Bernie hits the right notes around Fife

Chamber member Bernie Hewitt got back into the music business recently with a short show for the staff and residents at Headwell House care home in Dunfermline. He said “This was an interesting gig. I’ve been a regular on their entertainment programme for several months now, but that all stopped when the strict lockdown was imposed. When the restrictions were eased slightly last week we decided to try an outside gig, and that worked well. Everyone enjoyed themselves and there were no problems in maintaining social distancing.”

Bernie retired from his “real” job last August to concentrate on music, and was building up a reasonable list of places with regular gigs before the lockdown was imposed. These included weekly ceilidh dance sessions (as exercise classes) in three of the Fife Sport and Leisure Trust’s fitness centres, and repeat bookings in over thirty care homes and day care centres throughout Fife and beyond. He plays mainly traditional Scottish music, describing what he does as “If you think of Jimmy Shand and the White Heather Club you won’t be far wrong.” His music business has been wiped out by the Covid crisis, as his ceilidh classes involve a lot of social interaction and clearly care homes have been completely off-limits. “There is now a glimmer of light at the end of a very long tunnel” he said, “but it will be difficult to guarantee regular bookings here in Fife if they have to be outside. A friend has suggested re-titling the show ‘Accordion al Fresco’, but given the weather here ‘The Box in the Blizzard’ might be more appropriate.”

Bernie is currently offering short online ceilidh dance sessions at 1100 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/berniehewitt.music/.

These are free and open to all. He has also provided the occasional half hour session on the Fife Sport and Leisure Trust page as part of their ongoing online fitness programme.