Brazilian classical Guitar

This is my favourite guitar. It's made by an apprentice in a Brazilian luthiers workshop. The tone is very sweet. It has taken a bit of stick over the years, I think its first owner was a flamenco fiend judging by the scratches around the soundhole.

I was rather shy and awkward with music for many years. At primary school we were pretty well expected to play an instrument and so I laboured away painfully with the violin. I couldn't read music properly but was too shy to admit it and I don't think Miss B really paid enough attention to notice and help me out, or put me out of my misery.
i remember an awful day walking home from school with my violin when the labourers on the local farm asked me to play them a tune, and I didn't know how to say no. I brought out my violin and scratched away at random for what seemed to me a reasonable length of time to constitute the length of a tune and then ground to a halt, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. They looked at me out of their calm blue countrymens' eyes and then clapped their hands politely.

At university in my first year, I used to go and sit and listen to a young Cumbrian guy practice classical Spanish pieces by Sor and various other composers, and Bach preludes. I asked him and he didn't mind. After a few weeks of doing this, he asked me if I would like to learn the guitar; he wanted to teach; he'd give me some lessons for free. I had never even thought of this and was amazed and happy. So I accepted his offer and used to go along sometimes when he was out at lectures, borrow his guitar and practice on it. After a few months, since I stuck at it, he suggested it was time for me to splash out and get my own guitar. I still remember it; it cost £35 and came from the Bristol Guitar Centre.
I have never been a great guitarist and I never will be. But I get immense pleasure out of being able to play. After a couple of years of playing classical studies, I suddenly realised I could play most simple folk tunes if I wanted.
Since then there has been no looking back...