We've been involved with the film production company, WAGScreen, for several years now.  We started off with me doing some medieval spinning for their "Luttrell Psalter" film.  This quickly expanded into bringing Rika and Tim on board to play various parts in the film, and then into Rika and I singing "Miri It Is" for inclusion on the soundtrack.

It was a wonderful experience, and we thoroughly enjoyed it, so we leaped at the opportunity to take part in their next venture, a recreation of the Tennyson poem, "The Lady of Shallott" using images from pre-Raphaelite paintings.  Ellie ended up in this production as well, credited as "Smallest Damoiselle", which I was particularly entranced by!  The afternoon spent recreating the Millais picture in the boat whilst dragonflies swept across the lake and the wind moved in the trees was nothing short of magical.  An image of Tim and I on this shoot was the picture that gave us the cover for our last CD, "Dancing Through The Past", as well.

So when WAGScreen posted a picture of local miller and businessman, John Pocklington, on Facebook and asked whether we knew anyone who resembled him and might be free for filming during the day, I took approximately a nanosecond to respond that Tim looked *quite* like him, and would love to help out.  WAGScreen also needed a small boy and girl to play two of his children (we had to draft in Ellie's friend, Zack, as Jared was too large for the role).  They contacted us later to ask whether Jared would be interested in playing his dad at the age of fifteen. Jared was thrilled to help out...

At some point during the Windmill filming process, Pauline - one of the WAGScreen producers - asked if we might be able to help out with the music.  During the ensuing discussion, I agreed to score and play the soundtrack to the film itself and that Tim and I would provide the traditional music to score the accompanying documentaries.  I turned in the soundtrack before we left for Germany, although after discussion today, may well re-record it to allow for different uses within the whole film.  We've also finalised the sound, length and feeling that they want for the documentaries, so will look at recording that early next week, hopefully!

It's been a journey, without doubt, but a very interesting one :-)

Free to good homes:

Two bikes (girl's colours - one pink, one purple "Bratz") suitable for age 3-6.  

Unable to deliver, pickup from our house in Welbourn.  Do you know anyone who needs a little bike (or two)?   Friends, family or neighbours?

 Hot on the heels of a very nice comment from a Rural Touring Officer, I have decided to update our webpages, which were looking very sad and unattended since OVFF 2008.

http://www.walkerwork.co.uk

I have also put up sound files for our 1999 release, "Dreams Incarnate" for free download (click on the "Music" button).  If you never got the opportunity to buy it, have lost your CD or it just never played right, then please do feel free to download it.  "Dancing Through The Past" is also available as a paid download (£7.50) should you feel thusly motivated...

 I have here some makeup-y things that the lovely frankbean gave to me.  I have taken the few bits that look like I might use them (sometimes a bit of slap helps a lot), and wondered if anyone out there might have a use for the remaining?

Boots No.7 "Rose Truffle" Nail Polish
Bodyshop almond oil conditioning hand wash
J.R. Watkins Apothecary Lavender Hand & Cuticle Salve (smells lovely)
Tiny tube of Boots No. 7 Eye Mousse
Two sachets of MaXFactor foundation natural/golden
MaXFactor face powder (partially used) "Truly Fair"
Clear nail polish
MaXFactor "Disco Pink" nail polish
Boots No. 7 "Morello Cherry" lipstick (unused - *very dark burgundy*)
3 exfoliating spongey thingummy jobs.

 We have sold the tent!

This makes me very happy, and the house potentially more weatherproof...

FOR SALE 

Due to a change in job circumstances and the need to buy materials for the new house, we are selling our rather spiffy medieval tent as seen here on the left.

It's a Vic James tent, made from 100% cotton duck canvas, and has been fully waterproofed.  All materials are historically accurate, down to the carved tentpegs.  We had it made without pelmet scalloping as we asked Vic to model it on some of the contemporary paintings, and couldn't find primary evidence of square sided tents with scalloping!  Of course the lack of scalloping also makes it perfectly acceptable in any time period up to the Napoleonic wars...

It's 12' x 18' inside, and has a rigid wall-pole system which holds the walls taut and allows for shelves, wall-hangings etc. to be suspended from the walls.  For the time that we used it, we used the left-hand third of the tent as a children's area and curtained it off for privacy.  This type of tent is perfect for that kind of "bedroom creation".

It is easy to raise, but does need two people.  We've managed it with one adult and a nine year old before now, but nine year olds get rather distracted, so I'd really recommend another adult.

This tent has had very little use - we took it out for two very short seasons (three or four events at most), and then Tim's music took off, so we just couldn't make it away on a regular basis.  It's a shame to have it sat there unused, so it's time to move it on to another home.

Something of this size would cost well in excess of £1200 from Past Tents these days.  I don't know what Vic is charging these days, as he's never needed to advertise, and this tent was a special anyway.  We'd love to get £800 for it, but if it goes to friends/nice people then we could take £700.

For a few more pictures (including inside), my flickr set is here:  www.flickr.com/photos/87679464@N00/sets/574642/

Please feel free to pass this on to anyone who might be interested.  All donations to the "get some corrugating sheeting on their bloody roof before Tim drowns" fund gratefully received :-)

 Today, Tim and I were playing a usual Mini-Morris Co. gig at the Farmers' Market in Lincoln.  Liam and Frank were away, so Tim and I did it between us, and a lot of fun it was too!  We experimented more with mixing harp and melodeon, as well as harp, recorder, bouzouki and a few other unusual combinations.  'Twas good!

When we finished there we high-tailed it back into the car and dashed off to a wedding, where we were playing for the wedding reception as background music.  This is just the sort of gig I really enjoy - no performance nerves, but people really *are* listening and enjoying - and very willing to tell you they have enjoyed it at the end.

When we finished there, we dashed home so that Tim could get changed before setting out for his third gig of the day.  Woohoo!  I'm now at home, but he is Soul-Solutioning back in Lincoln until midnight.  

If this was a day pushing paper around a desk, I'd feel tired and fed up.  But as we've spent it playing music (and getting paid for it, too!), it's been an excellent day - and one that sets us back onto the right road after a few financial hiccups over the last month.

Made the kids a slow-cooker dinner of rabbit stew (Tim and our friend, Mitch, shot the rabbit a little while back) and am feeling jolly self-sufficient as well!  Whilst we were out, Jared took Ellie out on her bike and apparently she can now ride confidently on two wheels!

Really - an excellent, excellent day. Looking forwards to some quality knitting time tomorrow...

We made magic this weekend. Pure magic.

( I burble on for far too long about the convention under this cut... )

We made magic this weekend, my friends. We made magic.

 OK, slight ManorCon hiccup: due to the previous group extending their stay at the last minute, (and presumably them having more people than us!) our Thursday night option is not open now :-(

However, I have had confirmation that all is well with the Sunday, so that's good.

I know that some people have already paid for the Thursday, so I'll go through my records and issue refunds.  It's at this point that I'm *really* glad I did all this through the business account so it's nice and clear what belongs to who!

Sorry about this - it was always a possibility, but we'd really hoped that the previous group would pass on their option.  Seems like they are even more last minute than I am...

 Just so as you know...

The charging jack fell out of the bottom of Tim's phone yesterday, and the battery died (we think the two things are linked).  So he is currently without his mobile.  Annoyingly enough, the cost to fix it is far more than just getting a new one (clue: the new one is free), and whilst I happily paid the extra for my new crockpot inner last month, any spare pennies can be better utilised elsewhere at the moment.

So he is being sent a new phone through - tragically not an iPhone, but something similar by a different company.  Until the new phone arrives (next week I expect) he has *my* mobile phone.  (I don't need it very often - he does).

If you need (and don't have, obviously) my mobile number to contact Tim, then let me know!