Spiers and Boden

To the Junction, to hear Spiers and Boden. There is no warm-up act, and I had an outing beforehand, so when I get there at 8:10 they've already started. I sneak in on the balcony upstairs, which is a fine view. Once my eyes are accustomed, I can see Miriam and the vacant seat she has kept for me. We're at the Junction 2, which is smaller, nicer, and has seats. After the interval, when I join her in the main hall, I can see that the spare lighting has been carefully done so it looks better from here: it is directly from above, so casting shadows on their faces. The interval is a fest of people queuing up to thrust money at them for the new album, pictured (with their sigs on it!). I sense that S+B fans are loyal; we certainly are.

They are playing at the folk festival, and at the Corn exchange in the autumn. Go and hear them if you get the chance.

They say they have been going for 10 years; I remember them from before they were famous, at the Folk Festival, playing the "Rambling Sailor".

As ever, the best bits of the show were the songs-with-words; or at least for me, who lacks any ability to appreciate music for its own sake. "The birth of Robin Hood" and "Tom Paget" I recall. They didn't do Bold Sir Rylas, alas.

I find listening to them inspiring: it is to see and hear people doing something they do very well, and love. It makes me want to do the same - not in the sense of playing music, but of excelling. Maybe one day I'll find out how to.

Refs

* Stoat: Bold Sir Rylas * Stoat: Bellowhead and Wild Willy

Gardening (wisteria)

No, this isn't wisteria, it is an iris from the front, looking particularly lovely at the moment. The blue ones at the back are good, too. And we had some rain today, the first in ages, which may help.

At the end of a longish day (E to Eve's for trip to Legoland; Shop; Fen Drayton 10k (46:45); Town (Waterstones)) I felt like doing some gardening, so decided to put in the wisteria we bought last weekend. It goes against the "new room" at the corner, but first the bed had to be cleared as it was terribly overgrown. I planted back some cowslips and some of the feral oregano; we shall see.

See-also: the iris in context and blue/purple grannies bonnets.

Gardening (rose)

Having failed at a series of approaches to recording what I plant (in the hope of not digging it up by mistake next year) I thought I'd try the wub. So, lets begin:

See-also the next photo for a general view. This is a "Bridge of Sighs" rose, which is a type that Mother gave us and used to be at the front of the house, until the building work.

This one is expected to share with the grape vine. I composted it in well, having dug down as far as I could, constrained by the "mat" on which the house sits, and the foundations of the new extension.

Also done this weekend: planted 12 marigolds at the front, and two poppies, and a "cream-n-berries" (horrible name, but looks pretty). Put the fifth slab by the double doors, and planted out Miriam's plants by it.