Amanda Guitar

I came across a woman in Sydenham Woods last weekend busily digging up a wild garlic plant "to plant in my garden". When I asked to stop because in the woods everyone could enjoy them and explained that it was against the law she said airily "I don't think it is". So owner of the great dane or anyone who knows her, here's the thing... Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is unlawful to uproot any wild plant without permission from the landowner or occupier. To uproot (digging) a plant means to 'dig up or otherwise remove the plant from the land on which it is growing', whether or not it actually has roots. Even plants growing wild are the legal property of somebody as they have been cultivated and under the Theft Act, 1968, it is an offence to uproot plants for commercial purposes without seeking authorisation.

I'd recommend John Dickinson http://dickinsonamps.com/about/ who works above Antenna Studios in Crystal Palace. He's done good guitar repairs for me, is a very nice man too and it's a pleasure going to his workshop.

Please don't contact me unless you are recommending a handyperson you have used - I don't want to hear directly from handymen!

Can anyone please recommend one? - other than tinap79...

My son also started with ukulele lessons when he was 6 which really helped with muscle memory for strumming patterns. The lessons were with Jose at Twang Guitars in Penge which he really enjoyed. We also played a bit together at home - but not loads of practising. He shifted to playing the guitar when he was in year 4 using my travel guitar - an Ashton Joey - which although about half size has an amazingly big steel sound which appealed to his interest in loud rock but also low action so easy to play! He also started playing my cheap and cheerful electric guitar and is now a rather more confident rock guitarist than I am with the help of a neighbour who has been teaching him. So probably more luck than judgement but he's definitely a committed a guitarist now. I do think choosing the right guitar is important when they start. I had lessons at Twang too and they were good and good value too - quite a lot of different teachers to choose from - including at least one woman at that time. Personally I think gender role models are really important for girls particularly when they are young. Even now I go to guitar workshops and I'm often the only woman. Good luck!

We meet on the last Monday of the month upstairs at the Old Nun's Head for an informal tunes (not songs) session. It is a fun way of learning by ear to play folk dance tunes from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, US, etc. For more confident players, we take it turns to teach one new tune each session and most in the key of D or G major. The sessions are FREE but please buy a drink at the bar. If you can play an acoustic instrument a bit which works in those keys, come along and give it a try, and meet some like minded people too. We are building up a repertoire, and we run through a few of the ones we already know each session. Please visit the beginners session page on the Goose is Out website for more details or reply to this post.

Hi Nunhead mum, I've been toying with the idea of trying to start a folk tunes session for kids to play at, which as you say is probably best not in a pub. If and when, I'll definitely post on hear. Are there any other families out there who'd be interested in their kids doing something like this so I can get a feeling of likely interest? It would be about teaching tunes to play together rather than teaching the kids to play...

I was forced to play piano and violin as a child and hated it, mostly because I didn't like my teachers and wasn't interested in classical, and gave up as soon as I could. Had a midlife crisis when I was 40 and had just had my second baby and started playing the acoustic guitar. By the time my kids were old enough to be interested I was regularly playing in folk music classes where you learn traditional dance tunes by ear and then all have fun playing in unison and the kids were used to hearing me practice. My son started off with the ukulele when he was 4 and then shifted to the guitar - getting hold of my electric guitar as soon as he was able - and although he claims to not be interested in folk music he can hum along to most of my tunes. My daughter plays the violin with a teacher who does a mix of classical and folk tunes and I'm hoping to one day talk her into coming to the free beginners tunes session which the south london tunes collective run the last Monday every month at the Old Nun's head. My son's more self motivated about practising than my daughter unless I play with her but we've always had a "do at least 5 min every morning before school" and this seems to work as there's too many distractions after school. This is a long and rambling way of suggesting you start playing something yourself and play with others - it changed my life - and they'll learn from your enjoyment and practise habits and then you can always play together :-) If anyone out there is interested in the tunes session in Nunhead, details are on the Goose is Out website... all acoustic musicians are very welcome!