Chapter 5

Brief update - as I'm sitting here one of the Surrey Uni computer rooms twiddling my thumbs (so to speak) for a couple of hours...

For those who don't know, I've just this week started at The University of Surrey. I'm going to be doing a PhD here but this week is mainly full up with induction lectures and meeting new people etc. I've met some lovely people, I am slowly getting to find my way round the maze that is campus - with much help from new friends - and the sessions (those for which the speakers have turned up anyway - hence my free hours today) have been helpful, especially for someone like me who is new to the Uni. But nevertheless, I'm itching now to actually get launched into some proper work. Although I've done some great things over the past few months (not least of which have involved many music things and several family holidays) and I needed some time to sort out practical things like getting rid of my Cambridge flat, I guess I didn't realise til now quite how much I've missed actually having something 'proper' to do - you can only do 'nothing' for so long...It was such a weird feeling being in that inbetween place. But still, I have to try to be patient and make the most of this week while I can, and try to get used to all these changes that are going on around me and in me. Plus I'm sure that soon enough I will have far too much to do again !

I am also still enjoying the music, with rehearsals every week now and various performances having been/upcoming - for instance the listings for the Sheffield Folk Festival (in which we're playing) are now up here ! Do check it out, if only to see that our names are actually on the website for a Folk Festival ! :-) It's all very hard work, but so worth it. We're working on new material at the moment, which is all very exciting - although, the songs do have a tendency to get very stuck in my head, to the extent that all the people round me must wonder what I'm going round humming to myself !

Anyway, enough rambling from me for now...since I'm here on Campus, I'd better go and use the time a bit productively and go do some more exploring, before the talks we have later this evening !