Friday, 19 April 2019
An idiots guide to an Idiot: First gig of the year.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: First gig of the year.: Always a special night out going to a gig, this one especially for me as I was going with Olly & Gary. Some time ago I played a CD by...
First gig of the year.
Always a special night out going to a gig, this one especially for me as I was going with Olly & Gary.
Some time ago I played a CD by Massive Wagons to Olly. He liked it and a while later he asked whether I was free on 13th April & he booked tickets!
So it was we trolled down to Euston on Saturday afternoon. Gary knew of a very quirky little pub made in one of the gate houses for the rather grand entrance to Euston station, now called The Tap House. Seemed to be just beers, lagers and ciders. A few ales and craft beers also on, though I managed to pick a duffer for my first pint! I just didn't see the 'porter' next to the Railway Line brew I chose. Never mind, after both G & O has a sip there wasn't much left ( joke! they didn't like it either) it did taste a bit better the more you had. Best pub music ever as well, Black Sabbath!
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| On route from Leighton Buzzard |
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| The Tap Room at Euston. |
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| Second beers |
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| First beers |
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| Interesting war memorial outside the Euston station |
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Close up of one of the figures on the memorial.
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Onwards then, we walked towards Camden and went in The Worlds End a brilliant pub next to The Underworld, a gig venue I still haven't been in despite a couple of near misses!
What a fabulous pub The Worlds End is! Full of rock types & a few goths, the place just ooze's atmosphere. I spied Iron Maiden 'Trooper' ale on draft only to be given a bottle! Tasted good though!
Have to say at this point what fun and good company our boys are, I was having just the best day!
Trying to recall some of our conversations I do remember Olly saying 'Its not the first time I've told a trans Sumo wrestler to fuck off!' Just wish I could remember the context in which this sentence was uttered! Gary's rejoinder later was on Ellie's vacuuming stating 'She hoovers at least once a month.'
Later on Gary took a photo of me outside The Hawley Arms but omitted to tell me I was no where near pointing at the pub sign, this was another stop along the way where the footie was on as you see from Olly's attention to the photo below.
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| Thought I was nearer the pub name! |
Massive Wagons were just the business! Absolutely brilliant from beginning to end., very loud, very energetic, a great rock band. Bellowed out a few lyrics I knew , both Olly & I seemed to know the words to 'Back to the Stack' their tribute to Rick Parfitt of Status Quo so we merrily belted that one out! The gig finished all too soon......one more beer stop then home, on the last train it appears, out of Euston so we had to stand all the way.
A brilliant evening made all the better by being with Gary & Olly. Here's to the next time! 'You know, you know, you know!'
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| Mural on a building in Camden, strangely by Alec! |
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| Mural in Camden |
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| Bed , al la Laurel and Hardy or Morecombe and Wise! |
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Thursday, 11 April 2019
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Nights away
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Nights away: Here we go again with more pictures of dinner and beer......but not necessarily in that order. Couple of nights away working is always a c...
Nights away
Here we go again with more pictures of dinner and beer......but not necessarily in that order.
Couple of nights away working is always a chore but a nice place to stay, decent evening meal & a couple of beers help to ease the pain.
So it was I was in South Wales and then Hereford/Worcester area. Thought I'd made a major cock up when I arrived at my first night stop over in The Old Rectory in Crickhowell. I was met with the sound of banging, drills and gawd knows what else! I said to the manager who booked me in 'Have I picked the wrong night to stay!?' He laughed ( a little nervously I thought) & told me there'd had renovation work going on since January & its got to be finished this weekend as they've got their first function, with that he said 'Lets see if we can do you an upgrade,' which he did and a very good upgrade it was too! To a suite in fact with stunning views of the Black Mountains of South Wales. Lurking behind the hills in my photo is the Sugar Loaf, one of the highest in the Black Mountains and one I walked up with Dad & Paul many years ago and with Tara a few less years ago.
A pint of Golden Gower by the Gower Brewery, a golden ale at 4.5% helped me finish my emails then an excellent Stilton and broccoli soup followed by a sirloin steak with sweet potato fries. All really good and well cooked, apart from the steak that was rare (boom boom!).
A very full, full breakfast (wasn't called an 'English' breakfast I noticed!) and off I went again. Must say the decorating bothered me not a jot, its one I'd happily stay at again.
No draught ales at the Doubletrees Cheltenham on my second night, but a very good bottled beer by the Cotswold Lion Brewery called Golden Fleece. All their beers are something to do with sheep, in fact a Cotswold Lion is a sheep........don't ask!
Anyhoo, at 4.4% it slipped down a treat. The perfect end of day beer and very welcome it was. A predicable fish and chip dinner was had, all very nice. Good crispy batter to the fish & not a soggy chip in sight.
Couple of nights away working is always a chore but a nice place to stay, decent evening meal & a couple of beers help to ease the pain.
So it was I was in South Wales and then Hereford/Worcester area. Thought I'd made a major cock up when I arrived at my first night stop over in The Old Rectory in Crickhowell. I was met with the sound of banging, drills and gawd knows what else! I said to the manager who booked me in 'Have I picked the wrong night to stay!?' He laughed ( a little nervously I thought) & told me there'd had renovation work going on since January & its got to be finished this weekend as they've got their first function, with that he said 'Lets see if we can do you an upgrade,' which he did and a very good upgrade it was too! To a suite in fact with stunning views of the Black Mountains of South Wales. Lurking behind the hills in my photo is the Sugar Loaf, one of the highest in the Black Mountains and one I walked up with Dad & Paul many years ago and with Tara a few less years ago.
A pint of Golden Gower by the Gower Brewery, a golden ale at 4.5% helped me finish my emails then an excellent Stilton and broccoli soup followed by a sirloin steak with sweet potato fries. All really good and well cooked, apart from the steak that was rare (boom boom!).
A very full, full breakfast (wasn't called an 'English' breakfast I noticed!) and off I went again. Must say the decorating bothered me not a jot, its one I'd happily stay at again.
No draught ales at the Doubletrees Cheltenham on my second night, but a very good bottled beer by the Cotswold Lion Brewery called Golden Fleece. All their beers are something to do with sheep, in fact a Cotswold Lion is a sheep........don't ask!
Anyhoo, at 4.4% it slipped down a treat. The perfect end of day beer and very welcome it was. A predicable fish and chip dinner was had, all very nice. Good crispy batter to the fish & not a soggy chip in sight.
Wednesday, 3 April 2019
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Great weekend
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Great weekend: We've just had a fantastic weekend in Venice. Neither of us had been before, the Memsahib found a very good Groupon deal for two nigh...
Great weekend
We've just had a fantastic weekend in Venice. Neither of us had been before,
the Memsahib found a very good Groupon deal for two nights B&B.
Still dark when the cab picked us up for the airport but it did mean we were in Venice before midday having dropped our bags at the hotel, flight couldn't have been better! However, in the past we've always placed safe and had package type hols, so once we got out at Marco Polo Airport on our own we looked at each other & said 'What do we do now?!'
Venice is hardly the back of beyond and every local we spoke to had at the very least passable English which was considerably better than our Italian which was non -existent, got a bus sorted to our hotel. Three star allegedly, all OK but a bit shabby and the blandest most boring room ever! As I say, we were in central Venice by midday and spent the afternoon pottering around the alleyways and over canals stopping for ice cream ( had to be done) and the odd liquid refreshment, weather was in the low 20's and perfect. Lots of eateries to choose from and many did gluten free pasta but gluten free pizza took a bit of finding which we did eventually. Eating in Venice isn't the cheapest but to be honest, you're there, you're hungry, it was suggested to us that as public transport is cheap you could get a bus out of Venice, have something to eat then go back. Yes you could do that which would be quite tedious and with no idea where to go we plumped for looking at the menus where we were and ate in Venice. When in Rome do as the Romans, when in Venice have another beer and find a nice pizza joint, the first one we found at the side of a bustling square. T certainly missed Ida as she noticed every single dog that passed us, of which there were many and alot were off the lead all pottering along with their owners. Seems a strange place to have a dog as there is precious little greenery for them to run about on, and they call the English a dog loving nation, I think Italy must be similar.
Parts of Venice were more crowded than others, the bridges off of Piazzale Roma where the buses stopped were busiest of course though it thinned out the further you walked. I dread to think what its like in the height of the season, we went into a very interesting museum about Leonardo Da Vinci, though he wasn't born here, in his later life he lived and worked in Venice, it was really good, in particular I liked his inventions and in this museum many had been replicated, maybe not full size but big enough to work them to get the idea. It was a good couple of hours.
We bumbled back to the hotel in the early evening absolutely shagged out! We'd been up since 4am and it was beginning to tell on us, T in particular had been cooking on gas determined to enjoy all the our weekend away had to offer. Popped into a supermarket to get some fruit and drink and water for the room. Disappointed not to be able to find local produce but to be fair we were in what appeared to be a bog standard supermarket though we found a 1.5L bottle of Italian Merlot for about 4Euros which was quite delicious and a couple of different flavoured Bacardi Breezers for T.
Brekkers next morning then. Plenty of it but things like fruit cocktail out of a tin let it down somewhat. Photos I'd seen online showed sumptuous trays of sliced fruit, don't know where they were, just a bowl of apples and oranges is all I found. Plenty of yoghurt, boiled eggs, sliced meat and cheese and cakes did make for a good feed though and very pleased to note that on asking they provided T with gluten free crackers, biscuits and cake. Bus to Venice just outside the hotel and we were off, Twenty minutes later back in Piazzale Roma and today we had decided to get the ferry to the islands of Murano then on to Burano.
The ferries were quite crowded so we stood for the duration of the trip, about half an hour I think. Pottered around Murano and found one of the glass factories where there was demonstrations of glass blowing. Its a real skill and of course the chap doing it made it look easy, hustled bit in their shop 'Oh zis eez honly 50 Euros special offer,' and all that. Next stop was the island of Burano famous for its lace. Unfortunately no demos or old ladies making the lace on their doorsteps though there was alot of really brightly coloured houses. It seems like a trade mark of the island, you'd think it would look terrible but strangely it all went together, we didn't spend long on this island. Back to Venice, found a very ornate church to look round and then went for dinner and guest what? We had pizza again! I had air dried beef on mine which was pretty well like ham to be honest, it was very nice though. Had a beer while we waited for the bus back to our hotel and again hit the sack quite early but managed to get through the Bacardi Breezers and most of the wine.
Breakfast day two was much the same as the previous day but once again, a good feed. We decided we'd get the bus into Venice and go back to the airport from there, Tara pretty knackered by now, she'd let nothing stop her enjoy the city but it was just beginning to catch up with her. Standing and having to balance on the ferries the previous day didn't help! We found a nice canal side café, sat and watched the world go by until it was time to depart for the airport. Flight home again very straight forward and on time. When it all works it's great! We really must go back to Venice at some stage, not least because we never actually got to St Marks Square, the Doges Palace and Bridge of Sighs
( Like the Bridge over the River Kwai but without a good signature tune and no Japs!). On our return to Luton Airport we elected to get the bus home rather than being ripped off by the licensed bandits they call Addison Lee taxi's which is the only cab firm allowed to work the airport. Bus seemed to take an age and we had to change at Asda once back in Dunstable. We were opposite the Gary Cooper & decided to have something to eat there then go home. Eventually picked Ida up about 8pm I think. It was truly a great weekend!
the Memsahib found a very good Groupon deal for two nights B&B.
Still dark when the cab picked us up for the airport but it did mean we were in Venice before midday having dropped our bags at the hotel, flight couldn't have been better! However, in the past we've always placed safe and had package type hols, so once we got out at Marco Polo Airport on our own we looked at each other & said 'What do we do now?!'
Venice is hardly the back of beyond and every local we spoke to had at the very least passable English which was considerably better than our Italian which was non -existent, got a bus sorted to our hotel. Three star allegedly, all OK but a bit shabby and the blandest most boring room ever! As I say, we were in central Venice by midday and spent the afternoon pottering around the alleyways and over canals stopping for ice cream ( had to be done) and the odd liquid refreshment, weather was in the low 20's and perfect. Lots of eateries to choose from and many did gluten free pasta but gluten free pizza took a bit of finding which we did eventually. Eating in Venice isn't the cheapest but to be honest, you're there, you're hungry, it was suggested to us that as public transport is cheap you could get a bus out of Venice, have something to eat then go back. Yes you could do that which would be quite tedious and with no idea where to go we plumped for looking at the menus where we were and ate in Venice. When in Rome do as the Romans, when in Venice have another beer and find a nice pizza joint, the first one we found at the side of a bustling square. T certainly missed Ida as she noticed every single dog that passed us, of which there were many and alot were off the lead all pottering along with their owners. Seems a strange place to have a dog as there is precious little greenery for them to run about on, and they call the English a dog loving nation, I think Italy must be similar.
Parts of Venice were more crowded than others, the bridges off of Piazzale Roma where the buses stopped were busiest of course though it thinned out the further you walked. I dread to think what its like in the height of the season, we went into a very interesting museum about Leonardo Da Vinci, though he wasn't born here, in his later life he lived and worked in Venice, it was really good, in particular I liked his inventions and in this museum many had been replicated, maybe not full size but big enough to work them to get the idea. It was a good couple of hours.
We bumbled back to the hotel in the early evening absolutely shagged out! We'd been up since 4am and it was beginning to tell on us, T in particular had been cooking on gas determined to enjoy all the our weekend away had to offer. Popped into a supermarket to get some fruit and drink and water for the room. Disappointed not to be able to find local produce but to be fair we were in what appeared to be a bog standard supermarket though we found a 1.5L bottle of Italian Merlot for about 4Euros which was quite delicious and a couple of different flavoured Bacardi Breezers for T.
Brekkers next morning then. Plenty of it but things like fruit cocktail out of a tin let it down somewhat. Photos I'd seen online showed sumptuous trays of sliced fruit, don't know where they were, just a bowl of apples and oranges is all I found. Plenty of yoghurt, boiled eggs, sliced meat and cheese and cakes did make for a good feed though and very pleased to note that on asking they provided T with gluten free crackers, biscuits and cake. Bus to Venice just outside the hotel and we were off, Twenty minutes later back in Piazzale Roma and today we had decided to get the ferry to the islands of Murano then on to Burano.
The ferries were quite crowded so we stood for the duration of the trip, about half an hour I think. Pottered around Murano and found one of the glass factories where there was demonstrations of glass blowing. Its a real skill and of course the chap doing it made it look easy, hustled bit in their shop 'Oh zis eez honly 50 Euros special offer,' and all that. Next stop was the island of Burano famous for its lace. Unfortunately no demos or old ladies making the lace on their doorsteps though there was alot of really brightly coloured houses. It seems like a trade mark of the island, you'd think it would look terrible but strangely it all went together, we didn't spend long on this island. Back to Venice, found a very ornate church to look round and then went for dinner and guest what? We had pizza again! I had air dried beef on mine which was pretty well like ham to be honest, it was very nice though. Had a beer while we waited for the bus back to our hotel and again hit the sack quite early but managed to get through the Bacardi Breezers and most of the wine.
Breakfast day two was much the same as the previous day but once again, a good feed. We decided we'd get the bus into Venice and go back to the airport from there, Tara pretty knackered by now, she'd let nothing stop her enjoy the city but it was just beginning to catch up with her. Standing and having to balance on the ferries the previous day didn't help! We found a nice canal side café, sat and watched the world go by until it was time to depart for the airport. Flight home again very straight forward and on time. When it all works it's great! We really must go back to Venice at some stage, not least because we never actually got to St Marks Square, the Doges Palace and Bridge of Sighs
( Like the Bridge over the River Kwai but without a good signature tune and no Japs!). On our return to Luton Airport we elected to get the bus home rather than being ripped off by the licensed bandits they call Addison Lee taxi's which is the only cab firm allowed to work the airport. Bus seemed to take an age and we had to change at Asda once back in Dunstable. We were opposite the Gary Cooper & decided to have something to eat there then go home. Eventually picked Ida up about 8pm I think. It was truly a great weekend!
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| Ice cream in Venice. had to be done! |
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| Canal side |
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| Interesting pasta shop |
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| Us on a bridge |
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| Burano |
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| Pizza's on the second night |
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| Gondolas pass as Tara stands on the bridge |
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| Church we looked in |
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| The Alps from mid air |
Thursday, 14 March 2019
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Stan & Ollie
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Stan & Ollie: No, not these two! These two! Who are playing these two! It was a very good film, if a little sad as it showed the ...
Stan & Ollie
No, not these two!
These two!
Who are playing these two!
It was a very good film, if a little sad as it showed the great Laurel and Hardy in the Autumn of their careers. It is a fictionalized account, they didn't play London, not on this tour and I think I'm right in saying there was never a Robin Hood film potentially being made, with references to a mysterious Mr Miffin. It is however a good film and the portrayals of Stan by Steve Coogan and Olly by John C Reilly are absolutely superb.
Sunday, 3 March 2019
An idiots guide to an Idiot: An A to something of music.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: An A to something of music.: We often put on a CD rather than watch some crap on the television so tonight T came up with the idea of going through the alphabet playin...
An A to something of music.
We often put on a CD rather than watch some crap on the television so tonight T came up with the idea of going through the alphabet playing a band with each letter choosing from the CD's that are downstairs, you see we are gradually decorating & clearing the lounge so the CD's are slowly making their way upstairs. We didn't get through the whole alphabet tonight, we got up to the letter 'I' with the following bands:
Alice Cooper
Bryan Ferry
Coldplay
David Gray
Eagles
Fairport Convention
Genesis
Hard Fi
Iggy Pop
It was great fun choosing & I in particular put on CD's I wouldn't normally have chosen. I was surprised how good Hard Fi were, billed as a rock band I have never heard them played on Planet Rock, but then they are always playing Supertramp who I wouldn't have called rock at all!
Music, a couple of glasses of red including my Birthday presie from Gary & Ellie. A good evening.
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.
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