National Novel Writing Month

Apparently next month is National Novel Writing Month. Entrants are to submit fifty thousand words in their attempt to capture the imagination of the paying public. Fifty Thousand is quite a lot of words though you could probably sit down and do it in a day if you were that way inclined. I am just thinking of the Novel Writing Sketch that Monty Python served us all those years ago.

To put this in perspective I’ve been jotting some notes for my blog while I stay in Craster. Because there is no internet access, I’m doing this in Word before transferring it to the blog when I get home. On the fifth day I’ve just written eleven hundred words so far, so that’s two hundred and twenty  words a day , so at this rate , if I were writing a novel it would take me two hundred and thirty days , that’s about seven and a half months, with no editing or quality control!!

So if I do decide to go for the Novel this month, looks like I have maybe two weeks to do it, I will have to increase my throughput to three thousand six hundred words a day (that is eighteen times my current rate) , and of course, think of a story. I’d love to do it, but really need the inspiration, and not end up in the book of worst opening lines!!

So even with a full month you would be looking at twelve and a half thousand words a week, that’s above two thousand words a day! I may, at some point see if I can do twelve and a half thousand words in a week, just to see if I could actually have the output to produce a novel. I thought that this would be some going for me.

Seriously probably my only attainable goal in this is to hit a thousand words by the end of this holiday , and I’m about half way through ,  so by the time this is published on the blog I should have done my thousand words , one fiftieth of a novel!!

Craster – Cul-de-Sac-Deluxe

Craster Harbour

As you drive into Craster you are greeted with a cul-de-sac sign. The only way out is back the way you came or via the sea. I tell a lie, you can walk along the coastal path to the magnificent ruin of Dunstanburgh castle or head due south and eventually land up in Blyth or Whitley Bay!!

This is no bad thing though, it means no through traffic and therefore it’s very quiet and peaceful.

Apparently sixty per cent of the housing here is holiday cottages. Unsure if this is a good or bad thing, if they are used the year round, it will obviously boost the local economy, which is a good thing. Problems occur when people buy holiday cottages that lie empty for most of the year.

Having said that the Shoreline Café was open and occupied at 5pm on Sunday, which implies that the trade is there for them.

Kipper Smokers

L Robson the local fish smokers provide kippers country wide and are sensible enough to maintain a web presence and the superbly appointed http://www.kipper.co.uk/ .

As well as this there’s an art gallery, run by local seascape artist Mick Oxley which was opened by David Miliband MP (the one who didn’t become Labour Leader). His paintings are well worth seeing and his web site is http://www.mickoxley.co.uk/ .

Craster is amazing. One phone box, a kipper smoking factory (well shed) , with adjacent shop and restaurant that opens for three and a half hours a day , is closed Sundays and doesn’t take cards. Opposite this you have The Jolly Sailor a wonderful pub with free internet access, and a sign board featuring a jolly sailor straight out of HP Lovecraft!!

There’s no mobile phone signal, no analogue TV, and digital TV is almost non-existent barring BBC1 and BBC2. The nearest attraction is Dunstanburgh Castle, a sprawling ruin maintained by English Heritage that you have to walk through 1.25 miles of livestock occupied cliff top pasture to get to.

Craster is essentially a cul-de-sac, but this is no bad thing if you want to get away from things but still have some semblance of comfort such as a decent local restaurant, food store and pub.

Dunstanburgh Castle

The walk to Dunstanburgh is visually stunning, and, amazingly, at points gives you mobile phone reception!

Today is the last day in Craster, will definitely come back.  Last night there were two lights, possibly torches on the breakwater just outside the harbour until about three in the morning. Though it was stormy they definitely were not distress signals, so I assume researchers or mad divers, although it would have been a great start to a Lovecraftian horror movie in keeping with the pub sign at The Jolly Sailor!.

This morning I went down to the rocks outside the harbour, even though they were chained off. Got some interesting views of the rocks beyond the harbour, no sign of any corpses rising from the depths or mermen!

One thing this week has done is allow me to put down a couple of words for the blog. Two thousand of those were for yesterday’s novel experiment, but that is still quite a few words for y diaristic observations. All this is maybe forty minutes from Newcastle, which is an absolute find.

Sunrise in Craster

Another thought is that in a week’s holiday on the North East coast of England there has been virtually no rain at all. The weather has been superb, allowing walks along the coast and inland without the need for big coats and umbrellas!

Anyway I’ll wrap this up now, until my next visit.

Alnwick and It’s Straight Tailed Lion

Straight-Tailed Alnwick Lion

Alnwick is the nearest centre for shopping and stuff to Craster. It has a lion on a pillar, commissioned by some lord or other , and when the sculptor wasn’t paid his dues he finished it off with the straight rod of a tail!!

Here is a Vocal Story about talking to the lion.

It’s home to Barter Books in the old railway station and republishers of the “Keep Calm and Carry On” posters now the subject of much litigation due to their extraordinary success.

You also have the Alnwick Garden and Treehouse and adjacent Castle, location for many outdoor scenes in the Harry Potter films, such as broom training and Quidditch backdrops.

You also have the Alnwick Playhouse , which features film , dance , art exhibitions and live music , I noticed Catfish Keith and Ralph McTell were attractions that were due soon.

I have also discovered the Wine Boutique, an excellent wine emporium, with brilliantly helpful staff and more than reasonable prices. Since the demise of Oddbins it’s great to find a local wine shop with integrity and value.

There are many eating places and pubs and you have a supermarket as well. It is, however, infested with the ubiquitous Greggs and Subway chains , as well as three Boots within sight of each other.

Another plus is that all day parking is only two pounds, a place definitely worth dipping in to.

Alnwick Garden Cascade

Alnwick Garden Walter Sculture cum Flyng Saucer

 Just been to the Alnwick Garden which is amazingly impressive, it’s fountains ad Treehouse are an absolute must to see.

Apple iPhone 5 Is Here - Sorry Make That The Apple iPhone 4S

Apple for the first time in a long time don't have a new product. The much trumpeted iPhone 5 , is in fact the iPhone 4S . It's a major improvement on the iPhone 4 , faster , better camera , and all that but you'll have to wait til next year for the iPhone 5. Can't wait to hear Charlie Brooker's verdict , and I know they'll shift faster than a greyhound in a dragster!! Here's Charlie Brooker's first impressions of the iPad - He ended up buying one and loving it

Anyway you can pre order your iPhone 4S through Orange or T-Mobile on the inks on this page!!

What Is It WIth September?

Just noticed that I've never previously done more than three posts in September . Haven't a clue why this is. Could be that it's the run up to my birthday , or summer is over and winter is coming , certainl had some stormy weather recently.

The thing is there has been stuff to write about , but I haven't written . Maybe this year I will make up .... or not!!

Minimalism #2 - PIL's Album

Just read an article on PIL's Album , which is probably my favourite. While I'm aware that PIL has been a hurricane of members (49 I believe) with John Lydon it's controlling eye so to speak , I was quite shocked to find who actully played on the album.

"Rise" is still my favourite PIL single , and "FFF" and "Fishing" two of my favourite PIL tracks . This isnt to belittle their other stuff. Anyway....

I was aware of John Lydon's affiliation with Bill Laswell from his appearance as a guest on The Golden Palominos' "Visions of Excess" , but what I wasn't aware of (remember the albums minimalist sleeve art and vinyl origins) was that he'd ditched the original band and brought in a veritalble superstar line up to record the damned thing.

These included Ginger Baker on drums , Ornette Coleman on reeds , Stevie Vai on guitar , and more . This is lifeted from the Wikipedia entry , but you get the picture.

"Produced by Bill Laswell (despite Lydon-fuelled faction and disunion) and with many of Laswell's usual rotating cast of musicians, it also featured guitar solos by Steve Vai, considered by Vai himself to be some of his best work. Jonas Hellborg, solo bassist and at the time, member of John McLaughlin's reformed band, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, played bass on the album. Jazz great Tony Williams and legendary Cream drummer Ginger Baker drummed on the album, which also featured Ryuichi Sakamoto of the Japanese electropop group Yellow Magic Orchestra."


Anyway , if you don't have the album, rectify the error of your ways and purchase it now to find out what you have been missing !! PIL are currently in the studio recording their first new material in 20 years!! Below playing Public Image and Rise in 2010!

Mininmalism #1

Minimalism , or laziness has been the order of the month for 2011, this being my second post despite various things happening and the run up to my birthday , but sometimes life gets in the way of things you plan to do . I still need to find a place that will hire me a reciprocal saw to dismember the tree that fell into my garden two weeks back. It's in manageable chunks , and the leaves have bee disposed of , but it needs chopping into fire friendly sized logs.

Some Winter Fuel!

The other thing is that I'd started this post based on some surprising facts about one of my favourite albums , but that will get it's separate post.

Also we've have Facebook's pointless revamp , making it almost unusable , crashing phone applications and stuff like that , making people very irate , not least of them me, I believe the iPhone app is well and truly shafted. Not a good "customer" experience.



I'm also getting more than a little bored with all these groupon clones , such as Voucher Cloud and LivinSocial. Both available from the Android App Store and LivingSocial insists I'm in Wolverhampton and won't let me change it , but is happy to send me offers from the USA and Eastern Europe. I'm all for saving money , but not when it costs me my time and sanity!!!

Oh and A Kindle has entered the domicile. And yes it is impressive but it's not mine, I'm happy with the reader on my Advent Vega!!

Give Me £50 - And I'll Let You Advertise My Product!

I have a problem , a good friend of mine bought me a £30 Fenwicks Voucher and I want to buy a denim jacket . Denim jackets are nowhere to be be seen , lots of winter jackets , Belstaff making a big comeback , but I just want a light jacket I can wear when its warm , then thought I maight get a paitr of jeans with G-STAR plastered all over them - £110!!

So I pay £110 and look like a human version of one of these taxis with Claims-4-U palstered all over them! In the sixties my uncled reckoned no on would be idiotic enough to wear T-Shirts advertising a product or brand. Now it seems it's almost mandatory!! Nike , Reebok , Levis , Paul Smith , Superdry , Tommy Hilfiger.

Everyone expressing their individuality by following like sheep , and paying for the privilege. In the mid seventies Don Revie  and Admiral sportswearcame up with the idea of squeezing more money out of Leeds fans by marketing replica shirts , now the biggest Premiership teams often have four kits a season , thats £200 if you want to keep up.

Personally I go for retro shirts , whicj means you buy what you want when you want , but it must be hell for parents keeping up with the kids wants.

It seems almost all we wear today has a brand that marks you out as a potential sales hoarding for the latest Nike , Prada ,Aramani or whatever. So I'm off to town to buy something , I wonder what!!

LED-ed

Bathroom Ceiling LEDs

A 3.5W LED

Just replaced my halogen light bulbs in the bathroom , for of them . Fitting the restraining clips was an absolute pain , but they use replaced my 50W halogens with 2 x 1W and 2 x 3.5 W LED ones so that should save a little more on the electricity bills, in theory.





Incidentally , wwhen I switched the bathroom lights on the energy usage went down!! Go work that one out!!

The other trouble is I'm insulated , using efficient stuff , and eventually I'm going to hit a wall where I can't do any more , in fact I feel I'm near that now. Except maybe get a wind turbine in the back garden!!

A Record Shop In Hexham!!

The Front of Gojo Records Hexham

A nice surprise today , decided to drive over to Hexham and was shocked to notice on the main drag a shop that appeared to be selling records. On closer examination discovered it was music and video rental as well , and had a small but excellent selection of CDs , good enough for me to purchase two of them , "Game Set and Match" by Nic Jones (they also had Penguin Eggs as do I) ,  and "Yan, Tan, Tehera Methera" by The Bad Shepherds!!

The Bag and the CDs

Enclosed are the photographs of the shop doorway and the bag and CDs I bought. Love the fact that they don't even have the area code on the phone number and they only take cash or cheques. Good to see that there are still shops selling music!

57 Channels and Nothing On ... Does It Matter?

It isn't all that long since we were looking forward to getting Channel 5 , in fact I remember the days before BBC2 (so you had BBC and ITV) . In the seventies we had four channels and Saturday nights were taken up with dross such as Seaside Special and 3-2-1 , featuring irritating presenters and forgettable acts.

The bitching all over the red tops this morning reminds me that nothing much has changed , we have Gary Barlow replacing Simon Cowell presiding over the latest batch of conveyor belt wannabes covering tried and tested standards until Christmas , when the X-Factor winners single takes it's rightful place at number one in the singles chart.

The BBC provide competion in the form of the totally fascinating National Lottery draw , which was OK when it was once a week , now it's about once a day!!

The thing is we now have hundreds of channels to choose from , admittedly most of them screening repeats , especially in the case of Skuy News that is on a 15 minute repeat loop , but the are diamonds to be found such as Sky Arts , BBC4 , BBC2 , Channel 4 , but most of the population on Saturday night are glued to X-Factor oor The National Lottery Draw , and I was thinking , this country could satisfy 95% of the population with two channels. It waould also give them something to complain about such as the repeats , and the use of the BBC License fee!!

It's Not Easy Being Green

I recently attended a "Green Champions" course courtesy of my employer , and a couple of things struck me. A lot of people are committed to going good to recycle , use renewable energy and implement changes that will benefit and sustain our life style.

A couple of scary facts were put forward such as the fact that we have less than fifty years of oil left , and slightly longer with coal and gas . While that's enough to see out most of us , the edge is drawing closer. Steven Tyler , Mick Jagger look alike and lead singer with Aerosmith , made a pertinent quote about life which applies the same to our fossil fuell resourses , "Life is like a toilet roll , the closer you get to the end the faster it goes" !! , and that reminds me , one of their songs is perfectly titled for this situation , "Livin' On The Edge"



Anyway we can see that people and businesses will not embrace "Being Green" , unless it's convenient and financially viable!!

Personally , my own bit is the removal of all incandescent bulbs and the installation of an electricity monitor courtesy of my electricity provider.  This has decreased my electricity usage , although my home IT network is probably racking it up , the problem being if I want my music and film available 24/7 from anywhere in the house then the storage needs to be running 24/7 , though I think that solid state storage will help reduce this in the future , but at a cost.

I also do my bit recycling plastic and paper with my blue bin , and organics via the green bin. Paper either goes in my blue bin or is recycled into logs for my wood burning stove (see here).

I'm looking into the solar panels on the roof thing , which was part of my Green Pledge, but again , this is motivated out of a pereived benefit to me  , rather than being a "Green Champion" .  Still the result is the main thing and if I end up being moore energy efficient , then that is one more little action which makes the world a slightly better place , which can't be too bad.

Big Brotherly X-Factory

Well the nights are getting shorter , like the attention span of most of the population , and nights are going to be filled with the pre packed eye and ear fodder , presedided over by Take That's Gary Barlow  (who really doesn't need this gig)  , and I don't think he will last as he's far too decent a person to be involved with this organised bully fest.

At the same time Channell Five have revived that dead duck "Celebrity Big Brother" . What a misnomer that is , but I might do it for the 150 grand the contestants are getting each!!

Enjoy your Saturday nights!!

Birmingham and Luton Tonight!! - Snuffin in a Babylon!!

Just amazed at the blatant looting that has gone on for absolutely no reason apart from they can. I'm sure the government and police will be targetting more money and resources at congestion charges , more yellow lines and traffic wardens and clampers as we speak. It is funny how in all the times I've experienced violence , thieving and the like the police have done nothing , yet they can always come down on you for speeding , parking and the like.

Personally I dont think that they should use water cannon , batons etc on these animals , they should be given real live bullets . The reason why this looting is taking place is that , the animals are totally unconcerned with any potential reprisals , if they thought they might get really hurt or killed they wouldnt do it.

The Bob Marley song above is appropiate about what is happening but not the reasons. Most of Briatain's rioters and looters are not deprived or oppressed. Well not yet but this will be an excuse for governments to bring in new laws to control the rest of us.

By the way I'm left wing in my politics , but I know how fragile society is , and these scum should be put down . Full stop. A simplistic solution I know , but it makes me sick , and to think that if dispensed justice to to a looter I'd probably be the one that the police would prosecute!!

First Londaon , then Birmingham , Manchester , Leicester , Wolverhampton , Nottingham , scary

Sorry for the randomness of this post , but It's just a load of thoughts that came to me

The Sopranos - Selling Music

I 'm quite amazed and the number of artists who have benefitted from the exposure of having their music featured in an episode of The Sopranos. Obviously you have the Alabama 3 theme tunes "Woke Up This Mornin'" from Exile on Coldharhour Lane , though apparently someone else absconded with the profits.




Then the final episode featured Journey's Karaoke favourite "Don't Stop Believin'" , though in a disturbing sign of the times I've seen this song credited to Glee!!



Then I  was at an Al Stewart concert and he mentioned that his bank balance and benefited from the use of his song "Time Passages" in an episode.



The latest I've heard is John Cooper Clarke's "Evidently Chickentown" featuring . I's amazing tgat the series can be so influential , though it is totally brilliant!!

The Monetary Value of Music

Around 1975  I was out of school , on the dole , and my job seekers allowance was £3.25 a week , and I had to get into town to sign on , so that a week later I'd get my cheque or whatever. Around this time Pink Floyd issued "Wish You Were Here" . This was just after the petrol / vinyl shortage that had caused album to rocket from around £2 to over £3 , and petrol to hit £1 a gallon!! Hard times indeed.

Anyway I got to thinking , today petrol clocks in at £1.30 a litre if you're lucky , that about £7.50 a gallon (worked that out in my head so apologies if it's wildly out) , Job Seeekers Allowance is around £60 I believe , so if music had kept pace with these items we should be paying around £50 for an album , but we're not . Amazon have 100 classic albums at £3 to download , and the Pink Floyd album you will pick up for around a tenner (however the new "Immersion" release will set you back £90)

So really music just give you great value for money , and it amazes that people still think it's fine to steal . Amazon have plenty of free downloads so you can get free music , but really are you telling me you can't afford a tenner for a new CD?

Football In Hock To Legalised Loan Sharks?

Last night I caught a bit of the seasons curtain lifter , Hull City vs Blackpool (though according the media with therir three page spreads on Manchester United and Chelsea and that team from Manchester the season hasnt started yet) , and was slightly worried by their shirt sponsors.

Blackpool are still sponsored by Wonga and Hull City by Cash Converters. To the left you see Gary Taylor -Fletcher in his sponsored shirt and the one to the right is from the Hull City web site!!



Worrying times indeed for football , sponsored by people who routinely charge 2000% interest to people who can't afford it , but can't get money from banks because they're paid pittance wages . Admittedly there will be some druggie scum in there but surely football should not be effectively endorsing these brands!!

The Road To TV Dinners

You know I'm bored if I'm writing about food . I have no time for TV Celebrity Chefs bar Heston Blumenthal . But I tend to make stuff from tins , and fresh / wrapped product . There's no TV dinners in the fridge as basically they taste rubbish and are full of anything but food.



Hate buying fresh stuff from supermmarkets as they bully farmers into accepting low prices and penalise farmers if stuff doesnt sell. I use the Grainger Market in Newcastle when I can and small local shops , which Tesco and Sainsburys are doing their best to extinguish with the influx of Tesco Extra , Tesco Express and Sainsbury Local shops. Hell there's even one in Central Station in Newcastle.



 I detest when you see a street that consists of a Greggs , Subway , Tesco , Sainsburys  , that is such a downer .

Anyway the point of this was that I was using a supermarket yesterday (Morrisons) and was gonna get some cheese to grate . 400g of  cheese was £2.15 , but 2 x 200g  of grated Cheese was only £2. So I bought the ready grated stuff. How long before I buty a ready meal ??

Having said that I still dont have a microwave!!

Three Score years And Ten

Not long ago that was a man's expiry date on this earth , with ladies getting a few years more. It doesn't seem two minutes since I was watchi Roger Daltrey sing "I hope I die before I get old" on Top of The Pops , I was about seven at the time a tenth of the way there!!. Also remember at that time think how old my uncle was when he started his first job at sixteen!!!

I think Datltrey's sentiment still applies , but the context has altered subtly. There's nothing we can do about physical ageing , but we should look after ourself and keep aftive and stimulated , so we can effectively stay younger longer. I know people in their nineties who live full and active lives , and I see people in their teens who have reach "old" decades before they should have.

This week Buddy Holly would have been 75 , Paul Simon at 70 is touring his new album , Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones and what's left of the Who are still performing , the Stones to ever increasing crowds in places like Rio De Janeiro.

Eventually we've all got to go , but we can have a hell of a time while we're here , and it doesnt matter what Richard Dawkins or the Pope tell you there no one on this Earth knows what happens when we shuffle of this mortal coil . So enjoy the party while you can , it can be fun!!

Diabetes .... A Young Persons Game?

Went for my annual diabetic review today and everything looks OK . I'm still doing so many drugs that certain South Americans would love to make my acquaintance , but I ain'yt to enamoured with  the alternative.

Is used to be if you were iverwight and over 40 then you might end up with Diabetes, and the treatment of it includes keeping fit , losing weight , eating and drinking the right stuff (no cake , chocolate or alcohol) . What surprised me today is that most of the people at the clinic were young and anything but overweight. So what the hell is happening . Obviously modern living is screwing up people big style.


There are a lot of diabetic sites out there which may help answer the question . You can start here!.

How The Government Effectively Fuels Us

I see a lot of folk rightly complaining about the latest price rise on fuel , but I'm lucky , mostly I'm indirectly affected. However I filled up my car at the weekend and immedietly doubled its value (the write off value is £50 , which is what it now costs to fill up).

unusually the villains of the piece are the oil companies , who let's face it DO deserve most of the flack they get but think on this. David Cameron , that brilliant responsibilty dodger (Nick Clegg knows)  is the latest in a long line of politicians not really taking responsibility just the financial fruits of a captive market. . After the petrol company and garage set their price of about 54p the government adds on fuel duty and VAT which result in another 170% being added on to the price you pay (around £1.40).

So when the goverment say they cant't do anything about the price of fuel , you what they are talking . It's an easy win for them , and will do until they can find a way of taxing the air that we breathe!!

Here's where I got some of the figures from.

This song is vaguely connected and makes me feel good , the good old Foos!!

Kindle vs Paper - The Final Verdict II

I am sold on E-Books , and I love paper , but was decided that I would buy myself a Kindle eventually. However that idea has just been blown out of the water. Why? You may ask.

Earlier this year after being tempted by the concept of Apple's iPad but well aware of the amount of Apple related garbage and baggage that would come with it , I purchsed an Advent Vega tablet which is Android based , and is an excellent piece of kit , but you cant actually add applications to it via the Android Marketplace as its a 10" tablet (too big) and doesnt have 3G connectivity built in . Marketplace has been implicitly promised and it does havethe WH Smiths e-Reader which will allow you to only read books purchased from WH Smiths.

This morning I visited Android Pit , which allowed install of their Marketplace App on my Vega and allowed me to install the excellent Aldiko e-Reader.

So no I have my e-reader , yes it's a 10 incher , but does the job excellently ,so I now don't need to purchase a Kindle because I have something else that will do the job. Yes the vega only has a 10 hour battery life and its backlit , but it does it for. It ends here , I can read e-books wherever and whener I want!!

Colin McIntyre, The Harviestoun Country Hotel and The Mull Historical Society

Just been for dinner and had a very nice meal at the Harviestoun Country Hotel and Restaurant. At reception I noticed a pile of CDs and a plaque on the wall. i was then asked if I knew of the Mull Historical Society.

It turns out the restaurant is run by Colin McIntyre's mum. Colin was the driving force behind the superb Mull Historical Society active between 2001 and 2005 , and Colin is now solo . I immediately snaffled a copy of his "Islands" CD along with complimentary signed copy of "Be My Saviour" so result all round. Enjoy The Final Arrears , superb record.