Foxwood at Sports Relief Leeds

Do you know, Debs, there would be no point unloading the van if it wasn't that it's a different van! Yes, no sooner than the Sparrows are out of the The Town Hall than Foxwood and Foxwood Doves are at Sports Relief in town. It's 8am on a Sunday morning and yes, we are ready and raring to go. And in a different van.

This is a three-hour endurance test; it's Carnival on a dry land float. Trying not to repeat tunes, there's Lizzie muttering Dead or Alive every time there's a pause. We're up to three drummers - what luxury - Natalie, Joe Mc and Tim. And, oops, I seem to have forgotten to take back City of Leeds School djembe. It's nearly a percussion section. Excellent.

We're just down from the Headrow and up from Briggate where Albion Whatever meets Lands Lane. The runners come round the corner and there we are urging them on. One of Lizzie's dental patients said she's done the Sports Relief Mile. Lizzie texted me: "I asked if she enjoyed the steelband. She said it got to the point when she turned a certain corner she would be able to hear us soon, and run to the music. Her friend [who works in an Italian cafe near where we played] said it was a good job she liked it as we were there for so long.!"


Today we are me, Bex, Katie, Natalie, Vicky, Daisy [with Lola], Georgia [thankfully late], Joe MC, Varshika, Amy, Tim, Lizzie, Sophie, Fehmina, Danielle. Charlotte woke up late, thought we were only playing for an hour, so didn't come at all. I had forgotten both hers and Gig's soprano pan. Thankfully, as I mentioned, Georgia was late enough to get her taxi to call at Moorland Road en route and Sophie and Fehmina happy enough, well, bless them them all, they did it, to wade through the cordoned off streets to help her down with them.

The Lord Mayor, who was present for The Sparrows at the Town Hall CLYM Prom, is walking the route. He came over and commended said Prom. Yo! Here's Amy and Lola re-enacting one of my favourite photos of yore.