<p>&nbsp;</p> <p>After five days of not going to bed the same day that I got up it was bliss to rise this morning NOT feeling dazed and confused!</p> <p>The Folk on the Farm events took place during the weekend and for the past week I've been running on high octane adrenaline, fueled by one crisis after another and frequent tipples from the leather bottle!</p> <p>BF1's other half insisted on having a birthday drink down the local which didn't help and then number one son broke his collar bone in a rough and tumble with his brothers.&nbsp; Wouldn't have been a problem for me except he was supposed to be running the barbeque!</p> <p>Apart from the kids that disconnected the electric to the marquee, cutting the band off mid-riff and plunging us all into total darkness the whole thing went off incredibly well!</p> <p>Take a look at my Photo Album and you'll see what a good time we had!</p> <p><a href="http://www.writelink.co.uk/community/gallery.php?action=view_falbum&amp;id=11" title="Folk on the Farm photo album">http://www.writelink.co.uk/community/gallery.php?action=view_falbum&amp;id=11</a></p>

<p><span style="font-size: small;">I'm not sure where they are, but according to BF1 we have a few in Leicestershire!&nbsp; </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">When we were interviewed on local radio yesterday I could hardly believe my ears when she began to wax lyrical about the beautiful vales and mountains around Coalville!&nbsp; If memory serves me right, I think the biggest hill near us is around 2,000 ft!&nbsp; I believe they call it poetic licence! </span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">It was all great fun and will have hopefully provoked a few ticket sales for tomorrows performance of <strong><a href="http://www.folkonthefarm.co.uk" title="Sleet, Shoots and Leaves">Sleet, Shoots and Leaves</a></strong> at this year's Ashby Arts Festival.&nbsp; We're all ready to go so fingers crossed no last minute hitches!</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Here's a sneak preview!</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="350" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YhLRDQjvPCI" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YhLRDQjvPCI"></embed> </object> </p> <p></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">It&rsquo;s one of the biggest and best <a href="http://www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk">folk festivals</a> in the country and guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I performed LIVE, not once, but TWICE!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Okay so it was only at the poetry open mic and again as part of a cast of thousands at the Kittiewake&rsquo;s concert, but from little acorns mighty oaks do grow so it&rsquo;s a start!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Shrewsbury ran a poetry open mic event last year for the first time and according to the MC, was a bit surprised at its popularity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This year there were even more people wanting to take part so most of us only got one bite of the cherry, (except for the MC who had four, but hey &hellip; it was his party so what the heck!)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">What I found the most interesting thing about this event was what came out of the mouths of the most seemingly innocuous people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>BF1 could never be labelled innocent of anything so her Flushed With Pride poem, heavily laced with risqu&eacute; innuendo was no surprise, but the verse about naughty body parts emanating from the lips of an aging cherub who would not have been out of place amongst the dusty tombs of a university research library came as a complete shock and completely stole the show!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I wish I could share it with you as I&rsquo;m still laughing!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Then there are those who in spite of the brief to keep it short, cling to the stage with the nail ripping desperation of a suicide with a last minute change of heart!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>This one launched into an agonising description of the Hadron collider which I&rsquo;m sure was extremely clever, but the fact that he didn&rsquo;t seem to know it that well and the drawn out theatricals that accompanied it, made me grit my teeth and look for a handle to wind him up a bit!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">As with all things, you have to take the rough with the smooth and all in all this was a superb hour celebrating not only some great wit, but some very perceptive and thought provoking sentiments which contrasted nicely with the wall to wall music which was going on all around us!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Which brings me to my second live performance!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Workshops play a huge part in folk festivals and Shrewsbury is no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Some of you will know that a couple of years ago I decided it was time I learned to sing, if only to avoid being pelted with rotten fruit and eggs by people who would rather I didn&rsquo;t!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">Imagine my delight when I saw that harmony singers, The Kittiwakes were running a workshop for all us aspiring singings of the traditional voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The great thing about these sessions is that there are always a few other folk dodging over ripe fruit as well so it is quite easy to take comfort from the fact that you are not alone in your musical abyss! </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">In this case, well over a hundred of us strutted our stuff which turned out to be quite pleasing even if I do say so myself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Anyway, the Kittiwakes obviously thought so as they kindly invited us to sing the chorus of the last song at their concert performance which was great fun and got a nice cheer from our supporters and best of all, no-one through any eggs, rotten or otherwise! </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">However, me thinks I&rsquo;ve a long way to go before I top the bill on the main stage, but if you&rsquo;d like to know who did, I braved Shrewsbury&rsquo;s mosh pit to get some video of Bellowhead who were in cracking form!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/folkonthefarm" title="Bellowhead at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2010">Bellowhead at Shrewsbury Folk Fesitval 2010</a></span></strong></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span></p>

<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> <span class="mceItemObject" classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui> </span> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><a href="http://www.folkonthefarm.co.uk" title="Sleet, Shoots and Leaves">Sleet, Shoots and Leaves</a></strong>, our major, <a href="http://www.ashbyartsfestival.co.uk" title="Ashby Arts Festival">Ashby Arts Festival</a>, cross genre folk event takes place this Friday and our publicity efforts have just received a big boost courtesy of our local radio station!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.hermitagefm.com" title="Hermitage fm">Hermitage fm</a> has invited some of our <strong><a href="http://www.folkonthefarm.co.uk" title="Folkonthefarm">Folk on the Farm</a> </strong>team, (including me!) to take part in its afternoon show this coming Wednesday, 26^th May.<span>&nbsp; </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">We&rsquo;ll be on air from about 2.15 p.m. onwards.<span>&nbsp; </span>Not quite sure what to expect, but hopefully we&rsquo;ll get to read some of our poems which are featured in the show and they&rsquo;ll play some of the songs as well.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">You can tune in on 99.2 fm if you are in the Leicestershire area or you can listen on the web.<span>&nbsp; </span>Go to: <a href="http://www.hermitagefm.com/">http://www.hermitagefm.com</a> and click the Listen Live button top left corner.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Hermitage fm is a community radio station and they have been incredible helpful so far!<span>&nbsp; </span>I&rsquo;ll keep you posted as to what sort of response we get from our broadcast, but it might be something worth considering for your own off line marketing activities.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">(By the way, if you want a guaranteed topping night out and don&rsquo;t mind a trip out to Ashby de la Zouch, I&rsquo;d love to see you at <strong><a href="http://www.folkonthefarm.co.uk" title="Sleet, Shoots and Leaves">Sleet, Shoots and Leaves</a></strong>!).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p>