It’s mid-morning on the last Monday in February. The weather is grey and dull which quite accurately reflects how I feel at the moment. Five weeks into my new post and the novelty has now worn off. I need to re energise myself about this job. Also I am missing my last office. Not so much the staff but the whole location and feel of the place which was much more like where I live than here.

Perhaps I’m just a bit grumpy as I had to wait 15 minutes for a bus this morning having missed two which came together at my usual stop. I decided not to run over the road to get on them, confident that the next one would be along in six minutes as per the timetable. Another lesson learned there then.
And the driver was one of the mad ones who hurtle down the road at breakneck speed.

Despite today’s criticism I have been quite impressed about how reliable and clean the buses are compared to the last time I used public transport regularly. I suppose that was a different time and a different city and I am only using the buses at commuter time during the week. But, so far, things on the buses are looking OK.
No gangs of lairy lads with their trackies tucked into their socks have got on any bus I've been on,swearing and shouting at each other in their almost indecipherable council estate Geordie patois. Also no gangs of teenage girls screaming at each other and smelling of cheap perfume have disturbed my commute.

Just screaming primary school kids with their Mams shouting at them to “Sit doon”, "Stop your crying" and “I’ll tell yer teacher on yee”

Suede & Brett Anderson

One of my musical regrets is never having seen Suede Live. At the beginning I loved Animal Nitrate and Brett Anderson's voice but didn't care too much for the whole saviour of British rock n roll image that the music press surrounded the band with in the lead up to the Brit pop era. So in my usual way of attempting to be cool and ignore what the mainstream press like I tried hard to ignore them although I was always intrigued by Brett Anderson's pose and David Bowie influenced vocals

A few years later I heard the single New Generation and thought that it was superb. But timing is everything in life. I had two small kids to look after and gig going wasn't a priority and living in the North East means bands don't always come here. By the time the kids were a bit older and I had more time, the band had split up.

I was tidying up in the front room yesterday and picking CDs up off the floor and I came across the Brett Anderson's and Bernard Butler's reunion band The Tears 2005 CD Here Come The Tears . Curious, as I haven't played it in years, I popped it into the Bose and was absolutely blown away by the album.To be honest it's like a lost Suede CD and it is very good.

In particular I loved this track. It's loud, it gets under your skin and makes you want to be young, in love and in London. It reminded me of being young and in love and in London. It's one of those songs that makes you glad to be alive and fills you with energy and desire.

Lovers- The Tears

Things have settled down now and I’m into a routine of bus travel and walking. I’ve been all the way round my new area, attended all the usual meetings. I have found that things may look different at first glance but essentially it’s the same issues wherever you go- it’s just the ratios of one to another that differs.

I was at my old office earlier in the week and I must admit had a little tear in my eye as I walked home over the Moor.

My son is currently back in London seeing friends. My daughter is on her way to Portsmouth as I write this. She is picking her stuff up from her ex-boyfriend’s flat. I don’t know how she will cope with this. She is staying at the sister-in-laws so we will get regular updates on her.

My wife didn’t get the Wakefield job which surprised me as I felt sure she would. She said that she made a real mess of the interview though. So my gut feeling seems to have let me down on this occasion but I am sure Wakefield will figure in some way in our future.

Music wise I have settled down enough to listen to music on the way to work.Although it doesn't feel the same. At least not yet.

Songs You Should Hear

I haven't posted any music for a while so here we go. I came across this file while tidying up my hard drive. I had forgotten I had it. Its a zip file.


The Housemartins at the BBC

3 years on

In all the excitement of my relocation to the East End I completely forgot that I have been blogging ( uurghh!)for over three years now. Still don't really know what I am trying to achieve here- is it an online diary or a music blog?

In years to come will some advanced civillization read these entries and conclude that no intelligent lifeform could lead such a boring life?

Yesterday I went with my wife to Wakefield. She had an interview for a job at a hospital there. All I was thinking was I wonder if I'll see the The Cribs walking around. Or even Johnny Marr who has just popped over to produce their new album?? Needless to say I didn't see anyone famous sitting in the In House Costa Cafe in the foyer of the hospital.

On the way home we diverted to Ottley. The only reason being that I read somewhere that David Gedge lived there for sometime before he split up with his partner. I wanted to see what it was like. Quite nice really. Liked the square and all the houses built of local stone. We had lunch in The Black Bull pub. I had a pint of Timothy Taylors bitter from a handpump. Talk about life in the fast lane, eh?