What a summer I have had. This time last week I was sitting on train going from Edinburgh to Glasgow. I was in Scotland for a long weekend. My Aunt who lived in the USA for many years passed away a few months ago and my Uncle and cousins came over from California to bury her ashes in the family grave in Port Glasgow cemetery. Other than the solemnity of the service I had a lovely time. I got to meet my cousins for the first time in 30 years. I stayed with my sister in Edinburgh and commuted by train to Glasgow when the occasion arose.


I had breakfast at The Elephant House, the same café where JK Rowling, Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall-Smith have frequented. I found Edinburgh to have a perfect writers atmosphere, very tempted to move there to write. They have a livecam in the cafe so you can see how busy it is and how long the que to get food is.
http://www.elephanthouse.biz/livecam.html

This mp3 track just keeps running all through my mind. It is Eric Satie's Gymnopidie 1 by a brilliant group called Amarcord Wien. It's available to download from Amazon. co.uk. 02%20-%20Gymnopedie%201.mp3 . Mum turn on the speakers and click on the link, it should play automatically.


While in the wonderful city of Edinburgh, I went with my sister to see my nephew Campbell.
Campbell recently started baking at Peter's Yard Artisinal Swedish Bakery in Edinburgh, bread that's inspired by Jan Hedh, Swedish Master Baker. He made two pizzas for us and they were delicious.

I have finally completed my three thousand word short story for a writing competition, it is due in November, the last for the year. I sometimes think if I had put this much effort into studying at school I might have been a teacher or maybe a politician when I grew up, yuck, glad things turned out as they did.

Just as well I have finished the short story as I have found an editor for the manuscript of my novel, so now I have to get busy with the last four chapters and the inevitable re-write of the manuscript before handing it over to be edited. Then it's time to find a literary agent, anyone interested in being my agent? Just email me if you are. I am also about to start on another book that needs to be complete for next September, so it looks like I will be getting callouses on the finger tips from typing instead of guitar playing.

Just sent of my booking for the Tenderden Folk Festival. I will only be there during the Saturday.
Click on this link for more information,
http://www.btinternet.com/~folkspots/trust/fest09/index09.htm

Towersey 2009

Here are two shots of the stand at Towersey this year, 2009. All of the ladies were there including Cinderella. Who's Cinderella I hear you ask, well several years ago I had just completed my second guitar, a classical and I thought it was time to make my first steel string guitar. I didn't have a body mould for a steel string guitar, so I just used the classical guitar mould.

Over the years as I developed my steel string guitars I would make changes to Cinderella first. Even so, after all those changes and adaptations she still has a lovely voice.

Tony of the Music Room played her at Sidmouth, and liked what he heard. At Towersey I said to him I was going to put one of my guitars on eBay to raise some cash for a new bike and he said he had a bike he no longer needed and yes we have arranged a swap, thanks Tony and no I don't need any more bikes.

The weather was perfect and the crowds of visitors certainly appeared to be enjoying themselves, I think there is something very spooky about this picture, yes they are everywhere, including here at this link.

Note to Mum, just move your mouse cursor over the link and press the left mouse button.

http://www.spookymen.com.au/ and on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19z0NerTTdM&feature=related.

and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kecx6x3LCKM&feature=related.

There was a lot of interest shown in my guitars this festival and it still amazes me how many talented amateur guitarists there are.

One potential customer brought his friend along to play Ursula the 00/45. This bearded gentleman said that his friend had asked him to play one of my guitars and how could I say no, as it was none other than Martin Simpson himself, boy is he a very talented guitarist.

The camp site was as it always is, full of excited campers. On the way to Towersey we stopped at Middle farm and bought two folding camp beds and with a double air mattrerss on top we slept very well, more later.