Half term and the first hints of Christmas

Okay, that title was a bit misleading. More than the 'first hints' - I've been feeling festive since schools restarted in September and have been continuously told to 'reign it in a bit' by...well, students, mostly. Kids these days aren't as excited as they used to be. The teachers are, though. 

Half-term last week was mostly spent shopping; IKEA, Costco, various other outlets...has to be done, I guess, but I do find it all rather stressful. The rest of the time was spent writing, all new stuff for next year, running one-off courses (to students, all of whom now want to become regulars) and then on Sunday I played my first electric gig with Stateline Sinners. Frankly, a bonkers bunch of lads, but a talented lot. The gig, at the wonderful Six Six Bar in Cambridge, was a cracker. Big, dramatic, some moments of improvisation (understatement) but a whole lot of heart. More of that soon, obviously. 

We're now into the Christmas term, student concerts everywhere, long, long, long working hours. I've got a bunch of house shows coming up, a performance of 'No Dreams' (probably the final time I do this) in Barcelona this week and no days off until...yeah, it's gonna be a while. 

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