A Disappointing Trip to Hereford

 Well, I got the things that I set out to get, so that was fine, but otherwise my trip to Hereford was a bit depressing.

A week or so ago, I was in Hay Market, and I saw something interesting at one of the junk/antique stalls by the Clock Tower.  It's a Chinese (or possibly Mongolian) instrument with two strings - I think it's called an erhu.  I've seen them played and I thought: "It's only got two strings - how hard can it be to learn to play it?"

So I bought it.

However, it needs to be played with a bow, and there was no bow with it.  So I went into Hereford to buy a cheap violin bow from one of the music shops there.

The first music shop I tried is now a tattoo parlour.

However, the party accessories shop a few doors down is still there.  I got my long red wig to cosplay the Demon Crowley there, and I wanted to get a short curly white wig to cosplay the Angel Aziraphale.  They had just the thing, although it's labelled a "Fairy Wig" and has some decorative leaves stuck to it, which I will remove.

So I walked across town to the music shop by the bus station.  By a lucky chance, the chap behind the counter had recently done a stocktake, and found one violin bow.  He also fixed me up with some rosin for the bow, and took a look at the erhu, adjusting it so it was properly tuned.

I used to spend the rest of my time in Hereford going round the charity shops - but there just aren't as many of them any more.  There's a new one about half way down St Owen's Street, by the YMCA, where I got a few things, and one has just opened at the top of St Owen's Street near the church (something to do with helping the aspirations of disabled people), but I still had plenty of time for a half of Wainwrights at the Lichfield Vaults before the bus home.  I was going to go to the Barrels, since I was in St Owen's Street anyway, but it hadn't opened when I got there.

Other shops I'd hoped to visit had disappeared, too - Cult Vintage has gone, so no more silk shirts in different colours, and the cider and cider brandy stall in the market has gone, too.  Shops are also moving out of Maylord Orchards, as the plan is for it to be transformed into a new Library complex.

Anyway, now I've got to rosin my bow and take a look at YouTube for instructions on how to play the erhu!