Hey everyone,Well, we're back from the UK and getting ready to embark on some more touring through Canada and the States. We're sorry we weren't able to write a journal entry while we were in England but we actually weren't around computers that much (plus we were probably too busy stuffing our faces with chips or various products derived from clotted cream). Fortunately our hosts were much fitter than we were and took us on killer hikes.We did have an amazing time there, though, and were bowled over by how many people made repeat appearances at shows across the country. To be fair to our Canadian superfans, most distances were under three hours so most were more reasonable treks than what would be the norm in Canada. We do thank everyone who took a risk and caught the shows knowing nothing about us - and we thank those people who became fast devotees and familiar faces. Hi to all of you!Some of the highlights of the tour? Witnessing the "sleeping elephant" fells of Cumbria; not having to drive; the fabulous team at Emerging Music (Ken, Charles, and Sue); the encore cry of Britain, "More"; the pints; the chips; the cream teas; the beautiful lush, green countryside; going back to Rochdale to visit my Gran's old house and the pub she used to frequent and having a pint for her; the incredible history in the least obvious places; the strangely lovely views from motorway rest-stop restaurants; the roaring fires in pubs; the narrow, shrub-lined country lanes (but only because we actually survived them); the realization that more great music has come out of this tiny island than most places in the world; performing in the same room that the Beatles once graced!!!!; performing on BBC Radio 2 on the Bob Harris show; our gracious hosts in Stroud, Glossop, and Northwich; the beaches of Devon; the sunset-lit drive into Glossop; saying the word toque just to confuse people; lamenting the fact that Brits can't enjoy their own fabulous accents; being appalled by our own lack of manners and boorish pronunciations; trying to follow directions without being able to locate actual street signs; watching back-to-back episodes of Eastenders and Coronation Street; Nolene's wonderful cooking in Ireby and Nerys' porridge and salade nicoise; Annabelle's experience with cheaper violin strings in Leicester (look for the video to turn up on the site); my sheep friends on the motorway to Cumbria; seeing my friend Nicola in Chatham for the first time in 8 years. Ah, the list goes on but I don't want to bore anyone.Anyway, we plan on returning in one year's time so hopefully we'll see everyone again. In the meantime, we have some shows in Ontario and then we head to Montreal to play an official showcase at Folk Alliance. AAAAHHHHHH! I'm just a wee bit nervous but I'm sure it will be fine. Haha.And as many of you know, we were nominated for a Juno which is a very cool thing. You watch those shows when you're 15 and never imagine you might be a part of it. Strange. I will be happy if any of the bands nominated win since most of them are good friends.Check above for a couple of older messages from Ruth while we were in England. The one about discovering clotted cream was actually written on February 5th, and the other entry about flying to Toronto was written on January 21st.Bye!~ Nicky