A touring groupie!

 

After almost a year of being at home, December comes around like a stealthy ninja, and yet again another year is coming to an end. Time really does fly, right? My husband's tour dates are now done for 2014, and I've been so happy to welcome him home with open arms and a grateful heart - however, before he made it home for what promises to be a spectacular family Christmas, I decided to 'visit' the tour, as technically a groupie.

After spending a glorious evening with my oldest friend at her house in Bristol, I met up with my husband for a lovely night off in...Swindon. Yes. We then travelled from Swindon to Bristol, on to Cardiff, and then to Cambridge, and finally on to Portsmouth, on board the trusty (or sometimes not so trusty!) crew tour bus. The two buses the band and crew travel on are the buses of champions; there was a spare bunk for me for a few nights, and I was part of the nomadic travelling furniture once more.

Catching up with my touring buddies, and my wonderful girls - two of them shown above! - has been brilliant actually; I was a little apprehensive as I thought it would be bizarre, doing the miles but not the shows, and to be honest it was slightly strange and emotional, but I'm very glad I did it. The pride I felt when I watched the band perform at the different venues was palpable; I cheered and danced and boogied and sang along, waving my arms with energy and no doubt embarrassing other audience members as I went, but I didn't care. The music and the atmosphere carried me on, and I was so pleased to have been, and to still be, a part of this superb musical journey.

Having stepped off the touring rollercoaster, I had got a little bit of distance, and I realised that I had begun to recover. I could see the wear and tear taking its toll on my friends and colleagues, as well as my husband of course, and was happy to not be on that particular ride. It has rekindled a desire to sing on stage again though, and it's looking like I will be rejoining the band for some of their shows in 2015, which is a great thing. I wasn't expecting to feel like that, so it's definitely a bonus!

Everyone was so welcoming, generous and happy to see me (well, they acted like they were, anyway!) and it was a joy to see them all. It has rounded off the year nicely, as I still believe that I made the right decision to take a break at the beginning of 2014 and I'm excited about the future.

I do hope you all have a fantastic Christmas, and end your 2014 with bounce, verve and happiness. Look to 2015 with hopeful, grateful and loving hearts; dive in without fear, if at all possible. That's what I need to do!

 

Music, magic and memories

What an evening. Performance time for the choir of children I've been working with, the result of so much hard work by people involved with the local council's foster services and of course the shining stars that are the children themselves.

I tell you what; these children are without doubt some of the strongest, bravest and most inspirational young people that I have come across. They put their nerves aside, their feelings of perceived inadequacy or shyness; they resisted being stubborn, cocky or giggly; they learned their words, they looked into the faces of the crowd, and they used their own personal stories and experiences to enhance their performance. They rapped about life in care, in their own words. They danced, whilst singing about body image issues. They twirled batons, sang a cappella, dedicated songs to friends and family, and supported each other. They smiled at me from the stage, followed my lead and were pleased - at times ecstatic - with their achievements. 

I was so incredibly proud of all of them, every single one. They played an absolute blinder, and music reigned supreme, weaving its magic yet again. I was up on my feet by the end, clapping, dancing and laughing with the children as they owned the stage. Two weeks ago they were mumbling to their shoes, and tonight they threw it out there with verve and gusto. I can't tell you how much I loved my job tonight. What a fantastic, heart-rending and humbling experience I've had.

God bless those children, and the people who look after them. Simply wonderful.