Airport Antics

Robin is now acclimatising to life at home.
He did perform an extra concert on the Queen Victoria, as she circled off the coast of Istanbul, waiting for the sea to become calm enough to dock.
All the staff and crew were very grateful that he stepped in, at only 30 minutes notice, to entertain the patiently waiting guests.

Then the eventful journey home began.
Whilst going through customs at Istanbul airport, Robin was taken to one side, searched and questioned.
"Have you visited any other countries before arrival in Turkey?" was the first one.
With thoughts of the film 'Midnight Express' coursing through his head, his mind went completely blank.
He couldn't remember one destination he had been to in the last week.
"Errm, ohh, you're not going to believe this but I really can't remember," didn't seem to satisfy the officer.

Eventually, he pulled himself together, explained that he had been on the Queen Victoria, and handed the official a Turkish landing card.
The customs men were happy, and off Robin went.

Once I arrived at Manchester airport to meet him I was greeted with the information that his plane was an hour late.
That was OK, I'd made arrangements for children to be collected from school, so purchased a newspaper and rather enjoyed some time reading and some people watching.

However, as the information on the screen shifted to 'landed', then, 'arrived', and slowly to, 'reclaiming luggage', (yes, I'm very familiar with the whole process, and for those not so used to it, don't be fooled by the 'reclaiming luggage' stage. Sometimes that only appears once you have already been reunited with your loved one, or, they are wandering around looking for you, whilst you while away the time in a coffee house thinking thy are still disembarking...)
But still no sign of Robin.
Even on the occasions of missing luggage, of which there are many, (try this one, or this one, for a start) he should have appeared by this time.

I was starting to become concerned.
Then, finally, he appeared and all was revealed.
He must have been looking particularly shifty on this day, as once again, he had been stopped at customs.
Not just stopped and asked to remove shoes and go through the scanner once again, I mean seriously stopped.
Taken off to an interview room and asked to sit down.

"So, Mr Hill, how long were you in Istanbul?"
"Just under two days."
"That seems a strange length of time."
"Well, I was just passing through."
"Passing from where?"

He we go again.
But this time he was ready, and recalled the various destinations, reasons for his travels, which was reinforced by the concert guitar in a large, protective case right next to him...(which had already been scanned and proved to be completely harmless.)
Finally they let him go.

Strange really.
He passes through the airport so frequently that you would think he was on first name terms with most of the staff.
Then again, maybe that's the problem.
Frequent traveller, multiple destinations, glazed travel weary expression...
Anyway, he's home and he's fine, as thankfully he was able to convince the various customs officers that he simply wants to play his guitar, and make music.

Back to the Airport and Snow.

Today will be a first.
Robin going to the airport to collect another Hill family member, instead of being dropped off, and heading away for a few weeks.
At least we had one full day without making this familiar journey...

We are all very excited. It has been a strange couple of weeks really.
Robin away, then son number one, for a whole week, the first time this has happened, and a situation that has truly stretched the umbilical cord to new lengths.

I'm sure he has had a fantastic time, and hope that he hasn't given us all a second thought.
At least we have five days, all together, before Robin goes off again.

But first we have to negotiate the journey in the snow.
We rarely get snow here.
Today we have it and more is forecast.
Still, we did go out and pelt each other with snowballs first thing this morning, you have to make the most of it don't you.

In fact the last time we had any real snow, Miss.Bimps looked like this:



She's much bigger now, but enjoyed it just as much.
Happy Easter to you all!

Bonjour de Paris

I didn't need to worry.
In the end there wasn't time for Robin to go and try out a few guitars, so he went straight to the airport.
It was a shame really, as it is always good to keep your eye on available instruments, and Robin gets a great deal of pleasure from it.
It is however one of the few things that causes him to break out in a sweat. He just gets so excited by the whole thing that he can't help himself.
He once tried out some flamenco guitars in Seville.
It was 40 degrees outside, and Robin remained calm and cool, until we got inside the shop!
So for the comfort of the other passengers on the flight home it's probably a good thing he didn't go.
But as he is a frequent visitor to Southern California, I'm pretty sure he'll get there in the end.

After an overnight flight from Los Angeles to Paris I had a call this morning with a jovial Robin claiming the flight 'etait un morceau de gateau'.
His humour has gradually declined as the day has progressed, especially when he saw a flight leaving for Manchester, but couldn't get on it as his luggage was checked onto a later plane.
Still, what's another 4 hours hanging around.......

Home or South America?

Gales, rain and even the threat of snow - ideal flying weather.
Robin is en route for Heathrow and then has to transfer to Manchester.
He nearly wasn't though.

This highlights the unpredictable nature of life as a musician.
Early evening yesterday I had a call from Robin as he waited in Los Angeles airport.
Our London agent had 'phoned asking if he could divert Robin to South America.
Now, I don't know about other musicians diary keeping, but back in December Chris Foley ran a poll on the methods used to keep track of concerts, rehearsals etc. You can read it here.

We couldn't contribute to the poll as the category we use, wasn't available. That is of course - me.
Robin's reply to the agent was therefore, "I'm not sure, I think I've something on, you'll have to call Anna."
Which he did.
I then had a frantic few minutes as I tried to work out if Robin could in fact stay away for another week and go onto South America, before travelling back to North America for a pre arranged concert.
The diary was packed.

When Robin is home I have to fit in any appointments he needs which results in a rather busy time. All of these could have been rearranged, but some were important.
In the near future Robin has a trip to a rather exotic country which requires extra travel protection, ie, Malaria tablets.
If he didn't collect them next week he wouldn't be here long enough to start the course before the trip in March....
Even that is solvable. I could have arranged for the relevant medication to be forwarded to a port somewhere and collected by Robin whilst on his travels.

But then I realised that one date couldn't be changed.
A private performance at the weekend which has been organised for a long time.
We don't like to let anyone down, so, I had to say no to South America.
You have to remember that all this was going through my mind in seconds, as I scanned the diary, with the agent on the 'phone waiting for an answer. It was obviously hectic at his end as he tried to resolve the problem.
Normally, like most musicians, Robin always accepts work, even if it requires some reorganisation. But on this occasion it wasn't possible.

Meanwhile I had an image of Robin, waiting patiently at Los Angeles airport, unsure if he was to catch a flight to Heathrow, and then home, or, South America, which ultimatly would have resulted in a total of 5 1/2 weeks away.
As soon as I'd realised he couldn't do it, and confirmed this with the agent, I called Robin.

The temptation for a practical joke was just too great.
I have after all been on the receiving end of many.
"You're going to South America but they are flying you home for the weekend, then back again...."
Silence.
"Only joking!"
Relief.

At the time of writing Robin has arrived at Heathrow and we are now waiting to see if he gets through all the security checks in time to make his connecing flight.
I'll let you know - tomorrow.

New York and the Ancient Mesopotamian Proverb

The guitar concert went very well, and I trust the passenger Robin met, who expressed a passion for a certain composer, enjoyed the Dowland!
Robin has now arrived in New York, is in the process of leaving the QM2, and, is very keen to start his journey home.
He has a lot of hanging around to get through before boarding the plane, but, is enjoying being on dry land, and the weather, which is warm, if a little humid.
I think he'll get a shock when he arrives in Manchester to find it rather colder than he has got used to.
He has already planned a trip to the toy shop at JFK airport, and it will be interesting to see if the assistant remembers him again, as she did last time.

For Robin, a day without the chance to practice, is very frustrating. He passes the time by working on his computer or listening to music, but, what he really wants, is to get home.
I'm sure this is the same for any traveller, keen to return to family, and not relishing the prospect of an overnight flight.
In fact, here is an ancient Mesopotamian proverb, circa 2000 BC:

"Pleasure is beer, misery a long journey."

Somethings never change...

Lost Luggage Again.....

One relieved guitarist is back home.
After flight changes, security checks, missed flights and finally arrival at Manchester, the sting in the tail was, of course, lost luggage.
This happens so frequently it's hardly worth a mention anymore.
At least Robin's guitar is now allowed back in the cabin of the plane so we didn't have to worry about that.
It's also not as traumatic on the return trip.
Past experience has taught us that having to perform concerts in a borrowed suit is not much fun.
We have been assured that the luggage it is on its way, and will be delivered shortly, by a courier who we are almost on first name terms with.

Not one to let jet lag get the better of him, Robin has already taken the dogs out for a much needed walk, and is currently on an extended bike ride with son number one, in the pouring rain.

No doubt he will be tempted to do some practice on his return.

Robin Hill Remembered, in a New York Toy Shop...

You know you have done a lot of travelling when you go into a toy shop in the JFK airport, New York, and the assistant says, "Oh, you back again so soon!"
I was quite amazed, and amused, when Robin told me this had happened.
She must get hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of customers each week. It's not even as if Robin is buying large, expensive, presents each time. It tends to be just a small memento for the children.
Mind you, there can't be quite as many shoppers with large guitar cases slung from their shoulders.

The journey home proved the usual tedious event we all now expect with air travel.
Robin's direct flight was cancelled, reason unknown, so they put him on a flight to Heathrow.
On paper it should all have worked out fine.
Except for the security checks.
So he watched his flight to Manchester depart, whilst he was still trying to get into the terminal building at Heathrow.
Coincidentally, I read this related article today, by David Millward.
I think Robin was beginning to think, "Why do I do this?".

I certainly was.
Having got two children up very early to go the airport, then a call to say wait for further information, by which time we were all too wide awake to go back to bed.
Shouldn't complain really, at least we'd been to bed!

So there we have it.
Instead of getting home at 6 am, Robin is now biding his time in Heathrow,due home approximately 6 hours late.
I know that doesn't sound a lot, and if you only travel by air a couple of times a year, then it's manageable.
But it's very frustrating when such a lot of your work is done outside the UK.

So next time you are at a concert, watching a musician from abroad, just remember the trials they have gone through in pursuit of their music.
They just want to play.
Unfortunately they usually have to jump through a few hoops to do so.

Hill is Home and Shakespeare Quotes

Robin is now home and in remarkably good spirits.
Just for the record, he ended up being away for 3 weeks and 13 1/2 hours, due to a delay from Heathrow.
So near yet so far.
This had the result of cranking up the tension even further in two small, excited, children, so by the time Robin finally emerged from the depths of Manchester Airport, the grand reunion brought a tear to even the most hardened of passing business men.

Robin was up with the lark and straight back into the swing of things.
There's guitar practice to be done, and the microphones that arrived whilst he was away, need to be tried out.

It's fantastic to have the 'sounds of music' drifting through the house once more.
Or, as Shakespeare put it:

"How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music creep in our ears."

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
The Merchant of Venice.

I have noticed though, that Robin has taken to practicing in the studio, rather than the music room.
This is on the 3rd floor of the house and therefore quite removed from day to day family life.
I wonder if he has got a little too used to his own company after three weeks...
We'll soon knock that out of him.