The Well Hall

From: Miranda Ward, December 7, 2003

David Raddatz, December 7, 2003 wrote: 

Miranda, what is Well Hall? Sandy played there?

I am sure that there is a bootleg of a gig of Sand's there - and I am even certain that have it somewhere thanks to someone on this list..

It is not lost - but securely packed away with the whole collection that I am trying to compile, in triplicate, for G and the twins. I haven't managed to get 3 of everything yet and I do have gaps - but I am sure it exists. I never was, dare I say it (-:) !!) a folkie! I was far more into blues and then rock. Sandy and I knew when we clicked and realised that we were reading each other's minds - but we never could work out when it was and how it was that we first met. It was not until the drive from the hotel to the site when, with Bambi Balard, I gave a lift to Martin Carthy that I solved that mystery - whilst active in CND. I also went out with a guy who loved folk music, played a bit and took me to folk clubs - I had completely lost touch with him and never realised that he did make a name for himself on the folk scene but had died, Martin thought, in the 90's sometime. I know that I first went to Cousins Bunjies etc with him and thus Sandy and my paths first crossed...

As I unearth more things I am archiving stuff properly. However most of the CDs are already packed away for safety. I only keep a few of the official CDs to hand. "Gold Dust" being one and my most frequently played one - I have even packed away the casettes I have of the full concert! That is one I itch to lay my hands on now!!! Plus the bootleg "Gold Dust" tour one! I think that you are a long term listee here and will know that I am slowly collecting triplicate sets. G took a couple back when she was here in '99 but asked me very specifically to keep all the others for her until later. She need not worry about them as my brother, who knew and loved Sandy too (and got on well with David) is also a solicitor and knows my intentions plus I am now re-writing my will - but it is complicated by the fact that I have to set up a trust which will take money which, at the moment I do not have because of the settling of my mother's estate and my big move!!

It is in the pipeline and letters of intent exist which will over ride earlier wills - especially the main one formal one I re-did after hearing that both David, Neil and Edna were all dead - I was tyold that by Anthea when I bumped into her in '89! That one had to have provisos to pay for tracing Georgia and the cost of that plus she would have had to know who I was and that I was one of her God-parents! Thanks to Mojo in '98 (and Warner Brothers Records for hooking me up with Jim and saying he was a good guy so thus that article back then) that I actually 'found' G. John Penhallow gave me her number and then called her to warn her as to who I was!!! She had 'heard' my name but didn't know more and certainly did not know the story behind her mother's death - and even referred to her mother as 'Sandy' which I found upsetting.

I have tried in the past to get G's number from John PH but he couldn't help the last last time as I think he was out of touch with G and I guess the Attics are bare... I do have a number for G somewhere - but am hoping she will make contact with me - if she is still on the list or if any other listee is in touch with her!! Heaven alone knows if it is still valid - anyway I haven't got a clue where my address book is and her mobile number seems dead! This last year has been a very jam packed one for me with resolution of a lot of things.

Both Swarb and I dearly wish that G could have lived over here for a while and spend some quality time with the offspring of her mother's peers. Seeing Jerry D and Pat so proud of their daughter at Cropredy, despite their divorce and both having new partners really brought home to Bambi and me how much Georgia had missed by not having a stable extended family. Still pissed off that Sandy died with no will. Mad that Trevor did not return things of mine - let alone things of Sandy's that he didn't want and also not to mention the many books of my mother's which Sandy had borrowed!!! Including P G Wodehouse (some first editions ouch!) and Agatha Christie's - which, had he been a reader he would have kept and G would have now! My mother forgave Sandy but not Trevor! And then to top that he died with no will and then Marianne too... Okay, in our late 20'/early 30's we all thought we were immortal - but Cass' death in '74 was both my and Sandy's wake up call. I had no idea that she had never done one - or maybe only letter of intent which must have been lost. My father lectured us both about wills and life insurance policies. He nagged me to set one up - it worked and will mature soon - if I die before that it goes to my estate - it was for my debts (!) and Sandy's benefit. He also tried to get Sandy to but didn't want to play the "heavy father" role with Trevor. A shame Sandy wasn't more of a feminist - she also wanted to protect Trevor's image, which reflects her generousity of spirit, I never realised that he couldn't really write until we were on the road in the States and we all had post from parents and friends and she had drawings and notes from Trevor.

One bit in the biog that took me a back was how hurt Trevor was that David had slammed the door in his face. It was said that. I must have made David mad at Trevor! Not true. We were all upset. As the 'husband', despite leaving her, he overrode both Sand's parent's and brother's wishes (and mine). We had all agreed that somehow we would keep S on life support for as long as possible. He flew back in. Stayed at a friend's place. Visited the hospital and signed consent for machine to be switched off that night at 8.00pm. The hospital called us before he appeared on the doorstep. Neither Neil nor Edna would let me have him in my flat - nor did I want to but I did manage to persuade David to come downstairs into my parents part of the house and talk to Trevor. I left them in the drawing room and loitered in the hall. Yes, David did slam the inner fornt door up to my flat - I thought the glass would have broken. He was very upset. I had loitered in case they had ended up in a fight in Ma and Pa's part of the house. I don't really know if the readers (or even the FC crowd) were aware of how both our parents and brothers all knew each other and that Neil and Edna had come straight from Cornwall and were staying with me in the top half of the house but also having meals cooked etc with and by my parents. It was not any of the FC crowd there for support (Linda came round once - on the Wednesday and I took her up to Queen Mary's - but they had moved S after her hyperthermia and body temp plummetting and so we went on to the Atkinson Morley (?) I then drove Linda back to Phillipa's)- it was a band called the Movies who were good friends of mine and thus of Sand's - I didn't really realise until later how they had all but had a rota for shopping for essentials, fetching coal up for the fire etcetera etcetera....I am lucky. I know that if I should die suddenly and tragically that all my dear friends know who the others are - even if they are not that close themselves with each other they will def., for my sake, help keep each other's spirits up and be there for each other..thank God Sand did not live to see how a number of her crowd closed ranks and excluded me because of the way Trevor had behaved.

To be fair, none of us really knew how to cope with sudden death like that. We were all so young. They only had Martin's death (well, some of them) and I had had to cope with Cass'...Swarb's quote on that was spot on and I still love the guy dearly! He knows that - as does G! Another of that bunch did say that they did think of me but no one knew how to find me! A shame - all it would have taken was a note through the letter box addressed to me! An American friend did that on the off chance and we had lost touch since '73. It got to me! Synchronicity. The family who bought the London house were, and still are 2nd cousins of the family my parents bought their house down here from! The young family who have bought my parents house now - her father worked with close friends of my father and knew and respected my God-father who was eminent in his field. His (the new family at my parents house) father used to race (sail boat) competitively internationally and crewed with my cousin who was my brother's best man...and my uncle had a half share in the boat he sailed most often on plus he took his son's on sailing trips with his friend who owned the other half many years after my uncle had taken my brother and his youngest son on the same 'lite' sails to see if they could hack it! Not my scene! Also they have an Irish Water Spaniel I have a Belgian one! I knew when they were barely through the gates that they would be the new incumbants!

Any way a new p[hase of my life has started - and no - I am not going to go posting mad! This is far too long! I will most probably post when I've touched base with Georgia again. I know there is a way to look at a list of all those on the list. I think that there are a lot of new ones - I hope so - it shows how the interest in S's work is starting again - and long overdue! Of all the lists I have been on this one has been the most friendly and I hope still has as old timers still here! For those who celebrate Christmas - my good wishes. For those who just have a holiday - have fun! Any gifts that are bought for a person because they have their name written all over them mean far more than expensive 'designer must haves'. Especially if they endure! I still have presents S gave me - like my orange tiles and now there are 12 again! And also she once gave me a set of peel off/on stickers of a tortoise. We used to keep any stash there...she stuck stickers on school diary, mark book etc..(I hastenb to add it was a very small tortoise!) But she relished the word play of taught us..dah dah!! I found the last sheet with 3 stickers! Needless to say that would still bring a smile to my face even if she had not died...but then I would have been on the phone to her for the last hour or so!!! G will get the tortoise eventually I expect!