Jammin

Big Fred Parker

Big Fred that I used to work with dropped round tonight on his way home.

See, this is what the ukulele is doing. Making friends and seeing more of mates.

To have your mate round, playing you a blues sat at your own kitchen table is as good as it gets.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you

Big Fred Parker

Raindrops down the River

To sort of put things together i've clipped a couple of vids from the river with my first uke recording. Hope you like it :)

Ukulele

Well, it's been a long time since that boat trip. And it's kept me going well. Plenty of memories and some new friends made. What more can you ask?

I'll tell you what, a new obsession/focus/distraction.

And here it is:-
I was listening to something on Radio four [read In praise of the Uke] one day and heard some music and promised myself I'd see these people if they were ever playing close by.
This is what I saw:-



I've been to some gigs in my time, Rory Gallagher at Birmingham Town Hall, Santana at the Odean, Family, Emerson lake and Palmer, M People, Cold play, oh, loads.

This rated right up there.
If you ever get a chance to see them I would worry about you if you were disappointed.

This link will show dates and places:-

http://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/main/home.aspx

Maybe I shouldn't have done that. Just clicked the link to check it and bought 6 tickets for the 7th June at the Buxton Opera house.
I think we'll all go up in a mini bus with our ukulele's.

Anyway, I digress, I start listening to this stuff on You Tube and hear music like this that just blows you away:-



Well, you know the rest.

I've got three so far!

My ears first pricked up at the mention of a ukulele years ago when I was hearing that George Harrison was a massive fan of the instrument.
He used to give all his friends them as presents, and if they were flying anywhere he used to take uke's for everyone.
[watch George Harrison playing the ukulele]

So anyway, I am one of the one's that contributed to the Ukulele being the top Christmas present this year (According to the Gaurdian).[read article]

I've press ganged two of my victims into joining the Sketchleysnewboat Ukulele Band.

This afternoon we had our first practice:-



I got my first uke on the 6th December, Faye got hers on Christmas day, and Brum (on the left) got his today.
I promising start I think you'll agree.

Back in the groove/rut

Look, don't tell 'em at work, but I'm actually quite enjoying being back. For now at least.
Anyway, the upshot is I won't be writing the next bit of the trip just yet. Haven't got the hang of writing and working just yet, and it's a story that need telling properly.

Have got the motorbike out again at long last. First time I've ridden properly since I came off down that mountain in Wales last August. Rode up to Goole and back down the river last Saturday.

I've burned a few CD's off, of the photo's I took down the river. So if you fancy looking at 1580 pictures of the River Trent I'll sent you one if you e-mail me at sketchuk@yahoo.co.uk

All Aboard (Day 10 Wednesday)

Missed the birds this mourning, didn't wake up until 6 o'clock. Well, I did stay up until midnight last night. Party animal! But no drink, so a clear head. All to the good because everything is different today.
You know that advert on telly, when the kids wake up in the hotel at Disneyland? Well, I've got a right buzz of excitement and anticipation on me this morning.
...........................

Before I set off I was going to be eating nettle stew, starting a fire by rubbing two rabbits together and generally going native. Just sort of been too busy. But this morning I'm just hive of activity.
I make an eel trap out of my old milk carton and design and build a revolutionary implement to assist in hauling of water over long distances.
You'll have to explain to me why, when this is the last camp of the trip.

Having had a few nights camping now were the only sounds I've heard have been birds singing, maybe water falling and lately the wind, my hearing has sort of come alive, almost as if I've pulled a couple of candles worth or wax out of em.

There's something else too, like when we were kids playing down Syscote Lane by the railway, and you could hear a singing harmonic come down the shiny track, then feel the building earth tremor and then the full on wide screen cinema surround as the train come round the corner and overloaded your senses with sound and vision.
I'm getting it again, only much more subtle.
On the wind, I'm getting a drone, think B52 coming over the channel. And after a minute, stood bare foot on the grass I can feel the slightest of vibrations, well, I think I can, even now I can't be sure.
Can you guess what it is yet?
The first of the barges coming for its second load of the week from the quarry...............



Wow, these are big mothers......and they are big. 182 foot, Put three of the longest narrow boats you can get end to end, two thirds of a football pitch. Big. And I'm getting a lift on one. Wow.

Gently break camp. A tug at a heart string asks when I will sleep in my hammock again. An easy couple of hours gets me back up to the jetty and a last brew on my camping stove while I await my lift.

And here comes my lift. Down at river level its just enormous. This is just about as high up the river as these craft can get. It has to carry on past and up to Cromwell lock were there is enough room for it to turn. Maybe the river was starting to look big to me in my small dinghy, but this leviathan makes it look a stream.

With the boat un laden and sitting high out the water, Jonathon and Damon, his crew haul me and my dinghy up the side of the barge. Stood on deck for the first time , very aware that part one and two of the trip are complete, and now begins part three.
As we stow and lash down my little inflatable I feel a real affection for this brave little boat that has bought me so far. But no time for reflection as the loading begins.

As they begin filling the hold nearest the wheelhouse I go forward and get a true scale standing in the forward hold.