Calder High Workshops

Suzanne found me eventually and one thing led to another. We became the Gang of Five.

éclair travel

First Wednesday, Rick and I in the Big White Works van bringing a large set of pans to Mytholmroyd. Met Yr 6, then Yr 8, then the after school class was older students and teachers. Besides Suzanne, I met Ruth and Johnny. and others. I took the train home. Passed out.

Second Wednesday I drove over to collect the stuff that didn't need to stay, drove back through the West Yorkshire rush hour. Got home, passed out. After that I stuck to the train, announcing that I was en route with pictures of flasks, eclairs and/or books.

Third week Suzanne took me to the Trades Club where her school leavers were giving a concert. I walked along the canal to the station, got home and passed out.

cake-free travel

Then we went to Manchester one Friday to meet Francis and look over some pans that he was selling. I checked them over; Suzanne bought them. That was a good day's work.  Francis had some ace tenor bass stands. I will be back. We went back into the town centre, found a nice little café in a department store and then bought handbags, as you do. [Below some random pics of Manchester]

On the last Wednesday I accidentally got up at 5.15 am, showered and was ready to walk to the station but I had misread the alarm clock. It was only 4 hours sleep and today, the last of my five weeks, it is a full day's workshop and it is outside, in the open air, open to the elements. Eek! Double eclairs today methinks.








The elements were genrally nice and it only rained a bit. We did some workshops; we played some tunes; it was just ace. We used the old standards from the Foxwood Songsheets: London Bridge, Largo, Au Clair de la Lune, Lightly Row, and then, to vary things, we sight-read some two and three chord tunes in C and G, with easy melodies.We took on Wavin Flag for which I scrambled onto the balcony so as to muddle through the tune myself. [Pop songs, eh! That's a whole blog bursting out of me].

Obviously I went home and passed out.

[The pics below are from the concert before it rained, and a coupla more shots of Suzanne's and my day trip to Manchester]. Done arty things with kids' faces]

ladies havin a laugh in the ladies

Steelpan Workshop in Halifax again!

Well Debs, tearing myself away from Hunters Greave, I have a quick campaign meeting for West Park in the morning then Friday late morning Tim and I pack the van for our adventure in Halifax.

They only found us three days ago, but, if I can, I do. And me and Tim did.

First of all, getting to the other side of Halifax across the roadworks on the viaduct. I contemplated a panic attack, but decided against.

Carried all pans in before lunch. Had lunch in the wonderful Noah's Ark Charity Shop. Could not have felt more welcome.

After our workshop, we found a really steep road, whose incline we decided to decline.

Then we went home via your old home village of Birstall where I bought this great rug. See JJ lying on it. And That's it. I imagine sleep followed soon after.  I don't really remember.