WHO GETS 10%: NESR https://www.newenglandsongwritersretreat.com Scholarship Fund. Well yeah.

Order CDs or pay for this web groovery via:

http://paypal.me/vancevancevance or
https://venmo.com/vancevancevance or
VanceFunder P.O. Box 17, Arlington, MA 02476

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MY FIRST ENGLISH TOUR - NOTES

~ “Aer Lingus” is an Irish word that means “squeeze everything - including decaf coffee, bags, people, and their knees - into the tiniest space ever possible”

~ Apologies to everyone for my screams for the first 3 seconds any day I rode with you on *that* side of the road.

~ Dean Friedman, the writer of that ‘77 hit “Ariel” is the most genius, writer, music host, and music curator I’ve ever known. People unprompted singing the response part of " Lucky Stars”, your British Isles 1978 call-and-response hit is simply magical. Gosh I’m proud that you too me along. Thanks for driving sorry about the screaming (see above).

~ The Midland Air Museum in Coventry. I staggered through with no sleep and still loved it

~ Authentic fish and chips then Indian-In-England-curry all in the same afternoon/evening - I walked from the museum to a pub for the former, and yes endeared myself to the waiter asking for vinegar for my french fr...ummm chips. Yes I slept poorly that night.

~ Scones. There’s a War. Pronounced “skahns” or “scones”. Also war about whether you spread clotted cream or jam first. Whatever. They should come with an endocrinologist’s emergency number. Something about crossing an ocean makes diabetes not exist.

~ Ian Shaw - https://youtu.be/Hav1ElH45OY  - I sat and openly wept at this song when he did it live.

~ Rainbow Frog Biscuits - Look them up. Their guitar playing is magnificent and that voice was jaw dropping live too.

~ Slightly stern U.S. Customs Officer: “Anything purchased?”

Me: “No ma’am”

Her: “Nothing at all?“

Me: “Not of any consequence really...OK except for an aviation magazine at the Midland Air Museum…“

Her: (her eyes light up) “There’s an air museum in Midland England?“

Me: (my eyes light up) I start running down the planes that I saw. Line behind us is growing

Her: (turns to her computer, pulls it up) “Hmmmmm. Thank you so much for this. My father was on the design team of the 747 and if you get him going about anything aviation...” (shakes her head) “I’ll have to take him out there on this recommendation. Thank you so very much...”

~ Ohhh, I’ll be back…

xovg

**P.S. I have COVID from England. It has me a little loopy. I swear I say “Cheerio” when I sneeze. And I keep seeing a script in my head where Jason Isbell and Jason Bourne get together and beat the hell out of bad guys using cast iron skillets.