Memories


Will get its share soon too!!

We’re Going To Have Photos Here Sometime Soon ….


 

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Our favourite bits of Sidmouth Folk Week were seeing all of the happy, enthusiastic dancers out on the floor. And the Devon ice cream. 

We loved having a rock-star sound system with monitor wedges that went up to 11 (at least), and watching Tom Hinds create mayhem on the dance floor.  In case anyone wonders what the band does during lengthy walk-throughs before playing any music…we often try to find celebrity doppelgängers amongst the dancers. On a particularly successful day at Sidmouth, we found Nigel Farage, Frida Kahlo, and Velma Dinkley from Scooby Doo. It helps pass the time.

 

Every year we look forward to working with Rhodri Davies and Mark Elvins in November at the Zesty Contra Houseparty weekend at Halsway Manor. Tom won’t be there, but at least he photobombed our group picture!

Working with Tom Hinds and Madeleine Smith was a delight. Tom is a true southern gentleman, with charm, talent, and a passion for music and dance. We also had a blast with Madeleine, who indulged our passion for Playford, and shared our love of good waltz tunes.  Coincidentally, she happens to know Holly’s Texan sister and brother in law, from late night sessions in Edinburgh at the annual International Harp Festival. It’s a small world indeed!
 


Our first gig as Wild Ride - Chippenham Folk Festival - what a great place in which to start our musical journey together.  Dancers of all description can be found roaming the streets throughout the weekend and you never know what’s going to appear around the next corner! 

Thanks to everyone who came out to dance to our music, and welcomed us so warmly onto the UK contradance scene. We look forward to coming back to the festival in 2017. 

 

We had to try the Black Rat cider while we were there. The barman said they “only get it in for special occasions, because we know what it does to people.”  Happily, we suffered no negative effects. But we did frequently feel underdressed as we wandered around the town. 




The first time that we three played together was at The Big Keili, St. Dolay, Brittany in January 2012.  During that great weekend Bob invented the now-legendary Crêpe Snickér. Our journey there was often punctuated by several verses of “Do You Know The Way To St Dolay? (la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la LA)" when our SatNav of Perpetual Misdirection sent us off into the wilderness. We got there in the end. 

Displaying our Breton dance technique during dinner at La Couronne, in Rouen, on our return journey from Brittany. A serendipitious find on a freezing January evening, which turned out to be the oldest auberge in France (founded in 1345) and sits on the square where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake.  In addition to a memorably delicious evening, overseen by Holly Golightly herself, this started our tradition of blowing the entire gig fee on one fabulous meal. 


Here’s a traditional dance local to St Dolay being danced to a Breton dance song during the Big Keili. The band is St Dolay-based Mad Tom, led by Hervé Dréan and featuring Rachel Goodwin on piano. 
Hervé (he’s the one in the middle) has spent 35 years collecting traditional songs and customs from his native region of La Roche-Bernard in Southern Brittany. He publishes books on this tradition, sings this repertoire in concerts, and gives lectures and presentations on the subject.


We stopped off for a snack at Mont St-Michel on our way from Rouen to St Dolay…

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…and had lunch in Chartres on the return journey.

   

  




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