We've been plagued by misfortune putting this one together, including exploding computers, ludicrous deadlines and a duff print-run necessitating a reprint, but finally we've staggered to the finishing post.....

Just got back from Kinnersley Castle and a very wet May festival - it was so wet it was raining in our bedroom. But how do you maintain the roof of an Elizabethan castle without a serious income? Enjoy it now, before the other tower falls down, I reckon.

So Mike & I kicked off the first night and gave the last night's concert, and in between enjoyed fabulous music from high-energy Re Fut de Chene (like policemen, the musicians are getting so much younger - worrying ...), mellow Outre Manche, Wistman's Wood and a wealth of other stalwarts, scratch combos and emerging collaborations. Not to mention stories from master storyteller Pete Gritton and truly memorable (and indescribable) concert from Sue and Terry including a blues rendition of The Walrus and the Carpenter.

Clare and Pete Metheglin had to dash off due to a family illness, so the gap in Monday night's programme was filled at short notice by Mike's violin/mandola trio, Avant Trois.

So sox were danced off, Matt and Madeleine joined us for their honeymoon bringing the leftover booze from the wedding (cheers, both!), and a jolly good time was had by all.

Just posted a new song, recorded at Pete 'PeeWee' Metheglin Coleman's studio. It's a well-known French dance song, a rondeau from Poitou set at 'the festival of St John' ie the big midsummer knees-up. In it, our heroine looks forward to the return of her fiancé; especially as she's hoping he's bringing her all sorts of goodies including silver bracelets and that all-important ring. I'm sure it's not just the loot she's after.

We've sung this a few times for dancing and I must say that it's so lovely watching everyone bopping about as we do it. A roomful of people dancing, improvising, chatting, circling round; the interconnectedness of dancers and musician-singers (we're all in this together) ... willing it to work, always slightly amazed when it does ... it's a blast.

So the good news was that we got to play at Cwlwm Celtaidd, ’The Celtic Festival of Wales’ ... the bad news was that we were programmed at the same time as the Wales vs Ireland rugby international which was being shown in the bar downstairs, with Wales on track for the Triple Crown (whatever that is - but they won it anyway, apparently). We sang to an audience of quality rather than quantity. Poor Skyhook were in the same boat, but we thought they were much better entertainment value than the rugby.

Later that night ... Tell Me My Love/Ffoles Llantrisant is played on BBC radio’s Celtic Heartbeat show. How lovely! Unfortunately Frank the presenter gave the impression that the English was a translation of the Welsh, whereas the English lyrics are new and completely different, written by Mike for our arrangement. Ah well, c’est la vie ... It was great to get the airplay.

By now you'll have heard an earful of our latest-recorded offering, another of our half-and-half jobs which weaves the traditional Welsh 'Ffarwel i Langyfelach Lon' through the traditional English ballad 'So Early Early In The Spring' (topical, hey?).  The Welsh song, which has been seriously interfered with to turn it into five-four time, tells of a lad who leaves his home village of Llangyfelach near Swansea to enlist so that he can go off and see the world. Can you spot who he enlists with, children? 

Thanks go to Annette Davies for the original idea to pair these two up. We've been singing this arrangement for some time, but finally got round to recording it at the weekend at Pete Coleman's studio, with the aid of several cats and some Breton cider.

Just back from the fab MADE festival at Kinnersley Castle. We did a 'bal set' for people to dance to, which was fun, and later that night carried on as it turned into one of those magical nights - three in the morning in the Great Hall, half-a-dozen couples dancing, another dozen assorted folks curled up in armchairs and chaises longues, and Mike and I singing everything from Sorta Kinda to Teddy Bears' Picnic until around six when I reckoned it really was bedtime, and left them to it. (There's a new pic of the interior of the Great Hall in our photos, by the way) 

Plus the usual wonderful concerts, workshops and dance music, this time from the sublime Gasconha Plus, delightful Belgians 'Op Zwier', Jon and Becky, our very own Metheglin (stars of Radio 2 - check out their page via our Friends) and many many others.

Ah, happy times.

Delightful weekend at my 'second home' ie Mike's place in Brighton, serenading the good people of Seaford Folk Song Club with various strange foreign stuff as well as good honest homegrown English fare. It being St Dwynwen's Day (patron saint of lovers, 25 Jan) we did lots of Welsh songs (plus a bit of French and Breton), and thank goodness the flu relinquished its evil grip on my larynx at the last moment. Good to see Tom and the Nevilles again - Diane sang an exquisitely poignant song as Steve accompanied on an actual lyre like wot yer ancient Greeks played. Simple but damn classy.

Then on to a folky party, and on Saturday the local monthly French dance knees-up - lovely music from Triptych (get a MySpace, guys). Gosh, what a whirlwind life of excitement and undiluted hedonism. Think I shall retire to my bath with cup of tea and book to recover.

Spent yesterday in Metheglin's attic studio, recording a couple of contributions for their forthcoming album. If you've not come across them, DO check them out in our Top Friends corner - they have left the safe waters of French dance music and set sail into new and uncharted oceans (me hearties! - sorry - been watching too many Pirates movies while laid up with the flu). So yes, it appears to be a home recording project, but bejazus - the man has four gold discs hanging on the wall for past work as a recording engineer and a double platinum under the bed. It's going to be a REALLY interesting piece of work.

So a happy day of cats and music, and all the best to Pete'n'Clare. Cheers, m'dears