Bothy Knitters

Oh my, I was blown away by this.
Up in Portsoy we played in the Salmon Bothy and behind the stage area was this huge big painting, as I thought.   Until I got closer and realised it was a knitted painting.  Two of them.  

So just for you crafters out there here are a few pics ...

Firstly, the Harbour

And what would you find in a Harbour of a Salmon Bothy?
A salmon of course!

Have you been knitting anything unusual recently?
It's getting around to that time of the year isn't it.

Last tour of the year - Around Scotland

Stirling Castle

It seems strange to realise our touring year is over - I have loads to do and projects to plan, but I kinda feel bereft not having any concerts to worry about or look froward to for several months.   How-and-so-ever, that's how the planning went for this year (note to self: don't let it fall this way again if possible) and it's quite fortuitous in a way as we have a new album in the planning stages plus uncertainty with family health matters and so on.  So I'll be coming up with various tricks to keep myself engaged and not get so far removed from it all that I start wondering what I'm doing!!

But we had a lovely time in Scotland.  It was great to catch up with friends and revisit clubs we've been to many times over the years and also take in a couple of new venues.   The weather turned almost overnight from Summer to Winter the day before we left so I ended up taking a suitcase full of unsuitable clothes but before we got home Autumn had arrived in all its glory.

We travelled almost the full length of the country this time, starting in the Borders where we hooked up with a wonderful textile artist friend Mirjam - the Borders are simply beautiful at all times of the year - rolling green fields and the classic Scottish granite buildings.

Hawick

Then it was up to Fife to see some more friends in whose house we did a very enjoyable house concert and spent a day travelling around the Forth Bridges and St andrews and even got to see Minnie the Minx and Desperate Dan in Dundee - lovely city which I'd like to see more of.

The sails of the supports on the new Bridge
across the Firth of Forth

A mini  version of us set up by the lovely Ciara
before our house concert at her Gran's -
I wish all the instruments were this small :)

Minnie the Minx

Desperate Dan and Dawg
Not sure what he was advertising on his shirt

From there further north, first to Stonehaven and then on up to Portsoy an area we'd never been to before.   It is simply glorious up there.

Blue skies and blue sea - fabulous Sunday walk at Portsoy

The remains of the Salt House

Topping up the Vitamin D reserves

The Old 17th century harbour

Then back southwards again - to Stirling and then Glasgow and down the Ayrshire Coast home.

Someone recently was singing about Gold Bars in the Sun
 .... referring to these bales ... beautiful.

Ailsa Craig - next stop Ireland 

Every Scottish town has a signpost as you leave, saying "Haste Ye Back" - Aye indeed we will.   Can't wait to see you all again soon.

Is a Dove a Doo Da

Back in sight of Ailsa Craig on Friday night

These past few days we've been having great fun with dialect and trying to get our ears tuned in to the various Scottish accents.  

Folk clubs always have floor singers before the main guest of the evening goes on, and one of the floor singers at Girvan (back down near Ailsa Craig again) on Friday night sang this Jim Douglas song and everyone was falling about the place laughing.   Tom and I in turn were laughing at their hysterics, but in truth I got about one word in ten.   So our friends that we've been staying with for the weekend gave me the words … it's very funny and it is properly called The New Teacher.

So I thought I would tease you with a snippet of a song and see if you can figure out what the singer is on aboot  - especially for any of you teachers reading this who might be trying to teach your childer to speak proper England-like!!!

This has kept me awake most of last night I might add - could not get it out of my head and now I'm wrecked ….

"Is a dove a doo, dad
Is a doo a dove?
Is a cow a coo dad,
A sparrow just a spyug
Is a wall a waw dad
Is a dog a dug?
She's gonny warm ma ear dad
Instead of kelp ma lug."

Got it?!


Here's a video of some children singing it just so you can get the tune and let it stay in your head for the next 24 hours too and I won't be going mad on ma oon…

http://youtu.be/vhkA8rctNwg

It's slow getting pictures loaded up when we're travelling - there's not much time to sit on your own.   But we had a lovely weekend off from gigs, visiting friends and having a drive around the East Neuk of Fife - I'll be back soon with some pictures.

Today now we're heading to Stirling to sing at the folk club there tonight.   Then down into England tomorrow.

Have a brilliant week and I'll be dropping in when I get the chance to say hello on your blogs.

Fil

The Rhythm of the Day

Photo by Allan McMillan @ Edinburgh Folk Club

Tours take on a rhythm of their own very quickly - the focus of each day is the concert that evening, so we try to get up and have breakfast around 9, get on the road by 11, do the day's chores - like post office, bank, or buying guitar strings, camera card etc - then on to the next town.   Arive at our digs by 3ish - have something to eat and if there's time a quick nap, then get to the gig by 6.30 or 7 for set up and sound check and the show starts at 8pm.   Off stage by 11, time for a quick chat with folks that have come to see us, then pack up, load the car and back to the digs by midnight.   The first two or three days are always toughest and then you get into your stride and by the end of the trip you don't want to stop.

There's not really any time for doing any touristy stuff so I've been snapping pics out the window of the car and annoying Tom's head (he's doing most of the driving) by shouting -ooh that's lovely stop here!!

Another view of Stranraer harbour
with the ferry terminal in the background

 We came over a day early and stayed on Monday night in Stranraer.  It used to be the main ferry terminal from Belfast but the ferry company has moved up the coast about 5 miles leaving a huge hole on the shoreline in Stranraer.

Ailsa Craig in the mist

Then to our first gig in Glasgow which was lovely.   The Star Folk Club has been going for more than 40 years - this is a new venue for them and it was smashing - great craic… I only managed a picture of an empty stage but someone posted some on Facebook

And this pic specially for Kezzie …

Dr Who had landed in Glasgow … quick snap through the window:)

Wednesday was Edinburgh - one of the oldest folk clubs in Scotland ….  the photo at the top was taken by Allan McMillan at the club - I'm delighted to have some good live photos - thank you Allan.

you can see more here….  The gig was great and we saw some old friends who had travelled a good bit to see us and sang a few songs too.  

Doris Rougvie is a legend in Scottish folk music - she runs the House of Song at the Celtic Connections festival in January every year

Doris

- and her husband Hugh Hoffman writes ridiculously funny parodies full of brilliantly cringe worthy puns :)

Hugh

And last night we were in Falkirk Folk Club - again another fabulous night - a brilliant singing audience - they joined in heartily with every chorus and even sang along in French!!  

Driving through Edinburgh yesterday I took a few pics …. It is such a photogenic city - the sandstone buildings are simply beautiful and the place is full of great charity shops, vintage shops, craft shops … oooh paradise - I could easily spend a few days browsing here.

a street full of goodies

There was a lovely blue sky yesterday - the perfect backdrop

for the churches

the stairs

and the back of the castle 

It's been lovely having an hour to post this.  We're in a friend's house in Falkirk.   So now we're packing up to head back to the West Coast - down to Girvan for tonight's folk club. 

I do my knitting in the car - a habit I picked up from my Mum - got the first sleeve finished yesterday for the cardigan/jacket I'm making … aiming to have the second one well on the way by the time we're home.

I'll be back with more updates in a few days.