This has been a very different year and one that finally sees the proper beginnings of my retirement; now possible thanks to pensions and a legacy. Circumstances meant that there was no Newsletter in 2023 (lucky for some!) so this one includes a few references to events last Autumn. No pictures this year as due to new computer and inefficiency it didn’t get sorted in time. Pictures will go up on the website in the News section https://mikeruffmusic.co.uk/news/ early in the New Year.
The family and many friends celebrated my mother’s life of 94 years which came to an end just before Christmas last year with her Funeral in February and then a Memorial Service at Amersham, where she grew up and was married, in May. A wonderful legacy of caring, giving and independence of spirit.
My own 70th birthday early in the year gave me time to reflect on the good times, make changes and celebrate with family and friends with parties in February and September.
Tradamis, with twenty years as an Educational Charity and a few years before that created some wonderful projects, collaborations and resources not to mention the training of teachers and practitioners, now seemed to have served its purpose and has been formally wound up.
Allcock & Brown have hung up their hats – again – after over a decade! Chris and I are more than likely to work together again at some point if the opportunities arise. As a parting gift their two albums together, Almost Gentleman and Nuts, Rags and Old Iron Bedsteads, are now available to download at https://theendlessbookcase.com/music.
Since Lockdown the mAy team’s wonderful Large Maypole that sustained the team through many wonderful shows found a home at the Chiltern Open Air Museum. Those years of collaboration are now at an end and, after more than a year of looking at possible homes that Maypole is now supporting a cottage in Wales, providing ballast for a boat and part-repurposed as a rather original bird table. Many happy memories.
In 2017 I started as the tutor for EFDSS famous Thursday classes of English Country Dancing at Cecil Sharp House and seven years seemed a good time to retire from them – once again at the second attempt. I leave it in good hands and with thanks to the Education Department we finished with a wonderful part with flowers, speeches and cakes. As a footnote, I was sad to see the end of the Folk Educators Open Space Group which was set up during the pandemic and proved a lifeline for myself and others; but that need had passed.
Barn Dances – Of course, I am still being asked for these, sometimes with other bands as a caller or accordionist, at others it is solo with recorded music and we even get a few gigs for Quicksilver and I definitely pick and choose the ones I want to keep life interesting and, hopefully, stress free.
Care Homes – A way of keeping my hand in with both accordion and voice as well as feeling that I am giving something back. So many of the audiences make are deeply appreciative.
Talks – Still offering a wide range to many different groups. Stories and Songs from the Music Hall and History of Country Dancing are still the most popular but new titles are being added as ideas come to me or to clients.
Other Gigs – These appear at random and happen if they sound interesting. So, Autumn ‘23 saw a concert appearance which might still lead to more and this year there was “Dying for Life”, where I sang series of songs on the theme of death and how different societies deal with it, and eight solo shows at Milton Keynes Museum (it’s well worth a visit!) for their Victorian Weekend. There is already a mAy team gig in the diary for Compton Verney Museum in May.
Books. My long-planned book on the History of English Country Dance is very definitely back as a project and I hope to launch it during next year while a complete revision of The Quicksilver Barn Dance Book is almost ready under a new title. There are couple of other ideas that may happen after that. Meanwhile The Maypole Manual now available in e-book and download formats is selling overseas and with an upgrade of the website will be given a new push for the new season.
More Talks – These were planned as a “retirement project” some years ago and now seems a good time to give them a push especially as they will tie in with the various book launches – plans are afoot!
Meanwhile, I am learning to relax and enjoy myself a lot more than in the past. This includes trips away with a few days in Rotterdam last autumn and this year short but enjoyable trips to Dundee, the New Forest where we scattered Mum’s ashes, Hereford with Baroque Dancing thrown in, and Edinbugh. Often, I take the opportunity to catch up with friends and I hope to meet up with many more of you next year and beyond. There was a major refurbishment of my flat so the living room is now a place to relax and I am enjoying discovering some paintings to put up on the walls. There is still plenty to do to clear the garage and office of paperwork and clutter which might keep me out of mischief.