Hi Gerald
We're almost neighbours! I live in Haddenham (for those who don't know,
Haddenham is about 6 miles from Cottenham). Forgive me for not replying
sooner - I have been away for a couple of weeks and am still catching up
with all the emails that have flooded in whilst I was away!
Drop me an email off-list if you would like to get together and talk
gurdies.
Cheers
Ruthie
Gerald Walker wrote:
Hi my name is Gerald, I am 60 years old and have just taken up the
hurdy gudy.
I first saw and heard a hurdy gurdy on television in 1971 and really
loved the sound. I even borrowed Palmer's book from the library to
read about them. I then did nothing until 2005 when I bought a copy
of the Palmer book and saw and heard a hurdy gurdy live at a concert
by the York Waits. They are superb musicians and it was almost worth
the ticket price just to walk around the stage in the interval and
after the concert to look at, and talk to them about, their amazing
collection of medieval instruments.
Thus inspired I started looking on ebay but all I could afford was a
battered and incomplete, amateur-made, guitar-shaped hurdy gurdy. I
have managed to get this in working order and, after buying Doreen
Muskett's method book, can now play a few tunes.
I live near Cambridge, England and do not know of anyone in the area
with a hurdy gurdy, so I am having to learn on my own as best I can
and am realising that I am probably starting at least 30 years too late!
Anyway the hg group has already been of use as I now know that a
strange noise is "keybox roar" so I can now do something about it.
Many thanks to all you knowledgeable people out there.
Gerald Walker
Cottenham, Cambridge, U.K.
