Book Snail

I love books but I have a real problem. I very rarely finish reading one. My shelves are  stacked with lovely looking books, many of them first editions in hardback and most of them are biographies which are my favourite genre.

I can’t recall when this problem started but I think it was about 20 years ago when I changed careers. I now do a mentally tiring job as opposed to a physically demanding job which I did for 10 years after leaving school. When I sit to read a book these days, I start to fall asleep after a few pages. I doesn’t matter if it is a very interesting book, I just cannot keep awake long enough to get through a couple of chapters.

I have less time to read these days particularly since becoming a parent so I can’t pick and choose when to read as much as I could pre-2011. My eyesight has also started to deteriorate more in the last 5 years as well which means I get tired quicker when staring at a screen or book. I have just ordered the book ‘David Bowie. A Life’ by Dylan Jones which is almost 600 pages long. I desperately want to get stuck into it but I have a backlog of books that I have started and have not yet finished. Here is a list of  some of the unfinished books on my shelves.

Chapter & Verse – Bruce Springsteen

Lonely Boy – Steve Jones

Robin Friday: The Greatest Football Player You Never Saw – Paolo Hewitt

The Celestial Cafe – Stuart Murdoch

Venus In Furs –  Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch

The Oscar Wilde Diaries

Bedsit Disco Queen – Tracey Thorn

Guy Martin – Biography

Bob Dylan In America – Sean Willentz

Starman: David Bowie – Paul Trynka

There are at least half a dozen more  but you get an idea of the problem. Attention span is the issue. The time is there but it is a case of making it without having to worry about other things for a short time.

I will give it a go…

 

Mx

 

 

 

Slight Return

I have lain (is that a real word?) for almost 2 and a half years on the BLOG front. These are interesting times and I feel a slight return is imminent. Things need to be said.

Why not reappraise yourselves with past failures and occasional moments of glory by reading my previous missives?

I leave you with an invitation to let your day begin.

Mx

Are We What We Eat?

I get depressed when I eat too much and eat when I’m depressed. This is a vicious circle for me. I have been well over my fighting weight for at least 18 years. I used to be as fit the proverbial butcher’s dog when I was in my teens, enjoying most sports and rarely gaining weight above 11 stone (154 pounds). Today I am just shy of 13 stone (182 pounds). If the experts are to be believed, a man my age and height should be about 11 and a half stone (161pounds). Now that the maths is out of the way let’s have a look what went wrong.

Well, I can’t actually work out what went wrong because it cannot be traced back to any one particular point in time or be categorised in a particular way. All I can tell you is that it makes me fed up (no pun intended), and I constantly wish I was the slimmed down version of my former self. Laziness is probably the main factor. Eating healthier requires discipline and preparation. It is the easiest thing in the world to eat unhealthy food. Look at how many easily accessible types of food shops are available in your immediate vicinity today. Back in my youth I recall one very popular chip shop (Kwok On) within walking distance and I seem to recall a Wimpy in Oldham town centre and not much more. Cheap, quick, unhealthy food at knock down prices. Why bother getting the pans dirty when you can fill your boots for less than a fiver.

One of the main factors for my decline was when I changed career path aged 25. Instead of working 40 hours a week lifting heavy boxes and driving a fork lift around like I had been doing for the previous 9 years, I took up role that requires sitting down and talking a lot as well as driving around in a car between talking appointments. In the literal sense, I have probably sat on my arse for the vast majority of the last 18 years. This is the reason why I am now paying a silly amount of money to see a chiropractor.

Matt my chiropractor is an amazing guy with his bone bending skills and superior knowledge of the inner working of the human body. I also hate him. He is a vegetarian, supremely healthy martial arts expert who probably weighs about 9 stone pissed wet through. I don’t really hate him I’m just jealous of his healthy ways. Matt also transcends an inner peace which I have never encountered before in any one I have ever met. I don’t know if this is part of his training to make me part with the contents of my wallet quicker, but either way you actually feel better just talking to him. Everything he says about lifestyle, diet, exercise and all round mental approach to life makes sense. The difficult thing of course is to put these things into practice.

I do feel old before my time. I was 40 when James was born and with Daniel also on the scene now I need to be in better shape to cope with the demands that are placed on a modern parent. Last year I paid £25 a month to join Weight Watchers and I got within spitting distance of being down to the magical 11.5 stone figure. Just short of 3 pounds to be precise. Then I gave up. Because that’s what I do. And it makes me depressed which is where we started. Tomorrow I shall start again and try and use will-power, staying-power or anything else that I can find in the bottom drawer of my psyche to help me. I shall also be seeing Matt tomorrow as well with his sensible words to try and talk me into a better frame of mind to begin again.

I am tired as I write this. Mentally tired from thinking too much at work. Physically tired from trying to get my body in sync with a distorted mind. Possibly my mind is weakened by genetics. Dementia is prevalent in my family going back at least a couple of generations on my dad’s side. He passed away 2 year’s ago suffering from it. One of my brother’s I believe is bi-polar and the other is certainly an alcoholic. All 3 have or had  weakened minds either by genetics or just bad luck. These things play on my mind but I would like to think I have a stronger mind that stops me from giving up and becoming a couch spud which I fear the most.

Bad diet and eating unhealthy food makes for an unhealthy mind and a weakened body. Fact. However,I have many friends who are quite possibly above the weight that they are supposed to be (according to those experts again), and they are some of the most wonderful, happy carefree people I know. So maybe it is a state of mind. I don’t know. If I overthink it, I create more questions than answers. In any event, I want to lose the 20 pounds excess I am carrying around and I shall do it before the end of this year. This is my goal. I have told you now so I have to stick with it. If you have any motivational comments, observations, tips or reality checks you would like to share, then please feel free to comment.

Wish me luck!

Mx

Finding Time or Making Time?

Hi Anybody who as taken the time to call in.

So many things to say but really struggling to find the time to write them down and publish on here. I think we all have a lot to say but most of the time the moment passes and other things get in the way. Discipline is the order of the day and time needs to be set aside to share thoughts and get them out there in preparation to be ridiculed by the masses.

Some ideas that are buzzing around include

Ride Reunion – who would have thought that the band that spawned the song that spawned the Blog would reunite. I ahve a ticket to see them later in the year.

Politics. – We are facing a very tough five years. Now the shouting is over we have to face life under the current government until 2020.

Children – They are growing up fast and each day brings a new challenge. Some days it is very hard, some days it is the best thing in the world.

Facebook – Best friend or worst enemy. Always worth visiting this subject and I have some views that will hopefully make you have a look at yourself.

Russell Brand – Fact or Fiction? Do I like or loathe him? I’m reading his book Revolution.

It’s easy to ridicule a Blog or viewpoint. The vast majority of my associates take great joy in ridiculing everything I do. Bless them. They are my fiercest critics and my muse and inspiration to continue. Life is a bitch and most of them are fuckwits.

Let’s see how we get on. The clock is ticking. My only barriers are self-imposed.

Love me or leave me.

MW 12/7/15

A Few Words On Tony Benn

The problem with the fast, instant spread of news that comes our way via Facebook, Twitter etc is that it often shocks you and takes you quite by surprise. This morning I thought I would check what is ‘trending’ in the world of social media when I was hit with the fact that Tony Benn had passed away. I was not shocked as in ‘I can’t believe that happened’, because after all this was a very poorly 88 year old man, but I was shocked in a way that I can’t really explain.

Those of us on the side of the angels are still reeling at the untimely death of the RMT General secretary, Bob Crowe. He was 36 years Tony Benn’s junior and in the prime of his life but will thankfully be remembered for many years to come. I think that I feel the death of Tony Benn like I do because he was so unique and his passing could quite possibly be the passing of a generation of politicians that had the respect and dignity sadly lacking in modern day politics. Only Dennis Skinner remains of that generation and I hope will continue to be for many years.

The problem is of course is that I am in danger of falling into that pit of despair that is prevalent in today’s society on the issue of politics. I am certain that there are honest, hard working politicians around today but the trouble is they are harder to spot, or maybe we have stopped looking for them. Surely the best way to remember Tony is to get off our arses and recognise that regardless of our standing in society, we are affected by politics and perhaps more importantly, can affect politics.

I would urge people reading this to find out a bit more about Tony Benn and I am sure you will find at least some aspects of his life or achievements interesting and admirable. I do intend to start reading his diaries which I have been telling myself I would do for years. Tony was also a family man who was a loving husband as well as a doting father and grandfather. He wrote a very moving book called ‘Letters To My Grandchildren’ which I would urge any parent or grandparent to read and share with their children

I do hope Tony Benn is honoured in some way now that he no longer walks amongst us. I suspect he wouldn’t have wanted any more plaudits as he didn’t seek them when he was alive, he did after all go to great lengths to renounce his hereditary peerage. There is a movie due to be released later in the year about his life and this has now taken on a new poignancy. Again, I would urge all to watch it on release as there will certainly be some inspiration for people of all persuasions.

In my previous blog, I talked of beards and how Billy Bragg was my favourite man with a beard. Well today, and for the next couple of days at least, I shall replace Billy with Tony as my number one ‘beard of choice’. I am sure Bill, who was a friend and ally of Tony’s, will accept this with good grace.

Rest in Peace Tony x

 

 

A Brief Word on Beards

I have become quite taken with a beard in recent times. Must be an age thing. I have avoided the temptation to let my facial hair grow throughout most of my adulthood thus far. One because I wasn’t very good at it and two because I am ginger. Now aged 41, the ginger is fading a bit and has hints of wispy grey wish wifey says is quite sexy.

I grew a bit of a beard a couple of year’s back but Greg Vogiatzis said I looked like James Arthur which kind of spoilt it a bit. My favourite person at the moment who has a beard is Billy Bragg. I love Billy Bragg. He is my Pete Seeger. I have met him. I have listened to him. I have read his books. He is ginger. He now has a beard which is faded ginger with hints of wispy grey which I am sure his wife finds sexy. We are ginger, left-winged, socially conscious troubadours together with wispy grey bits. 

I shall try and grow my beard for a bit. The photo was taken today where I have a little bit of a beard. The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noted that behind me on the photo is a framed photo of Billy Bragg with a ginger beard with grey wispy bits. This was coincidential when I took the picture but is actually quite clever and topical. I shouldn’t have told you it was coincidental.  

 

Mx

 

Frankie & Sam

Anybody who regular reads music magazines or, to as is most people’s want these days, check out various music-based websites, you will note that a certain song is 30 years old this year. The song is Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood and you will have had to be living in a bubble for the last three decades not have heard it.

 

Frankie Goes To Hollywood were my first favourite band. Don’t ask me why, I think the timing was just right. Anyway this little yarn is about why I will always think of my Granddad Sam when I hear the song, which is a little bit weird when you think of the songs subject matter. Cut back to 1984. I as a carefree 11 year old, ;was playing round at my friend Matthew Hutchings house one Saturday afternoon. Earlier in the day, I had called into Martin’s newsagents in my home town of Shaw and paid £1.99 for the 12″ single of Relax. I couldn’t wait to get it home to play.

 

I remember unusually my Dad ringing Matthew’s house to see if I was there and arranged with Matthew’s parents to come and pick me up in the late afternoon. This was obviously pre mobile phone days and I was a bit put out about being collected having not done anything wrong (on this occasion). Anyway my Dad came to get me and it was sat in the passenger seat of my dad’s blue Escort Mk11 estate that he told me my Grandad Sam had died of heart attack earlier in the day. I was clutching the 12″ single of Relax close to my chest as we made the short drive home.

 

 

 

We arrived in the house and I found my Mum & Grandma in the kitchen obviously very upset. I was in shock and didn’t really know what to do. So I played the 12″ single of Relax several times. After about the fifth time of playing my Mum came into the living room, and in a very calm but firm voice suggested that the song I was playing was not very appropriate for the occasion. With hindsight she was probably right. “Relax, don’t do it, when you want to suck to it, relax don’t do it, when you want to come” were not the best lyrics to be playing at volume,. In my defence I was 11 years old and  didn’t know what it meant. I did think on reflection that the front cover was a bit rude (by 1984 standards).

 

Anyway I went on to adore Frankie and in the last 12 months the majority of their back catalogue has been re-released and I have lovingly lapped them up. Welcome To the Pleasuredome was also the very first album I had to call my own which was ironically bought for me in the Xmas of 84′ by my Grandma. It was from Martin’s newsagents in Shaw and cost £6.99 (it was a double LP).

 

Relax is 30 years old. My Grandad would have been 105 on 2 July this year. I love the memory of them both with equal measure and will continue to do so.

 

 

 

Mx

Blog On!

A Blog need not be long. I have often thought they should be. I have realised over time and reading other Blogs that they don’t have to be. They can be short, and in this modern day obsession with sounbites and snapshots, perhaps they should be. This is my theory. This is the only way my Blog will survive. Does anyone care? if one person does then it is all worthwhile. I shall produce more.

 

That is all

 

Mx

We are still here…

Hello to anybody who is still out there

I’m embarrassed to say that my last post was on May 5 and even that was re-posting old blogs from a bygone age. Needless to say that parenthood curtailed my ramblings somewhat and I have been having a wonderful time being a father to my firstborn James. Of course, many of you will  know, my second child (It’s a boy!) will be on the scene in March next year

I do genuinely want to post more on here in future because I want these thoughts, posts, blogs, whatever to be a record for my children when I am long gone. I am always quite moved when I see the Google advert on TV where the dad leaves regular entries, videos, photos etc for his daughter. What a great way to record their early life and to give them some memories in their own later year’s.

When my mum and dad split up almost 20 year’s ago my dad understandably didn’t take it to well and in a fit of rage destroyed the vast majority of photographs which were in the house. These were the first 20 year’s of my life destroyed with no backup disc or iCloud available in 1992. This causes me great sadness and was an act that I find it very difficult to forgive my dad for. I have no intention of being parted from my family in the foreseeable future, but if anything should happen to me, I would love to have left some words and pictures behind for people to remember me by.

Blogs etc, are snapshots in time and I do get embarrassed myself sometimes when I look back and read some of the things I said. It’s a bit like a permanent, account of something you once said when drunk but in verbatim form. Some of these things I am sure will cause my children to hold their heads in shame but hopefully by then they will know to take me as they found me. I may only leave the link to this site in my will so I won’t be around to share their pain…

Anyway, we will see how we get on. Time is precious and if it’s a choice between rambling on with myself here or spending time with the kids, then I may be absent from the keyboard for awhile. I will try to show up from time to time and hopefully keep you amused or provoke a thought in your minds for a few moments.

If you are still there, thank you.

All the best

Mx

29 May 2008 (Original Published Date)

Simple Minds Please A Simple Mind

Current mood:aroused

Hello Again

I was sat in one of my favourite cafe’s this morning when I spotted a small article in the top corner of the Entertainment page of the Sun. It read something like ” Top eighties rock band Simple Minds will be entering the studio in June with it’s original line and are expected to record new material” I swear I nearly shed a tear right there in the midle of the cafe but managed to restrain myself and settled for choking on my toast instead. You may have gathered that I am a fan so let me take you on a little musical journey.

Summer 1988, Oldham. A girl I was seeing on and off is sitting outside her house where we used to meet. In her hand is a double vinyl album with a jet black cover and gold lettering. “What’s that?”I ask as I arrive on the scene. “It’s Simple Minds new album called Live In The City Of Light” came the reply from my sweetheart. Let’s have a listen then…..

Simple Minds became MY band. Over the following few years I came to collect everything that had been and continued to be released by them and this obsession continues to this day. I had to see them live on stage. My first and one of my most memorable gigs was the Free Nelson Mandela benefit show at Wembley stadium in 1988. I was 16 years old and travelled down on the coach not quite beleiving I would see my heroes. When they finally arrived on stage their first song was Waterfront which is one of my favourites and I cried. I have since seen them in London (2), Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol.

Now back to my toast choking incident… Simple Minds never went away and have continued to plug away still releasing albums and playing live. In 1985 they were the biggest band in the world. Every album release at number one, every tour sold out. However in 1987 an album called The Joshua Tree was released elsewhere by some Irish oiks and the crown was stolen. What did change over the years was the line-up of Simple Minds. I had grown to love the original line-up the most and was upset that by the time I got to see them Brian McGee (drums) and Derek Forbes (Bass) and already gone in 1981 and 1986 respectively. In 1995 Michael Macneil (keyboards) also left due to ilness and I really did cry then cos’ he was my favourite.

The nucleus of the band continued (and still does) of Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (Guitars) with additional musicians some of which have now been there awhile now and in fairness do a great job. Kerr and Burchill met in a sandpit in Glasgow when they were both 5 years old which would have been about 1964. They CANNOT split up! The original line up produced my second favourite album by the band which was Sons and Fascination/Sister Fellings Call. I listened to that album endlessly for the remainder of my teens and into adulthood and it gets played on a regular basis to this day. I say second favourite because in 1982 THE Simple Minds album was released called New Gold Dream(81.82,83,84). Before you read anymore go and buy this album. Go on…. I’m watching!!

If you want emotion, power, joy, sadness, agony or ecstacy in your music then just buy this and you will do ok. This album has carried me through everything that life has thrown at me to date and will take me to my grave. Not for a while yet I hasten to add. It wasn’t exactly the original line-up because McGee had already gone but it was as near as damn it. Macneil’s keyboards on this album bring tears of joy to me and this is why I wept when he called it a day. Most Simple Minds fans say this is there favourite album and a recent poll on their website put it at the top by nearly 3 to 1. Tempted yet?

Finally (because you may be bored now) I can tell you that I have today just bought a ticket to watch “The Minds” in Birmingham in November on a tour to celebrate their 30 years existence. And….they will be playing New Gold Dream in it’s entirety followed by other favoutite numbers from 30 years of back catalogue. Granted it may not be the very original line-up playing, (or will it?) but it will still make my hair stand on end when I hear the opening lines of Big Sleep or Hunter And The Hunted.

I found a photo on the web today of the original line-up hugging each other and smiling at a party in 2004 celebrating their original manager’s 60th Birthday. I sat staring at it for ages. These boys are going in the studio together next month for the first time in 27 years. I for one shall be waiting at the door….

Mxx