Playing Through Time - November 2019

Halifax show
Photo © Lee Millward

Steve at Edinburgh Castle
Photo © Jo Hackett

Blog two of the 2019 UK tour...

Sometimes, British tours feel like travels through time, from one historical city to another. Salisbury has always held a fascination, close to Stonehenge and the mysterious ancient Celtic world. Exploring its narrow streets between the gables, approaching the impressive cathedral was intriguing. Following Reading with its memories and echoes of the Reading Festival, we travelled on to Birmingham, where barges and canals created for transport in the industrial revolution, still run through the heart of that city. Here you could imagine those intense foggy days of old Victorian England...

Then on to York, once Viking capital of Jorvik and even before that, Roman capital of the north. Those huge battlements tell many stories, as does the Minster, the castle and all those timbered houses, reputedly haunted by ghosts from many centuries past.

Continuing the ancient Roman trail, our magical tour tardis next wound its way from wooded hilltops, down into the mystical realm of Bath. There at its centre are the spa water Baths, once dedicated to the Roman Goddess Minerva and the Celtic Underworld god Sulis who had presided over the place before the Romans arrived... Jo and I had the chance to explore a little, but the tardis whisked us all away up to Halifax... where the two of us made a break for it back to the beautiful Brontë town of Haworth to see pal Phil Henderson from Quiet World days and to once again explore and take a look at those wild, misty moors... at least in part inspiration for Wind and Wuthering.

Crossing the River Tyne to Gateshead, we had a good view of Newcastle's castle ramparts... Then on to Edinburgh...

Once again, Jo and I made a break for it. We walked through the atmospheric old part of the city and up to the impressive castle, perched high up on a craggy ancient volcanic plug. An extraordinary city going back many centuries, including some dark memories. We walked past the Last Drop pub near the spot where poor unfortunates were once hanged in Grass Market. The whole team had a great meal in the vibey basement restaurant Under The Stairs...

What an incredible leg of the tour through such amazing places... and the crowds at every show are equally fantastic! Their energy matches the power of the band which is exploding into life every night... the sound is spot on, the lights are spectacular and the whole vibe is terrific. This tour is going from strength to strength! Now on to Manchester...

My continued thanks to everyone...