Tikhtak

Free For All Derby, Isle of Man and etrax

Here is an authoritive picture of me playing the evil slave ship captain at Derby Cathedral last week. I think I was actually telling off a kid before we started the performance but you'd never know! Check out how we got on by going to the Free For All blog with lots of pics taken by my colleage and photographer Mike North. This week we are running workshops and performing on Friday evening at St German's Cathedral on the Isle of Man.  It was about a year ago we were there running a mission with CMS. My how time flies!

Trax16 our CMS youth podcast for July will be out in the next few days looking at the top 10 things to do in the summer. I write a post on etrax each month, a spiritual tonic to preceed trax16. Check out this months by clicking here.

Washed out in Yorkshire

This morning I set off on a GNER train bound for Doncaster not knowing what was to hit me. We were to have a youth and children's team meeting at my colleague Mike's house in Donny. I got as far as Grantham before we hit our first flood in a tunnel and the train was canceled. Some American tourists kept all our spirits up by reminding us that Margaret Thatcher was from Granthem... And I shared a carriage standing with Phil Tufnell, but alas not even his celebrity status could help!  Finally I met my other team mate Anita in Donny some 4 hours later and we set off to Mike North's house in Adwick. It was simply flooded everywhere and we couldn't get to him. At one point we were sent on a back route by the diversion and the road was in danger of becoming a river (see pic). Just 10 minutes from his house and we had to give up and back I got on to a packed GNER train, which took me back to Grantham and eventually to London. What a day!

Zara's ears are pierced.

Today we finally built up the courage to take Zara to Claire's to get her ears pierced. We carefully chose the ear ring for her, a yellow Gold one, and waited on a seat in the corner. The piercer explained what she would do and asked Irfana or I to hold Zara. I volunteered and Irfana held her feet. Zara sensed something was odd as we are never normally that interested in her ears, but before you knew it, the job  was done. Like the thunder that follows the lightning  Zara did cry and I think the piercer (who does this job every day) was moved by Zara's doughy eyes. Yes she cried but within minutes she was fine and reaching for a toy monkey thrust at her by a passerby. Zara was always a pretty little girl, but now she is a pretty little girl with jewelry. A picture of her in all her splendour will follow.

Free For All in Derby, Applied Drama and Spamalot

Here is a picture from last weeks Free For All in Birmingham Cathedral. You can read all about it on the Free For All blog and view pictures here. This week we are in Derby and will finish the week with a performance in the cathedral on Friday. I have also had some good news this week with an acceptance for me to do a MA in Applied Drama at Goldsmiths college. I hope to use our Free For All trip to Sierra Leone in November as a focus for this study. Otherwise the highlight of this week has been seeing Spamalot at the Palace theatre in London. A friend, Darren Southworth, who use to work in my Mum's company was in it, so we got to go back stage afterwards and was helped on our way by the Actor who played King Arthur just clad in his pants. Interesting!! It was a great show and very funny...

Father's Day

Sunday was my first Father's Day and I wasn't disappointed. Zara sent Irfana out to get me a lovely card, a Mug, a mouse mat with our picture together on it and a special glass for cooling drinks. It was also a special day as it was Zara's 7th Month with us. I have uploaded a set on my flickr called Zara 6 months. Check it out to see how we spent Father's day and I will add more recent Zara pictures to it in the next few days. Yesterday was also the day our new church warden and friend "Bird" AKA Jonathen Burdette finally got his staff. Also check out pictures from The Churches Clapham common Fayre on Saturday.

Free For All in Birmingham and Tottenham

This week the Free For All team is splitting between putting on workshops at St Anne's Church in Tottenham and Birmingham Cathedral. We will all come together then on Friday evening for a Free For All performance at Birmingham Cathedral. Birmingham may not have been a port for slave ships but it supplied iron to use as restraints on slaves and armed the slave trade with guns. You can read  about Birmingham musician Soweto Kinch's personal journey for some background. Should be an interesting week.

Free For All in Portsmouth

This week Free For All is visiting Portsmouth Cathedral. Check out the Free For All blog for our latest write up and pics. The weather was amazing and inspired me to take these pictures of the old and new of Portsmouth, the Spinaker Tower in the new dock area development and the Cathedral . Also check out our latest media footage from Hereford Cathedral.