Vegan or Omnivore?

I do fall into the second category and am unlikely to every be totally vegan. As I've got older I seem to be going off meat more. A full English breakfast used to be a must for me , bow I can't remember the last time I had one and certainly don't miss it.

I've never been a fan of steak and I find red meat so heavy on the stomach. Meatless Farm mince is a perfect example , if you use it in Shepherd's Pie or say Keema , and you save some for tomorrow you can feel how much lighter it is than lamb or beef mince. That fact alone should spell out that it's better for you.

I sort of abhor Tofu but both Snackwallah and Vegano have served it up in very tasty meals that I have cleaned the plate with.

Our local Indian , the excellent Rajnagar and about ten vegetarian / vegan main courses and if I eat from there , that's my eating list.

I still drink milk and have it for my porridge and coffee and eggs and fish are always on my menu. Chicken is ok every now and then especially in a curry and am ok with decent sausages ,  although there is part of me that says I shouldn't.

So I don't see myself being vegan , although lots of work colleagues think I am,  but the thing is , barring Tofu , I think most vegan food is excellent and if I am eating out the vegan option is the one that grabs my attention.

So really can we have anything but "Call Any Vegetable" by Frank Zappa and The Mothers (the record company added "of Invention" so as not to be offensive) to play out with? I thought of "Meat Is Murder" by The Smiths but that is a bit too hard hitting , though it's right to be.

When Midnight Comes At Noon

 Took the title from a Daniel Easterman novel, although just referring to the early morning darkness on my walks this week, and not what actually happens in the novel. Last week I did little walking this week it's been a lot.

This week my main network hard disk died so need to sort another one so that I can listen to music round the house , the backup drive is doing fine but a bit smaller. We expect things to last forever but they don'yt always.

There is no real sign of this lockdown ending so we have sort of drifted into an alternate reality, mask wearing , and avoiding contact, I'm not sure when I'll see any friends again, and I still remember the last friend I had physical contact with was Sophia which was a hug as we finished a lunch at Snackwallah.

The working from home has enabled me to catch up on a great deal of music, although I am barely scratching the surface of my own music collection, and my own collection while large is a mere dot on the universe of music.

One other thing is that I have managed to curb my chocolate addiction , I have had two 100g bars courtesy of The Co-Op and Morrisons for my birthday , and they were very nice but I have not felt a desire for any more. Tesco didn't give me one.

So it's late at night , and my posts have been sparse this month , so song time . One of the songs that impressed me was "Season of The Witch" from the album "Bang Bang You're Terry Reid" , also a rather good album, so that's what I'll play out the week with.

Murder - #Oktoberfest #20 - A Pub With No Beer - Slim Dusty

Well I've finished chapter one of "The Secret Commonwealth" and there's already been a murder, and I doubt that will be the end of it. It is a fairly hefty tome but unlike "The Illuminatus! Trilogy" I am looking forward to this as I do with all Philip Pullman's work.

Today I was at Snackwallah and Rachel told me they had been drafted into going to a Bavarian Oktoberfest in Manchester despite being vegan and non drinking and we got chatting about my #Oktoberfest sequence and saying the "Whiskey In The Jar" was absolutely essential to it. I have already featured a version by Irish Elvis impersonator The King but definitely need to shoehorn in The Dubliners and the The Thin Lizzy version which came on the radio when she was discussing a deal with a guy called Gary Moore...... pure synchronicity.

However "A Pub With No Beer" by Slim Dusty and Australian country and western singer came to mind, and it was a record that my mum and dad used to play a lot, and was released around the time I was born. It is one of those records that just pops into your mind with out being particularly groundbreaking. Have a listen you may find it entertaining.

Restart

I've decided to start sharing things on Facebook again (ie Instagram photos) but trying to generally keep it to positive items. If Facebook decide to ban me again there is nothing I can do, there is no option to contest a ban, but it's their club.

This weekend has been varied and busy, yesterday was at Sarah's birthday gathering in North Shields and then I got a friend request from a niece who I have not seen since I was hospitalised with my first bout of ITP in the mid eighties, and though my timeline is gonna look very sparse isn't it. One of the problems is that complaints , bad news and rumour spreads like wildfire while good news is seldom shared but it makes people it touched feel better and if I can do that to one person then it's worth doing.

Today I was thinking I needed to do something, but was feeling a little lethargic , but mowed the lawn, then caught an angry bee in the bedroom (well it was angry in the tube) , but I let it out the window and it went off at some speed.

This week I intend to see a lot of friends including Krista at Kota who I've not seen and Claire at Glamorous Owl who I manage to keep missing, and whoever happens to be about at RPM and Snackwallah and if the queues are low I may try Acropolis another addition to the Grainger Market.

Although I have been feeling apathetic and lethargic I'm obviously not as I've done a lot and have plans to do more. Sometimes you just have to do things and then that makes you feel better.

I was originally going to include Monty Python's "Eric The Half A Bee" (which you can listen to on Amazon or here) but the decided that " Flight of The Bumble Bee" from Tsar Sultan by  Rimsky Korsakov would be more appropriate with this animation. Remember Bees are important to the survival of the human race so always ensure you look out for them, they will only sting you if they have no other option , as it kills them and could very well kill you.

Look after the bees, without their pollination work , plants would not grow and we would very soon be starving.

With that thought have a great Sunday

Keep Talking

Went out at lunchtime chatted with a few people I only vaguely knew or didn't know , bought some vinyl, had a vegan curry and talked dub reggae and just feel so much better than I did this morning.

It was great to chat about the frightening state of politics, th egreat food available in the Grainger Market and the King Tubby / Richard Burton mash up with Dylan Thomas' tone poem "under Milk Wood" which you can buy on vinyl here. I have my own copy at home.

I know this is just a tiny, tiny post, but it is always good to get out and talk with people or friends, it can usually lift your mood and it certainly lifted mine today. I know I often just need to rest and sleep and night so mi gigging is going to be more sporadic, but there are plenty of afternoon gigs to fill the days, and I do love these. It's great to come out and have the rest of the evening to watch TV or relax.

So we gotta have the Dubwood All Stars don't we.

No Photographs

One of the annoying thing about the Facebook Ban is that I am now very reticent to share any pictures on Facebook. I've disconnected as, as far as I can, my Instagram Account which means I have now stopped sharing my walks and music on Facebook. I will share my blog posts and really that's it.

The real annoying thing is that I keep getting ads for voucher schemes often featuring girls wearing next to nothing, knowing full well that if I shared this thing that Facebook is shoving in my face it would be a three month ban.

I've reinstalled Facebook Messenger on my phone but Facebook is now reflecting my real life socialising, vitually non existent. This is my choice to reactivate but part of it may be old age and part may be just apathy.

I had a few friends who I would meet up with for lunch or after work, but whenever I suggested anything it was never convenient so I know when I am beaten.

This may sound like I'm on a downer, I'm not, just learning that as people get older they become more set in their ways, socialise in their own groups, and if I do want to meet up with people I need to actually do something that interestes them.

While I always stay positive, and know damned well that I could pick up the phone and speak to a few close friends there is a devil inside that says I can't be bothered. No doubt I will change and get my self out in the near future and in fact I am going to visit two friends this lunchtime. I have decided to just do this and visit The Glamorous Owl , RPM and maybe lunch at Snackwallah.

So what song goes with this, for some reason Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round" comes to mind and what's not to like about that.

Snackwallahlicious

Over a month ago I wanted something quick for lunch and decided to go for a KFC because it's quick and cheap, then I remembered that there was an Indian Streetfood place in The Grainger Market that I had seen flyers for and walked past and thought I would maybe give it a try.

My first meal was a Mixed Platter  which I can't really describe but for three pounds it was full of textures and flavours that were a definite reason to go back, and it was extremely good value for money.

The following time I tried their daily curry whicgh for four pounds gives you a nutitious and tasty dish of rice , dahl , curry and roti. The food is also vegan which is another plus, although I am not vegan myself.

My problem, or rather not a problem but since that date this has been my lunch three days a wek. I look at other options and think maybe I will spread my custome around but there are these points that always come up when I am looking for something to eat.

• It's quick
• There is a great choice
• It changes on a daily basis
• It's great value for money
• It's good for you
• It's vegan
• The people are really helpful and friendly
• They pay their staff a decent wage
• Everything they use is recyclable so very environmentally friendly
• It tastes great

And that is why Snack Wallah is getting so much of my cuntom. I do go to other places but this ticks so many boxes it is ridiculous.  If you visit the link you can see the gorgeousfood they serve on a daily basis.

You can also eat your food there or take away. I am a great fan of not eating at work so that is another plus for me.

It is situated in the Grainger Market so it's in the centre of Newcastle and very easily accessible.

I don't think this will be my last post about them and there are a lot of posts on my Instagram feed such as today's meal here.

I may be there tomorrow as well but maybe I will resist, but probably not.

Also I tried to think of a relevant song and settled o the really not very relevant "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran.

#AprilSongs #13 The Saturday Boy

Well it's day 13 of the #AprilSongs sequence. It's funny that 13 is considered unlucky like seeing a single magpie or a lot of other thing. Things like this used to bother me, especially 13 , single magpies and a few other things, then I started thinking how silly it was , and if I'd been brought up to believe these were good things then that is how my mind would see it. After all 13 is a "baker's dozen" where they throw in an extra item in case one is not up to scratch, so it's a definite win for you. If I see a single magpie it's a good thing, no reason , apart from magpies can look impressive in flight with their black and white colouring, so now seeing a single magpie gives me a little lift and if I see more then that's a plus, although I am aware they can be annoying bullies, but I prefer to search for the positives.

So back to the #AprilSongs sequence on Record Store Day and I have gone for Billy Bragg's "The Saturday Boy". I loved Billy Bragg's minimal instrumental style although his voice grated a bit at first, but like Bob Dylan I loved the songs and grew to like the voice. He is not everyone's cup of tea, but is now an intelligent elder statement of music involved in so many musical areas it's very impressive.

Coincidentally I was watching a documentary about Skiffle on BBC4 last night which you can catch on iplayer here for the next month and he was pointing out the similarities between the skiffle movement and the punk movement, both a do-it-yourself reaction to the mainstream and the main Skiffle man was Lonnie Donegan. That was followed by a program on Chas and Dave (here for a month) who also played with Lonnie Donegan as well.

You can always find connections, but some times the connections jump out at you. Have a great Record Store Day and the weather is looking very good. I will take some photos while I am out today and probably nip to Snackwallah for one of their excellent curries.

Snackwallah Diction, Snackwallah Gain

Why would you pay for something to eat. In my opinion the food has to be good and hopefully value for money. About three weeks ago I tried Snackwallah in the Grainger Market for the first time and was absolutely floored by it. When somewhere advertises "street food" very often it's sort of "like in a restaurant but on the cheap but not as good", this is definitely not the case with Snackwallah as I've been back there about ten times in the last three weeks.

As well as the Indian Street Food aspect it's also vegan sp that is a huge plus. Here is a list a things that make this place great:

• Absolutely great food, full of different stimulating tastes and flavours
• Wonderfully engaging staff, great to talk to, who will help with any questions
• Big range of dishes to both eat in and take away
• Great atmosphere to eat in
• Vegan
• Excellent Value For Money
• Perfect Portions for a working lunch

This place is in the Grainger Market and is competing against Meat Stack (best burgers in Newcastle, and I don't normally do burgers) and Spanish, Chinese, Turkish, Lebanese and English eating hubs, so it's not as though it's the only option. Every time I consider what for lunch I keep ticking things off and Sbackwallah keeps winning because after everything else it tastes great and it's vegan therefore healthy,

Today I am serving a ban from Facebook for posting a shot off the Helmut Newton image in No 28 and also Google+ has gone so I have signed up with MeWe to see if that can offer an alternatibe to share my ideas. It may turn out not to be the greatest idea but we shall see,

So after this morning's snow I'm hoping for a quiet night bit may go Indian (Bangla Deshi actually) for my tea and order an Aloo Chole from Rajnagar. Music wise I'm going share possibly one of the greatest records ever to go with some of my favourite eating places, "Reach For Love" by Marcel King.

Snackwallah Coincidence

It's amazing how I was writing about Bhanga music and Indian Restaurants earlier then decided to gofor a walk a lunch , was wondering how to lunch before deciding on a KFC before diverting to check out the Indian Street Food place in The Grainger Market, Snackwallah.

Snackwallah Platter

What an amazing surprise that was, I ordered a £3 Mixed Snack Platter which I hadn't got a clue really what I was getting but the staff were really helpful and delivered to be a small plate which a think was vegan , but definitely vegetarian (you can see it to the right) and it tasted gorgeous , with some kind of kick to it , but it was an amazingly good  and I will be going again, and thing you should do as well.

If you click on the picture you can see a few more images that I took while I was there.



Obviously this is just a short post, but Iwas training to thing of an appropriate pice which is "Husan" by Bhangra Knights or "Bhangra Knights" by Husan which  was used in a Car Advert many years make.

So it's Friday and I've found another great place to eat in Newcastle.