Monday, June 30, 2003
Jailhouse Rock
Further to my mention of the wastes of space in my last post, a mere few weeks after the ASBOs were handed out, two of the three have been incarcerated for breaking them. Perhaps they felt they couln't go more than a month before they needed to start preying on old folk, threatening young mothers and wrecking property again.
Let's hope the message starts to get through that these measures (ASBOs that is) will be implemented to their fullest, and those who think they can ignore them as though they are just another *slap on the wrist*, start to realise that the neighborhoods they terrorise - and, believe me, they DO terrorise them - have started to fight back with the law on their side at last.
Communication Breakdown
Strikes me that there is a lot of political point scoring going on regarding this story from tonight's Manchester Evening News. It's quite obvious the Labour Party feel they have got the Lib Dems over a barrel and vice versa.
Regardless of who has to foot the bill for the translator, at the end of the day, if you are elected as a councillor in the UK, is it not common sense to be able to speak English ? Why is it *playing into the hands of the (odious) BNP* to point this out ?
Once again, no doubt, the debate about this issue will become polarised. Already the Sun and its ilk have been sniffing round the Town Hall. I expect there'll be headlines in the Star, Mail, Express etc., tomorrow full of righteous indignation. The Grauniad will possibly print articles from academics praising this *multi-cultural* breakthrough at the heart of British politics: a true representation of the wishes of the people in his constituency. Conveniently forgetting the size of the turnout. The Anti-Nazi League will, predictably. label anybody who is not 100% in favour of Liaqat Ali a *fascist*.
But I ask this: How can Mr Ali represent HIS constituents in the Council Chamber if he can't communicate properly with his colleagues on the council, council officials and departments, as well as outside bodies ? Depending on the skill of the translator, a lot of things get lost in translation. The semantic nuances of political negotiation and debate are usually the first casualties. Liaqat Ali truly is *walking naked* into the council chambers.
I wonder if he admitted he couldn't speak English on his election leaflets ?
Paper Roses
Have a look at Michael Moore's letter to George Dubya regarding the recent *Saddam's Nuclear Plans Buried Under Rose Bush* revelations.
Dearest and I are missing our kids like crazy. The kids, though, are having the time of their lives.
Further to my mention of the wastes of space in my last post, a mere few weeks after the ASBOs were handed out, two of the three have been incarcerated for breaking them. Perhaps they felt they couln't go more than a month before they needed to start preying on old folk, threatening young mothers and wrecking property again.
Let's hope the message starts to get through that these measures (ASBOs that is) will be implemented to their fullest, and those who think they can ignore them as though they are just another *slap on the wrist*, start to realise that the neighborhoods they terrorise - and, believe me, they DO terrorise them - have started to fight back with the law on their side at last.
Communication Breakdown
Strikes me that there is a lot of political point scoring going on regarding this story from tonight's Manchester Evening News. It's quite obvious the Labour Party feel they have got the Lib Dems over a barrel and vice versa.
Regardless of who has to foot the bill for the translator, at the end of the day, if you are elected as a councillor in the UK, is it not common sense to be able to speak English ? Why is it *playing into the hands of the (odious) BNP* to point this out ?
Once again, no doubt, the debate about this issue will become polarised. Already the Sun and its ilk have been sniffing round the Town Hall. I expect there'll be headlines in the Star, Mail, Express etc., tomorrow full of righteous indignation. The Grauniad will possibly print articles from academics praising this *multi-cultural* breakthrough at the heart of British politics: a true representation of the wishes of the people in his constituency. Conveniently forgetting the size of the turnout. The Anti-Nazi League will, predictably. label anybody who is not 100% in favour of Liaqat Ali a *fascist*.
But I ask this: How can Mr Ali represent HIS constituents in the Council Chamber if he can't communicate properly with his colleagues on the council, council officials and departments, as well as outside bodies ? Depending on the skill of the translator, a lot of things get lost in translation. The semantic nuances of political negotiation and debate are usually the first casualties. Liaqat Ali truly is *walking naked* into the council chambers.
I wonder if he admitted he couldn't speak English on his election leaflets ?
Paper Roses
Have a look at Michael Moore's letter to George Dubya regarding the recent *Saddam's Nuclear Plans Buried Under Rose Bush* revelations.
Dearest and I are missing our kids like crazy. The kids, though, are having the time of their lives.
Sunday, June 29, 2003
There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards (Lucky Bleeders)
Last night, as Dearest and I were walking along a suburban street in North Manchester, a car slowed down as it passed us from behind. The pimply, shaven-headed adolescent driving turned to us and said: "fish fingers" - with a sneer !!
Have us forty-somethings missed something ? Does this phrase - when uttered in the deeply ironic tones we were subjected to actually mean something ? It surely must because the baseball-capped little tw*t drove off sniggering with his sychophantic acolyte guffawing in the passenger seat.
Please let me know. I really would hate to have been left behind culturally.
What is frightening though is that I was filled with an uncontrollable rage. If I had caught him I would probably have beaten him to death: and quite rightly. I'm sure I would have been acquitted by a jury of my peers.
"Why did you attack the pimply youth with such verocity ?"
"Your Honour, he offended me deeply with the unprovoked comments he made to my wife and I".
"And these comments were......?"
"Fish fingers M'Lud".
"Then I find no case to answer - hang the little bastard !!"
Perhaps it was one of these wastes of space ?? Ahh yes. Where we live we really do understand that Society has dealt them a poor hand and that they should be helped as much as possible. Whereas kids who were born and raised two doors away from them are subjected to deterrants such as student loans when they try to educate themselves.
Its a mad, mad, mad, mad world.
Last night, as Dearest and I were walking along a suburban street in North Manchester, a car slowed down as it passed us from behind. The pimply, shaven-headed adolescent driving turned to us and said: "fish fingers" - with a sneer !!
Have us forty-somethings missed something ? Does this phrase - when uttered in the deeply ironic tones we were subjected to actually mean something ? It surely must because the baseball-capped little tw*t drove off sniggering with his sychophantic acolyte guffawing in the passenger seat.
Please let me know. I really would hate to have been left behind culturally.
What is frightening though is that I was filled with an uncontrollable rage. If I had caught him I would probably have beaten him to death: and quite rightly. I'm sure I would have been acquitted by a jury of my peers.
"Why did you attack the pimply youth with such verocity ?"
"Your Honour, he offended me deeply with the unprovoked comments he made to my wife and I".
"And these comments were......?"
"Fish fingers M'Lud".
"Then I find no case to answer - hang the little bastard !!"
Perhaps it was one of these wastes of space ?? Ahh yes. Where we live we really do understand that Society has dealt them a poor hand and that they should be helped as much as possible. Whereas kids who were born and raised two doors away from them are subjected to deterrants such as student loans when they try to educate themselves.
Its a mad, mad, mad, mad world.
Hellhound on my Trail
Why bother with this ?
Better to concentrate on getting Iraq's infrastructure back up to speed, facilitate free and fair elections and get out as quick as you can.
Or are we watching the next phase of the game where George Dubya accuses Iran or Syria (I'm not sure which yet) of harbouring the moustachioed, erstwhile dictator thus giving the USA the *right* to march on there and drag him out ? Time will tell I guess.
The Show Must Go On
So, despite the death of Marc Vivien Foe, the final of the Confederations cup will take place later this evening.
A fitting way to honour Marc's memory ? Or a cynical manouvre that ensures the moolah still drops into FIFA's coffers?
Mikael Silvestre, the France and Manchester United defender, said:
"If we are playing to pay homage to Marc, it will be an immense pleasure for me to take part.
"But if we are playing to meet the commercial imperatives of FIFA, it will not be right at all. What about if we shared the trophy?
"I was shocked to hear FIFA president Sepp Blatter signal on the very evening of Marc's death that the final had to take place. It sickened me."
I'd love to believe that the reason for carrying was an honourable one, but I think Mr Silvestre has got it spot on when he talks of 'commercial impertives'.
Let 'em In
So, last night we go for a meal at Saffron with Avril, Steve, John, Pam, Pate and June. Later we retire to bed and, at 1:30am, the phone rings. Its my 70 year old mother.
"Stephen, we're locked out - you're Dad had the key but he's lost it. Can we come up to your house we've nowhere to stay ?"
My Dad's 75. They'd both been in the local pub from 8 till gone midnight and were both, frankly, pissed ! So we packed them off to bed, Dearest had Eldest's bed and I slept on the sofa. Today I feel like shit.
This morning was one long round of phone calls to the local housing association, 24 hour lock busters being called out, breakfasts being provided for all and sundry and, almost as afterthought, my Dad *mentions* his Internet isn't working properly.
4 hours later everything is back to normal and I'm going for a kip - I'm knackered.
Why are my entries changing font and justification at random ?? We need to be told !
Why bother with this ?
Better to concentrate on getting Iraq's infrastructure back up to speed, facilitate free and fair elections and get out as quick as you can.
Or are we watching the next phase of the game where George Dubya accuses Iran or Syria (I'm not sure which yet) of harbouring the moustachioed, erstwhile dictator thus giving the USA the *right* to march on there and drag him out ? Time will tell I guess.
The Show Must Go On
So, despite the death of Marc Vivien Foe, the final of the Confederations cup will take place later this evening.
A fitting way to honour Marc's memory ? Or a cynical manouvre that ensures the moolah still drops into FIFA's coffers?
Mikael Silvestre, the France and Manchester United defender, said:
"If we are playing to pay homage to Marc, it will be an immense pleasure for me to take part.
"But if we are playing to meet the commercial imperatives of FIFA, it will not be right at all. What about if we shared the trophy?
"I was shocked to hear FIFA president Sepp Blatter signal on the very evening of Marc's death that the final had to take place. It sickened me."
I'd love to believe that the reason for carrying was an honourable one, but I think Mr Silvestre has got it spot on when he talks of 'commercial impertives'.
Let 'em In
So, last night we go for a meal at Saffron with Avril, Steve, John, Pam, Pate and June. Later we retire to bed and, at 1:30am, the phone rings. Its my 70 year old mother.
"Stephen, we're locked out - you're Dad had the key but he's lost it. Can we come up to your house we've nowhere to stay ?"
My Dad's 75. They'd both been in the local pub from 8 till gone midnight and were both, frankly, pissed ! So we packed them off to bed, Dearest had Eldest's bed and I slept on the sofa. Today I feel like shit.
This morning was one long round of phone calls to the local housing association, 24 hour lock busters being called out, breakfasts being provided for all and sundry and, almost as afterthought, my Dad *mentions* his Internet isn't working properly.
4 hours later everything is back to normal and I'm going for a kip - I'm knackered.
Why are my entries changing font and justification at random ?? We need to be told !
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Goodbye
I was going to post something tonight but I am sincerely gutted at the news of Marc Vivien Foe's death. Such a young, fit man. Where is the sense in this ?? It really was shocking to see him just keel over unchallenged, as he ran up the pitch.
My thoughts go to his family and friends.
One of the City messageboards has been indundated with over 700 messages from fans of other clubs. It really is touching reading them.
The one crumb of comfort is that at least he died doing something he loved, was good at and was able to earn a living at.
RIP Marc Vivien Foe 1975 - 2003.
I was going to post something tonight but I am sincerely gutted at the news of Marc Vivien Foe's death. Such a young, fit man. Where is the sense in this ?? It really was shocking to see him just keel over unchallenged, as he ran up the pitch.
My thoughts go to his family and friends.
One of the City messageboards has been indundated with over 700 messages from fans of other clubs. It really is touching reading them.
The one crumb of comfort is that at least he died doing something he loved, was good at and was able to earn a living at.
RIP Marc Vivien Foe 1975 - 2003.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
I'm Losing You
Well ! Has Tony turned *that* corner. Y'know the one that leads to the *Grey Havens* ? Population at present: 4 (Thatcher, Callaghan, Heath and Major). A Guardian/ICM poll today would seem to suggest that the WMD issue, combined with years of spin, have finally eroded the trust of the nation to the point where the suit, shirt, tie and cufflinks all drop off, and the country takes the piss out of his *new clothes*.
He should have a word with Margaret. Regardless of how successful you have been, the minute you start dragging the party down it won't be long before the *stalking horse* appears. Closely followed by a right clever bastard on a white charger.
The poll was obviously taken before today's awful news of at least 6 British squaddies blasted into infinity in the wilds of Iraq. News that must surely damage Tony more ? He may get away with the disbelief regarding the WMDs - but body bags at Brize Norton will certainly see the end of a politician who promised so much and, ultimately, achieved so little.
Minimum wage anyone ? Yeah cheers Tony - it really is *minimum* isn't it ? Education, education, education ? Yeah but only if you're prepared to pay, pay, pay ! NHS back in the hands of the Party that created it, ( forgetting the fact that Beveridge was a Liberal)? Oh so that must mean Foundation Hospitals and the spectre of a two-tier health service then ! Occupational pensions frittered away by Multinationals ? Its OK, the workers can pay extra and work longer. Crime ? "Our figures show its going down". Errrr.....yeah, right. Sorry, I hadn't noticed. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention.
YOU let me, and millions of others down Tony Blair. The first Labour Premier to achieve two FULL terms, ('64 - '70 = .75% of two terms), and, it seems to me, you spent your time with your head up the arse of George Dubya, reading Hayek, Freidman and the collected works of Thatcher, Joseph and........Walter fecking Mitty!
Cartoon by Steve Bell © 2003
Its All in the Game
Pet subject time.
Tim ! You STRUGGLED against some nonentity (tennis-wise I mean, I'm sure he has chutzpah in abundance in all other areas of his life). First round Tim ??? You STRUGGLED !!
I think you just might struggle on.....for a while.
Way to Blue
Calm down ! Calm down !!!!! Deep breaths. Happy thoughts....................
I've got Musicmatch Jukebox set to *shuffle* and pointing to the MP3 directory on my HDD. A decent glass of Red at hand and the serendipitous (sp ?) happy juxtaposition of songs old and new. Harry Nillson, Norah Jones, Stevie Wonder, Caravan, Elvis's Presley and Costello, Ennio Morricone, Joni, John, Paul, George and Ringo. Radiohead, Stereophoncs, Nirvana and Beck drag me into the 90s and early 21st century.
Right now its Nick Drake with the exquisite *Way to Blue*. I first fell in love with that guitar and that voice way back in '69 when I purchased the Island Sampler Album *Nice Enough To Eat* for the princly sum of 14s 6d (fourteen shillings and sixpence = 74.5p I think ??). It was the first *album* I could afford. I took it home and played it to death on my Fidelity mono record player with the groovy orange and grey leatherette skin.
Five leaves Left soon found its way onto that turntable. Bryter Layter was next with its Hazy Janes and Northern Sky - bliss !! I must confess though, I found Pink Moon depressed the hell out of me. I thought it was amateurish and under-produced. But you must remember I was only 14 at the time and I still knew everything.
Well ! Has Tony turned *that* corner. Y'know the one that leads to the *Grey Havens* ? Population at present: 4 (Thatcher, Callaghan, Heath and Major). A Guardian/ICM poll today would seem to suggest that the WMD issue, combined with years of spin, have finally eroded the trust of the nation to the point where the suit, shirt, tie and cufflinks all drop off, and the country takes the piss out of his *new clothes*.He should have a word with Margaret. Regardless of how successful you have been, the minute you start dragging the party down it won't be long before the *stalking horse* appears. Closely followed by a right clever bastard on a white charger.
The poll was obviously taken before today's awful news of at least 6 British squaddies blasted into infinity in the wilds of Iraq. News that must surely damage Tony more ? He may get away with the disbelief regarding the WMDs - but body bags at Brize Norton will certainly see the end of a politician who promised so much and, ultimately, achieved so little.
Minimum wage anyone ? Yeah cheers Tony - it really is *minimum* isn't it ? Education, education, education ? Yeah but only if you're prepared to pay, pay, pay ! NHS back in the hands of the Party that created it, ( forgetting the fact that Beveridge was a Liberal)? Oh so that must mean Foundation Hospitals and the spectre of a two-tier health service then ! Occupational pensions frittered away by Multinationals ? Its OK, the workers can pay extra and work longer. Crime ? "Our figures show its going down". Errrr.....yeah, right. Sorry, I hadn't noticed. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention.
YOU let me, and millions of others down Tony Blair. The first Labour Premier to achieve two FULL terms, ('64 - '70 = .75% of two terms), and, it seems to me, you spent your time with your head up the arse of George Dubya, reading Hayek, Freidman and the collected works of Thatcher, Joseph and........Walter fecking Mitty!
Cartoon by Steve Bell © 2003
Its All in the Game
Pet subject time.
Tim ! You STRUGGLED against some nonentity (tennis-wise I mean, I'm sure he has chutzpah in abundance in all other areas of his life). First round Tim ??? You STRUGGLED !!
I think you just might struggle on.....for a while.
Way to Blue
Calm down ! Calm down !!!!! Deep breaths. Happy thoughts....................
I've got Musicmatch Jukebox set to *shuffle* and pointing to the MP3 directory on my HDD. A decent glass of Red at hand and the serendipitous (sp ?) happy juxtaposition of songs old and new. Harry Nillson, Norah Jones, Stevie Wonder, Caravan, Elvis's Presley and Costello, Ennio Morricone, Joni, John, Paul, George and Ringo. Radiohead, Stereophoncs, Nirvana and Beck drag me into the 90s and early 21st century.
Right now its Nick Drake with the exquisite *Way to Blue*. I first fell in love with that guitar and that voice way back in '69 when I purchased the Island Sampler Album *Nice Enough To Eat* for the princly sum of 14s 6d (fourteen shillings and sixpence = 74.5p I think ??). It was the first *album* I could afford. I took it home and played it to death on my Fidelity mono record player with the groovy orange and grey leatherette skin.
Five leaves Left soon found its way onto that turntable. Bryter Layter was next with its Hazy Janes and Northern Sky - bliss !! I must confess though, I found Pink Moon depressed the hell out of me. I thought it was amateurish and under-produced. But you must remember I was only 14 at the time and I still knew everything.
Monday, June 23, 2003
Someday my Prince Will Come
Hot on the heels of the fabulously tacky 'MANUTD' ring, come these wonderful pieces of absolute tat. Can anyone honestly tell me that they think they are anything but buttock-clenchingly embarrassing?
Apparently they are for all *heritage collectors*. What the hell is a *heritage collector* ?? How on earth do you collect heritage ?
I can see I'm going to have to start rooting through the Sunday glossies for more of this type of stuff. I mean - it must be successful or else they wouldn't bother to manufacture and market it. But, dear God, who'd have this on their mantlepiece ??
On top of that, neither the ornament nor the crown look anything like William, do they ? Or is it just me ? Personally I think they got a lot closer with the bear. As for the price ! £198 for the statuette and £175 for a Teddy Bear !!! I'm obviously missing something here and I'm bloody glad I am.
Anyone for Tennis
The BBC has gone Wimbledon crazy. I came in from work tonight to find different matches being broadcast on BBC1, BBC2 and 2 of the Freeview channels (701 and 702 I think they were). Added to that is the radio coverage on 5Live. Was it always like this ? Or is it just because its pretty much the only major sporting event the corporation still has the rights for ?
Furthermore, will this blanket coverage continue when the *British* contigent bows out ? For bow out they will. After the ritual *I really think Henman or Rusedski can go all the way* spurting from the mouths of Sue Barker, *Ginny* and the rest of middle England, the perrenial losers will once more disappoint. The only guy who both recognises and acknowledges this fact is John McEnroe. A man who knows what is needed to go all the way and a man who has gone all the way on many occasions.
The sad fact is, in this country, tennis is an expensive sport to play properly. When I say properly I mean being a member of a well organised club. A club that can offer professional coaching and vigorous competition. Unfortunately that requires money - and expensive sports generally attract snobs who can't bear the thought of talented, but relatively poor, players stealing their petty glories.
I'll eat my hat if Henman wins. (Rusedski doesn't count - he's Canadian. Don't be fooled).
Little by Little
I thought this had been banned everywhere ? And just what do they mean by *tossing* ? 'Cos its not very clear from the article.
Hot on the heels of the fabulously tacky 'MANUTD' ring, come these wonderful pieces of absolute tat. Can anyone honestly tell me that they think they are anything but buttock-clenchingly embarrassing?Apparently they are for all *heritage collectors*. What the hell is a *heritage collector* ?? How on earth do you collect heritage ?
I can see I'm going to have to start rooting through the Sunday glossies for more of this type of stuff. I mean - it must be successful or else they wouldn't bother to manufacture and market it. But, dear God, who'd have this on their mantlepiece ??
On top of that, neither the ornament nor the crown look anything like William, do they ? Or is it just me ? Personally I think they got a lot closer with the bear. As for the price ! £198 for the statuette and £175 for a Teddy Bear !!! I'm obviously missing something here and I'm bloody glad I am.
Anyone for Tennis
The BBC has gone Wimbledon crazy. I came in from work tonight to find different matches being broadcast on BBC1, BBC2 and 2 of the Freeview channels (701 and 702 I think they were). Added to that is the radio coverage on 5Live. Was it always like this ? Or is it just because its pretty much the only major sporting event the corporation still has the rights for ?
Furthermore, will this blanket coverage continue when the *British* contigent bows out ? For bow out they will. After the ritual *I really think Henman or Rusedski can go all the way* spurting from the mouths of Sue Barker, *Ginny* and the rest of middle England, the perrenial losers will once more disappoint. The only guy who both recognises and acknowledges this fact is John McEnroe. A man who knows what is needed to go all the way and a man who has gone all the way on many occasions.
The sad fact is, in this country, tennis is an expensive sport to play properly. When I say properly I mean being a member of a well organised club. A club that can offer professional coaching and vigorous competition. Unfortunately that requires money - and expensive sports generally attract snobs who can't bear the thought of talented, but relatively poor, players stealing their petty glories.
I'll eat my hat if Henman wins. (Rusedski doesn't count - he's Canadian. Don't be fooled).
Little by Little
I thought this had been banned everywhere ? And just what do they mean by *tossing* ? 'Cos its not very clear from the article.
Sunday, June 22, 2003
Yesterday
Up early and off to Castle Hawk Golf Club for the annual 'Friends' golf day. A full english starts the day, followed by a nine hole team Stableford. A dinner of soup, sandwiches and chips before once more into the breach for an individual Stableford in the afternoon. All in all an enjoyable day. I must admit though, I couldn't join a club and play week in week out. A few times a year is fine but any more than that and it becomes *a good walk spoiled*.
Later Dearest and I, along with Eldest's lonely girlfriend adjourned to the Saffron, a recently opened Indian restaraunt near to our home. Its about the 3rd or 4th time we've been and, I must say, it really is excellent. A couple of bottles of wine, 3 pints of Bengal lager and 3 free sambuccas later westaggered walked a few yards down the road to what must be the only pub in Britain with a (lapsed) Muslim landord. We've known Abdul for years. He was married to Margaret - who was a great friend of Dearest. Margaret was a (literally) larger than life character. 20+ stone of Irish confrontation. Sadly Margaret died a couple of years ago, but Abdul is slowly returning to his old self. Time is a great healer. Anyway a few more *for the road* before a taxi was produced to whisk us the short ride home.
Thus ended Shaun Goater Day 2003. (That was the only link I could find on t'internet).
Speaking of homes, I was surprised to read that the North West has the highest percentage of empty properties in the UK. This has resulted in an ambitious plan to *redesign the heart of Greater Manchester*. Hopefully this attempt at Urban renewal will not turn out like the grandiose modernisation programmes of the 60s and 70s, which left many of our cities concrete horrors.
The other danger is that people lower down the income scale will be priced out of the areas they were born and bred in. *Cappuccino Ghettoes* they call them round here. Areas of Manchester City centre full of refurbished factories, offices and mills full to the brim with executive apartments and the young and successful. Believe me, you do have to be successful to be able to afford them. Let's just pray that the redesign takes account of this and provides some affordable housing - public or private.
When its done correctly, rebuilding on such a large scale can revitalise whole areas. The example of the rebirth of Manchester after the IRA bomb is, I think, a case in point. The work done around the old Corn Exchange has resulted in a *domino effect* that has filterd out to the surrounding areas. When people become aware of what can be achieved with a little bit of the vision-thing, they are more prepared to tackle other challenges.
On the other hand, planners and politicians can still cock up monumentally, as the redevelopment of Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens has shown.
Up early and off to Castle Hawk Golf Club for the annual 'Friends' golf day. A full english starts the day, followed by a nine hole team Stableford. A dinner of soup, sandwiches and chips before once more into the breach for an individual Stableford in the afternoon. All in all an enjoyable day. I must admit though, I couldn't join a club and play week in week out. A few times a year is fine but any more than that and it becomes *a good walk spoiled*.
Later Dearest and I, along with Eldest's lonely girlfriend adjourned to the Saffron, a recently opened Indian restaraunt near to our home. Its about the 3rd or 4th time we've been and, I must say, it really is excellent. A couple of bottles of wine, 3 pints of Bengal lager and 3 free sambuccas later we
Thus ended Shaun Goater Day 2003. (That was the only link I could find on t'internet).
Speaking of homes, I was surprised to read that the North West has the highest percentage of empty properties in the UK. This has resulted in an ambitious plan to *redesign the heart of Greater Manchester*. Hopefully this attempt at Urban renewal will not turn out like the grandiose modernisation programmes of the 60s and 70s, which left many of our cities concrete horrors.
The other danger is that people lower down the income scale will be priced out of the areas they were born and bred in. *Cappuccino Ghettoes* they call them round here. Areas of Manchester City centre full of refurbished factories, offices and mills full to the brim with executive apartments and the young and successful. Believe me, you do have to be successful to be able to afford them. Let's just pray that the redesign takes account of this and provides some affordable housing - public or private.
When its done correctly, rebuilding on such a large scale can revitalise whole areas. The example of the rebirth of Manchester after the IRA bomb is, I think, a case in point. The work done around the old Corn Exchange has resulted in a *domino effect* that has filterd out to the surrounding areas. When people become aware of what can be achieved with a little bit of the vision-thing, they are more prepared to tackle other challenges.
On the other hand, planners and politicians can still cock up monumentally, as the redevelopment of Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens has shown.
Friday, June 20, 2003
Sorry seems to be the Hardest Word
I see at least one newspaper has decided to apologise to the Member for Bagdhad Central. I'd like to think it was for honourable reasons, but I suspect litigation may have been the deciding factor in the Editor's office of the Christian Science Monitor.
It seems that ink-aging tests have proved what a great many of us suspected at the time. The *evidence* was faked. In fact it turns out that they were written in the past couple of months.
So, who saw fit to try and discredit him ? The Iraqi Regime ? Why would they do that ? He was on their side in the matter of sanctions. They had absolutely nothing to gain whatsoever from forging documents to prove he took huge amounts of money from them. I think we can discount them - unless anyone out there thinks (or knows) differently.
The Coalition Forces then ? Well they would certainly benefit slightly more than Saddam and crew would but, I have to say I think they had more important things on their mind. The attempted destruction of one fairly insignificant politician's career surely wasn't high on their list of priorities ? On balance I think we can discount the Coalition as well. Unless anyone out there thinks (or knows) differently.
That just leaves right-wing newspapers with petty vendettas then. Unless anyone out there thinks (or knows) differently.
I'm not a Galloway supporter, but incidents like this leave a nasty taste in my mouth. The same type of scurrilous allegations were made against Scargill a few years ago. Generally it take years for the truth to out and apologies to be printed. (Usually on page 85 in the smallest typeface available.
Europa
Well, after a break of 24 years, the long-awaited foray into Europe for City, is going to foray no further than Welsh Wales ! Yes the mighty Total Network Solutions will be coming to our new stadium some time in August.
This will be a dream tie for TNS. City will probably take an army of thousands of fans to the principality. Even when we were in the depths of division 2 we still managed to average a home gate of around 27,000. Hopefully we can fill the stadia for both legs and provide them with a decent pot of cash.
I just hope they don't beat us though !
Go West
The kids have been in touch, they've arrived safely in Seattle and have found a hotel just a couple of minutes walk from the Space Needle. Their party is seven strong and all of them love to travel. Over the years they've backpacked round eastern and central Europe, done the Californian Pacific coast, been to Tallin, Helsinki, Madrid, Amsterdam, Bruges, Ireland and God knows where else. Next year they're looking at South America in general and, probably, Chile in particular.
We had to make do with a fortnight in North Wales when I were a lad !
I see at least one newspaper has decided to apologise to the Member for Bagdhad Central. I'd like to think it was for honourable reasons, but I suspect litigation may have been the deciding factor in the Editor's office of the Christian Science Monitor.
It seems that ink-aging tests have proved what a great many of us suspected at the time. The *evidence* was faked. In fact it turns out that they were written in the past couple of months.
So, who saw fit to try and discredit him ? The Iraqi Regime ? Why would they do that ? He was on their side in the matter of sanctions. They had absolutely nothing to gain whatsoever from forging documents to prove he took huge amounts of money from them. I think we can discount them - unless anyone out there thinks (or knows) differently.
The Coalition Forces then ? Well they would certainly benefit slightly more than Saddam and crew would but, I have to say I think they had more important things on their mind. The attempted destruction of one fairly insignificant politician's career surely wasn't high on their list of priorities ? On balance I think we can discount the Coalition as well. Unless anyone out there thinks (or knows) differently.
That just leaves right-wing newspapers with petty vendettas then. Unless anyone out there thinks (or knows) differently.
I'm not a Galloway supporter, but incidents like this leave a nasty taste in my mouth. The same type of scurrilous allegations were made against Scargill a few years ago. Generally it take years for the truth to out and apologies to be printed. (Usually on page 85 in the smallest typeface available.
Europa
Well, after a break of 24 years, the long-awaited foray into Europe for City, is going to foray no further than Welsh Wales ! Yes the mighty Total Network Solutions will be coming to our new stadium some time in August.
This will be a dream tie for TNS. City will probably take an army of thousands of fans to the principality. Even when we were in the depths of division 2 we still managed to average a home gate of around 27,000. Hopefully we can fill the stadia for both legs and provide them with a decent pot of cash.
I just hope they don't beat us though !
Go West
The kids have been in touch, they've arrived safely in Seattle and have found a hotel just a couple of minutes walk from the Space Needle. Their party is seven strong and all of them love to travel. Over the years they've backpacked round eastern and central Europe, done the Californian Pacific coast, been to Tallin, Helsinki, Madrid, Amsterdam, Bruges, Ireland and God knows where else. Next year they're looking at South America in general and, probably, Chile in particular.
We had to make do with a fortnight in North Wales when I were a lad !
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
Expecting to Fly
My kids are off to the USA and Canada tomorrow. Flying to Seattle, up to Vancouver, then on to Alaska. Three and a half weeks they'll be away. Can't help feeling nervous about them flying in the most unpopular country on the planet. Ahh well - enjoy yorselves boys - these are the times of your lives. You just don't know it yet !
My kids are off to the USA and Canada tomorrow. Flying to Seattle, up to Vancouver, then on to Alaska. Three and a half weeks they'll be away. Can't help feeling nervous about them flying in the most unpopular country on the planet. Ahh well - enjoy yorselves boys - these are the times of your lives. You just don't know it yet !
I Got It Wrong
Not since Polytechnics were allowed to become Uni's back in the 90s have I seen a marketing cock up as good as this. If anyone remembers (I really can't be bothered looking up links), in fact the story's probably an urban myth, but it's good anyway.
Once upon a time, when the Tories allowed Polytechnics to become Universities, every one of them needed a *makeover*. This consisted of a *mission statement*, new logo and new name. Consequently Manchester Poly became Manchester Metropolitan University. Preston Poly became The University of Central Lancashire etc., etc., etc.
Newcastle Polytechnic went down the same path and brought in a team ofcon-artists image-consultants to help them drag themselves into the latter half of the 20th century. They came up with a myopic fantastic name for the new University in Newcastle.
"The City University of Newcastle on Tyne" they said. Errrr no I don't think so.
However - even better, I think anyway - is this one from Powergen's Italian branch (maybe). You can't beat that good old "Powergenitalia"
Thanks to Tom Watson MP for the link. Tom is one of the MPs who've started keeping blogs. Tom's a Labour member - but there is also Richard Allen, Lib Dem Member for Sheffield Hallam. Good on yer gents. I'll start a links section on the right when I get time. If there are any more of you out there - of ANY political persuasion - let me know and I'll link you.
If you bump into David Heyes MP - who I heppen to know is quite IT literate, ask him why he's not starting one. In fact, next time I see him in t'Willow, I'll put the suggestion to him myself.
Not since Polytechnics were allowed to become Uni's back in the 90s have I seen a marketing cock up as good as this. If anyone remembers (I really can't be bothered looking up links), in fact the story's probably an urban myth, but it's good anyway.
Once upon a time, when the Tories allowed Polytechnics to become Universities, every one of them needed a *makeover*. This consisted of a *mission statement*, new logo and new name. Consequently Manchester Poly became Manchester Metropolitan University. Preston Poly became The University of Central Lancashire etc., etc., etc.
Newcastle Polytechnic went down the same path and brought in a team of
"The City University of Newcastle on Tyne" they said. Errrr no I don't think so.
However - even better, I think anyway - is this one from Powergen's Italian branch (maybe). You can't beat that good old "Powergenitalia"
Thanks to Tom Watson MP for the link. Tom is one of the MPs who've started keeping blogs. Tom's a Labour member - but there is also Richard Allen, Lib Dem Member for Sheffield Hallam. Good on yer gents. I'll start a links section on the right when I get time. If there are any more of you out there - of ANY political persuasion - let me know and I'll link you.
If you bump into David Heyes MP - who I heppen to know is quite IT literate, ask him why he's not starting one. In fact, next time I see him in t'Willow, I'll put the suggestion to him myself.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Oh This Year We're Off To Sunny Spain !
Right then, Goldenballs has gone and United are still trying to make money out of him. The official website is offering fans the opportunity of purchasing a farewell photograph.
It's going to be interesting over the next few months though. I believe Mr Beckham is publishing his *autobiography*. Does it remind you of another decent player United had ? Yes, that's right......Jap Stam !!
I tell yer ! Cross Sir Alex and you're dead meat.
Flash Bang Wallop, What a Picture !
I took a CD of snaps taken with my digital camera to Boots at weekend. I ended up with 50 5 x 7" prints for £10 ! Bearing in mind that my camera is bobbing on a bit and is only capable of 1.3 megapixel, the quality is indecipherable from a normal photographic print.
This really is quite a leap forward in a remarkably short period of time. When I first acquired a digicam in 1999, that 1.3 mp model cost me nearly £500. Today the same would set me back around £400 less (probably more with a bit of searching around).
On top that, now we have places like Boots providing prints at around 20p each, we no longer have to spend an arm and a leg on printers, paper and - most of all - overpriced ink cartridges. Also bear in mind that each one of those prints will be pre-edited and, therefore, wanted. No longer will you have to pay for the chaff as well as the wheat. Give it a go !
We Are Sailing
I've added a link to a few images from our Med cruise under the Photograph section.
Big Yellow Taxi
BBC 4 (TV not radio) showed a 1.5 hour documentary of Joni Mitchell tonight. Lauded by many of Joni's American fans as "essential viewing", I found it strangely empty on some of Ms Mitchell's albums. I can't remember a mention of "Hissing of Summer Lawns", "Dog Eat Dog" or "Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm".
On top of this I felt that the references to Joni's painting was fleeting. Anyone familiar with her will recognise that this is a major part of her of work. By her own admission after the album, comes the painting. Different media allowing her to express what needs expressing.
It was excellent for its broadcasting of long-unseen footage, but, in the end, it was an obviously American representation of a Canadian Artist. Only the success was dwelled upon.
Some cracking stuff on that BBC4 though. Worth the price of a Digi Box alone I think.
Right then, Goldenballs has gone and United are still trying to make money out of him. The official website is offering fans the opportunity of purchasing a farewell photograph.
It's going to be interesting over the next few months though. I believe Mr Beckham is publishing his *autobiography*. Does it remind you of another decent player United had ? Yes, that's right......Jap Stam !!
I tell yer ! Cross Sir Alex and you're dead meat.
Flash Bang Wallop, What a Picture !
I took a CD of snaps taken with my digital camera to Boots at weekend. I ended up with 50 5 x 7" prints for £10 ! Bearing in mind that my camera is bobbing on a bit and is only capable of 1.3 megapixel, the quality is indecipherable from a normal photographic print.
This really is quite a leap forward in a remarkably short period of time. When I first acquired a digicam in 1999, that 1.3 mp model cost me nearly £500. Today the same would set me back around £400 less (probably more with a bit of searching around).
On top that, now we have places like Boots providing prints at around 20p each, we no longer have to spend an arm and a leg on printers, paper and - most of all - overpriced ink cartridges. Also bear in mind that each one of those prints will be pre-edited and, therefore, wanted. No longer will you have to pay for the chaff as well as the wheat. Give it a go !
We Are Sailing
I've added a link to a few images from our Med cruise under the Photograph section.
Big Yellow Taxi
BBC 4 (TV not radio) showed a 1.5 hour documentary of Joni Mitchell tonight. Lauded by many of Joni's American fans as "essential viewing", I found it strangely empty on some of Ms Mitchell's albums. I can't remember a mention of "Hissing of Summer Lawns", "Dog Eat Dog" or "Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm".
On top of this I felt that the references to Joni's painting was fleeting. Anyone familiar with her will recognise that this is a major part of her of work. By her own admission after the album, comes the painting. Different media allowing her to express what needs expressing.
It was excellent for its broadcasting of long-unseen footage, but, in the end, it was an obviously American representation of a Canadian Artist. Only the success was dwelled upon.
Some cracking stuff on that BBC4 though. Worth the price of a Digi Box alone I think.
Monday, June 16, 2003
American Tune
Hmmmm....The good ol' US of A hasn't done itself any favours in the *most popular country in the world* competition. A survey commissioned for a programme on BBC has revealed that most of the rest of the planet are not too happy with the land of the brave and the free. I would imagine that the recent spats with most of Europe over the Iraq invasion haven't helped endear the most powerful nation in the world to the rest, but, even so, 57% of those polled is still quite high.
Just how much this will upset the American public is debatable - especially when you consider that only 1 in 5 of them have ever travelled outside their own country.
Staying on an American theme, is Iran next on the list for a *regime change* ? Its certainly starting to look that way. A senior White House official (Zalmay Kalilzhad) has been quoted as saying "US policy is not to impose change on Iran but to support the Iranian people in their quest to decide their own destiny," He went on to add "Our policy is not about Khatami (the reformist Iranian President) or Khamenei (the conservative "supreme leader")...
"It is about supporting those who want freedom, human rights, democracy, and economic and educational opportunity for themselves and their fellow country-men and women."
In addition, Mr Khalilzad accused Iran of supporting terrorist groups and developing nuclear weapons, and made it clear such behaviour was unacceptable.
There's a pattern emerging here isn't there ? Read it here.
Today's good news is that Pigs-in-Lipstick has returned ! Looks like server trouble was the cause of the enforced absence.
I'm still working on getting ths blog to look less like Simon's (where I nicked some of the code from). I really am crap at design though. So I expect it will be changing a lot more over the next few days or weeks, depending on how artistic I'm feeling.
Hey - I was a very lucky Dad yesterday as my two lads heaped presents on me in a thoroughly deserved show of gratitude, love and affection ;-). A nice Reebok polo shirt, Colin Scindler's book on the Summerbee clan "Fathers, Sons and Football" and a lovely Australian Red Cabernet Sauvignon Yellow Label from Wolf Blass vinyards.
Later in the day we went to a garden party and came home very, very drunk about 6 hours later. Sunshine, good food, good company and the finest wines available to mankind. A grand day all told !
Oh dear - the *world's richest club* in shady dealing shock.
Hmmmm....The good ol' US of A hasn't done itself any favours in the *most popular country in the world* competition. A survey commissioned for a programme on BBC has revealed that most of the rest of the planet are not too happy with the land of the brave and the free. I would imagine that the recent spats with most of Europe over the Iraq invasion haven't helped endear the most powerful nation in the world to the rest, but, even so, 57% of those polled is still quite high.
Just how much this will upset the American public is debatable - especially when you consider that only 1 in 5 of them have ever travelled outside their own country.
Staying on an American theme, is Iran next on the list for a *regime change* ? Its certainly starting to look that way. A senior White House official (Zalmay Kalilzhad) has been quoted as saying "US policy is not to impose change on Iran but to support the Iranian people in their quest to decide their own destiny," He went on to add "Our policy is not about Khatami (the reformist Iranian President) or Khamenei (the conservative "supreme leader")...
"It is about supporting those who want freedom, human rights, democracy, and economic and educational opportunity for themselves and their fellow country-men and women."
In addition, Mr Khalilzad accused Iran of supporting terrorist groups and developing nuclear weapons, and made it clear such behaviour was unacceptable.
There's a pattern emerging here isn't there ? Read it here.
Today's good news is that Pigs-in-Lipstick has returned ! Looks like server trouble was the cause of the enforced absence.
I'm still working on getting ths blog to look less like Simon's (where I nicked some of the code from). I really am crap at design though. So I expect it will be changing a lot more over the next few days or weeks, depending on how artistic I'm feeling.
Hey - I was a very lucky Dad yesterday as my two lads heaped presents on me in a thoroughly deserved show of gratitude, love and affection ;-). A nice Reebok polo shirt, Colin Scindler's book on the Summerbee clan "Fathers, Sons and Football" and a lovely Australian Red Cabernet Sauvignon Yellow Label from Wolf Blass vinyards.
Later in the day we went to a garden party and came home very, very drunk about 6 hours later. Sunshine, good food, good company and the finest wines available to mankind. A grand day all told !
Oh dear - the *world's richest club* in shady dealing shock.
Friday, June 13, 2003
Piggies
What has happened to *Pigs-in-Lipstick* ?? Where has he gone ? Its been almost a week now and everytime I receive *404*. Snuffed out by the Bush administration ? Who knows ! All I can say is hurry back wherever you are - your blog is (was ?) a breath of fresh air.
I'm in the process of listening to 'Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd'. I confess I never really got into them as a kid. The rest of spotty, long (lank ?)-haired adolescents I knew at school could frequently be seen with Floyd albums under their greatcoat-sleeved arms. I certainly remember that in '68 'A Saucerful of Secrets' was THE LP to be seen with. By '69/70 I think it was 'Ummagumma' and, later 'Atom Heart Mother'. I left school in 1971 and all contact with Floydies was broken. 'Dark Side of the Moon' was, IMHO, unimpressive at the time. I do like it now though - and I don't know why. It's just pretentious bollocks. But, I suppose it's good pretentious bollocks. 'Wish You Were Here' was another excellent album but, after that I think they started that slide into irrelevance that bands of their status and age, inevitably embrace.
Anyway...yeah....Pink Floyd. Its great after a few glasses of happy juice Man ! Gilmour's done a really good job of sorting the track listing and seguing the entire thing as though it was written over a period of 30-odd years, with the express intention of one day pulling it all together as an, almost, coherent whole. 'Us and Them' is a beautiful track.
Dearest has fallen asleep downstairs so now its time to go down, wake her and send her to bed like I'm Matron !
Today at the hospital we had a lovely nurse who immediately put both Dearest and myself at ease (well...as best you can be *at ease* in situtations like this). She was probably around the 50 mark. Gingerish hair in a bob and one of those hospital manners that make you happy. What I did find comical though, was the fact that she was quite happy to discuss some of the most gory bits and bobs you're ever likely to hear. But, when it came to actually *saying* what operation Dearest was having, all she would call it was 'a procedure'. The fact that she had chosen to use this word was, patently, because she had either a) become embarrassed discussing intimate details of people's medical situations(yeah......right !) or, b) she had been on a *Health Care Professional/Client Interface Understanding* course and had been programmed to talk like an automaton about the fundamental reason why a *client* should be *interfacing* with a health-care professional in the first place.
Still, she WAS lovely and pretty, and she probably sells poppies from a tray down Penny Lane in her spare time.
Parklife
After my heart-breakingly nostialgic ride round Brookdale Park last Saturday, and bemonaing the fact that, as taxpayers, we aren't prepared to fork out to make the 'lungs of the city' pleasant places to be in; I come across this in the Grauniad.
Its not that long ago you know. Do you remember when, on sunny Sundays, parks would be packed to the gunnells with perambulating families dressed to the nines ? Flower beds were awash with colour. Some parks had little 'mini-zoos' for the toddlers - complete with rabbits, chickens, ducks and, sometimes, goats or sheep. Slides, swings, rocking horses........... Picnics, impromptu as well as organised football matches, tennis courts, bowling greens.................those Sundays that became 'One of Those Days in England'..........mind you, building health centres, old-people's clubs and sectioning parts of them off for burial grounds doesn't seem like the way forward to me.
What has happened to *Pigs-in-Lipstick* ?? Where has he gone ? Its been almost a week now and everytime I receive *404*. Snuffed out by the Bush administration ? Who knows ! All I can say is hurry back wherever you are - your blog is (was ?) a breath of fresh air.
I'm in the process of listening to 'Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd'. I confess I never really got into them as a kid. The rest of spotty, long (lank ?)-haired adolescents I knew at school could frequently be seen with Floyd albums under their greatcoat-sleeved arms. I certainly remember that in '68 'A Saucerful of Secrets' was THE LP to be seen with. By '69/70 I think it was 'Ummagumma' and, later 'Atom Heart Mother'. I left school in 1971 and all contact with Floydies was broken. 'Dark Side of the Moon' was, IMHO, unimpressive at the time. I do like it now though - and I don't know why. It's just pretentious bollocks. But, I suppose it's good pretentious bollocks. 'Wish You Were Here' was another excellent album but, after that I think they started that slide into irrelevance that bands of their status and age, inevitably embrace.
Anyway...yeah....Pink Floyd. Its great after a few glasses of happy juice Man ! Gilmour's done a really good job of sorting the track listing and seguing the entire thing as though it was written over a period of 30-odd years, with the express intention of one day pulling it all together as an, almost, coherent whole. 'Us and Them' is a beautiful track.
Dearest has fallen asleep downstairs so now its time to go down, wake her and send her to bed like I'm Matron !
Today at the hospital we had a lovely nurse who immediately put both Dearest and myself at ease (well...as best you can be *at ease* in situtations like this). She was probably around the 50 mark. Gingerish hair in a bob and one of those hospital manners that make you happy. What I did find comical though, was the fact that she was quite happy to discuss some of the most gory bits and bobs you're ever likely to hear. But, when it came to actually *saying* what operation Dearest was having, all she would call it was 'a procedure'. The fact that she had chosen to use this word was, patently, because she had either a) become embarrassed discussing intimate details of people's medical situations(yeah......right !) or, b) she had been on a *Health Care Professional/Client Interface Understanding* course and had been programmed to talk like an automaton about the fundamental reason why a *client* should be *interfacing* with a health-care professional in the first place.
Still, she WAS lovely and pretty, and she probably sells poppies from a tray down Penny Lane in her spare time.
Parklife
After my heart-breakingly nostialgic ride round Brookdale Park last Saturday, and bemonaing the fact that, as taxpayers, we aren't prepared to fork out to make the 'lungs of the city' pleasant places to be in; I come across this in the Grauniad.
Its not that long ago you know. Do you remember when, on sunny Sundays, parks would be packed to the gunnells with perambulating families dressed to the nines ? Flower beds were awash with colour. Some parks had little 'mini-zoos' for the toddlers - complete with rabbits, chickens, ducks and, sometimes, goats or sheep. Slides, swings, rocking horses........... Picnics, impromptu as well as organised football matches, tennis courts, bowling greens.................those Sundays that became 'One of Those Days in England'..........mind you, building health centres, old-people's clubs and sectioning parts of them off for burial grounds doesn't seem like the way forward to me.
Wake up Sunshine
This bunny's happy again - all went well and the patient is back at home with her feet up watching Eastenders. All those doctors and nurses and porters and cleaners and ambulance people etc., etc., etc consider the situation we were in today as perfectly normal. It frightened me to death. All I know is she's lay there watching Eastenders and I couldn't be happier.
Just been listening to the commentary of the '20-20' cup (cricket). It sounds quite exciting and has obviously drawn the crowds. According to 5live a significant number of spectators have never been to a live cricket match before. I guess that can only be good for the sport for - let's face it - it's been losing spectators for years. Naturally though, because this is cricket trying something new, the 'traditionalists' are grumbling about all this new-fangled nonsens. As far as things like jacuzzis and Atomic Kitten go I'm with the duffers, but as for the rest of it ? Lets give it a chance eh ??
Hmmmmm just noticed some of my archive links have disappeared !
This bunny's happy again - all went well and the patient is back at home with her feet up watching Eastenders. All those doctors and nurses and porters and cleaners and ambulance people etc., etc., etc consider the situation we were in today as perfectly normal. It frightened me to death. All I know is she's lay there watching Eastenders and I couldn't be happier.
Just been listening to the commentary of the '20-20' cup (cricket). It sounds quite exciting and has obviously drawn the crowds. According to 5live a significant number of spectators have never been to a live cricket match before. I guess that can only be good for the sport for - let's face it - it's been losing spectators for years. Naturally though, because this is cricket trying something new, the 'traditionalists' are grumbling about all this new-fangled nonsens. As far as things like jacuzzis and Atomic Kitten go I'm with the duffers, but as for the rest of it ? Lets give it a chance eh ??
Hmmmmm just noticed some of my archive links have disappeared !
Thursday, June 12, 2003
Worried Man Blues
I'm not a happy bunny tonight as Dearest has to go into hospital tomorrow for some fairly minor surgery. It will mean a general anaesthetic, and general anaesthetics always make me worry. I know, I know, everyone tells me that there's only something like a one in five million chance that something could go wrong, but when it concerns one of those you love all rationality goes out of the window.
I'm not a happy bunny tonight as Dearest has to go into hospital tomorrow for some fairly minor surgery. It will mean a general anaesthetic, and general anaesthetics always make me worry. I know, I know, everyone tells me that there's only something like a one in five million chance that something could go wrong, but when it concerns one of those you love all rationality goes out of the window.
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Small Change (Got Rained On With His Own .38)
Will it ever end ? George (and, to be fair, possibly Tony's) road map to peace has veered off the freeway and found itself up a Deliverance-like cul-de-sac. Once again there are forces at play who DO NOT want peace, love and understanding. Why should any of us be surprised? Its at times like this I normally turn to Pigs-in-Lipstick, but the site has been unavailable for the past few days.
At least another 24 dead on both sides. Valhalla, Heaven, Paradise and whatever-else-you-want-to-call-it must surely be full by now ? You probably can't move up there for the holier-than-thou !
I listened to an Israeli journalist (with a perfect American accent) talking to Peter Allen on Radio Five's Drive this evening. He was trying to explain that the Israeli helicopter gunships were trying to kill prominent Hamas leaders in order to bring the various Palestinian factions together ! Yeah....right. Now that *should* qualify as 'blue sky thinking'. Kill the opposition to 'bring them together'. Then I listened (and later watched) a Hamas apologist demonstrating why the small change in the White House will only be remebered for two things:- Cheating in the election and illegally invading a Sovereign country under false pretences.
Engerland 2-1 Slovakia
Two goals from Owen, England's captain for the evening - and his 50th cap. . Rooney was snuffed out by an unimpressive Slovak defence, and Sven's *diamond formation* was torn to shreds by lowly opposition. (IMHO). However - we did have a blatant penalty denied us, and Frank Lampard's goal was declared offside when at least three opposition players were between him and the net. All to play for yet. If we win all our remaing matches before the hell-hole that is Turkey, all we need do is draw and we're through.
I'm actually considering a trip to Portugal for Euro 2004 if England make it.
Far Canal
Another bike ride to work this morning and a memo to self to always take my digital with me wherever I go. I know I'm not the world's greatest photographer, but the number of times you find yourself in situations where you would just die for a roll of HP5 or whatever, has forced me into this, belated, resolution. Saw these ducks setting off on some very important journey to somewhere (probably just as relevant to them as my journey to work).
After a week of biking up the canal I have already acquired an amalgam of fishermen, fellow *bikers*, joggers, the permanently bewildered and Larkin's *losels and loblolly-men* who acknowledge me as I puff and pant, red-faced past them. Its odd, but walking to work has the same effect. People who you pass say hello after a couple of days. Not long after they're commenting about the weather. After two weeks you know all about their Jennifer's rash. Within a month they're inviting you to parties, christenings, weddings and funerals.
Its strange, but it really, really, really doesn't happen like that on public *transport*.
Or is it just me ? (Always possible).
Will it ever end ? George (and, to be fair, possibly Tony's) road map to peace has veered off the freeway and found itself up a Deliverance-like cul-de-sac. Once again there are forces at play who DO NOT want peace, love and understanding. Why should any of us be surprised? Its at times like this I normally turn to Pigs-in-Lipstick, but the site has been unavailable for the past few days.
At least another 24 dead on both sides. Valhalla, Heaven, Paradise and whatever-else-you-want-to-call-it must surely be full by now ? You probably can't move up there for the holier-than-thou !
I listened to an Israeli journalist (with a perfect American accent) talking to Peter Allen on Radio Five's Drive this evening. He was trying to explain that the Israeli helicopter gunships were trying to kill prominent Hamas leaders in order to bring the various Palestinian factions together ! Yeah....right. Now that *should* qualify as 'blue sky thinking'. Kill the opposition to 'bring them together'. Then I listened (and later watched) a Hamas apologist demonstrating why the small change in the White House will only be remebered for two things:- Cheating in the election and illegally invading a Sovereign country under false pretences.
Engerland 2-1 Slovakia
Two goals from Owen, England's captain for the evening - and his 50th cap. . Rooney was snuffed out by an unimpressive Slovak defence, and Sven's *diamond formation* was torn to shreds by lowly opposition. (IMHO). However - we did have a blatant penalty denied us, and Frank Lampard's goal was declared offside when at least three opposition players were between him and the net. All to play for yet. If we win all our remaing matches before the hell-hole that is Turkey, all we need do is draw and we're through.
I'm actually considering a trip to Portugal for Euro 2004 if England make it.
Far Canal
Another bike ride to work this morning and a memo to self to always take my digital with me wherever I go. I know I'm not the world's greatest photographer, but the number of times you find yourself in situations where you would just die for a roll of HP5 or whatever, has forced me into this, belated, resolution. Saw these ducks setting off on some very important journey to somewhere (probably just as relevant to them as my journey to work). After a week of biking up the canal I have already acquired an amalgam of fishermen, fellow *bikers*, joggers, the permanently bewildered and Larkin's *losels and loblolly-men* who acknowledge me as I puff and pant, red-faced past them. Its odd, but walking to work has the same effect. People who you pass say hello after a couple of days. Not long after they're commenting about the weather. After two weeks you know all about their Jennifer's rash. Within a month they're inviting you to parties, christenings, weddings and funerals.Its strange, but it really, really, really doesn't happen like that on public *transport*.
Or is it just me ? (Always possible).
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
I'm Free
Plunge taken ! No more Ads at the top of this blog. $15 per year for the privelege. I believe I can also load pics direct to the site instead of of hosting them elsewhere - cool.
Bit of a rum do on the way home from work tonight. There I was breezing down the canal towpath when the handlebars on my bike suddenly slipped to the right and become wobbly. 'Oh shit' I thought (like you do) 'here comes the canal', but, fortunately I just managed to stop in time. As I was there trying to figure out just what the feck had happened a *proper* cyclist appeared. You know the type: clothes like a second skin, helmet, bike that probably cost as much as my car and an unbelievably aerodynamic, tanned-to-perfection, body.
'Problem ?'
'Errrr...yeah my handlebars...I...errr....'
He takes one look and says 'I've got something to sort that'. Delving into a Tardis-like saddle bag he pulls out tool after tool before finally settling on the one that fits the frame of my purple, girly bike perfectly.
Seconds later everything is sorted and he zips off like some 21st century superman.
Now I know almost exactly how women must feel when they break down in the car and some guy comes along and sorts it for them. I say almost because he wasn't staring at my tits, asking me out for a drink or calling me 'babe', 'darling' or 'sweetheart'.
As I carried on down the towpath towards Failsworth I was glad to see two barges using ths part of the canal. It only re-opened last summer after...around 50 years of neglect. New marinas have been created, locks have been repaired and the whole lot has been dredged and dredged and dredged. When it opened it meant that a barge could now sail from Manchester city centre to Sowerby Bridge. From Sowerby the Skipton Canal becomes accessible and from there, so I am lead to believe, you can get pretty much everywhere.
They had a big ceremony to reopen it. It really was something that lifted your spirits. Dozens of decorated barges came from Yorkshire down to Manchester and berthed all along the newly refurbished banks. It was great talking to these guys; they had been looking forward to this for years.
That night the barges were bricked by dickheads and I've not seen one from that day till...today.
The underclass eh ? Don't you just love 'em ?
This post was brought to you by Tom Waits.
Plunge taken ! No more Ads at the top of this blog. $15 per year for the privelege. I believe I can also load pics direct to the site instead of of hosting them elsewhere - cool.
Bit of a rum do on the way home from work tonight. There I was breezing down the canal towpath when the handlebars on my bike suddenly slipped to the right and become wobbly. 'Oh shit' I thought (like you do) 'here comes the canal', but, fortunately I just managed to stop in time. As I was there trying to figure out just what the feck had happened a *proper* cyclist appeared. You know the type: clothes like a second skin, helmet, bike that probably cost as much as my car and an unbelievably aerodynamic, tanned-to-perfection, body.
'Problem ?'
'Errrr...yeah my handlebars...I...errr....'
He takes one look and says 'I've got something to sort that'. Delving into a Tardis-like saddle bag he pulls out tool after tool before finally settling on the one that fits the frame of my purple, girly bike perfectly.
Seconds later everything is sorted and he zips off like some 21st century superman.
Now I know almost exactly how women must feel when they break down in the car and some guy comes along and sorts it for them. I say almost because he wasn't staring at my tits, asking me out for a drink or calling me 'babe', 'darling' or 'sweetheart'.
As I carried on down the towpath towards Failsworth I was glad to see two barges using ths part of the canal. It only re-opened last summer after...around 50 years of neglect. New marinas have been created, locks have been repaired and the whole lot has been dredged and dredged and dredged. When it opened it meant that a barge could now sail from Manchester city centre to Sowerby Bridge. From Sowerby the Skipton Canal becomes accessible and from there, so I am lead to believe, you can get pretty much everywhere.
They had a big ceremony to reopen it. It really was something that lifted your spirits. Dozens of decorated barges came from Yorkshire down to Manchester and berthed all along the newly refurbished banks. It was great talking to these guys; they had been looking forward to this for years.
That night the barges were bricked by dickheads and I've not seen one from that day till...today.
The underclass eh ? Don't you just love 'em ?
This post was brought to you by Tom Waits.
Monday, June 09, 2003
Living in the Past
Another pic from the bike ride on Sunday. This bridge crosses the River Medlock and joins Failsworth/Woodhouses with Droylsden over on the Ashton bank. We used to spend hours down here as kids. Racing home-made wooden boats in the river, hide and seek, army, doctors and nurses.....
Y'know it's odd really. I've lived less than a mile from these places for the past 20 odd years but, until I acquired the bike, its never dawned on me to visit them. Now that I have I seem to be on a nostalgia-fest! I must shake it off and look to the future.
Which brings me neatly to this crap image taken at City's new ground at about 11:30am on Sunday 9th June 2003. Its hard to find a decent vantage point to capture this place properly, but no doubt I'll carry on trying in the years to come.
Y'know all that grey concrete needs some sky blue on it !
Another pic from the bike ride on Sunday. This bridge crosses the River Medlock and joins Failsworth/Woodhouses with Droylsden over on the Ashton bank. We used to spend hours down here as kids. Racing home-made wooden boats in the river, hide and seek, army, doctors and nurses.....
<
I remember falling in not far from here. I got cocky and tried to look cool. Slipped and fell into a really deep eddy. Soaked to the skin I was. We all spent time at one point or another in the river. Once we found a tin bath and sailed from Brookdale Golf Club to Philip's Park. That was quite a distance.Y'know it's odd really. I've lived less than a mile from these places for the past 20 odd years but, until I acquired the bike, its never dawned on me to visit them. Now that I have I seem to be on a nostalgia-fest! I must shake it off and look to the future.
Which brings me neatly to this crap image taken at City's new ground at about 11:30am on Sunday 9th June 2003. Its hard to find a decent vantage point to capture this place properly, but no doubt I'll carry on trying in the years to come.
Y'know all that grey concrete needs some sky blue on it !
Brave New World
As you may (or may not) have guessed, I'm tinkering with the look of this site at the moment. Unsuccessfully though. For all my incredible intelligence I still can't get my head round html. I was like this as a child. Obviously not unintelligent, but could I get my head round algebra ? Could I bollocks.
I've tried looking at the source code of other blogs, but just when I think I'm beginning to understand it, I come across something that completely baffles me. I think what I need is a 'My First HTML Manual', the most basic of basics are required.
Does anyone know if there's anything out there on the Net ?
After being initially unimpressed with Ian Rankin's first John Rebus novel, I pressed on and read the second two books in the series. I'm glad I did. As the character gets a little more fleshed out, the empathy count rises. Is that because he's around my age ? Likes listening to rock from the late 60s early 70s ? Falls asleep at night with a book in one hand and a whisky in the other ? Well it must be because I've never been a copper and I've never been divorced.
Rankin does an excellent job of describing Edinburgh's less glamourous environs and then goes on to people the place with credible characters. I've just acquired books four and five so.....here's hoping they live up to expectations.
Well I've managed to nick a bit of code from Simon at www.bluetealeaf.blogspot.com so hopefully I should be able to add some music, video/DVD and reading links to this here blog. Not strictly necessary I know, but it does add a little *local colour* - so to speak !
Cheers Simon !
Peter over at NakedBlog has become a radio personality for the duration of the Leith Festival.. It sounds like he's enjoying it too. Decent (if short) playlist as well. Sadly those of outside the Leith area will not be able to hear his contribution. Hopefully though, towards the end of the week his show will be on the net at Live365. After that ? Who knows ? Stations the world over could be knocking at his door !
I wonder what style he'll adopt ? Laconic sarcasm in the manner of John Peel ? Cardigan country like Terry Wogan ? The feverish gibberish of a Chris Evans ? Or just the totally unique style that is, no doubt, Peter Russell. As long as its not the ill-educated prattle of Steve Wright (of *in the fecking afternoon* fame), I'll be happy.
Another bike ride to work this morning. It went ok - the ride home crucified me though. Steve the engine driver who's a member of the Sunday Club drinking group, wants to go for a bike ride with me. He's talking about getting a train to somewhere like Macclesfield and cycling back !! Christ if I did that at the moment all that would be left of me would a small damp patch on the saddle. Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey - as someone once said.
My youngest, yoonited-supporting son was appalled at the 'MAN UTD' ring offer yesterday. He just held his hands up and declared that it was the tackiest bit of crap he'd ever seen in his life !
As you may (or may not) have guessed, I'm tinkering with the look of this site at the moment. Unsuccessfully though. For all my incredible intelligence I still can't get my head round html. I was like this as a child. Obviously not unintelligent, but could I get my head round algebra ? Could I bollocks.
I've tried looking at the source code of other blogs, but just when I think I'm beginning to understand it, I come across something that completely baffles me. I think what I need is a 'My First HTML Manual', the most basic of basics are required.
Does anyone know if there's anything out there on the Net ?
After being initially unimpressed with Ian Rankin's first John Rebus novel, I pressed on and read the second two books in the series. I'm glad I did. As the character gets a little more fleshed out, the empathy count rises. Is that because he's around my age ? Likes listening to rock from the late 60s early 70s ? Falls asleep at night with a book in one hand and a whisky in the other ? Well it must be because I've never been a copper and I've never been divorced.
Rankin does an excellent job of describing Edinburgh's less glamourous environs and then goes on to people the place with credible characters. I've just acquired books four and five so.....here's hoping they live up to expectations.
Well I've managed to nick a bit of code from Simon at www.bluetealeaf.blogspot.com so hopefully I should be able to add some music, video/DVD and reading links to this here blog. Not strictly necessary I know, but it does add a little *local colour* - so to speak !
Cheers Simon !
Peter over at NakedBlog has become a radio personality for the duration of the Leith Festival.. It sounds like he's enjoying it too. Decent (if short) playlist as well. Sadly those of outside the Leith area will not be able to hear his contribution. Hopefully though, towards the end of the week his show will be on the net at Live365. After that ? Who knows ? Stations the world over could be knocking at his door !
I wonder what style he'll adopt ? Laconic sarcasm in the manner of John Peel ? Cardigan country like Terry Wogan ? The feverish gibberish of a Chris Evans ? Or just the totally unique style that is, no doubt, Peter Russell. As long as its not the ill-educated prattle of Steve Wright (of *in the fecking afternoon* fame), I'll be happy.
Another bike ride to work this morning. It went ok - the ride home crucified me though. Steve the engine driver who's a member of the Sunday Club drinking group, wants to go for a bike ride with me. He's talking about getting a train to somewhere like Macclesfield and cycling back !! Christ if I did that at the moment all that would be left of me would a small damp patch on the saddle. Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey - as someone once said.
My youngest, yoonited-supporting son was appalled at the 'MAN UTD' ring offer yesterday. He just held his hands up and declared that it was the tackiest bit of crap he'd ever seen in his life !
Sunday, June 08, 2003
Money, Money, Money
Are you a Manchester United fan ? Have you availed yourself of every last item of official club merchandise from the United Toothbrush to the United Eric Cantona blow up doll ? Are you looking for the perfect accessory to go with your Burberry cap, tracksuit bottoms and Rockport boots ? Look no further than the back page of this week's Sunday Mirror magazine.
"Twenty genuine diamonds...sterling silver....lavishly plated with 22-carat gold". "Officailly endorsed by the club". Only four payments of £24.75 and this breathtakingly beautiful piece of tat could be yours. £99.00 into the gaping maw of the world's richest football club. How much more dosh do they need ? Furthermore - how near to the floor would your knuckles have to be before you thought this jewel was 'class' ?
Took another bike ride this morning. I had an hour to kill before I could make the breakfast (traditional Sunday morning full English), so I figured out a route from home to City's new ground and back utilising countryside, country parks and the canal tow path. The route took me past many remnants of the North West's industrial heritage. Sites of old lime pits, evidence of a long since demolished calico printing works. Apparently there was a lot of that in this area. A cobbled lane that must date back two or three hundred years judging from the cobbling. Finally - the canal itself formed the backbone of the industrial revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. All of it now one big leisure area.
A good hour it took - I felt a lot better than I have done after my two previous expeditions so maybe it is doing me good. Took a few more pics as well. This one I like best of the bunch - think I'll call it 'sheep safely grazing'.
Just listening to Neil Young's 'Comes a Time' CD from way back in '78. I've not played it for years. It sounds really fresh and warm. No digital effects making the snare sound like rifle fire, drums taking their proper place in the mix. Think I'll dig out the the rest of the curmudgeonly old bugger's stuff in my collection. Only snag they could be anywhere in about four different places in the house. All this crap Nick Hornby writes about in 'High Fidelity' -blokes having some psychological need to file their music/video collections in some analy retentive order is just that. Crap ! Still it makes rifling through my CDs more fun because I keep coming across forgotten gems...like 'Comes a Time'.
Just checked my stats and somebody's been directed to my site whilst googling for war+iraq+buggeration !! Someone else is after pics of david+beckham's+naked+prick !
Are you a Manchester United fan ? Have you availed yourself of every last item of official club merchandise from the United Toothbrush to the United Eric Cantona blow up doll ? Are you looking for the perfect accessory to go with your Burberry cap, tracksuit bottoms and Rockport boots ? Look no further than the back page of this week's Sunday Mirror magazine.
"Twenty genuine diamonds...sterling silver....lavishly plated with 22-carat gold". "Officailly endorsed by the club". Only four payments of £24.75 and this breathtakingly beautiful piece of tat could be yours. £99.00 into the gaping maw of the world's richest football club. How much more dosh do they need ? Furthermore - how near to the floor would your knuckles have to be before you thought this jewel was 'class' ?
Took another bike ride this morning. I had an hour to kill before I could make the breakfast (traditional Sunday morning full English), so I figured out a route from home to City's new ground and back utilising countryside, country parks and the canal tow path. The route took me past many remnants of the North West's industrial heritage. Sites of old lime pits, evidence of a long since demolished calico printing works. Apparently there was a lot of that in this area. A cobbled lane that must date back two or three hundred years judging from the cobbling. Finally - the canal itself formed the backbone of the industrial revolution in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. All of it now one big leisure area.
A good hour it took - I felt a lot better than I have done after my two previous expeditions so maybe it is doing me good. Took a few more pics as well. This one I like best of the bunch - think I'll call it 'sheep safely grazing'.
Just listening to Neil Young's 'Comes a Time' CD from way back in '78. I've not played it for years. It sounds really fresh and warm. No digital effects making the snare sound like rifle fire, drums taking their proper place in the mix. Think I'll dig out the the rest of the curmudgeonly old bugger's stuff in my collection. Only snag they could be anywhere in about four different places in the house. All this crap Nick Hornby writes about in 'High Fidelity' -blokes having some psychological need to file their music/video collections in some analy retentive order is just that. Crap ! Still it makes rifling through my CDs more fun because I keep coming across forgotten gems...like 'Comes a Time'.
Just checked my stats and somebody's been directed to my site whilst googling for war+iraq+buggeration !! Someone else is after pics of david+beckham's+naked+prick !
Saturday, June 07, 2003
The Acoustic Motorbike
(Its by Luka Bloom)
I?ve acquired a bike; Y'know, those things with two wheels and pedals. I got it off Ellis' partner Andrea (aka Price). It's too big for her. She's only tiny and she keeps falling off it. So its now mine. A girl's, purple mountain bike !
The idea is to spend at least some of my week engaged in physical activity. The best way this can be achieved is by riding to work as often as possible. This was what I did last Thursday. Across Oldham Rd, onto the 'White Stuff' and up the Rochdale Canal to Middleton Junction. Turn Left past the Railway and Linnet, under the railway bridge, left again up Greengate and there I am. It took just under half an hour and I was dead on my feet at the end of it. Gets the old pherenomes pumping though and leaves you feeling strangely calm.
I was lucky though Thursday was sunny. I rode for a while with a lovely big heron gliding just in front of me. Fishermen were dotted about the banks, people were going for walks and everyone had a cheery disposition. It was like being in Trumpton or Camberwick Green or somesuch. I half expected Bob the Builder, Postman Pat and Ivor the Engine to turn up.
Friday it pissed down ! So the bike stayed at home.
Today, though, Dearest has gone to Manchester with Ellis so I thought I'd go and photograph the newly reopened section of the canal down towards Manchester.
First stop was the road bridge at Failsworth Pole. This bridge was blocked up some time in the 60s and was only recently opened up again. When they brought down the bricks the underside of the bridge was covered in graffiti from a bygone age.
A lot of the other stuff, JW luvs FG etc doesn?t mean much these days to anyone other than those that scratched, painted or etched at the time. I wonder how many of those undying declarations of love have stood the test of time ?
It was noticeable that none of the graffiti had been applied with the, now ubiquitous, spray can. No, in those days if you wanted to indulge you had to carry round a tin of paint and a brush. I don?t know, vandals today just don?t know they're born.
I carried on cycling down the towpath to Newton Heath. Here I turned off and went on a nostalgic trip round my old childhood haunts. First off was Gaskell St and through the old dirt track, past where my Aunty Betty used to live (houses long since gone and replaced with a modern housing estate made of Ticky Tacky). From there I went up Miriam Street. The old Co-op now boarded up and, presumably, awaiting the bulldozers.
That Co-op was just at the back of my Grans and, as a kid, I knew it like the back of my hand. There was the main store with all the groceries and household stuff you could possibly want. Attached at the side in a separate shop was a small butchers. You could get chicken's feet there. Pulling the tendons would make it grasp and grip. Hours of fun ! sadly it turned me into a psychopath.
Round the back of the butcher's and into Brookdale Park. Once a jewel in the crown of municipal endeavour. Now a shadow of its former glory. Overgrown bandstands where the locals obviously like to build small bonfires. No flower beds anymore. Just a basic *short back and sides* given every couple of months or so to stop it looking as though nobody gives a shit. When I was a kid a Parks Gardener was a *job for life*. Mind you so was a Park Ranger (Parky). The past really is a foreign country. This what happens to our local environment when paying less tax becomes the holy grail. I would not like to be in that park of an evening.
Out of Brookdale Park, down Brookdale *brew* and on down the old path that takes you to the Medlock Valley. In my shorts I became acquainted with every nettle in the North West as I puffed and panted down to the river?s edge. Along the banks of the river and then left up to the old farm. I used to know the people who lived here ? it really does seem like an eternity ago.
To the left of the view above is the remains of a barn. I've not been down here for at least 25 years and, I must admit, a lot of it had been forgotten. But the minute I saw that barn loads of memories came flooding back. Here it is.
Back up through Woodhouses Village, take a left down Failsworth Road and down Ashton Rd East to home. The sweat is dripping off me ? shower time.
My attempts to fix by Blog are thwarted by Blogger.com refusing my attempts to log on.
(Its by Luka Bloom)
I?ve acquired a bike; Y'know, those things with two wheels and pedals. I got it off Ellis' partner Andrea (aka Price). It's too big for her. She's only tiny and she keeps falling off it. So its now mine. A girl's, purple mountain bike !
The idea is to spend at least some of my week engaged in physical activity. The best way this can be achieved is by riding to work as often as possible. This was what I did last Thursday. Across Oldham Rd, onto the 'White Stuff' and up the Rochdale Canal to Middleton Junction. Turn Left past the Railway and Linnet, under the railway bridge, left again up Greengate and there I am. It took just under half an hour and I was dead on my feet at the end of it. Gets the old pherenomes pumping though and leaves you feeling strangely calm.
I was lucky though Thursday was sunny. I rode for a while with a lovely big heron gliding just in front of me. Fishermen were dotted about the banks, people were going for walks and everyone had a cheery disposition. It was like being in Trumpton or Camberwick Green or somesuch. I half expected Bob the Builder, Postman Pat and Ivor the Engine to turn up.
Friday it pissed down ! So the bike stayed at home.
Today, though, Dearest has gone to Manchester with Ellis so I thought I'd go and photograph the newly reopened section of the canal down towards Manchester.
First stop was the road bridge at Failsworth Pole. This bridge was blocked up some time in the 60s and was only recently opened up again. When they brought down the bricks the underside of the bridge was covered in graffiti from a bygone age.
Hands off Vietnam painted on the underside of the bridge.
(Guess they hadn?t invented the cheap can of spray paint then.)
A lot of the other stuff, JW luvs FG etc doesn?t mean much these days to anyone other than those that scratched, painted or etched at the time. I wonder how many of those undying declarations of love have stood the test of time ?
The Red Star ? Hey ! Back in the 60s it meant something !
It was noticeable that none of the graffiti had been applied with the, now ubiquitous, spray can. No, in those days if you wanted to indulge you had to carry round a tin of paint and a brush. I don?t know, vandals today just don?t know they're born.
I carried on cycling down the towpath to Newton Heath. Here I turned off and went on a nostalgic trip round my old childhood haunts. First off was Gaskell St and through the old dirt track, past where my Aunty Betty used to live (houses long since gone and replaced with a modern housing estate made of Ticky Tacky). From there I went up Miriam Street. The old Co-op now boarded up and, presumably, awaiting the bulldozers.
That Co-op was just at the back of my Grans and, as a kid, I knew it like the back of my hand. There was the main store with all the groceries and household stuff you could possibly want. Attached at the side in a separate shop was a small butchers. You could get chicken's feet there. Pulling the tendons would make it grasp and grip. Hours of fun ! sadly it turned me into a psychopath.
Round the back of the butcher's and into Brookdale Park. Once a jewel in the crown of municipal endeavour. Now a shadow of its former glory. Overgrown bandstands where the locals obviously like to build small bonfires. No flower beds anymore. Just a basic *short back and sides* given every couple of months or so to stop it looking as though nobody gives a shit. When I was a kid a Parks Gardener was a *job for life*. Mind you so was a Park Ranger (Parky). The past really is a foreign country. This what happens to our local environment when paying less tax becomes the holy grail. I would not like to be in that park of an evening.
Out of Brookdale Park, down Brookdale *brew* and on down the old path that takes you to the Medlock Valley. In my shorts I became acquainted with every nettle in the North West as I puffed and panted down to the river?s edge. Along the banks of the river and then left up to the old farm. I used to know the people who lived here ? it really does seem like an eternity ago.
The old farm at the bottom of Vale Lane. It must date back a couple of hundred years at least.
To the left of the view above is the remains of a barn. I've not been down here for at least 25 years and, I must admit, a lot of it had been forgotten. But the minute I saw that barn loads of memories came flooding back. Here it is.
Remaining wall of the old barn. Just behind it to the left is
Brookdale Golf Club.
Back up through Woodhouses Village, take a left down Failsworth Road and down Ashton Rd East to home. The sweat is dripping off me ? shower time.
My attempts to fix by Blog are thwarted by Blogger.com refusing my attempts to log on.
Friday, June 06, 2003
Bootlegger's Blues (and if that ain't a song title, it damn well should be !)
Just seen this on bbc.co.uk. A significant step forward ? The music industry corporates muscling ISPs to provide names and addresses of customers using file sharing programs like Kazaa.
Can someone explain to me why a music lover should be hounded by big business and the long arm of the law for the relativley innocuous downloading of music ? Alright, I know its illegal and perhaps, just perhaps, Madonna is selling a few less albums as a result (although I err to the 'crap album' scenario as the reason personally). But through all the years of arguing about the rights of users of ISPs to remain anonymous I never thought that the wall would be breached in the case of music file sharing. Stupid, naive, pillock that I am I thought ISPs would be forced to hand over such information in the case of Paedophiles, Necrophilliacs, Terrorists etc. Now maybe that is already occurring - I don't know, but if it is, its been kept very quiet.
Sledgehammer to crack a nut ? Are file-sharing programs undermining the music industry to the extent that the Corporates are claiming ? Remember they said exactly the same thing when cassette recorders acquired a decent level of reproduction. 'Home Taping is Killing Music' and all that.
In my opinion its the Corporates that are killing music. They have an inabilty to recognise original talent. They have an inabilty to upset the shareholders by supporting artists with vision that do not constantly return the faith with platinum albums. The industry is not run by music lovers but financial analysts and the like: the type who believes that a healthy (and frequently excessive) profit is more music to their ears than the latest from the White Stripes.
Their idea of investing in new talent is waiting to see which Independent Label can find the *Next Big Thing* and throw money at it. When it thinks it has found a cash cow, it buries it under a mountain of moolah. (Robbie Williams and Michael Jackson spring to mind).
I feel a musical revolution akin to Punk waiting in the wings. Here's hoping, because most of the *product* parading as art these days is precisly that ! I don't think ISPs dobbin in their customers will rescue the sorry state of popular music either.
Just seen this on bbc.co.uk. A significant step forward ? The music industry corporates muscling ISPs to provide names and addresses of customers using file sharing programs like Kazaa.
Can someone explain to me why a music lover should be hounded by big business and the long arm of the law for the relativley innocuous downloading of music ? Alright, I know its illegal and perhaps, just perhaps, Madonna is selling a few less albums as a result (although I err to the 'crap album' scenario as the reason personally). But through all the years of arguing about the rights of users of ISPs to remain anonymous I never thought that the wall would be breached in the case of music file sharing. Stupid, naive, pillock that I am I thought ISPs would be forced to hand over such information in the case of Paedophiles, Necrophilliacs, Terrorists etc. Now maybe that is already occurring - I don't know, but if it is, its been kept very quiet.
Sledgehammer to crack a nut ? Are file-sharing programs undermining the music industry to the extent that the Corporates are claiming ? Remember they said exactly the same thing when cassette recorders acquired a decent level of reproduction. 'Home Taping is Killing Music' and all that.
In my opinion its the Corporates that are killing music. They have an inabilty to recognise original talent. They have an inabilty to upset the shareholders by supporting artists with vision that do not constantly return the faith with platinum albums. The industry is not run by music lovers but financial analysts and the like: the type who believes that a healthy (and frequently excessive) profit is more music to their ears than the latest from the White Stripes.
Their idea of investing in new talent is waiting to see which Independent Label can find the *Next Big Thing* and throw money at it. When it thinks it has found a cash cow, it buries it under a mountain of moolah. (Robbie Williams and Michael Jackson spring to mind).
I feel a musical revolution akin to Punk waiting in the wings. Here's hoping, because most of the *product* parading as art these days is precisly that ! I don't think ISPs dobbin in their customers will rescue the sorry state of popular music either.
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Dear Diary
Holiday Blog
All this was ‘Graffitied’ into a Palm Pilot whilst on holiday – so I’ll stick it here for future reference.
Wed 21st May
Naples, Jesus what a place. The traffic beggar's belief. Constant barrage of noise. Constant inability to cross the road. Ronald. - the head waiter - had warned us all that Naples was a city of crime and sin. As a Result everybody was frightened to death of going to the place. Many of the oder ones simply stayed on board the ship. The rest of us took our chances.
We all stripped ourselves of anything remotely re-sellable, and ventured into the heart of darkness. Down typical Neapolitan alleys we went. Scooters and cars flying by with no apparent regard for life or limb. Gorgeously photogenic – ochres and burnt siennas, faded peaches and oranges. Laundry hanging from balconies. Aahh the backstreets of Naples. (Cue that song by Peter Sartstedt)
Sunday 25th May.
Today it pissed down. The heavens opened and the wind blew and blew and blew. We are now in Porta Colom, Majorca for a week.
The hotel is excellent; the view is out of this world and it has to go and piss down.
I missed breakfast this morning (woke up at about 10am) and then had to wait until 3pm before the Rain stopped. Went to a local English bar (imaginatively called Bob’s Bar !) and had a crap roast beef dinner (microwaved bollocks) and then watched the play off final in another English Bar (Ollie’s Bar), Cardiff v OPR -. 1-0 to the Welshmen !
These English bars would appear to be locked in a battle for custom. Times are apparently hard at the moment in the resort. I wonder if that’s down to the terrorist threat, a lackluster economy in the homeland or just the fact that everybody appeared to go to the Tapas bars that we later discovered at the other end of the town ?
Coincidently there was a Welsh couple in the English roast beef pub, bloody massive the pair of 'em, she announced that "it must've been a very good lunch because her hubby said the roast spuds had been as good as hers. They were awful. Hard as diamonds and as tasty. He was, we were informed, a fussy bugger. Well - not about his food or his women he isn't - that's for certain!
Tuesday 27th May 2003
It's pissing down again. Apparently something to do with the Algerian earthquake.
3:10pm It’s brightened so we're off for some grub. All I've had for breakfast is some peanuts, a Twix and a litre of San Miguel.
Just finished "The Road to McCarthy". www.petemccarthy.co.uk. A brilliant read!
Weather's cleared up now. I am looking through the patio doors of our 6th floor apartment at a view you would kill for !
Wed 28th May
Last night we drank .a of a bottle of crap Rioja. After dinner we walked to the old town - dead! Beautiful, but devoid of life!
Today we went Cala D'Or - Had a fabulous tuna salad for 4.50 euros. Proper tuna with lettuce, sweetcorn, cabbage, green and red peppers and onions.
We're off now (6:20) to the restaurant attached to the hotel for an early dinner. then off to watch A C Milan v Juve in the Champion's League Final at Old Trafford.
We never made it to the bar. Dearest was a teensy bit drunk. So much so that she got a spoon out of the dirty section - not realising - and then ended up complaining it was dirty. So we're now back in our room and I've found the final on some Spanish channel.
One crap game! It's just gone to penalties. And Shevkenko's just clinched it for Milan. The real final was in April when Utd played Real Madrid.
I wonder if Ward and Emma (Brother-in-law and niece: United fanatics) worked for the pittance Utd were paying ? It was actually below the minimum wage - but they've frigged the way they pay it out to get round the law. Utilising ingenious ‘bonus’ systems that make it look like its higher.
Watching BBC World – what a waste of money !. Christ I don't believe it! I find myself agreeing with Kenneth Clarke regarding the "false pretences" argument re: Blair and the WMDs. And now we have Rumsfeld saying 'we may never find any'.
On top of that the USA is starting to warn Iran!
May 29th 2003
Newspapers this morning are hailing last night’s game as a 'master class' in Italian defending ? Looked more like a long ball game to me.
First really sunny day today, consequently dearest is horizontal by the pool. We’ve just had Spanish omelette with chips (me) and a cheese and tuna baguette (dearest), a Bud and a pint of lager for 14.30 euros.
I'm off to take some photographs in a minute. So far this holiday I have taken nearly 300 digitals and about 10 conventional.
May 30th 2003
After the photography we adjourned to the outdoor bar for a few beers. (There’s a pattern emerging here isn’t there ?) Had to sit near an odious 50something 'expert on everything'. God what a pain. He is also blessed with one of those voices that can elicit uncontrollable rage from anyone within earshot.
Today's papers are reporting that Ronaldo agrees with me the game the other night was a bore !
Last day today - I'm ready for home.
So that was the holiday over and I must admit I enjoyed that cruise like no holiday before. The clincher is the waking up in a different place everyday. Its like being in a huge ocean-going caravan ! Not that I'm into caravanning mind !
Here's a little something you've probably seen, but a wry smile did play about my lips as I read it. It does conveniently forget about the very real dangers that did exist back then (Moors Murders, drunk-driving was de rigeour, polio etc), but good for a laugh anyway for us baby boomers.
According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 50's, 60's, and 70's probably shouldn't have survived.
Our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which was promptly chewed and licked.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.
When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip flops and fluorescent 'clackers' on our wheels.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the passenger seat was a treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle - tasted the same. We ate dripping sandwiches, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing and not sitting in front of a computer or Playstation.
We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark.
No one was able to reach us all day and no one minded.
We did not have Playstations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. no 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet chat rooms: we had friends - we went outside and found them.
We played elastics and street rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt.
We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits. They were accidents. We learnt not to do the same thing again.
We had fights, punched each other hard and got black and blue - we learned to get over it.
We walked to friend's homes.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate live stuff, and although we were told it would happen, we did not have very many eyes out, nor did the live stuff live inside us forever.
We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.
Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. How the hell did we survive it all ???
Holiday Blog
All this was ‘Graffitied’ into a Palm Pilot whilst on holiday – so I’ll stick it here for future reference.
Wed 21st May
Naples, Jesus what a place. The traffic beggar's belief. Constant barrage of noise. Constant inability to cross the road. Ronald. - the head waiter - had warned us all that Naples was a city of crime and sin. As a Result everybody was frightened to death of going to the place. Many of the oder ones simply stayed on board the ship. The rest of us took our chances.
We all stripped ourselves of anything remotely re-sellable, and ventured into the heart of darkness. Down typical Neapolitan alleys we went. Scooters and cars flying by with no apparent regard for life or limb. Gorgeously photogenic – ochres and burnt siennas, faded peaches and oranges. Laundry hanging from balconies. Aahh the backstreets of Naples. (Cue that song by Peter Sartstedt)
Sunday 25th May.
Today it pissed down. The heavens opened and the wind blew and blew and blew. We are now in Porta Colom, Majorca for a week.
The hotel is excellent; the view is out of this world and it has to go and piss down.
I missed breakfast this morning (woke up at about 10am) and then had to wait until 3pm before the Rain stopped. Went to a local English bar (imaginatively called Bob’s Bar !) and had a crap roast beef dinner (microwaved bollocks) and then watched the play off final in another English Bar (Ollie’s Bar), Cardiff v OPR -. 1-0 to the Welshmen !
These English bars would appear to be locked in a battle for custom. Times are apparently hard at the moment in the resort. I wonder if that’s down to the terrorist threat, a lackluster economy in the homeland or just the fact that everybody appeared to go to the Tapas bars that we later discovered at the other end of the town ?
Coincidently there was a Welsh couple in the English roast beef pub, bloody massive the pair of 'em, she announced that "it must've been a very good lunch because her hubby said the roast spuds had been as good as hers. They were awful. Hard as diamonds and as tasty. He was, we were informed, a fussy bugger. Well - not about his food or his women he isn't - that's for certain!
Tuesday 27th May 2003
It's pissing down again. Apparently something to do with the Algerian earthquake.
3:10pm It’s brightened so we're off for some grub. All I've had for breakfast is some peanuts, a Twix and a litre of San Miguel.
Just finished "The Road to McCarthy". www.petemccarthy.co.uk. A brilliant read!
Weather's cleared up now. I am looking through the patio doors of our 6th floor apartment at a view you would kill for !
Wed 28th May
Last night we drank .a of a bottle of crap Rioja. After dinner we walked to the old town - dead! Beautiful, but devoid of life!
Today we went Cala D'Or - Had a fabulous tuna salad for 4.50 euros. Proper tuna with lettuce, sweetcorn, cabbage, green and red peppers and onions.
We're off now (6:20) to the restaurant attached to the hotel for an early dinner. then off to watch A C Milan v Juve in the Champion's League Final at Old Trafford.
We never made it to the bar. Dearest was a teensy bit drunk. So much so that she got a spoon out of the dirty section - not realising - and then ended up complaining it was dirty. So we're now back in our room and I've found the final on some Spanish channel.
One crap game! It's just gone to penalties. And Shevkenko's just clinched it for Milan. The real final was in April when Utd played Real Madrid.
I wonder if Ward and Emma (Brother-in-law and niece: United fanatics) worked for the pittance Utd were paying ? It was actually below the minimum wage - but they've frigged the way they pay it out to get round the law. Utilising ingenious ‘bonus’ systems that make it look like its higher.
Watching BBC World – what a waste of money !. Christ I don't believe it! I find myself agreeing with Kenneth Clarke regarding the "false pretences" argument re: Blair and the WMDs. And now we have Rumsfeld saying 'we may never find any'.
On top of that the USA is starting to warn Iran!
May 29th 2003
Newspapers this morning are hailing last night’s game as a 'master class' in Italian defending ? Looked more like a long ball game to me.
First really sunny day today, consequently dearest is horizontal by the pool. We’ve just had Spanish omelette with chips (me) and a cheese and tuna baguette (dearest), a Bud and a pint of lager for 14.30 euros.
I'm off to take some photographs in a minute. So far this holiday I have taken nearly 300 digitals and about 10 conventional.
May 30th 2003
After the photography we adjourned to the outdoor bar for a few beers. (There’s a pattern emerging here isn’t there ?) Had to sit near an odious 50something 'expert on everything'. God what a pain. He is also blessed with one of those voices that can elicit uncontrollable rage from anyone within earshot.
Today's papers are reporting that Ronaldo agrees with me the game the other night was a bore !
Last day today - I'm ready for home.
So that was the holiday over and I must admit I enjoyed that cruise like no holiday before. The clincher is the waking up in a different place everyday. Its like being in a huge ocean-going caravan ! Not that I'm into caravanning mind !
Here's a little something you've probably seen, but a wry smile did play about my lips as I read it. It does conveniently forget about the very real dangers that did exist back then (Moors Murders, drunk-driving was de rigeour, polio etc), but good for a laugh anyway for us baby boomers.
According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 50's, 60's, and 70's probably shouldn't have survived.
Our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which was promptly chewed and licked.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.
When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip flops and fluorescent 'clackers' on our wheels.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the passenger seat was a treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle - tasted the same. We ate dripping sandwiches, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing and not sitting in front of a computer or Playstation.
We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no one actually died from this.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark.
No one was able to reach us all day and no one minded.
We did not have Playstations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. no 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet chat rooms: we had friends - we went outside and found them.
We played elastics and street rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt.
We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits. They were accidents. We learnt not to do the same thing again.
We had fights, punched each other hard and got black and blue - we learned to get over it.
We walked to friend's homes.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate live stuff, and although we were told it would happen, we did not have very many eyes out, nor did the live stuff live inside us forever.
We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.
Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected.
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. How the hell did we survive it all ???
Sunday, June 01, 2003
Gee But It's Great To Be Home Again
Well finally back home and finally back on't't'internet. I ended up blogging into my Palm Pilot whilst sunning myself in Majorca after the cruise. I must've put on a stone in weight - I've done nothing but eat and drink !!
Highlights of the holiday would be Pompeii and Corsica. Pompeii is just stunning - and what is so surprising is the size of the place. Amazing really but pretty much all the basics of city living had already been worked out all those years ago. Pedestrian crossings, shops, pubs, road signs: all visible amid the ruins of this once great city. Amazing.
Corsica was just what Mediteranean France should be. Lazy, beautiful and devoid of the traffic madness of Italy. Bonarparte's birthplace was restrained. Over here we'd have had the marketing men coming up with snappy slogans like "welcome to Bonaparte country" and "you'll be conquered in Bonaparte's birthplace". We just haven't any class over here any more. I blame the 1980s !
Well finally back home and finally back on't't'internet. I ended up blogging into my Palm Pilot whilst sunning myself in Majorca after the cruise. I must've put on a stone in weight - I've done nothing but eat and drink !!
Highlights of the holiday would be Pompeii and Corsica. Pompeii is just stunning - and what is so surprising is the size of the place. Amazing really but pretty much all the basics of city living had already been worked out all those years ago. Pedestrian crossings, shops, pubs, road signs: all visible amid the ruins of this once great city. Amazing.
Corsica was just what Mediteranean France should be. Lazy, beautiful and devoid of the traffic madness of Italy. Bonarparte's birthplace was restrained. Over here we'd have had the marketing men coming up with snappy slogans like "welcome to Bonaparte country" and "you'll be conquered in Bonaparte's birthplace". We just haven't any class over here any more. I blame the 1980s !
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