Every so often I leave aJiggered ceilidh and think “how do I cram all this stuff into a blog?!”. Last night was such an event…The only way I’m going to manage is with a bullet point summary of memorable stuff:

-the 4 hour journey was not as arduous as you might have expected, thanks largely to the banter from Susan (when she wasn’t stretching the truth to her husband on the phone- it was an ice lolly, not an ice cream!) and Ewan (when he wasn’t sleeping). Dinner at Aviemore’s chip shop Smiffy’s was a highlight!
-the venue itself, Drummuir Castle, was spectacular. Lots of beautifully preserved features- we played in the impressive hallway (notice from the photo that we lined up in single fi;le and that my piano was the perfect length for squeezing between the two pillars). The acoustics in the Castle were lovely- as Jenny will testify it carried the sound of vocals and wind instruments very clearly!
-the staff at Drummuir were really positive about us (compared us to Wolfstone and I think we’ll be back at Drummuir again).
-the bride and groom, Elaine and Craig, had asked if we would learn Snow Patrol’s Lifening with some alternative lyrics to personalise the song to them…it went really well and the couple had a fantastic evening.
-the father of the bride was particularly complimentary “you’re an efficient band and what you do is really clever” (an astute guy). He was overheard saying when we announced a Strip the Willow “I’d warn against this one if you’ve got a dodgy ticker”!
-with a significant contingent from New Zealand it was only right that we were treated to an energetic performance of the Haka!

All the best Craig and Elaine- thanks for having us!