18 Comments
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Momoko Abe's avatar

The story of your great-grandfather’s fiddle and its journey are wonderful. Can't wait to see the restoration! I also can't wait to see Mabel and the Big Wide World in book form. Looking fantastic already. I love the pink glove. What a lovely newsletter full of positive vibe!

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Jane Porter's avatar

Thankyou Momoko - I am so looking forward to playing that fiddle again! And I'm glad you like the look of the new book - it feels SO long since I finished it, but you know all about that too...

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Sophie Ambrose's avatar

I love how your shed job turned out to be a really special fiddle! Do put a photo of the restored to glory fiddle on substack!

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Jane Porter's avatar

I definitely will! Just on tenterhooks waiting for it to be ready to collect!

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Valerie's avatar

I’ve often wondered why the story was called a shed job - now I know ! Lots of great recommendations- thank you

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Jane Porter's avatar

Glad you enjoyed it Val! 🥰

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Nanette Regan's avatar

Your new book looks so sweet! I love the mouse characters!

It's so fabulous to read about your fiddle as well, how magical to find people who value it and understand it's history 🎻 🥰

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Jane Porter's avatar

Thankyou so much Nanette!!🥰

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Sarah Lovell's avatar

A great read :)

So pleased your violin survived and is being expertly looked after . How lovely that you found that shop in Edinburgh 🥰

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Jane Porter's avatar

So lucky! I'd never have thought of taking it all that way if I hadn't met Helen - very excited about getting it back in due course...

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Martina Aiko's avatar

I completely forgot about the holiday armadillo! Lovely to hear that the fiddle is getting the happy ending it deserves! Day one of advent has already seen three new books enter our home, so it’s shaping up to be a very book-heavy Christmas. Hope you have a good one!

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Jane Porter's avatar

I need to YouTube that episode and solve the mystery... Very glad to hear you are having a book-heavy advent - good luck getting those mini-books done!

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Angela Lyons's avatar

Can't wait to see the cover of the Christmas card.

I'm glad you kept the fiddle and trusted your instincts. Lovely newsletter as always.

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Jane Porter's avatar

I’m so glad I kept it too - though I would NEVER have thrown it away… so glad you enjoyed the story! Xx

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Nicola Kent's avatar

What a wonderful newsletter Jane! My heart is lifted this morning! I love the cabbie practising violin in the back of his cab in the queue at Heathrow! I love the whole fiddle story. And thank you so much for mentioning Giraffe too!.

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Jane Porter's avatar

Thankyou so much Nicola! And yes the world of fiddling is full of secret wonders! 🎻❤️🎻❤️🤫🥰

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Ruby Wright's avatar

Jane the fiddle story is sheer magic. I am so happy you persisted with the shed job and brought it back to life. Now will it find a place in a picture book? Also it reminds me of a short story, I can’t remember who wrote it about a violinist who sells his booking to buy his wife a hair clip, at the same time as she sells her hair to buy him a new bow.... do you know it?

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Jane Porter's avatar

I'm so happy I did too - imagine if I had listened to that man! And they did actually make me throw away the bow, saying it was infested with mites... but my Mum assures me that wasn't the original bow anyway. And that story you mention - I think I have heard it, years ago - so sad and so sweet! That's love!

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