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It was described by the estate agent as "a traditional cottage in need of care and attention." In fact it was four stone walls and a heap of sheep poo.

Now it is four stone walls, a roof, a wood-burning stove and a lot of books and CDs. I write here and I play music in some of the local pubs, lugging my banjo into the sessions at Newmans', Oliver's or Lowry's, playing whatever traditional tunes I know and singing the odd song.

Not too far from the house is the village of in the shadow of Diamond Mountain, a pyramid shaped hill that is the heart of the
.

There can't be too many mountains that feature so much in the musical life of a nation: 's 'Diamond Mountain Sessions' was recorded here, and local sisters 's album, 'Under
The Diamond' is a wonderful collection of tunes.

As I listen to it now, I can hear an echo in their playing of the fiddling of their grandfather . Jimmy died in 2003, he was a fine fiddler with the most amazing style of playing I have ever seen.

His left hand seemed to grip the neck of the fiddle in a stranglehold and his fingers hardly seemed to move at all yet somehow he hit all the right notes and played with a lift and a swing that was remarkable.

If you get a chance to hear Liz and Yvonne's CD then do. Something especially magical happens when families make music together (think of , and ) - the playing of the Kane sisters has that magic too.