Puppet Repair

Last night I played my concertina in the street band for the lantern parade which was part of Ellesmere Winter Festival. 

We paraded through the town and the puppets danced at various points. Father Christmas was there arrived by narrowboat (the reindeer must have had a night off).The giant puppets and lanterns are all made by people from the local community and are very spectacular. 
 
As the keys of my instrument are small and close together I can't play in gloves. Playing it involves pressing metal keys so my fingers were almost rigid with cold! Good fun though and better than last year when the weather was horrendous.

It's good for local businesses as there were plenty of people around and there was a market and stalls as well as the shops.

Afterwards we went to a local hostelry where we had a session when we  played tunes and sang songs. They very kindly put on a buffet from the Greek restaurant next door which was delicious.

The blip is of when the head of one of the puppets came loose and needed a running repair.  The extra photos are of Ellesmere Wharf with a light display projected onto the wall of the old warehouse and of the rest of the band.