Encouraged by the fun others were obviously having playing traditional tunes, I bought a fiddle purely on impulse at an auction, just to see if I could coax a tune out of it! As you might imagine it took me six months hard labour to be brave enough to take it out to a music session and another six before I dared play a solo! That's when the 'devil’s instrument’ took hold of me. I didn’t meet him at midnight at Oaks Bar* but I’ve had so much fun with it since and met so many interesting and friendly people through playing, it has changed my life completely. Here in East Lancashire I’m trying to generate interest among people, young and old, to learn to play the indigenous music that was once the wallpaper in this part of the world. There is a lack of opportunity for people to learn traditional music, song and dance in the region and using this website and my efforts in teaching and playing the fiddle, I hope to rectify that imbalance. If I can enthuse people just half as much as I have been then we're definitely back on track.
