Busy month May.

My book statement arrived from the publisher at the beginning of the month and to my surprise I have finally paid off my royalty advance and they are now paying me, at least I will be able to buy some postage stamps with the income.


Middle of the month saw us off to Headcorn Aerodrome to watch the dynamic due Stephanie and Sandra go skydiving. Stephanie decided to surprise her sister as a late birthday present.








With a registration number such as this can you imagine what they get up to at the 5,250 foot altitude.



There were many interesting aeroplanes at headcorn while we were there. This one especially caught my attention. The pilot did a high speed flyby before landing and again after he took off to return to his base.


Other activities during the month were a visit to give a talk on guitar making to The Kent Woodworkers Club, thanks to the invitation of Colin Searl and Harry Miller. I sold several copies of my book Step by Step Guitar Making.
Talking of my book last year I was approached by Harry Lederman and Alan Tutt of the Eastbourne Camera club who wanted to make a video of me making a guitar. The completed video as entered in The IAC British International Amateur Film & Video Competition 2009. It won the 5 star award and The Boosey & Hawkes Music Prize (Royalty free CD's). The film was shown on Saturday the 25th of April 2009 at the British Amateur Film Festival. I hope to have copies, for sale, later this month.
The end of the month saw me at The Chippenham Folk Festival again. Lovely weather, great crowds of visitors to the stand and yet again a guitar sale off the stand. The guitar in question was one of my earliest made, Number 2, a classical.

The above video clip was of an impromptu dance session by a passing French dance troupe. Fantastic atmosphere at Chippenham, pity Sidmut can't get their act together like Chippenham, go on Bob, give them a call and tell them how it's done.