Singing For The W.I.

Wednesday 3 November 2021. After going down well at the Over Wyre Social and Activity club I was asked to perform for the Women's Institute in Knott End at their AGM this week.

I had been contacted through my old school chum and long-standing friend Janet who is a member of both organisations. We first met when we were eleven and that is [ahem - CENSORED!] years ago now!

Janet made me laugh when she told me afterwards that one of the group had said to her 'When he went on stage I thought "Well... he doesn't look like a rock star! But boy! Can he sing!"' Agh - I don't look like a rock star???

Care Home Gigs

After 18 months with only a single gig, it felt good to be back playing music to an audience again. My Mum has had to go into a care home following a bad fall and a spell in hospital and was eager to get me into the place to hear some of her favourite songs again.

She had to wait until COVID rules were relaxed but my first visit went down so well I was asked back in short time to do another session, this time adding a few older songs by the likes of Frankie Laine and even Bing Crosby (which went down so well, I'm having to learn some more!)

The gig I did for the Christmas party of the Over Wyre Social and Activity Club back in December 2019 has spawned another three solo bookings for later in the year and we could do with a few for the duo Creeping Bentgrass if anyone is looking for a night of sixties music. Contact details are in the right-hand column - please specify whether it's a solo or duo you would like.

Creeping Bentgrass - 15th Year at Heskin Steam Rally

Saturday, 1 June 2019. This year marked our fifteenth appearance at the Heskin Fair organised by Jack Gerrard, his family and friends.

Once again a great night with a wonderful crowd in the huge marquee on the field at Malt Kiln Farm in Eccleston, Chorley.

A Change of Plan in France

Sunday, 19 May 2019. The Marella Dream docks in Toulon, France. We had booked an excursion around the famous French naval harbour by small boat, but had received notice that not enough people had booked to allow that particular tour to go ahead. As regular cruisers we have visited lots of nearby places in previous years and one trip we had particularly enjoyed was to two little seaside resorts on the Cote d'Azur called Bandol and Sanary-sur-Mer. We changed our booking to do this again.

Our trip today did them in reverse order, so this is Sanary-sur-Mer. It had been our favourite of the two anyway. The tour guide was doing what all tour guides do - stopping at every kerb stone to describe it and give the date it was made so we quickly ascertained where and when to re-group and scarpered to explore on our own.

There was a stiff breeze, but otherwise it was bright and sunny. A short walk along the seafront brought us to the marina and a small market.

There's something about small boats in France and Italy. They are colourful and just aching to be photographed. I hate drawing them, but would love to be able to do so convincingly.

It was a Sunday, so only food stalls were open on the market. They were doing a brisk trade though.

This is a tuna fish. They are a large fish and you'd get a few tins out of this fellow!

We carried on walking around the harbour to the far end, by now thinking that it was time for a morning drink.

I'd never heard of the name "Rapax". It sounds like it should perhaps be a French sanitary product but it turns out to have been the name of a Roman legion formed in 31 CE (Common Era - same dating as AD) and means "Predator".

The local hippy boat...

It was time to turn round and walk back. We drifted off the seafront and came back down the streets behind the promenade buildings. Just a few shops were open, but to our advantage they were the ones mainly aimed at the tourists.

I had about half an hour to spare and sat drawing the harbour. This had to be finished later but I forced myself to add a boat into the scene!

Then it was on to Bandol. What can I say? The entire seafront road was a building site. A shame. The last time we were there, we had wandered along a massive market where stalls of crockery were a delight and Miss Franny tested my command of the French language by wanting me to buy her a top. With it being Sunday there was again just a handful of stalls selling food open. We stopped at a cafe for a drink. Now, I speak a smattering of a few european languages but French is the only one I studied, albeit some 50 years ago now. I managed to get Miss Franny a weak and milky coffee - "...un petit peu de café et beaucoups de lait" but how did they manage to interpret my "vin rouge" as a small beer??? I asked the tour guide later "Do they have a strong local accent here?" She pursed her lips. "Ooh ye-e-s!"

That night at our usual table in the main dining room our waiter thoughtfully plonked this on my head. "I have made you some Goofy ears!" he said kindly.

I had been playing a couple of songs every night. "Don't worry, the John Burke Fan Club..." announced Tomas, "He'll be on in our next session!" I do like a tolerant audience!

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Creeping Bentgrass in Southport

Saturday 26 January 2019. Our first gig of the year took us on a stormy journey to Ainsdale near Southport to play at a 70th birthday party.

The venue was Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club where we found the best "can do" staff and an enthusiastic audience who kept the dance floor occupied throughout the evening. We kept the dancers busy and were asked to do our version of the Moody Blues' Nights in White Satin which earned us a standing ovation. Thanks to all concerned - we had just as fabulous a night as we hoped you did!

Creeping Bentgrass Car Club Performance

Saturday 8 December saw us out at Fleetwood Cricket Club playing for a Christmas event for a local classic car club. They were joined for the event by members of the Lancashire Morris Minors Club and a good night was had by all!

Early Christmas Gig in Blackpool for Creeping Bentgrass

Friday, 30 November 2018 was an early Christmas date for us as we played following a luncheon for a pensioners' group if ex-British Gas staff.

Many thanks for the booking and for the invitation to join in the meal which was hosted by the Sheraton Hotel, Blackpool. Loved the venue, but breaking down took a while as I kept trying to pick up the white cables...!

Venetian Vistas Cruise Final Night

Wednesday 26 September 2018. It is the final night of our cruise and, having come on an early flight, our return flight is also early. We have to be off the ship by 07:15.

We have a full evening planned - dinner with Tomas and Maris and then singing in Horizons, so the afternoon is spent packing as (sob!). Off the ship for 07:15...? Yikes, will we have got to bed by then?

But we are packed apart from the clothes we are wearing (and a few for tomorrow!) when it comes time to head to the Kora La speciality restaurant for our celebration dinner with Tomas and Maris.

This restaurant provides both Indian and Chinese styles of cooking and we are in for a treat.

A small pot of tiny cubed melon and pineapple serves as a mouth freshener.

Miss Franny nods off for a while... I think she was just in ecstasy at the food, of course!

Ah yes... I was there too! Some exotic flavours and a lovely meal to celebrate Maris's birthday and our friendship which has so far spanned nine years.

Then there's a few last songs to sing - tonight's repertoire includes Billy Fury's Wondrous Place and my sing-a-long for the evening is Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.

Then a late night catch up with King in the Lido as we have to say goodbye until our next cruise with these talented people. King gives Miss Franny a hug, "Goodbye Mommy!" he jokes. Bye for now folks. Catch you again as soon as we can!

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Wandering Around Trieste

Tuesday 25 September 2018. I'd been excited about visiting Trieste. In the event it was more city than pretty seaside town, but it entertained us for the morning. I had been imagining something like Portofino - somewhere else on my bucket list!

This was a step off the ship straight into the city sort of place. We dispensed with the notion of a guided tour - I can look up dates when we get back - and turned along the seafront.

The main piazza had some spectacular architecture, but for now we will continue along the seafront.

We do so until we reach a canal heading into the city and then we cross the busy road using the pedestrian traffic light crossing. I've found in some places Italians get very excited at the thought of a moving target, but they were very civilised and pleasant here, even waving to us from the driving seat.

More beautiful architecture. This is the museum.

A glass-sided footbridge leads to shopping areas.

At the far end of the canal it is replaced by a square pond with fountains. A market is set up here and around us are churches of many faiths, including Catholic, Serbian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox and a Jewish Synagogue.

You can only wonder at the marvellous ambitions of Italian architects. This is, after all, a shop.

Contrast this with the absolutely dire brick monstrosities being built in the UK these days. It makes you want to weep.

We are now wandering with only a bare nod towards any planned destination. The map shows a castle and a Roman amphitheatre and we are heading in that general direction. We reach a junction and a tiny but busy bus station.

We came to a massive (and I mean massive) hill. The castle is on top. The amphitheatre is at the bottom. So we visited that!

It dates from the 1st Century CE and was built by Quintus Petronius Modestus during the rule of Emperor Trajan (his step-son was Hadrian). At the time it was built it faced directly onto the sea.

Around the side. You can imagine the sign: Gladiators and condemned Christians only...

We work our way through shopping streets to Piazza Unità d'Italia, the large square with the civic buildings that we saw shortly after leaving the ship.

Archways and vintage lighting - I'm a sucker for them!

Trieste's Stock Exchange. It was founded in 1755 by Empress Maria Theresa as the Trieste Commodity Exchange. It is therefore one of the oldest stock exchanges in the world.

Oh, excuse me... I've seen some more archways and lighting...

And speaking of lighting, as we make our way back towards the ship the sun is now backlighting the large globes of the street lighting. It's the little simple things that amuse me...

That night in Horizons bar, this simple little thing was trying to amuse an audience, singing Blue Bayou by Roy Orbison and Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa by Gene Pitney.

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