Harrow on the Hill.

St Marys church was having an open day of their roof and bellfry  before the church is covered in scaffolding for the roof lead to be replaced. Tara found out about this so off we went. Tara of course has very many memories of living on the hill, I know it less but I do have ancestors buried in the graveyard there. No graves marked as far as I know, I think the earliest is my Grt Grt Grt Grandmother Dorcas Bodimeade buried there in 1841.  
We both remember trying to walk up the steep path up to the church en-route to the Kings Head I think, one snowy night. One step forward and then slid back two, I seem to remember it was hilarious!
The church has an excellent café  for these events as well with proper home made cakes that stick your ribs together, no airy fairy Mr Kipling nonsense here! We took Ida as well & were pleasantly surprised when she could go into the café (well church hall really) as well.
Had a walk around to some fields overlooking West Street to give Ida bit of a run, it was nice for Tara to be able to reminisce for a while as well.

 

Peachy's Tomb where Byron sat to write.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Oldest bell in the belfry, cast in 1650.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did the tower tour, this was fascinating. Only six were allowed on the roof at any one time so our group was split. Half going on the roof the other half going up into the belfry above the ringing room. The oldest bell hung there has been in situ since 1650.Oliver Cromwell was still Lord Protector! Remarkable to think that my ancestors would have heard the same bell that I was standing next to. If I remember rightly this bell was made by an itinerant bell maker called Whitmore and was cast in a field in Northolt.
Out onto the roof next for brilliant views of all around, including as you can see Wembley Stadium and further into central London.
It was a really nice outing luckily the weather was good too!

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Walks with Ida. Pitstone Hill.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Walks with Ida. Pitstone Hill.: Went over to Pitstone Hill near Ivinghoe for a walk I've not done in ages and never with Ida. you start off walking towards Ivinghoe Be...

Walks with Ida. Pitstone Hill.

Went over to Pitstone Hill near Ivinghoe for a walk I've not done in ages and never with Ida. you start off walking towards Ivinghoe Beacon then turn off before you get there, and up onto part of the Ashridge Estate boundary path. Then off  that path into fields.You are following the ridge right round until you start to drop down towards some very nice looking houses. One house in particular is being refurbished and having another very large house built on its land. Must be worth an absolute fortune!
Bit of road walking here which Ida didn't seem to mind, she's very good and although she certainly opens up the throttles in fields and open spaces she doesn't stray too far with a quick check back to make sure you are still there. Off into fields again from the return leg of the walk. Parts have been cordoned off   as they are being managed for conservation and wildlife purposes. Heard Skylarks here, a wonderful sound drifting across the fields. With Pitstone Hill now back in sight in front of us we eventually got back to the car. Wasn't a really long walk, hour and a bit I suppose though Ida doesn't hang about!

Home and cooked a very acceptable Cottage Pie for self and Oliver with a bean version for Tara. Topping was a mixture of potatoes and sweet potatoes. A good meal for a winters day.

    

An idiots guide to an Idiot: New Saxon album 'Thunderbolt'.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: New Saxon album 'Thunderbolt'.: I recently posted my own review of the latest Magnum album that I had pre ordered so I received it on the day of release. It's extra sp...

New Saxon album 'Thunderbolt'.

I recently posted my own review of the latest Magnum album that I had pre ordered so I received it on the day of release. It's extra special (not to mention extra dear compared to waiting awhile!) to get a new release hot off the press but it is in my opinion special as well!. Yesterday (31st Jan) I was surprised and delighted to have the latest Saxon album drop through my letter box, not least because it isn't due out until 2nd Feb! This is the second of the 'holy trinity' of pre ordered new releases I've got coming. Next month will be the latest from Judas Priest.
Saxon are a great Heavy Metal band, always been one of my faves and were, if memory serves at the cutting edge of the so called 'New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.' They never hit the heights of Iron Maiden (due to naff management Biff Byford said in a recent interview) or AC/DC and strangely seemed to be doing better in Europe rather than Blighty for a few years. Maybe there has been a renaissance for the band over the last few years, having seen them on their last two tours I know that our 'unreserved seats'  needed to be sat in quite early to ensure we all sat together! Heartening to see also  that in common with alot of bands I've seen age is no barrier. Yes of course there's the old headbangers of my ilk but also lots of youngsters, The Band indeed played on!
To the album then, first up a very short 30 second track  called 'Olympus Rising.' Bit of a cheek calling it the first track I thought as it goes straight into 'Thunderbolt' with no break so is more or less part of 'Thunderbolt' really. Here you have the essence of all that is Saxon in this title track. Powerful, loud, take yer head off if it gets in the way, bloody marvellous!
'Secret of flight' is I thought alittle different. It tells the story of flight to an extent (100th anniversary of the RAF this year? No reference made to this but it made me think)  You get Icarus, Da Vinci, the Wright Brothers, jets and the nasty bombs they dropped, it's a good solid track with an interesting story & two superb solos by Doug Scarratt and Paul Quinn.
'Nosferatu (The Vampire Waltz)' is again a tad different. Dare I say a bit proggy! You get an intro of organ music  worthy of any old horror film ,it tells the story of the undead and don't be caught out late in the streets and musters two fine guitar solos from Paul & Doug. I like!
'They played rock and roll' is a particular track dedicated to Motorhead and of course Lemmy. It's a good one full of references to Motorhead from Hammersmith to the bomber to the Ace and many decibels, with solos from Paul Quinn & Andy Sneap (producer of this album and member of 'Hell') it's a worthy tribute to a great, much missed band.
'Predator.' Mmm, just not sure about this one. Biff played a duet with Johan Hegg who gave it all the very gruff growl and dark 'vocal'. I've never liked this style to be honest & I personally don't think it has any room in  a Saxon track. I admire the boys for trying something abit left field & what band doesn't want to push the boundaries now and again but this one in my humble opinion didn't hit the spot.
'Sons of Odin' however is back to basics, a slower track that has the mark of a good singalong, a good old Viking yarn!
'Sniper' has a great rock riff and rattles along, a real classic Saxon track!
'A wizards tale.' Another one I enjoyed, you begin by wondering which wizard we're talking about here, but the line 'Excalibur plunged into the stone' leaves you in no doubt it is of course Merlin and the Court of Arthur. Another great bold  Saxon track, with a riff to be reckoned with.
'Speed Merchants' starts off like a poor mans 'Motorcycle Man' with the screech of motorbikes, it's a fast and furious track with  great rippling solos from both guitarists.
'Roadies Song' is a tribute to those unsung hero's who make it all happen. Without which there wouldn't be a gig! Motorhead did similar with 'We are the road crew' but I like this more tuneful song better, its a great track.
The final track 'Nosferatu (raw version)' is bit of a swizz really, it's track 4 all over again! Frankly I can hear little difference between the two & billing it as a separate track is abit much. I see CD filler written all over this, Saxon has ben guilty of this before, who can forget the truly awful 'Standing in a queue' off the 'Sacrifice' album!?
Saxon dedicate this whole album to the memory of Lemmy & a very worthy memory it is but they make the irritating mistake of attributing it to -Lemmy Kilminster when in fact he was Ian Kilminster known as Lemmy. Pedantic I may be but its an error to a great Rock n Roll hero that should be corrected.
Andy Sneap has produced the last three albums,  this one, Battering Ram & Sacrifice, he has his own style ( listen to the band Hell & you'll see what I mean)he's changed the sound of Saxon to a degree, I like it , not everyone does but you can't deny they do a good job!
So that's it, in many respects an unremarkable album, there's no'747' or 'Motorcycle Man' to bellow out at gigs but its a very good solid Saxon album and for me hits the spot. They are a brilliant band and I look forward to seeing them again alter in the year.

 

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Big Garden Bird Watch and Burns Night Supper and ...

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Big Garden Bird Watch and Burns Night Supper and ...: End of January heralds the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch  that I've done for the past few years, in many ways in memory of my Mum as...

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Big Garden Bird Watch and Burns Night Supper and ...

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Big Garden Bird Watch and Burns Night Supper and ...: End of January heralds the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch  that I've done for the past few years, in many ways in memory of my Mum as...

Big Garden Bird Watch and Burns Night Supper and Australia Day.

End of January heralds the RSPB's Big Garden Bird Watch  that I've done for the past few years, in many ways in memory of my Mum as she liked birds, though the RSPB use the data to see what's happening with the different species, Greenfinches for instance are  getting fewer and fewer. It's very easy to take part and the counter both time (one hour) & bird count is available online so your data can go straight on.

Results from our garden were: 1x Blackbird,12x House Sparrow,2x Goldfinch,1x Wren,1x Dunnock,18 x Starling,1x Wood Pidgeon.
It all went abit berserk when the Starlings descended!  A couple of days ago on just glancing out the window I saw 3x Long Tailed Tits, no sign of them today of course! I discussed with Paul my tally and surprisingly it was abit more varied that his, considering they back onto fields and farmland. His was: 5x House Sparrow,2x Blue Tit, 2x Wood Pidgeon, 2x Robin,1x Wren.
 A couple of nights ago it was Burns Night. Like last year we had everyone round for a Burns Night Supper. Haggis neeps and taties  with salmon for Tara & Oliver. Abit down on numbers as Julian hasn't been well so him & Ella didn't come over and Laura has been ill as well & obviously Alec and Laura are still in Oz. Last year I asked Ellie to recite 'Ode to the Haggis' by Robert Burns but she wouldn't, so given she had a year to prepare I thought we'd get it this year but no! Though I should say she gave us a great rendition of 'Donald where's yer Troosers?' which was much better and a great laugh! The Scots delicacy of Cranachan (basically whipped cream mixed with whiskey, honey and oats layered with raspberries and raspberry puree) was our pudding. A great night! 

Haggis, taties, and Neeps behind.

Cranachan

Lovely photo of Alec & Laura on the beach on Australia Day.

Alec's new haircut. Very smart, alittle bit 'Peaky Blinders' but very smart.

  

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Magnum- Lost on the Road to Eternity

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Magnum- Lost on the Road to Eternity: I have blogged before about the excitement of getting hold of a new album, the same excitement I felt donkeys years ago when buying some ne...

Magnum- Lost on the Road to Eternity

I have blogged before about the excitement of getting hold of a new album, the same excitement I felt donkeys years ago when buying some new vinyl as it was then, so imagine my glee when on Friday, the first day of release, the latest Magnum album was delivered from Amazon!
You know what to expect from Magnum, their style doesn't change that much probably because the guitarist Tony Clarkin has written the vast majority of their songs, not that I'm complaining. Bands do change their styles over time, look at how Americanised Def Leppard became for instance, but putting on a Magnum album is very like putting on an album from Status Quo, you know, you just know it ain't going to have changed that much!
To the tracks then. The album starts with a track called 'Peaches and Cream.' It's a great start and very typically Magnum with good solid drumming from new(ish) drummer Lee Morris. 'Show me your hands' is quite a fast track for Magnum held together with a great bass line from Al Barrow, incidentally on a FaceBook chat with Al I asked him what tracks off this latest album would be played on tour, but he said it was a secret!! We are seeing the band at the Islington Assembly room in March, interestingly Al said  'it's like playing inside a wedding cake!'
A change of tempo to a slower song with 'Storm Baby' a track that's very like 'Gypsy Queen' from their previous album 'Sacred blood divine lies.'
'Welcome to the cosmic cabaret' is the longest track on the album at 8.08 minutes

 with a searing guitar solo from Tony Clarkin and some interesting, almost psychedelic keyboards from Rick Benton who took over keyboard duties when Mark Stanway left the band mid tour last year. The track  ends on a slower section and drifts off, its a good track but maybe abit too long.
Title tracks are always difficult. They've got to deliver the very essence of the album  and 'Lost on the road to eternity' does not disappoint. It boasts a great piano opening and a rattling good riff, all very Magnum and very good!  There's a guest vocalist on this one as well, not that Bob Catley needs any help, from Tobias Sammeg, also some great orchestral moments  that help to make this a very worthy title track.
'Without love' was released as a single and is probably my favourite track, maybe because I've heard it more than the others but maybe not. It's a rollicking singalong type track just what I like. The Memsahib & I were talking about Magnum & one of the things she likes about them is that their songs tell a story, I suppose I've always been less about the words and more about a good tune and a chorus I can bellow out!
'Tell me what you've got to say' is a mid album track. Have to say its rather forgettable this one, doubt one we'll ever hear played live.
'Ya wanna be someone' is another faster track and held together by a solid if alittle dull bass line, 'Forbidden Masquerade' has a nice guitar solo by Tony Clarkin, it's a modest track, nothing new here but it does the trick.
The penultimate track is called 'Glory to ashes.' Dare I say it's another pretty nondescript track, nothing bad about it at all and the bass and drums keep it rolling along. 'Kings of the world' is the final offering from Magnum this time round it's the second longest track at 7.04 minutes and is classic Magnum, it's a fitting end of a very good album.
Many albums offer  up a little extra for the fans in the shape of unrealised tracks, though it has to be said sometimes once you've listened you understand why they were unrealised so instead Magnum have an extra CD featuring live versions of four tracks off their previous album 'Sacred blood divine lies'   being the title track, 'Crazy old mothers,' You're dreams won't die' & 'Twelve men wise and just.' Its a very good addition.
Turning to the artwork on the CD case, its again by Rodney Matthews full of mystical creatures and magical forests, this one has some better known characters on in the shape of Dorothy (no red shoes though? Copyright issues maybe?) with Tinman, Scarecrow and the Lion  there's also Alice along with the Cheshire Cat and White Rabbit and an amusing figure of 'Death' sporting a Mickey Mouse badge, though my favourite is a dog running off with a string of sausages. He is probably called Ralph :)
There you have it. I felt real excitement when this little gem dropped through the letter box, it's a long time since I've actually got hold of an album on its realise date and it did not disappoint.

Excellent album artwork featuring lots of well know characters.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Sheringham.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Sheringham.: Another jaunt round Norfolk led to a night away at The Two Lifeboats in Sheringham. A nice place my room even had a sea view but the weathe...

Sheringham.

Another jaunt round Norfolk led to a night away at The Two Lifeboats in Sheringham. A nice place my room even had a sea view but the weather was freezing, fortunately they'd thought to put an extra heater in the room which helped immensely.
Repaired to the bar for a beer, abit lax today as I think the beer I had was called Lifeboat Ale, it was 3.4% in strength but that's all I know! Dinner was a very good leek and potato soup followed by steak pie, veg & chips. All really good. Too stuffed for a pud so called it a day & went back to my room, thought about going for a walk but as I've already said it was freezing so didn't bother!
 I've had better cooked breakfasts to be honest, it wasn't bad but I could have knocked nails in with my sausage! (oh matron!)  journey onwards around Norfolk and home via Mildenhall and whilst driving past the RAF base ( used by the USAF)  an F15 jet just about landed on the roof of the car......well that's what it felt like anyway, looking quickly right I saw it speed along onto the runway, that noise! It really does look and sound like a killing machine, not like a Spitfire for instance, even though of course it was. The growl of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine of a Spit or four of them on a Lancaster is an awesome sound, one that always puts the hairs up on he back of my neck. Not so the F15, it just spoke death and danger. Other than that an uneventful drive back home, pleased to see my new Airbourne  CD, 'No guts no glory' ordered a week ago had arrived as well, an Aussie band that sound alot like AC/DC which is fine by me. I shall enjoy listening to it.

Lifeboat Ale and a read about Norfolk CAMRA

Leek and potato soup

Steak pie, veg and chips

F15 USAF fighter

New CD waiting for me on my return home

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Fast Eddie.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Fast Eddie.: Another one bites the dust. Fast Eddie Clarke one of the original members of Motorhead has died, so all the originals are now dead. It'...

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Fast Eddie.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Fast Eddie.: Another one bites the dust. Fast Eddie Clarke one of the original members of Motorhead has died, so all the originals are now dead. It'...