Bracing

A very pleasant bracing walk for Ida & I along the beach today. Four and a half miles there and back walking on both beach and dunes.
Ida hates the water so we didn't go very near the sea, she preferred the sniffs of the sand dunes  and shingle away from the water. A few other hardy dog walkers out, we met a Border Terrier pup called Henry  and a black Cocker who, despite his owners shouts got Cocker Spaniel selective hearing and came bounding over.
Great to see Ida open the throttles and go belting along the beach. Tried to get her to retrieve a tennis ball I'd taken with us but she went off this after skidding to a halt to get the ball and kicking up loads of sand that made her cough & splutter!
We walked on past the life boat station and on as far as the road that leads to New Romney then returned. An interesting piece of World War Two history just off shore, the remains of part of a Mulberry floating harbour that was towed over to Normandy just after D Day in June 1944. Called a Phoenix Cassion it was going to be a mobile break water. It was supposed to be re floated and towed across the Channel but it proved impossible to re float so remained where it is, whether this was a problem with this huge bit of concrete I don't  know but there are six in total off the British coast at various points along the south coast. It became a listed building in 2014 and no one can as much as moor  a boat on it, and quite right too. Its a great tangible link with Operation Overload that changed the course of world history.

Remains of a Dog Fish I think.

The Phoenix Cassion part of the Mulberry Harbour of D Day fame. 

 

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Break

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Break: Down visiting our dear friends in Kent for some much needed r&r. It's been full on for both of us since I got my job in January. We...

Break

Down visiting our dear friends in Kent for some much needed r&r. It's been full on for both of us since I got my job in January.
We went on a very pleasant walk round Rye Harbour Nature Reserve today and also had a look at the church. There's a very grand memorial to commemorate  the loss of the RNLI Lifeboat The Mary Stanford in 1928. The whole crew of 17 perished when it capsized after going out in bad weather to the help two ships that had collided. However a message from the coastguard for the Mary Stanford to stand down arrived too late , there is much conjecture as to how the boat capsized an inquiry decided it was due to a strong flood tide and a high and dangerous breaking sea. 15 are buried in the graveyard, one was washed up in Eastbourne three months later and laid to rest with his comrades and one was never found. A very sad tale. The graveyard also contains a couple of military graves:
456/ST Trimmer Thomas Stevenson RNR from HM Trawler 'Carlton,' died 21st Feb1916 aged 36, also sailor killed in 1938 and an 18 year Fusilier killed in the Gulf War in 1991. Such a waste.
We walked back towards the car park and Martello Tower and into the Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. A very pleasant walk to a bird hide where we watched Avocets and  Redshanks feeding. Very peaceful. Finished the walk and met several dogs on the way back including one called Stan!

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Three albums in.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: Three albums in.: You know of my joy in getting hold of a new album, well we're only halfway through February and  there's three little gems to talk a...

Three albums in.

You know of my joy in getting hold of a new album, well we're only halfway through February and  there's three little gems to talk about. Namely, Magnum's 'The Serpent Rings,' Those Damn Crow's 'Point of No Return' and Snake Oil & Harmony's 'Hurricane Riders.'
Originally I'd pre ordered Magnum and Those Damn Crows to arrive as soon as they came out but once I'd been made redundant I cancelled them, Tara more recently ordered Snake Oil & Harmony on a pre pre order!  getting it about a month before it goes on general sale (arrived on 14th Feb)
So, the albums.
Magnum's 21st studio album is pretty good. I have to say that as with their last album you can tell very easily its Magnum, their style and song structure changes very little. Is that a bad thing? I don't think so, consider a great band like Queen. Their 1982 album 'Hot Space' is a travesty to put it mildly, a change of direction going all disco and funk, not a rock track anywhere near it. Do I want this of Magnum? No!
Their formula works, they never made the A List but have been around for years and can still tour and pretty well fill venues. What more can you ask?
Though they have tried a few small differences this time, there are orchestral arrangements on both 'Where are you Eden?' and 'The Serpent Rings,' they work very well. 'Not  Forgiven' was released as a single (though I'm abit confused where singles fit in with things in these days of downloads) which I've heard on Planet Rock afew times. The title track is very good and we're looking forward to seeing them again in April They will no doubt play a couple of tracks off this album so I'd better get listening.
Those Damn Crows release  their second album which has shot up the charts to (as of today) come in at number 14. 'Who did it' is the single most played and is a great track, the whole album is very good with 13 tracks it fairly rattles along. Shane Greenhall has a great voice, this band is definitely up and coming, we saw them supporting The Quireboys two years ago and I'd like to see them again. In fact we've just missed them as they tour brought them to London last week, though it was mid week as well which doesn't help.
Snake Oil and Harmony are bit of a change of pace. I'd put them in the style of The Eagles type of rock music, in fact Danny Vaughn used to play for The Illegal Eagles a very good Eagles tribute band. He is very good and excels at whatever he does. His day job is with Tyketto and his partner on this album is Dan Reed of The Dan Reed Network.
The songs are quite varied, sung by both though I must say I prefer Dany Vaughn's voice to Dan Reed. The latter has written three tracks on his own including one called 'Aberfan.' This is about the terrible disaster of 1966 when a slag heap slipped and buried a school killing 116 pupils and staff. Not a very uplifting subject  and a little obscure for an  American to write about but there you are.
Well, hardly an in depth look at each album but I think you get the impression I like them. The reviewers of Planet Rock magazine gave all the albums a respectable three out of five.

An idiots guide to an Idiot: February

An idiots guide to an Idiot: February: Well into the New Year now and I haven't blogged yet so thought I'd better get my finger out. Pleased to say I have another job, be...

February

Well into the New Year now and I haven't blogged yet so thought I'd better get my finger out.
Pleased to say I have another job, believe me when I tell you that it is a great relief to be back in employment again. Although it only took slightly longer to find a job this time than last, it was far more scary, as having Christmas in the middle meant everything just closed up. Who recruits or looks for a job right on Christmas? I was officially unemployed from the 1st January so had the dubious pleasure of having to go the Job Centre.    This was without doubt one of the most depressing things we have ever had to do, & I say 'we' as its based on a household income not just me even though it was me looking for a job. The 'Job Coaches' are reasonable people  but completely governed by their computer screens. The computer says no! The pittance we may have got wouldn't even have covered our outgoings even though we have never claimed for anything in our lives. Universal Credit is a terrible thing and the architect of it is up for a knighthood! Hardly fair is it. I'd shoot the bastard.
Anyway, I live to fight another day and have been back working since the 19th. Thank Buddha for that! The only person upset is Ida as she was getting a very long walk every day and now by necessity they are abit shorter!
To celebrate T booked us tickets to see Danny Vaughn and Dan Reed in MK at the beginning of March, should be great! Along with Saxon at the end of March, Magnum a week later, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in May and the New Forest Folk Festive in July our music diary is looking good!
T's Mum is 80 this year & trying to get the whole family on one place at the same time to celebrate is like trying to nail jelly to the wall! Though her Birthday is in April looks like we may all have a 'window' in October, oh well!