Hello. I’m currently writing this blog post from Edinburgh,where the city currently resembles ants marching thanks to a little Festival it hosts every year : ) I came up to Edinburgh to do no playing whatsoever and to just kick,back,relax and catch up with friendly faces…the ‘no playing’ part hasn’t quite worked out but more about that later…

So. Last blog post I said i’d write about my chance meeting/’collaboration’ with Harper Simon. I have tried and tried to get the pictures off my phone and onto this blog to accompany the prose,but have given up and am just going to write without visual for the time being…

I’d managed to harass a friend into persuading her mother to put me on at the Pocklington Arts 10th Anniversary Festival. The line-up was stellar in my humble opinion-David Ford,Edwina Hayes(both who i’ve had the privelege to support in the past),Sandi Thom,Seth Lakeman,Harper Simon and The Blockheads. Oh,and my good friends Ellen and the Escapades(you know Ellen-she’s a couple of blog posts down below…). Ellen had asked if I’d join them on a cover of ‘The Weight’ during their set,but unfortunately our sets clashed and the opportunity was quashed…Epic Fail.

So we hung out afterwards,ate some lovely chilli,and went to see Harper Simon play a beautiful solo set-showcasing songs from his lovely debut,’Wishes and Stars’. After Simon’s set we headed down to the bar and that’s when Ellen was asked if her band would mind doing an acoustic set in the bar,as there was quite a big gap of time between Seth Lakeman playing and the Blockheads. It was decided that we would do ‘The Weight’ together and also my song ‘Behind The Door’. Cashback. So-we’re practising ‘The Weight’ and Harper Simon pops into the bar and starts singing along in the background. Ellen then invites Harper to sing with us and take a verse of which he happily obliges!!! By the time we’d finished practising and chatting away,the bar had begun to fill up with people and so Ellen and the Escapades,Harper and myself played ‘The Weight’ together…What. A. Treat. Harper also joined the band on ‘I Shall Be Released’ and an a capella version of ‘Nowhere Man’ which was absolutely stunning. Ellen and I played ‘Behind The Door’-and it’s possibly the most nervous I’ve ever been for the record,but afterwards Harper came up and complimented me on my ‘really nice folk guitar playing’…!!!!!!!!!!

Afterwards we danced like idiots to the absolutely fab Blockheads before heading back home,tired but very contented. Thanks to Janet and James for putting me on and to Ellen and the guys for letting me play…and to Harper of course for making our day that bit more special…

Next blog-Taking over New York television…kind of…

Bye for now x

P.S Album launch and tour imminent…