Storms

Apparently last night we had storms. There was thunder and rain here and the weather here was a bit miserable during the day, but it's November in Yorkshire. You can always enjoy whatever you get. I love sunshine , but I love rain  as well although not too much of either , one will burn you the other will drown you both not what we would want.

The whole point of this week is total relaxation so there may be not too many photographs or even posts. I sure my friends in the sunny antipodes would love to see pictures of a grey rainy day here, and I've posted great pictures of around here on previous Ampleforth and Oswaldkirk (both villages are adjacent) posts. Although I would like to get a photograph of the massive wooden cross at Ampleforth College although I am sure there are many of them online.

Anyway it's always good to take time out to totally relax and it reminds of a TED talk about doing nothing so I thought I would include that for your entertainment. It is very good and makes some great points on how in our modern lives we feel we have to be always doing something. If you take time out then you will be able to do things you want and need to do so much better.

4AM In Ampleforth

I'm sitting here writing this at 4am because I can't get back to sleep. The main reason for this being I went to sleep at 8 pm last night so I've had eight hours sleep.

There's also so something very odd about theis place. I'm scared of the dark. Not darkness as such, but being somewhere with absolutely no visual point of reference. I need a chenk of street light or moonlight from a window, or a light from another rook or something just so I can find my way if I get up. This place isn't like that. It's pitch black, 100 yards from the quiet street and it is pitch black, no light from outside. Obviously I have lights on to post this, but in this place I am fine to negotiate the place in total darkness. Maybe it's because I've been here before and know my way round. You can see the place here.

Anyway I was in bed for a while thinking about things (usually it's worry that keeps people awake) , but good things just kept coming into my head , ideas of nice things to do, places to go , thinking about friends and family near and far away. It's quite amazing how global our friendships can be. Just offhand i have lot's in the USA, around Australia and New Zealand , Tanzania and various other bits of Africa, Germany and probably lots lots more. And these people bring lots of great things into my life in the form of art and music and stimulate ideas in me and cause me to write things like this.

I watch a lot of TED talks which are usually interesting and I've put relevant TED links on a couple of the countries above so feel free to follow and watch. The Australian one is particuculary excellent.

Well have a brilliant weekend and I've include a brilliant Steve F

Steve Forbert as a child

orbert song. I think he was touted as the next Bruce Springsteen, he wasn't just the first Steve Forbert and he has written some wonderful songs.

He's Behind You

Pantomine Hook

Pantomime Cruella

I think we all really like to be scared in one way or another, for entertainment really. As a child you have pantomime villains , cartoon ogres and Doctor Who's fearsome foes. But as we grow up we become aware of what these really are. I still enjoy a good horror film, play or book and love when something truly makes me jump. I don't like the "horror porn" with nasty things for the sake of it but something that can genuinely frighten you.







A really great friend reminded me today that it was 75 years since Orson Welles infamous radio broadcast of HG Wells "War of the Worlds" which many Americans believed was really happening . You can listen to the whole thing here (in the UK anyway) , and there's a contest to celebrate the occasion here .  This is probably the way to actually scare adults by presenting the story through a familiar medium as a news item.

Recently the Ralph Fiennes version of Shakepeare's Coriolanus featured the newsreader John Snow, and the Channel 4 disaster drama Blackout used this construct, and it can be very effective. It wouldn't surprise me if Welles did it deliberately.

Anyway I found the above version on youtube,  so I hope it will stay there. So you can now listen fully aware that we are probably not being invaded by Martians. Have a wonderful night and enjoy yourself,

Be Happy and Enjoy Yourself

Today I found that there was an update to Windows 8 from Microsoft , so I applied it. It was asking to share lots of stuff , and while I like sharing lots of things with my friends, I a bit more reticent about sharing with faceless corporations. I still get slightly annoyed that my Google searches on my PC appear on my phone as well.

XTC Go 2

But this doesn't stop me enjoying myself, and taking delight in the good things that others show me, like new music from around the world , such as a good friend showing me a brilliant XTC album cover, for their second album the excellent Go 2.

Their back catalog is amazing and if you don't know the band you should really check them out.

Pete Burns

 

I bought the album from Probe Records in Liverpool served , probably by Pete Burns of Dead or Alive, a striking individual even then. He never insulted me , so he must have thought my purchases were at least acceptable.

Anyway, the thing is lots of great music can make you happy , and it makes me happy, and there's one song that I'm thinking of and it was one of my mums favourites. Everybody put a smile on your face, have a great night and a great day tomorrow.

Four Seasons In One Day

Well that's what I've seen to day , lovely blue skies and sunshine the winds and rain as the golden leaves fall from the trees , it's certainly not dull and makes you glad to be alive and experience it. The Sunderland vs Newcastle derby is going on as we speak so there will probably be some disapointed fans in an hours time, I keep telling them it's just a game!

Anyway my weight is coming down slowly so quite pleased about that, and after this I need to go out and post off a CD for a friend, before settling down to write some more of my book , which is progressing as expected.

I chose the title of the post after the rather excellent Crowded House song , one of the many brilliant antipodean bands that have surfaced over the years. I saw them as Split Enz when they still wore their amazing make up and costumes sometime in the 1970s.

Anyway I can't keep blogging, books to write , CDs to post , Catch up TV to watch and coffee to drink, but it's all part of the rich tapestry of life that makes it worth hgetting out of bed every morning and just doing things. Enjoty the rest of the weekend , listen to your music and give a friend friend a big hug, they might not expect it and you both might enjoy it. Have a great day.

Spread The Love

Well after a busy week, the highlight of which was a night out in Brighton with friends, walking along Brighton beach on Thursday morning and catching up with people during the day,  plus the discover of Brighton itself, I'm pleased to say I've got a bit of normality back in my life. I will definitely go back there.

On the train back was taking with an Edinburgh family who had spent the weekend in London, seeing shows including The Commitments , and The Bodyguard the latter featuring the excellent Beverley Knight in the Whitney Houston role. Just have a Beverley Knight album on the player, she is a wonderful singer. I then explained to them the process of Delay Repay as their journey down had been delayed by four hours.

So back home, enjoying not traveling and being able to take time to do things that I want. I'm sure this weekend lots of good things will happen for me and lots of my friends , although for good things to happen you have to do something yourself. Things don't fall into your lap. So phone someone , meet someone, go for a walk , visit a museum or a landmark. There are lots of great things to do. Have a brilliant weekend, give a friend a hug , and spread your love and make the world even happier.

Just found this brilliant version of Alone Again Or by Love , fantastic lyrics as well

Yeah, said it's all right
I won't forget
All the times I've waited patiently for you
And you'll do just what you choose to do
And I will be alone again tonight my dear

Yeah, I heard a funny thing
Somebody said to me
You know that I could be in love with almost everyone
I think that people are
The greatest fun
And I will be alone again tonight my dear

7 10 A 3

Brighton Rocks

Blue Skies over The Grand

Grey Skies Over The Pier

Well actually it's fairly stable , but this week has been manic, and I'd never actually been there before. It's easy to get round and has some amazing architecture , pubs , music and being on thebeach early Thursday morning was really calming and relaxing with the odd situation of having blue skies to the west and grey skies to the east.

Part of it of course  is that I like the sea, although I wouldn't , out of choice, go to Blackpool or Whitley Bay or Skegness.

Looking West is Good

Brighton , Whitby and Craster are the three seaside locations for me, and I would really recommend these three places to anybody.

Each one has it's own character, and I could almost live in each of the places. Brighton has made me feel good despite rolling into the house after half past ten last night.

A definite highlight of my week with some great friends, I would definitely do it again.

If you haven't been you have to go.

And what else could I have playing ..........