Who knows what music we will listen to. Wife and daughter are downstairs watching Strictly Come Dancing.Watching this is one of the few occasions when they can be in the same room together for any length of time without arguing.. so I can relax for a couple of hours and listen to some music.
It's Saturday night after a very warm and mild October day. Can't believe it's November tomorrow. It's almost time to look back and wonder where the year went.
Haven't done much today, was up early as my wife is still not sleeping properly and getting up at stupid early times.We went to see her parents. My in laws have gone into Christmas preparation mode (yes I know it's a bit early but that's them) and are hassling us for ideas for presents for the kids. Will have to get my thinking cap on. Did a bit of shopping, watched Spurs get hammered by the Arse on Sky and kept an eye on the Peterborough score (they lost as well).
When I was a young man, pre University Saturday nights sometimes meant going into London to see bands. I saw this lot one Saturday in the summer of '79 at The Greyhound in Fulham. My mate Simon drove us down in his mini and parked up at Kings Cross and me him and his girlfriend Laura got the Tube over. The gig was fantastic. This was the second time I had seen them. I had bought their first single (I think)- a great cover of The Troggs Can't Control Myself. Live they were outstanding. This song used to lead to mass stage invasions and lots of singalongs.
I went off to Manchester that Autumn and the band seemed to just disappear from the scene. Along with Back To Zero, Long Tall Shorty, Secret Affair,Squire, Merton Parkas and The Chords and The Jam and their album All Mod Cons ( probably the best album ever recorded)this lot kept me interested in music as a young man beyond punk and the New Wave.
The Teenbeats - Strength of A Nation
I have seen the original 7" single of this for sale on Ebay for £25. I thought they would be big stars, once again I was wrong.
After the gig the three of us got back to the car and got in. As we did so we were immediately surrounded by Police shouting at us to get out of the car. It seems they were convinced that Laura was a prostitute and we were her Johns. It never occurred to us being nice middle class Home Counties boys that the two of us getting into a car with a young girl around Kings Cross could be looked at as suspicious.
UPDATE A bit of googling after I posted this revealed that Dave Blackman the drummer with The Teenbeats died suddenly on stage in his hometown of Hastings last year. RIP
Saturday 31 October 2009
Thursday 29 October 2009
Back To Work
Back to reality. Humdrum days and humdrum ways again. I have a new member of staff apparently. My Boss rang me yesterday whilst we were driving over the North York Moors to tell me.Good job he did as I wasn't in the office long enough to take off my jacket when I got a phone call from a colleague to tell me the news.
Other than that, no one has missed me this last few days.
Walking the dog yesterday morning in the un seasonal sunshine and warmth I thought about life as it stands and had that gut wrenching moment of realisation that it's shit. I need to do something. writing about my life and loves has made me understand that I can do more than this. I just need to sort it out.
Other than that, no one has missed me this last few days.
Walking the dog yesterday morning in the un seasonal sunshine and warmth I thought about life as it stands and had that gut wrenching moment of realisation that it's shit. I need to do something. writing about my life and loves has made me understand that I can do more than this. I just need to sort it out.
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Back To Life
Well, I survived the weekend with the family- just. This year was not so good. The children are perhaps too old to spend three days with all their family in the seaside town they forgot to close down. I do sometimes think Morrissey had Hunstanton in mind when he wrote that song. My sister got on my nerves as she just didn't shut up. She had an opinion about everything especially, immigration which vexes the small town folk of the south- east greatly, if judged by my family at least.Those Poles and eastern europeans. eh!!! My Mum and Dad obviously find it all a bit much- the whole family for the whole weekend and are making less and less effort. The only bright spot was seeing our son who came up for the weekend. He seems in good form.
Anyway we are back in the North East. I'm off work and spending time chilling , rather than doing the decorating/deck cleaning I am supposed to be doing. My wife doesn't seem to mind so what the hell. Anyway its a long winter ahead. Dark when you wake up and dark from 5pm so plenty of time to decorate the house. And the decking can wait.
As usual I made up a CD of songs for the journey down to the parent's. I have done this for 10 years now and it has been a good way of introducing the children to bands they wouldn't otherwise come across and broadening their musical horizons. At least that is my excuse for making up CDs of my favourite songs and playing them at loud volume in the car. Unfortunately I forgot to take it with us this year. My daughter asked me where it was and chastised me for forgetting it.
Anyway see what you think
Sunny Hunny Oct 09
It's a zip file so you may need to download some program to unzip it.
Anyway we are back in the North East. I'm off work and spending time chilling , rather than doing the decorating/deck cleaning I am supposed to be doing. My wife doesn't seem to mind so what the hell. Anyway its a long winter ahead. Dark when you wake up and dark from 5pm so plenty of time to decorate the house. And the decking can wait.
As usual I made up a CD of songs for the journey down to the parent's. I have done this for 10 years now and it has been a good way of introducing the children to bands they wouldn't otherwise come across and broadening their musical horizons. At least that is my excuse for making up CDs of my favourite songs and playing them at loud volume in the car. Unfortunately I forgot to take it with us this year. My daughter asked me where it was and chastised me for forgetting it.
Anyway see what you think
Sunny Hunny Oct 09
It's a zip file so you may need to download some program to unzip it.
Thursday 22 October 2009
Absence makes the heart....
Sorry my dear reader I have been a bit remiss in posting this week and as I can see for the whole of October. I am away for the weekend from today so this is a sort of catch up post and also a promise of more regular updates in November.
No real reason for the lack of posting. I can't, regrettably, say that I was on a secret spy mission or even helping the Police with their enquiries into a multi million pound diamond robbery on the Cote D'Azur . Life, dear reader, simply got in the way.
I haven't listened to much music this week , mostly because I have been getting lifts into and from work due to the rain and so I have missed my main music listening times. I won't get to listen to much over the weekend either as I am parent visiting.
Its the annual family get together in Norfolk.As we are so dispersed - Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire, Newcastle and now, as our son is at Uni, London it's hard for us all to get together. We are not a particularly close family but this once year thing means that we all get together, our kids get to be together and it's a way of keeping the bond of family tight. It's not a very exciting weekend but it forces us all to acknowledge that we are family and recognise that that is important and in these more anonymous and individualistic times.
When I am in doubt about music or need to get back into it, I always go back to my favourite bands. As regular perusers of this Blog will know my favourite band of all time is The Wedding Present.
A slightly different link today. It's still The Wedding Present but this is a video shot as part of a Yorkshire TV documentary on David Gedge back in 2004. They are actually playing a Cinerama song in this clip
Careless
No real reason for the lack of posting. I can't, regrettably, say that I was on a secret spy mission or even helping the Police with their enquiries into a multi million pound diamond robbery on the Cote D'Azur . Life, dear reader, simply got in the way.
I haven't listened to much music this week , mostly because I have been getting lifts into and from work due to the rain and so I have missed my main music listening times. I won't get to listen to much over the weekend either as I am parent visiting.
Its the annual family get together in Norfolk.As we are so dispersed - Norfolk, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire, Newcastle and now, as our son is at Uni, London it's hard for us all to get together. We are not a particularly close family but this once year thing means that we all get together, our kids get to be together and it's a way of keeping the bond of family tight. It's not a very exciting weekend but it forces us all to acknowledge that we are family and recognise that that is important and in these more anonymous and individualistic times.
When I am in doubt about music or need to get back into it, I always go back to my favourite bands. As regular perusers of this Blog will know my favourite band of all time is The Wedding Present.
A slightly different link today. It's still The Wedding Present but this is a video shot as part of a Yorkshire TV documentary on David Gedge back in 2004. They are actually playing a Cinerama song in this clip
Careless
Friday 16 October 2009
Boredom
God this has been a boring day at work.Now if I was a clever blogger who planned his blog out I would have posted a version of The Buzzcocks song. But I'm not that organised.
The sun has come out again and I could have been out in it in the countryside enjoying the autumn sunshine instead of sat here in this office.
At least it's Friday- and the weekend starts here or so they used to say.
The sun has come out again and I could have been out in it in the countryside enjoying the autumn sunshine instead of sat here in this office.
At least it's Friday- and the weekend starts here or so they used to say.
Thursday 15 October 2009
Belgian Buns
I have just eaten something very naughty, something I have not eaten for a while.
About 15 years ago I had one of these delicious pastries everyday for lunch. This was not good and I got fat. Getting fat led to me running and so I suppose in a way these little beauties have made me what I am today- a slightly less fat middle aged bloke who goes running. Ha Ha!
Feast your eyes on a Greggs Belgian Bun and tell me you don't want one
I don't know where the desire to have one came from. I walk past a Greggs bakery everyday and rarely go in and haven't bought one of these for years. Just so you know- it was delicious!!
About 15 years ago I had one of these delicious pastries everyday for lunch. This was not good and I got fat. Getting fat led to me running and so I suppose in a way these little beauties have made me what I am today- a slightly less fat middle aged bloke who goes running. Ha Ha!
Feast your eyes on a Greggs Belgian Bun and tell me you don't want one
I don't know where the desire to have one came from. I walk past a Greggs bakery everyday and rarely go in and haven't bought one of these for years. Just so you know- it was delicious!!
Wednesday 14 October 2009
Lynch Mob
Sometimes in my job you have to meet people who quite frankly you would avoid in your personal life. Tonight I went to a meeting in a small community up by the airport. It is Royston Vasey only without Tubs, but I'm willing to bet that Pauline is there with her job club. In short it is a local houses for local people sort of a place and most "incomers" ,and yes they do use that word, get a hard time.
For the last 5 months I have gone to a meeting there about 1 family who are "terrorising" the village. This "family from hell" consists of the mum, her nineteen year old son who has learning difficulties and his younger brother and sister. Now they are not completely innocent but, faced with the barrage of hostility and rudeness from the locals ever since they they dared to move there six years ago, I'm not surprised they have reacted badly on occasion when they have been abused by their neighbours.
Anyway I really would rather just forget it than go over it again out of work, but the lack of charity and compassion and the mob mentality that can afflict some people makes me despair.
Jamie T - Sticks and Stones
For the last 5 months I have gone to a meeting there about 1 family who are "terrorising" the village. This "family from hell" consists of the mum, her nineteen year old son who has learning difficulties and his younger brother and sister. Now they are not completely innocent but, faced with the barrage of hostility and rudeness from the locals ever since they they dared to move there six years ago, I'm not surprised they have reacted badly on occasion when they have been abused by their neighbours.
Anyway I really would rather just forget it than go over it again out of work, but the lack of charity and compassion and the mob mentality that can afflict some people makes me despair.
Jamie T - Sticks and Stones
Monday 12 October 2009
Back To Normal
I started to feel OK again over the weekend. We went to Loch Fyne again on Friday- it's boring I know but we like it- and sampled their new autumn menu. I had a £10 off coupon as well which I supposed paid for the Taxis there and back. I was all for walking home over the Moor but my wife was a bit cold on that idea.
The weekend was quiet, just a couple of Facebook chats with my son, some housework and shopping . Not much music still this week but I am slowly getting back into the swing of it all. wish I wasn't at work today because I am not in the mood for it all.
Perhaps it's the not having a holiday this year? Or perhaps it's just boredom.
The wife hasn't officially been made redundant yet as she didn't get the job (now there's a surprise!)but that is more to do with her boss's incompetence than any real chance of a reprieve.So we are looking at her being made redundant as soon as January or as late as April next year.
I was a bit surpised to find that Mick - my mate who has gone to Belgium- has stumbled across this Blog.Kind words, Mick thank you. Next time do it in Flemish!!!
The weekend was quiet, just a couple of Facebook chats with my son, some housework and shopping . Not much music still this week but I am slowly getting back into the swing of it all. wish I wasn't at work today because I am not in the mood for it all.
Perhaps it's the not having a holiday this year? Or perhaps it's just boredom.
The wife hasn't officially been made redundant yet as she didn't get the job (now there's a surprise!)but that is more to do with her boss's incompetence than any real chance of a reprieve.So we are looking at her being made redundant as soon as January or as late as April next year.
I was a bit surpised to find that Mick - my mate who has gone to Belgium- has stumbled across this Blog.Kind words, Mick thank you. Next time do it in Flemish!!!
Monday 5 October 2009
Bleeuuuurgghhh Part Two
Still feel like crap but I am soldiering on. I was knackered all of last week and haven't slept well for weeks now.I had a burst of energy yesterday and did alot of gardening but today I feel a bit bleeuurghh again.
No music - I haven't been listening to much anyway.
No music - I haven't been listening to much anyway.
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