicians take themselves toooooo seriously to have fun! Play the music --yes! But leave space for ragarse time.
Sedbergh have their folk fest the same days because they pinched the idea from Dent to grab the revenue (Allegedly) on the grounds that Dent is too small to sustain the crowds ---Ha! High Laning camp is the best in the Dales for facilities and central location , And Dent is uberquaint . Sedbergh lacks that medieavil charm--Its big plus is that it is easier to get out of!!!
Tuesday 7 June 2011
I like to see the brown earth roll over to the cleaving of the plow
I like to see the grass roll to the chewing of the ewe
The hawthorn stripped to the twig by the browsing of the beasts
The chettering of the pies above in the nest as the cows pull the tender green feast
The soft wind on the cheek The spicy tang of the burning ling
The gobbling of the last grouse as they take clattering to the wing
The windscattered rooks like black ash flying before the gale
The sloshing of the new milk and the clanking of the pail
The sienged smell of a crisp ironed pillow when the owl calls
The parafin smoke wisps as the oil lamp is snuffed till next evening falls.
MPL
I like to see the grass roll to the chewing of the ewe
The hawthorn stripped to the twig by the browsing of the beasts
The chettering of the pies above in the nest as the cows pull the tender green feast
The soft wind on the cheek The spicy tang of the burning ling
The gobbling of the last grouse as they take clattering to the wing
The windscattered rooks like black ash flying before the gale
The sloshing of the new milk and the clanking of the pail
The sienged smell of a crisp ironed pillow when the owl calls
The parafin smoke wisps as the oil lamp is snuffed till next evening falls.
MPL
Friday 3 June 2011
Monday 23 May 2011
Dentdale music and beer festival coming up!!
http://www.dentmusicandbeer.com/
Well is doesnt get much better than that! Lots of good beer and some great Folk and country artists on stage!! Nearby camping and handy pubs. All we need is the weather and its all good!
One tip however is get a VERY good insect repellent and citronella candles. The midges are the kamikazi variety and as the sun sets they descend in their millions!! They aint allowed in the pubs though even the ones who can sing and play the banjo ;-)
Well is doesnt get much better than that! Lots of good beer and some great Folk and country artists on stage!! Nearby camping and handy pubs. All we need is the weather and its all good!
One tip however is get a VERY good insect repellent and citronella candles. The midges are the kamikazi variety and as the sun sets they descend in their millions!! They aint allowed in the pubs though even the ones who can sing and play the banjo ;-)
Monday 9 May 2011
Spring on the waterfront
Well the final day of the waterfront festival was yesterday and a fine festival it was too! The weather was fair and the sun smiled down on us for most of the time.
Tall ships were spectacular and some were open to the public. A great opportunity to see the inside of the fine three masted ships of yesterday. There were trips aboard the vessels taking four or five hours and working trips for longer if required
The stage in the dock basin was for the shanty festival and many great bands from around the counrry entertained us with songs of the sea.
My highlight however was the informal shanty nights in the Baltic fleet pub largely organised by Bernie Davies and friends which took me back to the old days along the dock road in pubs long gone like "The trawler" AKA Dominic Reagans --which hosted these kind od informal shanty nights back in the 60s.
A great time was had by all and I am looking forward to the next sessions later in the year!
My highlight however was the informal shanty nights in the Baltic fleet pub largely organised by Bernie Davies and friends which took me back to the old days along the dock road in pubs long gone like "The trawler" AKA Dominic Reagans --which hosted these kind od informal shanty nights back in the 60s.
Sunday 27 March 2011
Friday 4 February 2011
Sunday 30 January 2011
Sunday 16 January 2011
Wednesday 12 January 2011
The hare in the snow
The dawning was clear and the sky was forever
sparkling bright with the shimmering frost
We started our hunt while the shadows were standing
and climbed above Claife er the morning was lost.
The snow it was crisp and the dogs they were panting
the plumes of white breath leaving wraiths in the air
Blackberry questing away out before us
Seeking old Jack the elusive brown hare.
Brindle the lurcher was straining the traces
head high for to watch for the puss to spring out
Then Blackberry flushed yonder Jack from his cover
The leash it was slipped as old Jack came about.
He turned the dogs once and dashed down through the coppice
across the high track and then down to the mere
I thought the deep water would stay his swift caper
but the lake was fast frozen he sprang away clear
Blackberry slithered out onto the slape
and founderd her feet on the slippery ice
but Brindle kept going as the hare started slowing
old Jack though to make one last throw of the dice.
The lurcher kept tracking as the ice started cracking
A booming noise echoed across the wide lake.
The hare made a leap and he crossed the black chasm
and Brindle was left the pursuit to forsake.
The quest it was lost and the dogs came back panting
we stood on the shore at the fringe of the ice
Blackberry calling a tune after Jack
As he loped away free and was gone in a trice
I blew the long horn in farewell to our quarry
as noble a creature as breathed the good air
the note rang around the white hills all around us
and old Jack flicked an ear as he lay in his lair.©mike locke
sparkling bright with the shimmering frost
We started our hunt while the shadows were standing
and climbed above Claife er the morning was lost.
The snow it was crisp and the dogs they were panting
the plumes of white breath leaving wraiths in the air
Blackberry questing away out before us
Seeking old Jack the elusive brown hare.
Brindle the lurcher was straining the traces
head high for to watch for the puss to spring out
Then Blackberry flushed yonder Jack from his cover
The leash it was slipped as old Jack came about.
He turned the dogs once and dashed down through the coppice
across the high track and then down to the mere
I thought the deep water would stay his swift caper
but the lake was fast frozen he sprang away clear
Blackberry slithered out onto the slape
and founderd her feet on the slippery ice
but Brindle kept going as the hare started slowing
old Jack though to make one last throw of the dice.
The lurcher kept tracking as the ice started cracking
A booming noise echoed across the wide lake.
The hare made a leap and he crossed the black chasm
and Brindle was left the pursuit to forsake.
The quest it was lost and the dogs came back panting
we stood on the shore at the fringe of the ice
Blackberry calling a tune after Jack
As he loped away free and was gone in a trice
I blew the long horn in farewell to our quarry
as noble a creature as breathed the good air
the note rang around the white hills all around us
and old Jack flicked an ear as he lay in his lair.©mike locke
Friday 7 January 2011
Saturday 1 January 2011
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