August

The month of the Auckfest!!!

August was fairly quiet art wise for me. I didn't have any courses to attend, holidays to go on or exhibitions to visit. So this blog will be more of what else I got up to during the month.

I am fortunate enough to know some friends who come from a very musical family and each year they put on a music festival known as 'Auckfest', whereby a bunch of professional musicians set up camp (literally) in a back garden in the quiet village of Midhurst and jam all weekend. As this is over the bank holiday weekend it starts Friday night and more often than not the last straggler leaves around the following Wednesday!!!

This year the theme for the main event was kind of Country and Western meets Jazz meets Jimi Hendrix!!! It was absolutely brilliant and the band, organised by the very talented Joe Auckland with Jerry Haglund playing lead quitar, kicked off the proceedings by playing some hillbilly music....a bit of Johnny Cash, a bit of country and western....supported by two brilliant backing singers who made their own (if very bright) dresses.

The 'dodgy' country and western shirts were 'donated' on the day by Ben on the double bass....you could tell they were all his shirts as a) he looked very at home in it and b) his was the only one which actually fit!!!

After the country and western set they then performed their true love.....blues and jazz music and the way they play effortlessly together is awesome.

After a break....bbq and beer.....(and some 'Dave and Claudine' ale left over from their wedding) the Jimi Hendrix tribute set kicked in. Jerry Hanglund is amazing and can turn his hand to playing any song.....although he plays Jimi Hendrix's music brilliantly.

The whole day was brilliant and I look forward to next year!

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On a completely different note I support the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in various ways, one of which is to sponsor a puppy. This can be as inexpensive as you wish and by making a monthly donation to the charity you can help visually impaired people gain independence which we all take for granted.

So this month I had a new Guide Dog puppy to sponsor as my last one, Rufus, had just been placed with an owner. So through my door came my latest puppy update who is called Crumble and is such a cutie and here's a pic of the little treasure.

Helen
http://www.scarletdesigns.net/



Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/