Standedge Visitor Centre

An afternoon at Marsden Jazz Festival, but not quite the one we'd planned, which was to attend the gig by the Derek Harris Quartet and to go for a walk by the canal, not necessarily in that order.

But MrM had said he'd play with some gypsy jazz musicians in the morning at a café. It was an on--off sort of arrangement as J, who was organising it, had trouble finding a venue. (J seems to be the master of ever-moving 'goalposts'!) Eventually it was on, but in the afternoon. So MrM played with them for a couple of hours while I sat at the back of the café, had a coffee, and chatted with C, a complete stranger. Not entirely a stranger though - turns out he also sings with the Soul Choir, but goes to different practice sessions, so we'll meet again when the choirs combine.

When he'd finished playing, MrM and I walked along a short section of the canal to the Standedge Visitor Centre (which has been taken over by the North of England Centre for Music and Arts) in time for for the second half of the Derek Harris gig. Some excellent music at a fabulous venue on the first floor of the centre!

No time for a proper walk after that, and it was too late go go home to start cooking, so we ate at Compo's (fish & chips) on the way back.