Kay's Visit and the 2x4 Tango Festival in Lincoln

This tango festival was a good excuse to invite Kay down from Edinburgh as I have stayed with her many times to enjoy the Edinburgh tango scene.
Thursday night was a typical L Tango evening with candle-lit milonga at Clifton.  Lovely atmosphere, and Kay was welcomed into the group and had many dances.
Friday was sightseeing around where I live and the City centre and we covered many miles!
In the evening a first visit to Njall and Cidinha's practica which followed their beginners class.  Not so many people here but we enjoyed some good dances.
Then for the festival.  Saturday we did one workshop and the Ball.  Sunday 3 workshops and a Practica.

The teachers were wonderful - Maria Maragaki and Guillermo Torrens (who teach in Newcastle) and Julio Mendez and Lila, based in Zurich.  Wonderful demonstration dances and very good classes and Kay and I feel that our tango has moved up a notch from the close attention we got.  Unfortunately for the organisers the event was not well attended with only about 40 at the ball and so few at workshops that we felt as if we wre getting private lessons.  Sunday we were dancing for 7 hours!

We covered sacada, including back sacadas, giros, lapiz, boleos but even more important was the detail of technique, dissociation, the frame, exact foot position....it is a lifelong journey.

Bob Dylan

I think Bob Dylan is the world's greatest poet!
Perhaps I am not the greatest fan as I have never been to see him before but I do have several albums collected over many decades.  His latest tour brought him to Nottingham.
I wanted to be in his presence and that I achieved - I think, .in that the spotlight was never on him but it did sound like him, because I could not understand a word!
That is not strictly true but there was only one song I recognised and did pick out a few words in that.  All the rest were hard rock and very loud!
When I think of all the beautiful songs he has written I don't know why he put together this tour playing this selection.
A disappointment!

A couple of weeks in Devon - September/October Incorporating the South West Coast Path - Part 4.

Cheryl and I drove down to spend a couple of days with Ken and Denise who I have known for 62 years! We had a relaxing time, dined out once, lunched at the Vineyard, and had a meal in with their lovely grandchildren Billie and Meg.

Saturday we set off for the National Trust property of Saltram, near to Plymouth. We enjoyed the house, a walk around the gardens, particularly the Lime tree lined walkway and then headed for our cottage in Newton Ferrers, to be shared with Cheryl's sister Ros.

Sunday, the three of us had a magnificent walk from the cottage, around the harbours and onto the South West Coast Path. We walked to Beacon Hill on the path but added to that was getting from and back to the cottage, close to a 10 mile day. The weather changed from rainy to misty to glorious sunshine and so for most of the day a T shirt was good enough. The scenery was wonderful and we took a side trip down to Cellars Beach and watched the many yachts negotiating the bay. Part of the walk involves a former carriage way, high on the cliffs overlooking the rocky shoreline.

Truly a great part of the SWCP.

Over the next few days we completed the SWCP from Plymouth to the Erme Estuary.

Our week in the cottage was a great success and the weather was probably the best for the entire summer. It was the hottest September for about 100 years and the hottest October ever! This weather continued as we moved to Hope Cove and completed Bigbury to Salcombe. Perhaps the very best of a magnificent stretch on the coast was Salcombe to Hope Cove.

Altogether a boost from the sun and the scenery before the autumn takes hold.

The Great North Run, September 10th, 2011

Annabelle and I were on the train to Newcastle on Saturday, to be met by Lesley.  As usual, Lesley and Tony were perfect hosts and provided a lovely meal for us to enjoy and to fortify Annabelle for her debut run in the GNR.

With L and T's experience we had an easy route to the start and to were able to enjoy the fantastic atmosphere of this event.  The gun went off at 10.40 for the 54,000 runners and we walked beside Annabelle for 17 minutes before she reached the starting line and was able to run!

Lesley and I then used the Metro followed by a half hour walk to get to the finish line - only about 30 minutes before Annabelle arrived having clocked 2h 13min, her target time.  She looked in good shape and I was proud of her achievement.

 About an hour back to Lesley's house when she could relax properly before we all went out for a meal.
Home on Monday and back to work for Annabelle on Tuesday.