Friday 25th July 2008

The Schools have broken up for the summer holidays or long vacation if you're posh. This has various effects. The roads of Canterbury which are normally a nightmare between 8 and 9 are now completely free running. It happens every holiday and half term. If ever proof were needed that it's the school run which causes congestion......
Another effect is that lots of musicians who earn their living as teachers and therefore cannot usually afford themselves the luxury of late nights at a session during the week are free to come out and play tunes.

Of course teacher is a misnomer these days because the job is actually bureaucrat and general patsy for the government's mad schemes. The amount of actual teaching that is allowed is very little and I suspect that some teachers may resort to underground teaching not actually prescribed within the National Curriculum. God forbid. Ofsted would have a seizure. (pause for image ....) There was a time when Teaching and Learning were two sides of the same coin. Now it's a buzz phrase, it gets parodied to Leaching and Turning. God bless the reverend Spooner. Yes, you can learn without being taught and you can teach without anyone learning but teaching as facilitating learning is a concept too indirect for whichever department it is these days. DCSF? DEFRA? Used to be the DES. Talking of Buzz phrases, Isn't 'Every Child Matters' the most patronising phrase ever to insult the teaching profession with? Of course they do. That's why you're a teacher. Getting the best out of each and every one was your vocation and teachers were regarded as professionals. I know that a few set copying and sloped off to the staff room for a confiscated fag, a cup of coffee and a game of cards but not many.

Ok. I think I've been contentious enough. On a lighter note, here in Shangri-La or the campus of the University of Kent, we have been watching the escapades of the Lambeth Conference with interest. From Gay Bishops to Bishop Aerobics it has certainly transformed the place into a sea (or See?) of purple. Sort that out how you like. I just read it back and found several meanings I hadn't intended.

As you can imagine, parking is at a premium with this event going on and some members of staff have been forced to park on grass verges so that they can get in to work and do their job. What do you think happened then boys and girls? Yes. They all got ticketed for contravening campus parking regulations. As someone wryly observed, it's not very nice parking on the poor vergers who were only looking after their Bishops.

Now why are we here? Oh yes. Sessions. Bit of a brick dropped re. the Chequers at Challock (no scope for Spooner there). Normally it's the last Sunday of the month - which will be this Sunday as luck would have it. But, another interim session was on the calendar and no one went and the landlord opens specially for the session on Sundays and we may have blown our welcome. Bugger.

It was very good to see Eugene Lambe and Caroline again. They joined us at the Bear last week and also at Tilmanstone on Monday. Eugene has a set of half pipes (Uilleann) which are just fantastic in a session.

The 'Son of Bear Bones' is now finalised with advertisers (the Bear and Andybanjo) and is in production. It's gone up slightly to £5.00 but still an absolute bargain. It will be ready to sell at the Hop Festival in August at the Bear and the Festival shop but copies are available now. I'm toying with the idea of selling through the Banjolin web site as well for those who cannot get to the session as often as they would like (e.g and see teachers above) . PayPal seem to make it very easy to partner up and sell so if there is a demand, I'll be able to post copies out for just the extra cost of post and packing.

Ideas are now coming in for sequels. Grandson of Bear Bone is obvious. Daughter of Bear Bones gives some gender balance. What about Bear Bones's Irish cousin or Bear Bones Abroad (I rather like that one for a collection of Mazurkas and sundry offerings). Another helping of ......, ........ goes Morris Dancing, ......... Golden Classics. I'm sure the sessioneers will contribute to the naming.

10th July 2008

Since I last wrote, we have passed midsummer. So it's all downhill to Winter now. The nights will be drawing in, Christmas catalogues will start arriving and shops will start getting festive. Ho hum.

Meanwhile, back on the session front, things are going well in the two camps of Irish and Mixed Lumpy. Last night's Irish Session was sans piper so there was a distinct lack of jokes, but maintaining the educational theme, we all learnt a lot about the Faversham priesthood following a thread that started with Slides. For those who are interested, many of our discussions start this way and end somewhere completely different. This one went Slides and Polkas, small steps, crammed in kitchens, round the room and mind the dresser, local priests against the dancing, local priests (characters), priests here (characters), St Jude's shrine, uses of the various ecclesiastical buildings. We also played some fine sets, revisiting many that we hadn't played for a while.

Saturday saw some of us take part in the Barfrestone Arts Festival which was held over the whole weekend. It was really a session outside the Yew Tree public house with representatives from the Irish and Mixed session and from Deal Hoodeners. No fee, but free food from the Barbecue which was quite nice. It was a typical Kent event. The tiniest village imaginable, in the middle of nowhere with no signposts, holding an Arts Festival (A display of local art in the village barn and some music in the pub). And very pleasant is was too.

I will at this point unashamedly promote the new book of collected tunes called 'Son of Bear Bones' and published in a similar format to the original 'Bear Bones' book of yore. There are some 90 tunes mostly in sets and contributions have come from the Watershed Band (Mike, Ruth and Shelagh), Barbara Kelly, Ralph Jordan, Colin and yours truly with a few borrowings from the old Green Band and Desperate Measures and one set from Flowers and Frolics. A bargain at only £4.50 available at the session and selling like hotcakes.

This Sunday is the Irish session at the Chequers at Challock from 8:00.