Girls Guide to Rocking

Must look out for this title in the library ....

Final day of Raise Your Banners. 10am harmony workshop with Sisters Unlimited which was just fabulous, then Roland and I co-chaired a discussion about the future of the Festival. It happens every 2 years and has been hosted by a group of volunteers in Bradford for the past few years after it was held here in Norwich following several years in Sheffield. The meeting was incredibly positive, with lots of great ideas for taking it forward. Which is great because a festival such as this is needed more than ever in the current economic climate.

1pm and time for the final concert which included:
- the performance of some new songs which had been written as part of a community songwriting project

- Jon Fromer from San Francisco whose blend of folk, blues and country music has been at the centre of movements for peace and social change for decades. Back in 1965 he was on the march to Montgomery with Martin Luther King. He has an amazing voice and sings with such passion!

- The wonderful Peggy Seeger was the final performer but unfortunately we had to leave early to get our train home. She was staying at the same place as us, and that morning she had asked if she could sit with us at breakfast. We talked about the Occupy movement (I gave her my 'Occupy Norwich' badge as a gift), the power of music and song, life, death, everyday stuff. A lovely start to the day. Then in the afternoon when we were in the hall for the final concert I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Peggy sat behind me. 'Thank you for being such interesting company at breakfast' she said .....

A beautiful, gracious lady who has written some fab songs (Gonna be an Engineer is one that many people know) and the final song she sang before we had to leave was 'Carry Greenham Home which I had completely forgotten (or so I thought). I just love these lines from it:

Woman tiger, woman dove
Iron fist in a velvet glove
Carry Greenham home again
Carry Greenham home

It took us six hours to get home due to rail delays but who cares. It was a fabulous weekend.