Among Stones review & giveaway

Happy Birthday Lyra!

Our gorgeous grand-daughter is one today.

If you've been following my blog you'll have realised that last night was the 19th Xmas party at The Shed, a venue that's become renowned over the years for the very best live events.
Alfred Hickling of The Guardian wrote:
For the past 19 years, The Shed, near the market town of Malton, has been responsible for some of the smallest and most inspired art events in the country.

The Shed's reputation certainly won't be harmed by last night's gig - Hank Wangford & the Lost Cowboys were on top form, playing their unique brand of country music with an ironic twist.  Misery is their trademark and they did us proud.  Of course the audience knew every song and sometimes practically drowned out the band with their enthusiasm - suffice to say our lungs were well oiled. It could sound as if there's more than a little country music mickey-taking going on, but it's all good $in$ere fun and their country pedigree and passion for the genre shines through.

It was a fantastic night, in fact one of the best Hank gigs I can remember and we go back a long way, to when the band used to play every week at the Pegasus pub in Islington.  Got myself a new  CD and I'm getting my daily dose of misery right now.

Can't finish without mentioning the knit connection.  In 2006 The Shed, in co-operation with the poet, Ian McMillan and Sirdar, hosted a performance of words, music and... knitting called Hat.

Here's Ian McMillan's brilliant poem Wool Facts.
1    God threw a ball in the air. 3-ply.
2    Eve tempted Adam with the ball of wool,
      rammed the needle down the serpent's throat.
3    'My wool pyramid will last ten thousand
      years! said the Pharaoh.
4    The Three Kings brought wool, wool, and
      wool.
5    'Is this The Renaissance?' they asked, as
      needles were invented
6    'Watch out for the woolberg!' cried the
      Captain of the Titanic.
7    Sign this.  Just here. It's 12.15, it's
      Runnymede, the needles are dipped in
      the best ink.
8    The Wright Brothers knitted furiously in
      mid-air.
9    'Mass produced patterns, Now!' yelled
      William Caxton.
10   'I may be some time' said Captain Oates,
       'I've left my needles in the glacier'.
11   Columbus turned back, excited, pulling
       out the continent as he went.
12   Hold this wool, said Eva Braun, as Hitler
       and Goebbels did the salute together.
13   That's one small stitch for man, one giant
       stitch for mankind.
14   Evolution advanced as the caveperson
       invented the wool.
15   'Come in here a minute' said Alexander
       Graham Bell down his wool phone.
       'Pardon?' said his assistant from the next
       room.
16   The dinosaurs died out slowly, failing to
       knit thermals fast enough as the ice age
       approached.
17   Isaac Newton felt nothing as the wool
       apple bounced off his head. Gravity
       remained undiscovered for another two
       hundred years and people flew around
       like seagulls.
18   They found Custer and all his men
       wrapped in wool.  Dead, but cosy.
19   Henry V111 knitted wives seven and eight.
       It gave him a feeling of power.
20   Noah's wool ark floated.  No I tell a lie.
21   Kitchener was waiting to pose for his
       poster. 'Hurry up with that moustache' he
       shouted to his wife.
22   Jesus turned the water into wool. 'I'm new
       at this' he said.
23   The Mona Lisa was just about to laugh.
       Those wool vests really tickled.
24   The Sixth Beatle: the one made of wool
       who didn't get to the first rehearsal
       because, being made of wool, he couldn't
       open the door to get out of the house.
25   The scientists nodded in triumph. This
       was the sound of The Big Bang: needles
       clicking.
© Ian McMillan