Current page: Fields of Eden Tour Diary
Current page: Fields of Eden Tour Diary
Having fallen into bed at around 3 am it was not easy to get up, have breakfast, and shower in time to be back on the road for 9:30 am - but we made it... just.
I don't think anyone was capable of stringing more than three words together at any one time, so it was very quiet in the van for the first hour. By the time it got to 10:30 we were starting to rally a little and Matt and I were trying to pick up on the memory game that we'd started the day before (or was it on Friday?). It was the one that goes 'I went shopping and in my basket I put...'. We had kangaroos, telegraph poles, windmills and other assorted items, but we were unable to keep it going because we were laughing too hard.
At 11:15 we stopped at a motorway garage for a cup of coffee and a kroket (we're not quite sure what's in them, but they're good hot junk food and we love them). Then it was on to Amen.
The Café Amer concert room is a converted barn. We get changed in a large room behind the stage and the concert hall is in the main part of the barn. At this time of year the difference in temperature between the two sides is from arctic to tropical, which is why the photograph of the audience is misted over - the camera had been left in the dressing room.
It's always a joy to be back with Ab but we were a bit sad to miss Inekke as she was in Paris and didn't get back until late evening
We saw a lot of familiar faces - including my special friend Henk. Henk gave me a lovely soft toy last year, a very pink pig, and I had to admit to him that our labrador Harvey had spotted it on our return - and stolen it. It had become one of his favourite toys, which he nearly always takes to bed with him at night (the webmaster can confirm this, I think). Henk was really sweet about it and forgave me.
The 'bum-ba-bum' for the first song was staggering!! I explained that they would have to work hard to get it better than last night and they went for it with bells on - I'm sure that no one can beat that!!
The tour joke went down well, we had a lot of laughs and everyone joined in with the last song too - so they were great from start to finish, and all thoughts of being a bit tired were gone. After the concert we went into the café for some soup and a meatball - and to catch up on what had been happening to Ab. He fell down a flight of stairs earlier in the year, had some nasty head injuries and was in a terrible state for a while - we were worried about him as he had previously had a heart operation and should have been taking it easy - not getting downstairs by the fastest possible means!!
At 8 o'clock it was time to head home again, we were all starting to feel a little weary by then. Darrell was driving and I did my best to stay awake for him but I'm not sure that I didn't nod off a couple of times. It's a good job that I wasn't driving, I can tell you.
We got home at 10 pm and had ourselves a gin and tonic - we thought we deserved it.
I wasn't going to bother to do the e-mail until the next day but decided I'd better check to see if there was anything important. There was an e-mail from Ann - the lady looking after our labrador, Harvey. I opened it expecting to have a funny mail about what he's been up to - instead the news was tragic. Ann and Norman, along with a friend and Harvey had been out for the day and were on their way home when they were involved in a head on collision.
Everyone escaped unharmed, except for Norman who didn't make it.
Chris and I felt numb and helpless. They have been such wonderful friends for so long but our loss is nothing compared to Ann's, and our prayers and love go out to her.
We love what we do but sometimes we wish we could be in two places at one time - it's going to be hard doing the concert on Thursday knowing that we couldn't be at the funeral. All I ask is that as you read this, you spare a thought for a wonderful couple who have been together for 50 years, 'until death us do part'.
Leiderdorp Concert
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Zutphen Concert
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