As promised, here is a bit about Abbotsholme – just a bit because I’m quite busy with the magazine and other things.

It was a lovely course, due to the exceptional people involved. I don’t just mean the staff (although they are all superb) but all of the course members were exceptional – keen, excellent flute players and, more importantly to my mind, fantastic people.

Andy & I travelled up to Abbotsholme on Monday as it is such a long journey for us. We were joined on Monday night by Chris Baxter and David Nicholson and we went out for an excellent curry in the village of Rocester. It was really good, highly reccomended. Abbie and Gareth arrived very, very late.

On Monday morning Andy, Gareth, Abbie and Chris disappeared somewhere, don’t know where, so David and I went to Uttoxeter for coffee. When we got back I started to get the place ready for everyone arriving. Names were put up on doors of bedrooms and bathrooms were labelled. Emma and Nicola were coming along as ‘helpers’ and they were the first to arrive with Lucy. Then it was the onslaught. The worst bit of the course is signing in and waiting for everyone to arrive. But it all happened and we had a quick meeting with parents – very few stayed so maybe I should drop that idea – then we said goodbye to them and played a few warm up games. The helpers and older course members helped everyone to their rooms and showed them around the building.

We then had a flute choir session – Brahm’s Hungarian Dance No 5 arr by Colin Fleming before our fire drill – which was a real farce. The first fire exit was partially blocked so it took ages to get everyone out and then it was blocked at the bottom of the stairs. Then came dinner, a bit more playing and bed time for some, social time for others.

More tomorrow (I hope).