Stephen Leathley has spent much of his adult life in the music business playing guitar, piano and singing in an eclectic range of live gigs and studio sessions. He has spanned rock, pop, classical, country, blues and jazz over a 55- year career, and describes his recent stint as vocalist for Florida’s premier 17- piece big band as ‘The most fun I ever had musically”.
These days, he has given up performing to concentrate on Riverside Cottage Holidays, but he maintains a foothold in the business by teaching music through the “Riverside Guitar Workshop” here at Oldford Farm. Beginners and intermediate players attend a 2-hour weekly class with 6 or 7 other students who want to learn or improve on guitar and music theory. “It means I can justify holding onto my collection of around 25 vintage guitars” he says, just in case Maria might be thinking he doesn’t need them any more…
Stephen is thrilled when guitarists or musicians come to stay and want to get together of an evening and play some tunes by the river over a beer or glass of wine, so don’t forget to bring your instrument of choice…
Maria qualified as a nurse before moving onto social work and healthcare management. Most recently, she became a realtor in the State of Florida where she and Stephen lived between 2009 and 2019.
Since acquiring Oldford Farm and Riverside Cottage Holidays in 2020, she has developed a keen interest in the wildlife and ecology around the farm. She can be seen several times a day feeding swans or checking on the progress of cygnets or newly hatched ducklings, the biggest threat to which is Rupert the cat, who adopted Stephen and Maria soon after their arrival in 2020.
She is also greatly interested in antiques and plans to find an outlet to allow her to retail some of her ever-growing collection, perhaps here at Oldford farm.
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