Thursday, 21 February 2019
An idiots guide to an Idiot: A couple of good films
An idiots guide to an Idiot: A couple of good films: Stayed with our dear friends in Kent and had a great few days, not long enough of course, but it never is, anyway, we settled down to watch...
A couple of good films
Stayed with our dear friends in Kent and had a great few days, not long enough of course, but it never is, anyway, we settled down to watch a film or two on Sunday evening. We'd been talking about Peter Sellers films and the fact that I'd never seen 'The Party' (1968) and Kas hadn't seen for years. She was able to find it on their telly box so we sat ready. What a brilliant film! Sellers plays a useless India actor who ruins a film set and is totally inept who by mistake is invited to the party the movie mogul behind the ruined film. It's very funny, one you have to watch as well as alot of the gags are visual. Sellers falls over, breaks things and generally makes a comedic mess of things. He is in essence a blacked up Inspector Clouseau, his alter ego in the great series of films he made.
After that Stan suggested a western, I'm not a big fan of westerns but this one was based on true events about Jesse James, his brother Frank & also the Younger brothers. What made this film abit different was the fact that the actors playing the sets of brothers were also brothers. It was called 'The Long Riders,' (1980).The sets of brothers in the film are:
After that Stan suggested a western, I'm not a big fan of westerns but this one was based on true events about Jesse James, his brother Frank & also the Younger brothers. What made this film abit different was the fact that the actors playing the sets of brothers were also brothers. It was called 'The Long Riders,' (1980).The sets of brothers in the film are:
- The Keaches: Jesse James (James Keach) and Frank James (Stacy Keach)
- The Carradines: Cole Younger (David Carradine), Jim Younger (Keith Carradine) and Bob Younger (Robert Carradine)
- The Quaids: Ed Miller (Dennis Quaid) and Clell Miller (Randy Quaid)
- The Guests: Charley Ford (Christopher Guest) and Robert Ford (Nicholas Guest)
It was a good film, albeit a little long and I'm sure that in some of the shooting scenes (of which there was many) their six shooters fired more than six rounds!
That aside it was a brilliant evening with friends, just chilling watching a couple of films.
Saturday, 2 February 2019
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Late review
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Late review: Last year I posted a few thoughts on new album releases, then there was bit of a rush of new albums and I never really got my act together ...
Late review
Last year I posted a few thoughts on new album releases, then there was bit of a rush of new albums and I never really got my act together to post again. So better late than never, a potted review of three new releases and a re-release I got towards the end of last year.
Uriah Heep first, the album called 'Living the dream.' Never really been into Uriah Heep, no particular reason, I have only one other album, one from the early '70's called 'Salisbury.'
'Living the dream' has ten tracks all of them pretty good, my own fave being 'Grazed by heaven,' this was also a single and played to death on Planet Rock, that's where I first heard it. Not a duff track on the album a band I'll have to investigate the back catalogue of I think.
Beyond the Black are a German band we saw supporting Saxon a few years ago, I bought their debut album 'Songs of love and death' which was an absolute cracker, as were the band live. The latest album 'Heart of the Hurricane' is also very good but to be honest a bit samey, nothing wrong with that, you get into a band because you like their sound, you don't want Motorhead to start sounding like Abba for instance....although.....no, no forget that thought. Its a good accomplished album of thirteen tracks plus two bonus tracks so its very good value, none of them are epics, all being about 4 minutes long, its a good album, not a great album but it certainly passes muster.
The last two bands are linked. The Quireboys who we have seen before and always enjoy, did a special one off gig to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their 2008 album 'Homewreckers and Heartbreakers.' I bought the special re-release of this album as the first part of the gig was to play the album in its entirety. It's a cracking album full of old barnstormers that The Quireboys do so well to the quieter 'Mother Mary' It's an album I like alot.
The first support for The Quireboys were called Those Damn Crows. What a brilliant new band they are! So good were they,it prompted the purchase of their debut album 'Murder and the Motive.' Ten tracks all bloody good , they are destined for greater things I think, another album with no duffers all very playable, I look forward to more from them.
Not a very in depth review of these four albums I grant you, I left it too long for that but albums I'd recommend to everyone.
Uriah Heep first, the album called 'Living the dream.' Never really been into Uriah Heep, no particular reason, I have only one other album, one from the early '70's called 'Salisbury.'
'Living the dream' has ten tracks all of them pretty good, my own fave being 'Grazed by heaven,' this was also a single and played to death on Planet Rock, that's where I first heard it. Not a duff track on the album a band I'll have to investigate the back catalogue of I think.
Beyond the Black are a German band we saw supporting Saxon a few years ago, I bought their debut album 'Songs of love and death' which was an absolute cracker, as were the band live. The latest album 'Heart of the Hurricane' is also very good but to be honest a bit samey, nothing wrong with that, you get into a band because you like their sound, you don't want Motorhead to start sounding like Abba for instance....although.....no, no forget that thought. Its a good accomplished album of thirteen tracks plus two bonus tracks so its very good value, none of them are epics, all being about 4 minutes long, its a good album, not a great album but it certainly passes muster.
The last two bands are linked. The Quireboys who we have seen before and always enjoy, did a special one off gig to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their 2008 album 'Homewreckers and Heartbreakers.' I bought the special re-release of this album as the first part of the gig was to play the album in its entirety. It's a cracking album full of old barnstormers that The Quireboys do so well to the quieter 'Mother Mary' It's an album I like alot.
The first support for The Quireboys were called Those Damn Crows. What a brilliant new band they are! So good were they,it prompted the purchase of their debut album 'Murder and the Motive.' Ten tracks all bloody good , they are destined for greater things I think, another album with no duffers all very playable, I look forward to more from them.
Not a very in depth review of these four albums I grant you, I left it too long for that but albums I'd recommend to everyone.
Thursday, 17 January 2019
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Gigs, gigs,gigs
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Gigs, gigs,gigs: Another year dawns and of course it is full of another year of gigs! Already got Massive Wagons booked with numbers one and three sons whi...
Gigs, gigs,gigs
Another year dawns and of course it is full of another year of gigs!
Already got Massive Wagons booked with numbers one and three sons which I am really looking forward to, there's the UFO swansong to consider and Doro beckons from Camden in March and , praise be, Saxon are to make an announcement tomorrow regarding a tour for their 40th anniversary.
It's going to be a good year :)
Already got Massive Wagons booked with numbers one and three sons which I am really looking forward to, there's the UFO swansong to consider and Doro beckons from Camden in March and , praise be, Saxon are to make an announcement tomorrow regarding a tour for their 40th anniversary.
It's going to be a good year :)
Sunday, 13 January 2019
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Growing up
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Growing up: Haven't blogged for a while, no particular reason, I always said I'd blog because I wanted to rather than I thought I should so tod...
Growing up
Haven't blogged for a while, no particular reason, I always said I'd blog because I wanted to rather than I thought I should so today you get 'Growing up.'
Strange day my dears, strange day. Number three son & his gorgeous girlfriend (obs!!) are moving to their own abode, their own space, indeed their own home, and it is good.
Though with my unemotional hat on ( which doesn't exist, all of my hats are very emotional) we will very obviously miss them and all they bring to our lives. But this is what any, every parent works up to isn't it? Their offspring 'fleeing the nest,' that's how every healthy parent /offspring relationship works surely!?
I have no doubt Oliver has found me as irritating and annoying as I found my parents ( be disappointed to find out otherwise!!) but equally I have no doubt he and Laura know how much we love them and how much we will miss them, though I would not have it any other way.
We helped them move in yesterday to a very nice place in Leighton Buzzard, somewhere that everyone seems to be moving to! Still afew smaller bits & pieces to take but that's all in due course.
We have a new patio door & bathroom window going in tomorrow, once that's sorted I can start bringing down stuff from the loft to sort out. There's a quarter size snooker table up there that we haven't played on for years, infact you cant see the bloody thing as there's crap on it, next to it and under it!
No more will I keep broken computers in case, at some later date they decide to work again. Got the garage sorted last year (with a great deal of help, encouragement and wise words form T) now its the loft's turn. Also having some work to open out the dining room & lounge abit.
All change!
Strange day my dears, strange day. Number three son & his gorgeous girlfriend (obs!!) are moving to their own abode, their own space, indeed their own home, and it is good.
Though with my unemotional hat on ( which doesn't exist, all of my hats are very emotional) we will very obviously miss them and all they bring to our lives. But this is what any, every parent works up to isn't it? Their offspring 'fleeing the nest,' that's how every healthy parent /offspring relationship works surely!?
I have no doubt Oliver has found me as irritating and annoying as I found my parents ( be disappointed to find out otherwise!!) but equally I have no doubt he and Laura know how much we love them and how much we will miss them, though I would not have it any other way.
We helped them move in yesterday to a very nice place in Leighton Buzzard, somewhere that everyone seems to be moving to! Still afew smaller bits & pieces to take but that's all in due course.
We have a new patio door & bathroom window going in tomorrow, once that's sorted I can start bringing down stuff from the loft to sort out. There's a quarter size snooker table up there that we haven't played on for years, infact you cant see the bloody thing as there's crap on it, next to it and under it!
No more will I keep broken computers in case, at some later date they decide to work again. Got the garage sorted last year (with a great deal of help, encouragement and wise words form T) now its the loft's turn. Also having some work to open out the dining room & lounge abit.
All change!
Sunday, 23 December 2018
An idiots guide to an Idiot: St Agnes Fountain
An idiots guide to an Idiot: St Agnes Fountain: Had our great buddies Stan, Kas & Dan to stay recently, its an annual thing, they stay with us for a few days then off to a gig at the ...
St Agnes Fountain
Had our great buddies Stan, Kas & Dan to stay recently, its an annual thing, they stay with us for a few days then off to a gig at the Hitchin Folk Club they like to keep.
A visit to The Victoria on Saturday was very nice despite the grotty weather, then a stroke of luck, for us anyway! Two people that were going to the Hitchin Folk Club gig couldn't make it so we had first refusal on the tickets!
The band they go to see is called St Agnes Fountain (its a line from the carol Good King Wenceslas) featuring Chris Leslie from Fairport Convention, Chris Whiles, Julie Matthews & David Hughes, we'd heard alot about them and couldn't turn down the chance to see them!
They only get together for an Xmas tour & most of the set is Christmassy type songs. Carols, carols put to different tunes (they put 'Hark the Herald' to the Ah-A song 'Take me on,' and yes, it does work!) with a few spoken word pieces as well. A particularly good one by David Hughes was about the inn keeper in Bethlehem who he called Barnabas Trump!
It really did kick start Christmas for us , in the past we've had the boys nativity plays etc but that was a long time ago so something else to kick start xmas has been along time coming!
It was a great evening, so much did we enjoy it that we joined Hitchin Folk Club then and there ( keep it to yourself or my rock credentials as an old headbanger get flushed down the toilet!) so we could buy tickets in our own right for next year.
We also got to meet Agnes and Gerter again which was great , we bade goodbye to our friends after the gig and made our way home. A great night.
A visit to The Victoria on Saturday was very nice despite the grotty weather, then a stroke of luck, for us anyway! Two people that were going to the Hitchin Folk Club gig couldn't make it so we had first refusal on the tickets!
The band they go to see is called St Agnes Fountain (its a line from the carol Good King Wenceslas) featuring Chris Leslie from Fairport Convention, Chris Whiles, Julie Matthews & David Hughes, we'd heard alot about them and couldn't turn down the chance to see them!
They only get together for an Xmas tour & most of the set is Christmassy type songs. Carols, carols put to different tunes (they put 'Hark the Herald' to the Ah-A song 'Take me on,' and yes, it does work!) with a few spoken word pieces as well. A particularly good one by David Hughes was about the inn keeper in Bethlehem who he called Barnabas Trump!
It really did kick start Christmas for us , in the past we've had the boys nativity plays etc but that was a long time ago so something else to kick start xmas has been along time coming!
It was a great evening, so much did we enjoy it that we joined Hitchin Folk Club then and there ( keep it to yourself or my rock credentials as an old headbanger get flushed down the toilet!) so we could buy tickets in our own right for next year.
We also got to meet Agnes and Gerter again which was great , we bade goodbye to our friends after the gig and made our way home. A great night.
Sunday, 25 November 2018
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Graduation
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Graduation: We were up in Coventry for Oliver's Graduation Ceremony on Friday & a terrific occasion it was too! I'd arranged for us to stay...
Graduation
We were up in Coventry for Oliver's Graduation Ceremony on Friday & a terrific occasion it was too! I'd arranged for us to stay up there overnight & we also took Olly & Laura out for a curry.
The Graduation ceremony was held in Coventry Cathedral, a really spectacular setting. There was a real, tangible buzz to the place right from when Oliver went to collect his gown & mortar board, the style of the gowns dates back to the 15th century, the gowns for graduates (Bachelor of Engineering) were slightly different to the doctorates etc.
We met a couple of Olly's fellow graduates outside & I took a few photos you see here. Once we were in the cathedral (only two tickets per student so Laura watched on a screen in the university building nearby with the girlfriend of one of Olly's classmates) the procession of all the lecturers and Dean & Chancellor etc walked in and up to the altar. After a couple of brief addresses they got on with the 'handshake' from the head of the engineering faculty. It was all a very slick operation, stewards got the graduates up and in line, an orator announced the names (she did particularly well as there were some very obscure foreign names to get here mouth round!), walked forward for the handshake and back to their seats. It was a very proud moment for us!
Back outside to the general hubbub of hundreds of students and their families etc, we'd asked Oliver to get a couple of official photos so it was off to another block for this. Again a very well run operation to get everyone photoed. There was about six photographers working at once. This done, including a nice group shot we'd added, Oliver got rid of his gown and we repaired to The Drapers for a much needed libation.
That was the end of the official bit, we both know Oliver only really did it for us & we're really pleased he did but he did say he enjoyed the day as well. He has worked incredibly hard to get a very good First in his degree and I think the official recognition of this ceremony is very fitting. We are very very proud of Oliver & what he has achieved.
Lounged back at the hotel for a while (Ibis, very near town centre) met in the bar for a pre curry bevy then off for a very decent meal. Made it back, not very late, I think we were all knackered! A last drink at the bar was abit farcical due to the bar maids very little grasp of English, but as they forgot to charge us I'll let them off for that!
I was up quite early and went for a walk back to the cathedral area, It was pretty well empty, you'd never have known all the congrats and mortar board flinging of the previous day had ever taken place. The burnt out remains of the medieval cathedral stand next to the modern rebuilt one of yesterdays ceremony. There is alot of history in Coventry but much was obliterated during the bombing of the Second World War particularly in 1940. I took afew photos you'll see here. We had a great time, it was a fine ceremony.
The Graduation ceremony was held in Coventry Cathedral, a really spectacular setting. There was a real, tangible buzz to the place right from when Oliver went to collect his gown & mortar board, the style of the gowns dates back to the 15th century, the gowns for graduates (Bachelor of Engineering) were slightly different to the doctorates etc.
We met a couple of Olly's fellow graduates outside & I took a few photos you see here. Once we were in the cathedral (only two tickets per student so Laura watched on a screen in the university building nearby with the girlfriend of one of Olly's classmates) the procession of all the lecturers and Dean & Chancellor etc walked in and up to the altar. After a couple of brief addresses they got on with the 'handshake' from the head of the engineering faculty. It was all a very slick operation, stewards got the graduates up and in line, an orator announced the names (she did particularly well as there were some very obscure foreign names to get here mouth round!), walked forward for the handshake and back to their seats. It was a very proud moment for us!
Back outside to the general hubbub of hundreds of students and their families etc, we'd asked Oliver to get a couple of official photos so it was off to another block for this. Again a very well run operation to get everyone photoed. There was about six photographers working at once. This done, including a nice group shot we'd added, Oliver got rid of his gown and we repaired to The Drapers for a much needed libation.
That was the end of the official bit, we both know Oliver only really did it for us & we're really pleased he did but he did say he enjoyed the day as well. He has worked incredibly hard to get a very good First in his degree and I think the official recognition of this ceremony is very fitting. We are very very proud of Oliver & what he has achieved.
Lounged back at the hotel for a while (Ibis, very near town centre) met in the bar for a pre curry bevy then off for a very decent meal. Made it back, not very late, I think we were all knackered! A last drink at the bar was abit farcical due to the bar maids very little grasp of English, but as they forgot to charge us I'll let them off for that!
I was up quite early and went for a walk back to the cathedral area, It was pretty well empty, you'd never have known all the congrats and mortar board flinging of the previous day had ever taken place. The burnt out remains of the medieval cathedral stand next to the modern rebuilt one of yesterdays ceremony. There is alot of history in Coventry but much was obliterated during the bombing of the Second World War particularly in 1940. I took afew photos you'll see here. We had a great time, it was a fine ceremony.
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| Making our way towards the cathedral. |
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| Out of sequence this is Olly & Laura going into The Drapers after the event |
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| Our first glimpse of Olly in his Graduation finery |
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| Olly & Will |
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| Procession of Lecturers etc |
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| The 'handshake.' He's in there somewhere! |
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| The procession leaves. |
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| Lady Godiva, well known Coventry resident and nude lady. |
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| An interesting memorial I walked past that I first thought was a war memorial, it actually remembers eleven people executed here in the time of Henry VIII for reasons of 'conscience.' Probably worth further investigation. |
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