I'm now relaxing at home, recovering from the craziness of touring for a month. It's incredible how tiring the whole travelling thing can be. It's taking me a few days to recover.
The show in London last Wednesday was fantastic, with the YZWs on top form as a group of Zulu girls had come to see them perform, so they added extra touches especially for them! They even had the whole 'groupie' thing to contend with at the stage door afterwards, which wasn't very helpful when we had a strict time limit to load the coach!
The next morning we were off through torrential rain to Leamington Spa and the group performed a great Gospel concert in the evening at St Paul's. A satellite navigational error left HR stuck in traffic, meaning I had to present the evening. But that was quite nice, as after all it is my church. The YZWs were very excited that there was a full drum kit to play on and much of the next morning was spent 'jamming' at the front of church.
Friday night was Banbury, performing Thula Sizwe in a beautiful domed church with great acoustics. There was a great turn-out and good atmosphere. Saturday saw us back in Leamington for the final musical show and that too was very well-attended. It was brilliant to see so many of my friends there and I think a good time was had by all. The shields were auctioned off afterwards and proved very popular.
And then the final day... 'WOMAD' (or should that be woMUD?) near Cirencester. It was our last show and also the last day of a four day festival in a field of mud. We were escorted from the coach in a trailer on the back of a tractor through the sludgy muddy tracks to the stage and then back again afterwards. The crowds loved the YZWs and for some it was the highlight of the festival. At least it was sunny and quite warm. Thankfully one of my favourite Zulu Warriors was gallant enough to lend me his gumboots so I didn't have to walk through the depths of what looked like melted Dairy Milk. I was exhausted and mud was the last thing I wanted to contend with... That one single act of lending me boots has guaranteed a lifetime of trips to SPAR when we get back to SA!
So now they've gone. And I've still got various Zulu anthems going round and round my head at all hours of the day and night. Don't know how long it will take to get them out! For about 3 days last week I was walking round as white as a sheet, with eyes stinging like I was about to burst into tears, my ears affecting my balance and generally suffering with dysglycaemia... not a happy situation. But I'm much better now I'm back with the sunshine out and Harry Potter nearly finished... a few more days of R&R should see me right again!
