Songs of the waterways

I wrote this song, as with so many, on the boat on a classical guitar. I remember the writing process very well with this one, looking out of the window on a dark evening. I was also in a very dark place and writing this was part of the healing process.

...and a nice new (old) home...

Heritage Marina in Kent Green, Scholar Green. Tomorrow I'm hoping to introduce Cosmos to a brand new concept, mains electricity!

View from a saloon window



Cosmos under Mow Cop at Heritage Narrowboats

Nice new ropes for the new year.

Hundreds of butterflies filmed by the boat this morning :)

Another night on the boat, another great sunset!

Another lovely "from the boat" view :)

(A rather late) breakfast time in Audlem.

Spring is in the air (and has been for some time).

The first chicks are around (no photos yet) and while Easter for many is when they start their first serious boating of the year for me it's when I often give Cosmos a major spring sorting out, sprucing up. This year should be the biggest ever as I'm intending to give her a major bit of an overhaul, inside and out. Meanwhile, the surroundings, as usual, are gorgeous :)

P.S. The frayed rope is from where birds have been coming down and pulling pieces of rope out for nesting material - double :) :)

I'm Back! 2010 - No Posts!

I won't let it happen in 2011! I'm starting off with a music video. This is a load of photo's I took to one of my songs, "Back In The Real World". Recognise any of the canal-based settings?...


You can keep up to date with my musical goings on on My Music Blog

You spin me right 'round baby....

Well after years of boating with nothing stuck round my prop so seriously as to make me have to stop and weed it out from the hatch, I get 2 incidents within a couple of weeks....the last one was my fault - my back rope went into the prop...DOH!

....and earlier in the month I became closely acquainted with this keepnet...or what had been a keepnet.

Random hacking with a sharp knife did the trick eventually, though the metal parts took some time!

Video Of My New Band's Very First Public Performance at The Middlewich Boat and Folk Fest 2009

And this song's called "HumanKind"...

My band playing at the Boat & Folk Festival!

Middlewich 2009, in the acoustic tent, watch waht is also this bands first ever gig playing "HumanKind" here

Middlewich Boat and Folk Festival

I've been neglecting this blog mainly because of the increase in the amount of time my musical career is now consuming. Well I can combine my boating and musical life this month because of my appearance at one of boating and music's foremost summer events...

The Middlewich Boat and Boat Festival is in the top Ten music festivals in Britain (The Guardian) and is possibly the most family-friendly one as it has many other things going on besides the music including craft stalls, historic boats, boat horses, face-painting, floating gardens and so much more….see http://midfest.org.uk/mfab to give you some idea or you can see some piccies I took at last years event here.

I’ve been going to the festival as a punter on and off for many years and am really chuffed to bits to be playing for the first time this year. The schedule is as follows…


Midddlewich Boat & Folk Festival Appearances

Friday 19th June 8PM - Acoustic Tent, Main Field
Saturday 20 June 1 PM – Kings Lock, Lewin Street
Saturday 20 June 6 PM - Acoustic Tent, Main Field

My music website is here.


In addition;
Emma Burgess and Simon Taylor from the band may be playing with me at some or all of these shows…..stay tuned.
I may also put in an appearance in the open sessions at the White Horse on Sunday the 21st.

Be folk’n there!

J xxx