TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Hello from Italy, where FC are enjoying a few relaxing days, apart from playing at the friends of Jethro fan club convention, Simon managed to find time to sample the local vino,

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 FC are staying in this beautiful agriturisme hotel, casa' Scaparone,in the wonderful Piemonte' countryside, Ric has taken to talking to the animals

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Thanks for the pix, Martin.  ;D

Fantastic,...... wish we were there.

Dennis asked....will Ric be bringing the donkey to Cropredy ::)

I reckon eeee awwwww to  ;D

The Casa Scaparone is an agriturisme hotel, meaning everything on the table is home grown. The Casa Scaparone even boasts it's own winery. The hotel/ restaurant presents live folk and jazz music nightly, on top of that the owner invites local musicians to use the hotel as a base for late night jam sessions, he also provides guitars and other instruments, inviting guests to join in playing, dancing & singing.

If anyone should be considering a short break to Italy, I assure you, you'll recieve a warm welcome here. http://www.casascaparone.it/

Bet the chaps aren't getting much sleep there then  ;D 8)

my lips are sealed Jen  :-X

As they should be Martin.. I'd never expect anything else...   ;D ;) :-*

Nice ass!

Ric's or the donkey's?

Ric makes friends with another of the Casa Scaparone residents and also helps with the egg collecting

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Linda Leslie & Ric, meet a fine white stallion before saying ciao to the local goat population

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Chris with Peppino, the most amazing tamborine player I have ever seen, he joined FC during their set to play Woodworm Swing, then later back at the hotel he joined in the session

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 Lovely pictures Martin, thankyou  :)

  Meanwhile, back in Blighty, the tempests blow..... ::)

I'm glad they still play sessions - they're the mark of true music lovers.  As soon as a band doesn't still want to play for the sake of it, then they're lost.

The tambourine man looks cool!

Jules

Sorry for the interuption in picture posting but it was lunch time, in Italy it's very important not to miss lunch  8) a campari spritzer to get things under way, then pasta with a glass or two of red wine, to finish a small cake taken with un cafè and a digestive.

The organisers of the convention presented the chaps with a special bottle of sparkling wine each, the labels of which carried their picture, here's Gerry

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Simon's mastery of the Italian language is coming on leaps and bounds, here he was explaining to the audience the story of Matty Groves  ::)

Whilst the second photo shows Ric & Peggy with Franco Taulino of the Italian Jethro Tull tribute band "Beggars Farm"  Jacqui McShee also joined Beggars Farm for two numbers,  Gerry & Clive Bunker shared duties on the drums.

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After the convention we retired to Casa Scaparone for a quiet drink and an early night  ;)

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Is that Peggy's bass uke he's wearing?

Sounds like you're all having a great time Martin.

Jealous, moi?  ;)

No Paul, Peggy was playing one of the guitars belonging to the Casa Scaparone. Fairports sound engineer Simon Yorath was playing the house cajon all evening, he now says he want's one for xmas, so if anyone has a spare cajon kicking around' speak to Simon, he'll be touring with the Aggies next month. In the photo, the guy sitting behind Gerry was playing a Crafter guitar which is another instrument belonging to the osteria.

It looks like they're all having a great time   :)

Yes, it was a wonderful weekend. The hospitality of the Italiens is incredible.
Thank you very much for the photos, Martin.  :-*

Thank you so much for all the information Martin, and the lovely photos. Brilliant stuff!       Once upon a time.....long long ago....in those halcyon days when Fairport had a website, this is just the sort of thing that used to be included, for the delight and enjoyment of all.   Aaah!...those were the days   :)

Hi Mag,

Fairport still have a website... http://www.fairportconvention.com/index.php  ;)

I don't see a mention of this particular event on it at the moment, however to be fair it was really a Jethro Tull thing rather than a Fairport thing.

Cheers

Nick

I'm glad you enjoyed looking at the photo's MagT but I mustn't take all the credit for the photo's because some of them were taken by Italian JT & FC fan Mattia Ghion, who kindly allowed me to post them here on Talkawhile.

In fairness to the chaps who travelled to Italy with their lovely partners and wives, where they have been kept royally entertained by their wonderfully attentive Italian hosts during their all too brief time here.
Where as I, apart from the one night I stayed at Casa Scaparone, have been and continue to stay with members of the Ghion family in Milan and right now here in Venice, where I have been blessed having constant access to the internet. Where as at Casa Scaparone because of it's remoteness there was little, or if with Vodaphone, no cellphone signal, which I know is the preferred choice of connection to the internet for the chaps when they are on the road, so that could explain why there has been no report forthcoming as yet.

Tee hee! I guess that's a matter that could still be up for debate....even after all this time   :)

no actual jethro tull, then??

No present Tull members at the event this year Abby.

The members of the Italian fan club Itullians have been organising this event annually for around 10 years, it's a great excuse to meet up with lots of old friends who come to Italy from all over Europe and some from further afield for a weekend of great music, not to mention the food & wine, meeting up like minded folk who share a passion for the music of Jethro Tull.

In the past Ian Anderson has appeared at the convention a couple of times, the full Jethro Tull line up has also appeared but the point of the event is not to create another Jethro Tull gig but each year to invite ex members of Tull to attend and play at what in effect is a celebration of the music of Jethro Tull. Mick Abrahams is a regular visitor, as is Clive Bunker, Glen Cornick, Barrie Barlow, Gerry & Peggy. Other ex members such as John Evan, Jonathan Noyce & Jeffery Hammond Hammond have each made appearances at previous conventions.
Many of the folks who come to the Italian convention also meet for the annual Tull convention in Spain, which is organised by members of the Tullianos fan club. This takes place annually in a grass covered hillside amphitheatre at Gavà, 10km outside Barcelona. Next year it will be held on July 3rd, so if anyone fancies a weekend break in Barcelona and you like Jethro Tull's music, I can highly recommend it.

Chris wrote a nice review on the Fairport site.

I had a look but I couldn't see it.Do you have a link?

http://www.fairportconvention.com/general_news.php

thank you, I don't know how I missed it first time! sounds like a wonderful place !

Italian pigs lay eggs?