Mr Blue-face strikes the right chords!

I can not tell you how absolutely thrilling it is to know that so many ukulele players are learning my song for my film shoot re. my fusion inspire production.

I am so excited about it that I could absolutely burst!

We will be in the fabulous setting of The Tin Shed Experience in Laugharne, where Dylan's heart beat echoes as loudly as if it were still beating ... and I think that just maybe it is!

I'm sure he would love being celebrated in this way.

For those of you who would like to come, here are the chords in advance so you have an idea of how it goes! Richard Gent who runs the Swansea group will be going through the chords at his regular meeting this week.

Don't worry too much about the chords folks, we can run through when we get there & EVERYONE will be able to take part whether you can play the chords or not! :))

Diolch x Starts 2.00pm please bring your own uke although I will have my gang of Luna's at the ready!

For those of you wondering, Mr Blue-face refers to the Dylan Thomas Trail Signs

along our West Wales coastline ...

Dylan Thomas The Boathouse: Paned o De?

As you know, I've been longing to go to The Boathouse since finding myself drawn to all the places on the Dylan Thomas Trail at New Quay.

Laugharne has a special magnetism to it. Let's face it, any place with the word 'Laugh' concealed within it, is flirting, winking, beckoning you in; And 'IN' I am!

I thought I might take you on the walk with me from the Car Park, which will be especially nice for those of you who haven't been to Laugharne yet or live so far away that a visit would be a once in a lifetime trip, but that would be a trip worth making, especially if you are a writer or a creative, especially if you love contemporary history, especially if you want to feel close to the heavens, if you feel a compulsion to be part of 'the strangest town in Wales' Although, I do not find it strange, neither do I feel strange within it, it is as if I have always come here to visit, as if my childhood days were spent running back and for to Dylan's writing shed; his seashaken house ... On a breakneck of rocks

'

So, I start here in the Car Park and this is a wooden sculpture/bust of Dylan looking out over the Taf Estuary & 13th Century Laugharne Castle 

Up past the castle I walk following the immacualtely polished and laid local slate stone pathway until I reach ...

SEA VIEW

Just time for a quick sit down and a moment to ponder over how I might explain
never going home ...

Now then which way next?

I'm not sure if this is the Graveyard where Dylan and Caitlin are buried. There is just a little white cross for them in St.Martin's Church I know this, but I could not see any signs here so I'm not clear which Graveyard it is. Still, it matters not who is buried in this place, only that many are and where better to rest your forever sleepy head than peeping through the trees to the West Wales coast line; The very coastline that has inspired such wonderful and inspirational  words, beaded like threaded jewels and hung around the neck of one so tall his gifts will always be just out of reach for us mere mortals to assimilate.

Past the marsh ...

Follow the walkway ...

Rows of newly painted railings stand on guard ...

Nearly there ...

Dylan's Writing Shed ... I want one!

I peeped through the door and this is the window on the other side of the writing shed above his desk, so this view is THE view that he will have wistfully gazed from while drinking beer or having a sneaky ciggie & being a genius!

 

It really is very beautiful indeed, isn't it. Completely inspirational!

The Writing Shed is staged exactly as it would have been had Dylan still been using it ... and if I'm honest, I'm not entirely sure he isn't still there!

And just up from the Writing Shed .. The Boathouse. I didn't take this photo. I've taken it from their website so that you can see what it looks like from a distance.

www.dylanthomasboathouse.com

But I did take these .. down the stairs to the cafe for a  Paned o De ( which is Welsh for a Cup of Tea!)

 

My Conclusion? Laugharne, The Dylan Thomas Boathouse: A place more beautiful than words can paint, more inspirational than melody can sing & more moving than choreography can leap ...

Tin Shed Time Travel Experience

Well, you know me, always up for killing a few birds with one stone ... oooh no! That sounds awful! Knocking over a few skittles with one bowling ball .. now that's better!

So, after performing as part of the same line up at The Dylan Thomas Birth House, Lorraine King, (very well known, respected and gifted song writer from Wales) and I  chatted on facebook and decided we'd like to meet up.

I thought it would be good to chat through ideas with Lorraine.  In fact, when I was looking for info on mermaids, it was her Jemma Seasalt song that came up first on youtube. Besides which, Lorraine is such a good giggle!

At the same time, a facebook friend called Meinir Evans had been trying to tempt me to go to The Tin Shed, a 1940's Museum in Laugharne.

And as you know, I have been really pining for Afternoon Tea at The Boathouse because ...

I had such a calling from Dylan when I was retreating in New Quay and I  felt an overwhelming need to be in Laugharne.

So, I decided to do all of these things at once, because as luck would have it, Lorraine is good friends with Meinir, they go way back from when they were girls.

I met Meinir at the Dylan Thomas Boathouse and in my next Blog I will show you the wonderful walk up to The Boathouse from Laugharne Castle.

Then we toddled off to meet Lorraine at

The Tin Shed Experience.

Now then, I bet you're thinking .. Tin Shed? Mmmm, Old Uncle Albert had one of those down his allotment and you never ventured down there did you, no, neither did I, because we didn't think it would be fun, did we!

Well, hats off to all the Uncle Alberts in my past who had a tin shed! I GET IT NOW!!! THEY ARE FABULOUS!

I was sooooooooooooooooo excited

I can not tell you!

The vibe at The Experience is chilled and laid back; a time wharp almost and this is not just because the tin shed is a time travelling catoclysym of nostaligia, no, it's because the people running it are such warm, beautiful, genuine passionate Shed Heads; noone could fail to feel as if they never want to to leave! To quote the man himself ...  

got off the bus in Laugharne,

and never got back on again

Meinir is partners with the Director of the Tin Shed Experience (and it really is an experience) Seimon Pugh-Jones, then there's lovely young Matthew Hughes, with a smile that would cheer up the sunshine during showers, he's in charge of marketing and the internet. Another Director is Andrew, but he had to shoot off ... seemed like equally as nice a chap though ...  Oh and I met Matthew's Dad who has been hammering and chiselling and making and doing all that building type stuff that tin sheds need!

The result is outstanding! He is most likely one of the most up-beat tradesmen I have ever met and that will be because he could not fail to be happy overlooking the fields, with 50's music trailing the wind and good old fashioned community spirt by the bucket load; working for love <3

Meinir is the Queen of Cakes! I kid you not, she is West Wales' answer to Nigella!

She contacted me the night before my visit to ask me about my dietary requirements and then made me cakes to meet my needs.

Now that is being looked after!

So me, Lorraine, Meinir, Seimon, Matt, Andrew & Matt's Dad have all talked in the sunshine on the verrandah of the tin cottage and  we are planning some exciting Fusion Inspire collaborations which I will blog about as and when they are confirmed!

(Which will be very soon!)