The Time Between Christmas and New Year

Up until last year I used to work between the two holidays. Nowadays as a customer focused organisation we are closed . There is some irony in those two things but unfortunately nobody else in my organisation seems to get it. As always I am on the outside looking in.

This enforced holiday is not unwelcome necessarily- but if I had a choice I would work- and this year at least it has got me out of answering the telephone to the customers with burst pipes and frozen roads and pavements (not that these last two are anything to do with us).

Not that this holiday has been uneventful. On Christmas Eve my son went to the local NHS Walk In centre because he has an ear infection. On Boxing Day my father-in-law slipped on the ice and badly cut his forearm. I spent two hours in the General Hospital Walk-In centre with him and he had four stitches in the cut. It left him a bit shook up but luckily there was no other damage. On Sunday my mother-in-law went to the Walk In due to a severe chest infection which hasd been developing since Christmas Eve . My son was back at his GP today as his ear infection has left him a bit deaf in one ear. He got some antibiotic eardrops.

If any of you reading this are from the States- this is Public Health care as it should be i.e. free at point of use. None of these visits cost me anything up front- we even got the antibiotics without prescription. It has its shortcomings but the NHS is a great British institution and something that all us Brits should be proud of.

Not to be outdone by all this, my brother-in-law who is a terrible hypochondriac, took to his bed on Monday claiming to be suffering from a severe sinus infection. The consensus of the family was that he was faking it for attention, which of course his wife- my sis-in-law gave him in spades. I like my brother- in- law but he is a terrible baby and behaves-and is treated by his wife- like a 5 year old. He finds the Christmas visit quite fraught because he doesn't have his wife's full attention.

We went with our son to watch Newcastle v Derby last night. Absolutely freezing cold and a terrible match as well. It's strange that after years of refusing to go and watch The Toon , my wife has been this season quite happy to go along. She says it's because the pressure is off and she can enjoy it.

Music wise it has mostly been the usual Christmas music. But today whilst walking the dog over the frozen tundra that Nuns Moor has become this last week I took my MP3 with me and this song came on. Standing amidst the white snow and ice covered Moor with only me and the dog in sight I sang this at the top of my voice. This is indeed one of Embrace's best ever songs. This version was available on download only.

Glorious Day- Embrace

Christmas Day

I am having a blindingly good Christmas Day. All the wife's family round. Lots of drink, good food - mostly cooked by me- and no arguments or bad temper.

Life doesn't get much better than days like these.

Christmas Eve In The Workhouse

Well really the Workplace but sometimes it feels like a workhouse. Anyway enough of this Bah! Humbug. It's Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you have a good one. Things are more or less set in my house. It will be a White Christmas as well which is always a bonus.It's time to overindulge and get sentimental.I am already thinking about how I ended up being 48 with a wife and an 18 year old son and sixteen year old daughter.

My wife has decided to not think about jobs for a few days and just enjoy the time with her family. My Sister- in- law and her husband arrived safely from Surrey so we are altogether.

My Mum and Dad drove from Norfolk to Stratford to spend their Christmas as they have done for the last 10 years on a SAGA holiday and then go to my sister's in Didcot. My brother and his family are settled and well so it's all OK for the holidays.

Not everyone will have a good Christmas due to illness, death, relationship breakdown, domestic violence or homelessness.So I urge you to make sure if you are lucky enough to not be in any of those situations that you enjoy yourself and thank whoever, or whatever, you believe in that you can enjoy this time of year.

For me, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Phil Spector's Christmas album. If you don't already own it, then go and buy it on Boxing Day.You can buy it from most decent record shops or from here. It is well worth the fiver or so you will pay for it.

This track is not one of the usual ones you hear from the album but I like it and talk about a voice!. Enjoy your holiday!!

Marshmallow World-Darlene Love

Let It Snow

The second time I have used that title for a blog entry.

Well it's not so much snow falling more the existing snow refusing to melt. Today the temperature was 2degrees centigrade when my wife dropped me off at work.That's the warmest it has been all week.So Friday night's heavy snowfall is still present on the side roads and all the pavements outside the centre of Newcastle. This is making walking to and from work quite arduous , hence me getting lifts from the wife.
She is not too hopeful about her interview yesterday with a leading Registered Social Landlord for a one year contract Change Management job. Still she is in a for a further interview in the New Year.

My son arrived home last night. He seems much the same only more grown up, he seems a bit taller as well.He's got a nasty cough so his mum is already fretting about him.
My daughter was out for another meal last night. Monday night Scalinis at the Three Mile Inn and yesterday evening she was at Unos in town.The Quayside was eerily quiet and some bars didn't appear to be even open.

Christmas is around the corner. Yaaaaaaaay!!!!

Christmas No.1

So Rage Against The Machine beat little Geordie Joe to No.1 in the Nation's Chart. I am pleased with that. His Miley Cirus cover The Climb is an abysmal tune.A Disney pop song by numbers.Does it mean anything that RATM are number 1.Probably not. I did download the song Killing In The Name from Amazon (for only 29p!!)but i doubt it will feature much on my MP3. Never liked RATM much musically although they had their moments. Liked the politics though so I am happy they are No.1 especially if gets some more young people to start to question the world they live in more. If they do we will see some real change.

Still snowing here in Newcastle today but very lightly. My walk to work today was a winter wonderland as snow was falling, all around me. There weren't any children singing though. (Thank you Shakin' Stevens for that thought)

It's (almost) Christmas Time

Last proper day of work today. I'm in next week but usually it is very very quiet

The first snowfall of the winter here has made it seem much more christmassy- it was pretty cold last night and on my walk to work this morning my ears were ringing with the cold despite my woolly hat.

We took our daughter to the Doctor's yesterday as her cold/flu/whatever was not clearing up. The GP suspects swine flu!! He has prescribed some anti biotics, but not the Tami flu stuff.

I m already sick of Christmas songs because they are always playing the same songs again and again on the radio and as much as I like Frosty The Snowman I am already sick Of Bruce Springsteen telling me I'd better watch out.

There is , however, a new Christmas song by one of my long time favourites - Billy Franks. Billy was the voice and inspiration behind the sadly underachieving 80's band Faith Brothers. Regular readers will have noticed a couple of their songs that have been posted on this blog. Billy is still recording and gigging- around London mostly-_and recently featured in a film "Tribute This"

Anyway here is a link to his song Christmas in Jersey

It will only cost you 79p and its worth it.

Here is a link to his My Space site and his own website where you can buy more of his stuff -including Faith Brothers releases very reasonably.

Wednesday Week

Another long gap in my updates of this Blog.Not much to report really, Christmas is coming, I'm getting fat- too many mice pies already!!

My wife didn't get the job she was interviewed for last week. She had an interview for another job yesterday and I hope she gets that one. Failing that she has an interview for another job next week.

My daughter is back at school but still not 100%.

Music wise it has been a quiet week, although I did pick up a boxed set of Velvet Underground Singles-different versions to the albums. Not exactly cutting edge but I was inspired to do so by watching a 6 Music Hub session of Little Boots and Gary Numan doing a version of Venus In Furs. A beautiful woman singing a song about sado masochism to an electronic beat, I mean what's not to like about that? Shame about the old bloke in a very bad wig who was also on the video.

You can buy the boxed set here

You can see the session here

Edit 17/12/2009 I see the session has been taken down.Shame but you can still see Little boots singing another of her songs.

101 er

I didn't realise I had reached 100 posts. That's not bad for a project I thought I would get bored of very quickly. Not yet time for a year end review so I'll move on.

My wife has been finished for a week now. In that week she has applied for three jobs and has an interview tomorrow for one of these. Less money but it is within the NHS- a world she knows. Anyway, fingers crossed.

She is doing voluntary work for the West End Refugee Service which she is finding frustrating and emotionally draining.I am trying to keep her positive and trying very hard to make her do things. Preparing for Christmas helps. She is at least sleeping better.

My daughter is not well still but not taking anything.

The dog is very confused by the change in routine and my wife being off work.

This song popped up on my MP3 player on my walk to work this morning. I love this song.

What- Soft Cell

This version is better than the original- as was their cover of Tainted Love.

Frosty Tuesday

First frost of the Winter. It's not a particularly bad frost. But it is cold. Cold, bright,still, no wind- thank God. The great lakes of water on the moor created by the torrential downpours of Friday night and Saturday have a thin layer of frost on them. Some of our waterlogged pots had frost covering their tops.

It was a cold but refreshing walk to work today.

It's my wife's first day of not working. She was up earlier than normal but seemed OK. Apart from six months after we graduated this is the first period of her not working in 28 years.I'm not sure how she'll cope. But its got to be better than having her crying every night, hasn't it?

This is a song from a different era. I can't say I was a huge Chelsea fan but they had their moments.

Right To work- Chelsea

Hey, Teacher! Leave Them Kids Alone

No this is not a post about Pink Floyd.

It was my daughter's parent's evening at school last night. I hate these nights but my wife always insists we go and listen to the teachers. Working as she has done for years in HR, she is a big believer in feedback and coaching etc. As for me I say every time that they are going to say she is a lively girl, participates well in class but lets herself down by rushing her work and not planning it out properly. And what did the teachers say last night? Exactly that. My daughter is in Year 12 (lower Sixth to us oldies)so the game has been upped a bit from GCSEs and she is expected to provide analysis and comment in her work not just regurgitate facts. Neither me or my wife are convinced that she can do proper analysis.I'm not saying she is stupid, it's just that she accepts everything more or less on face value.

I feel sorry for these teachers mind you. They are arranged like cowboys in the Wild West in a circle of wagons whilst the parents, like the Red Indians (not very PC , I know) roam around the circle picking them off on by one. There is an appointment system but some parents (this is a private school with highly, highly motivated parents)dive in and take your slot unless you are very firm with them. If you are very unlucky your appointments coincide with the parents who like to spend their ten minutes berating the teacher for their offspring's lack of achievement. I remember one year a parent- a father- bellowing at a poor teacher " You were useless when you taught me and you are even worse, now!" Our son did confirm that the said teacher was in fact useless but if I had been him I would have chinned the father. As it was the teacher just sat there and looked as if he didn't give a fuck. He did retire that year, mind. Who'd be a teacher? Not me.

Our daughter is a very good dancer and has innate rhythm and musical ability. Already our thoughts are turning to post AS and A levels and,perhaps, University, dance schools, performing arts academies. It won't be long before she is gone.

I had a quick conversation with our son- who has already gone- yesterday. It went something like this

ME " How are you?"
SON "OK- can't talk I am late for a lecture"
ME " OK, ring us in the next couple of days for a chat, then"
SON " OK. Bye , Dad!

I'm not complaining but he doesn't even post updates on Facebook.How is a parent supposed to know what their children are doing.Ha Ha!

My wife has calmed down a bit. Her last day will be Monday. The next few months will be tough and it is a bad time of year to be off work and on your own in the house. I will have to rearrange my work to make sure I spend more time with her.

This song is a repost but It is appropriate for the mood I am in.

It's the veteran German punk band Die Toten Hosen and their anthem "Steh auf, venn du am boden bist" , loosely translated as "stand up proud when you have been knocked down, or I suppose even more loosely and borrowing from Chumbawamba, "I get knocked down but I get up again". Get up, stand up Julie!! Illegitimi non carborundum

Steh auf wenn du am boden bist

A view from the edge

My wife's redundancy is pending, she will be going next week having chosen not to work her notice period. She is in a bit of an overexcited mood. Me, the reality has just sunk in. We are looking over the edge of a very high cliff and there is no way to go over except to jump. Hope we have a soft landing.

Down and Out

My wife is being made redundant.Despite the title of this entry , I think that this is a good thing. Her unwarranted demotion and the way she has been treated didn't really leave her much choice. She didn't realise until yesterday when her new boss started and asked for reports on things she could read herself that my wife realised she was definitely out of the senior management structure for good.

Fingers crossed it will all work out OK. I am sure that it will.

From Despair To Where?

Another defeat for Posh at Sheffield United. I'm glad I didn't go. Mark Cooper he enjoyed himself he says, Posh played well apparently. George missed a penalty.So no "new manager bounce". 11 points and at the bottom of the Championship. We are going down.

Have spent a lot of time listening to Editors new Cd " In This Light And On This Evening". It's not bad. The single Papillon is the stand out track for me. I do really want to love this band but so far they haven't made a classic album. They have achieved moments of supreme art (if you can call rock music art) , but have to yet make a great CD.

Below is a Live track recorded by Bradley of Bradley's Almanac fame from 22nd January 2006 from a club called Great Scott in Allston MA.

Blood- Editors

Thursday's View

This week has been frankly tedious. I have done precious little at work so far as I have cleared up any backlog that existed last week. This week has been mostly about chasing up other people to find out why they haven't done what they said they were going to do and interviewing /telephoning tenants who haven't paid their rent. It's always the same question " why are you trying to evict me". I have honed my response down over the years to the simple "Because you are not paying your rent". slightly insulting maybe but quite effective against the usual surly attitude of our "customers".

Thierry Henry has gone down in my estimation after last night's handball incident against Ireland in the Play offs for the 2010 World Cup.Clear handball. Having said that the Irish should have put it beyond such cheating and there was no guarantee they would have beaten France on penalties (where it was heading.It is a funny old game. It is now surely time for video technology. Platini will be chuffed.

Just Like That

So, Darragh Macanthony (our millionaire overseas property magnate Chairman) has appointed Kettering Boss Mark Cooper to the job at Posh. Mr Cooper has management experience (so one up on Darren Ferguson at the time of his appointment) but, (and this is a BIG but) only at Conference level. Now this would have been fine by me if we were still in League Two and I would not have been too bothered if we had been in League One. However,bottom of the Championship we may be, but it is STILL the Championship and a much different League - as we have already found out.Darren's managerial shortcomings have been - if only sightly-exposed and now we are asking a lower league manager to sort it out. Big long ball, anyone?

Darragh is a very successful businessman. He is a millionaire.I know this because he and other have repeatedly told us so. So one part of me says "We can trust his judgement, he knows success and business and what works". He has appointed another "young and hungry manager"- younger than Darren was three years ago. But I just wonder. His letting go of Darren without much fuss. His quick appointment of an inexperienced (at this level) new guy has a tinge of either desperation or "couldn't care that much" about it. I hope I am wrong.

Good luck Mark Cooper I am behind you as I get behind any manager of my team. I don't hold out much hope for our chances of survival in the second tier unless we get some decent defenders in, whoever is the Gafffer.

Posh We Are

The ongoing manager saga at Posh has left me perplexed. Was he sacked or was it- as they are now saying by "mutual consent" that he left. Is Bazza right, has Darren been tapped up by a bigger club? The performance of both Bazza and the Chairman at the Press Conference earlier this week was less than convincing.Darragh was constrained, Bazza was not but their game plan to try and move on beyond Darren's exit did not work.

Anyway it's only a game.

It's a funny old game

It seems that Posh have sacked the manager Darren Ferguson following the slip to the bottom of the Championship after the comprehensive defeat at Newcastle. There is nothing on the Club's website but it has been widely reported across the media.

Now I firmly believe no one manager or player (or for that matter Chairman) is bigger than the Club so I view this sacking as yet another indication of the weird business that is football. To sack a man who has taken the team to the Championship from mid to low table League 2 in two seasons beggars my belief but I don't own the club.

This is the first mistake Darragh Macanthony has made and I fear it will cost him a lot more than the compensation owed to Darren who only signed a new 4 year contract in the Summer. It is a funny old game as Jimmy Greaves says, but it is only a game.
Good luck to Darren who has shown he is at the very least competent as a manager.

Newcastle Supporters Trust has launched their "Yes We Can" campaign to raise enough capital to buy out Mike Ashley. Good luck to them. I can't see them doing it and they have overlooked the fact that Mike Ashley will only sell at the right price and even then doesn't have to sell to anyone if he doesn't want to, but good luck to them all the same.

Music today is another track from Hope and Social. I hope you have at least checked out their website.

Hope And Social

Monday, Monday.

A good weekend. went to see Posh play Newcastle at

www.yourenotfamousanymore.com@StJamesPark.

We were down and out after 20 minutes and two early goals from the Toon.Posh were pitiful and it took 56 minutes for us to have a shot on goal.The players seemed a bit overawed by the occasion andfor most of the match we made Newcastle look good which, believe me, is not easy.The 40 thousand odd Toon army seemed to have paid their money with the sole intention of having a go at the big fat Cockney wanker(TM), which as regular readers will know endears the muppets even less than usual to me.Now why pay a minimum of £15 just to shout abuse at someone who obviously couldn't give a monkeys. Surely if you really did want him out you wouldn't pay money into his businesses?

There were lots of chants of Stand ups for St James Park and Ashley Out particularly from the top tier of the Leazes Corner.I was in the middle tier Sir John Hall stand with the wife (£20 a seat) and sitting with the home fans.

The one thing that struck me about the crowd (as it always does at www.yourenotfamousanymore.com@StJamesPark) is how pissed most of the fans appeared to be.It particularly made an impression on my wife who hasn't been to a match for a number of years. The stench of beer was overwhelming and the constant up and down to the bogs was as irritating as ever.Now I know that football fans everywhere like a drink and I 've been to a few grounds and sat with the home fans, but here it is always noticeable how pissed most of the support is.Even worse than Ibrox.The season ticket holder sat next to the wife was so pissed when he turned up 10 minutes late that he was unable to speak. He disappeared 10 minutes before half time and didn't come back, although he didn't leave the ground as we saw him as we left the stadium, past the mob chanting for Ashley to get out.

After the match (which Posh lost luckily only 3-1), we went to a fireworks party at a colleague of my wife's home in Whickham. A pleasant evening with lots of food and beer, party games and , of course, fireworks. Very little expense had been spared to entertain us and the fireworks were pretty spectacular(well, she did inherit a thriving funeral business last year from her uncle). We weren't in bed until after 1am and spent Sunday hungover and slightly jaded!! Our daughter was babysitting for the second time this week (she's earned £50 for it!)but had gone onto a friend's house locally after.

Our son is in Germany for the wall celebrations, he hasn't contacted us so we are assuming he is having a good time.

Here is another video of The Wedding Present from the Yorkshire TV documentary of 2004. This is one of my favourite songs

Blue Eyes -The Wedding Present

Alone again or... (part whatever)

Wife is out , daughter is at her dance school. It's me and the dog again.He is curled up at my feet waiting for the post tea walk.My tea was some cod in parsley sauce over quinoa.
Now I can't quite get to grips with quinoa.I was a proper vegetarian for almost twenty years so I don't have a problem trying different things. I use cous cous and Bulgar wheat but there is something about the little grains from Peru that I just am not sure about. The wife won't have it, even though it fits well with a low GI diet.

Talking of the wife, she seems OK, a bit down but she has come to accept the situation so is starting very tentatively to move on.

I have just found out that The Rakes have split up. I liked them,but not enough to go and see them. They weren't outstanding but they were more than competent as this clip shows.

The Rakes -We Danced Together

Back to the Future

After a week off my wife is back in work and being told that she is being made redundant and getting her 90 day notice letter.She has been offered another job in the 5th tier of management (after being 2nd tier for 10 years). The pay is frozen for 5 years and then drops to the new level which is currently £15 k below what she earns now.

Now, what to do? My advice all long has been for her to leave , take her redundancy and get another job using the redundancy to subsidise any lower salary and paying off some debt along the way.She is torn between staying and going. She has lost all confidence going through this process and doesn't think she could get another job at the same level anywhere else.
I just want her to be happy and I can't see her being happy staying and watching erstwhile "close" colleagues who have done nothing to support her, continuing to operate at a higher level than her and knowing their salaries are still increasing due to their progression through the grades whilst hers gets effectively less and less.
God knows I have had to come to terms with second raters going past me in the promotion race and I know it would really do my wife no good at all to have to come to terms with it as I have had to. I want her to take some control back and say No to her boss and leave on her own terms rather than be airbrushed out of the management structure. Life isn't all about money, it's about dignity and self respect as well. It would mean big changes but I am ready for that. Not sure she is though. My brother-in-law's experiences since being made unexpectedly redundant a year ago haven't helped, only hindered her taking the right decision. Both him and my wife want, as we all do ,security. Sometimes there is security in trusting your own judgement and making that hard decision.

My brother-in-law has prevaricated about taking a job with an hour and half daily commute each way but finally has decided to take it. I think it's another mistake but I wish him success.

I suppose that this is just another part of getting older. Your parents get more doddery and then die, your kids leave and you don't get that promotion you have been looking for.

Saturday Night On The PC....

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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!!

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

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!!!

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.

Bleuuurghhh!

I don't feel well. It started on Saturday morning as we were taking my son down to University in London. I am congested with a sore throat and aching limbs. Is it swine flu? I don't know but it feels like a virus. Have been too congested to sleep all through each night so I am knackered. I was planning on being off today anyway to do some painting but instead I am here coughing over my keyboard and feeling sorry for myself.

I am also feeling sorry for my wife. She is being interviewed for her own job today. If she doesn't get it (which her boss has already told her she thinks is unlikely) she will be made redundant or she could take a lower status job on a protected salary. I just want her to be happy so I will back her whatever she decides.

I am also feeling sorry for myself as I am missing my son. I knew I would but it will still take some getting used to.

I have decided that in order to cheer myself up I will spend all day listening to music.

I'll start with this:

Maid In Heaven- Be Bop Deluxe

Its loud and with a great signature Bill Nelson guitar coda

Big Weekend

Well, coming up is probably the biggest milestone weekend since we moved to Newcastle from London 18 years ago.Tomorrow we are taking our son to University in London. The wheel comes full circle (well, almost). Dunno how he is feeling but we are both scared and excited for him. I am sitting here at work and I feel a bit like crying. I will miss him, he is a nice boy. Actually he is a nice young man.

Our boy is leaving home.Will he ever come back to live with us full time? I don't think so. Neither I nor my wife did after we left to go to Uni.An end of an era indeed.

And now here I will be outnumbered in the house, two women to gang up on me.

And what is even more scary is that in two years time we will ( I hope) be doing it all again for our daughter and then it will be just me and the wife again. Together alone in the house all the time. For the first time in twenty years.

The Day After I Ran the Great North Run

This was my 10th GNR. I started in 1997 and took two years off in 2003/2004 because I got bored. The first year I did it in 2hrs 2mins. This year I did in in 2hrs 25mins. Getting older or not enough training? Probably a bit of both. I was experimenting with a new approach to training this year and didn't start serious GNR preparations until July. I think I left it a bit too late and I could have done with a couple more weeks of serious training.

Yesterday was hot as well. The hottest GNR I have competed in. I sweated lots and I mean lots.I drank two litres of fluid( including a litre of Powerade- vile stuff) on the course and a further 500ml on the way home. I had a cup of tea and two 250 ml glasses of water and still didn't pee until 7pm. I finished just as the Red Arrows flew over the Finish Line. That made me feel a bit better.

I got a bus home this year, which was a first for me. Normally I walk (with my wife who didn't come this year)the 2 miles or so to the Metro and then queue for hours to get home. This year I finished, picked up my bag of goodies , went to the Baggage buses , retrieved my rucksack, got changed and stepped onto a bus going to the Haymarket. I did have to stand all the way to Heworth but I was at home less than an hour and a half after crossing the finish line.That is a personal best.

The logistics of the event are amazing. 55,000 people entered and I guess 50, 000 turned up, plus all the relatives and friends who came to see them off and finish.

As a seasoned GNR runner I do get a bit cross with the crowds these days. When I first did it in '97 I strolled to the start sat on the central reservation , got up when they said it was time to start and ran it. Many fewer competitors and crowds. These days you have to get in your colour coded pen(coded according to estimated finishing time)at least 1 hour before the race starts. That is annoying but I can see the reasoning.

Music wise the bands on the run were pretty poor this year.The band in Gateshead just on the roundabout before you get onto the Felling By pass were as usual playing " Keep your feet still Geordie Hinny" but apart from the band in South Shields playing a ROCK! version of the Chariots of Fire theme tune I didn't notice any of them.

Still I will be there next year hoping for a PB as usual.

Great North Run 2009

Yep it's that time of year again

I have trained and I am as ready as I will ever be. I am hoping for a PB but it wont happen. I am content to get round and feel that real sense of achievement that finishing a race brings. I will make promises to myself to enter more runs next year but I probably won't. Although I will aim for the Blaydon and the Sunderland Run next year.

I am reading a good book by Haruki Murakami " What I talk about when I talk about running". It turns out that quite like me and most other runners he doesn't think or talk about much except how fast he is going, what hurts,what he can see. I like this book though and if you are a runner it makes you realise that everyone is thinking just what you are thinking.He also talks about how hte discipline of running has helped him in other areas of his life and I agree with that too. He has agreat phrase which I have adopted for myself "Pain is inevitable. suffering is optional"You can buy it here

Blue Monday

The weather has changed.It now feels and looks and smells like autumn. Oh well, it wasn't a bad summer. No it wasn't Mediterranean hot but this is the North East ffs.

My lust for new music continues. I need to change the contents of my 2GB MP3 player to reflect this as I am getting a bit bored with it's playlist now.

The wife is still off work today. She has recovered from her allergic reaction only to go down with an absolute stinker of a cold, courtesy of her Dad. I am finishing early today as quote

"You didn't come home early once last week"

I have moved offices within my building. It is a much bigger, more plush office and, dare I say it, more befitting the manager's office than my previous pokey little cubby hole. However, it is more isolated from the team. I am now down the end of a corridor and I can't join in or even overhear the office banter. I can't even hear the phone ringing.

This does mean though that I am getting through loads of work and I can put LastFm on and play my library without being overheard.!!So , I suppose, there are some benefits. It will take some getting used to though.It will mean more getting up and about and wandering round the office to see what is going on. Like you see managers in McDonalds walking about exhorting their staff to get those fries and shakes out. At least you used to, I can't remember the last time I was in a McDonalds.

At home the atmosphere is tense. My son is behaving very badly and moodily. Yes I know he is 18 but he hasn't really behaved like this before. It is of course the pressure and the waiting to go off to Uni. Less than 14 days now. He hates it when I say something like " Did you realise that this is your penultimate Sunday in Newcastle?" So does my wife but for totally different reasons.

We will both miss him lots ,but I think my wife will take it hard.

She has a stressful couple of months ahead, and I suppose by implication so do I.
By next month she will either have secured a big promotion or will be facing redundancy.As I have said before she will be paid off handsomely but that is not what she wants. If she is made redundant it means some life changing decisions will have to be made. Moving? Taking Harriet out of school? Tough times ahead.

Running wise I am as prepared as usual for GNR ( that means that I could have done more but I have done enough to get solidly round in a good if somewhat unremarkable time). I am looking forward to it this year for the first time for a couple of years.

I predict a time of 2:20 . We'll see.

A Rare Sunday Post

As promised, here is some Fleet Foxes. This is from a live session they did for Daytrotter. It is my favourite Fleet Foxes song.

White Winter Hymnal (Daytrotter session)- Fleet Foxes

After Wednesday's gig I couldn't bring myself to listen to music on the Thursday I was still so blown away by their performance. Then on Friday I had a thirst for new music- like being a teenager again and being eager for John Peel's programme each night- I have been listening to Scopitones shared playlist on Spotify which is really good. Scopitones is the The Wedding Present site and this is a playlist made up by posters on their forum.Here's a link to it so you can just select shuffle and play it. Cut and paste this link into your address bar.
http://open.spotify.com/user/steve69/playlist/3fxjgUzG7FGoKL8hHzpYr8
Lots of bands I've never heard of, some old, some new, some good , some rubbish, but it's mostly good.

Fleet Foxes

I have loved this band since first hearing White Winter Hymnal last year. I love them even more now after seeing them last night at the O2 Academy in Newcastle.Obviously lots of other people love them because it was packed out with mostly people my age. So I bet I heard them first on Radio 2- probably Radcliffe and Maconie's show. But where I heard them first doesn't really matter except to the 18 year old music fan that still lurks inside me which think that Radio 2 is for old people (like my Mum and Dad and not for young, cool people like me). But what really matters is that this band can really do it live.

I have always loved vocal harmony groups through Doo Wop, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, The Housemartins etc and Fleet Foxes do the vocal harmony thing exceptionally well. I was stunned from the outset and so were the crowd as there was precious little of the talking about work, sex, football etc and sing a longs that bedevils gig going these days. We were in full rapt attention but enthusiastic in our appreciation.
I got to hear White Winter Hymnal and Mykonos live (my two favourites) and they sounded even better than they do on the album. Robin Peckinfold did some solo numbers including one song which was done completely acoustically; guitar not plugged in , no microphone just him singing and playing without any amplification. The crowd was silent and it was a real goosebumps- tears in the eyes- moment. It takes a lot to silence a 2000 strong Geordie crowd but we were all silent.

I have described them to other people as like Nirvana on their MTV Unplugged recording but that has as much to do with the Seattle connection as anything and doesn't do them justice.They share the beards and long hair and sort of Americana hippy clothing style but it is the vocal harmonies that set them apart.

They have a nice laid back slightly awkward on stage style and Robin seems a bit geeky and could improve his on stage in- between song banter but that didn't detract from the real musicianship on show. I felt I was in the presence of truly gifted musicians. Yes absolutely anyone can play the guitar but it takes a real gift to be able to play it and the other instruments like they can.I haven't posted any of their stuff but that is only because I don't have any on this PC. I will post some in the near future.

Go and see them if you can. You won't be disappointed.

When Saturday Comes

I have had a bit of a break from updating this Blog. It was a combination of being busy at work and at home, a bit of writer's block (ha pretentious or what!)and a lack of anything meaningful to say.

My son enjoyed the Leeds Festival in particular White Lies, The Gaslight Anthem and Glasvegas. He came back on Monday absolutely shattered and it has taken him all week to recover.

Preparations have begun to get him off to London.As he's self catering we have got to buy his pots and pans etc. God knows how he'll survive but I know that's what my Mum and Dad thought thirty years ago when I went to Uni. And I survived.

My daughter has enjoyed her post GCSE celebrations which culminated in a night out clubbing in Newcastle last night. She has a hangover this morning she tells us.She tells us too much but rather that than lying to us. Now I know she is only 16 and we are not too sure what our reactions to this should be. I didn't go clubbing when I was sixteen but then again I didn't live in a City so there were no clubs for me to go to. I certainly went in Pubs and I am happier if she does that rather than sit on the Moor getting pissed like a lot of kids her age.She is particularly pleased that she didn't get ID'd by the door staff as did some of her friends.

My wife has broken out in some horrible allergic skin reaction. Its probably the stress of her work at the moment as she is almost certainly facing redundancy. Oh yes she'll get a handsome pay off but I know she would rather carry on in her job.

Music wise it has been a retro week. Following my rediscovery of my Minidisc player I have dug out some old Wedding Present discs and have been listening to them all week.
This song has grown on me over the years I didn't like it much when I first heard it. It was on the Nobody's Twisting Your Arm 12" which is not in print so I don't have a problem posting it.

I'm Not Always So Stupid - The Wedding Present

The song follows the usual Gedge pathway and obsession- love and relationships.It has some really great immature guitar as did all their early stuff.Hard to think that this is 20+ years old now.

Big Day

My daughter got her GCSE results today. she did well 1 A* , 1A 3 Bs two Cs and , unfortunately 2 Ds. Enough to get back into the 6th Form at her school. Well done, H!

She did better than both me and the wife thought she would. She is a bit disappointed with her Maths D but she can retake that. She has decided to swap Politics for History in her AS exams.I'm pleased about that as she has never expressed any interest in politics and I didn't understand her logic for choosing that as an option in the first place.

Elsewhere my son is at Leeds festival, trying not to poo for 5 days he told me. I told him he'd never do it. Wife is out with work, daughter is out with friends who didn't go to Leeds. I am here alone- apart from the dog- listening to Glasvegas' Lonesome Swan very loud.

I am in good mood

London Here I Come Pt 2

My son got his offer of accommodation from UCL yesterday- Schafer House on Drummond Street. Fantastic central London location. Fantastic fucking Central London price as well £4400 for his first year. It's self catering by the way.

So he gets a Student LOAN for £4988- as its London he gets more. Out of this LOAN he has to pay £4400 for his accommodation, leaving him about £500 to live on in a year. Yes he can get a job but have you ever tried working and studying? Its not easy, is it?

So guess who will be subsididsing him.

I vowed never to vote Labour after the Iraq war and the way they forced Counils to divest themselves of housing management responsibilities by either selling off the stock or setting up a quasi buisness to manage it. I am now adding abolition of Student Grants and the introduction of Tuition Fees to the list of reasons never to vote for them again. Another back door tax from the party of education and they wonder why the proportion of working class kids going onto higher education hasn't risen. My son will be leaving University with a minmum debt of £24k. Shame on them all

London Here I Come

That's what my son texted me this morning. He got 4 As at A level.So much for rejection by Cambridge. That disappointment seems a long time ago now. He is off to UCL. I know he'll enjoy London.

I know each year there is a lot of press talk about how A levels are not as hard as they used to be and part of me agrees. But that is not fair on the kids who take them each year. They can only pass what is put in front of them.It is still an achievement to get an A level. It is even more of an achievement to get four As.

Well done, Guy!!!!

Whatever Happened to the Minidisc Recorder?

I was sorting out some CD and vinyl over the weekend and rediscovered my Minidisc recorder in the front room. I had almost completely forgotten about it even though it can't be more than six years ago I was convinced that these mini cd players were the future of portable music listening.

Looking at it compared to Ipods and MP3 players it looks big and clunky and clumsy. I remember spending hours copying CDs to the discs (up to 4 CDs per minidisc- woo hoo!!!) and then laboriously typing in the Disc and the individual track's names.The sound was near CD quality even on the compressed discs, it was easier to run with than a CD player and it felt quite modern to me.

And then Ipods and Mp3 players took off became more reliable, you didn't have to individually name tracks, you could create playlists and shuffle and look at the album covers in colour on the screen and music on the move was changed forever.

Whilst rooting around I also came across my stock of Mindiscs. I had made copies of all my favourite bands' CDs . I picked up one unlabelled disc and popped it in the player to give it a whirl. It was my Embrace disc.

Regular readers will know that I love Embrace.

On the way to and from work so far this week I have been listening to Embrace on my Minidisc. I still love that band and hope that one day they return. I have to admit I prefer the earlier stuff over the later stuff- with one or two exceptions.

This song is one of those exceptions.

I remember standing in the Uni basement at Newcastle in September 2004 full of excitement waiting for this band because they had been away for three years. I had been following their website for news for almost that long. I had bought the tickets for this gig back in the June. I had heard the album and wanted to see them again so much. They began with this song- Ashes, Mike Heaton the powerhouse drummer stomped the bass pedal to start the set off. My wife arrived late just as Mike started we looked at each other and smiled. They were back.

This is an acoustic version of the song from backstage at the Oxygen festival in 2005.It's still great and shows the song off in the way they had originally intended it to be before Youth their producer suggested they speeded it up. It works well either way as a song about rebirth and a refusal to give up.

Ashes- Embrace

Monday I Got Friday On My Mind

Or something like that.

Well, it's Monday again and here I am at my desk in my office in August, which is probably the last place on earth I want to be right now. Luckily it's raining heavily- that nice warm(ish) Summer rain that I remember from the long summer holidays of my youth which meant a day watching the Test match on BBC1.

Talking of Test Matches what the hell happened to England at Headlingley? My son was thinking of buying tickets for the 5th day and I did warn him to wait until it started. Glad I did. My wife's cousin was not so lucky. His kids has bought him tickets for Day 5 as a birthday treat, and apparently he can't get a refund.

Big family do on Saturday up at my wife's cousin's house on Abbey Grange as rellies are over from Canada. Better than I thought it would be and everyone got on OK. It was a couple's 28th Wedding Anniversary as well and their kids had made a compilation CD of tracks from 1981. The wife and I went to their wedding at Liverpool cathedral (the Catholic one) but we don't really keep in touch. As we all get older and numbers at these gatherings decrease, we all realise how short life is and how we should make more effort to see each other.But, like every other family who feel the same, we probably won't.

There was much dancing to the CD including many a pose struck to this one.

To Cut a Long Story Short- Spandau Ballet

Can't Be Arsed Part Two

The apathy and indolence of yesterday has only slightly abated today.

Today is of course Friday and that in itself is a good enough reason not to do any work. I can remember some Fridays from my years with Lambeth Council when we would go to the pub at lunchtime and get pissed and not go back to work. We would put a sign up up on the office door to read "Due to unforeseen circumstances the office will be closed this afternoon" It didn't happen every Friday but we never got found out. Couldn't get away with that these days. You have to be much more subtle now.

For some reason this song has been going round in my head all week.

Maybe its all the stuff in the news about Afghanistan and my son threatening to join the Army. I have posted it before but here it is again. In my opinion it is probably one of the most profound and upsetting songs about war/politicians and youth another being Flags of Freedom by Neil Young

The Easter Parade- Faith Brothers

A Can't Be Arsed Week At Work

Today is Thursday. I can honestly say I have done nothing all week.

One of the joys of my job (and as the Manager of my office) is that some weeks I can get away with doing absolutely nothing. This is particularly true in August when a lot of our tenants are on holiday , or at least at the caravan in Seahouses most of the week, or just simply can't be bothered with us when the kids are off school.

I usually have at least two weeks off in August so don't see this side of my work. This year with not going away I have noticed how quiet the phones are, how nobody is coming in, there isn't much to do.
Now of course i should be pro active and sort out all those things I am normally to busy to pay attention to. But what the hell it's sunny, its warm and I can't be arsed.

No music today, I can't be arsed to upload a tune!!!

Don't worry ,normal service will be resumed soon.

Day Off

Off work today.Mum and Dad have gone home. My daughter's Dance show is over- it's back to normal.

The sun is shinning, it's warm and pleasant. I can't believe it's August. We are not going on holiday this year but I am only doing 4 day weeks until the schools go back. Sort of a mini holiday every week. That's how I sold it to the wife anyway.!!!

I might even extend it into September.

My brother -in-law's temporary work at Johnson & Johnson factory has ended. He's back on the dole. Poor bastard.

Me and the wife are off for a walk around Gibside to day. Haven't been there in a while. We were thinking of taking the dog but he's just too anti social.

Bobby Robson- after whom the dog was named ( well, him and Bob Marley)- has died. He seemed a great bloke. I read his autobiography a couple of years ago and he seemed to be really genuine and in love with football. There is a big shrine to him at St James Park. Which is sort of ironic as it was those fuckers who sacked him from his last job in football. Another reason to want them to go down the divisions.

Back to work tomorrow. Oh well, never mind.

I've not had an opportunity to listen to much music this weekend what with the parent's up and having to entertain them and all the fuss and talk of the show.

My Dad is a big Jazz fan, so in his honour I am listening to Dave Brubeck's Time Out. MMM, nice!!

Actually the album is pretty damn good. If you don't believe me, listen to this.

Strange Meadow Lark- Dave Brubeck

This album is one of the main reasons I got into music. My Dad was always playing it and lots of other jazz in the house when he was at home.

Thanks for the legacy, Dad- and don't forget you promised the Bang & Olufsen and your record collection to me, not my brother or sister, me!!!

Confident and Excited

I don't want you to think I've gone all maudlin on you after Monday's double post In fact, I am feeling quite up. I am getting more confident. I am commenting on other people's blogs.

I am also pathetically excited that The Vinyl Villain has added me to his list of Blogs.That Blog was one of the reasons I started blogging myself and he does find some great music which is really good for music obsessed people like myself. Not many of you are checking this site out but then again I haven't really done any promotion. I am still finding my way, not sure what I am trying to achieve. Some days it's an online diary, others a simple music blog.

For those of you who are interested, my wife and I are on speaking terms and friends again. Which is good as my parents arrive from Norfolk tomorrow for the weekend. I love my parents but don't see them much as they live 200 plus miles away from Newcastle. They are as dull as ditch water but seem quite content in their little bubble of old age and life by the seaside in Hunstanton.

As a youngster we went to Sunny Hunny a couple of times. I think my Dad especially liked it because it was only a couple of hours drive from Ware. I never particularly enjoyed our holidays there - I preferred Wales and the Isle of Wight and I definitely I never thought they'd move there after my younger sister left home to get married. But they did and they have been there longer now than they lived in Ware. Life - it really is funny.

I've mentioned Bill Nelson before and how he was(as part of Be Bop Deluxe) my first musical obsession.I remember going into school on a Monday morning to tell my friends of this great new band I had heard, I would have been 13 or 14 I even wrote some of the lyrics out for them to marvel at.But it was his guitar wizardry that really caught my attention and that of my friend Steve who wasn't a bad guitarist himself.
I checked his website earlier today www.billnelson.com and found he had written a new diary entry- only his second this year.This and the fact my parent's are coming up to visit made me think of his music again.
This song was probably the first one I heard by Be Bop on Alan Freeman's Saturday afternoon show on Radio 1. I remember seeing the posters for the album in record shop (remember them!) windows whilst on holiday on the Isle of Wight.Very early to mid 70's prog rock, man



Axe Victim - Be Bop Deluxe

Its a funny old thing, life

As I get older I seem to increasingly reflect on my life. That was part of the reason for me starting to write this Blog I wanted to reflect on my life and loves (the title of the Blog gives a clue as to what they may be). Part of me yearns for the carefree optimism and selfishness of youth, maybe because I see my 18 year old son being well just young and self absorbed (OK may be he is not that bad, but you get my general picture). He is young and full of ideals and dreams, he is never going to work for some corporation or a suntanned boss. Anyway here I am 48 years old two teenage children a wife asleep in bed as usual (some things never change) working in a job that I have been doing for years.I have many things to be happy about and grateful for but I feel... nothing much really.

Running. Running will keep me sane. It has done for the last 12 years. I have rarely felt the same elation and sense of achievement and worth as when I finish a race.

Love Will Tear Us Apart

Another argument with the wife yesterday, we "are not friends" apparently. A restless night , couldn't sleep so consequently I am tired today. I didn't feel too good over the weekend (Swine Flu?) but feel a bit better today.

Anyway this song seem quite appropriate for today. It s a live recording from March 1980. A very good version too.

Love Will Tear Us Apart- Joy Division March 1980 ULU

I saw Joy Division on this tour albeit in Manchester not London where this comes from. That was a great night. I'd been at The Apollo with a new mate at Uni, Dennis from Liverpool, to see Iggy Pop and The Psychedelic Furs- who had really caught my attention- so I had already had a great night. We had heard that Joy Division were in the audience at The Apollo and so we took a chance on legging it over to The Osbourne Club on Oldham Road to see if we could catch them. We did and caught the end of A Certain Ratio. A truly great night. Dennis where are you now, mate?

I can't honestly say I thought that this song would be revered as a classic when I heard it played live, I thought Transmission was better. It stunned me when it came out as single several months later and I caught all the words. With Ian Curtis's death still current the despair and the desperation of the lyrics made , and continue to make, a real impact on me. On the other hand I played it to a good friend that summer and his comment was "nice tune but that bloke can't sing". Notwithstanding that it must be in most people- of- a- certain- age's top 10 of best ever songs.

Random Song Post

Hi, Nothing much to say. It's Sunday, all the kids are back at home. It's Summer and the weather is not bad although I could do with a bit less rain, thank you very much.

Sunderland Air Show is on, so there are lots of stargnge aircraft flying overhead- Military helicopters and old fashioned Bi planes and just now the Police Helicopter is hovering overhead- although I don't think that has much to do with the airshow!!

I always loved this song by Amen Corner. Random fact No.1: I once lived just by Amen Corner in Tooting. I didn't think much of it.
Random fact No. 2. Andy Fairweather Low was in Amen Corner.

Half As Nice- Amen Corner

Tyneside Cinema

My wife is A big Harry Potter fan. Me I can take it or leave it. We went out last night to see the latest Potter epic at the Tyneside Cinema. My wife wanted to be in the Classic Circle where you can - according to the website- ..(relax)in the comfort of our original 1930s art deco gem The Classic, kitted out with leather sofas.
Well this is a bit of an exaggeration as the decor is barely art deco- what's left of it- the sofas could easily be plastic and I am definitely not convinced it was worth £9.80 a ticket. Nevertheless it was a rare night out for us on our own and this buys me some credit with the wife after her weekend moan. Here is the Cinema's website. If you are in Newcastle and fancy a a foreign language or off the wall type film, the Tyneside Cinema is for you.It's better than popcorn, hot dog stinking chain cinemas at least, if no cheaper.

We went out for a meal first on the Quayside at Big Mussel, one of my favourite places to eat as I love mussels. Food was good as always.I had 1kg pot with amatriciana sauce and a pint of Amstel. The wife had the 1kg classic mussels and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.We both shared some olives and a basket of bread as a starter. Cost £26.05. Not bad really.

The film is over long but quite gripping and really aimed at young adults rather than children.

We got our son to drive into town and pick us up after. Funny!!

Hope and Social again, another free track that is available from their website . Again I really rate this band and you should check them out here

Oh My Darling- Hope and Social

Music

I loaded up some new stuff on the MP3 player over the weekend, this song came up on my run home from work tonight. Kennedy -A classic track from The Wedding Present. This is a live version from a gig in Koln in 2006.

The Wedding Present and Cinerama should be massive but Gedge is a contrary bloke and seems to content to play to his hardcore fanbase. I have to admire him for his adherence to the principles of punk. Its his way or no way, even when he was signed to a major label(RCA). I mean Ukrainian songs and a single a month!!! No wonder they dropped them like hot bricks as soon as they could.

Kennedy- The Wedding Present

Guitar based music doesn't get any better than this in my opinion. Sure it's not his best song ever but it rocks my world every time I hear it either live or on CD. Go Get 'Em, David.

Monday

After the complete washout that was Friday - I got soaked to the skin walking home- and Saturday- started off fine then pissed down, Sunday was a pleasant Summer's day and I was out in the garden for most of it. Today is OK as well and I am looking forward to the walk home with the MP3 player on.

My son returned home safely and is already and I quote "bored". This was supposed to be the "best Summer ever" and it seems everybody is either away (like he has been) or working. He needs a job to get some money to recoup what he spent in Germany. My wife is pleased to have him back. So am I.

Apparently we don't go out enough. I have pointed out that she (the wife) is nearly always too tired and we have never gone out much but this has not washed. We have to go out more.

I listened to a lot of The Jam this weekend, this was because I Got By In Time came up on my MP3 player when I was out walking the dog on Saturday morning. Listening to it as an old(er) man I was surprised by the perception and maturity of the lyrics bearing in mind Weller was only 18 when he wrote it. The Jam and All Mod Cons in particular remains Weller's finest work. I can understand his don't look back, you should never look back approach and even admire him for it but I would pay stupidly obscene amounts of money to see The Jam play together again. Come on, Paul, do it for the kids!!!

This song isn't by The Jam. Its a Northern Soul song that I came across by chance on another site. It was The Jam's Non Stop Dancing from their first album that got me interested in Northern Soul. I don't know if a young Paul Weller danced the night away in Woking to this but it is a classic. Enjoy!

Boy Watcher- Ginger Thompson

Summer

The summer has deteriorated into its usual wet wet wet mode. It is absolutely pissing down outside my office window. Its not cold though.

Things are starting to get back to normal in the Cowhut household.

We picked the dog up from kennels on Monday afternoon.He didn't really speak to us until Wednesday. He does not like the kennels. His bark is just starting to come back now. He must bark his head off all day there.
Our son returns from Germany today from his 3 and a half week tour of the fatherland. I wonder if it will change him? He is a man now anyway and will be off (I hope) to Uni in September.
My daughter is still in USA for another week. She has already run out of money. We got a phone call last night to request more funds in her bank account. We had a budget and I knew she would spend it. So I wasn't surpried to get the call.

Not listened to much music these last few days. I have been very busy at work- two evening meetings in Dinnington has disrupted my usual pattern.

This song however has been going round and round in my head for weeks now. It's another song from Hope and Social from their album Architect of This Church. You really should buy the album it is full of cracking good songs.

Anyway this song is my favourite and sort of fits in with the theme of homecomings.

San Francisco- Hope and Social

Terminal Street

The days just fly by! We dropped our daughter off at Heathrow Terminal 5 on Friday for her fortnight with the millionaires in Naples, FLA. What an impressive building, very easily accessed from the M25 as well. I thought Manchester airport was big, but, bearing in mind this was just one Terminal, Heathrow must be fucking enormous.

We spent the weekend with Julie's sister and husband in deepest darkest commuter land (Surrey/ Hampshire borders). They live in a small village just outside Aldershot in a Toblerone style house. After dropping my daughter off we went to Portsmouth for the day. It was OK. Gunwharf Quays outlet was a very decent place to pick up some designer clothes bargains and I bought a couple of shirts.My brother in law is working on the production line at Johnsons and Johnsons.Its eight hour shifts, not physical but you are on the go all the time.He is a temp worker but he says they treat all staff well.

Saw The Killers at T in the Park on Saturday night on BBC 3. A very good set.

Wife and I are back in the house on our own until Friday when my son returns from Germany. We haven't been on our own at home for more than 24 hours since before the kids were born. Watch this space!!!

Jackson Memorial Service

Did you see that weirdness on the TV. Why was it on the TV in the first place?

I loved Off The Wall. Billie Jean was good but everything after was shite.The man was talented a long time ago but any greatness is forever tinged with the kiddie fiddling rumours. Too many to not be true.

RIP Michael Jackson. I hope your victims can lead a normal life now you're gone.

Not much To Say

I am winding down for the Summer- although due to insuring my son to drive the car and paying for my daughter's trip to Miami - she goes later this week- we haven't booked any holiday. Still at least we seem to be having a proper Summer- thunderstorms and baking hot days. I think I will take odd days off over the next six weeks and chill and probably do some jobs around the house. My wife will want a holiday.

I ran for three miles yesterday, it felt good, or rather it felt good after about half an hour after I'd finished, during the run it felt not very good at all.

Today I couldn't concentrate at work. Richard has gone now - ironically to Mick's old job- so I am back on my own. But I am off for two days and that- apart from money- is all I could think of.

I am listening to A Casa Verde by Terry de Castro. It's growing on me more and more.

The Day After

Was out last night which in itself is a miracle as I don't go out much, especially not with work colleagues. But this was something special. My mate Mick McGuinness has left work and is moving to Belgium with his family. I've mentioned him before. He is a musician, author, father, partner (to Karin) and all round top bloke. I will miss him a lot. We didn't hang out much, didn't even talk that much but he was there and I knew he was there. Now he is not there.

The Internet, mobiles etc will make keeping in contact easier but I will miss him. He was quite emotional at the end of the evening standing outside the bar on Osborne Road. So was I, I hugged him twice before walking home over the Moor.

His book, a collection of short stories called Blunt Wound Trauma is available from Amazon. Its chilling, a good read and hints at a greater work to come. Buy it and help him make a go of it.

Good luck, Mick and au revoir or whatever it is in Flemish. You're a brave man, braver than me.

At this time of year I always feel that I should listen to more Spanish music and read more Spanish/Lat Am literature. I don't, of course , but I still feel it.

This band Vetusta Morla are a good Spanish rock band and worth a listen

Iglus- Vetusta Morla

You can google them for their website and download this EP.It's not earth shatteringly original but they have an edge, a presence which crosses any linguistic boundaries. They're based in Madrid and touring this summer.

England World Cup 2018 Campaign Widget

Despite the title,this Blog is as much about football as anything else. Regulars will know I am a Peterborough United fan Most of all I am a fan of the Beautiful game. Lets all get behind our World Cup bid and bring football home again.

Hot Hot Hot

Still too damn hot in this place, but at least the sun has come out again after a very muggy and sweaty couple of days.This has meant that I haven't done much running this week. I had intended to run home last night but the heavens opened, there was thunder and lightning as bad as Canada last year so I got my wife to give me a lift instead.

The wife is not happy. Her new boss has produced a new structure that downgrades her role and salary. She is upset. I am trying to get her to be angry and challenge the assumptions made. Her boss has come from the private sector and is now working for the NHS to "give something back". There are enougth twats around in the public sector already without arrogant ones coming in from the private sector to add to it.

After the weekend TV Glastonbury Fest I am missing live music again. I only have 1 gig on the horizon - Fleet Foxes in September and I haven't been to a gig since last December and The Wedding Present. Talking of which the Bass player with TWP, Terry de Castro, has a solo album out. It's an album of covers (including a Wedding Present and Cinerama one). Its lo fi acoustic vibe and Terry's distinctive voice makes it an really good summer's evening listen.Its called A Casa Verde and you can buy it here. If you're in London tomorrow night you can catch her and Decoration and The Container Drivers PLUS a DJ set from David Gedge himself at The Half Moon in Putney starts at 7pm.Wish I could be there.

Too Hot

Well it has been hot here in the North East.By our standards, 20c is pretty damn hot.

The weekend was fine we went (for the wife and me for the first time) to Nando's in town- my daughter's favourite restaurant. It's a funny place, sort of a hybrid of Pizza Hut and McDonalds but my portobello mushroom and haloumi cheese burger was surprisingly tasty. I liked the peri peri salted chips I chose as well but I was thirsty for the rest of the day! A quick bit of Googling reveals this Anyway it was OK but we wont be rushing back as the veggie selection was limited.
It was too hot for me to go for my run yesterday so I took the dog on a longer than usual second walk instead, he was exhausted at the end of it.

Stayed up late Friday and Saturday for the BBC Glastonbury coverage. They didn't show much of Neil Young (boo) but we did get a big chunk of The Boss.If things had been different i.e. my wife hadn't fallen out with her sister- (see here) I might have been at Hyde Park on Sunday to see him. I was almost converted to the cause by watching him perform at Glastonbury. He is a proper showman and showed respect to his audience and the occasion.

The rest of the TV coverage was predictable but it still made me want to be there, only not as much as in previous years. Our last festival was T in the Park some five years ago. Never much fancied Glastonbury - too many weirdo hippy associations from the late 70's and early 80's for me.

Parenthood

The wife and me are back on speaking terms but quite cool.My daughter has got over her disappointment much quicker than the wife.Life goes on when you're young.There are always more opportunities and doors to open for you because you have time on your side. Its only when you're older you realise that opportunities don't always knock twice.

My son is off in Germany on his post A level Deutch tour with his mate.This song by German Punk Band Die Toten Hosen is one of his favourite songs, although he says he prefers German rap. This song is sort of a companion to James' Sit Down and Chumbuwumbas Knocked Down (its called Steh Auf- Stand Up-) and its quite uplifting my son says and apparently about dealing with adversity, as in Steh Auf wenn du am boden bist- Stand up when you're on the floor.Sorry my German is almost non existent and between me and Babbelfish that was the best I could do. I suppose a more free translation would be Get up off the floor and carry on.Anyway its a cracking song.

Die Toten Hosen- Steh Auf

That's for you Guy. Enjoy your tour round your beloved Germany.Come back safe

Intuition

In my last post I talked about a vague sense of unease. It turned out that my daughter did not get into ATP at Dance City after yesterday's second audition. My wife has taken it very badly and we are not speaking. The inquest will begin when my daughter returns from a sleepover. I slept on the sofa last night. Sometimes my wife is a c*nt.

So I have always felt I have some form of intuituion but it is not clear and is not sufficient to guide me. Shame but I knew a storm was coming- does that make me a bit like thoise animals that run away unexpectedly just before something bad happens?

There is always music. This is a band I have liked for a few years. They are from Northumberland and did almost make it a year or so ago but like so many bands they fell by the wayside. To my shame I never bothered myself to see them live which I regret (like I regret never bothering to see The Smiths)

Anyway see if you like them. Derek the singer and driving force behind the band still gigs around Northumberland- mostly acoustic nights. They have a myspace site where you can check out more songs and gigs.

Clear Blue Skies- Teach Me To Stand

Vague feeling of unease

Duuno what's up with me. I have a feeling that something is going to happen. I think it may be bad, but I don't know. I am just slightly "twitchy" could be one of the usual things that bother me (see previous post on stress) but it may also be nothing.

Anyway, it's Friday- Hurrah!!so almost the weekend. Not doing much. Most of Saturday will be taken up by my daughter's dance audition (Round Two) for Dance City. We have to sit through a presentation and then be interviewed.WTF! At least weather wise it looks better for the Summer Solstice.Oh yes I'll be out there in the back garden naked at dawn with my bottle of cider, music blaring!

My running schedule has now officially started , no weight loss to speak of yet but it will come.

The Jumpin' Hot Club has its annual Reggae weekend at The Cluny here in Newcastle starting tommorrow. I could go but I can't face the thought of all those beards and sandals and warm Red Stripe. Derek Morgan is playing. Here is his best known duet with Patsy Todd, a song I have long since loved

Housewife's Choice

Now that has cheered me up. "Hey, hey, hey, hey!!"

Music

Bit of a quiet time in the Cowhut life. The academic frenzy of GCSEs and A levels has calmed down and by Friday will be all over.I can only hope that the kids have done well. The Summer sun seems to be continuing (if a bit more intermittent than before). Bought a new car over the weekend.Back to a Citroen C3 downsized from a Picasso. The wife is happier. Got absolutely soaked to the skin on my run yesterday but at least it was warm rain.

Music. I've listened a lot to this band whom I mentioned in my last post- Hope and Social. This is is a free track they posted on their website in the run up to the release of their superb Architect of the Church CD. Listen to this and if you like it go to their website (see link in post below this one) and buy the CD. You can download it - complete with artwork for as little as 1 pence.

Its Gone- Hope and Social

This band remind me of Embrace which is in my book a very good thing

Alone Again Or?

I'm in the house alone. Son is at the cinema, he is driving his mates there!!! Daughter is at Girls Aloud at the Arena. Wife is out with work. I don't get many nights on my own. I am enjoying it. I'm playing music loud, I mean LOUD.

The dog has put himself to bed, I am alone.

I'm listening to Fleet Foxes, lots of Northern Soul and this band Hope&Social

Voting Day

Here in UK and Europa land its election time. Now I am a pretty cynical middle aged voter and the last few weeks of Torygraph disclosures about MP expenses haven't endeared our political masters to me, but I will vote as usual. I believe its the least I can do (indeed it is the only "political" thing I do).

On the other hand, my 18 year old son is, by his own admission, "quite excited" about having a chance to vote for the first time. This has made me think that voting, often derided as not important, really is an important part of our democracy.So important that I believe it should be made compulsory to vote as I think it is in Australia. Come on, 5 minutes every year is not too much to ask of the people, is it?

So we are off en famille to vote tonight. I remember voting in Hulme, Manchester as a young man.We arrived at the Polling staion at the same time as our neighbours , a gruff Scottish couple probably no older than us but with three kids. It was apparently the first time of voting for the woman who said to her man "What do I do?". " Vote Labour" was the reply. Aaah it was so easy in the early Eighties. Whatever you don't do today, make sure you DO vote. I don't care who you vote for (if you want to vote BNP then that is your right, you racist moron) but please exercise your right to do so. Think of all the young 18 year olds like my son who are "quite excited" about voting.Remember that in some countries you can't vote. Remember that by voting you can change the world (Obama?). And if after all you don't vote, then you get what you deserve.

Midweek

Where do the days go? We have had glorious hot and sunny weather since Saturday. Its a bit cooler today but still warm.Work is hectic and I have upped my exercise so I am feeling more positive than I was a few weeks ago.

GCSE's and A2s are in full swing so kids are a bit frazzled, but in two weeks time they will all be over and then we just have the long wait for the results.

Sunny weather always makes me dig out the Beach Boys and reggae/ska tunes.Its sunny I'm hot and In the Mood for Ska

Music

It's a glorious sunny day again.We don't get too many of these up here so I am in shorts and sandals, sitting in the garden, drinking beer. I'm not watching the FA Cup Final. Don't care who wins although if pushed I hope the Chelsea rich kids don't win- if only just to see Terry cry again!

Perhaps I should have included football in the title of this blog as I have chatted probably more about The Beautiful Game than anything else over the last few months.

I was walking the dog this morning over Nuns Moor. The sun was shining, the dog was running around very happy and then we were spotted by the cows that graze there every summer. I think some new ones have arrived because, en masse, they all came running towards us. I put the dog on his lead and legged it through the buttercups to the path and relative safety. The cows stopped, Mooed a bit and went the other way. It was quite scary.

A band I quite like are called Scanners. I caught them about 4 years ago supporting The Wedding Present at the Uni. See if you like them too

Scanners- Raw

Barca v Man Utd

What happened, last night? I'm not a fan of Man U and I'm not that bothered they lost, but to lose in the spineless, disinterested way that they did was quite shocking.They made Barca look a lot better than they are and just added to the press hype that surrounds the team and that City ( Manchester by the sea in my opinion , with only Gaudi and his weird architecture and parks of any real note.)

Meanwhile here in Geordie land the relegation gloom stills hangs heavy over the Toon. Unbelievably, many still see Shearer as a saviour- it obviously doesn't matter that that the team only managed 4 points from 8 games under his leadership and looked even more clueless than they did under Kinnear, its gonna have to take something like relegation to League One under Shearer next season to convince people he has no clue.

Cheerio, cheerio, cheerio

Well, it has come to pass . Shearer could not save them. They are down.Hoo- fucking -ray!! A season or two out of the view of Sky and the newspapers may make them realise they nowhere near as good as they thought they were.
I have to admit to being really pleased and am looking forward to Posh v The Toon next season.
Now the blame game starts and the Cockneys Out brigade will probably march around St James Park with their bedsheet banners. Losers the lot of them. Do I sound self righteous and vitriolic, I hope I do. Love the City and the region. Don't care too much about a sizeable chunk of the season ticket holding population. Ha, I hope you enjoy your three year season ticket deal now.

Relegations caused tears and rows in the house last night. My brother-in-law made a comment about Rangers winning the League (he is from Larkhall and a Gers fan)and the wife was not happy (she hates him and the Gers) all went off from there. Wife and her sister etc etc
Anyway, Posh are up. All sing-a-long now!
Posh We Are

Stress

Stress is funny thing. It can just come upon you with no warning, or it can slowly build up. Two of my staff are off with stress/anxiety ast the moment. I had no forewarning of it. One day they were here, apparently normal, next day they were on the phone crying to me about being stressed.

My life is quite stressful at the moment.Let's itemise

1. Money worries- perennial problem, always overstretched. I must deal with it rather than manage it, but that would involve lifestyle changes my wife does not want to make.
2.Mother in law- more or specifically father in law's reaction to her recent knee replacement operation. The seems to be recovering well bit has slipped. She has had minor setback and is in quite a bit of pain and is not very mobile. This has turned my father in law into a raging loony as he struggles to come to terms with it all (and if I'm honest I suspect he doesn't much like being inconvenienced)
3. My daughter's GCSEs. I don't know if she is stressed but I certainly am by it all
4. My wife (see all points above which makes her quite stressed at times and she is behaving strangely)

But what would life be without stress? Pretty dull. But I might like dull at least for a while.

UPDATE Mother- in- law has torn her hamstring!!

Round Up

Well, the Toon lost to Fulham, wife is depressed. They now need to beat Villa to stand any chance of staying up. Here's hoping!

I spent two days in Court this week, and 45 minutes in the witness box being cross examined. I know the difference between being a bailee and an involuntary bailee now. Useful I'm sure. Judge was a bit tetchy, our Barrister was unusually a) quite sensible and b) quite feisty. I'm still fat. I am taking the adios pills , they make you fart and your stomach makes loud growling noises. I haven't done much exercise. I went for a 5 mile bike ride today. I'm knackered!!

GCSEs have started for my daughter and A levels for my son. The wife is super stressed about this and the fact that her mother had a knee replacement operation last week. She seems to be recovering well.

The MP expenses scandal has dominated the news all this week. Some of them have behaved exceptionally badly in maxing their claims,but of course it's not their fault it's "the system". The same people who want to obtain our DNA and force us to have ID cards and have stealth taxed us to fund their wars and eroded our civil liberties in the name of freedom obviously hold us in contempt and see us dumb cows to be milked to sustain their ruling elite. Orwell was right, some pigs are more equal than others. A pox on them all and their corrupt ways.

Thanks to the Blogospehre and The Vinyl Villain (see "Ones To Watch") I have discovered a great band. They are called Cloud Cult and are from Minnesota USA. Here's a link to their website where you can stream some of their stuff. A bit Arcade Fire in places but honest, refreshing stuff

Great Escape?

AAAHHH! Just when I was planning to (quietly) celebrate their slip into the Championship those Toon bastards win. Admittedly it was only against the Smoggies but that's still 3 points more than I wanted them to get from their last three games.

Surely they wont get anything from Fulham or Villa? Maybe Shearer is the righteous one.And the sun has been out all week here.