Two days in Suffolk

So I'm back after a weekend full of fun, music and friends in Suffolk, I'm feeling pretty rotten (payback such a pain) so I'm not sure how long it will taken me to get this post written, I'm just going to do a little bit at a time in between resting.

On Saturday, we went to the Maverick Americana festival which is held on a farm in Easton. My friends band were playing so we decided to make a girly weekend of it, so that she would have some childcare while they were performing.

So exciting as I've not been to a festival in so many years,other than little local ones in fact I think the last weekend festival I went to was the Cambridge Folk Festival way back in the 90's, pre ME and Lyme's

All along I knew it was going to be a bit of struggle for me but I really wanted to go as I love this kinda folk/roots music. So I was prepared for the flare of symptoms this busy weekend was going to cause.  The actual festival site was quite small so we managed easily with the wheelchair, getting from place to place, which was great.

It was such a baking hot weekend though with little or no shade, we managed to set up are base camp in a little spot of shade by the sound stage, which was great, laying out the picnic blankets while the mini's roamed around happily. 

It was great to hear some live music, first off we went to the barn to see 'Porchlight Smoker' a Brighton based band who play a great mix of folk, country and bluegrass, between the four of them they play quite an array of instruments. The usual expected guitar mandolin double bass and banjo with some clarinet thrown in for good measure. I've put a link to there website 'here'

After that we went round to the outside stage, which was great for me to have a rest lying down on a blanket listening to some music, we saw, Jason Serious, The Rainbow Girls and Redland Palomino Co (who are bit too country, as opposed to folk/bluegrass for my tastes) but that's whats great about festivals you get to hear music that you normally wouldn't come across. 

Then is was time for the 'Carrivick Sisters' pictured above, they are two very talented twins from the West Country, playing a mix of original and traditional music. On Guitar fiddle, Dobro and claw hammer banjo, with great sibling harmonies, I guess it the genetics and years of singing together but there is something very amazing about family based harmonies. They have a Album coming out later in the year which I look forward too. You can find out more about them 'here'

We also caught a bit of Trevor Moss and Hannah Lou set, another UK based duo with some great harmonies. You can check there website out 'here'

In the afternoon over in the barn, it was time for Hatful of Rain to play, to a full house I mean barn. Performing with there usual traditional set up of the whole band around one central mic. They played a wonderful set of original material some from there album  Way up on the hill and some new songs too, from the upcoming album that's to be recorded later in the year.

 You can find out more about them 'here'. They are a very talented bunch playing Bluegrass with a British Folk twist. On a host of different instruments, which has got them noticed by the great Bob Harris at Radio 2.  Who they recorded a session with earlier in the year.

Fortunately we were staying in a cottage in a lovely little village, as I'm really not well enough for camping these days.  With comfy beds, hot water and all the mod cons.

The village has some beautiful old cottages a village green and duck pond.  I love it here and have visited several times over the years. It's a lovely part of the world.

We decided that as it had been so hot at the festival and the children were getting a bit restless that on the Sunday the musician would go back and play there set at the festival while the rest of us, stayed at the cottage. I have to say I was quite relieved as I was struggling a bit with my symptoms and was quite exhausted.

So we had a slow easy morning and travelled ten minutes down the road to a nearby beach. Pebbles, a shining sea, plus a lovely cooling onshore breeze what more could you need. The mini's loved pottering around at the beach, and I was able to have a bit of a rest.

 take a few photo's, and read a book, I even have a little paddle in the sea too.

The little sea horse that my talented friend made as a birthday gift for one of the children was feeling very much at home on the beach, isn't he sweet. Some of the more energetic member of the group even went in for a swim, while my god daughter and I were content looking for pretty pebbles and sea glass.

Here is a snap I took from the car park of Dunwich heath and nature reserve .

and I took this picture of the 13th Century Dunwich Greyfriars abbey, from the car on the way back to the cottage for lunch, it's one of the few building that was not lost to the sea in this former busy port.

As for my beach treasure here it is, sadly sea glass was most lacking and I only found one small piece as well as these two lovely pebble,  The larger pebble is so sparkly in the sunshine it's hard to capture in a photo, but honest it sparkles like a Twilight vampire in the sun.  It's sitting on my windowsill where it can sparkle to my hearts delight.  As for my pebble collecting companion, she was a little less restrained and left the beach with her pocket stuffed with pebbles, simple pleasures.

I hope you all had a great weekend what ever you got up too, mine was topped off by Andy Murray winning the tennis, which we listened to on the car radio on the way home.

After a couple of days in bed I'm starting to feel a but more human again, I do hope I haven't bored you all too much with all the folk music talk.

Clare xx