OCCUPIED COUNTRY

Crossroads Blues

Here's small video I took of a busker in Amsterdam. I stayed and listened to three or four of his renditions. He was really good. He certainly knew his Robert Johnson and gave me carte blance to request whatever I wanted.

He got a generous donation in return.

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I was out and about in the garden this morning photographing lilies in the early morning sun.



I haven't a clue what type of lily these are other than they look gorgeous.



A splash of colour can really lift the mood.



Later I finished concocting a nice bolognese sauce and it's now simmering away in the kitchen.



Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

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I took the opportunity to avail myself of a free One months trial of Ancestry. It's an online service that allows you to access census returns, birth, marriage and death indexes etc. As a result, in less than one week, I've been able to trace my mother's side of the family back to an Ann Richardson born around 1812 in Bristol. In 1838 she gave birth to a son John in Liverpool - another port. Later she turns up in Stockport living with John and a "lodger" John Billingsly, a Porter from Worcestershire. Later still, she turns up living in Hulme, Manchester with a daughter Mary and a "visitor" William Green who was a plasterer from Yorkshire. After the 1871 census she disappears - presumably having shuffled off her mortal coil between '71 and '81. I'm trying to discover if she ever married as I can't, as yet, find any reference to a Mr Richardson.

The hunt continues......

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And so to the probable Sven Svansong this afternoon.

I honestly can't see him outwitting Scolari. We'll be 1 - 0 up at half time (Crouch - off the back of his head unaware he had even touched it) and then Portugal will make a tactical switch and Sven and his acolyte McClaren will be caught like rabbits in a headlight. 2 - 1 to Portugal.

But, then again, I've been hopelessly wrong before and no doubt I will again. So here's hoping.

It still baffles me how a flourish of talent like the present England team has can have the joie-de-vivre eliminated from their game so efficiently. Sadly I think McClaren will offer more of the same. Conservative (with a small c) team selection (Walcott apart), route one football and a lack of tactical awareness that borders on the comical.

I'll be watching in the local where I intend to forget all about the shit that's going on in my life at the moment (Dad's back inside BTW) and wake up tomorrow wondering how the hell I got to bed.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Now...where's me rattle?

C'MON ENGLAND!!!!