Gullible's Travels

Neil Young at Hard Rock Calling

2009-06-28T19:33:00.009+01:00

Hyde Park, London Saturday 27 June 2009

The joys of the English weather - not! The http://www.hardrockcalling.co.uk/home/ site suggested "A hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, rain wear, woolly jumper / fleece" which just about covers all eventualities. Weather.com claimed wall to wall sunshine, high 20's and 0% chance of rain. So what happened - the sky went black and the heavens opened:

Mary in cheap rain poncho

We liked Seasick Steve who was on stage as we arrived. Wandered around, drank beer and a jug of Pimms, ate some curry and settled in for the headline act.

Neil did a mixture of stuff I knew (because we have those albums) and stuff that we didn't but everybody else did (because they must have those albums). Two hours of what the crowd wanted including those that stuck in my mind: Heart of Gold, Old Man, Unknown Legend ("She rides a Harley-Davidson"), Needle and the Damage Done.

A surprise guest as he closed the show with The Beatles "Day in the Life" was none other than 'Macca' who joined him on vocals.

I was amused by a number of T-shirts in the crowd:

* I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left.
* There are only three speeds. Fast. Very fast. And Oh shit!!
* I'm not a complete idiot! Parts of me are missing.

Baked Coriander Cod

2009-06-23T19:06:00.000+01:00

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed
10 freeze dried curry Leaves, crushed
25 g (1 oz) creamed coconut, grated
4 x 125 g (4 1/2 oz) skinless cod loin fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 4. Takes 18 minutes.

1) Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5 / 190°C / fan oven 170°C and then put a baking tray or oven proof dish in the oven to heat. In a bowl, mix together the coriander, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and coconut, then season.

2) Place the cod loin fillets on a board and press a little of the coriander mixture on to each fillet. Remove the baking tray or ovenproof dish from the oven, transfer the cod and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until cooked. Serve immediately.

Wordle: Gullible's Travels as a Word Cloud

2009-06-17T20:59:00.006+01:00

Courtesy of http://www.wordle.net/ the current blog converted to a word cloud:

It would appear that "weekend", "sunshine", "May" (the MIL) and "lunch" are key 'themes du jour'. That seems fairy nuff to me.

Downsizing the MIL (4)

2009-06-15T21:08:00.002+01:00

Actually there was very little downsizing to do; it was mainly attacking the garden in May's new place. That did necessitate a trip to the tip with bags of clippings and a few bits and pieces from the old garage which had escaped earlier culls. Of course when May's house does find a buyer then there will be some more shifting to be done!

Apart from the usual shopping trips, the main task for me was laying six paving slabs for the garden storage box to sit on. Mary worked on all the tubs and pots putting in new flowers and rearranging some of the existing plants. Having done that we were able to relax and enjoy the brilliant weather. Proof that the sun can shine in Scotland:

Al fresco dining in Irvine

Maureen is over from Australia...

2009-06-09T20:50:00.003+01:00

Maureen
Originally uploaded by markmclellan

...along with husband, Pete, and one of their daughters, Katherine. This was another typical busy, busy weekend.

Friday evening I was home alone while Mary went out with her girlfriends from her days working at United Bank of Kuwait. So I treated myself to a VIP seat at the local Cineworld and watched "Terminator: Salvation".

Saturday morning we went shopping then over to visit our friend Barbara. She had been due to come out to Italy with us the weekend before but underwent a hamstring operation instead. As a result she is due a period of convalescence and rehabilitation. We went to take some shopping and keep her from going stir crazy for a while.

After lunch it was down to Farnham for afternoon tea and chat with my Mum and Dad. Then back for a short kip and a quiet evening in.

Sunday it was down to Dorking for a gathering occasioned by the visit of an old friend, Maureen, who moved to Australia many years ago and comes back every few years to visit. We all gathered at Andrea and Alan's down in Dorking for lunch and had a good old natter with an excellent lunch provided by A & A.

Mary and Maureen

For a full set of photos see http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157619313496635/detail/

We had planned to cycle down but the forecast was rain, rain, rain. As it turned out we could have done the 20 mile ride in glorious sunshine - boo to the weathermen.

XXL Weekend in Puglia (in Tweets)

2009-06-03T21:03:00.003+01:00

Not so much a long weekend or even an extra long weekend but an XXL weekend. From Thursday to Tuesday because those are the days BA fly (plus Saturday but then it wouldn't have been much of a weekend):

# LGW disciplined passengers waited to be called by seat row number. Page & Moy special - older generation respect rules! Now in sunshine. 3:22 PM May 28th

# Day dawns sunny in Puglia. Nice people at Avis (Bari) gave us a Nissan Micra convertable. Top down to Locorotondo market for viands. 10:58 AM May 29th

# Puglia all local produce: sunshine + salad nicoise + strawberries & cream + half bottle of red wine = siesta. z z z! 4:31 PM May 29th

# Electricity off at meter in lane when we arrived. Curious. Discovered why yesterday. Controller for irrigation system stolen. B*****d. 8:13 AM May 30th

Shelling Puglian peas with the aid of crisps and a gin & tonic

# shelling peas in the sunshine with the aid of a packet of crisps and a large gin and tonic. 7:03 PM May 30th

Sunday lunch round at our neighbours John and Chris

# last full day in Puglia. Grey skies - boo! Impromptu lunch round at Carol & Mino's. Quiet evening in at Trullo Azzurro tonight. 5:33 PM Jun 1st

PS. Carol and Mino's gardener came round to quote for garden maintenance and replacing the controller. He said "I have a spare in the back of the car". With a length of cable the replacement is now safe inside the locked pizza oven so our plants will survive the summer and be pretty for our guests and us :-)

Downsizing the MIL (3)

2009-05-26T11:01:00.001+01:00

The bank holiday weekend was spent in Scotland clearing out May's garage and beautifying her new abode with hanging baskets and bedding plants in pots.

We flew out of city airport for a change. We thought we would give it a try as it is quicker to get to than Heathrow. Very successful - we will use it again.

We landed in glorious sunshine which caused much consternation amongst our fellow passengers. They were not used to this big yellow sphere in the sky!

We cleared a load of stuff out of the garage and shed to the tip and did several garden centre trips. Also I did a bit of loft boarding as May's new place lacks any storage. That gave her somewhere to put items like empty boxes and suitcases.

We flew back Sunday so we could have the Monday at home "relaxing". Mary went into work and I did stuff around the house.

Now to work for a short week as we are off to Italy on Thursday for a six day, very long weekend. The weather has to be better there. I am a fair weather cyclist and today I am on the train as it is grey and raining.

The one eyed man is king

2009-05-21T13:11:00.003+01:00

or in my case two separate one eyed men. Another unintended consequence of the cataract operation and opting for the myopia correction. As previously blogged I cannot use glasses alone to correct my vision as the prescriptions in the two eyes are too dissimilar.

Varifocal hard contact lenses was an option but I am still too squeamish about eyes. Mary has worn hard lenses for twenty plus years. I may be too old a dog and watching her trying to retrieve them when they go wandering off into the corner of her eye is more than I can bear to watch let alone contemplate doing it in my own eyes.

Instead, at the optician's suggestion, I am trialling a weird solution using soft daily disposable lenses: long distance in my dominant right eye and reading strength in my left. He assures me that the brain automatically adjusts and uses the relevant image. This is mostly true but feels a bit weird. I can always see both near and far but there is always an out of focus component from the other eye. I feel oddly spacey most of the time but (I hope) that will pass.

I did notice the mono-vision at the cinema the other night watching the excellent Star Trek. You try watching an entire movie with one eye half closed and that will give you a feel for what it is like.

Other side effects are simply those of switching from glasses to lenses such as I do not steam up when I open the door of the oven or dishwasher. Also I miss not being able to take off my glasses to do really close fiddly work.

Another side effect is that my stereo vision may not be as good for judging distances. Safe for normal everyday use - I have not bumped onto anything yet - but not much point in going to the IMAX to see a film in 3D then :-(

Planet of the Grapes tasting: The wines of Domaine Faiveley

2009-05-17T11:58:00.006+01:00

Another fine wine tasting at Planet of the Grapes: The wines of Domaine Faiveley presented by Vincent Avenal.

As usual my notes were scrappy but such tastings to enable me to calibrate my palate and say "these are fine wines but I cannot tell enough difference to make it worth paying the extra".

Vincent is the export director of Faiveley and presented the wines against a backdrop of jovial barracking. Faiveley produce about 100 appellations of which around 80 are their own estate wines and the remainder they act as negociants.

These are my own notes and as my palate is poor this is mostly a load of b*ll*cks but if I do not write something down how will I learn to articulate what it is I detect in the mouth? I do not care if is bears no resemblance to perceived authority at least I am prepared to make a fool of myself in public. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

Wednesday 6 May 2009

Whites
1. Mercurey Clos Rochette Blanc 2005 @ £17.50
A: Smokey, mineral; P: slight unctuousness, hint of putty on re-tasting

2. Meursault 1er cru "Blagny" 2006 @ £50.00
A: floral, melon; P: big mouthful, sweeter, hint of pineapple drops. Passes the "Trudy test" - all the components are in balance. Their own label not acting as negotiant - they have changed the label design to make clear they own the land and control the viniculture.

3. Corton Charlemagne 2006 @ £140
Good vintage for whites. A: smokey, dusty, "good" oak; P: yellow. Only 10 cases allocated to UK (that is only 120 bottles).

Reds
4. Mercurey Rouge 2002 @ £14.50
Exceptional vintage for both red and white. A: strawberry, hint of plum; P:light, bright.

5. Blagny 1er cru "la Piece sous le Bois" 2003 @ £25
Very warm vintage. A: Chocolate / morello; P: tart grip but not acid, warm / sweet. Drink :-)

6. Benne 1er cru "Clos de L'Ecu" 2005 @ £40.00
Historic long lasting vintage for reds. Not for drink < 10 years. A: velvet / paint / cheese; P: grip, low fruit still some aging potential. Keep!

7. Latriciers Chambertin Grand Cru 1999 £100.00
Fabulous vintage. V: orange rim; A: musty strawberry, I don't get much tertiary notes; P: better, shows 'esprit du clocher', light fruits.

8. Corton "Clos des Cortons" Grand Cru 1990 @ £175.00
Correct for drinking now - at peak. Only 600 bottles produced.

A few days later a group of us friends met at their latest venture: a wine bar in Leadenhall Market which is not so much a wine bar as a wine shop with tables. There is no wine list, you choose your bottle of the shelves and there is a set £10 corkage regardless of the price of the wine. They also do a select range of cheese and meat platters. A very handy location for meeting up with friends who work in the square mile.

NOLA '09 - Restaurants

2009-05-14T21:22:00.006+01:00

Re-reading these before I hit "post" makes it seem that I am focussing on the negatives so I should say that in all cases the food was fine and in some cases superb. Go to New Orleans and dine out - you will not be disappointed.

Thursday 16: Crescent city brewhouse http://www.crescentcitybrewhouse.com/
We have been here many times over our three trips. They brew a range of beers on the premises and do a taster menu of 4 or 5 beers. They have live music and the balcony has a view towards the river.

Friday 17: Montrel's Bistro. [Review on Trip Advisor]
Ate there late and it was basic. Plus no website, maybe I got the name wrong.

Saturday 18: Stella! http://www.restaurantstella.com/
Excellent taster menu in atmospheric surroundings. Pity the bar is next to the kitchen door for the pre-dinner cocktail. And the restaurant was bloody freezing. As it was 28°C all day I did not expect to have to wear my thermal long johns to go out for a meal.

Sunday 19: Feelings cafe (fauberg maurigny) http://www.feelingscafe.com/
We walked 10 blocks there and back which would be a recipe for muggings if you listen to the locals but we survived unscathed. Very interesting building. Only downside was sitting next to a table featuring a loud talking American very full of himself. So bad that as soon as we had finished our meal I moved our wine glasses to the courtyard to un-tense my shoulders.

Monday 20: Dante's kitchen http://www.danteskitchen.com/
It was meant to be a street car ride up Charles Avenue but we just missed one and had to get a cab. Very enjoyable one of our better meals out. But I do not know what they would make of southern Italian eating habits. They were putting chairs on tables at 10 o'clock when our local Locorotondo restaurant would just be filling up.

Tuesday 21: Gumbo shop http://www.gumboshop.com/
Does what it says on the tin. You know what you are getting. Busy, popular, full of tourists, good New Orleans cuisine, nice old building and courtyard. I realised that I had last been there over 20 years ago; I had not been there with Mary on either of our previous visits but with a previous companion way back when.

Wednesday 22: Orleans Grapevine http://www.orleansgrapevine.com/
We started off with a glass of wine on a pavement table and then, as we had no other plans, moved inside. Another icily air-conditioned venue; when quizzed on why the waitress hinted that it was much as for the benefit of the staff because it stopped the customers getting too hot and smelly. We both had the same dish, tuna, one rare, one medium-rare and they got it spot on for both plates - impressive.

Thursday 23: NOLA http://www.emerils.com/
One of New Orleans's (Louisiana's) top restaurants but I would not go back there again. Food was excellent but the room was icy cold, the other customers incredibly noisy all shouting their conversation and the waiters rushed not glided. Go for the buzz but not for a relaxed intimate, hand-holding dinner.

Friday 24: Eat http://www.eatnola.com/
A local BYO only one block from our apartment and in the French Quarter one block only means a couple of hundred yards. Short, simple, fresh menu and much frequented by the locals. We went in to book and "No booking" so I was glad we walked 30 min from the festival rather than queue for the shuttle bus. We rushed back to the apartment, showered and back to the restaurant in double quick time then had a very pleasant meal.

Saturday 25: G W Fins http://www.gwfins.com/
A complete contrast to NOLA. An excellent corner table (all of which were were well spaced out), a friendly maitre d', plenty of staff so they could glide in an unhurried manner. Quality food of course.

Sunday 26: K.Paul's http://www.kpauls.com/
Class act, attentive waiter, good food but I have trouble remembering more than that which maybe says something.

Monday 27: The Alpine Bistro http://www.thealpinebistro.com/
A very late lunch as we were going to the Rock'n'Bowl in the evening for a Snooks Eaglin tribute concert. I think the chef was on his lunch break as well but the food was OK when it eventually arrived.

No wonder I came back from New Orleans weighing an all time personal best(?). Diet starts Monday :-(

NOLA '09 - Jazz and Heritage Festival

2009-05-13T22:28:00.003+01:00

New Orleans is a fantastic city and we had a wonderful time at the Jazz Fest - or the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival to give its full title. There was some concern that it might not live up to my rose-tinted memories but in the event it matched or even exceeded them. The weather was a ruler straight 28°C and sunshine the entire time, the music was great, the food was delicious and the people were friendly.

So many times as soon as I opened my English mouth the person next to me would say "You're not from here. Where are you from?". "London, England" I would reply. "Welcome" was the invariable response often followed up by a friendly conversation.

Mardi Gras Indians at The Jazz Fest

We saw many great acts. The Jazz Fest is held at the race track. Once inside you can wander all day from stage to stage with a huge array of food (and drink) stalls for grazing on some of the best cajun and creole food. Just a fantastic time.

Crowd Scene at the Acura Stage

We bought a couple of folding picnic chairs, as did many, many others, and would carry them until a particular stage caught our eye where we would set our pitch and watch several acts, with occasional forays elsewhere - there were just so many acts to see.

The whole atmosphere is so relaxed it was a joy to be there. NOLA is my favourite American city by a long way.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157618006007772/detail/

NOLA '09 - Hurricane Katrina

2009-05-12T17:20:00.006+01:00

Between the FQF and the Jazz Fest we moved from Le Richelieu to an apartment, also in the French Quarter, and had a few days to relax.

Our Apartment in the French Quarter
http://www.historicrentals.com/

This, of course, does not involve sitting with a glass of wine and reading a book. Instead it went like this:

Monday: did a Katrina tour with Tours by Isabella http://www.toursbyisabelle.com/ to visit the devastated areas
Tuesday: hired bikes and cycled for 4 hours along the levee
Wednesday: cycled up to Lake Pontratrain and back and forth along its shore - another 4 hours. Then Wednesday at the Square - another free concert in the Central business district http://www.wednesdayatthesquare.com/index.html
Thursday: helping out at the Community centre St Bernard Parish http://www.ccstb.org/ hearing more first-hand tales of trauma and survival and rebuilding

M & M relax outside the Orleans Grapevine
http://www.orleansgrapevine.com/

We were a bit in two minds about the Katrina tour, a bit ghoulish perhaps, but were glad we did. Our guide Jenny is a native of NOLA and tour guide for many years, She gave us a first hand account of the devastation, the incompetence of FEMA, the venality of the insurance companies and the traumas of living through it all. And people are still living through it. It will take decades to repair the damage and some things will never be fixed.

Books have been written so I will focus on my main impressions:

Much of the devastation was man-made: design flaws in the levees (built on sand) and the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal (aka "Mr GO") which caused erosion of protective wetlands and increased storm surge. The Corps of Engineers are not popular with many of the people of New Orleans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River_Gulf_Outlet

Many people died because they would not leave their pets behind. The authorities refused to take animals. Many pets became homeless, ownerless and in need of rescue. Jenny was actively involved in Animal Rescue New Orleans which has rescued and re-homed thousands of animals. Emergency plans now include contingency plans for evacuation of companion animals. http://www.animalrescueneworleans.org/

The inaccuracies and bias in the media. The exaggeration of the situation in the Superdome, the focus on the Lower Ninth Ward when other blue collar areas were more devastated. And white collar, professional areas were hit too. It doesn't matter if you had a well paid job and a nice home it is still devastating to lose everything, and I do mean everything. To be left with nothing but the clothes you stand up in.

We still had opportunity to continue the corporate mission of "Eat, Drink and Have a Good Time" with many fine restaurants and coffee at the Cafe du Monde. One of my favourite tweets was that Beignets are not iPhone-friendly. All that icing sugar makes the touch screen very tacky.

Coffee and Beignets at Cafe du Monde
http://cafedumonde.com/

Full set of photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157617916909257/detail/

NOLA '09 - French Quarter Festival

2009-05-11T20:57:00.006+01:00

This year was our third visit to New Orleans for the French Quarter Festival (http://www.fqfi.org/) and the first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (http://www.nojazzfest.com/). The Jazz Fest has fixed dates and the FQF moves about. Every now and then they are contiguous and we go visit. This happened in 1998, 2001 and now 2009.

Dancing to Tom McDermott and the Jazz Hellions on Royal Street

The FQF is a much smaller, more intimate festival attracting a local crowd. It is held on the streets of the FQ and along the waterfront. And it is free! It is paid for by sponsors and the proceeds from the food and drink stalls. So to help keep it free all we have to to is drink Abita beer and eat gumbo and crawfish :-)

Lunch at the Old Mint - Crawfish and Stuffed Artichoke

For more photos see http://www.flickr.com/photos/8179454@N02/sets/72157617976619024/detail/

Rick Wakeman: The Six Wives of Henry VIII at Hampton Court

2009-05-09T14:31:00.007+01:00

Well as historic, once in a lifetime, musical events go this was one of them.

BIL George is a big Yes fan but SIL Sandra is not, so I got to go with George to see one of Prog rock's icons do something he has *never* done before: play all six wives in the same concert (see article in The Times)

The stage in front of The King Henry Gate

I heard a fascinating Radio 4 interview with Rick giving the full back story to the album and this concert. The transcript of which then turned up, more or less verbatim, in the souvenir programme notes which was nice. He first asked to perform at Hampton Court back in 1973 and was refused permission. Then last year the palace approached him to which his answer was to the effect of "Yes" and "About time! It has only taken you 36 years to give permission!"

Rick and the English Rock Ensemble

The full concert was a set from The English Chamber Choir, followed by The Acoustic Strawbs then the concert proper: Rick and the English Rock Ensemble supported by the choir and The Orchestra Europa.

The original album was planned to have a seventh track for Henry - "Defender of the Faith" - but the engineer said Rick couldn't record it because they had filled up both sides of a 12" vinyl, such is the limitation of that medium. So Rick reinstated it for this concert plus added extra instrumental solos to fill up a full two hours.

That did include narration from Brian Blessed who hammed it up something rotton. One amusing incident was when, in response to a good natured heckler, he gave us a hearty rendition of "Gordon's alive!"

Rick Wakeman on Keyboards

The icing on the cake was that http://www.concertlive.co.uk/ did an instant CD of that very concert. Only 10 minutes after the concert ended the CD's were spitting out of the machine. A limited edition 3 disc: 2 for the concert and one of photos. How is that for a souvenir! If they have not sold all 1000 you can still order online.

Only two nights, only 5000 seats per night, never to be repeated. It was a privilege to be there. Thank you George and thank you Rick!

[The Times review], [FT review]

Pictures courtesy of http://www.concertlive.co.uk/.

After effects of cataract operation

2009-05-05T22:46:00.004+01:00

Unintended consequences of the cataract operation are various.

I went back to the surgeon on the eve of our New Orleans trip for my four week check up. I was relieved to learn that the eye had healed perfectly and the discomfort was due to an irritation easily cured with a steroidal eye-drops for a few days and not terrible scarring or some such (did I mention I have fevered imagination).

Anyhow several unexpected corollaries follow on from the operation:

1) I was offered the option of correcting my lifetime's short-sightedness by having a powered lens inserted which I opted for. Unfortunately the human body is a natural product and variations will occur - there is an art to guessing the right corrective power.

Instead of perfect driving vision I had a far point of about six foot. As the eye healed this halved to about three foot. Fine for the dinner table but not good for driving or general outdoor life. So I will still need some optical correction - glasses or contact lenses.

2) I cannot correct my vision by glasses alone. The prescription difference between the two eyes is so great that the brain cannot accommodate for the differing images. I either have to go for contact lenses in both eyes or one contact (to even them up) and a pair of glasses on top.

3) There is a visible colour difference in what I see between the clear right eye, whites are white, and the left natural eye in which the whites have a subtle hint of yellow.

4) I have a strange glint in my eye. Every now and the Mary catches an odd reflection in the eye with the lens implant. It is now official - I am a cyborg.

Downsizing the MIL (2)

2009-04-21T23:41:00.003+01:00

Easter weekend was spent in Scotland helping May move into sheltered accommodation. The removal men arrived Good Friday at about 10:30, packed up the contents of the living room and main bedroom, and drove round the block to May's new home which is literally less than 200 yards by the direct walking route. Mary and sister Sandra unpacked while I flattened boxes and wrapping paper although with three of them unwrapping it was hard to keep up. By 6 o'clock the place was habitable.

Then Saturday and Sunday my other contribution was DIY: turning the fridge and freezer doors, installing a self-assembly bathroom cabinet plus accoutrements, changing a light fitting, sealing round the kitchen work surface and banging in a large number of picture hooks. Meanwhile Mary was sorting out everything else: more unpacking, arranging the contents of the cupboards, deciding what should go to the dump and generally organising. Between her and Sandra, May didn't stand a chance!

Sunday afternoon our work there was done so it was back to Sandra and George's to babysit while they went to see Pink at the S.E.C. Then home the next day for a quiet evening to relax.

The Ceylon Tavern, and Artisan and Vine

2009-04-03T13:27:00.003+01:00

Although I don't normally use it, I just had to put the "Oxford comma" in the title; it would not have scanned aright otherwise.

As I am home alone this weekend Mary thought we should go out for a meal on our last evening together even though she is only away two nights! Who am I to argue with going out for a nice meal. And so it turned out to be.

A short bus ride took us to The Ceylon Tavern where we had an *excellent* Sri Lankan meal. Just that little bit different from your standard Indian; coconut and seafood both feature heavily in the list of ingredients.

At the end of the meal we felt like another glass of wine so we hopped back on the bus a couple of stops to the Artisan and Vine (http://www.artisanandvine.com/). Very pleasant with live jazz and some interesting wines to try. We had a bit of chat with Kathryn O'Mara, founder of the wine bar, and wine blogger Denise Medrano (http://www.thewinesleuth.co.uk/). In fact we chatted so long we had to have a third glass of red wine. Next morning I was not so sure number three had been a good idea but they were very tasty wines.

PS Toptable have introduced a new feature (or I have never noticed it befoe) where you can read other reviews written by a reviewer so here are all Mary's toptable reviews.

Seventeen not-so-random musical things about me

2009-04-02T08:18:00.002+01:00

More shameless recycling of FB memes...

1) What is the first song you ever remember hearing? How old were you?
One of many that were played on Children's Hour on the BBC home service but the one that springs to mind is "Trains" http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/sounds.html by Reginald Gardener http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Gardiner as we had a single (45 rpm). My friend Mike from college had the same record on 78 rpm.

2) What was the first album you ever bought on your own? What format?
Donovan's Greatest Hits on vinyl of course: LP 33 1/3 rpm.
The second was "My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows" by Tyrannosaurus Rex.

3) What was the first CD you ever bought?
"Beggar on a Beach of Gold" by Mike and the Mechanics. I had to as it was not available as an LP. I was a "Late Majority" adopter regards CDs.

4) What was the latest album you've purchased?
"The Six Wives of Henry VIII" by Rick Wakeman. I am going to see him perform live at Hampton Court Place on 01 April 2009.

5) What song takes you straight back to grade school?
See 1) Something from Children's Hour. Possibly "The Ugly Duckling" or "Tubby the Tuba" by Danny Kaye or "Little White Bull" by Tommy Steele.

6) What was the theme song of your high school prom?
N/A. The UK doesn't have High School Proms.

7) What was your first real concert?
No idea. Classical would be something featuring my school chum Catherine Bott (soprano) in the late '60s / early 70's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Bott. Pop would be Tyrannosaurus Rex either Birmingham Town Hall - Saturday, February 15th 1969.or "Castle Rock" - Saturday, June 5th 1970.

8) What was your latest real concert?
Tina Turner at The O2.

9) Best concert?
Van Morrison at Portsmouth Town Hall on my birthday about five years ago.

10) What was your song with your first girl-/boyfriend?
We didn't have an "our song" that I recall.

11) What was your favorite band in high school?
Tyrannosaurus Rex

12) What albums were the soundtrack of your senior year?
"Unicorn" by, you guessed it, Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Also "Disraeli Gears" by Cream.

13) What was your first musical discovery at college?
Let's keep it simple and say Roxy Music but there were many other including Balinese Gamelan.

14) What song(s) did you/do you want played at your wedding?
We had:
"Music from the Royal Fireworks" by Handel
"Morning has broken "(Mary wouldn't let me have "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem")
"Love Divine, all loves excelling"
"Jesu, joy of man's desiring" by Bach
"Crown imperial by Walton

15) Do you have a favorite band now? If so, who?
No one band to single out.

16) What's the last thing you listened to?
"Language of the Heart" by Sanne http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanne_Salomonsen

17) What do you want played at your funeral?
"Cosmic Dancer" by T.Rex or maybe "Ride a White Swan" or, if it is a cremation, how about "Hot Love" :-)

Opening up Trullo Azzurro 2009

2009-03-30T19:20:00.005+01:00

Another flying visit to Trullo Azzurro (http://www.trulli-puglia.com/) to open up for the season. We are perhaps more conscientious than strictly necessary but we are scarred by our early experiences a couple of years back when the building works were half done.

Basically we moved in too soon and bought furniture and bedding while the plaster was still oozing moisture into the atmosphere. The following spring everything was covered in mould and anything organic was green and hairy. The rush seat bottoms were fungoid in the extreme, the wooden spoons went in the bin and the mattresses are still speckled with grey markings.

Since then we have been zealous about bagging up linens every autumn into "Vacu-sacs" and installing dehydration tablets. Last November we bought an electric dehumidifier and set it going on low over the winter.

Then we go out in spring to unbag the linens, air the property and wipe off any mould. The last couple of years it has got easier with less and less to do. Still it is good to reassure ourselves in person that the place has survived the winter. This year a little weeding, sorting out a couple of welcome packs for our paying guests and a meal out with Neighbours Chris and John more or or less did the trick.

We arrived Friday at one o'clock Saturday morning had a glass of red wine and went to bed. Saturday did stuff then in the evening John kindly drove us to Ostuni for a meal at "Porta Nova". It was out of the Michelin guide and was classy and expensive.

The antipasti came not as a whole slew of communal plates but three separate courses all small but perfectly formed. The main dishes were hot on presentation but thermally could have been literally hotter. Room for a dessert and coffee. There was an extensive wine list at sensible prices, of which we consumed three, even so we still managed to run up a bill of 60 Euro per head. Good but VFM? I am not so sure.

Magnolias in Bloom

2009-03-27T14:14:00.003Z

Google street view has come to London. Naturally I checked out our house - clearly visible of course although half of it is obscured by the foliage of a large tulip magnolia in our front garden.

The greenery was in full leaf when the google van drove by. A pity as the magnolia is now in full bloom.

The blooms come out in a matter of days. Unfortunately they fade and fall as fast. Still they are wonderful while they last.

Even if out house is part obscured I took a quick zoom round Fairfield Drive and there was my car in excellent detail I could even spot the small cuddly Angus the Coo on the parcel shelf :-)

Cataract operation went well

2009-03-24T18:11:00.002Z

On Friday I had a cataract operation under sedation.

Many people bandy about the phrase "worst nightmare". In my case this is the correct, literal use of the term. I was traumatised in my early teens by a clip from the film "Un chien andalou" which purported to show a woman's eye being slit with a cut throat razor. I later learnt that it was done with a dead donkey and some clever editing but by then the damage was done.

Ever since then ocular damage has been the stuff of my worst nightmares. You may well imagine that learning I needed a cataract operation - normally done under only a *local* anaesthetic - caused no small amount of anxiety.

My eyesight had deteriorated noticeably over the last 18 months after a lifetime of very gentle change. Over the last three months an element of double vision and night-time mistiness prompted the optometrist to suspect a cataract and send me for a specialist opinion.

Courtesy of BUPA and an accommodating consultant and anaesthetist the options of sedation and a full general were available. Even so I treated myself to a couple of sessions of hypnotherapy with Liz Hogan to reduce pre-op nerves. It did the trick; Mary remarked how calm I had seemed on the Thursday night.

On the day the anaesthetist put in a cannula for the sedation and said that if I got too nervous they could switch to a full general anaesthetic. He said "I'll just squirt in a little as a pre-med" and the next thing I knew I woke up in the recovery room. An afternoon of dozing in my private room followed until it was time go get in a cab, collect Mary en route and go down to Konnigans for a relaxing meal.

There seem to be negligible after effects from the operation. I have to take it careful for a while: no strenuous exercise and a protective eye-patch at night. The most dramatic impact is that the surgeon inserted a +4 dioptre lens to correct my lifelong myopia. I will probably have to use a contact lens in the unoperated eye until that is done as well, as will probably soon be the case.

Using both eyes at once is too much image processing for my brain to handle given the difference in focus and image size. So meanwhile I am using an eye-patch which I switch to whichever eye is appropriate for the task in hand. Arrgh, me hearties!

My First Spin Class

2009-03-17T07:54:00.002Z

Sunday morning Mary and I went to a Spin class at the local gym. It would appear that I was born without the "gung ho" gene. Phrases like "give it your best shot", "give it 100%" are just not in my vocabulary. And "no pain, no gain" is especially not. Just plain stupid. Like there is something virtuous about discomfort. "Satisficing" is a key word in my lexicon.

[Flame on] In my view all this macho, b*******t about exercise is a throwback to some hair shirt, Victorian attitude of "if it is unpleasant it must be good for you", the other side of the pernicious coin "if it is pleasurable it must be bad for you". The credo of miserable, kill joy, religious fundamentalists through the ages from the Puritans to the Taliban. [Flame off]

There are people who say they feel so much better under a fitness regimen; more alert and full of energy. I guess they must be telling the truth, I can hardly accuse them of lying, but for me I have never noticed any such benefit. Maybe I never got fit enough to notice it.

When I started cycling to work after years of no exercise I noticed none of these supposed benefits. After a year it still took me the same time to do the journey, I was just as breathless, my heart rate was just as high. The only difference was that I was less sweaty after my shower. At the start of the year I had to have it as cool as I could bear by the end of the year I could have a warm shower. That was it!

I can see the point of pedalling hard to get up a hill but doing it on a static bike is like being a hamster in wheel. No, I shall stick by the motto "if you feel like exercise lie down until the feeling passes"

Tina Turner at the O2

2009-03-08T22:28:00.003Z

Simply the best :-)

Saturday morning we had nothing planned for that evening. "Fancy seeing Tina Turner at the O2?" said Mary. Yeah, right like there will be any tickets available. But I looked on TicketMaster anyway and there were some tickets, cheapest in the house, "restricted view" which, looking at the seating plan, basically meant "behind the stage and you might just see something if Tina came right to the wings".

A quick Google revealed some secondhand tickets at face value from people who could not go - but the tickets had - and a couple of pairs offered at USD 1,000 - no way!

Anyhow I tried again at about 3 o'clock and would you believe it: a pair of top price tickets in block A2 (the block right in front of the stage) in the centre of row X, just 24 rows from the front. Brilliant seats so close we didn't need to look at the big screen to see Tina's expression.

The concert was a greatest hits and you can't ask for better than that.

Lots of costume changes including a "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" for "We don't need another hero".

For a woman of 70 (!!) she still had the skin, the legs and the, ahem, upper torso and she wasn't afraid to flaunt it. And with what energy - "I'll have what she's having".

Right near the end she came out on an extending walk way that cantilevered out over the front section of the auditorium until she was practically over our heads. A fantastic concert and an unexpected surprise, as evenings go simply the best.

25 Things About Me

2009-03-07T15:28:00.005Z

Friends on Facebook will have already seen this but what the heck it took me a while to rack my brains so I thought I would get maximum mileage out of it.

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right-hand corner of the page), then click Publish.)

1. Sometimes I claim to be Cockney as I was born in the old Charing Cross Hospital. If the wind was in the right direction you might just have been able to hear the sound of Bow bells.

2. I have sworn never to wear blazers with brass buttons. Have me committed if I do as it will be a sure sign I have gone middle aged, middle England.

3. Mary and I were married in *the* St Paul's cathedral. Mary would have preferred low-key registry and send friends a postcard from honeymoon. However courtesy of Dad's MBE we had the option of the chapel in the crypt. It cost me an antique hand cut solitaire. Worth every penny.

4. I never suffer navel fluff. My navel is almost completely flat due to minor post partum surgical intervention when it everted.

5. My uncle was a one-armed paperhanger and a most unsuitable, picaresque role model for an impressionable young man. Excellent :-)

6. I can juggle and ride a unicycle badly and certainly not at the same time. I have even juggled flaming torches and only slightly singed my fingers.

7. At school I guess I was a bit of a swot. What the Americans might call a straight A student. I pretty much used to be top of the class every year in every subject except when Nigel or Daphne were there when we split the honours. After three grade A's at A level it all kind of went downhill and I scraped a third at Oxford.

8. My signature dishes are peppers with capers and creme brulee.

9. I have had hair variously half way down my back, permed, blonde highlights, and short gelled spiky. I was all set for the purple dyed phase when the need for professional appearance at work got in the way.

10. I used to run the school archaeological society and arranged some serious speakers to present. Looking back they were all very gracious to have done so in exchange for a free school dinner.

11. I cannot abide the Middle Lane Owners Club. Those plonkers who refuse to pull back into lane one when the overtaking manoeuvre is complete.

12. I have never "bunked off" school. It would never have occurred to me to do such a thing. Just call me "Mr Goody Two Shoes".

13. I consider myself omnivorous but I am not a great fan of raw celery, okra (aka ladies fingers), tripe or seafood with suckers.

14. I would rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

15. I weighed 9 1/4 stone at 23; now I weigh 11st. People say I don't need to lose weight I beg to differ.

16. I have dreadful teeth. I must have had over 100 fillings in my teens. Now I have 13 crowns including several gold posts and two titanium implants.

17. When I fill out forms that ask my religion I put Jedi. Me and 390,000 other Brits can't be wrong.

18. About the only thing I really learned at college was that I learn by specific examples but understand and remember by general principles. Apart from that I have nothing but contempt for Oxford as a seat of learning.

19. I hate waste. I get great satisfaction from meals that use an assortment of leftovers in the fridge. I have cavalier attitude toward 'use by' dates.

20. I can't work with background music. I find myself sucked into the music and can no longer concentrate on the task in hand. Conversely I happily work with Radio 4 talking to me all day, be productive and remember and recount what I heard. Who says boys cannot multi-task.

21. I really dislike it when people eat with their mouth open. It must have been drummed into me as a child "it's rude to eat with your mouth open".

22. I once made a New Year's Resolution to drink more French White wine. I kept that one up.

23. One Christmas I decorated the underground with Tinsel. Commuting on the northern line one December I decided people were looking too glum. So for several weeks I would fill the pockets of my pinstripe suit with tinsel and decorate the straphangers over several carriages each morning.

24. www.mmenterprises.co.uk has one of the oldest Marc Bolan pages on the Internet - since 27 November 1996 in fact. That is postively pre-historic in world wide web terms.

25. I don't do memes. Well to be specific if tagged I do the meme but do not pass it on. So this one ends here.

Lentil soup so thick...

2009-03-03T21:18:00.003Z

...you could stand your spoon up in it.

Mary made a batch of lentil soup on Sunday using a recipe from The Soup Kitchen. I gave it a stir and thought "A spoon would stand up in this" so I did.

It stayed there long enough for me to run upstairs and grab my camera and run back down again:

Need need for CGI trickery here!