Illawarra Folk Festival

Hello, it's Lil Dylan, reporting for Nanny Lynne. She is in her bedroom, reading Joan Baez' autobiography her friends Sue and Danny sent her from Mt. Eliza in Victoria, Australia (47 degrees there this weekend!!)

Nan is also watching 'The Biggest Loser', 'So You Think You Can Dance', and 'It's Good News Week', so, I thought I would do her a favour and write about the Illawarra Folk Festival and her trip to Wollongong for her, she'll neevveer get around to it!

I loaded the software for her new Nikon camera then attached it to the computer and uploaded or downloaded the photos for her ??, edited them and bingo! I made a few little videos for her also. What was all the fuss about?

As you may already know Nan has been grey-nomading up and down our glorious coast.

Breaking her glasses and her front tooth, just before leaving home at 5.oo a.m. in the morning, had not rattled her, the little trooper .. she'll overcome her agoraphobia if it's the last thing she ever does. Tooth glued back on and wearing her new green cheesecloth suit, bag-on-wheels in toe, and loaded up with all 'soft' foods she boarded the train ready for the loooong journey.

Here's a snap she took at Gloucester or somewhere thereabouts.

She purchase a 'soft' pie. The glued tooth did not like the pie and decided to bury itself in the meat.

Hoping she did not look like Anne of Greengables from the bush, she bounced off the train at Central. It's been 30 years since she walked through the main part of Central Station, so I guess that is why she took a photo of - the clock ?? Go figure .. Squinting and trying not to open her mouth she walked confidently towards the Country Train platform .. Phew, Platform 14, on board and ready for the second leg of the journey to Oak Flats.

Gawking out the train window at the Terrace Houses in Newtown .. Erskineville .. Redfern, a tear came to her eyes. "I'm moving back if it's the last thing I ever do." Everything Nan has a problem with it's always 'the last thing she'll ever do' " I hate the North Coast, she muttered."

No photos could be taken of those tiny terrace houses all huddled together as the train was moving too fast. There is a picture here of a 'swoooosh', I guess that must have been of the lovely twisted little street she spotted at Newtown.

Arriving into the outskirts of Wollongong she took particular note of the stations, rang cousin Ralf at Shellharbour and ended up at Minnamurra, for hours .. waay past Oak Flats. (Terry D will get a laugh out of this, as on her last trip she found herself stranded at Turrella Station, no food except for a stick of cabanossi which she waved at the conductor (who yelled out to her that "she shouldn't ought to be sitting there alone on the station,") no toilet, no ciggies, various nuts circled her, lechers made approaches and a gang of hoods oggled her when she ventured up onto the main road, she felt quite at home.

It was after 6.00 p.m, and Minnumurra was miles and miles and miles away from Oak Flats, her destination. Uncle Ralf's mobile was turned off, the sand flies were hungry, Nanny Lynne was suffering from trainlag and couldn't think straight. Finally she decided to get back on a train to Oak Flats. Why didn't she think of that before 9.00 pm!!

All was well. The next day she set about getting her glasses and tooth renewed.

Friday night she rang Steve James and arranged to meet him at the Festival.

Hopping on the train and hopping off the train from Oak Flats to Bulli she arrived just in time to see Steve and his band 'Tamnesia' perform .. it was an emotional moment .. 40 years since they shared a house in 290 Dowling Street, she kissed him and dribbled on his shirt.

Kai Fech came on next. Nanny was very surprised to see the nice young man who had spoken to her earlier, up there banging the large 'bongos'.Must tell you what happened; Nanny Lynne, who had not had ciggie for a couple of days joined the lepers outside the Slacky Bar. puffing away and dancing or rather swaying and smiling at the people arrriving (with her new tooth and mended glasses, she was feeling quite pleased with herself, she had made it to the Festival in one piece. This rather attractive guy from Selegenesia ?? tight ringlets, cut in a bob and fringe gave her a huge smile and brushing his hair with one hand he said "I envy you" well poor old foot-in-mouth Nanny Lynne said "Why, because I have straight hair?" No, he said because you are truly happy. "So much he knows, she thought!!"

He said on stage "to be truly happy, one must know where one comes from, who one is and what one wants". Was he talking about Nan? Hey, he was right! Nanny is happy even though Fed has dumped her, she can still smile, once upon a time she whould have curled up under the doona after a breakup. I am proud of Nanny Lynne.

Next, off to see the old Mic Conway, of Captain Matchbox Whoopie Band fame, what a clown he was eating fire, playing the saw, blowing his jug and playing his ukelele or was it a guitar or both? - a one-man-band. His dialogue was absurdly witty.

Having too much fun Nanny Lynne? let's go and watch the Pete Seeger movie 'Power of Song' and cry your little heart out in the dark. That was okay, as everyone else was crying too "We Shall Overcoooommmmme," they all wailed at the end, holding hands and swaying.

The journey had been well worth it, and was made complete when the Whitetop Mountain Band came on in the upstairs bar. Steve was very excited and whooped and hollered as these two young 'uns from Virginnia fiddled, guitared, banjoed and such.

When young Emily danced Steve was even happier, so Nanny took a photo of her for him, though unfortunately that photo was 'swoooosh' also as she had not yet found the 'sports' or the movement button.

She also took a short video clip. Alas, only caught the end of the act - clicking the 'zoom in' button is not recommended while taking a video as it results in a series of jerky movements. Go see them on Utube.

TAMNESIA with Paul Bennett, Steve James .... video