leonardcohenforum.com

This is a thread for all things walking.

Barmouth 2009, Haiger 2011, Galways 2013, Viladrau 2015, Balaton 2017

I know that I am supposed to be barred from posting for six months but Eastenders has just started and Jean is oblivious to anything I do when that is on . Therefore because my fingers are the only part of my body that I can still move now I am prodding at these keys to take this opportunity to say a big big thankyou to Diane and Tim for organising such a successful event . Jean and I had a fabulous three days in the company of a fantastic group of people who share the same passion for Leonard and the same wacky sense of humour . From the moment we walked into the Tap(as) bar on Thursday to saying farewell to everyone on Sunday night we laughed and then we cried with laughing.Sunday night was something else a Leonard night with Elvis in support .The number of wonderful moments that will stay with us forever are too numerous to list on this post . Cannot wait for the next one !
Thanks again Diane and Tim from Liptrot soon to be The Yorkshire Lad when I can figure out how I change my signature !

Oh Yes and in all my excitement did I mention I climbed a mountain as well !!

That was a truly eventful event. I'll write more later as at the moment I'm absoutely exhausted but just wanted to say that it was one of the best weekends I've had since my memory started failing.
It was the perfect way to enjoy the company of 1)those I'd met before, 2) those I knew but hadn't met before and 3)those who I didn't know and hadn't met before (I think the last category is a bit silly as if I'd have previously met them then I'd have known them)
A big thankyou to Diane and Tim for orchestrating this meet up. The memories are imprinted in my brain..some I will share and some I have been sworn to secrecy.
Must go catch up with some sleep..I'm not as young as I used to be
I also have a poem to write as requested by Bernie... I promised it would be done by Wednesday. I think I also promised 80 verses but I may fall short of that. ........ (to be continued)

Pete

Pete wrote: It was the prefect way to enjoy the company of 1)those I'd met before, 2) those I knew but hadn't met before and 3)those who I didn't know and hadn't met before (I think the last category is a bit silly as if I'd have previously met them then I'd have known them)

Pete

Bloody Hell Pete!! Either it's the alcohol in the pub or the lack of oxygen up the mountain that has sent me doolally because I don't understand a word of that ( is that how you spell doolally )

liptrot wrote:

Pete wrote: It was the prefect way to enjoy the company of 1)those I'd met before, 2) those I knew but hadn't met before and 3)those who I didn't know and hadn't met before (I think the last category is a bit silly as if I'd have previously met them then I'd have known them)

Pete

Bloody Hell Pete!! Either it's the alcohol in the pub or the lack of oxygen up the mountain that has sent me doolally because I don't understand a word of that ( is that how you spell doolally )

I aim to please

I will post tomorrow as well long journey home and the cats are not talking to me.

Perfect weather, perfect company Diane it will take lot to surpass your trip. And the view from Mount Snowdon well I just can't tell you

My speedo tells me I have done over 500 miles since I left home last Wednesday (and a lot of that behind a tractor). Paula I thought you were going to kill me when I heard the train had in fact seemed to be 'on the edge':-) Phil, you and Jean were so lovely, and such fun. I'm not going to mention a word about eggs, don't worry. Pete you are a poet as well as a singer and novelist?!

Gonna start at the end and then go back to the beginning cos it's impossible to post about everything all at once. Here is a pic of Ewan and Lisa, who gave us use of the bar in the Royal Hotel, even though they don't like Leonard Cohen, and without whom we wouldn't have been able to sing and dance. The last evening saw some final stunning performances by Pete, Henning and Joe, and dear Bernie, and was topped off by Ewan's own stint, opening with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFSfdL5lPoY althoughk Ewan sounded better than that to me (not joking). Ewan was singing to Lisa .

In this pic they are holding the LC card we signed to say thanks, which they have mounted on the bar wall. I didn't get a close-up of it cos my camera ran out of juice (but I'm sure someone did). If you are reading this, thanks again Ewan and Lisa, you are our heroes!



This is the card they wrote back:

I enjoyed myself so much that i decided to write an alternative to the words of Mountain of Mourne and dedicate it to everyone who attended the event but especially to Bernadine and Marian for making me laugh so much . I would like to think it gives some idea of the great time I had . Diane I hope you don't mind me posting poetry in this thread

THE MOUNTAINS OF BARMOUTH
(Sung to the music of mountains of Mourne)

MARY THIS BARMOUTH’S A WONDERFUL SIGHT
WITH COHEN FANS SINGING BY DAY AND BY NIGHT
THEY DON’T SING TO CD OR FROM MUSIC SHEET
JUST TO THE GUITAR OF HENNING, JOE AND PETE
AT LEAST WHEN I ASKED THEM THAT’S WHAT I WAS TOLD
AS TALL IRISH STORIES BEGAN TO UNFOLD
AND FOR ALL THAT I FOUND THERE I MIGHT AS WELL BE
COMPLETELY BARKING AND OUT OF MY TREE

BUT NO MATTER MARY I’LL GIVE IT A GO
I WILL CLIMB THIS ‘ERE MOUNTAIN AND BLISTER MY TOE
THEN IT’S BACK TO THE PUB FOR SOME MORE OF THE SAME
I THINK I CAN CONQUER THIS WALKING GAME
AND TO OUR DELIGHT A YOUNG CATHOLIC LASS
WHO IS VERY RELIGIOUS AND DEVOTED TO MASS
GAVE A RECITAL OF SOME PEDIGREE
WHERE THE MOUNTAINS OF BARMOUTH SWEEP DOWN TO THE SEA

SHE SPOKE OF HOW SOME THINGS IN LIFE CAN BE HARD
AND I SHOULD NOT GO HOME WITHOUT MARKING MY CARD
BUT BEING FROM YORKSHIRE I DID NOT UNDERSTAND
WE ONLY RACE WHIPPETS AND PLAY IN BRASS BANDS
THEN AS WE WERE SINGING TO THE GYPSY WIFE
ELVIS AARON PRESLEY CAME BACK TO LIFE
HE SANG DON’T BE CRUEL JUST LOVE TENDERLY
WHERE THE MOUNTAINS OF BARMOUTH SWEEP DOWN TO THE SEA

SO YOU SEE MARY DARLING I AM NOT ON MY OWN
WHEN YOU THOUGHT I HAD ENTERED THE ZEBADEE ZONE
FOR AS WE SAID FAREWELL ON THAT SUNDAY NIGHT
I KNEW WE WERE FLYING THE SAME KIND OF KITE
BUT AT LEAST WE ARE HAPPY AND THAT’S ALL IT'S ABOUT
AND IT PUT THE *GIST* OF MY THOUGHTS IN NO DOUBT
THAT LIFE IS TOO SHORT SO THESE FRIENDS I MUST SEE
AT THE NEXT WALKING WEEKEND WHEREVER IT BE



** THE PRONOUNCIATION OF GIST CAN BE EITHER IRISH OR GERMAN

Ahhhhhhhh Phil.... your poem has to be put on the poetry thread too ( please may i copy and paste it there). Its brilliant!

As we say here, you had to be there!!! .... no words can convey the fun we had and the connection we all made with each other. I am home now drinking coffee from my cup that Ken gave me and my daughter told me that she heard me laughing in my sleep last night.

Random memories..........

Phil looking at his 20 pound note like it was a photo of a lost lover
Henning dedicating Avalanche to me
Eating our lunch in a castle and Jean trying to eat hers with a pair of pliers!
Anne and I seeing Leonard winking at us every time Phil moved on his seat.
Judys beautiful infectious laughter
Ken's disappointed face when he found out we Irish don't like Christy Moore
Being asked to be models for some Hotel website in Wales ( even if the photographer said he had a lot of airbrushing work to do
The pianist serending us with jazz versions of Leonards songs as we ate
The magnificent sunsets
Joe singing that Woody Guthrie song
Meeting 3 guys halfway up a mountain carrying up an ironing board, and iron and a shirt in a wheel barrow, to do some extreme ironing at the summit
Me, thinking I was getting chatted up by two 27 year olds but Pete put me straight when he told me I was seeing double and it was one 54 year old
Reaching the top of the mountain.............. and falling on the way down
I could go on and on and I am allowed talk about it for 2 weeks anyway accordng to Mambo.

Diane, Tim, Ken, Dave, Henning, Christophe, Margaret, John, Judy, Liz, Pete, Judith, Mambo, Sinikka, Ian, Sally Paula, Joe and Anne , Linda and John................ a thousand thanks for one of the best weekends I ever had.

Anyway that is enough talking for now
A Still Tongue Makes for a Happy Life


Lots of Love
Bernadine

Brilliant !!! That is just so funny ... but it's making my thighs ache even more.

Diane, Tim and Margaret thank you so much ... I haven't laughed so much for ages ... a wonderful weekend.

Looking forward to seeing the photos ... especially Paula's

Sorry sorry sorry, I left Phil and Jean and our new cohen fan Liverpool Linda from my list.... I love you guys.

tinderella wrote:Sorry sorry sorry, I left Phil and Jean and our new cohen fan Liverpool Linda from my list.... I love you guys.

Only just in time with our names . i was just about to send the jazz police to escort you up that mountain again
Permission granted for the poem

Thanks Phil, you are a sweetheart. Cant wait for BArcelona so I better get my act together now and start emptying this case to fill it again on saturday

Some photos inside my gallery from the weekend. You'll know who you are.

One click on a photo takes you to its page. Another click on the photo takes you to its image. A third click on the bottom right 'arrows' avatar, takes you to almost full screen.

http://www.myfinepix.co.uk/gallery/19591

Brilliant poem Phil! Judy, you are the sweetest lady I have ever walked down a mountain with:-)

Byron that's a lovely set of pics. Now we know what the non-walkers got up to. Sitting by a lake suits you very well. Great pic of Linda, our new convert, with Christoph.

I got to Barmouth on Wed evening to blue skies and t-shirt weather. It was not the misty, damp weather I was hoping for, for the weekend, for some atmospheric photo-ops, but never mind. Here are a couple of pics from that first evening, taken from Barmouth harbour: