blackberry way

Just got back from a week's camping at the gorgeous Blackberry Wood site in East Sussex, celebrating a non-significant birthday. A week of very simple living: cooking on a camp fire, reading, walking, lying in a hammock, ah - bliss. Bit of a shock to get home to work, essay writing, art making, veg planting, book reviewing, housework ... Still, birthday presents included a copy of the new Neil Cowley and, wonder of nostalgic wonders, Wishbone Ash's "Argus" from 1972. I haven't had a copy of it in many years, so delighted at last to be able to play along to Andy Powell on the Gibson Flying V and Ted Turner on Stratocaster. There was an odd coincidence just before my birthday when we were listening to an Inspector Rebus novel. At one point, Rebus is musing which his favourite track on "Argus" is - at which point, me and the narrator say simultaneously "Throw Down The Sword!". Once again, the neighbours have become very familiar with this track over the last few days - it makes a change from the folk down the road who seem obsessed by "Daydream Believer".