Fiona's travelling adventure week five: another rhythm

Fiona's travelling adventure week five


... has taken on another rhythm.


I had a week between arriving back from Ireland and my planned trip to Spain, to see my friend Kate then go sailing. So I decided to spend the time with my sister and nieces, at a difficult time in their lives while my brother in law is seriously ill.

It was good that I came at this time - the day after I got here Pete  took a turn for the worse.  I hired a car and have been a full time taxi driver , plant waterer and cat feeder for the family  as well as doing some shifts in the hospital between nieces. And I've seen my mum too, who lives 40 or so minutes away.

It's wonderful not to have work commitments so I can be here for the family .

As well as this I'm  doing a bit of podcast editing, the latest is putting a medley together of four music events  in five days that I took in  at the end of May - in the club at Cape Clear, in Hughes Bar in Dublin, at the Horseshoe at Bampton Oxfordshire, and at Preston Folk Club. But fitting it in between hospital visits has been tricky so we don't have any new episodes yet.

In the same way that a photographer can take photos everywhere, I'm actually finding there are recordable stories in all situations -  one of the health care workers told me a horrific complicated story about how difficult it is to start again getting qualifications in a new country .. and there was a wedding in the next bay yesterday; one of the terminal patients married his partner with the registrar, wedding party, and everything squeezed into a tiny space. It was only when I heard a gorgeous solo singer as part of the celebration that I realised I could have offered to record the whole ceremony for the family. Ah well.

Apart from hospital duty I've also been sorting out contracts and admin for five lovely Glasgow Uni students who will be volunteering at the Hannah Frank art exhibition taking place in Glasgow from October - they'll be helping with marketing, group tours, schools activities, etc. More news to come !

All being well Peter my brother in law will be going home soon. The idea is to make him happy and comfortable in the time we have with him.

Pete was leader of Preston City Council and in December was able to travel to London to accept a national award for the best Labour council. Here he is making his acceptance speech.  

The 'Preston Model' for which they got the award is being flagged up as a success story far and wide, as this Guardian article explains.
Last month Preston City Council unanimously voted to award Peter  the honorary title of Alderman of Preston for his achievements and eminent service to the city.  This position dates back to 1397 and Peter would only be the 30th person to hold the title. 
My nieces Jen and especially Gilly have spent every spare minute with him in the hospital, with Gilly sleeping there when she could - and they say that it's not that they're specially dedicated daughters, it's because he's been the most fantastic dad that they wouldn't want to do anything else. They're so proud of him, as is Lynn my sister.

I've postponed  my ferry to Spain for now but I assume that at some time it will be the right time to resume travelling . In the meantime I am absolutely in the right place at the right time .

As I was last month milking goats ...
So for now I can be seen on Wednesday evenings at Preston Folk Club at the Moorbrook.  
And apart from the music roundup mentioned above, podcasts on www.hannahfrank.org.uk/podcast-page to come are likely to include
          - Ed Harper: life as a goat farmer, singer and political activist
          - Songs of Ed Harper
          - Matt Whelan - a satisfied thatcher in County Wexford
          - the life of a trawlerman
          - dance as politics : Ruairi O'Donovan and Archipelagic Thinking
          - Wwooffing (volunteering on organic farms) around Ireland
          and stories that I find along the way...

           love Fiona

Links to this travel blog www.fionaistravelling.blogspot.com  and to my podcast page www.hannahfrank.org.uk/podcast-page (hosted on the Hannah Frank art website for now). 

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