Rendham noughties

Artist and Rendham resident Maggi Hambling has been made a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire).

St Michael's in Rendham last night was looking lovely with so many candles and quite toasty under the red glow of the wall heaters for the concert given by outstanding players Jessica Hayes cello and Rafal Luc accordion.  The unlikely duo complemented beautifully with us sometimes not clear which instrument was making the low sustained notes and during the very modern piece Tahtela, Place of the Stars they even on occasion sounded like guitar shredders ... and in the intermission there were warm sausage rolls.

Quite a musos's day near the coast yesterday; we didn't make it to Benhall Music Day because Le Tour was just too exciting but in the evening Anna Noakes and Gabriella Dall'Olio at Rendham Church (which has a very pleasant just reverberant enough acoustic) sounded and looked just brilliant.  (The harp is such an ethereal instrument even when you can see it being played the sound seems to be appearing from out of the ether.)  You can see Anna and Gabriella again next month at the Yoxford Arts Festival.

Some 10 miles away from Maverick in Rendham ceilidh band Happy Feet were making the crowd kick, skip, twirl and laugh in an idyllic setting ... and Gosia tells us later on the moon came out to make things even more perfect.

At least two of our cats claim Scottish ancestry (which is a bit rich when you've got Costa Rica written on your side) so they're looking forward to Saturday's Field Dance in Rendham which is dancing in a field under the stars to a live Ceilidh band.