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 […]
ceremony
14 posts
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 — […]
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 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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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) […]
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 […]
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 […]
On Saturday, I drove a couple of hours east, to the appropriately named Beaulieu(beautiful area)-sur-Dordogne, for a ceremony and evening party wedding at Chateau du Doux. I don’t have a TV, so I didn’t know the building and owners have been on this year’s Escape to the Chateau. It’s probably […]