Music and beer in Bollington

 

Thursday's music session at the Cotton Tree in Bollington:  good beer* (VERY good!), good company, and good music - nothing not to like.

 

*I spotted TT Landlord (which I sampled), Wainwright Gold, Cheshire Cat - others too.

Back in The Olde Vic Weds 8th December

Lockdown restrictions had been eased and things seemed to be getting back to something like normal – until the Omicron variant appeared on the scene.

This was the last Olde Vic music session before, in the interests of safety, we locked ourselves down.

This also meant that our New Year’s Eve / Winter Solstice Ceilidh was cancelled – again.

 

More socially distanced music

Baz, ever resourceful, invited fellow musicians from the Glossop Labour Club Friday night sessions to sit in his rather lovely back garden to play music and generally catch up.

It was a lovely way to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon – thanks Baz!

Socially distanced music session. 24th June 2020

…with cake!

Ed kindly offered the use of his back garden to sit and play music whilst maintaining a safe and sensible distance from one another. 

It was a rather hot day, knocking 30degC – that’s a lorra lorra degrees C.
We drank refreshing tea, we scoffed delicious Victoria Sponge (baked by Ed’s lovely wife), and played music that left us invigourated, refreshed…and maybe just a bit hot and sweaty.

Up until now(ish) our music sessions have been more or less restricted to online Zooming – along with all it’s limits.

Music via Zoom is all very well, it helps you keep your hand in, but there’s nowt like playing together – separated yet in a group.

So that’s precisely what we did, and that is exactly what we’re going to keep doing until it’s safe to do otherwise. 

We’re waiting for pubs to re-open. Singing and playing music in a pub is likely to be a no-no for a while, most likely until an effective vaccine becomes available. In the meantime the possibilities of playing outside pubs, ie beer gardens, is looking to be the best option. 

Here’s a little of what we played at Ed’s – recorded by Mrs Ed (baker of the finest of Victoria Sponges): 

 

A Rural Bike Ride 22nd June 2020

Rob (not THAT Rob, the other one) has entertained his neighbours once a week for the last couple of months of Covid-19 lockdown, sitting outside his house, playing music & singing not-at-all rude songs.

I cycled over to Lymm to join him for a couple of hours, along with Mark & Jan. It was a pleasant way to pass a couple of hours.

Half my route was on quiet roads and cycleways, the rest was on the canal towpath and the Transpennine Trail. It was around 10 miles each way – not very far at all.

At Rob’s we were well spaced-out (physically, not mentally), yet close enough to be able to communicate clearly.

Rob is, amongst many other things, a motorcyclist – visiting his man cave gave me the chance for a good drool:

We were treated to a flypast of the guppy:

Once we’d bored the socks of our street audience we retired to the back garden for butties, a cuppa, and a bowl of Rob’s very excellent spicy tomato soup.

 The Bar

Then it was time to go, retracing my route back home.

 Horrible Giant Hog Weed by the River Bollin

The Bay Malton pub – soon to be a house:

Marguerite's boat:

 The redevelopment of the L&M site continues:

Any idea what this is? It looks like the base of an old lamp post - but on the Bridgewater Canal towpath:

I've watched these little 'uns grow over the months:

So that was it, thanks to Rob for the invitation and his hospitality – It was a very welcome diversion from house renovation, gardening, feeling sorry for myself, brewing beer, making wine etc.
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September 2018 Pt 4

Onwards to Portugal’s Douro Valley

It was at the end of 2017 that fellow musician Greta casually mentioned that she’d rented an enormous villa in Portugal for a week at the end of September 2018. She went on to ask me if I’d like to come along. After due consideration (about a nanosecond) I said ‘yes please’…and thus started a chain of very agreeable events.

I’d been wanting to finish walking the Via de La Plata Camino but just hadn’t got around to getting my A.I.G., this was the kick in the pants I needed.

Rob, also a musician (and English ceilidh dance caller of great renown) fancied the walk – and he’d also been invited by Greta to join in the Portuguese fun.

And so it came to pass.

Rob and I completed the Via de La Plata and spent a couple of days exploring Santiago de Compostela, staying at Rita’s wonderful AirBnB – definitely THE place to stay. Rita is a wonderful host….we were to return with The Olde Vic Band Ex-Pats, AKA the Olde Vic Band on Tour, a year later – but that’s another story.

Buskers abound in Santiago, entering the cathedral square we came across these two young ladies* playing Gaita Pipes and Pandereta – expertly and with great spirit. (Rob’s video).

Anyroadup, we dragged ourselves away from Santiago de Compostela and travelled by train and bus to meet Greta & Bill in Puebla de Sanabria, a small town that we’ve visited before. Rob, being the highly organised chap that he is, had arranged a really nice hotel for us for norralot of dosh.

 
A wander down the road to a bar / restaurant where we consumed much food, beer, wine and maybe something even more alcoholic – after which we were cajoled into playing music for a couple of hours. I have to say, we didn’t take THAT much cajoling!

It was a very merry bunch that wobbled it’s way back to their hotel that night.

Next morning we clambered onboard Greta’s bus and headed south-ish to the Douro Valley in Portugal where we were to meet up with Pete & Lynda who had driven down from Stockport to join us for the rest of our jolly.

The rest of the week was spent exploring the lovely Douro Valley, it’s vinyards, bars and restaurants.

Some photos of our musical week:

We came across this street entertainer, he was pleased, and a little surprised, that we joined in playing with him.

Playing steam trains in Porto*

A beautifully ornate church in Porto

The River Douro

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Greta giving it some welly on her sax*

This band just appeared, walking down the street in Porto, playing…like you do.*

Collecting grapes on an industrial scale – to make Port.*

We chanced upon this little cafe bar up a back street in Porto. After our excellent meal we played, much to the delight of the other customers – some of whom joined in.

Rob’s pandereta being rather expertly played

A door for Rob. Rob likes doors.

Annoying the locals

Pinhao Railway station artwork:

Some interesting motorcycles. Well *I* think they’re interesting!

Okay, so that last one isn’t a motorcycle, but I still think it’s interesting.

A couple of Rob’s videos that I can’t get to embed in OpenLiveWriter or Blogger. I’m almost certainly doing something wrong….I usually am.

Playing on the waterfront in Porto *

Seranading a tourist cruiser on the R Douro *

* Rob’s photographs or videos