I first picked up a guitar when I was five. I'd never seen one before,let alone tried to play one. It was my first day in that particular children's home. I knew nobody,so as the breakfast chaos took hold,[there were LOADS of kids there]I sat on the stairs leading to the dining room. There was an acoustic guitar on the third step, which I picked up,put across my lap,started playing. I suddenly looked up and there were four grown-ups glaring at me. One said-in a most stentorian fashion-'BOY-WHERE DID YOU LEARN TO PLAY THE GUITAR?!?" I-being new at the whole concept of children homes,said truthfully "Don't be bloody stupid-I'm from the Shetland Islands and I'm only five!"....my very first interaction AND introduction to the British mainland, was being caned in front of that whole home...children and all grown-ups were present as I received a 'bloody good hiding'' [his words] on the school stage in front of ALL of 'em. At which point I made my decision-even though I was just five y/o. Consequently,I took a music degree in 'musical construction & interpretation',played with many famous names in recording studios-and own 11 guitars of differing types,from 12-string acoustic to 6-string fretless bass and I love and use 'em all. So I owe thanks to Ted Eden,the man who thrashed me with a cane [which he broke on my back] on my very first morning on mainland Britain,making sure every single person in that home witnessed it. Without his short temper and tendency toward violence causing that incident,I'd never even have thought of becoming a musician. It was some years-and several homes-later,I was informed the whole situation happened because the guitar I picked up was a standard right-handed guitar...and I was playing it left-handed,as if I'd played it for years. I have NO idea how or why I could play a guitar, without ever having learned chords or placings or tunings,etc...it was just 'in' me,the way artistry is just 'in' some of the greatest poets, painters,so forth. [I'll shut up now...sorry]

I was top backgammon player in the UK for just one week about 2 months ago....I was so pleased with myself. It was short lived though I slipped down the rankings pretty quickly to a miserable 67th at my worst....oh well I keep trying.

Hey, that is really something to be proud of Summer, good on you.......

I play piano but so out of practice these days
I write poetry
I can ice skate and tap dance but not all at once

Thanks Blue but actually the really good top players are not British it's not a game played intensively here. In the world rankings I would be nowhere to be seen

Keeps me out of mischief though

I first picked up a guitar when I was five. I'd never seen one before,let alone tried to play one. It was my first day in that particular children's home. I knew nobody,so as the breakfast chaos took hold,[there were LOADS of kids there]I sat on the stairs leading to the dining room. There was an acoustic guitar on the third step, which I picked up,put across my lap,started playing. I suddenly looked up and there were four grown-ups glaring at me. One said-in a most stentorian fashion-'BOY-WHERE DID YOU LEARN TO PLAY THE GUITAR?!?" I-being new at the whole concept of children homes,said truthfully "Don't be bloody stupid-I'm from the Shetland Islands and I'm only five!"....my very first interaction AND introduction to the British mainland, was being caned in front of that whole home...children and all grown-ups were present as I received a 'bloody good hiding'' [his words] on the school stage in front of ALL of 'em. At which point I made my decision-even though I was just five y/o. Consequently,I took a music degree in 'musical construction & interpretation',played with many famous names in recording studios-and own 11 guitars of differing types,from 12-string acoustic to 6-string fretless bass and I love and use 'em all. So I owe thanks to Ted Eden,the man who thrashed me with a cane [which he broke on my back] on my very first morning on mainland Britain,making sure every single person in that home witnessed it. Without his short temper and tendency toward violence causing that incident,I'd never even have thought of becoming a musician. It was some years-and several homes-later,I was informed the whole situation happened because the guitar I picked up was a standard right-handed guitar...and I was playing it left-handed,as if I'd played it for years. I have NO idea how or why I could play a guitar, without ever having learned chords or placings or tunings,etc...it was just 'in' me,the way artistry is just 'in' some of the greatest poets, painters,so forth. [I'll shut up now...sorry]