Arts Festival

Where do the days go to?  It was the weekend just a few minutes ago and now it’s Wednesday!  At the weekend I was roped in to help at the Crafts Demos that have become a popular event at the Peebles Arts Fest.  On Friday, my first day of retirement – not that I’m rubbing it in – I went along for a little while with my lace making stuff.  The school kids – primary schools – are all trundled down from their respective places of education to enjoy a hands-on session with the various crafts, and what a selection there was:  arranging a posy of flowers, printing, badge making, woodwork –  with much hammering and banging from Chrissie’s enthusiastic pencil holder makers, kite making - from supermarket carrier bags, excellent recycling – spinning, basket weaving, calligraphy, mask decorating, lace making, and thread twirling to make friendship bracelets….  Some things they could take home, so there were little kids everywhere with arms full of bits and pieces.  They all seemed to have their favourite thing to do and I had a couple of keen kiddies wanting to continue the very basic “snake” bookmark I had set up on a teaching pillow! (Pillows in this case are almost as hard as bricks and support the pattern and threads by use of pins being stuck in them!  You couldn’t fall asleep on these type of pillows!)  Another favourite was the friendship bracelet making, courtesy of the Young Embroiderers’ Guild.  One wee girl came back time after time to make another, and by the end of their visit she had about six coloured thread bracelets round her little wrist!

I was back there on Saturday afternoon when several of the kids who had visited with school the day before had returned dragging mum and dad round to show how clever they all were.  It got very busy,around lunch time, and on the stage a group of musicians entertained with some rousing jigs and reels.  Follow that!  Well, a group of belly dancers- just some local girls who had joined a class – did just that and had everyone cheering and clapping with their hip shaking, shimmying and tummy rippling!  They went down a storm, especially when they took to the floor led by their teacher, and danced in  long chain all the way round the hall, past all the stalls, gathering spectators en route!

On Sunday I had planned on doing a bit of work in the house, but decided to take a bit of a walk, just around Tweed Green – nothing strenuous – where I bumped into two friends who announced they were going to the Tontine Hotel to listen to a harp music recital and have afternoon tea, another Festival event.  I liked the sound of that so went with them to see if there were any spare tickets.  No problem, so I had a lovely afternoon with tea and cake, listening to Tristan Le Govic from Brittany singing Breton songs and playing Breton dance music on his harp, quite a different rhythm to our Scottish dance music.  There were also tunes he himself had composed  – harps do lend themselves to a modern style of playing.  Quite wonderful!   I loved the names he gave to a couple of his tunes!  One was Three potatoes in a bag, and another Small Peas.  

I was quite mesmerised by his long slim fingers picking the notes on the strings.  It’d such a beautiful instrument, the harp!  I’d love to be able to play one!

Unfortunately the photos aren’t very great -having been taken against the light, and from too far away -  and my software not being very sophisticated, I couldn’t repair them very well.

So that’s another Arts Festival past!  Next year I must get organised to see a few more shows!  After all, I won’t be working!!!

Talk again soon