About seven years ago, when I was living in a yurt in the woods, in southwest France, I did some tutorials on my YouTube channel. The lighting isn’t great and I was struggling with a barely adequate camera. But I wanted to give something back to the You Tubes, by […]
Yearly Archives: 2022
On Saturday, I drove into central London for a wedding at the Foundling Museum, in Brunswick Square. (It took days to try and register my French-registered car for the congestion charge and I’m still not sure I was successful. I figure they’ll find me if they want some money. I […]
Moving to the UK was easy, but not without stress points. I’ve moved countries before — a few times — but France was home for the last 15 years. The country is familiar, obviously, but changing absolutely everything around you has quite an impact. And launching a new business — […]
Four weeks ago last Saturday, I returned to the wonderful Chateau du Doux for the end of my French wedding season. (And the end of my 15 years as a French resident.) Daniel and Charlotte FINALLY tied the knot — after years of Covid delays. I was in the hot […]
My knowledge when I wrote this post, claiming a wedding near Montauban was the furthest south I was going this summer, was incomplete. I was, in fact, going much further south than that. Beyond Carcassonne, to Chateau Rieutort, near Montpellier. If you don’t know Carcassonne (or the excellent board game […]
On Saturday, I headed south, to play for Charlotte and Sam, during the wedding feast part of the day. It was hot, when I arrived, as you might be able to feel from this image… I don’t normally play during dinner, and I’d been a bit worried about this for […]
On Friday, I had the great pleasure of playing a wedding ceremony in the church at Limeuil. If you don’t know this part of France, it is one of the most beautiful villages anywhere. At river level, the Dordogne and Vézère meet by a restaurant I’ve played at a few […]
One of my regular clients has a beautiful chateau, about 20 minutes away from me. When they got married, last year, Enrique Iglesias was one of the artists chosen for their big event. So I was quite flattered that, for their first anniversary, they chose… me. And the most expensive […]
On Saturday, I drove about 20 minutes away for the wedding of Harriet and Leo at Chateau le Tour. Rain had been threatening this long-awaited day for a couple of weeks. And it was still spitting during the morning, as I set my keyboard up for the wedding ceremony. Bravely, […]
Two years ago, just before a gig in Cadouin, we were given our first ever fan art. I published it here. Two days ago, during my final gig in Cadouin (more on that in a moment), we were given our second ever piece of fan art – by the same […]
I think this is a first for me: three gigs in a row with varied set lists. A nice, easy one to start with – with SouthWest, playing our second public gig of the season in Cadouin. Here’s a shot from after we finished… The following evening, a piano & […]
On Saturday, I went east for a wedding at Chateau du Doux. I’m now setting up a bit earlier than I did at the start of the season, which gives me a bit more time to socialise and settle in. It also means, even when I’m not scheduled to play, […]
Last Saturday saw me drive 3.5 hours south to Chateau la Commanderie. (This is the furthest south I’m going in 2022 – to my knowledge.) I got there three hours before I was due to play, just to be on the safe side. Which meant there was plenty of time […]
Five days after playing keyboards and percussion in Hertfordshire with The Stones, and two days after playing solo piano at a private party in the Charente, I played the first of three public gigs in the Dordogne, with SouthWest. As we have for several years now, we set up in […]
After the last gig, I was going to take a week off, to rest my hands. But then, someone I played with in London DECADES ago (my emphasis), asked if I was available to play a gig on July 9th – this year – in England – for a well-established […]
On Sunday, I drove through the rain (again – which wasn’t falling only on the plain) to Chateau de la Couronne. Matt and Emma (my first Olympian bride!) had waited so long for this day that they were joined by their new baby! And Reggie, the most well-behaved (and photogenic) […]
On Saturday, I set off in the rain for Chateau du Doux. I’d been watching the forecast for a couple of weeks and it wasn’t looking good. Jason and Chloë had been waiting a long time for this… I drove through light rain, heavy rain, heavier rain and very heavy […]
Last Saturday saw a return to Chateau La Durantie, in the north of the Dordogne. It’s an absolutely spectacular venue – a gorgeous, honey coloured stone mansion with palatial rooms and extensive grounds. This time, it wasn’t an Irish wedding – it was an Irish/British affair. Before the evening party […]
After Friday’s gig, I was expecting a couple of weeks’ rest. We’re not normally this busy, this early in the season, but… Covid. The weddings from 2020 were pushed into 2021, which were then pushed into 2022. Not a huge surprise, I’m sure you’ll agree, and very welcome after two […]
Very rarely, a gig comes along that, for one reason or another – possibly both – is not much fun. The last one I remember was this one, from a few years ago. (A postscript on that gig, by the way: I filmed and recorded it, but the guy doing […]
Once in a blue moon, you get to play a gig that doesn’t involve hours of driving home after packing up. Last Wednesday was just such a night. Domaine de la Fauconnie is new to me and the band. But it’s absolutely perfect, in so many ways. Ceremony, cocktails and […]
On Saturday, SouthWest returned to Chateau du Doux for our second Irish wedding of the year. (Featuring easily the tallest Irish people I’ve ever met.) I got to play the ceremony beforehand, and learnt a new song for the occasion (“The One” by Kodaline). The weather was fantastic – again […]
On Wednesday evening, I played piano at a private party at the Chateau de Rouffillac. What a spectacularly beautiful place! Here’s the outside (these photos don’t do it justice – the ones on their website are far better): And here’s the courtyard with fountain. Still in awe of this place: […]
Last Saturday, I returned to Chateau de la Couronne for the first time since Covid. When I’m there, I usually set up in the garden. But this time, April showers said, “No”. Which meant I got to play the baby grand piano again! (Even when you have the best digital […]
Last Saturday saw the first wedding of the 2022 season, at the beautiful Chateau du Doux (as seen on TV). The weather (as you can see) could not have been more perfect. It was somewhere in the high 20sC and not a cloud in the sky. Which led to two […]