Five years later ...

Last night it rained in Burnham on Crouch. This is a big deal, we've had no rain for about 5 weeks. I stood at the back door and smelled that particular smell made more pungent for its rarity.
So this morning I whipped down to the allotment on my bike expecting the flowers of courgettes and squash to be open and welcoming and freshened but quite honestly it looked like the rain had stopped at the gates.
It's been quite a thing watering all these weeks and quite a lot of people have given up. It's just too much.
But when the Brexit raiders come at night for my cabbages, I'll be there, with my hoe, defending the food for our plates.

I've just updated some upcoming gig dates with the Daphne's girls.  And if anybody is looking at this (if you have been looking for vegetable growing tips, you'll probably have died of starvation over the last 5 years) please come and see us.  We are brilliant.

But before all that - I'm out on the road with the very fabulous Snake Davis and Dave Bowie Junior as BoP3.  Find our dates here.

Garlic

Today I took down the allotment 37 garlic plants which I'd started off in the tiny plastic greenhouse at the end of the garden (the lovely lady at The Limes let me have a few bulbs that were sprouting and I know that you're supposed to buy proper bulbs especially for planting but Hey! let's give them a go). It's been snowing here and freezing but we're off tomorrow to Yorkshire to do some gigs and they look so healthy and happy I had to put them in. (the garlic) NOBODY was up there but the sun was shining and the snow had conveniently drifted away from the chilli box I stuck them in. Hopefully they'll still be at least 6 inches proud when I get back.
My God, if anybody out there is interested, I'll let you know when I get back.

On the plot, like right on it.

Was up on the allotment today, had a big bonfire.  Dug up some parsnips - whoppers, eh?  I'd be up there all day if I could. But I've had to come home for a bit of a play.  Gig tomorrow supporting Chris and Julie at the folk club in Hitchin - nice folk there, it'll be good to see Maureen and Keiron and the gang.

I promise to try to do this more often. There's music and stuff in the pipeline and a whole lot more parsnips like these.  You just HAVE to hear about it.

Toothache

Helen's relaxing on the sofa watching The Bridge on BBC iPlayer. She's just had a tooth extraction and is feeling a little low. But she'll be up and about again soon. Painting, decorating, gardening, cooking - all the things she loves to do. And she'll be singing too. Very soon.

We've just updated the gig listings on her gig page. But we haven't mentioned the Boat Gig - Jubilee fun on Skeens' houseboat in Burnham on Crouch. Mells the Messiah will be round tomorrow to go through a few tunes for that event.

Hoping to have the new album all ready for the upcoming gigs with Emily. It all sounds great and I'm really happy with it. Jake Creswell-Rost is designing us a cover. A cover for the cd, which are covers. So the title is "Tarpaulin". Only available at the gigs.

Spring A'Comin

Definitely spring is in the air. Tearing myself away from seed catalogues to let you know (or remind you) of more musical related activities.
This weekend Snake and I are holding a songwriting workshop in Pickering. Looking forward to that.
Next week Chris While, Julie Mathews and myself are putting together our vocal workshops. You can find details for all of them on the Rejoice the Voice page of Chris and Julie's site. We've got some great songs planned. Do please check it out.
Then next weekend I meet up with the boys for two favourite gigs, The Shed and The Ropery. See my Gigs page.
I shall now check in the bathroom for a file to scrape the good Essex soil from 'neath my nails. Water the collards, on with the ballgown and away we go!

Bad Weather Stuffs Gigs

Hello Everybody

It's Wednesday morning. We're in East Essex, we should be on the road heading south and west for a run of 3 gigs; Bristol tonight, Bournemouth tomorrow and Brighton on Friday. We're not going to make them. It's 3 degrees below, snowing now with more forecast on the M25 - our route.

If you should read this today and you were planning on coming to any of those gigs, I can't tell you how fed up I am right now. Very big apologies from me and I hope that I can re-schedule all for more clement times.

Especially galling as I have new recorded material to tout. Listen to it here, below, and I hope it in some way recompenses for no live performances this week.

Lots of love

Helen

Fiver - hear it here!