Damo Suzuki with Hookworms : Tom Basri (Guitar, Bass), Matthew Benn (Bass, Synthesizers), Chris Duffin (Organ, Synthesizers, Saxophone), Jonathan Nash (Drums, Percussion) and Jonathan Wilkinson (Guitar)
https://thetradesclub.com
Hebden Bridge is one of our favourite spaces in England for long time. First time our old friend Ned moved here arrange me some concerts after near by he lived in Huddersfield. Since Huddersfield is in premier league, I’ve kind of interest what the team is doing, and off course what David Wagner, the German manager is doing as I’m a supporter of Dortmund. Wagner was a manager of Dortmund’s 2nd team for a while. Hebden Bridge has no chain stores, no big advertising, but small local shops (Germans say Tante Emma’s Laden).
Today they have old timer car meeting or something, the small town is getting attractive for tourists, almost impossible to find place for parking. Our B&B at the middle of the town is quite complicated for older people like us (This sentence come quite often…is my complex now?) as I forget to print out key code for entrance, day time no one is available at this B&B (At breakfast two cute girls are serving breakfast, next morning, we met no one else working there.)
While we’re confusing outside, a guy came from next door pub, helped us to call owner and invited us for pints of local beer. He is coming to my concert tonight he said. We saw another hotel guest open the entrance to B&B so, we could enter and behind 2nd door we found our key hanging on wall. The room is large enough, quite designed, something not really functional, a typical modern hotel with nostalgia furniture. Not good moment at the merchandising table is sometimes drinking people leave glass of beer and table get messing, merchandising is getting wet, this evening also happened, Elke told me, even Japanese female visitors coats were showered by beer. Even he didn’t excuse himself, she said.
This time I have seven shows in 13 days. Between first 3 shows and 4th show, we’ve 4 days free. At the planning of this UK schedule, we planed 4 days stay in Cornwall including performance day in Falmouth. This plan get fasten as Colin, a photograph invite us to stay at his cottage. Hebden Bridge to St.Austell is quite far, I don’t like Elke to drive more than 6 hours a day. I decide today’s destination may Taunton. Sound quite nostalgic city for me as I performed 40 odds years ago here, and I drunk famous cider here. Cider falls everywhere connecting with Celtic Culture, Northern France, Northern Spain, and Wales…Cider is very popular. Now days I like cider much more than beer. Some of cider is stronger than beer. I thought of send a postcard to my friend Tim in Melbourne as his family originated from Taunton. Unfortunately this never happened as due to big cricket match all hotels were booked. We didn’t expect this on Sunday at this time no accommodation free? So, shorthand we had to go another destination.
Plan B. To Exeter! We’re also hungry, but didn’t find anywhere fits same thought like our stomach. I’m not able to sleep when I’m hungry. So, we just get down to Hotel restaurant, ordered Thai dish and gourmet Hamburger and Guinness to safe from thirst. Decoration of food wasn’t bad, quite designed, quality is relative OK, but it’s not fits to this hotel, which has good name. Travelling with car is really practical, we can go anywhere and we’re getting much relaxed even stress to drive the other side. After checkout, shopping walk in the city, we drove through Dartmoor National Park. Narrow Street, spaghetti carves, driving through tunnel of trees, lazy countryside, it’s enjoyable feeling……timeless. No advertising. Look for restaurant, but the time doesn’t match for lunch, too late. Decide keep drive to St.Austell, also rain begun, we’re getting wet. Colin, our host for next 4 days, is living in middle of South West English jungle, As Cornwall is warmest place in UK, vegetation is fantastic, many southern spheres plants you may find. Even here you can find one and only tea farm in England. We made an appointment with Colin to meet up at parking place of big hamburger drive-in beging with alphabet M.
Surprisingly, he appeared with his motorbike and guided us to entrance to his cottage. We have to change car to Colin’s car that was parking there. He mentioned, it’s quite tough to drive down this path for not domestic people as way to cottage is narrower and bad conditioned, just enough for a car to pass. We (two of us, Colin and his wife and Sam, his wife’s son) had amazing days. One day we went to fisher village (quite touristy, but summer holiday period you cannot escape from tourist. Mevagissey was the name of the town. Still there was a nice pub that locals goes (This kind of place locals go is most interesting. You cannot really research from tourist book or any same sort of sources in internet.) Colin met two of his friends there, they’re fishermen. We had really great relaxing days in Cornwall. Including Penzance, I visited first time since 45 years or so, when I performed there with my old band.
To back to nostalgic city is almost you can see yourself walking there on the street in year 19so and so. The city itself didn’t developed much, stay like my picture in my brain. Off course don’t forget to visit fish shop, once I’m here. All fresh sea delicatessen fished just in front of this town. We bought good amount of fishes, enough for two days for 5 people. If I’m here once, I wanted to go to visit a world famous open-air theatre, Minack, touristic isn’t it? Minack perched on the cliffs high above the direct to Celtic Sea, It’ amazing sea view, also structure of theatre is fantastic. Theatre has 750 seats, showing Wilhelm Shakespeare’s stuff in summer time. Even in rainy day they play theatre, visitors must dress raincoats, keep something to worm. Even this places at the land end, (you can say very far from big cities), enough tourists, and many pupils due to summer holiday also international.
It’s fascinating to read at the museum at entrance of Theatre, telling story, how they made it, owner of land and friends gave hands and time, worked to build up this theatre. At real Land’s end, stands an interesting pub restaurant in yellow coloured house, you don’t miss, we just had few domestic beer. This place I like to come back again, they had an interesting menu. Holiday is holiday, purpose I arranged to come her is perform in Falmouth.
