http://www.extreme-cello.com/previouschallenges daily 0.75 2018-06-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455324746580-VXVV7OWDQXZ8GNB0WYV2/Tower.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455324746085-804M1IS7YOIXJIXJPUO7/JRmed.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455324745361-CSFFXYHY31VGDKJWMZLB/CWmed.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455324745860-RDQD5GOSMZ6ZWPBFU6OS/JeremyMarathon.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455324745628-5PCOTD9RS6H9B59K7ZK1/JRendmed.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455362122316-DHV370MS09J70FM6GD2G/IMG_0922.JPG Previous Challenges - Being advertised at Chester Cathedral... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361586241-F076UL2MAGZSR0FHGM1X/2014-Angel.jpg Previous Challenges - Duetting with the Angel of the North https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361575148-K3F2WU8AFK1UBC8C4D5D/2014-Wallsend.jpg Previous Challenges - Playing "Wonderwall" at Wallsend https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361571055-TFMPNM9EUPO1DUK4RUUS/2014-Newcastle.jpg Previous Challenges - On top of Castle Keep, Newcastle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361559358-JM69ZUN4R0EG531GY7YZ/2014-Hexham-Crypt.jpg Previous Challenges - The crypt at Hexham Abbey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361559647-HZ9D4RBR8CLE6MUD8I5K/2014-Hexham-Steps.jpg Previous Challenges - The steps at Hexham Abbey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361574414-W83NB31YZQ4W3RM3FWC2/2014-Wall-Play.jpg Previous Challenges - Playing "Wonderwall" near Brocolitia Fort https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361557186-7WEMEXGV5XBA1SD2YTVL/2014-Cello-Tripod.jpg Previous Challenges - A tripod of cellos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361559851-BL626A26WLH8POYX3DRS/2014-Lanercost.jpg Previous Challenges - Playing at Lanercost Priory https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361570785-ZNG1K0Q0884IH7XYO6D4/2014-Meridian.jpg Previous Challenges - Haltwhistle - the "central point" of Britain (by one method!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361555984-CQDR4D5NULP6T07QI71R/2014-border.jpg Previous Challenges - On the Scottish/English border https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361557746-9A74KTXW5JX90OEN0C7Y/2014-climbing-1.jpg Previous Challenges - Climbing wall with cello... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361558210-5H80LUQCQXGMRY7UZLLR/2014-end.jpg Previous Challenges - The very end of the wall https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455361572124-QAXCK4O4XBUX1SSZ249X/2014-steeleye-span.jpg Previous Challenges - With Rick Kemp of Steeleye Span, in Carlisle Cathedral https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455362026220-8OLASHB03AFWKO94BCQ7/IMG_0998.JPG Previous Challenges - Having fun at Blackpool on the way home... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320242954-RESTLQKUIC8HI6CSII0F/Aspire.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320243283-2W0HUYJHZ5D3U7HALXWO/Stoke.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320316733-J7CK1BWNH11C6T81S20G/Gym.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320315773-YDKEO6Q495H0T7I8L3US/monopoly.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320320735-73OZFX8GUDQH6W9X03U9/OldKent.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320441770-W22D2PV8CF7IK97M3T8T/Angel.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320490871-GL0TI2W2YB15OR0H9B3T/PallMall.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320441707-95R2FJ0ZWU5GMVGWMIBF/Bow3.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320442559-CVCHR8F0L6RF3JPZ2G9N/Vine2.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320493879-HPSOAX1ZJ2J9Q63GSAN6/Fleet.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320611335-O6XVJD32AGMAR70ZBHBS/Regent.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320658857-WUYO7KNPDKT1WCG88SLO/Bond.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320611356-NJGWLO56VLX04NJZYJ3H/Piccadilly2.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320660262-N2Y9DGGTKFEDD85C74AP/OxfordSt.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455320659582-W1VPVP5RCAQJLQHZJDU9/Police.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127122724-1COFD11UV70R86FTYJ93/Gall1-2.jpg Previous Challenges - Playing at Radio Cornwall https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127122971-OHCPM1II9H3KT8OGHSZE/Gall1-3.jpg Previous Challenges - Truro Cathedral - West End Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123102-0KN8063IIUWA2RECVUKK/Gall1-4.jpg Previous Challenges - Exeter Cathedral Roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123224-K3E2AC8K2DCZGG0ORA0Y/Gall1-5.jpg Previous Challenges - TV interview on top of Exeter Cathedral https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123290-CAXS3SY2LFSC5BQAJAO0/Gall1-6.jpg Previous Challenges - Bristol Cathedral Chapter House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123497-C2R30T6WH6O1A9A6PXOJ/Gall1-7.jpg Previous Challenges - Gloucester Cathedral Tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123775-S3QCIM4S11ZK5Y453F5G/Gall1-9.jpg Previous Challenges - Hereford Cathedral - we're in the turret! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123848-1AAX8K3JWD3TYO9HLDR5/Gall1-10.jpg Previous Challenges - Elgar as an Extreme Cellist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124072-CABF2DGA0RLLTUNTRQRU/Gall1-11.jpg Previous Challenges - Worcester Cathedral Tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124112-Y3QWAGO6OPVI88AXTCW5/Gall1-12.jpg Previous Challenges - Oxford Cathedral Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124354-JPZMOR1W5DNED01YK8U8/Gall2-1.jpg Previous Challenges - Winchester Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124369-RMBJUCDTLDLUDNO0GENB/Gall2-2.jpg Previous Challenges - Portsmouth Cathedral https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124964-KJNJQOKHMBL1MXOPWU2K/Gall2-5.jpg Previous Challenges - Canterbury Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127125492-0S2TDOUVKNGS2JY6HLTN/Gall2-8.jpg Previous Challenges - Rochester Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127126259-VBASG7FUPRJIME1CC593/Gall2-12.jpg Previous Challenges - Southwark Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127126648-T27QWHZFKGYDLBPXEJ85/Gall3-1.jpg Previous Challenges - St Paul's Cathedral - Stone Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127127477-3RYS240N9UYQA5TLF7X3/Gall3-5.jpg Previous Challenges - Chelmsford Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127127523-RDSWQ5D6TKW8XUE6W6RW/Gall3-6.jpg Previous Challenges - St Edmundsbury Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127190429-QJO336TQJ76FUUBX43E8/Gall4-6.jpg Previous Challenges - Coventry Cathedral (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127127936-AMC8S4UWAEG7EMY2NENE/Gall3-8.jpg Previous Challenges - Ely Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127128675-BWQLRZZIRS5TPEUFBK24/Gall3-11.jpg Previous Challenges - Peterborough Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127127099-KYBTXDUPII82KOGWBBZC/Gall3-3.jpg Previous Challenges - St Alban's Cathedral gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127189696-XKBTZ4UE9CM17XIEDN1F/Gall4-2.jpg Previous Challenges - Reviewing the papers at Radio Leicester! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127190100-RB93JX4ZLON7889NRO7M/Gall4-4.jpg Previous Challenges - Leicester Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127190871-Z6XUS1M92HZH99O2NYKL/Gall4-9.jpg Previous Challenges - Birmingham Cathedral gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127190992-1V42R87BMMHERBIMJOHV/Gall4-10.jpg Previous Challenges - Lichfield Cathedral - in the bell tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127191464-OCYEHC26IEWAC6HVQI43/Gall5-1.jpg Previous Challenges - Derby Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127191506-SXWSEQO8HGV5K0JQILTP/Gall5-2.jpg Previous Challenges - Southwell Minster tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127192404-E1D0D2O05EH239LCM9IN/Gall5-4.jpg Previous Challenges - Lincoln Cathedral West End facade https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127192020-WI3XZQBQGT9VNQIDK09D/Gall5-5.jpg Previous Challenges - Sheffield Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127192778-8YIQUNKHUTLGQPQGZAVX/Gall5-6.jpg Previous Challenges - Sheffield Cathedral - concert in the Narthex https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127193020-FXZR1GE0W1C074MRDFUE/Gall5-7.jpg Previous Challenges - Wakefield Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127193108-8UYO056IAOP9H65TON2G/Gall5-8.jpg Previous Challenges - Manchester Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127193909-AJ41T7M410OQJV29L9FA/Gall5-10.jpg Previous Challenges - Chester Cathedral cloister roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127194112-IDDMESNO32VXC8TLEISQ/Gall5-11.jpg Previous Challenges - Liverpool (Anglican) Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127194561-L3YSZ7KS09IFB01KAV5P/Gall6-2.jpg Previous Challenges - Blackburn Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127194788-X60LF2VQI2NJCC732PKQ/Gall6-3.jpg Previous Challenges - Bradford Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127195087-2IKU0DBUUBHSXBXAO7RC/Gall6-4.jpg Previous Challenges - York Minster - in a hoist on the way up! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127195144-51PRVUF4WYZ3Z7NMY0U4/Gall6-5.jpg Previous Challenges - Ripon Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127196099-X8UMP70SD7NXPZUFNC1S/Gall6-8.jpg Previous Challenges - Durham Cathedral North West tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127196496-JA0HB9KRFWBJT7EYP7XZ/Gall6-11.jpg Previous Challenges - Newcastle Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127196864-NJ1Y4DP61X46V7J7WAXA/Gall6-12.jpg Previous Challenges - Outside Carlisle Cathedral https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470777054266-S8ZM4UPOUSKJQPD7CI0D/image-asset.jpeg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470777299954-E1JNEL4Z01J958NWIRW0/Southwold1.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1457609631059-JX7QNF3ZVARX29JJ5OW9/Towermed.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455060142039-5XB56EULDU66ZNLQCRRG/100_6212.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455060282145-VOI0HJD5WOJQFTBAPRVM/IMG_0953.JPG Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455060364552-4NKZ2AIU55XLMGY7NJHL/DSCN3399.JPG Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455060548792-IYV3X69Y8W55LFP1HQYE/OldKent.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455060629377-ISIB7NSRGLAWW2TZB0QC/Bury.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455060752537-VXWAB1CA9XS1XP4ANHBC/Walk+route.jpg Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455060920941-UP7Q8N5P9TOB4Q2MA5MC/Blue_Johnfp.JPG Previous Challenges https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455061031365-L1JZJ5R8OWCQAIGQJ599/Playground.JPG Previous Challenges http://www.extreme-cello.com/cellist-photos daily 0.75 2023-04-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1681409676898-RIHDW7QBQFMGN4AM13ZQ/E19A5381.jpg Cellist photos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1681409722350-K7PCYUBR5UY601M5RZDL/E19A5381.JPG Cellist photos Clare Wallace has been playing the cello since she was 7. Having been brought up in Gloucester, she went on to study Modern Languages at Kings College, Cambridge. Since then, she has worked in a variety of places, including a spell in Switzerland. Formerly a music administrator, she is now Head of Music at Sheffield High School. As well as being a cellist, Clare is also a singer. She was a member of the Cambridge Singers, who recorded many critically acclaimed CDs under their conductor John Rutter. She now sings regularly in Sheffield. Clare is also an avid football fan. Although a childhood West Ham United supporter, she has become a keen Sheffield Wednesday fan since living Sheffield. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1681409759070-V97KAUQB4UOPZTPOEXPB/E19A5360.JPG Cellist photos James Rees has been playing the cello since he was 8. Born and bred in Sheffield, he attended Birkdale School before going to study Theology at St John's College, Durham. He subsequently attained an MA in Theology from the same University. In 2004 James married Zoe, and in 2011 they moved to Chester – a metropolis which stole their hearts thanks to the marvel that is Extreme Celling. He is Head of Religious Studies and Philosophy at The King's School, Chester. James is also a singer - with the exception of a four year gap when he was in Durham, and sang in Durham Cathedral Choir, he sang in Sheffield Cathedral Choir from 1989 to 2004, man and boy. He has since sung in the choir at Ely Cathedral and is now a lay clerk at Chester Cathedral. Due to the birthplace and loyalties of his father, James is also a fan of West Ham United. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1681409790333-HMGAWWNQMJGZL4UD6ODZ/E19A5385.JPG Cellist photos Jeremy Dawson has been playing the cello since he was 11, having realised by then that he was no good at the violin. He was born in Sheffield, but subsequently moved to Leicestershire just prior to his third birthday, and attended Christ's Hospital school in Sussex as a boarder from the age of 11-18. Jeremy also studied at Durham University (St Aidan's College), but his subject was Mathematics. He then did an MSc in Statistics at the University of Sheffield, and subsequently a PhD at Aston University. After spending 12 years commuting from Sheffield to Aston University in Birmingham, Jeremy is now a Professor of Health Management at the University of Sheffield. He sang in Sheffield Cathedral Choir for 23 years before it was closed down, and is now a member and Trustee of Steel City Choristers. Jeremy's football allegiances lie firmly with Sheffield Wednesday. He is also a keen baseball fan, following the Houston Astros from a distance of about 4,500 miles. http://www.extreme-cello.com/2003 daily 0.75 2016-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455095540313-FWVEMBM1SOMYYDGJVFEA/1th+Mam+Tor.jpg 2003 - On top of Mam Tor The tallest peak in the Peak District Mam Tor is the highest point of the Lose Hill Ridge - the range of hills between the Hope and Edale valleys, at the heart of the Dark Peak. It is the tallest mountain in the Peak District, with a summit of around 1700 ft (510 m). The tendency of its gritstone and shale sides to disintegrate and fall has earnt it the nickname "The Shivering Mountain" - the most notable occurrence of this was in 1974, when a "shiver" caused the A625 (then the main road between Sheffield and Stockport, which ran over Mam Tor) to disintegrate. Several landslides later, the road was eventually closed for good in 1979. The mixed weather for the day is clearly visible on this photo! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455095540313-FWVEMBM1SOMYYDGJVFEA/1th+Mam+Tor.jpg 2003 - On top of Mam Tor The tallest peak in the Peak District Mam Tor is the highest point of the Lose Hill Ridge - the range of hills between the Hope and Edale valleys, at the heart of the Dark Peak. It is the tallest mountain in the Peak District, with a summit of around 1700 ft (510 m). The tendency of its gritstone and shale sides to disintegrate and fall has earnt it the nickname "The Shivering Mountain" - the most notable occurrence of this was in 1974, when a "shiver" caused the A625 (then the main road between Sheffield and Stockport, which ran over Mam Tor) to disintegrate. Several landslides later, the road was eventually closed for good in 1979. The mixed weather for the day is clearly visible on this photo! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455095614552-XGR1QGTHCP8Z2P4KXCFM/2th+Cavern.jpg 2003 - In the Blue John Cavern Way down under the Peak District! The Blue John Cavern is one of several caverns open to the public in the Castleton area. It is named after Blue-John, a world famous fluor-spar found only in Castleton, which is very popular in jewellery. The descent to Lord Mulgrave's Dining Room - the large space near the bottom of the cave, where we performed - was perilous with cellos, and we almost got stuck on a few occasions. However, when we finally arrived, we found the acoustics absolutely wonderful, and we could almost have stayed playing all day - if it hadn't been for the four next locations! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455095641590-UN745HP8P55I6FFNOGHN/3+Tower.jpg 2003 - On top of the Arts Tower, Sheffield University One of the tallest buildings in Sheffield The Arts Tower at the University of Sheffield is one of the tallest buildings in the city, standing at sixteen stories and 255 feet. Opened in 1966, it is a Grade II listed building, and at the time contained several departments of the University, including those from the faculties of Arts, and Economic and Social Studies. These days it is mostly home to administrative departments and lecture theatres. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455095641530-B3KWCFXDZFZ5WZQ9FX8F/4+Station.jpg 2003 - At Grindleford Station Next to the longest railway tunnel in the UK The railway station at Grindleford is notable for a number of things, including its proximity to areas of astounding beauty (including Padley Gorge, see below), its popular café, and an entrance to the 3½ mile Totley Tunnel, which leads to the outskirts of Sheffield. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455095642190-JLTN8V9YU5TY0VATWWUL/5+Gorge.jpg 2003 - At Padley Gorge An outstandingly beautiful area in the Peak District A highly beautiful wooded location just to the north of Grindleford, Padley Gorge is a very popular spot with walkers. Its focus is Burbage Brook, which runs to the River Derwent from its source near Stanage Edge. We found a nice sheltered area of Padley Gorge, with some large boulders to use as chairs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455095642112-1ZL6ORC8JCOL2952YQAX/6+Garden.jpg 2003 - At the Winter Garden Europe's largest tropical indoor garden, in Sheffield - soon after it was opened. The Winter Garden was opened in December 2002 as part of the "Heart of the City" project, a £120 million scheme to regenerate Sheffield City Centre. It is the largest temperate glasshouse to have been built in a European city centre, and contains 150 different species of plant from all corners of the earth. http://www.extreme-cello.com/2006 daily 0.75 2016-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127122690-2G30A5Z82RNRQ6SJV1TZ/Gall1-1.jpg 2006 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127122724-1COFD11UV70R86FTYJ93/Gall1-2.jpg 2006 - Playing at Radio Cornwall https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127122690-2G30A5Z82RNRQ6SJV1TZ/Gall1-1.jpg 2006 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127122971-OHCPM1II9H3KT8OGHSZE/Gall1-3.jpg 2006 - Truro Cathedral - West End Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123102-0KN8063IIUWA2RECVUKK/Gall1-4.jpg 2006 - Exeter Cathedral Roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123224-K3E2AC8K2DCZGG0ORA0Y/Gall1-5.jpg 2006 - TV interview on top of Exeter Cathedral https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123290-CAXS3SY2LFSC5BQAJAO0/Gall1-6.jpg 2006 - Bristol Cathedral Chapter House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123497-C2R30T6WH6O1A9A6PXOJ/Gall1-7.jpg 2006 - Gloucester Cathedral Tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123775-S3QCIM4S11ZK5Y453F5G/Gall1-9.jpg 2006 - Hereford Cathedral - we're in the turret! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127123848-1AAX8K3JWD3TYO9HLDR5/Gall1-10.jpg 2006 - Elgar as an Extreme Cellist https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124072-CABF2DGA0RLLTUNTRQRU/Gall1-11.jpg 2006 - Worcester Cathedral Tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124112-Y3QWAGO6OPVI88AXTCW5/Gall1-12.jpg 2006 - Oxford Cathedral Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124354-JPZMOR1W5DNED01YK8U8/Gall2-1.jpg 2006 - Winchester Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124369-RMBJUCDTLDLUDNO0GENB/Gall2-2.jpg 2006 - Portsmouth Cathedral https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127124964-KJNJQOKHMBL1MXOPWU2K/Gall2-5.jpg 2006 - Canterbury Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127125492-0S2TDOUVKNGS2JY6HLTN/Gall2-8.jpg 2006 - Rochester Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127126259-VBASG7FUPRJIME1CC593/Gall2-12.jpg 2006 - Southwark Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127126648-T27QWHZFKGYDLBPXEJ85/Gall3-1.jpg 2006 - St Paul's Cathedral - Stone Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127127477-3RYS240N9UYQA5TLF7X3/Gall3-5.jpg 2006 - Chelmsford Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127127523-RDSWQ5D6TKW8XUE6W6RW/Gall3-6.jpg 2006 - St Edmundsbury Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127190429-QJO336TQJ76FUUBX43E8/Gall4-6.jpg 2006 - Coventry Cathedral (old) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127127936-AMC8S4UWAEG7EMY2NENE/Gall3-8.jpg 2006 - Ely Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127128675-BWQLRZZIRS5TPEUFBK24/Gall3-11.jpg 2006 - Peterborough Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127127099-KYBTXDUPII82KOGWBBZC/Gall3-3.jpg 2006 - St Alban's Cathedral gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127189696-XKBTZ4UE9CM17XIEDN1F/Gall4-2.jpg 2006 - Reviewing the papers at Radio Leicester! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127190100-RB93JX4ZLON7889NRO7M/Gall4-4.jpg 2006 - Leicester Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127190871-Z6XUS1M92HZH99O2NYKL/Gall4-9.jpg 2006 - Birmingham Cathedral gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127190992-1V42R87BMMHERBIMJOHV/Gall4-10.jpg 2006 - Lichfield Cathedral - in the bell tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127191464-OCYEHC26IEWAC6HVQI43/Gall5-1.jpg 2006 - Derby Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127191506-SXWSEQO8HGV5K0JQILTP/Gall5-2.jpg 2006 - Southwell Minster tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127192404-E1D0D2O05EH239LCM9IN/Gall5-4.jpg 2006 - Lincoln Cathedral West End facade https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127192020-WI3XZQBQGT9VNQIDK09D/Gall5-5.jpg 2006 - Sheffield Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127192778-8YIQUNKHUTLGQPQGZAVX/Gall5-6.jpg 2006 - Sheffield Cathedral - concert in the Narthex https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127193020-FXZR1GE0W1C074MRDFUE/Gall5-7.jpg 2006 - Wakefield Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127193108-8UYO056IAOP9H65TON2G/Gall5-8.jpg 2006 - Manchester Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127193909-AJ41T7M410OQJV29L9FA/Gall5-10.jpg 2006 - Chester Cathedral cloister roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127194112-IDDMESNO32VXC8TLEISQ/Gall5-11.jpg 2006 - Liverpool (Anglican) Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127194561-L3YSZ7KS09IFB01KAV5P/Gall6-2.jpg 2006 - Blackburn Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127194788-X60LF2VQI2NJCC732PKQ/Gall6-3.jpg 2006 - Bradford Cathedral tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127195087-2IKU0DBUUBHSXBXAO7RC/Gall6-4.jpg 2006 - York Minster - in a hoist on the way up! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127195144-51PRVUF4WYZ3Z7NMY0U4/Gall6-5.jpg 2006 - Ripon Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127196099-X8UMP70SD7NXPZUFNC1S/Gall6-8.jpg 2006 - Durham Cathedral North West tower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127196496-JA0HB9KRFWBJT7EYP7XZ/Gall6-11.jpg 2006 - Newcastle Cathedral roof https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455127196864-NJ1Y4DP61X46V7J7WAXA/Gall6-12.jpg 2006 - Outside Carlisle Cathedral http://www.extreme-cello.com/nice-photos daily 0.75 2016-02-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455146820382-BV29OGY2H5UI902DONBY/_MG_8842.jpg Peaks photos - Stanage Edge https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455146820382-BV29OGY2H5UI902DONBY/_MG_8842.jpg Peaks photos - Stanage Edge https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455146801732-FMRE0YLPUUG75XV2L1XD/_MG_8743.jpg Peaks photos - Mother Cap (Peak District) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455146796224-1C7TEJV79CQ2KTXI5DBH/_MG_8676.jpg Peaks photos - On The Rocks! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455146813527-4999P6E8MNADOEAN4FQ6/_MG_8790.jpg Peaks photos - Stanage Edge https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455146800489-P5GI94N885QAMF0VV3ME/_MG_8722.jpg Peaks photos - Hauling the White Cello https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455146808433-03TRP34O0UDZLX2WACMX/_MG_8767.jpg Peaks photos - Mother Cap (Peak District) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455448090086-12EAXBE6FLRPCTPSCJCB/IMG_2093.JPG Peaks photos - Crosby Beach, Southport https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455448120610-3GW5GM8QR7CIH7XN79G7/IMG_1972.JPG Peaks photos - One Man and His Dog Went to Bow a Cello http://www.extreme-cello.com/2005 daily 0.75 2016-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455104737048-W8C4LZG3ZDSIZYA6UWAS/Manchester2.jpg 2005 - The Beginning We started the official proceedings of the walk with a planning meeting and rehearsal the night before. After an early finish, to allow us to get at least some sleep, we rose between 3.00 and 3.30, so we could start the drive to Manchester as early as 3.45 a.m.! We arrived at Manchester at around 5.20, and having negotiated the tricky one-way system close to the Cathedral, we managed to sing the Kyrie from Byrd's Mass for Three Voices at exactly 5.30. Having done this, we set off on the walk! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455104737048-W8C4LZG3ZDSIZYA6UWAS/Manchester2.jpg 2005 - The Beginning We started the official proceedings of the walk with a planning meeting and rehearsal the night before. After an early finish, to allow us to get at least some sleep, we rose between 3.00 and 3.30, so we could start the drive to Manchester as early as 3.45 a.m.! We arrived at Manchester at around 5.20, and having negotiated the tricky one-way system close to the Cathedral, we managed to sing the Kyrie from Byrd's Mass for Three Voices at exactly 5.30. Having done this, we set off on the walk! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455104682230-E27ZJ60G7KU936BTIIHO/Compstall2.jpg 2005 - Stage 1: Manchester Cathedral to Compstall The first few miles of the walk were through central, urban and suburban Manchester, and were relatively dull in comparison with the scenery we would see later in the day. Therefore we started at a quick pace, enabling us to get a good few miles under our belt before we'd even realised it! After about six miles, the scenery changed and we had some relatively green surroundings (including a section by the River Tame whilst passing under the M60). The remainder of the stage was a mixture of countryside and suburban areas, and we finally completed the 12 miles of the stage in three hours, twenty minutes - arriving at Compstall at 8.55 a.m. to play the Credo from the Byrd mass. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455104682953-3G8RPBGQ1X5XCY43FSVY/Edale+front1.jpg 2005 - Stage 2: Compstall to Hayfield The second stage of the walk was in some ways the easiest. At 6.75 miles, it was nearly the shortest stage, and the terrain was certainly easier than that which was to come! However, the increasing heat, the beginnings of tiredness and the thought of Kinder Scout to come meant it felt far from easy. We made our way through a series of small hamlets, by roads and footpaths, with some relatively gentle climbs and descents, in just 2 hours and 5 minutes - again, a good pace! We arrived at Hayfield to discover there had been some miscommunication about the exact location of our meeting point - however, a couple of phone calls later we met up with the support vehicles and sang the Sanctus from the mass. Some "extreme" words of encouragement from Peter Heginbotham ensured we were all fired up for the tough third stage! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455104683718-QD47BZFLV2ZVY1GCY3K6/Edale5.jpg 2005 - Stage 3: Hayfield to Edale This one was tough! The weather - forecast to be 27°C (81°F) - began to live up to its billing. This coincided with the longest climb of the walk - out of Hayfield, up the side of Kinder Scout, to Edale Cross - about 540m up. Understandably, our pace dropped substantially compared with the previous stages, but we were prepared for this. What made this stage even tougher was the subsequent descent - Jacob's Ladder, on the way from Edale Cross to Edale - is a tough descent at the best of times, but with 24 miles worth of aching feet and tired legs, it is that much harder. Nevertheless, we all managed it successfully, and (having met the support vehicles for a very welcome water stop at Upper Booth), we arrived at Edale at about 3.30. Our welcome at Edale was one of the nicest things about the walk - we are immensely grateful to the owner of the Fieldhead Campsite for making us so welcome, allowing us to use the camp facilities and making us drinks, and for the donation to the fund! We played the Benedictus to a larger audience, composed of various campers and friends! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455104737190-0HLEOAIL4I1GGPWJUI5Y/Frank+filming.jpg 2005 - Stage 4: Edale to Bamford We left Edale with our numbers increased: Dave Cottam (Laurie's dad), Ella Taylor (Clare's daughter) and Neil Taylor (Master of the Music at Sheffield Cathedral, and Ella's dad) all joining this stage. The stage began with the steep climb up to Hollins Cross - with the sun now beating down, this was especially difficult. However, we were rewarded with some wonderful views, and a pleasant walk along the ridge before a quick but gentle descent to the village of Hope. The journey from Hope to Edale was one of winding country roads and pleasant fields, much of it shaded from the sun (which was still strong even after 6.00). We arrived in Bamford at just after 7.00, to be greeted by many friends who had come to listen to us sing the Agnus Dei, and offer some very welcome refreshments! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455104758695-MIKUCI8UXAONEUZCEUGT/Walk+route.jpg 2005 - The Final Stage: Bamford to Sheffield Cathedral Having already walked a little over 32 miles, this last stage of 12.5 miles was always going to be difficult. Amazingly, we all made it intact to Bamford, but here we suffered our first casualty - Clare dropping out at this stage. We think it was a stunning effort that everyone managed to walk these 32 miles in the soaring heat! We were joined for the final stage by Zoe Rees (wife of James). The stage began with the climb up Bamford Clough - definitely the steepest climb of the day, and one which had more than one member of the walking party struggling for breath! A more gentle climb, first on roads, and then up Stanage Edge in beautiful evening sunshine was followed by a descent to Redmires Reservoir, where we met the support vehicles for a water stop. After this, however, things got more difficult. As we were all very tired, the pace slowed, and after a few more miles two members of the party - first Laurie and then Jeremy - had to drop out when already in the suburbs of Sheffield. The remaining walkers were joined by Peter Heginbotham and Emily Tyler (one of Chris & Rachel's daughters) for the last two miles to the Cathedral. On arrival at the Cathedral at around 1.00 a.m. we were welcomed by the Dean and Canon Paul Shackerley, and by Dave Cottam - who had brought apple pie and champagne to celebrate! All of the party - including those who had had to drop out of the walk prematurely - finished the day by singing the Gloria in Excelsis from Byrd's Mass for Three Voices in front of the high altar. http://www.extreme-cello.com/2008-blog daily 0.75 2016-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455321304855-HJYMD9DQ9267A98TJSLM/18Jul08.jpg 2008 blog - Pre-trip Friday 18 July Well, we've just come from an exhausting morning of media work - we were on BBC Breakfast first, and we've just done 11 radio interviews too! This follows on from Clare & Jeremy's appearances on Radio Sheffield and Look North yesterday... but now our attentions turn to the mountains themselves. The weather forecast for Monday doesn't look too good - although we're well aware that the weather in the Highlands can often bear little resemblance to what's going on nearby, even on the next peak along! So we'll just have to see what we get. Thanks to all for your support so far - we'll keep you updated as we go along. Comment of the day: "We've all got big ones!" (Clare, on one of the local radio interviews...) Saturday 19 July Well, we set off in the morning, so are just undergoing our final preparations. I'd like to say it's gone smoothly, but unfortunately that would be untrue... All was fine until we went to collect the minibus yesterday. Aston Students' Guild had very kindly agreed to lend us a minibus for the duration of the challenge: this was great, until we went to fill it up with fuel. As we unlocked the bus after filling up, the key snapped in the lock (possibly from the shock of the price of diesel these days?)... fortunately we were still close to the University, and they had a spare key! Less fortunately, although the key would open the doors, it wouldn't start the engine. For a number of reasons that I'm not going to force myself to recall, we spent a couple of hours trying to get breakdown assistance but to no avail... So, we had to abandon the minibus and have decided to take two of our own cars instead... it'll be a bit of a squash, but we should manage it! I should add that the staff both at the BP garage on Watery Lane, Birmingham, and at Aston Students' Guild were exceptionally helpful and supportive... and at least it happened there, rather than somewhere in the Highlands on Sunday afternoon! Oh well, off to Scotland tomorrow... here's hoping the weather forecast for Monday is right, as it's looking better now! Ben Nevis here we come... Sunday 20 July Well, we've arrived in Scotland. The weather is looking pretty decent - let's hope it holds! The journey up was largely uneventful (apart from Jeremy missing a diversion after the M1 was closed!), and we got here in time for a delicious sausage pasta meal, followed by James' attempt at flapjack bobbing... And so, we steel ourselves for the 1343m climb tomorrow - I think it's fair to say that we're all a bit apprehensive now, especially as we can see Ben Nevis from our hostel room. All being well we'll blog again tomorrow evening to let you know how we got on - and post a picture or two! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455321304855-HJYMD9DQ9267A98TJSLM/18Jul08.jpg 2008 blog - Pre-trip Friday 18 July Well, we've just come from an exhausting morning of media work - we were on BBC Breakfast first, and we've just done 11 radio interviews too! This follows on from Clare & Jeremy's appearances on Radio Sheffield and Look North yesterday... but now our attentions turn to the mountains themselves. The weather forecast for Monday doesn't look too good - although we're well aware that the weather in the Highlands can often bear little resemblance to what's going on nearby, even on the next peak along! So we'll just have to see what we get. Thanks to all for your support so far - we'll keep you updated as we go along. Comment of the day: "We've all got big ones!" (Clare, on one of the local radio interviews...) Saturday 19 July Well, we set off in the morning, so are just undergoing our final preparations. I'd like to say it's gone smoothly, but unfortunately that would be untrue... All was fine until we went to collect the minibus yesterday. Aston Students' Guild had very kindly agreed to lend us a minibus for the duration of the challenge: this was great, until we went to fill it up with fuel. As we unlocked the bus after filling up, the key snapped in the lock (possibly from the shock of the price of diesel these days?)... fortunately we were still close to the University, and they had a spare key! Less fortunately, although the key would open the doors, it wouldn't start the engine. For a number of reasons that I'm not going to force myself to recall, we spent a couple of hours trying to get breakdown assistance but to no avail... So, we had to abandon the minibus and have decided to take two of our own cars instead... it'll be a bit of a squash, but we should manage it! I should add that the staff both at the BP garage on Watery Lane, Birmingham, and at Aston Students' Guild were exceptionally helpful and supportive... and at least it happened there, rather than somewhere in the Highlands on Sunday afternoon! Oh well, off to Scotland tomorrow... here's hoping the weather forecast for Monday is right, as it's looking better now! Ben Nevis here we come... Sunday 20 July Well, we've arrived in Scotland. The weather is looking pretty decent - let's hope it holds! The journey up was largely uneventful (apart from Jeremy missing a diversion after the M1 was closed!), and we got here in time for a delicious sausage pasta meal, followed by James' attempt at flapjack bobbing... And so, we steel ourselves for the 1343m climb tomorrow - I think it's fair to say that we're all a bit apprehensive now, especially as we can see Ben Nevis from our hostel room. All being well we'll blog again tomorrow evening to let you know how we got on - and post a picture or two! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455321319303-1L8RW4JOD8ZCAMBBEFSM/21Jul08.jpg 2008 blog - Ben Nevis Monday 21 July, 2pm We're at the top of Ben Nevis! Got up here about half an hour ago, played for a while for a big audience with good weather and about to have lunch! We'll say more when we get down later - thanks for all your support! Monday 21 July, 7pm We're back down safely. What a climb though! We were so lucky with the weather all day, and met some fantastic people on the way up, at the summit, and on the way down (including a professional cellist from Amsterdam!). Overall it took us 9 hours, including over an hour at the summit for performance, lunch and photos... 4 hrs 35 on the way up, 3 hrs 20 on the way down. It's fair to say we're all hurting somewhat. Clare says in particular that her shoulders hurt, her back hurts, her legs hurt and her feet hurt. I doubt any of us could say honestly that we do not share the same feelings! We'd like to say a particular thank you to our two sherpas today - Ashley and Caroline. Ashley will be with us throughout; Caroline was just here for Ben Nevis (we'll have others at the other mountains); but they both made things so easy for us. Well, I say easy - speaking relatively of course! I don't think anyone would claim climbing a 1,343m mountain was easy at any time, let alone with a cello on your back... Quote of the day: "Are we nearly there yet?" (James, after we'd been going for about 20 minutes...) Tuesday 22 July We're having a rest day today, mainly in Fort William - this morning we went into Nevis Radio, a wonderful small independent local radio station, to do an interview and play a couple of pieces. We were delighted to find a large picture of ourselves on the front page of the Press & Journal, which we are told is the major paper in the north of Scotland! And so our thoughts look ahead to Scafell Pike... the weather forecast looks good (in fact, perhaps a little too hot for ideal conditions), but we're well aware that can change pretty quickly so we're not counting our chickens just yet. We travel down tomorrow - there may or may not be a blog entry on arrival in the Lake District, but there'll certainly be one (with some pictures, hopefully) on Thursday! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455321319532-MFU8G8L6Z6V3LP7G2MI5/24Jul08.jpg 2008 blog - Scafell Pike Thursday 24 July 1pm - we've made it to the top of Scafell Pike, accompanied by three TV crews, a radio reporter and various family and friends! Will say more later or tomorrow, but need to get down now as it's pretty cold! Friday 25 July Well, there's plenty to say now, as this is first proper blog entry for three days. We finished off in Scotland well (with a little haggis-bobbing from James), and then had a good journey down to the Lake District... to find Wastwater Youth Hostel is absolutely beautiful, but a nightmare for mobile phone reception! Normally I wouldn't mind that at all, but there were various arrangements to be made, not least with the media whose interest appeared to have picked up quite a bit. So, we started the walk on Thursday, up England's tallest mountain, accompanied by TV cameramen from three local networks, as well as a reporter for BBC Radio 4 (and a dog!). The climb itself was as expected: hard, steep, but a lot shorter than Ben Nevis. So when we played at the top, we were slightly less exhausted than before and played for substantially longer - as well as doing plenty of TV and radio interviews. We were really pleased by not only the media interest, but also their sensitivity in dealing with us: no requests to "just come up that bit again", which we had encountered on the Cathedral Roof Tour more than once! So many thanks to the journalists involved. We had a good evening meal at the hostel, and then a game of French cricket with another family at the hostel! A good day all round. Today we did our own things - either climbing some more hills (yes, really!) or exploring Cumbria at ground level. Down to Snowdonia tomorrow! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455321319884-7UJ9HSJCMAY66VKM6SBV/27Jul08.jpg 2008 blog - Snowdon Sunday 27 July We've conquered Snowdon! Played for a good while at the top, and are now on the way back down to play at Clogwyn station. Ascent took just over three hours, weather great! Will post more later or tomorrow... Monday 28 July Well, it was a great day yesterday, with Snowdon providing the largest audiences (and donations!) to date. There are a few more photos below. The weather was fantastic - almost too hot, in fact - and we played for a good long while at the summit, along with some TA soldiers at one point (and managed to join in both English and Welsh national anthems with them); we returned to Clogwyn station (3/4 of the way up) to play for 45 minutes, and then played at the halfway cafe on the way down with a cup of tea! All in all, we took nearly 9 hours in ascent & descent, because of the performances and interest. We finished off the day with a meal in a pub in Llanberis, and somehow managed to win joint first prize in their quiz too! So we'll be returning tonight to spend our winnings on another meal... Next stop Ireland - we leave early tomorrow morning, have an interview at RTE radio on the way over, and should be in Killarney by late afternoon, ready to tackle Carrauntoohil on Wednesday! Quote of the day: "You're the famous cellists!" (Random motorist at the start of our ascent - well, we're cellists anyway... not sure about the famous bit!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455321319896-8ZSIR72U6AYFPDM52N2V/30Jul08.JPG 2008 blog - Carrauntoohil Tuesday 29 July We've now arrived at our hostel in Ireland (with more cosy accommodation than we've had previously), and are starting to contemplate the final leg of the challenge. The weather is gradually improving - after torrential rain and very loud thunderstorms last night, and some atrociously wet driving conditions today, we have some patches of blue sky to look at. Hopefully a sign of things to come. Today was spent mostly travelling, with a stop in Limerick for an interview on RTE Lyric - actually going into the studio, which made a nice change. We've just had a pasta meal in preparation (with James having a go at some chorizo-bobbing), and will have an early night before the final climb tomorrow... will post again after we've done it! Wednesday 30 July Hurrah! We've done Carrauntoohil! Unfortunately covered in cloud, cold, wet and windy, but we did it! Just on the way down now - we'll say and post more when we've really finished later! Thursday 31 July Well, it's now the morning after, and we've all completed it successfully! Carrauntoohil was definitely the hardest mountain of the lot - not the tallest, but the most demanding walking (a mixture of steep climbs, bogs, and ridge walking, mostly in difficult conditions: some rain, a fair amount of wind, a lot covered in cloud). We were completely covered in cloud on top, so the pictures aren't as spectacular as they might be... however, I've posted three below to show what it was like! We did the whole lot, including the top, in seven and a half hours - not bad, we thought. At the summit, we gave our shortest performance to date (one piece only) because the cellos were getting a bit wet, and then had lunch, with a spot of champagne to celebrate (thanks Stefan!). We were greeted on the way down with some clearing weather, and spectacular views resulted - meaning we got decent views from all four mountains in the end - quite a result! Needless to say, we celebrated last night with a pint of Guinness or three over a meal (before James and Jeremy both got thrashed at pool by some local 12-year-old), and slept very soundly! And so, we have a spare day to contemplate future possible endeavours... http://www.extreme-cello.com/2006-blog daily 0.75 2016-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318792785-IK3FK83NZMQIT97DO5M0/Gall1-4.jpg 2006 blog - Day 1: Truro, Exeter, Wells, Bristol Total Mileage: 580 (including 358 travelling to Truro yesterday) Highlight of day: The acoustic at Bristol Cathedral Chapter House Well, we’re off! After months of planning, the Extreme Cello Cathedral Roof Tour has finally begun in earnest. And a great day to kick off on - four lovely Cathedrals, plenty of miles under the belt, and glorious weather. Actually, the day got off to a slightly less auspicious start. We were due in the Radio Cornwall studios (to do an interview with BBC Radio Devon) at 7.50am, but due to a mix-up and lack of communication somewhere along the lines, they weren’t expecting us in Truroand the time of the interview got moved a couple of times! Anyway, we got on air at 8.35, talked and played a bit, and then got on to Truro Cathedral where we were met with a nice audience! We were playing inside at Truro, due to there being no suitable roof space to play on, but the West Gallery actually made a nice place to perform from: suitably extreme and with nice acoustics! Along the A30 then to Exeter, doing another couple of radio interviews on the way (not playing this time, however, nor with the driver talking!). A quick note about our transport - we’re in a single van, a 6-seater Ford Transit (see above) with plenty of room for cellos & luggage in the back. We’ve suitably adorned it with Extreme Cello literature, as well… The three cellists (that’s Jeremy Dawson, James Rees and Clare Wallace) are taking turns driving (on a day-by-day basis), with the fourth member of our crew, Zoe Rees (our newly appointed administrator!) acting as navigator-in-chief! So far, so good with regard to the travelling - I’m sure we’ll hit some bad traffic somewhere during the 12 days, though. Exeter was our first proper roof - a small piece of roof high above the North door (see right). Playing there was fine, although it was apparently difficult to hear us from the ground below due to the other noise in the city centre. We ended up playing there for much longer than expected, owing to far greater media interest than anticipated and not enough room for them all to be on the roof at once! Our thanks go to the Clerk to the Chapter, Tony Le Riche, for administering this calmly and fairly! Up the road to Wells, where we were a little late due to some roadworks at Glastonbury. However, we played for about 15 minutes from the triforium, which gave a lovely acoustic in the nave (or so we were told). Then came one of the highlights of the day - Ed Coton, a lay clerk at Wells, invited us back to his house for refreshment, and we enjoyed a lovely half hour or so with Ed, his wife Liz, and their delightful family. Their older daughter, also a cellist, gave us a brief recital also! Finally we got to Bristol- 180 miles after starting this morning - and played in the most wonderful acoustic imaginable, the Chapter House. Although it wasn’t “extreme” in terms of the height, the age and sound of the building made it a lovely way to round off the day. We’d like to say a big thank you to Richard and Carol Heginbotham for hosting us last night, and making our first night so comfortable and relaxing! Anyway, 4 down, 38 to go… but at least we’re under way! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318792785-IK3FK83NZMQIT97DO5M0/Gall1-4.jpg 2006 blog - Day 1: Truro, Exeter, Wells, Bristol Total Mileage: 580 (including 358 travelling to Truro yesterday) Highlight of day: The acoustic at Bristol Cathedral Chapter House Well, we’re off! After months of planning, the Extreme Cello Cathedral Roof Tour has finally begun in earnest. And a great day to kick off on - four lovely Cathedrals, plenty of miles under the belt, and glorious weather. Actually, the day got off to a slightly less auspicious start. We were due in the Radio Cornwall studios (to do an interview with BBC Radio Devon) at 7.50am, but due to a mix-up and lack of communication somewhere along the lines, they weren’t expecting us in Truroand the time of the interview got moved a couple of times! Anyway, we got on air at 8.35, talked and played a bit, and then got on to Truro Cathedral where we were met with a nice audience! We were playing inside at Truro, due to there being no suitable roof space to play on, but the West Gallery actually made a nice place to perform from: suitably extreme and with nice acoustics! Along the A30 then to Exeter, doing another couple of radio interviews on the way (not playing this time, however, nor with the driver talking!). A quick note about our transport - we’re in a single van, a 6-seater Ford Transit (see above) with plenty of room for cellos & luggage in the back. We’ve suitably adorned it with Extreme Cello literature, as well… The three cellists (that’s Jeremy Dawson, James Rees and Clare Wallace) are taking turns driving (on a day-by-day basis), with the fourth member of our crew, Zoe Rees (our newly appointed administrator!) acting as navigator-in-chief! So far, so good with regard to the travelling - I’m sure we’ll hit some bad traffic somewhere during the 12 days, though. Exeter was our first proper roof - a small piece of roof high above the North door (see right). Playing there was fine, although it was apparently difficult to hear us from the ground below due to the other noise in the city centre. We ended up playing there for much longer than expected, owing to far greater media interest than anticipated and not enough room for them all to be on the roof at once! Our thanks go to the Clerk to the Chapter, Tony Le Riche, for administering this calmly and fairly! Up the road to Wells, where we were a little late due to some roadworks at Glastonbury. However, we played for about 15 minutes from the triforium, which gave a lovely acoustic in the nave (or so we were told). Then came one of the highlights of the day - Ed Coton, a lay clerk at Wells, invited us back to his house for refreshment, and we enjoyed a lovely half hour or so with Ed, his wife Liz, and their delightful family. Their older daughter, also a cellist, gave us a brief recital also! Finally we got to Bristol- 180 miles after starting this morning - and played in the most wonderful acoustic imaginable, the Chapter House. Although it wasn’t “extreme” in terms of the height, the age and sound of the building made it a lovely way to round off the day. We’d like to say a big thank you to Richard and Carol Heginbotham for hosting us last night, and making our first night so comfortable and relaxing! Anyway, 4 down, 38 to go… but at least we’re under way! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318840063-AV3DPPZ515SUC5FLS5BV/Gall1-7.jpg 2006 blog - Day 2: Gloucester, Hereford, Worcester, Oxford Total Mileage: 735 (approx.) Highlight of day: Playing in the turret at Hereford Day two of our tour - and the reality of how much of a challenge this is setting in! First, the technical challenge - apologies for the lateness of yesterday’s blog entry; it was written in time, but due to a BT line fault at our hosts last night (Clare’s parents), it wasn’t possible to upload it until this morning (when we grabbed a quick 15 minute coffee in Hereford). Anyway, thanks to tonight’s hosts - Jenny and Geoff, friends of James and Zoe’s - we’re able to update this one in time. We’re aware that we may face similar problems down the line elsewhere, so do bear with us if an entry doesn’t appear on time! We also had some great climbing challenges. Gloucester Cathedral involved 269 steps at 7.30 in the morning - just the wake-up call we wanted! The top part of the staircase was extremely narrow too, causing a few cello-carrying problems (but we did get them up there - see above!). Similarly at Worcester , where our ascent was delayed whilst waiting for camera crews, we had to get up some pretty small (but steep) steps. However, the view from both Cathedrals was fabulous, and Clare in particular enjoyed Gloucester , the city of her childhood. We even got a live radio interview up there on BBC Radio Gloucester! In between those two we visited Hereford , which was our favourite location so far, although it did present some access challenges thanks to an ingenious trap door! We were playing in a small turret at the West end - high enough to be extreme, small enough to feel exciting (cameras had to operate from the main Cathedral roof above us), but low enough for the sound to carry to the crowds below (honestly! - well, perhaps “crowds” may be a bit strong…). Thanks to all involved for making that such a great occasion, especially to the Cathedral staff, who provided us with cold bottled water when we came down! We finished the day, after a 70 mile (or so) drive to Oxford (it felt more like 170 miles, due to the heat in the van… oh for some air conditioning!), by playing at Christ Church Cathedral. Our only inside one of the day, this came as a welcome relief with the sun beating down outside. We played for 15 minutes or so from the Embroidery Gallery (see right), which was a comfortable location after the challenges earlier in the day. Our greatest challenge here was probably making ourselves heard above the guided tours! But we finished playing at about 4.00 pm, meaning we had a nice time for a cup of tea in Oxfordbefore heading off to our hosts’ house in Abingdon. An early start tomorrow, in order to get to Salisbury by 9.30 (followed by Winchester at 11.30, Portsmouth at 2.00 and Guildford at 4.00), so I’ll stop here now… come back soon to see what else we’ve been up to! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318840141-WKKZYV0820VSTDSUX6GG/Gall2-2.jpg 2006 blog - Day 3: Salisbury, Winchester, Portsmouth, Guildford Total Mileage: 926 Highlight of day: We all had different highlights - arriving at Salisbury for Clare; the welcoming and general helpfulness of staff (especially at Portsmouth and Guildford) for James; and seeing the audience at Winchester for Jeremy We’re really getting into this touring business now! Day three is now complete - and we’re getting a proper feel for the different Cathedrals, and getting better at setting up and in some cases our performances are actually improving! That didn’t exactly hold true for the first stop of the day, however. Salisbury is a fantastic Cathedral, and we got there in plenty of time so we could set up in a leisurely fashion - however, the place where we played (the West end gallery at triforium level) doesn’t leave a lot of space for playing cellos. We barely had enough room to bow, and had to set the music stands off to one side: however, we just about got through unscathed despite the tuning problems which resulted! We did get some great media coverage at Salisbury too, which always helps. Next on to Winchester (above) , where we played on the nave roof (the staircase to the main tower is much too small for cellos to be carried up), but this meant we were audible to the gathered throngs below. Winchester was, I think, the fourth Cathedral where we were approached by a member of the public wielding the Church Times, having seen the article on the back page of last Friday’s edition. We honestly never thought it would spring this response, and we’re really glad that we’re able to play for these people! Portsmouth was a highlight for some and a lowlight for others. To get onto the roof there, we had to climb up a ladder, climb over the parapet, and then hoist the cellos up using rope (see right)! James loves ladders, and was in his element; however, Clare is less keen and was nearly physically sick. However, when we got up there we were able to play to an increasing audience (it’s nice to know that our playing draws passers-by in, rather than driving them away!). Our first wind problems were experienced here, though, due to the sea breeze: James’s ingenious weights system came to the rescue and prevented the music from blowing over! Before leaving Portsmouth we went down to the beach to give our feet a little paddle…   Finally up the A3 to Guildford , which was our only tower of the day. We had a good photo on the top, in front of the angel, and played for a thin, if dedicated, audience! We were treated to a very welcome cup of tea when we got back down. Thus ended our third day’s playing, and the first day where we had stuck to our timings perfectly - let’s see if that lasts… Now we're off to Lancing to stay the night with our old friend Damian Kerney (who teaches at Lancing College ) - I’m writing this whilst driving through the beautiful Sussex countryside (well, I’m not actually driving, Clare is!); we’re all looking forward to a nice pint or two when we get there! Tomorrow (Thursday) we’re starting at Chichester at 9.00, then on to Canterbury at 1.00, Rochester at 2.30, and Southwark at 4.30… watch this space to see what happens! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318896586-F7KZ6570TOQ36GMUVWB5/Gall2-10.jpg 2006 blog - Day 4: Chichester, Canterbury, Rochester, Southwark Total Mileage: 1153 Highlight of day: Talking to the Canterbury film crew Today, day 4 of the tour, was a day of surprises. To be honest it was a day we had been dreading because of the tight schedule, but fortunately everything panned out alright in the end. Our first surprise was the journey time from Lancing to Chichester. We knew that the A27 can be a nightmare at times, so we allowed two hours… and got there in about 45 minutes! This enabled us to enjoy a leisurely cup of coffee - interrupted only by a live interview on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire - with Damian (our host of the previous night) before ascending to the triforium in Chichester Cathedral. We had originally hoped to play on the Lantern, but due to some peregrine falcons nesting there we had to stay inside. This had a couple of consequences - one was that an attempted live interview on BBC Southern Counties Radio was less successful due to poor reception, but the other was that we were able to enjoy the fabulous acoustics. We then had another first on this tour - the Dean prayed for (and with) us at the shrine to St Richard, which was most humbling. A long journey ahead to Canterbury, which we managed in little over 2 hours, ended with us being met by a couple of film crews - one is making a year-long documentary about life at the Cathedral, the other was a local ITV news channel who provided us with our first taste of live TV on the tour! Both film crews were great, but the year-long one provided our most satisfying interview experience to date, over lunch! Playing at Canterbury was a real highlight - a fabulous building, but one with which none of us was too familiar, so it still gave us that sense of awe that Cathedrals can often inspire. The biggest surprise at Rochester was that there were no members of the media present! Although we are really pleased with all the media coverage we’ve been getting, and it is really helping our cause, it made a nice change just to get up onto the roof (wearing some hard hats to protect our heads from some low beams), play, and come down again! Then into London, and we made Southwark on time thanks to some great driving from James and expert navigation from Clare. A very nice surprise was that there were lots of friends (and family) waiting for us there! We gave an extended performance, including our first public performance of “I’m forever blowing bubbles” for the benefit of the West Ham fans amongst our ranks, and then enjoyed a well-earned drink or two in the Market Porter before wending our separate ways to stay with friends. And so day 4 is complete; we’re now over a third of the way through, and so far so good! Tomorrow (Friday) we’re starting at St Paul ’s at 9.00, then on to St Albans at 11.15, Chelmsford at 2.00, and St Edmundsbury at 4.00. And then it’s the weekend! (not that we get any days off, but it should be slightly easier…) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318896727-TVI9UFH1HHQW0Q8FHFG7/Gall3-5.jpg 2006 blog - Day 5: St Paul’s, St Albans, Chelmsford, St Edmundsbury Total Mileage: 1333 Highlight of day: Playing at St Paul’s Well, day 5 of the tour is complete - and we are still being followed around by this glorious weather. Today, I suppose, was a day of the Saints, with Paul, Alban and Edmund named above. Paul was first up: St Paul’s, of course, is one of the most famous landmarks in London, so playing on the Stone Gallery there was a real privilege. Many thanks to Mary Dawson who managed to admin the trip superbly! (It’s always useful having a close relative as a key contact in these places…) We conducted a live radio interview with LBC just before we started to play, and then gave our assorted audience a selection of the Drifters, Bach, Jeff Beck, and… err… whoever wrote “I’m forever blowing bubbles”! This last piece was accompanied by real bubbles being blown across the front of the cellists… Next up was Alban. St Alban's Cathedral is one of the oldest in the country, and due to its very small staircases it was not possible to get onto the roof. Instead, we played on the “Michael Stairs” - a processional staircase inside the Cathedral. We had a nice audience for that, including three people from Aspire, one of the causes we are fundraising for. Chelmsford Cathedral is not named after a Saint directly, so was the odd one out of the day. It was a great place to play, however - the top of the tower gave some excellent acoustics, and provided the local press with some nice photographs. After playing there, we bade farewell to Mary Dawson, who had followed us around today up until that point, and made our way through East Anglia to Bury St Edmunds. St Edmundsbury Cathedral had undergone a huge change since any of us had last visited - an entirely new central tower had been built. This looks absolutely stunning, and although the staircase is too narrow to get cellos up, we had a fantastic view from the old Norman Tower where we played. It was nice to see Canon Michael Hampel (Precentor) again, as three of our party knew him from years ago! A very warm welcome we had there, and we finished off our day with a cup of tea & biscuits in the sacristy with clergy & vergers. Finally we drove the 40-odd miles to Norwich before settling down for an evening’s relaxation with our hosts there. We think we should be refreshed for the travels ahead tomorrow: we play at Norwich at 10.00, Ely at 12.00 and Peterborough at 2.30 - a relatively light and easy day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318896951-RL7E6UBT5DU96QX36BAS/Gall3-10.jpg 2006 blog - Day 6: Norwich, Ely, Peterborough Total Mileage: 1476 Highlight of day: Playing at Norwich after a lie-in! We’ve just had a comparatively easy day, supposedly, although it didn’t feel like it at times! Day 6 of the tour started with a lie-in, relatively speaking, of which we were extremely glad! Our thanks to Jo Anderson and the Tiplers for hosting us, especially within a couple of minutes’ walk of Norwich Cathedral where we started the day. Norwich was one of the three Cathedrals where health & safety regulations prevented us from playing above ground level. Instead, we gave a performance in the Presbytery, with several of Clare’s old friends (and our hosts from the previous night) in attendance. One piece of trivia we discovered about Norwich Cathedral - the weather vane is the size of a donkey. Now, perhaps that will come in useful in a pub quiz sometime… A quick photocall in the wonderful cloisters followed before we said farewell to Norwich and set off on the road to Ely. Perhaps the timings were optimistic in the first place, but the roadworks and other traffic problems certainly didn’t help. We ended up getting to Ely 30 minutes late (our biggest delay of the tour to date), and unfortunately this meant we had little time to enjoy looking at this fantastic Cathedral (above). Nevertheless, we had a superb vantage point to play from, and had a few members of an audience down below! Our first impressions of Peterborough, meanwhile, were coloured by the fiendish one-way system. We’ve struggled with a few of these in the last week - as anyone who has driven in an unfamiliar English city or large town can testify, they can be a complete nightmare - but this was the first one that appeared to actively repel our every wish. Nevertheless, we got to Peterborough just in time to ascend the tower (which had quite a few narrow and low hazards en route), play a couple of quick pieces (see right), and get down before evensong began. So there is day six. Although only three Cathedrals visited, they were three big ones! Our final drive was to Leicester where we stayed in our first B&B accommodation of the trip. Of course a visit to Leicester means we will be enjoying a curry this evening, so I will stop here to go and enjoy it! Clare and Jeremy are thinking of going for a run tonight as well, although the weather is still a little warm… we’ll have a think about that and report back in due course! It certainly won’t be a late Saturday night as we’ve got to be at the BBC Radio Leicester studio at 8.00 tomorrow morning… our only performance of the day though is at Leicester Cathedral, immediately after the morning service - about 11.45 am. I don’t know whether I’ll have the chance to update the blog tomorrow night, so if not, our next instalment will be on Monday, when we’re playing at Coventry (10.00), Birmingham (12.00) and Lichfield (3.00). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318942016-6RGWYFKAPRSIERLU7MIT/Gall4-4.jpg 2006 blog - Day 7: Leicester Total Mileage: 1534 Highlight of day: Reviewing the papers on Radio Leicester As it is Sunday, I guess this is somewhat fitting, but today has been very different for us. I’ll come on to that in a moment though… first to report that last night (Saturday) Jeremy and Clare DID go for a run, around Victoria Park in Leicester . This was then followed by the promised curry before bed time! Unfortunately James and Zoe were kept awake for a while last night by some noisy neighbours, so were less than alert at breakfast time. Clare, therefore, did a live phone interview with BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire before we all headed into the BBC Radio Leicester studio. This was one of the more bizarre experiences of the tour to date. The main interview was fairly standard (albeit on a rooftop terrace - how appropriate!) - a few questions from the presenter, and then we played a bit - but then we were give the task of reviewing the Sunday papers! This gave us all the chance to talk about something a little bit different, and was really quite enjoyable. But somehow I managed to miss the article about us in “The Sunday People”, despite reading another story on the same page... On to the Cathedral in Leicester , where we went to the service before playing on the roof. In the congregation there were four couples celebrating major wedding anniversaries - three golden and one ruby - which meant the service was slightly special in any case. However, we then went on to the roof to play Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” and Bach’s “Wachet Auf” whilst the congregation enjoyed drinks on the forecourt. At this point the congregation asked whether we could come down to the forecourt itself, as we were not particularly audible behind the fountain and with the wind blowing the wrong way. Although this caused a delay of a few minutes, it was most definitely worthwhile as the audience were highly appreciative and generous - both in their applause and their donations to our charities. Many thanks to all in Leicester for sorting that out! The only problem encountered was that a bird decided to use the inside of Clare’s cello case as a lavatory… After a wonderful lunch at a local pub we went on to Lichfield, and James & Zoe’s flat… we’re here for a couple of nights now, so we’ve got a chance to settle a little (and for Clare to lie on the floor). However, we’re going to keep busy…Clare and Jeremy will go for a run soon, then we’re all off to the cinema to watch “Superman Returns”; tomorrow night we’ll be going to watch Sheffield Wednesday play at Burton Albion! Tomorrow, Monday, we’re also playing at Coventry (10.00), Birmingham (12.00) and Lichfield (3.00). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318941825-UOANNJ1I1UVKDK78WMOL/Gall4-12.jpg 2006 blog - Day 8: Coventry, Birmingham, Lichfield Total Mileage: 1639 Highlight of day: Playing at Lichfield (both in the crossing and outside the West front) Back to the daily routine today - although, with only three Cathedrals to perform at and just 105 miles travelled, it was a relatively easy one. We started off by leaving Lichfield at about 7.30 to allow plenty of extra rush-hour time. The traffic problems never really materialised, and we got to Coventry before 9.00 despite not being due to play until 10.00! This meant we had time for a look round the modern Cathedral (which always divides opinion), and a cup of coffee, before ascending the old Cathedral tower to play. Despite the height we were at (higher than the modern Cathedral roof), we were still audible on the ground thanks to a well-directed breeze! Then on to Birmingham, where we played inside the Cathedral - on the south gallery in the main building. We were joined by several of Zoe’s colleagues who had wandered the short distance from their office! Although playing inside is not quite as extreme in a relatively small Cathedral, we were able to enjoy a fabulous acoustic before grabbing some bagels for lunch! We then went up to Lichfield - James & Zoe’s home territory. After getting there half an hour early, we went for a cup of tea in the Cathedral refectory, and were served by a young gentleman who recognised us from the Church Times article of 21st July! This surprise was only slightly lessened by the revelation that he not only attends Jeremy’s old school (Christ’s Hospital), but that his father is the Dean of Lichfield… Our location in the Cathedral was an inside roof space, immediately above the crossing (see above). Although we were completely invisible from the nave, we could still be heard from below, and we enjoyed the acoustics and tight journey! As several of James’s colleagues - and a couple of pupils - had come along to listen, we also gave a bit of a performance outside the West door after we had descended again, which they seemed to appreciate. Back to James & Zoe’s for a rare evening of relaxation (a combination of exhaustion and the fact that the Owls were only sending a youth team meant we opted not to go to Burton Albion after all), where the promise of pizza and wine is all too tempting. Tomorrow, Tuesday, we’re playing at Derby (8.00), Southwell (11.00), Lincoln (2.00) and Sheffield (4.30). After a couple of light days, the media coverage seems to be hotting up again - and we’re back to four Cathedrals a day. So with just 15 of the 42 to go, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for our health, sanity and decent weather! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455318992620-RWLY81T2QGBNQIM7BNSH/Gall5-3.jpg 2006 blog - Day 9: Derby, Southwell, Lincoln, Sheffield Total Mileage: 1789 Highlight of day: Appearing live on BBC News 24! Day 9 of the tour was back to the full hectic schedule of the first few days. Lots of miles covered, plenty of media coverage (including our first live national TV), and some more decent audiences (in both quantity and quality!). We started with a quick trip up the A38 from Lichfield to Derby, where we were welcomed not only by the Cathedral staff and media, but also some relatives (in the case of Zoe) and friends. Fortunately everyone was able to ascend the tower with us, and we played amongst the remains of peregrine falcons’ meals, which added a certain something to the atmosphere! The BBC Radio Derby presenter was also wonderfully bubbly, and we were bought a cup of coffee by the Dean after coming down - all in all, a great way to start the day! Next came Southwell, which was a wonderful experience. A lovely sleepy town in the Nottinghamshire countryside, it has the most beautiful Norman Cathedral set in beautiful grounds. The climb to the tower was one of the tightest yet, but the tower roof itself was fantastically spacious (see above) - which was just as well considering the number of press and TV representatives there. The view, just like that at Derby, was fantastic. We just managed to avoid a shower before being treated to lunch by the Cathedral staff - many thanks to all who helped there! Despite setting off for Lincoln after the Calendar News film crew, we somehow got there before them! As it happened, this was not such a problem, as we were greeted by a patch of very heavy rain, so we waited inside the ringing chamber before going out to play when the sun came out. By this time, the Calendar crew had caught us up, and both they and the BBC crew filmed us as we played for the crowds below! Finally we went on to Sheffield for the grand homecoming (well, temporary homecoming before setting off again tomorrow!). The weather was a slight worry, and in fact we had to do some of our performance under umbrellas held by friends and family! However, we managed to do all the various shots for the local TV and papers before going down to the forecourt and playing for a large crowd that had gathered there. This was one of the highlights of the day - seeing so many friends and family there to support us. We played a selection of our favourites for about half an hour, which seemed to go down very well. However, then we went back up to the roof… for a LIVE interview on BBC News 24! We rehearsed the interview a couple of times (see above), with a neat juxtaposition of playing and talking, before the actual slot. However, when the live bit came… just as the presenter came over to talk to Jeremy, whilst still playing, a huge gust of wind blew over his music stand, knocking into the other two cellists. Fortunately he didn’t look to his right, where James and Clare were laughing their heads off, and the interview was mostly successful! And so Jeremy and Clare finally get to spend a night in their own beds, with James and Zoe at James’s mother’s house. Incidentally, the appearance of James’s mother, Angela, means that all four party members’ mothers have now visited us en route! Three days, and eleven Cathedrals, are left… the end is in sight! Tomorrow, Wednesday, we’re playing at Wakefield (9.00), Manchester (11.00), Chester (2.00) and Liverpool (4.00). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455319910315-55LSOTJZMCZ67ILCVTDX/Gall5-9.jpg 2006 blog - Day 10: Wakefield, Manchester, Chester, Liverpool Total Mileage: 1970 Highlight of day: Playing on the bridge at Liverpool Cathedral Another day, four more Cathedrals… and we got quite a variety today. Our major worry on day 10 was the weather - the forecast I saw appeared to predict blanket rain across the north for most of the day - however, we got away fairly lightly! We started by leaving Sheffield at 7am, beating the traffic to get to Wakefield just before 8.00. We have got ourselves into a routine of getting to the first stop of the day early, enabling both an avoidance of rush hour and a morning cup of coffee upon arrival, so we were pleased to see a branch of Costa Coffee immediately opposite the Cathedral car park! Wakefield turned out to be our second Cathedral with no media present - however, this was not intentional, as a local photographer turned up half an hour late! Instead, we played on the roof to a small audience on the ground, and had a wonderful surprise when a mutual friend (Anna Turmeau) appeared on the roof with us! The rain just stopped in time for us, but started again almost immediately after we had played… Across the Pennines to Manchester (above), where we certainly did have media present. Three film crews and two photographers (although no radio) saw us play a few tunes, and give a few interviews, whilst the rain almost held off (but a few small spots found their way down, curtailing the performance slightly). But another lucky escape on the whole. We made good progress towards Chester, so we stopped for a slightly naughty Wimpy lunch at Chester services before heading into town. We got a very nice surprise there - not only did the rain still hold off, but our location was nicer than we had imagined. It was the roof of the monastic cloister, which despite being on the same level as Abbey Square, looked down onto a beautiful cloister garden in which had gathered quite a crowd. This crowd included a couple of James’s school pupils, who had travelled (with parents) up from Staffordshire - top marks for that effort! Finally on to Liverpool, where we played from the top of the main tower. This was the highest point of the tour (about 500 feet above sea level, 320 feet above ground level), and the BBC TV crew took good advantage of that. Our time on the tower also included a live radio interview on BBC Radio Merseyside - which, we discovered, was the interviewer’s first live interview. It was a strange experience being more experienced at live interviews than the person posing the questions, but we think that both she and we did well! When we descended from the tower, we were given the opportunity to play on the bridge that crosses the Nave (see above) - a wonderful setting, and it gave us the opportunity to play in the extraordinary acoustic that is Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. This was a wonderfully serene way to end the day’s playing. Now we’re off to Warrington to stay the night with friends of Clare’s, and pray for more luck with the weather tomorrow! We’ll be starting the day with three live radio interviews (BBC Radio Lancashire, Leeds and York ), before playing at Blackburn (9.00), Bradford (11.00), York (1.00) and Ripon (3.00). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455319014055-QBD3O5L14VVZ1BYB3G73/Gall6-5.jpg 2006 blog - Day 11: Blackburn, Bradford, York, Ripon Total Mileage: 2165 Highlight of day: The scaffold at York Minster We’ve covered a lot of ground in a short space of time today! From Warrington to Durham via the four Cathedral cities listed above… quite a challenge for day 11. But I’m pleased to say we met the challenge head on! After leaving our hosts (thanks to Shaun and Miriam for a fantastic meal and comfortable night… and some lego to keep James’s obsession with sheds satisfied - see right), we went up to the Radio Lancashire studio in Blackburn to do two interviews. The first, live in the studio on Radio Lancashire, was great; the second, with BBC Radio Leeds via ISDN went well too, although we were slightly bemused by all the talk of squirrels just before we were on! We were joined up the tower in Blackburn by a few members of the congregation, including two cellists, so we gave them a couple of pieces before dashing off to Bradford. This really was a rushed day, so we were in and out quickly at Bradford too. It’s worth mentioning, though, that the Blackburn access was particularly tricky… narrow staircases, three ladders, low beams and small trapdoors all involved! The staircase at Bradford was a doddle in comparison, but was still tight in places. On to York, picking up some sandwiches on the way… this was one of the great points of the tour so far. We were playing on a scaffold at the East end of the Cathedral, at roof level, and access involved ascending in a 12 man lift/cage on the outside! (see below). We were amazed to discover that we could be heard from the ground despite being so high up, so that made it even more special. We also had another West Ham fan, a childhood friend of Clare’s, in attendance... Up the A1 to Ripon we went, still without catching breath since leaving Warrington at 6.45 in the morning, and we got the Cathedral in plenty of time for our 3.00 performance. After playing a few numbers on the library roof, we went down and gave another short “recital” in the Cathedral itself for the benefit of all the visitors. This was a really special way to end the day’s playing, before having a cup of tea and cookies… many thanks to Dean the verger for looking after us so well! Finally, we have come up to the North East to spend the night in Durham. This is particularly special for three of us, as we were at University here… we’re already enjoying the serenity, and are looking forward to visiting some old haunts this evening! And so, the end is near… tomorrow, we’ll be doing our final three Cathedrals of the tour. We can scarcely believe it’s gone so quickly (even if our bodies are telling us we’ve been going non-stop for 12 days). We’re finishing off at Durham (10.00), Newcastle (12.00) and Carlisle (3.00) - and then back to Sheffield! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455319934763-VD0Q9S4HUO6PTKUKAL3F/Gall6-11.jpg 2006 blog - Day 12: Durham, Newcastle, Carlisle Total Mileage: 2415 in total, including 1888 from Truro to Carlisle Highlight of day: Durham - everything about it! Wow. I can’t believe it’s all over, and I can’t believe it went as smoothly as it did. 12 days, 42 Cathedrals, almost no rain, virtually no traffic problems, lots of sponsorship (although more is always welcome!), and lots of media coverage. Let’s start the story of day 12 with the news that we got a lie-in! After several days of rising at 6am, we didn’t have to get up until eight today, meaning that the discovery we had a colour picture on page 13 of the Guardian was even more welcome! We spent a fair amount of time at Durham, which was very special to us. We knew we would see quite a few familiar faces (some are in the picture above), but it was an extra special surprise for Clare to see her old friend Joanne Rutter, and her son Nick, who had driven up all the way from Cambridgeshire especially to hear us! As well as playing a few pieces from the North West tower (amongst the pigeons, and their assorted detritus), we spent quite a few minutes doing pieces for Tyne Tees TV as well as various newspapers and radio stations, before heading down for coffee & cake courtesy of the Cathedral. We were delighted to discover that we had been audible not only from the ground, but from the top of the central tower, and that the good folk of Durham had been very generous with their sponsorship as a result! This was no doubt helped by the fact that Rt Revd Professor Stephen Sykes (who had preached at James & Zoe’s wedding) had organised his delightful granddaughter to aid the collection! Bidding a fond farewell to Durham, we headed up the A1 to Newcastle, where we played from the main nave roof. This gave us a fabulous view of the city, and of some of the new buildings lining the River Tyne. We sat astride the apex of the roof in a line (see right), which I think added something for the photographers who were present - and we had several office workers leaning out of windows to hear us too! After a quick sandwich, we headed back West for the final time, to play at our final destination - Carlisle. Unfortunately, due to the Morland Chorister Camp taking place at the Cathedral this afternoon, we were unable to play on the roof, or even inside the building. Instead, we played outside the East front of the Cathedral, which meant we were close to lots of passing shoppers, and everyone could get very close to us! Although it wasn’t the most extreme way of finishing the tour, it was a pleasant way to round off proceedings.   http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog daily 0.75 2025-07-24 http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/platformzero monthly 0.5 2025-07-24 http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2024/7/16/paris2024 monthly 0.5 2024-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1721165812373-BBSJRYN26OW7DQD4GJDB/IMG_7220.jpg Blog - Paris 2024: The Composer-lympics! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1721165816766-X1TZM7NE96PN3LGCM7T3/IMG_7175.JPG Blog - Paris 2024: The Composer-lympics! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1721165814362-TDQ0CIG7DUFD52NTGWZO/IMG_7222.jpg Blog - Paris 2024: The Composer-lympics! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1721165803145-YMTPM4G4QAGWNT52TL20/IMG_2656.JPG Blog - Paris 2024: The Composer-lympics! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1721165803679-RC2U2BMYU27QH5QVNHJM/IMG_7211.JPG Blog - 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Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533595254059-TD9K4VS2TD09OU268EHA/Owen+grave.PNG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593904138-1EKN7BOBR1LTMJACZUOQ/Cemetery.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - The cemetery at Ecoivres https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593901726-6JDU3P64QLYASP7HUL64/Abbey.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Mont St Eloi - ruins of the abbey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593906712-KJ7JIAO3MUKDB977V6E0/Football.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - The UEFA monument to the Christmas Truce game https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593912525-0E0FS8IPLOGF6SCSEY2B/Platini.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Michel Platini's quote at the UEFA monument to the Christmas Truce game https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593910394-87M0HEJTIBE0BES8QHMT/HayBale.jpg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Horizontal cello (in a hay bale!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593918628-RSOQIB5VFAYKQERQP0XZ/Poppy.jpeg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Poppies in the Somme https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593920400-4XKT72HSB3HM4UN2KG4M/ThiepvalCello.jpeg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Thiepval Memorial https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593942266-UQYL66DYXVI68PR4DNZ9/Owen.jpg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Wilfred Owen's grave https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533594064717-LFE3KC8FNJYYYHNEBNLL/Owen+grave.PNG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - The grave of Wilfred Owen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593899165-UAXOTTHVMXVLUGU6OOJD/Canal.jpeg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - By the canal where Wilfred Owen was killed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593928686-MK07ECN53UC8YFJA5CYR/TocH.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Talbot House garden https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593910663-NOOMNTG8SQ8TLV5T50IK/CelloMenage.jpg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Cello menage a trois?! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533594046818-0L2F8A0FNYSLVLZQAQ1T/Clint.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Make my day, cellist! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533594048269-XLQYC43KL4CQ19IIZ0UU/Peace.jpg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Peace, love, and cello in Arras https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533594047587-3DJ4DPZ428MEAQSI51D6/Arras.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets: Final Thoughts - Arras... in the middle of arr street... http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2018/8/5/great-war-composers-and-poets-day-5-peace-in-wartime monthly 0.5 2018-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533488556523-NU3H7VR69PJM1301DIFQ/TocH.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 5: Peace in Wartime https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533488527364-UV8Z0B4X1ZVQFFEAYM1H/Football.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 5: Peace in Wartime http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2018/8/4/great-war-composers-and-poets-day-4-bliss-warren-and-owen monthly 0.5 2018-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533404076827-11W1FJ3BMO0PUC8THB8R/Owen.jpg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 4: Bliss, Warren and Owen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533404035447-1S423RA0NEWLBOI2GQ5N/Canal.jpeg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 4: Bliss, Warren and Owen http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2018/8/3/great-war-composers-and-poets-day-3-butterworth-and-sassoon monthly 0.5 2018-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533310739776-PSHNWRNCZBAX85BX7WR1/ThiepvalCello.jpeg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 3: Butterworth and Sassoon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533310552591-1XYXJUAHN3OA8FP8REEB/Poppy.jpeg Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 3: Butterworth and Sassoon http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2018/8/2/great-war-composers-and-poets-day-2-vaughan-williams-and-thomas monthly 0.5 2018-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533224147567-4WBEBBXSZJYT3I5OHF5G/Cemetery.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 2: Vaughan Williams and Thomas https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533223971556-0ZNKCDXOM2EOEH4NTXTI/Abbey.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 2: Vaughan Williams and Thomas http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2018/8/1/great-war-composers-and-poets-day-1-gurney-and-harvey monthly 0.5 2018-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533150634871-O4Q07TC1YCM9HJIQE4W0/IMG_3050.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 1: Gurney and Harvey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533150507091-BC79CGZLM0660V22T81W/IMG_3051.JPG Blog - Great War Composers and Poets Day 1: Gurney and Harvey http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2018/7/31/day-0-extreme-cellists-venture-to-france monthly 0.5 2018-07-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533071689480-HXQMM8TAJAP3YL44HHTE/CelloMenage.jpg Blog - Day 0: Extreme cellists venture to France... http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2018/7/19/new-extreme-cello-tour-setting-off-soon monthly 0.5 2018-07-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1531993862150-1HNL9UK90BPTRLF65EWS/MotherCap-Medium.jpg Blog - New Extreme Cello tour setting off soon... http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/9/16/from-piers-to-peers monthly 0.5 2016-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1473981598376-O284S8KGNP3YTKO3PEX9/image-asset.jpeg Blog - From Piers to Peers... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1473981702624-VDRP9A0MPI67J8OJL3N4/image-asset.jpeg Blog - From Piers to Peers... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1473981727791-9T7EL0FJNM3SRGDGI4FB/image-asset.jpeg Blog - From Piers to Peers... http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/8/5/pier-pressure-the-pier-review monthly 0.5 2018-06-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470415337410-ZBKU3HIUAMWNV3B78CKD/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review Clevedon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413469234-JKYAUS5FM3BR9CDQKQ4W/47152c.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Pier Pressure (not the actual costume!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470414332451-ZN3PAPX6UMMC5ECLZKQD/I_Dunoon.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - With Piers the Monkey in Dunoon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413478952-O1YUDB57N9XPYHXGOWDZ/Day1.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Rothesay Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413477816-KRBXAK354ZFAIG087J35/Cleethorpes.JPG Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Cleethorpes Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413495169-S5W1UD2MHK4HM1LZV4C6/Skegness.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Relaxing on Skegness Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413474579-X5FHQ2AG33TS37JJP6JH/Claremont.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Lowestoft Claremont https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413507971-AWUS1YVURK6QHHH4UYHG/Southwold1.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Southwold Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413508529-TCLIM082CADW1SZ9J1UK/Southwold2.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Southwold Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413510310-M5K0Z6X1N0A05SPUSFI7/Southwold3.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Southwold Beach https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413484514-HZSKWLQ35YOMT5A6XTMT/Felixstowe.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Under The Boardwalk... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413505397-3RABXFOQWWF2JX0UNYT3/Southend+walking.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - The Long Walk Up Southend Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413506978-TGREI886X017XII1PGGG/SouthendPlaying.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Playing on Southend Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413482987-FDISLYDUZQ9NLDGSHL7X/Dover.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Folkestone Harbour Arm: The White Cliffs of Dover https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413485056-5VY6P19YPCRBJ9SYO7A8/Fight.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - The Battle of Hastings Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413480567-EZUDNYUGKA7O9MNFSDH4/Eastbourne.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Eastbourne Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413469884-K01MQO41D04FBQZZYCDJ/Brighton.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Brighton Palace Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470414332988-J4793ZWJ4F2Q9VKPZ243/I_Worthing.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Worthing Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413516051-J5STK1QN10NM30PUKCJ5/Totland.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Totland Bay's derelict pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413514613-LEAH0YK64Y2LIPGWFZXI/TotlandUnder.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Playing under Totland Bay pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413519997-G5ZKYZW4SNWULQOH7O6U/Yarmouth.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413509705-65JLTXIU2YOL92HA9MSM/SouthParade.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Southsea South Parade Pier - being renovated https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413503359-8I8JDK9163DUOZI4S0C8/Southampton.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Southampton's derelict pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413501331-I7WIZWMRN8PQ6PQA2P9X/SouthamptonPlaying.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Playing at the Gatehouse Grill, Southampton Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413470214-VG49OIZ6T7T4I3XCEOJH/Boscombe.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Rocks at Boscombe Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413495486-N4O4FXJ5UEAMVY9H4CRR/Pirates.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - As Pirates on Swanage Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413485049-XKCJQQZEROKD91IH4729/Falmouth.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - The underbelly of Falmouth Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413510330-6HXX8U7LQ5UBQP16PPQ2/Teignmouth.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Teignmouth Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413471247-DQDLAWQ89D3MJIXKT9KW/BurnhamUnder.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Under Burnham-on-Sea pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413522019-T2SVBIWC5NBMTC4ZWK40/Warning.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Extreme Danger at Burnham-on-Sea... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413480032-I3RSA3L0IOH76R86JSTX/Deckchair.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413468433-TZNHOZWEXOJ07LVWHJ9N/Birnbeck.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Weston-super-Mare Birnbeck pier (derelict) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470414332995-CG9IW6X951JE5HAWGQ1W/I_Mumbles.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - The gate of Mumbles pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413492712-1R4M05MR4P88G5BPA3NP/Mumbles.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Mumbles pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413462728-HWSK4E2IHEXH45WJCYEO/Aber.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - End of Aberystwyth Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413467082-WV7D7J9GP2BCQ4N1KEGE/Bangor.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Bangor Garth pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470414332643-VCAL9QT0BFDQSLMX43P9/I_Colwyn.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Chained up at Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413478714-KOS2EPVRT32FBM1L0WR5/ColwynBay.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier: Out of Bounds https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413490546-S16YGLXF4UYPJY0Y5D54/Finish.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Finishing on Blackpool North pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413486490-XQOWKNT7H27FMA3S2TGX/LaidBack.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review - Relaxing on Blackpool North at the finish line https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470415875664-8W9SCO6FAZFJ3GB4JMJG/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/8/4/pier-pressure-day-14-the-end-of-the-piers-show monthly 0.5 2016-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470348239451-C0Y29WQ8LDILU2W7OGQA/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 14: The End of the Piers Show https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470348201877-1DVLRH8A5OS8YLATNQ26/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 14: The End of the Piers Show http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/be786fc0-bd4b-4ed0-a0f5-158ec8512654 monthly 0.5 2016-08-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470326333474-5BE6HMGP5FN3425RXNFM/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Final Day: The Pier Pressure is off! http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/8/3/pier-pressure-day-13-blowing-a-gale-in-wales monthly 0.5 2016-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470253683962-EU1E0CTW033R4U4ABJ0V/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 13: Blowing a Gale in Wales https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470253760555-9WYJ278AGL2CWAGTRDH9/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 13: Blowing a Gale in Wales https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470256934203-JY2ZQ3UFARG49CPXUQ39/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 13: Blowing a Gale in Wales http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/8/2/pier-pressure-day-12-shouting-about-the-mumbles monthly 0.5 2016-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470156849472-BYKPFQLY0UV4927TCW0Q/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 12: Shouting about the Mumbles https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470156882223-EXT6RYBGW5FL5YBCVD01/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 12: Shouting about the Mumbles http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/8/1/pier-pressure-day-11-burned-by-burnham monthly 0.5 2016-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470071996794-98VMQL5NDBI90RS90NRD/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 11: Burned by Burnham https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470072063629-GQADO71IZY7UBX6455CM/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 11: Burned by Burnham https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470072035268-5G87XTHG5L8D7T56KXB5/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 11: Burned by Burnham http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/31/pier-pressure-day-10-devon-were-in-devon monthly 0.5 2016-07-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469988142518-L5R4APW309T6WT27C6GX/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 10: Devon, we’re in Devon… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469988056295-V5HHLDDIS0H2GFFQYZQI/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 10: Devon, we’re in Devon… http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/30/pier-pressure-day-9-shiver-me-dorset-timbers monthly 0.5 2016-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469913628515-CO8STWTLCE4R2DW6V090/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 9: Shiver Me Dorset Timbers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469913592899-UGT9PK87JFK2UISULQCX/Boscombe.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 9: Shiver Me Dorset Timbers http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/29/pier-pressure-day-8-all-quiet-on-the-southern-front monthly 0.5 2016-07-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469812100985-FZV5BLJE1V6Z6GGGWRVQ/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 8: All Quiet On The Southern Front https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469812171041-WVM6QKTBJYXW68SESWAZ/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 8: All Quiet On The Southern Front https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469813158967-4C7R0P8512RHMMU1K30V/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 8: All Quiet On The Southern Front http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/28/pier-pressure-day-7-ticket-to-ryde monthly 0.5 2016-07-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469731635600-CUEH4NEL9IHPXTBWTH1O/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 7: Ticket to Ryde https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469731589569-SMU3AWU9T829VSHOSHTB/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 7: Ticket to Ryde http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/27/pier-pressure-day-6-brighton-and-the-rest-of-sussex-rocks monthly 0.5 2016-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469657691120-2DYJL6MVJGS1QJ0PBALJ/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 6: Brighton (and the rest of Sussex) Rocks! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469657664348-MYJF4XKI0HNE1ZCN81VF/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 6: Brighton (and the rest of Sussex) Rocks! http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/26/pier-pressure-day-5-hectic monthly 0.5 2016-07-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469558769022-PCHXBVGIVHPDNEUR8KS3/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 5: Hectic! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469558809573-IL8U8TGUZV8X11DA1QXU/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 5: Hectic! http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/25/pier-pressure-day-4-lots-more-east-anglia monthly 0.5 2016-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469469520396-QYF4LTIT97URJG5E61NV/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 4: Lots more East Anglia! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469469451264-F3P7S170LIXGVT8PAHKK/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 4: Lots more East Anglia! http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/25/pier-pressure-day-3-a-hot-and-tyre-ing-day monthly 0.5 2016-07-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469402612353-WHCZQDFYFVMKW1HLWSVG/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 3: A Hot and Tyre-ing day https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469402652404-RG01OVKEWKZMOC07ITX6/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 3: A Hot and Tyre-ing day http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/23/pier-pressure-day-2-the-long-haul-begins monthly 0.5 2016-07-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469295963970-C67S2PSMYNPDD1EV8ZYI/Cleethorpes.JPG Blog - Pier Pressure Day 2: The Long Haul Begins Serenading the masses on Cleethorpes pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469296416032-36TNED71CN35IJ8B3ZX0/Skegness.jpg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 2: The Long Haul Begins Cellos need to relax too, sometimes! http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/20/pier-pressure-day-1-scotland monthly 0.5 2016-07-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1469050097333-IELFVYGOC3ZT3LWS6PJM/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier Pressure Day 1: Scotland! http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/19/pier-pressure-day-0 monthly 0.5 2016-07-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1468951708378-81RA3MTGQONDRDZ2JF29/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Pier pressure: Day 0 http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/7/17/the-pier-pressure-is-growing monthly 0.5 2016-07-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1468796298276-9I6K2QQ4TZM4ZOBT2GL7/image-asset.jpeg Blog - The Pier Pressure is growing... http://www.extreme-cello.com/blog/2016/2/10/come-back-in-the-summer monthly 0.5 2016-07-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455387981664-6E5AZLTCTRMA5G1V41CR/image-asset.jpeg Blog - Our new Blog! http://www.extreme-cello.com/2010-blog daily 0.75 2016-03-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322357421-2RM9R0ZDYBKDN1LCX285/2010-0.JPG 2010 blog - Pre-walk concert: St Bees Well, we're finally in Cumbria, and although the walking hasn't started yet we've made a fantastic start to the challenge. After a difficult journey up from Sheffield (delayed and crowded trains upstaged by a lineside fire near Whitehaven), we gave our first performance of the tour - a concert at St Bees Priory (pictured). We were simply bowled over by the turnout and reception, which provided the best possible way to start the challenge. Thanks to a very generous audience, we are now comfortably more than half way to our £5,000 target before we've even walked a mile! Massive thanks to all at St Bees for making this possible. And now we're feeling ready to start the walk - come back tomorrow evening to find out whether or not this confidence is misplaced! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322357421-2RM9R0ZDYBKDN1LCX285/2010-0.JPG 2010 blog - Pre-walk concert: St Bees Well, we're finally in Cumbria, and although the walking hasn't started yet we've made a fantastic start to the challenge. After a difficult journey up from Sheffield (delayed and crowded trains upstaged by a lineside fire near Whitehaven), we gave our first performance of the tour - a concert at St Bees Priory (pictured). We were simply bowled over by the turnout and reception, which provided the best possible way to start the challenge. Thanks to a very generous audience, we are now comfortably more than half way to our £5,000 target before we've even walked a mile! Massive thanks to all at St Bees for making this possible. And now we're feeling ready to start the walk - come back tomorrow evening to find out whether or not this confidence is misplaced! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322356995-U51SH92N7QZ0EEZAWDMH/2010-1.JPG 2010 blog - Day 1: St Bees to Ennerdale Finally we've started the challenge proper - beginning at 9.30 this morning, by playing on the beach at St Bees, and we've since walked 14 miles to Ennerdale Bridge... a few more miles to go yet, as we're going to the Ennerdale Youth Hostel, but we're blogging now as I don't know whether we'll have any reception today or not! High points of the day (so far) include having a cup of tea at the cottage by St Bees Head lighthouse, meeting a family from Sheffield, and getting caught speeding by a speed camera when running up hill! (By the end of the day...) 20 miles down, 173 to go! Quote of the day: "What's all this about then?"! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322357722-NGVLTA5JS42AXWTBI9CV/2010-2.JPG 2010 blog - Day 2: Ennerdale to Borrowdale We did a little bit more on day 1 than we had originally planned, owing mainly to logistical difficulties if we hadn't. So 20 miles left us absolutely knackered last night, but we're feeling a bit fresher this morning and have started day 2 brightly! More brightly in fact than the weather, which although dry at the time of writing has covered the "alternative" ridge route (including Haystacks) in cloud. So in the interests of safety we're taking the valley route to start with, and will leave the big climb until later...! (Later on...) Well, we're now two days in, and with nearly 30 miles under the belt it's feeling well underway. I've no idea when this will appear online, as there's no phone reception where we are tonight (Borrowdale Youth Hostel), but today has been a very different one from yesterday. Much shorter mileage, but a much bigger climb - our first significant one of the challenge. Not as significant as we'd hoped - the Red Pike-Haystacks ridge version of the route was covered in cloud, so we walked along the valley and save the climb until later on. Instead, we played outside Black Sail youth hostel - the only one in the country not accessible by road (pictured) - and later on outside the Honister slate mine. So, hopefully a relaxing evening ahead (involving a little playing, of course) before - gulp - another 12 days of tough walking to come... Quote of the day: "That's a funny shaped backpack you've got there..." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322358058-UIEWABULQ9TAQP3TP0GF/2010-3.JPG 2010 blog - Day 3: Borrowdale to Grasmere Well, it may have only been 8 miles or so today, but it was a tough 8 miles. A good climb in the first part of the walk was followed by a joint-destroying equivalent descent thereafter - and all in pouring rain. In fact, for the third day running an alternative "higher" option was ruled out because of poor weather. It's a little frustrating, but it's not preventing us from getting there. It is, however, starting to cause some damage to the cellos (see picture) - hopefully it won't rain for the whole of the two weeks! So, three days and 37 miles in, and we're seeing the first of our personnel changes. I've not said anything about our personnel yet this year, so here is a brief introduction... as many of you will know, Jeremy, Clare and James are the cellists; we're being joined throughout the walk by our friends Ashley, Rachel and Chris, to help us carry non-cello items, as well as Angela (James's mum), who is driving from place to place to help with transporting luggage and other logistical matters. Then we're being joined by some others along the way: Simon, Mary and Helen were with us for the first three days, and Clare's brother Paul joined us from today until day 9... which seems a very long way away right now! Anyway, we're giving a concert at St Oswald's Church, Grasmere tonight (7.30) so we better go and prepare for that! Quote of the day: "Oh, so you're those daft ha'peths with the cellos..." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322358280-IFK7EN30TDFIFHQGIFM1/2010-4.JPG 2010 blog - Day 4: Grasmere to Patterdale Something amazing happened today: it stopped raining and the sun came out. Not for vast amounts of time, granted, but long enough for us to get our cellos out at the highest point of the day's walk, just above Grisedale Tarn - about 600m up the slopes of Helvellyn (pictured). This was one of the highlights of a good day's walking - again not the furthest in terms of mileage (about 9 miles, meaning we've now done 46 in total), but a good climb and descent, with a novelty in arriving at our destination in dry clothes! Another highlight was meeting a group of kids on the way down, on a YHA-run adventure course (they were camping up where we had just come from), who turned out to be wonderfully polite, interested and enthusiastic to hear us play - and despite being no older than about 13, generous in their donations too. The sort of encounter that really leaves a good feeling about the whole challenge! So we're staying in Patterdale tonight, perhaps entertaining the locals later, and preparing ourselves for a much bigger walk tomorrow - the highest climb of the whole route and 16 miles to boot (well, to Shap actually!). Fingers crossed for some dry weather... Quote of the day: "So, are yous lads all army then?" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322358942-VS51CGEMHQOCDJ6PY2U5/2010-5.JPG 2010 blog - Day 5: Patterdale to Shap Are we really only 5 days and 62 miles into it? We seem to have been going for ever, and the feet and joints certainly feel as if we have. Today was certainly the toughest day of the route so far - and may yet turn out to be the toughest of the whole lot, but I don't want to tempt fate by saying that for certain now! Although there are three which are longer in terms of mileage, it was still nearly 16 miles today, and involved the biggest climb of the route - 780m up Kidsty Pike. We played at the top (including our debut performance of "Ain't no mountain high enough"), and James decided to get arty with his cello (pictured). This was then followed by the toughest descent I've known for a long time - bone and muscles being crunched all the way. So, we arrived in Shap safely at about 6.30, and are going to head out to perform in a local pub soon. Tomorrow brings much easier terrain, but a whole 20 miles of it... let's see whether we feel that more or less than the same distance on day 1! Quote of the day (to Jeremy at breakfast): "Did you hear those cellists in the pub last night?" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322358970-4B0PDD4GJKN8R9OYA2U6/2010-6.JPG 2010 blog - Day 6: Shap to Kirkby Stephen (Morning post) We're just starting day 6, and thought it would be worth blogging about the fantastic hospitality we received in Shap (...ah-ah!). The fabulous New Ing Lodge was where we stayed, and we would heartily recommend it to any Coast-to-Coasters, and indeed anyone else visiting the village. Clare was particularly impressed that one of the owners not only bought her an ice cream on arrival, but even carried it up two flights of stairs for her! Also worthy of a mention is the Bull's Head Inn, where we performed and had a great meal last night. Let's hope it was enough to see us through today's 20 miles... (Evening post) Well, that was a different day. A long one, for sure (20 miles), but far easier terrain than previously in the walk and almost perfect walking conditions (alternating sun and cloud cover, but never getting too hot for too long and barely even the merest hint of rain - no need for waterproofs!). We covered the 20 miles in just over 9 hours, including a stop to play some Beethoven by a wonderful railway bridge near Kirkby Stephen (pictured) - I don't know whether it added to the occasion or not that the audience was mostly cows (who, to their credit, gathered round almost as soon as we started playing!). Tomorrow is different again - an ascent up and down the Pennines, with the promise of finding ourselves in Yorkshire by the end! Quote of the day: "Moo!" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322359798-LVQ4780CUKLAQXKE6DPN/2010-7.JPG 2010 blog - Day 7: Kirkby Stephen to Keld (Subtitle: A blog about a bog) A slightly later start today - we played before we left the fabulous youth hostel in Kirkby Stephen, which is an old converted chapel (with much of the original architecture preserved), and set off with the clock approaching 10.00. We were joined for the day by Clare's old friend Kate and her three daughters, and this boosted us to get up to the Pennine ridge in good time. After playing at the Nine Standards - a set of stone constructions on the ridge at about 650m up (the morale-boosting sudden view of Yorkshire nearly being tempered by James's attempt to let his cello be attacked by his case...), we walked through the boggiest part of the whole route, which despite being dry by its standards was still enough to get us rather wet in places. The journey down to Keld was then rather more straightforward, the occasional shower meaning we couldn't rest on our laurels though. We did stop at the wonderful Ravenseat farm for a cup of tea & scones, and played to the owner - two of her children and the dog being particularly engaged by the performance. We would certainly recommend the food and drink there! And so tonight we're staying in Keld, a tiny village in the western end of Swaledale. It's great to be back in Yorkshire, although the lack of phone reception means I have no idea when this blog post will appear! At the halfway point of the challenge, though, I am pleased to report that all is going to plan... Quote of the day: "We were following you yesterday, and it was so inspirational to see the cellos in the valley ahead..." "You mean knowing there is someone madder than you around?" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322359839-MNVI2R2X2P0HKDNXNUHX/2010-8.JPG 2010 blog - Day 8: Keld to Reeth A much gentler day today: 12 miles along the River Swale in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. In fact, we covered a significant part of Swaledale today (and will walk though much of the rest tomorrow), and apart from a single very light shower, we had great weather to do so. This was the alternative version of the route, one that Wainwright recommends as a change to the hill climbs of earlier in the week - and we are all very glad we did it this way. The trees that line the river complement the lush green hillsides perfectly, and the sound of running water through the stony river really added to it. As seen in the picture, we also found a place to play in the middle of the river - or at least at the mouth of Barney Beck as it departs from the Swale. Another landmark passed today was the 100 mile mark - we have now completed just over 108 of them, and are still largely in good health (barring the occasional dodgy ankle or blistered heel) and spirit! On arriving in Reeth (a beautiful village - the so-called "capital of Swaledale") we played outside an ice cream parlour for about half an hour and attracted a good audience - hopefully our rendition of "O Sole Mio" attracted people to the idea of ice cream, rather than leaving them disappointed that they didn't sell Cornettos! Apologies, by the way, for the lack of updates to our location today - I have had no phone reception since the middle of yesterday (Friday), so unless I strike lucky with wi-fi this evening you won't be reading this until a good way through Sunday anyway! Quote of the day: "I think that cello's going to have to sit on the loo overnight" (due to lack of room in the B&B) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322360332-UU2CE9O41CUSD5HC5DFU/2010-9.jpg 2010 blog - Day 9: Reeth to Richmond A quite easy day today - just ten and a half miles, and the terrain not too difficult either, with just a couple of shortish steep climbs. For this reason, we set off later than we had on other days - in fact we started by playing, once again, on the village green at Reeth, with a surprisingly large audience for 9.30 on a Sunday morning! The walk itself was straightforward enough - one of the highlights being when we met a fellow Sheffield Wednesday fan on the way so stopped to give him a rendition of "Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday" on the cellos... which went down very well! Later on the walk we also gave our first performance of "Sheep May Safely Graze" while some, erm, cows grazed in front of us. In fact, there were some sheep only a few yards away, but we don't have anything to do with cows in our repertoire. On arriving at Richmond we played a 30 minute or so set in the town square (pictured), joined for much of it by Donald Smith as a fourth cellist - he (and his wife Shirley) had been instrumental in our performance at Sedbergh earlier on in the summer. We were also joined by our latest co-walker, Joanne, who will be walking with us from here to the end at Robin Hood's Bay, as Clare's brother Paul departs from our company tomorrow morning. So here we are - 119 miles in, five days to go, and it feels as if the end is in sight. Two more relatively easy days are followed by a very tough one on Wednesday, but we won't think about that quite yet... Quote of the day: "I rushed my toast to come out and hear you this morning!" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322361105-GYJLWYB5AXG3ASCJ12WC/2010-10.JPG 2010 blog - Day 10: Richmond to Danby Wiske Ok, I have a couple of admissions to make. First, I had confused the mileages of today's and tomorrow's stages, and rather than the 12 miles I was expecting, it should have been 14 (and in fact ended up closer to 15). The fact that tomorrow's walk should now be no more than 12 is some consolation, but the psychological difference between 12 and 15 miles is quite significant. Second, despite today's walk being remarkably flat (and, if I'm being honest, largely dull), my back is starting to ache more and more. I guess that's what carrying a cello for 10 days and 134 miles will do for you. I'm going to try to fit a waist strap tomorrow to see if that helps. Anyway, so what of today's walk? As I already mentioned, there was not much in the way of gradient change throughout, but it was not without features. For one thing, we crossed under the A1 this morning - and decided to play Nessun Dorma to celebrate this feat of engineering and the noise it produces. Later, we stopped in the village of Bolton-on-Swale and played at the church by the tomb of Henry Jenkins, who reportedly lived to the grand old age of 169. We celebrated this fact by playing a whole three verses of "The Day Thou Gavest". And so we arrived in the village of Danby Wiske at about 4.30, planning to have a takeaway pizza this evening (the pub doesn't do evening meals), and play later while contemplating tomorrow's (shorter) leg of the walk! Quote of the day: "At first I thought that was an ironing board you were carrying - turns out it's only a cello!" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322363885-NWD330I2M2J7WPZFIUHU/2010-11.JPG 2010 blog - Day 11: Danby Wiske to Osmotherley As expected, this was somewhat easier than yesterday: mostly very flat, with only a sharp climb at the end to give the muscles a good workout. Just 12 miles in total, and ten of those were completed before lunch. The most notable aspect of that stretch was having to dodge traffic to cross the busy A19 (all six lanes!). The said meal was had at Ingleby Cross, where we played a couple of hymns around the war memorial (pictured). The following ascent into Osmotherley was a nice reminder of how to go up hills before the more tricky 20 miles of up and down tomorrow... A fairly short blog entry today, then, but that reflects a fairly uneventful day's walking. Expect more tomorrow - as long as we're fit to type after that leg! Quote of the day (an elderly woman to James): "You may be tall and thin, but you've got great legs!" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322361495-XNTHILH0DWF58196ILJQ/2010-12.JPG 2010 blog - Day 12: Osmotherley to Blakey Well, we always knew today was going to be tough: long, lots of climbing and descending, and a real test of endurance. It is with an air of relief that I can report we all survived the 20 mile trek with no major problems. The route started with a decent uphill, then downhill, then long uphill stretch. Fortunately the forecast rain did not materialise, and we were blessed for most of the day with "middling" (or "ideal for walking") temperatures, and virtually no rain at all (for the fifth day in a row, no waterproofs were needed!). After another downhill stretch, we found ourselves 7 miles in at the Lord Stones Café, where we not only played, but had some industrial strength tea and incredible black pudding sandwiches to perk us up. There followed three peaks in quick succession, each with steep 100m (or so) ascents and descents. On the third of these, we found a rather spectacular crag, where we played Mendelssohn's "Lift Thine Eyes" (pictured). After lunch, a further climb was followed by about 9 miles of relatively flat walking, much of it along a dismantled railway track. Although this was easy in some respects, it was certainly wearing on the feet, and it was a huge relief when after about three hours, the Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge came into view. So that's the most difficult day over: 165 miles completed, just two more days and 27 miles to go. The end is getting closer... Quote of the day: "We saw you ahead of us: it was like a ghost moving through the fields!" https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322362488-6AE2X1RC7DPCY3IQ8W43/2010-13.JPG 2010 blog - Day 13: Blakey to Grosmont (Morning post) It's fair to say we all found yesterday rather tough. Aching feet, aching backs, sore joints and muscles, and overall exhaustion were very much the order of the day (or evening). I thought it worth adding this extra blog this morning, though, just to say a few things. First, we're all feeling somewhat refreshed this morning, albeit with a slightly lesser spring in our step than some mornings over the last two weeks. This was due in no small part to the wonderful hospitality of the Lion Inn, where the food was delicious and plentiful, the beer wide-ranging, and the bathrooms actually had baths (hallelujah!). Second, we discovered last night that we'd been mentioned on radio 2 on Tuesday evening. That's the kind of boost that is very welcome at this stage of the trip! Third, Jeremy and James played cricket with a cello last night... (Evening post) Nearly there. Just one day (and fifteen and a half miles) to go. The end is in sight! But, of course, we had today's walk to negotiate to get to this stage. In truth it was a relatively straightforward day - in comparison to yesterday, anyway - and the 13.5 miles were mostly along a gentle overall decline, across a mixture of roads, farm tracks and footpaths. Aching limbs and joints following yesterday's marathon meant that speeds were varied, but an overall walking speed of around 3mph showed that we have obviously got into a good rhythm by now. The only surprise walking-wise was that we got a good rain shower at about midday - the first time our waterproofs had to come out since day seven, last Friday. A much nicer surprise this morning was finding out that Stephen Fry had tweeted about us - and made a substantial donation himself. This led to quite a few others donating, and by early afternoon we had comfortably passed the £4,000 mark in overall donations received. At the time of writing we've not had phone reception for a few hours so we don't know if this has gone up since then... but we'll keep you informed! After lunch in Glaisdale we played at the beautiful Beggar's Bridge, had the only (short) steep climb of the day, before a gentle descent through Egton Bridge into Grosmont. We played for a short time by the steam railway (see picture) before finishing for the day. Just one to go now... all being well we'll have finished it this time tomorrow! Quote of the day: "Don't overdo the vibrato! xxx" (from Stephen Fry) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455322363375-MW0UMW0V4N64N6R6BKH0/2010-14.JPG 2010 blog - Day 14: Grosmont to Robin Hood's Bay Wow, what a day, and what a trip overall. I don't know how to describe it really, as the mix of emotions is pretty incredible, and even though I'm writing this the following morning, we're still buzzing. We were joined for the final 15.5 miles by three more friends - Laura, Alistair (13) and Robert (11), the third time on the walk we've been joined by kids, and each time it's given us a welcome boost. Thanks to all who've joined us along the way! The morning comprised mainly climbing and falling, but to a much lesser degree than we've had before, and the decent weather made it very pleasant. We found a woodland natural cavern where we played, and gave a few walkers a surprise (hopefully a nice one!). After a lot of crossing of fields, we finally found ourselves at the cliff top, and began the three mile coastal walk to Robin Hood's Bay. As we got closer the excitement built, and as we eventually entered the town all thoughts of aching feet were expunged by a quite wonderful welcome. People were clapping and cheering us all the way down to the beach, including some fellow walkers, but others who had just heard about us from friends or people they had met. It was fantastic! Of course we dipped our feet in the sea, to mark the cross-country route being finalised, and threw our west-coast pebbles into the North Sea too. Thereupon we found a "seat" (well, a bit of brick jetty) just by the beach to play, and gave a concert lasting the best part of an hour (joined for some pieces by Alistair on the violin). This went down very well and the cheery crowd gave generously to help boost our total. When we finally departed (having done a brief interview and played on Radio 5Live), we went off to Whitby to celebrate with fish and chips and collapse into bed. And so, there we are. Some stats for you about the trip: Distance walked - 193.8 miles Locations performed at - 38 Pieces performed - 24 Time spent walking - 74 hours 28 minutes Average walking speed - 2.6mph Calories consumed - ???!!! Money raised - £4,500 and counting... Just a final thank you to some people. Ashley, Chris, Rachel for acting as Sherpas throughout, and Mary, Helen, Paul and Jo for doing it part of the way each; Angela for driving so fantastically to ensure our overnight stuff was always where we needed it when we needed it; and of course to everyone who's donated - I know the charities really appreciate it, as do we. And also to you, the blog readers - I've even constantly surprised by the number if people who've told me they've been following us - it makes it all worthwhile, as there have been several days when typing a blog entry was the last thing I wanted to do after a long walk! Quote of the day: "Last one there's a viola player!" http://www.extreme-cello.com/charities daily 0.75 2016-03-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455311923899-R0V73UHGHD88RSE3HKD9/chickslogo.png Charities - CHICKS (Country Holidays for Inner-City Kids) A national children's charity providing free respite breaks to disadvantaged children from all over the UK at their three retreat locations. They hope to give up to 1,200 children a respite break in 2016. Click here to read more about CHICKS, or see the video below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455313356944-C6HX53V0B2ULCEVMTPS6/chickslogo.png Charities - CHICKS (Country Holidays for Inner-City Kids) A national children's charity providing free respite breaks to disadvantaged children from all over the UK at their three retreat locations. They hope to give up to 1,200 children a respite break in 2016. Click here to read more about CHICKS, or see the video below. To donate, click on the button to the right, or you can text ECPP55 and the amount you want to donate (e.g. "ECPP55 £10") to 70070. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455311923899-R0V73UHGHD88RSE3HKD9/chickslogo.png Charities - CHICKS (Country Holidays for Inner-City Kids) A national children's charity providing free respite breaks to disadvantaged children from all over the UK at their three retreat locations. They hope to give up to 1,200 children a respite break in 2016. Click here to read more about CHICKS, or see the video below. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455313253828-ZW69OZIITJK8NRH61JXA/ASlogo.jpg Charities - Alzheimer's Society The UK's leading dementia support and research charity, here for anyone affected by any form of dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Click here to read more about Alzheimer's Society. To donate, click on the button to the right, or you can text ECPP66 and the amount you want to donate (e.g. "ECPP66 £10") to 70070. http://www.extreme-cello.com/about-set-1 daily 0.75 2016-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455316114316-ZRQQNZ6J68ZJILW6M9EM/_MG_8790.jpg About set 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455316114316-ZRQQNZ6J68ZJILW6M9EM/_MG_8790.jpg About set 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455316109656-5L5UKVR6L4OUTJSG2VQO/Gall1-4.jpg About set 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455316109843-0DZQ4IT5TQBNZG79H0NA/Rope1fp.jpg About set 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455316138872-NJ7YV47FTMQJL9U0VNN7/_MG_8767.jpg About set 1 http://www.extreme-cello.com/2014-blog daily 0.75 2016-02-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455360379364-KJKEKRCQQ80XFS0RC97V/2014-Chester.jpg 2014 blog - Day 1: The English-Welsh Border (Pre-tour post) We're all now in Chester and raring to go! We warmed up this evening with a public open-air rehearsal in an open space near where James lives; given the length of time since our last challenge things were surprisingly not too rusty, and so we're looking forward to performing over the coming days in all sorts of places. As well as our standard repertoire, we've added two new pieces for this trip: "Bordering on Madness" a medley of six hits by the '80s group Madness, and "Wonderwall" by Oasis. Obviously both have clear connections with this particular challenge, in name at least! Our plan for tomorrow (Friday) is: - we will play on the tower of Chester Cathedral at about 10am, for around half an hour - we will then descend, and go and play at some other places around the city walls in Chester - we'll go back up the Cathedral at in the early afternoon, before heading off to the north east to start Hadrian's Wall on Saturday! Highlight of the day: discovering we could play our new pieces relatively well! Quote of the day: "What free drinks would you like with that?" (Chester Indian restaurant owner when collecting our evening takeaway!) (Day 1 post) The end of day 1 - today we did the Chester leg of the trip, which involved us playing at the top of the Cathedral twice, as well as some other places! We started by ascending the 240-odd tower steps, and playing (in the drizzle) while the 10am cathedral tour came round. It was good to get some of our old repertoire in the open again - not least "Up on the roof" by The Drifters, which we last played in 2006! After this we did a whistlestop tour of a few places in Chester - including the city walls, the Roman amphitheatre, and a bandstand by the river Dee. After this we returned to the cathedral to play in the refectory dying lunchtime, before dashing up the tower for a second time to entertain another tour party! It was then time to set off up north - a 3.5 hour drive to Durham, where we are staying tonight. We've been out for a curry with some old friends, and tomorrow will be doing the following; - Playing at Tynemouth - not strictly on Hadrian's wall, but the nearest point on the coast; - playing at Wallsend - where Hadrian's wall actually starts (or ends); - playing on the roof of the Castle Keep in Newcastle - at about 2.30pm if you want to come along - we will also be playing in various other places, as yet undetermined - but we'll tell you all about these tomorrow! Highlight of the day: Playing "Up on the roof" again, after 8 years Quote of the day: "I know we've been playing this arrangement for 10 years, but those two notes at the top of page 2 should actually be pizzicato" (Jeremy acknowledging a mistake in his arrangement of Nessun Dorma to Clare!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455360379364-KJKEKRCQQ80XFS0RC97V/2014-Chester.jpg 2014 blog - Day 1: The English-Welsh Border (Pre-tour post) We're all now in Chester and raring to go! We warmed up this evening with a public open-air rehearsal in an open space near where James lives; given the length of time since our last challenge things were surprisingly not too rusty, and so we're looking forward to performing over the coming days in all sorts of places. As well as our standard repertoire, we've added two new pieces for this trip: "Bordering on Madness" a medley of six hits by the '80s group Madness, and "Wonderwall" by Oasis. Obviously both have clear connections with this particular challenge, in name at least! Our plan for tomorrow (Friday) is: - we will play on the tower of Chester Cathedral at about 10am, for around half an hour - we will then descend, and go and play at some other places around the city walls in Chester - we'll go back up the Cathedral at in the early afternoon, before heading off to the north east to start Hadrian's Wall on Saturday! Highlight of the day: discovering we could play our new pieces relatively well! Quote of the day: "What free drinks would you like with that?" (Chester Indian restaurant owner when collecting our evening takeaway!) (Day 1 post) The end of day 1 - today we did the Chester leg of the trip, which involved us playing at the top of the Cathedral twice, as well as some other places! We started by ascending the 240-odd tower steps, and playing (in the drizzle) while the 10am cathedral tour came round. It was good to get some of our old repertoire in the open again - not least "Up on the roof" by The Drifters, which we last played in 2006! After this we did a whistlestop tour of a few places in Chester - including the city walls, the Roman amphitheatre, and a bandstand by the river Dee. After this we returned to the cathedral to play in the refectory dying lunchtime, before dashing up the tower for a second time to entertain another tour party! It was then time to set off up north - a 3.5 hour drive to Durham, where we are staying tonight. We've been out for a curry with some old friends, and tomorrow will be doing the following; - Playing at Tynemouth - not strictly on Hadrian's wall, but the nearest point on the coast; - playing at Wallsend - where Hadrian's wall actually starts (or ends); - playing on the roof of the Castle Keep in Newcastle - at about 2.30pm if you want to come along - we will also be playing in various other places, as yet undetermined - but we'll tell you all about these tomorrow! Highlight of the day: Playing "Up on the roof" again, after 8 years Quote of the day: "I know we've been playing this arrangement for 10 years, but those two notes at the top of page 2 should actually be pizzicato" (Jeremy acknowledging a mistake in his arrangement of Nessun Dorma to Clare!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455360362306-AVI7MQVEYJCOLJOOV150/2014-Tynemouth.jpg 2014 blog - Day 2: The Eastern End of the Wall Today was all about the Newcastle region as we started Hadrian's wall and did a few other bits and pieces in the region! After a hearty breakfast we decided to stop off at the Angel of the North to give our customary morning performance of Bach's "Wachet Auf". As you can see in the picture below, James decided the Angel itself might play the tune... Following this we headed to the coast - Tynemouth is not actually on Hadrian's Wall, but we wanted to play on the beach anyway! After a spot of Mendelssohn we were heading off the beach when a café owner asked if we could come back this evening for a gig, after another musician had let him down! So we said yes, of course... Then onto Wallsend - the actual start (or end) of Hadrian's Wall. We didn't pay to go into the museum, so gave our performance of "Wonderwall" at the nearest spot in the adjacent car park! After a bit of lunch we then went to play on the roof of the Castle Keep in Newcastle. It was rather blustery, resulting in some music stand carnage (see picture below)! After nearly getting frozen to death we went down and played in the Great Hall instead - a fantastic acoustic. A bit of busking by the Tyne (oh, we do like to be beside the quayside...) and a look round the wonderful Sage in Gateshead followed - many thanks to the wonderful employee who gave us a private guided tour! Then back to Tynemouth for our gig... which involved us playing in the middle of King Edward's Bay, playing for a group of kayakers who had just arrived into shore, whilst fish was being barbecued to our left! A lovely way to spend a sunny (if chilly) Saturday evening! Tomorrow we're playing for the morning service at Hexham Abbey (10am) and then possibly elsewhere in Hexham, before joining the wall a few miles north of there in the afternoon. Highlight of the day: playing for the kayakers at King Edward's Bay in the evening. Quote of the day: "You're mint!" (Lifeguard on the beach at Tynemouth after hearing about our venture!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455360362523-J0YEJD5TBPL4JBTRUI79/2014-Wall-Walk.jpg 2014 blog - Day 3: Hexham and Beyond Today we bade farewell to Durham (where we had stayed the last two nights) and travelled the 45 minutes to Hexham - close to Hadrian's Wall and home to a wonderful abbey, where we had arranged to play before, during and after their main Sunday morning service. We enjoyed a very warm welcome from the fabulous people of Hexham, who seemed to appreciate our playing immensely (and were very generous in their giving towards our charity, Aspire). At the end of the service we also played on the ancient gallery steps and in the 7th century crypt (see pictures below) - this was quite a squeeze! After a spot of lunch we found the path of Hadrian's Wall itself, and gave ourselves a brisk 8.5 mile walk between Chester's Roman fort and the Brocolitia fort to the west. It has to be said, it was easy to forget how difficult it could be walking with a cello uphill into a strong wind - and how easy it is doing the opposite! The cello acts as a sail somewhat, which can be used to our advantage at times, but is certainly a hindrance at others. We played a couple of times along the way - even though on one occasion the only audience was some local cattle... Now we've moved onto a new base in Carlisle where we will stay until Wednesday - but we'll be exploring far and wide. Tomorrow we play at Lanercost Priory at 10.30am, and will then cover some sections of the wall to the east of there for the rest of the day. First, however, we're about to go for our fourth curry in as many days - yes, this has become part of the challenge and we'll let you know which our favourite was at the end! Highlight of the day: Playing in the 7th century crypt at Hexham Abbey. Quote of the day: "You're mad!" (the first thing that was said to us by a woman sitting on a stile somewhere... compare and contrast with yesterday's QOTD!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455360362044-4DBMZ75CNSQ05IRSQVF2/2014-Trig-Point.jpg 2014 blog - Day 4: The High Point (Literally!) Today started with a slightly more leisurely breakfast - possibly necessary after last night continued after the now customary curry to a bar where we participated in bingo for the first time in our lives! However, who we got onto the cello activities, the first was an absolutely glorious one. Playing in the 12th century Lanercost Priory, we had a much larger audience than we hade dared hope for, and we gave a performance lasting about 40 minutes. The fantastic setting and acoustic made this one of the highlights of the trip to date. Many thanks to all at Lanercost for making this happen! After a coffee, we set off for Haltwhistle - the central point of Britain. We played for a while in the central square (below), before grabbing our lunch and heading off to Hadrian's Wall once again. Our walking today consisted of a stretch of a few miles to the west of Housesteads fort. It was spectacular scenery, and included a significant amount of climbs and descents, sometimes fairly steep. We played at the highest point of the whole of Hadrian's Wall - at 385m not the highest place we've played certainly, but it still felt like enough of an effort today! After this we visited the wonderful Twice Brewed inn to play a bit more (and to sup a local pint!); once again we were bowled over by the generous welcome we received. Now we've returned to Carlisle, and will shortly be heading out for yet another curry! Tomorrow we will play at various places in and around Carlisle in the morning, getting as close to the Wall as we are allowed... and in the afternoon we hope to cover the remaining distance of the Wall (not on foot!) and play at the western end of it. Highlight of the day: a joint one - playing at Lanercost Priory, and also playing at the trig point at the top of the route (see picture, left). In both places we had surprisingly large, appreciative and generous audiences. Quote of the day: "I've got some matches in the car!" (a passer-by when seeing a tripod constructed of cellos, see pictures below) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455360361618-RR6LV8YDR24XCUEVF4DW/2014-climbing-2.jpg 2014 blog - Day 5: Carlisle and the End of the Wall Another fantastic day, and a varied and different one from what had gone before! We spent the morning in Carlisle, playing at four different locations close to Hadrian's Wall itself. We started outside the cathedral - reprising our location from the end of the Cathedral Roof Tour in 2006! After this we were given permission to play three pieces inside the cathedral as well - meaning we had now finally played in, or on, all 42 Anglican cathedrals in England! We were also joined here by Rick Kemp, bass player with the legendary folk/rock group Steeleye Span, who saw us playing outside, followed us in, and suggested we might join them on part of their upcoming tour! [Sadly, this proved not to be possible.] After this we played in the nearby Tullie House gardens, and then outside the Castle - we were not given permission to play inside unfortunately. However, this was rather fortuitous as we happened across a small adventure playground just outside, and James had a go at ascending a climbing wall with his cello (see left). Many thanks to Mike Gair and all at Urban Adventure Carlisle for allowing this to happen! After a spot of lunch we decided to head up over the proper border, and made our way to Gretna Green. After playing at the famous blacksmith's, we went see a wonderful project on the actual border: the "Hands across the border" campaign which is promoting UK unity ahead of the Scottish referendum in September. In only five weeks, they have already manage to build a massive cairn by asking volunteers to add a stone at a time, right by the River Sark (the border itself). Of course we played at the cairn, giving another outing to our "Bordering on Madness" medley amongst others. After this we moved on to the end of Hadrian's Wall itself, at Bowness-on-Solway. We played in a promenade constructed to mark the end of the Wall (see below), before going down onto the beach and playing "Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside" an enjoining a beer that had been bought at Lanercost yesterday. A most serene and glorious way to end the main part of this year's challenge. And so, we have reached the end of the wall and the "Bordering on Madness" escapade itself. But we haven't quite finished this year's tour... check back here tomorrow to see what further ventures await us! Highlight of the day: Enjoying a beer on the beach at Bowness-on-Solway, looking at the sun over the Scottish hills to the west. Quote of the day: "It would be great if you could come and play on our tour" - Rick Kemp of Steeleye Span. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455360361129-VSCGXM69B6M2FLYIEM42/2014-Blackpool.jpg 2014 blog - Day 6: Bordering on Madness No More! ..and there we go, another challenge is completed! But there's a bit more to tell first. To begin with, as regular blog readers will know, one aspect of Bordering on Madness was that we decided to have a curry on each of the six nights of the tour. Last night we were treated to a home-cooked one by an old friend, Mary, who lives locally in Carlisle. A wonderful way to spend our final night on tour! I promised there would be some comparison of the curries we ate... obviously the home-cooked one was the best, so it's not fair to compare that with those from the five other establishments we patronised, but of the other five the favourites were Shaheen's in Durham (rated best by Jeremy and Clare), and the Stanwix Tandoori in Carlisle (rated best by James - a particularly good Lamb Dansak). Well done to both places, and thanks to the other restaurants we visited too! Today involved us going home - but only after we stopped off in Blackpool. As well as a trip to the Central Pier for some fun and busking, we had a chance to take one or two artistic photos, and get ideas for future challenges... Bordering on Madness wasn't a sponsored event, but with some intermittent busking we still managed to raise over £300 (£304.97, to be precise) for Aspire, and are pleased to continue our association with this fantastic spinal cord injury charity. Finally, a special "thank you" to everyone who helped this happen... particularly to all at Chester Cathedral, the Castle Keep in Newcastle, Hexham Abbey, Lanercost Priory, the Twice Brewed Inn, Carlisle Cathedral, Tullie House, Urban Adventure Carlisle, and the "Hands across the Border" project in Gretna - as well as everyone who supported us or donated to Aspire. http://www.extreme-cello.com/home-set-2 daily 0.75 2023-04-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533415978803-T8JPQTQWJ1IUYN0I5NIJ/HayBale.jpg Home set https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533415978803-T8JPQTQWJ1IUYN0I5NIJ/HayBale.jpg Home set https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455315898911-N1DAODZDYDQLE6XJFVJU/Gall3-6.jpg Home set https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455449924213-UQ2N9R8PD6FYG3CRPM5F/Seesaw.jpg Home set https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455449978200-BE23FGMW5UKFA0OYQKBA/IMG_1289.JPG Home set https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455449980605-PGPUQ6KGAO3D8JGPZFMV/IMG_1972.JPG Home set https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455449999375-XTR4UIT1SOKLZ8E0DPDX/_MG_8743.jpg Home set https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455450738248-6QV6E976EDOOLRSCLJMY/Ben+Nevis+Square.jpg Home set https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/56be5b3237013b1861201310/5b66122af950b7f277d430ed/1681409840025/ Home set http://www.extreme-cello.com/piers-set-1 daily 0.75 2018-06-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455314784245-G054SCVG583PXXZW5UH3/47152s.jpg Piers set 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455314784245-G054SCVG583PXXZW5UH3/47152s.jpg Piers set 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455313634489-NO6PTVM4S3GNMKSOZUEK/47152s.jpg Piers set 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455314269001-PWWHKID76OS1Q18EP6RE/IMG_0999.JPG Piers set 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455314339729-8B7MWOVP82FTMU8MY4XJ/IMG_2093.JPG Piers set 1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455314858906-4THFTSXMQBZOS316TZK1/Southport1.jpg Piers set 1 http://www.extreme-cello.com/others-1 daily 0.75 2016-02-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455446704627-YT6FUGX5UGT8QDMJ7VNX/Marathon4.jpg Others - Sheffield Half Marathon 2009 In 2009 we undertook our first major run with cellos - doing the Sheffield Half Marathon, stopping twice along the way (after approximately 6 miles and 9 miles) to play together. Although we weren't to realise it at the time, this served as a useful precursor to our 2012 London Marathon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455446704627-YT6FUGX5UGT8QDMJ7VNX/Marathon4.jpg Others - Sheffield Half Marathon 2009 In 2009 we undertook our first major run with cellos - doing the Sheffield Half Marathon, stopping twice along the way (after approximately 6 miles and 9 miles) to play together. Although we weren't to realise it at the time, this served as a useful precursor to our 2012 London Marathon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455446693816-AU3OFA6XSGZNO4PY1SAQ/Climbing.jpg Others - Junior Extreme Cellists In 2011 we joined together a trio of teenage cellists (Joseph, Helen and Alistair), who spent a weekend with us in the Peak District (climbing hills, rocks and playground equipment!) - they played as a trio, and also joined with us to play as a sextet at times too! Here they are re-defining the "play" equipment in a pub where we had lunch... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455447740980-DX2RGMW57S6F0SQZVT2X/St+Andrews.jpg Others - Sedbergh & the Pepperpot Orchestra In June 2010 we joined the biennial Sedbergh Music Festival for a day, playing with the local "Pepperpot Orchestra" (a fantastic group comprising local primary school children) in a morning concert, before ascending the tower of St Andrew's church (pictured), hauling our cellos up the outside, and giving a concert at the top! A video of us hauling the cellos up can be seen here... We also played at a local landmark (the "Pepperpot" itself), while the audience had picnics. All in all, the day enabled us to re-connect with our roots (as we started off in an effort to support primary school music), and playing together with the young orchestra was one of our real highlights! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455446611569-A6U62YZD2U50FL9JNB5H/TC2_l.jpg Others - Other random events... Occasionally we just like to get out into the countryside and play! The photo here shows us on top of Thorpe Cloud, a stunning limestone peak on the Derbyshire-Staffordshire border, but there are plenty other photographs of us in the Peak District (and a couple on a beach) here too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1455446492770-5XB9AHV3T2975US2ZMU0/Marathon4.jpg Others http://www.extreme-cello.com/piers-set-2 daily 0.75 2016-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413469234-JKYAUS5FM3BR9CDQKQ4W/47152c.jpg Piers set 2 - Pier Pressure (not the actual costume!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413469234-JKYAUS5FM3BR9CDQKQ4W/47152c.jpg Piers set 2 - Pier Pressure (not the actual costume!) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470414332451-ZN3PAPX6UMMC5ECLZKQD/I_Dunoon.jpg Piers set 2 - With Piers the Monkey in Dunoon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413478952-O1YUDB57N9XPYHXGOWDZ/Day1.jpeg Piers set 2 - Rothesay Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413477816-KRBXAK354ZFAIG087J35/Cleethorpes.JPG Piers set 2 - Cleethorpes Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413495169-S5W1UD2MHK4HM1LZV4C6/Skegness.jpg Piers set 2 - Relaxing on Skegness Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413474579-X5FHQ2AG33TS37JJP6JH/Claremont.jpg Piers set 2 - Lowestoft Claremont https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413507971-AWUS1YVURK6QHHH4UYHG/Southwold1.jpg Piers set 2 - Southwold Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413508529-TCLIM082CADW1SZ9J1UK/Southwold2.jpg Piers set 2 - Southwold Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413510310-M5K0Z6X1N0A05SPUSFI7/Southwold3.jpg Piers set 2 - Southwold Beach https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413484514-HZSKWLQ35YOMT5A6XTMT/Felixstowe.jpg Piers set 2 - Under The Boardwalk... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413505397-3RABXFOQWWF2JX0UNYT3/Southend+walking.jpg Piers set 2 - The Long Walk Up Southend Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413506978-TGREI886X017XII1PGGG/SouthendPlaying.jpg Piers set 2 - Playing on Southend Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413482987-FDISLYDUZQ9NLDGSHL7X/Dover.jpg Piers set 2 - Folkestone Harbour Arm: The White Cliffs of Dover https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413485056-5VY6P19YPCRBJ9SYO7A8/Fight.jpg Piers set 2 - The Battle of Hastings Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413480567-EZUDNYUGKA7O9MNFSDH4/Eastbourne.jpg Piers set 2 - Eastbourne Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413469884-K01MQO41D04FBQZZYCDJ/Brighton.jpg Piers set 2 - Brighton Palace Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470414332988-J4793ZWJ4F2Q9VKPZ243/I_Worthing.jpg Piers set 2 - Worthing Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413516051-J5STK1QN10NM30PUKCJ5/Totland.jpg Piers set 2 - Totland Bay's derelict pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413514613-LEAH0YK64Y2LIPGWFZXI/TotlandUnder.jpg Piers set 2 - Playing under Totland Bay pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413519997-G5ZKYZW4SNWULQOH7O6U/Yarmouth.jpg Piers set 2 - Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413509705-65JLTXIU2YOL92HA9MSM/SouthParade.jpg Piers set 2 - Southsea South Parade Pier - being renovated https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413503359-8I8JDK9163DUOZI4S0C8/Southampton.jpg Piers set 2 - Southampton's derelict pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413501331-I7WIZWMRN8PQ6PQA2P9X/SouthamptonPlaying.jpg Piers set 2 - Playing at the Gatehouse Grill, Southampton Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413470214-VG49OIZ6T7T4I3XCEOJH/Boscombe.jpg Piers set 2 - Rocks at Boscombe Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413495486-N4O4FXJ5UEAMVY9H4CRR/Pirates.jpg Piers set 2 - As Pirates on Swanage Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413485049-XKCJQQZEROKD91IH4729/Falmouth.jpg Piers set 2 - The underbelly of Falmouth Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413510330-6HXX8U7LQ5UBQP16PPQ2/Teignmouth.jpg Piers set 2 - Teignmouth Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413471247-DQDLAWQ89D3MJIXKT9KW/BurnhamUnder.jpg Piers set 2 - Under Burnham-on-Sea pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413522019-T2SVBIWC5NBMTC4ZWK40/Warning.jpg Piers set 2 - Extreme Danger at Burnham-on-Sea... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413480032-I3RSA3L0IOH76R86JSTX/Deckchair.jpg Piers set 2 - Weston-super-Mare Grand Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413468433-TZNHOZWEXOJ07LVWHJ9N/Birnbeck.jpg Piers set 2 - Weston-super-Mare Birnbeck pier (derelict) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470414332995-CG9IW6X951JE5HAWGQ1W/I_Mumbles.jpg Piers set 2 - The gate of Mumbles pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413492712-1R4M05MR4P88G5BPA3NP/Mumbles.jpg Piers set 2 - Mumbles pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413462728-HWSK4E2IHEXH45WJCYEO/Aber.jpg Piers set 2 - End of Aberystwyth Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413467082-WV7D7J9GP2BCQ4N1KEGE/Bangor.jpg Piers set 2 - Bangor Garth pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470414332643-VCAL9QT0BFDQSLMX43P9/I_Colwyn.jpg Piers set 2 - Chained up at Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413478714-KOS2EPVRT32FBM1L0WR5/ColwynBay.jpg Piers set 2 - Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier: Out of Bounds https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413490546-S16YGLXF4UYPJY0Y5D54/Finish.jpg Piers set 2 - Finishing on Blackpool North pier https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470413486490-XQOWKNT7H27FMA3S2TGX/LaidBack.jpg Piers set 2 - Relaxing on Blackpool North at the finish line http://www.extreme-cello.com/2016-blog daily 0.75 2023-09-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470774841766-STB4O786A0GZ0X4E24Q3/Edinburgh.JPG 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 0 We're here in Scotland. We've not actually played on any piers yet - that starts tomorrow - but we had the long journey up today, and are staying in Edinburgh tonight (courtesy of Clare's friend and long-term Extreme Cello fan Caroline). The picture is from her flat - looking up at the fantastic escarpment in Holyrood Park. We head west tomorrow to do Scotland's only two piers, Dunoon and Rothesay. Exact timings will depend on ferry crossings - not to mention the weather, which is looking somewhat stormy after the balmy summer weather of the last three days - but we're hoping to play on Dunoon pier at 11.00 and Rothesay pier at 14.00, before heading back south to England. In some ways this feels like a bit of a false start: we had originally been planning to do this two days later, and go straight into the English piers on Saturday. However, plans went a bit awry after Clare's daughter's graduation was scheduled for Thursday, so we need to be back in Sheffield for that! The 56 piers in England & Wales will be done in 13 consecutive days from Saturday, which still sounds quite impressive I think. It's certainly challenging enough! Quote of the day: [on the phone] "Are you really going to play at the end of Southend Pier?" - a local newspaper reporter queries our intentions for the world's longest pleasure pier... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470774841766-STB4O786A0GZ0X4E24Q3/Edinburgh.JPG 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 0 We're here in Scotland. We've not actually played on any piers yet - that starts tomorrow - but we had the long journey up today, and are staying in Edinburgh tonight (courtesy of Clare's friend and long-term Extreme Cello fan Caroline). The picture is from her flat - looking up at the fantastic escarpment in Holyrood Park. We head west tomorrow to do Scotland's only two piers, Dunoon and Rothesay. Exact timings will depend on ferry crossings - not to mention the weather, which is looking somewhat stormy after the balmy summer weather of the last three days - but we're hoping to play on Dunoon pier at 11.00 and Rothesay pier at 14.00, before heading back south to England. In some ways this feels like a bit of a false start: we had originally been planning to do this two days later, and go straight into the English piers on Saturday. However, plans went a bit awry after Clare's daughter's graduation was scheduled for Thursday, so we need to be back in Sheffield for that! The 56 piers in England & Wales will be done in 13 consecutive days from Saturday, which still sounds quite impressive I think. It's certainly challenging enough! Quote of the day: [on the phone] "Are you really going to play at the end of Southend Pier?" - a local newspaper reporter queries our intentions for the world's longest pleasure pier... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470774968715-2ZR04VMX0DRIJRH5KEPH/Rothesay.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 1: Scotland! There are only two surviving piers in Scotland. Dunoon and Rothesay piers are both located west of Glasgow, and to make things more difficult they both require ferries to access. We started the day in Edinburgh, slightly surprised that the forecast storms had not materialised by the time we left. The journey west however certainly brought some of the most inclement weather we'd seen for a while: thunderstorms and very heavy rain making the 2+ hour trip (which saw us approach Glasgow at rush hour) very uncomfortable. By the time we arrived at the ferry for Dunoon, however, the skies had cleared and after the 20 minute crossing we were able to play in dry conditions! Dunoon pier is mainly used as a landing stage for the foot ferry, and is only short compared with many - but a beautiful Victorian pavilion provided a great backdrop for us to perform some of our seaside-related tunes. We were pleasantly surprised that we actually had an audience, some of whom had come along especially! (including a reporter and photographer from the local paper). Such is our schedule, though, that there's no time to hang around. So we headed back to the ferry, then a few miles south, and then another ferry to Rothesay on the island of Bute. We found some fish and chips when we got there - we've decided to have this each day of the tour, and are rating them as we go along... we'll let you know all about the best-rated ones at the end of the tour! The pier at Rothesay is little more than the departure point for the ferries there, and there was not much audience around, so we played one piece before getting back into the ferry (stopping briefly to admire and use the old Victorian loos!). Then the small matter of a 5 hour journey back to Sheffield... As described yesterday, we've now got a couple of days without piers due to having to reschedule the Scottish leg of the trip - but we'll be back in earnest on Saturday, and then the 12 days following that! Weather report: Our friends at Jargar Strings have provided us with strings for the tour (as well as making a donation to our charities), and so we're keeping track of the different weather conditions in which the strings have played. Today they worked well in temperatures between 19.8 and 21.6 degrees Celsius, and humidity between 76.5-78.1%. Quote of the day: "You've really brightened up my birthday!" - one of our audience at Dunoon pier. Pier of the day (as voted for by the three cellists): Dunoon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775054926-6TTMMW482AUMXE7H3F5R/Cleethorpes.JPG 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 2: The Long Haul Begins And so we’re off again – the English and Welsh leg of the challenge began today! A lot of travelling again, to visit three very contrasting piers… more of which later. Leaving Sheffield to head north for the second time this week, our first stop was Saltburn-by-Sea, in Cleveland – a place that none of us had visited before, and we were all very taken by it. A simple pier in some respects, it had a classic Victorian air to it, and the setting – under the local cliffs – was spectacular. We were surprised to be met there by Anne, an old friend of Clare’s who lives in North Yorkshire – not the last time we’d be met by friends today! Playing for about 20 minutes in the calm morning air, with just a handful of people around, was a great way to begin the day and the main part of the Pier Pressure challenge. What a contrast the next place was, then. Cleethorpes – a drive of more than two hours away – was full of typical seaside tourist traps, and was packed by lunchtime, as you would hope a seaside town to be on a sunny summer Saturday; this was exacerbated by several thousand Sheffield United fans, there to watch a pre-season friendly with Grimsby Town. As two thirds of the Extreme Cellists are ardent Wednesday fans, this was something we could only mitigate by playing “Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday” to them! Anyway, we were met in Cleethorpes by our Sheffield friends Meem, Max and Monty (and Meem’s sister Lynette), who directed us to a most delightful fish & chip shop for our daily dose, before going to play for 30 minutes on the pier – which had been voted this year’s “Pier of the Year” by the National Piers Society. This performance also included one of the more bizarre moments we’ve had, in which four people dressed as aliens came and danced in front of us for a few minutes while we played “Good Vibrations”! This was also probably our windiest pier so far, and so it's great to report that the Jolly Design stands we're using stood up very well to the task. Sadly there was no time to hang around, as we had to press on to Skegness – very much pier of two halves. The shore end is under cover, and full of arcades, bright lights and noise. The outer deck, though, resembled a typical Victorian pier, occupied mainly by deck chairs. It was a lovely setting above a large beach, being well-used on a warm sunny day. Clare’s old friends Kate and Shaun, and Kate’s sister Jane, were there to meet us, and supply us with ice creams as we played for about 40 minutes. We’ve now got a fair repertoire going for this tour – in addition to our usual pieces, we’re doing arrangements of “Tom Bowling”, “La Mer”, “Summer Holiday”, “Sea Fever”, the aforementioned “Good Vibrations” (as it’s by the Beach Boys), “Summertime”, “Under the Boardwalk”, and of course “I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside”. They all got an outing here! Weather report: Today’s temperatures varied between 21.3 and 23.1 celsius, with humidity between 62.2% and 67.0%. Quote of the day: “So, at this roundabout you go round to the right, and then come off to the left. Hold on, that’s what you do on all roundabouts…” – Jeremy showing all the intelligence needed to become a professor… Pier of the day: Saltburn (for its simple charm and calmness) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775137657-RNYYKLWE2MEHOWPZ1YDK/Tyre.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 3: A Hot and Tyre-ing day Today started with a bang. Well, a very short bang followed by a prolonged hiss. As we were leaving our overnight accommodation (we’d had a lovely evening in Norwich), the car hit a severely exposed drain cover, which punctured one of our tyres and required emergency assistance from the AA and KwikFit before we could leave Norwich. Not exactly the start to the day we’d wanted – a blisteringly hot day which involved performances on five piers, and then an evening concert. Sadly this means that our visit to Cromer was delayed by about two hours, and we were playing catch-up from that point onwards. Cromer was at least a delight – we met up with people from one of our corporate sponsors, Captain Fawcett. A maker of fine moustache and beard products, I can personally vouch for the quality of their moustache wax and beard oil – and given I’ve grown the facial hair specifically for this tour, that is something I have come to love quite quickly! They are also great hosts, and didn’t mind waiting around for our delayed appearance at Cromer; in fact, provided us with tea and helped us generate some good donations! But we couldn’t hang around, and needed to get off to Great Yarmouth, where our next two piers resided. For a busy weekend summer day, we got very lucky with the parking, and after the obligatory fish and chips we headed for Britannia pier to perform two very quick pieces before walking to Wellington pier to perform not a lot more. Both piers were fairly busy, but we didn’t really hang around long enough to take many donations. Still trying to make up time, we headed down to Lowestoft for two more piers. Very different piers here: South pier was mostly a long, exposed but unadulterated concrete jetty that had a strange charm of its own. Claremont pier similarly had a building at the shore end (full of arcades etc.), but the rest of it was closed to public access due to its poor state of repair. Nevertheless we played outside the front for about half an hour as the public passed by, many stopping to listen (and to donate to our charities, Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS). Even after five piers, though, we needed to press on. We were still at least half an hour behind schedule, and we had an evening concert to give in Southwold. At least the journey wasn’t very far, and when we got to Southwold we had an early evening meal on the pier (which we’ll see again tomorrow - the pier, that is!), before heading up to the spectacular mediaeval St Edmund’s church where our concert was to be held. The concert itself was fine – a highly appreciative audience, and a setting that could scarcely be surpassed for beauty. Thankfully we took a good retiring collection for the charities too. Weather report: Today’s temperatures varied between 22.6 and 29.2 celsius, with humidity between 41.0% and 72.1%. Quote of the day: “I’m struggling to get it in – as the actress said to the bishop…” One donor comments as she struggled to get her £5 note into our collecting bucket! Pier of the day: Cromer https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775261156-1ZU9XBS6U4LUKL435HNB/Southwold1.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 4: Lots more East Anglia! Fortunately, after the dramas of yesterday, today started more serenely. A lot more serenely, in fact, as we had one of the nicest breakfasts we’ve ever experienced, courtesy of our fantastic hosts Rachel and Clare, who had put us up a few miles outside Southwold. With a 9am departure time, it felt almost as though we were on a proper holiday! Of course, this couldn’t last, and so we had to get on with five more piers to play on… And what a contrasting five piers they were. The first of the day was Southwold, which we’d visited briefly last night, and so we knew what a gem this pier was. We played near the old water clock towards the end of the pier – one of many wonderful features along the way – and with a great view of the town & lighthouse behind us (see picture). A good crowd greeted us, and donated generously towards the causes. But we had to move on soon enough, and travel down the coast to Felixstowe. This was a complete unknown quantity to us, and there was very little of the pier open after the arcades at the shore end. So we played one piece very quickly, and moved on! Harwich is only a few miles from Felixstowe as the crow flies, but it’s a long drive around the estuary, and so it was nearly an hour before we got to Harwich and our fish and chips (which were great today!). Harwich was a revelation in many ways. A far nicer town than we had anticipated given its port status, the pier is only a small one, but has a real charm about it. We were also greeted there by some members of the National Piers Society, who had come along especially to hear us! It was one of those places where we’d like to have stopped for a bit longer, but unfortunately two more piers awaited us… Walton-on-the-Naze was another very interesting pier. After a largish amusement pavilion at the shore end, there is about a third of a mile of simple, old-fashioned boards, full of people fishing. This gave it some real character, and the exposed girders at the far end proved a great place to play the cellos! This was also the hottest place of the day – another great summer’s day, ideal for bringing out the seaside crowds. Finally we went on to Clacton-on-Sea, which was as busy as you’d expect a seaside town to be in the summer, even at 5pm when we played. Another fairly long pier, this one is mostly filled with amusements, and so we walked along to almost the very end before we could find a spot to play quietly. Unfortunately, this meant that the music stands were more susceptible to the sea breeze, and two of the three toppled over while we were giving a rendition of “Summertime” – a nice bit of irony, perhaps! I think this may have been captured by a photographer in attendance from the National Piers Society, so watch this space for relevant images… The day finished with James winning a giant “Mr Angry” cushion in an archery contest on the pier. Fortunately this didn’t represent our state of mind after another successful day, in which we made well over £100 in donations for Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS. Thanks to everyone who’s been out to support us today, or made donations via our JustGiving pages. Weather report: Today’s temperatures varied between 22.1 and 28.6 celsius, with humidity between 36.0% and 46.5% (by far our driest day so far). Quote of the day: “Is that a new type of fishing rod?!” A fisherman on Walton pier reacts to seeing James carrying his cello! Pier of the day: Southwold https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775407318-IFN0FZ15GHYK9GHWKNTM/Dover.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 5: Hectic! Today was by far our busiest day so far, even without the dramas of car breakdowns. Five piers, an evening concert and playing a garden party (which we are still working towards as I write this)! We started the day in Basildon, where we’d stayed with our hosts Paul, Mike and Mary, and made the short journey to Southend where we encountered the longest pleasure pier in the world. At around a mile and a third, it was a long way to the far end, so we walked there and back before playing at the shore end for a small audience (including a couple of old friends) and getting on our way. Brief performances and dashing off has very much been the theme of today, although we managed a quick bacon sandwich for breakfast before departing Southend and leaving East Anglia behind. Over the Thames to Kent we went, and our first stop was Gravesend Town Pier. A short pier that is mainly taken up by a restaurant, with a walkway down to a boat departure point, we played a single piece here before getting on our way again. We were however filmed by our first cameraman of the tour – by a strange coincidence one of James’s former pupils! We were also accompanied here – and for all the piers today – by Andy and Suzie from the National Piers Society, for whose support we are very grateful. Along the north coast of Kent to Herne Bay – a lovely little seaside town, with an old-fashioned feel to it. Our daily fish and chips were consumed before going along to the end of a short but very pleasant pier, full of fun for the family. There was evidence a long way out to sea of the former end of the pier – it used to be one of the longest in the country, but unfortunately (or fortunately for our legs!) much of it was destroyed. Again, just a couple of quick pieces before we had to move on, this time to Folkestone. Ah yes, Folkestone. We had thought of this as our nemesis – it was only recently classified as a pier again, after it was reopened last year, and until a few weeks ago we thought we would “only” be playing on 57 piers. When we found out that Folkestone Harbour Arm was now recognised by the National Piers Society, we struggled to think how we would fit it in. In the end we decided to slot it in before Deal today, and slightly resented it. What a wonderful surprise it was then to find that it is a very tasteful (and different) pier, with all sorts of nice cafés, stalls and art to keep people entertained. In fact, we got to the café at the end where the owner greeted us (he hadn’t been expecting us), and was delighted to find that we would be able to play. He and the pier designer were extremely welcoming, and playing with a view of the White Cliffs of Dover (see picture) was rather special. We were a bit delayed by the time we left, however, and a bit late getting to Deal. However, when we did, we had another great surprise – a crowd of dozens of people waiting to hear & see us (most of whom we didn’t know – although Clare’s brother, Paul, was amongst them!). Well done to the people of Deal for getting the message out there! We played for about 25 minutes, to rapturous applause and generous donations to our charities, before we had to leave for our next appearance – a concert at St Margaret-at-Cliffe, a few miles down the road. A beautiful old church, we had a lovely audience who not only welcomed us in the concert, but one of whom (Clare’s old friend Deb) provided us with a very welcome spot of tea afterwards! Now we’re on to our final thing of the day – our hosts tonight are holding a charity garden party, so we’re going to play there too, before finally getting a rest… Weather report: Another hot and dry one – the hottest so far, in fact. Today’s temperatures varied between 23.9 and 32.8 celsius, with humidity between 29.4% and 52.0%. Quote of the day: “I suppose you shouldn’t have Champagne?” The café owner from Folkestone making us realise what we are missing out on… Pier of the day: Folkestone Harbour Arm https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775493203-WVGE33FKR30UTJSJ7PY4/Brighton.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 6: Brighton (and the rest of Sussex) Rocks! Following the seven performances of yesterday, just the five today, all on piers. And all in Sussex, moving from East to West. The day started with our hosts in Kent, Nick and Sue, who provided us with a hearty breakfast before Jeremy did a live interview on Radio Sussex. Not the last media operation of the day! We were slightly late setting off, and were disappointed to encounter our first rain of the tour. By the time we got to our first pier, Hastings, a lot had passed by, but it was still rather wet in the air, and very windy indeed. Hastings is somewhere we’d performed a few weeks earlier, at the National Piers Society AGM, and therefore we knew what to expect of this newly (and tastefully) refurbished pier. A BBC crew from South East Today met us there, and began filming us – something they continued at the next two piers, resulting in a rather nice article on the news this evening. A few friends met us here as well, which was another theme for the day, and improved our mood despite the espieglerie of the weather. As ever, we couldn’t hang around, and had to head off West to Eastbourne. There we were met by Jeremy’s sister Mary, as well as some other friends. A relatively short performance, this time in much wetter weather, but enjoyed by several passers-by, including quite a few who seemed to be out catching Pokemon… Then onto Brighton, accompanied by Mary. This was always going to be one of the bigger events: we knew that some of our corporate sponsors from Allianz Musical Insurance were going to join us, as did Clare’s brother Paul, and several other friends and family. Given the footfall on Brighton pier, we also had a large number of passers-by. We were very well looked after by the pier staff too: one of the nicest welcomes we had (thanks Brighton!). But the performance, accompanied by dancing toddlers at times, went down very well! We’d barely had a chance to catch our breath at this point – by now about 2.30pm – so we stopped for some fish and chips as we left the pier. The weather by this stage was starting to improve, so we had higher hopes as we set of for Worthing. Ah, Worthing. We were about 15 minutes late arriving, so we had thought there might be one or two people waiting for us. It turned out there were lots – including the Mayor of Worthing, who had turned out to welcome us and support us! A few other friends and family came along too, including our old friend Damian, who is hosting us this evening. The performance here though was memorable – not only is it a fine pier, with many lovely Art Deco features and displays of current local artists, but the presence of so many children observing the performance gave us a real sense of satisfaction. This was something that continued in the final performance of the day, at Bognor Regis. A smaller pier, with lots of people fishing at the end, there were still a variety of people who turned up to listen (either by accident or design). In particular, a pair of young children who sat cross-legged immediately in front of us for the whole 20 minutes we played were hugely inspiring – one of the purposes of Extreme Cello is to give exposure of cello music to kids, and we did that lots today. Bognor also had the largest gaps between boards on the boardwalk so far, resulting in a good view of the sea below but also two lost pegs (which we had been using to stop our music from blowing around…) So overall, Sussex was a great success and we have enjoyed today immensely – despite the adverse weather in the early part of the day. Lots more donations for Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS! Weather report: By far our wettest (and coldest) day so far, but the Jargar Strings still held up well and didn’t lose any tuning at all! Today’s temperatures varied between 16.7 and 21.6 celsius, with humidity between 75.3% and 95.6%. Quote of the day: “Hi, I’m the Mayor of Worthing!” We’re welcomed onto Worthing pier by local dignitaries. We could get used to this… Pier of the day: Worthing https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1693563614615-9O1N6DQD8PCVX931EES2/image-asset.jpeg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 7: Ticket to Ryde Actually, a ticket to Fishbourne, just up the coast from Ryde – only passenger ferries go to Ryde, so given we needed our car to get around the four piers on the Isle of Wight, the car ferry to Fishbourne it was. This meant an early start (up at 5.30) from Worthing, where we’d spent a lovely evening with our old friend Damian – beer, pizza, whisky and conversation bringing back the good old times! The ferry from Portsmouth was straightforward enough, and a short journey down the coast to Ryde saw us reach the first pier of the day. We didn’t realise it was actually possible to drive up the pier, so we parked on the land and walked up – this felt more authentic anyway! A strange pier this was, as not only is it possible to drive up it, but there’s a train that goes up to the far end too – linking the foot ferry passengers. We just played three pieces in the car park, and also met up with some friends who had come to meet us and follow us around the island. Then off to Sandown, which although only a few miles round the coast, took nearly half an hour to get to thanks to roadworks. We also ended up having to park quite a way from the pier, though the walk did help build up our appetite. Sandown Culver pier is a fairly typical commercial pleasure pier in some ways, with a large arcade section at the shore end, and various rides including dodgems further up the pier (and a fishing platform at the far end). It also included large old-fashioned (i.e. saucy) seaside postcard images, with cut out heads for tourists to stick theirs through, and create their own images. All a bit bizarre! We played here for about 15 minutes, and were joined here by another couple of friends (one the same as this morning!) before moving on. A lovely setting, but the pier felt a bit stuck in the past (and not necessarily in a good way). We got our fish and chips before leaving Sandown – amazingly there didn’t appear to be a proper chippy in the town, so we got a café to do some as a takeaway. Then the longer drive right across the island to Totland Bay, which provided one of the highlights of the day. Totland Bay pier is derelict, and there was no way onto it – in fact, there was barely any pier to walk on at all; it is mostly only the structure that remained. By this stage it was raining and the wind blowing, so we found a spot on the beach under the few remaining planks at the shore end, and managed to play “Under The Boardwalk” actually under a boardwalk for the first time! We were also joined there by our old friend & long-time supporter Martyn, together with his wife and parents (who live nearby). Martyn had recently composed a piece, “Dan’s Waltz”, especially for us, and we were proud to give it its first proper outing here. Then out of the cold and wet, we headed a few miles up the coast to Yarmouth, where we were treated to a nice cup of tea and piece of cake by Martyn’s family in Gossips café at the shore end of the pier. Yarmouth has the longest fully timber pier in the country (see the picture at the top of this post, in which James's cello is sitting on one of our great Jolly Design stands), and is a delightful promenade, used copiously for fishing. After our tea and cake we walked up the pier and back, before playing outside the café itself for those enjoying the refreshments there. This included a second performance of “Dan’s Waltz”, and some impromptu sight-read Gilbert and Sullivan for Martyn’s parents who are big fans of their music! So, overall the Isle of Wight was very different from what we’d experienced recently: more laid back, only four piers in the day (and no extra media commitments), but still with huge variety of piers. And now, seven days and 29 piers in, we’re exactly half way through! Weather report: Despite the varying wind and rain conditions, the Jargar Strings did a good job yet again. Today’s temperatures varied between 19.9 and 22.4 celsius, with humidity between 53.3% and 77.7%. Quote of the day: “Here are eight pieces of cake. Choose whichever one you want!” Our supporter Martyn knew just what we wanted to hear on arrival at the café this afternoon! Pier of the day: Yarmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775646445-E44FAFVW2J94NZE1UFBJ/PierPressure.JPG 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 8: All Quiet On The Southern Front We always knew that today was going to be one of the quietest days of the tour; although we hadn’t planned it that way, it was nice to have a bit of respite before things start getting busier again tomorrow. Even yesterday’s jaunt to the Isle of Wight, relaxing as it was in many ways, still involved a very early start and two ferry crossings. So today’s leg of the tour (which still included four piers, mind), gave a chance to catch some breath, and even have a bit of free time during the day – for the first time in a week! We didn’t have to go far for our first two piers of the day. We’d been staying in Portsmouth overnight at the flat of a friend, Oliver, and we’d enjoyed a pint in the Dolphin Inn and a fine Indian meal before having a much longer sleep than we’d experienced the previous night. We left at 9am, had a quick breakfast, and went the short distance along to Southsea South Parade pier. Unfortunately, this lovely old pier is currently closed and undergoing renovation, meaning we couldn’t get properly on (or even under) it. However, the canopy at the shore end of the pier was open as usual, so we played one piece there to no-one in particular before remembering we’d not paid for our parking, so Jeremy ran back to sort the car out while James and Clare packed up and took some photos. The next pier was Southsea Clarence pier – a short drive around the coast – so we got there in plenty of time. So much, in fact, that we had time for a coffee and to do something we’d been threatening to do all tour but hadn’t had time: get a big bag of 2p coins and play on the slot machines in the arcade! Of course they all went in a relatively short time, but that’s how it goes. When we did get round to playing, there wasn’t much choice about where to do it: the entire short length of Clarence pier is taken up by the amusement arcades & outdoor activities, so we played on the short bit of decking to the left of the main pier. Not much of an audience, but it did give us the chance to have a photo under the “Pier Pressure” sign: they’ve obviously had the same idea for their assault course name as we did for our tour name… We then made the trip west to Southampton – a city that none of us knew well, and a pier we had only read about. The main part of the pier is derelict, with a great chunk of it having collapsed into the water; it’s completely inaccessible to the public. The only part of the pier to be open is a restaurant (or, more accurately, a pair of restaurants) at the shore end. Seeing that one of these, the Gatehouse Grill, serves fish and chips, we decided to have lunch there, and then asked to play out on the terrace, so we would actually get a chance to play on the pier itself. Fortunately the restaurant agreed, and indeed were very happy to take photos & videos of us playing! When we went out, however, we found a small audience of three people who had travelled to see us specifically (including the membership secretary of the National Piers Society), so we gave a longer performance in the public area just outside the end of the pier. Having the derelict pier in the background made this rather special. Our final pier of the day was Hythe – another that none of us knew much about, but we were delighted to find a sweet, mainly timber pier, going out to the landing stage for a small ferry going across the water to Southampton; a small train took people up the 600m length alongside the walkway (but of course we chose to walk it!). We played briefly at the far end, before coming back to the shore end and playing for about 20 minutes outside the station ticket office. It was still only about 3.30, so we decided to take a bit of time to have a look around Hythe (a delightful small town) and grab an ice cream and/or drink before heading off! The 45 minute drive to our home for the night in Christchurch (another absent host – many thanks to Mr and Mrs Morris!) was lovely too, right across the heart of the New Forest. We’ve even got a nice blank evening ahead, so we’re thinking of going to see a film! This concludes a relatively restful day, Tomorrow we’re doing Boscombe (9.00), Bournemouth (10.00), Swanage (12.30), Weymouth Bandstand (15.00) and Weymouth Pleasure (16.00). Note that the first two times are half an hour earlier than originally advertised, and that the Swanage performance is part of the Purbeck Pirate Festival, so is likely to be quite busy! Weather report: A much stiller and more consistent day; largely overcast but with sunny spells. Today’s temperatures varied between 21.6 and 24.4 celsius, with humidity between 55.2% and 66.9%. Quote of the day: “Ah, you’re obviously musicians!” Someone states the obvious as we unload the cellos from the car… Pier of the day: Hythe https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775714473-ZAOQYBSYBHJ92EMMQ5AS/Pirates.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 9: Shiver Me Dorset Timbers Back to a much busier day today, although it was a fairly unconventional one in many ways. We started the day in Christchurch, having enjoyed an evening off (and a spot of Ghostbusting) down the road in Bournemouth. But we headed back there first thing, in order to play at the two local piers – first Boscombe and then Bournemouth. Boscombe pier is a curious but delightful little one, notable for a couple of reasons. First, on the beach next to it are some rather glorious rocks which enabled James to get some interesting cello photos (see picture). Second, the pier itself is a so-called “musical pier”, with a number of large tuned percussion instruments along the way down. The crowning glory here is a set of 88 tubular bells, which when struck in order, sound “I do like to be beside the seaside”. Naturally, we played this on the bells, before playing it on our cellos, as we have done on every pier! We then headed down to Bournemouth – barely a mile down the road – where we met James’s old friends Ashley and Claire and their young daughter. The pier here has a massive zip wire going from the end to the shore: we were sorely tempted to try this with our cellos, but our schedule would not allow! We did find some other audience here: a few people had turned up having heard about us in advance. We played for a good 20 minutes or so before we got the impression from the pier staff that we should move on. So our next pier was a particularly interesting one. Swanage pier has to go down as one of the most beautiful Victorian structures we have seen, but it wasn’t the architecture today that provided the most notable element. We were playing as part of the Purbeck Pirate Festival – a weekend-long festival involving all sorts of pirate-related activities, including a tall ship moored at the end of the pier, cannon battles re-enacted, and so on. We had a half-hour slot to play (wearing pirate uniform), and a crowd of several dozen people were waiting for us and seemed to love what we did! This included our first performance of a “hornpipe” arrangement, which we maybe took a little bit quickly… but the crowed joined in with “Last night of the Proms”-style movements and clapping, which was great Because of the particular theme of the festival, we did not collect for our usual causes of Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS, but donations went towards the appeal to Save Swanage Pier. Then onto Weymouth. Now, Weymouth is an absolutely glorious seaside town, with a fantastic beach and beautiful setting – especially in the afternoon sun of today. However, the two piers don’t really do it justice. The first one we played at, the Bandstand pier, is barely a pier at all: it is a building that juts out above the beach, presumably allowing the sea under it at high tide, but as the tide was out and there was nowhere to play on the pier itself (it being taken up entirely by a restaurant and other businesses), we played under it, on the beach itself. We then headed around the esplanade to the so-called “Pleasure pier” – I think that once it actually met that description properly, but these days it is a small fishing promenade adjoined to the harbour car park. There were a few people fishing around, as well as a few teenagers diving into the harbour, but not a massive audience for cello music. We did here, however, play “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” – to celebrate West Ham’s contribution to England’s solitary football world cup victory, 50 years ago today – before going to find a drink & ice cream a little back around the beach. The day finished with the long drive down to Cornwall, where we’re staying in anticipation of Falmouth tomorrow morning. We’re playing there at 10.00, followed by Paignton (13.30), Torquay (15.00) and Teignmouth (16.30). We’re particularly looking forward to the last one, as we’re expecting a bit of an audience there, and it might be the last one in dry weather for a day or two… Weather report: A bit of a mixture today, although the Jargar Strings are really sticking well in the conditions. Today’s temperatures varied between 20.6 and 24.5 celsius, with humidity between 53.0% and 86.2% (we had a bit of drizzle in Swanage!). Quote of the day: “If you’re wondering what the connection of that last piece with the sea or pirates is, it’s called Nessun Dorm-aarghh!” Jeremy raises a groan from the audience at the Purbeck Pirate Festival… Pier of the day: Swanage https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775845552-BHZSLSOZIELBEXE3BKYO/Falmouth.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 10: Devon, we’re in Devon… OK, that’s another slight bending of the truth in the interest of including a song lyric pun. But although we started the day in Cornwall, and are finishing it in Somerset, the bulk of the afternoon was spent on the English Riviera on the south east Devon coast. We began the day with a hearty Cornish breakfast near Bodmin, before driving down to Falmouth for the first pier of the day. The Prince of Wales Landing pier there is not a pleasure pier: there is a short promenade to where people can board boats, some benches, and that’s about it. We were expecting it to be deserted at 10.00 on a Sunday morning, but there were actually quite a few people about – some fishing, some waiting for a ferry, but several just walking around. This gave us more of an audience than was anticipated, which was a nice start before the long drive east to Devon. The next two piers were both in the Torbay region: Paignton and Torquay. None of us had been to either of these towns before, and did not really know what to expect. We certainly hadn’t expected such a contrast between the two. Paignton didn’t really fill us with joy from the start: we spent ages trying to find somewhere to park; the fish and chips we had were OK but not great; and then the pier (despite being very nice structurally) was not the most appealing: lots of arcades in the shore half, and lots of other attractions in the other half, which wouldn’t have been so bad were it not for the loud piped music giving us competition as we played! As we walked back to the car, however, something magical happened. A young boy of about 10 or 11 cycled up to us with a friend, and shouted “Are you from CHICKS? Is Steve still there?”. He’d seen the CHICKS t-shirts we were wearing, and assumed we worked there too. We explained what we were doing, and he told us that he’d been on a CHICKS break himself, which he’d really enjoyed. James let him (and his friend) play his cello for a few minutes, and we could tell that he was really grateful to the charity. Having seen what great work they do when we visited their Daleside retreat house in June, this just redoubled our determination to raise lots of money to enable more disadvantaged children to get these respite breaks. Then a few miles round the coast to Torquay Princess pier, which despite being in a very busy resort, had a much more relaxed feel. In fact, there is pretty much nothing on it besides some benches, but this just revealed the lovely architecture all the more. We gave a slightly longer performance here, looking at the boats in the harbour and the hotels on the hills overlooking it. A beautiful setting indeed, but we needed to press on and get to the final pier of the day. Teignmouth Grand pier has seen better days in some ways, and the far end of the pier is shut off (we think for structural reasons). We were met here by a couple from CHICKS as well as some other friends, so we had a warm welcome! We played out on the deck beyond the amusements, but as there was limited footfall here we moved after about 15 minutes to the front of the pier where there were many more people about. The sun was shining strongly by this point, but the wind was also gusting occasionally, blowing down our music stands on at least three occasions! Nevertheless, we played on and made the most of our last Devon slot. And so onto Somerset, where we’re staying tonight with our friends Liz and Guy. Tomorrow we’re keeping fingers crossed for better weather than forecast, and we should be playing at Burnham-on-Sea at 10.00, Weston-super-Mare Grand pier at 12.00, Birnbeck pier at 14.00, and Clevedon pier at 16.00. Ten days and 42 piers gone, four days and 16 piers to go! Weather report: More consistent good weather today than we’ve had recently. The temperatures varied between 18.1 and 27.3 celsius, with humidity between 39.5% and 57.2%. Quote of the day: “Are you from CHICKS? Is Steve still there?” As reported above, when we see the benefits of the charity work that is done, it just encourages us further. And we’re pleased to report that Steve is still there! (Although we didn’t know that in time to tell the boy in question, unfortunately.) Pier of the day: Teignmouth https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775909860-06MW5L6UGUPB7WAHUL9G/Deckchair.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 11: Burned by Burnham Somerset certainly wasn’t summer-set today, as it was the first truly awful day of the tour weather-wise. There was another first too – but more of that in a moment. We set off from near Taunton after a lovely evening (and breakfast) with our old friends Liz and Guy. All four piers today were in Somerset, so the distances between them (and indeed to get to the first one) were all fairly short. Although the weather wasn’t great, the rain hadn’t properly set in by the time we got to Burnham-on-Sea. We were in good time, so we went and had a cup of tea at the shore end of the pier before playing. This gave us an opportunity to have a word with the staff about playing there. We’ve contacted many of the piers in advance, but not quite all when it was more difficult to get hold of them. Burnham was one we hadn’t managed to get hold of, so we explained what we were doing in the hope that we could play somewhere near the café. However, the response we got was “No – we don’t do that sort of thing. We don’t have the room or the space.” 43 piers in, and our first refusal. To say we were a bit miffed would be an understatement – not least because we were the only people in a large café area at that time (and we’ve played in much smaller areas previously)! However, rules are rules, so instead we took our cellos down to the beach and played just under the pier. So far there are four piers we haven’t been able to play on, and we’ve played under each of them instead. The difference is, though, that we knew we wouldn’t be able to play on the others, and this one came as more of a shock. Anyway, up the road to Weston-super-Mare, where the Grand pier was our first port of call. A large pleasure pier, from what we had been told we were expecting it to be a bit tacky. However, that wasn’t what we found. There is a very large pavilion at the sea end, housing a mammoth amusement arcade (and a much posher restaurant); this is certainly highly commercial, but much less tacky than some other piers we have seen. The promenade leading up to that was much more serene, and although there was some piped music, it was far more discrete than in some other places. In fact, there was a covered walkway up the middle, which was great for us because the rain had now started in earnest. We played for nearly an hour as there were a lot of passing punters, some of whom had a sing and a dance along with us! After a good portion of fish and chips (we’re not getting as sick of them as we thought we probably would – not yet, anyway), we went up the road to Weston’s other pier, Birnbeck. This place is astonishing. It has been closed since 1979, and was obviously a great pier in its day: a massive iron structure leading out high above the sea to an island just off the coast (see picture). We couldn’t get to the pier itself – it is structurally unsound and out of bounds – but we scrambled down the rocks to the shore below, and played under it, despite the rain. One of the most incredible experiences we’ve had yet. But there was another to come, as we went the few miles up the coast to Clevedon. I had been told about this pier and its Victorian architecture, but even then had not expected something quite so exquisite. Even better, they have recently opened a visitor centre at the shore end (but on the pier), with a new room below the deck level, with a porthole looking down the underside of the pier: the understucture is as delightful as what is above the deck. Now the rain was pouring down, it also provided us with a great venue to perform in. We played here for a good 45 minutes – with lots of people listening, no doubt not wanting to venture out into the wet! – before visiting the wonderful far end of the pier, then coming back for a cup of tea. We all agreed that this was one of the best experiences of the tour so far (and not least because of the many donations we got for our charities, Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS). Weather report: By far our wettest day so far, including one truly outdoor performance at Birnbeck – despite this the Jargar Strings held their tuning just perfectly. The temperatures varied between 15.4 and 20.9 celsius, with humidity between 62.3% and 93.8%. Quote of the day: “No – we don’t do that sort of thing. We don’t have the room or the space.” The pier staff at Burnham-on-Sea are the first of the tour to refuse us permission to play. Pier of the day: Clevedon https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470775988300-B48Y72SJ6G69L0O6H86L/Mumbles.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 12: Shouting about the Mumbles Today has been a long day – and at the time of writing, we’ve not even finished it yet in terms of performances. Having stayed in Gloucester last night with Clare’s dad, there was a 90 minute drive to our first pier, at Penarth (just south of Cardiff). The Welsh leg of the trip encompasses two days – today and tomorrow – and so it was with some despondency that we noticed heavy rain setting in after we crossed the River Severn. On arrival at Penarth this barely abated, but fortunately for us there were a couple of small sheltered sections on the pier – one opposite a small café operated by a lovely lady, Nicola. We played a couple of tunes while having a morning coffee, much to Nicola’s delight, and had a good look up the delightfully structured pier which was mostly empty except for a large pavilion at the shore end. We then headed further west, past Swansea – to the Mumbles pier, at the Eastern tip of the Gower peninsula. Not really knowing anything about this in advance, we were completely thrilled to find a beautiful Victorian structure, set by some stunning rocks, which leads out to a lifeboat station (see picture above). The views were great, and if you haven’t been (as we hadn’t before), I can certainly recommend it! Unfortunately, due to the extreme weather (the rain having now been joined by high winds), the majority of the pier was closed for safety reasons. However, this didn’t put us off: the shore end included something for everyone, and they asked us to play in their lovely café area, which we were very happy to do. We were even more delighted that they then offered us our lunch for free: of course this was another portion of fish and chips each, and it didn’t let the side down. We’ll reveal the top ratings for all our lunches at the end of the tour! Then we had to face the long and winding road to Aberystwyth, some two and a quarter hours away, much of it on smaller roads through the rolling hills and valleys of west Wales (and a fair amount stuck behind a lorry…). When we got to our destination, though, we found that Aberystwyth Royal pier contains a lot of commercial units at the shore end, a snooker hall and bar in the middle, and a smaller outdoor seating area at the sea end. We were joined here by James’s colleague Delyth, and also our old friends from Sheffield, Andrew and Mary, and their friends who live locally whom they are visiting. We played for around half an hour in the outdoor seating area with a wonderful backdrop of cliffs and a gorgeous façade along the curving coastline (just seen behind the Welsh windmill in the picture!). Fortunately by this time the rain had cleared, and the wind was low enough that our pages didn’t get turned over too often… And so onto this evening. I’m writing this before the final performance of the day, as I’m not sure whether I’ll get a chance afterwards. We’re performing a concert at St Michael’s church at 7.30pm (not sure how much of an audience we’ll get – we’re not expecting a sell-out, that’s for sure!), after which we’re going to go for a pint and a meal with our visiting friends. And then maybe, just maybe, we’ll head down to the nightclub on the pier itself. Its name? Pier Pressure! Tomorrow starts with another long drive (Aberystwyth is a long way from anywhere else of any size!), and we’ll play at Bangor (11.30), Beaumaris (13.00), Llandudno (15.00) before completing the Welsh leg of the trip at the slightly derelict pier at Colwyn Bay at 16.30. Weather report: Some real variety in the weather today, but mainly in terms of different levels of wind and rain. The temperatures varied between 19.5 and 22.6 celsius, with humidity between 74.6% and 88.1%. Quote of the day: “I do think you’re brave.” The café owner at Penarth presumably is confusing the word “brave” with something else, such as “stupid”… Pier of the day: Mumbles https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470776066961-CNHUVUOL867WMAKJM9ZA/Bangor.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 13: Blowing a Gale in Wales Actually we’re starting this write-up with the end of day 12, where we left off yesterday, in Aberystwyth. We had a concert at St Michael’s church there, and although the audience was on the small side, they were very enthusiastic! After this we retired to a local hostelry with a couple of Sheffield friends who were at the concert, Andrew and Mary, and two of their local friends, before all going for a very nice curry together. At this point, we decided to head back to the pier, where the club is named after our tour, “Pier Pressure”. Sadly (perhaps) it was shut, so we didn’t get to enjoy the Aber nightlife, and just got a selfie instead… However, through the night we could hear the wind picking up, and by the time we left there was truly a gale blowing across north Wales. A long and beautiful drive through the heart of Snowdonia wasn’t enough to abate this, and when we arrived at Bangor at 11.30, the wind seemed stronger if anything. Certainly walking down the long pier here was difficult with the cellos being blown about, and fortunately there were a couple of shelters at the far end which enabled us to play. In these winds, I don’t think we’d have been able to even hold the cellos in the open, let alone play them effectively! This pier was also notable because James’s wife Zoe, and his young son, came out to meet us, which was lovely (and explains why there’s a small child in the picture below!). After this we headed over the Menai Straits to the Isle of Anglesey, and a few miles up the road to the coastal town of Beaumaris. The pier here is not so long, and although unspectacular in many ways has a beauty in its simplicity. It was also busy with people (old and young) fishing, despite the even stronger winds, which caused both sand and water to buffer our faces as we walked up. Like Bangor, we were grateful for some shelter in which to play (a covered bench, at least), and we were delighted to see our old friend Emily turn up here. Nevertheless, we were pleased to get out of the wind after about 20 minutes’ playing to go and get our fish and chips – our thirteenth portion, and we are now starting to get slightly sick of them… While on the road round the coast to Llandudno, we got word from BBC North West Tonight that they’re going to follow us round tomorrow, so that put a spring in our step. Llandudno is a lovely pier in a lovely setting, and fortunately the strong winds here were mitigated by the massive hill behind the town – the Great Orme. It was still quite cold however, and started to rain as we played for about 30 minutes with lots of passing holidaymakers. We were also met here by our old friend Shaun and his daughter Catherine, who then followed us around to Colwyn Bay for the last pier of the day. Ah yes, Colwyn Bay. This was one of the piers where we knew we couldn’t get on: it’s been closed for years, but we had contacted the Colwyn Bay Victoria Pier Trust, a local organisation who have been battling to save it (the County Council preferring to demolish it, although they are unable to due to its listed status). The Trust put the word out far and wide, and we turned up to find dozens of local people (including two professional cellists!) waiting to see us perform outside the locked gates of the pier. They gave us such a warm welcome (as well as donating generously to our charities, Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS), that we felt really moved by the whole thing. The pier itself is obviously in a poor state of repair, but there was nothing to us that seemed worthy of demolition, and clearly it was a great traditional pier in its day. Hopefully it will be again at some point in the future. We played for about half an hour there, before having all sorts of photographs and conversations with members of the Trust. Good luck to them for their continued battle! Weather report: More cold and wet weather at times, but it was the gale-force winds that really threw us off. Fortunately the Jargar Strings held up not only through this but also through James’s cello case taking a serious bump in Llandudno! The temperatures varied between 18.7 and 20.1 celsius, with humidity between 66.5% and 70.5%. Quote of the day: “I tell my pupils about you to inspire them to play the cello!” A cello teacher we met in Colwyn Bay, who has also taken lots of her pupils up Snowdon to recreate what we did! Pier of the day: Colwyn Bay https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470776144179-MLQ2L741TJOIO8J2J6XX/Finish.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure Day 14: The End of the Piers Show Wow, we did it. 58 piers in 14 days, and a lot of money raised for Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS. But I’m getting ahead of myself here, so let’s go back to the start of the day… We left Chester at a very civilised hour of 9.00, giving James the opportunity to spend some more time in his own house! The journey to Southport started to worry us, however, as the rain set in – this hadn’t been in the forecast we saw! By the time we arrived about an hour and a quarter later, there was a distinct chill in the air, the wind was still strong, and the rain was a steady drizzle. We’d visited Southport pier last year to do a bit of busking, so we didn’t feel the need to explore fully or hang around: we found a shelter towards the sea end, played one piece, and there being no audience around for us, then headed back for the car. When we were just about to leave, however, one of James’s former colleagues turned up with his family, so we got the cellos out again – this time under the pier – and played them a tune before we left! St Anne’s is only about 7 miles north of Southport, but due to the Ribble estuary, the trip around in the car takes around an hour. When we did get there, however, we were joined by a crew from BBC North West Tonight, who accompanied us for our final four piers. They’ve done a nice piece on us for their evening bulletin today: it starts at about 20:45 here. By this time the rain had relented, but the wind was if anything even greater. We played a few pieces, and did a few bits for the camera, before heading for our fish and chips. When we did so, however, James looked longingly at a MASSIVE éclair in the café window, prompting the café staff to bring it out for us free of charge (which was gratefully appreciated by all!). Then the short distance up to Blackpool, where we were met by a few friends, including several members of James’s family. Blackpool is the only town in the country to have three piers, with the South and Central piers being largely covered by traditional amusements and rides, but North pier including a lot of clear space and some more old-fashioned features. We did both the South and Central piers relatively quickly, with plenty more filming along the way, including a good sing-along to “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” on South pier after we spotted a West Ham fan passing by… but then made the walk up the shore to pier number 58 of the tour, Blackpool North. A final spot of filming outside the pier itself, then a few tunes on the lovely Victorian main deck of the pier meant we had completed our challenge. Well, almost: after the film crew had done their bit, we headed to the far end of the pier and the Sun Lounge, where the pier organist, Trevor Raven, graciously allowed us to interrupt his set to play a few more pieces to the audience there. This was a truly lovely way to end the final day, and helped us boost the donations even further. So, there we are. We’re now all back home, and completely worn out, but very happy that it all went so well! This won’t be quite the final blog post of the tour: tomorrow we’ll post one more, in which we’ll reflect on the tour as a whole, and reveal (amongst other things) the top three fish and chips places we visited, our favourite three piers to visit, and give an update on money raised. Suffice to say for now, we’ve smashed our initial target, so many thanks to all for your generosity – both the charities, CHICKS and Alzheimer’s Society, are truly grateful! Weather report: Still quite blustery, with a bit of everything thrown in. One final word of support for Jargar Strings here: despite all of this, we seldom had to retune any of our strings, even from one day to the next. Today’s temperatures varied between 15.9 and 22.4 celsius, with humidity between 63.7% and 71.6%. Quote of the day: “Can we just have that one more time please?” Said several times by the TV crew: one of the joys of being filmed in this way! Pier of the day: Blackpool North https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1470776232916-3S1NHXDA3QCHRUIE9ULY/LaidBack.jpg 2016 blog - Pier Pressure: The Pier Review First of all, some statistics. 2925 miles travelled across 41 counties, including six ferry journeys. 83 hours and 7 minutes travelling time (in 15 days – 14 pier days plus one travelling up to Scotland at the start). 58 piers visited (53 played on the pier structure itself, four played under, and one – Colwyn Bay Victoria – played outside the front as there is no way on or under). At least 20 different pieces played (including one, “I do like to be beside the seaside”, well over 60 times). But the most important statistic: to date, £7,758.95 raised for Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS, with donations still coming in. This is thanks to some fantastically generous donations from supporters both online and who have seen us in person, friends and strangers alike. It makes it all truly worthwhile, and knowing that extra support to people with dementia, and that several more children like the little lad we met in Paignton will be able to have respite breaks as a result of this, is just wonderful. We’ll post occasional updates on the blog over the coming months, as we have more things to report (and of course in our occasional newsletter: subscribe here if you want to receive it!), including the current status of the fundraising. But for now, there are a couple of subjective ratings that we need to report… Pier of the Tour As we have done with our piers of the day, this is a subjective view about our overall experience of visiting each pier: taking into account the architecture and set-up of the piers, the reception we received from pier staff, locals and visitors, and the general enjoyment we had from them. The three of us each nominated a top five, and when collating the ratings this left us with the following top three… In joint second position, we have Saltburn-by-the-Sea and Swanage. Saltburn was a delightful surprise to us all: we hadn’t anticipated such a beautiful structure and setting, and a fantastic start to the English part of the tour. Well worth the long drive for! Swanage was also a lovely Victorian structure in a delightful setting, but we had the additional joy there of playing for the Purbeck Pirate Festival, giving us a brilliantly large and receptive audience, and the experience of playing in pirate costumes! In first place, however, was Clevedon. This is an absolute gem of a pier, with stunning architecture, and recently restored in quite brilliant fashion. Despite the weather being dreadful when we were there, the new visitor centre gave us a sheltered place to play, but still with a marvellous viewpoint. We also had a large and generous audience here, and were made very welcome by the pier staff. Congratulations! Honourable mentions also go to Southwold and Colwyn Bay, each of which made at least two of our lists. Fish and Chips As regular blog readers will know, we had fish and chips every single day of the tour (and now need to go on diets!). We each rated these on ten categories, with a mark out of ten per category, giving each meal an overall score out of 300. The top three were: 3. Pieseas Chip Shop, Harwich (239 points). An excellent traditional chip shop. 2. Gatehouse Grill, Southampton (258 points). Slightly upmarket, on what remains of the pier itself, but great quality food and lovely view. 1. Beach Hut Café, Mumbles Pier (270 points). A wonderful café, beautiful setting, and top quality fish and chips. It’s worth disclaiming that we were given these free of charge by the staff, but we discussed how our ratings may have differed even if we’d paid for them in full, and it would have still been clearly in first place. Thanks to... There are some thanks we need to give, of course. First, thanks to all the pier owners and staff who allowed us to play on the piers, including some who went out of their way to welcome, support and promote us. Thanks also to the many friends, old and new, who have accommodated us as we went round: your help is critical to making this work, as we probably wouldn’t have been able to afford to do it if we’d had to pay for accommodation each night! Thanks to our corporate sponsors, who have both donated to the causes and provided other forms of help: Allianz Musical Insurance, Jargar Strings, The Jolly Design, Captain Fawcett, Henderson’s Relish, and Thornbridge Brewery. And finally, thanks again to everyone who has donated to Alzheimer’s Society and CHICKS, and/or come to support us along the way. Your support has kept us going! So, what next? Well, there will certainly be more Extreme Cello antics in the future… we anticipate another major event in 2018, so look out of details for that in due course! http://www.extreme-cello.com/2018-blog daily 0.75 2018-08-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593904138-1EKN7BOBR1LTMJACZUOQ/Cemetery.JPG 2018 blog - The cemetery at Ecoivres https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593904138-1EKN7BOBR1LTMJACZUOQ/Cemetery.JPG 2018 blog - The cemetery at Ecoivres https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593901726-6JDU3P64QLYASP7HUL64/Abbey.JPG 2018 blog - Mont St Eloi - ruins of the abbey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593906712-KJ7JIAO3MUKDB977V6E0/Football.JPG 2018 blog - The UEFA monument to the Christmas Truce game https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56633ccde4b00c1d30ad800a/1533593912525-0E0FS8IPLOGF6SCSEY2B/Platini.JPG 2018 blog - 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