Hi Chiff and Fipplers.
This past Saturday marks 20 years since I joined C&F. It has been at least 12 since I last posted.
I see a lot of different names but a few of the old timers are still here.
Hi Nanohedron, avanutria, Dale!
I miss those days. I wonder how emmline, Lambchop, Bloomfield, Cranberry, Martin and ID10t are these days.
Since I posted last I quit drinking and smoking, learned ukule, lost a beloved pet, gained a beloved pet, acquired 4 more daughters and 10 grandchildren plus 1 great granddaughter.
You’ve probably noticed that things aren’t what they used to be - well, in the Pub, anyway; the rest of C&F’s forums seem to be trundling along just as they ever did, so you’ll still have plenty of resources for your musical interests on that end. But the drop in Pub activity began with the rise of social media, and the change was as head-spinningly precipitous as it was swift. Took us a while to figure out just what had happened, and there were all sorts of ideas, most of which quite frankly didn’t hold water. Of course before that time, message boards like C&F were the only social media available - only not as universal, so with social media’s advent the Pub’s wonted frivolities went elsewhere for the most part. Greener pastures? Depends, I suppose, on what you consider proper fodder to be. No way of knowing if that’ll ever change, now.
My own online presence still remains comfortably limited to C&F, so it might be said that I don’t know what I’m missing, but … looking around at what’s going on out there, I think I’ve got a decent enough idea about that assertion.
A big shout-out to daveboling for keeping a light on in the Pub. Anyway, welcome back, Flyingcursor, and we hope to see more of you.
Hey there, I’ve only recently returned in the past few months myself. Welcome!
Emmline is fine, she is active on my Facebook, as is Redwolf. Martin Milner is also fine but doesn’t really do social media at all anymore. I can also attest to Mack Hoover’s well being and he is still making the occasional whistle. I tried to find Cranberry a few years back but no luck; let me know if you have success there?
Hi benhall.1. Nice to meet you. Is that you playing fiddle on the video from your profile? I’d love to hear more.
Kkrell. Yes, after 10 grandkids we finally have a great one!
Nano! How nice to hear from you. Things have certainly changed in the social media world. The never ending vitriol of social media today makes our old Rubber Room seem like friendly banter.
I deleted my Facebook account years ago. My wife keeps me updated on family news.
Avanutria it’s great to hear from you and to hear that some folks are doing well. How is the concertina going for you? What kind do you have? Please tell Martin that I never will forget his hospitality and kindness in showing me around London. And, if you don’t mind, say “Hi” to Emily and Redwolf. Cranberry will probably forever be a mystery haha!
Cyril Jr., I think still in Austin. Would be a bit older than me. Sold me his Gene Milligan Delrin high D & an MK Pro Low D. Didn’t he change his C&F name to GoldTop? Last active just last December, but last post was in 2015.
Concertina is going well. I actually took a ~10 year hiatus from playing music which completely coincidentally matched my first ~10 years of parenthood. Been starting to get back into it as of almost a year ago. I still have my Dipper, which is my favourite, an Edgley which is in need of repair (but the logistics of getting it to Canada without paying an arm and a leg in customs has been challenging), and a few others - rather a collection at the moment, I’m afraid. All Anglos. Just sold a Tedrow, and just bought a remarkably good old 20 button on ebay for $300 - nobody else bid for some reason! I have a 26 button Bb/F for sale that I have to get revived on the online sales boards soon.
Also been reviving my whistle skills, and learning to make them too. The playing skills didn’t atrophy TOO terribly while I was away, but I’ve forgotten a lot of tunes and am learning them the second time over. There are no good local sessions in my area but I know of a few people who may be interested in starting one, so that’s another to-do when I have the time.
I will relay your message to Martin! He always enjoyed taking people on his custom London tour. And I’ll let Redwolf and Emmline know you said hi - who knows, maybe they will come back here too!
HI Folks:
It’s been a while for me too. Too much has happened to me. Long story short, I now walk with a Serenity Bamboo Walking Stick Flute. I glued an amber crystal ball to the top and folks think I look like a wizard. Lemonade out of lemons. I have a laptop computer again too.
mutepointe.
Good question!
When I ordered the walking stick, I ordered it to be as long as possible. They explained that balancing was a factor, something that I didn’t know about. In the confusion, the stick wasn’t balanced before it was mailed to me. Since I had an amber glass sphere that balanced the stick pretty well, I didn’t consider this a mistake. People regularly compliment me on the stick, look to see if there’s a bug in the amber, and they’re even more surprised to find it’s a flute too. The one downside is when I have dropped the stick on a hard surface. The two times that I did this, the sphere popped off and had to be reglued.
Here’s where I’m not sure whether you’re talking about the cane’s or the flute’s balance. Or both, for that matter. I was actually asking about how it is when playing the flute, what with the added weight on the head - but I’m guessing that this weight beneficially counteracts the rest of the stick extending beyond.
As someone who’s had to use a cane myself, I know from experience that the weightier the top, the more clever (stickmakerspeak for “agile”) the tip is when walking. Here’s what I use:
← (not mine, but the very sort)
It’s a cromach (or crummock if you like), an old-fashioned Scottish iteration of the shepherd’s crook. The shaft is hazel with the bark on, and the business end, which is larger than it seems in the pic, is blackface ram’s horn. What you see is the original form for actual shepherding out in the field; the wee hook is for hanging your lantern from when you need your hands free at night. Normally a proper cromach would stand about shoulder height, but I had a maker cut it shorter for use as a cane. Anyway, I love it because it’s top-heavy, affords a meaty grip that warms to the touch, and the gentle upper curve is easier on the hand than a typical cane’s curve. Good conversation piece, too, except the idiots at the pub kept calling it a shillelagh - but I think that was to get a rise out of me.
I was talking about the physical balance. I don’t yet know about the sound balance. I lost my embouchure and am looking for it again. Lucky for me, whenever someone has asked me to play in public, I have always managed a tune.
Been 20 years since I’ve been out here on the boards, too! Great the community is still going strong and it’s nice to see some familiar names and friends out there. Looking forward to checking in once in a while.
My first post was in 2004, but after suffering some nerve damage in my hands due to being assaulted by the horrors of necrotizing fasciitis, I gave up music about 8 years ago.
Sold the pipes, sold my Hammy, and was forced to cancel my order with Makoto Nakatsui for a new set.
I couldn’t even face to listen to the music that had been part of my life since my teens.
Then, it started with Matt Molloy’s first album - probably my favourite trad album of all time - it crept back onto my playlists, followed by many others.
Recently I also dug out my old plastic Susato low D and squirted out some tunes. I have forgotten a lot, but still remember loads. And the nerve damage that stop me from spreading my fingers has fully healed.
So just today I flung some cash at an obliging maker, and I will be playing a flute again in a few weeks.
I don’t think I will ever get back into the pipes - those reed-based demon sticks me enough trouble over the years, but I am looking forward to spreading the bad morals of flute playing.
