So, here we are on the eve of 2013, and to be honest with you, I think that 2012 has been a damp squib for me personally. I can't wait for it to be out of the way and get into what will hopefully be a much better year.
I knew that I wanted to look back on the past year in this blog posting today, but to be honest I can't really remember that much. Me and my memory hey? I think it might be best if I don't remember in some ways. After all, nobody likes to remember bad events do they?
I'll intersperse my recollections with some other bits and pieces I think, maybe that's for the best...
Fleetwood Mac 1973, featuring
Bob Welch and Bob Weston, who
both passed on this year.
In January we said goodbye to Bob Weston (guitarist for Fleetwood Mac 1972-74), Bob Holness (Television and radio presenter), Etta James (Jazz singer), and Colin Tarrant (Actor in The Bill and born in Shirebrook where some of my family are from), among others. It is also when my sweetheart met the lovely +Vicki-Sue Brotherhood, who opened Indian Summer in Newark, a shop that sells quality items that were made in India for a decent wage that Vicki pays them for. Vicki is now a great friend of ours. It has moved recently to premises nearer to Morrison's in Newark, because she needed bigger premises for the yoga classes that she gives as well, which she is doing really well with (good luck x&x).
The Monkees' Davy Jones
In February we said goodbye to the actor Ben Gazzara (The Big Lebowski, Road House, etc), Whitney Houston (shocking news has come out about this lately apparently), Michael Davis (bassist for MC5 - I had to listen and watch all of this video link because it was fantastic and gave me a break from writing this), comedian Frank Carson, and The Monkees singer Davy Jones. It was also the beginning of celebrations in honour of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
In March we said goodbye to Designer/Illustrator Ralph McQuarrie (Star Wars, Cocoon), guitarist Ronnie Montrose, darts player Jocky Wilson, and Gary Walberg was the first actor from the Quincy television series to die this past year. Then in April we said goodbye to the king of sound amplification Jim Marshall, saxophonist Andrew Love, Levon Helm (solo artist/The Band), Greg Hamm (from the band Men At Work), and guitarist Bert Weedon.
Star Wars concept design by Ralph McQuarrie RIP
In May we said goodbye to Beastie BoyAdam Yauch, hair stylist Vidal Sassoon, one of my bass guitar heroes Donald "Duck" Dunn (sessionist/Booker T & The MG's), and Bee Gee Robin Gibb. These were followed in June by science fiction genius Ray Bradbury, BobWelch (the second ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist this year), actor Victor Spinetti (who appeared in every Beatles film), screenwriter/director Nora Ephron. On June 24th, China became only the third nation to perform an orbital dock (after the United States and Russia). They docked with the Tiangong 1 by the way.
John Lennon having a laugh
with actor Victor Spinetti RIP
As a break from this, my sweetheart Louise has offered this little bit of 2012 information. The top ten highest grossing films of the year were (in reverse order); (10) Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, (9) Ted, (8) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (already!!!), (7) Brave, (6) The Amazing Spider-Man (I really liked this film), (5) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Wind Dawn Part 2, (4) Skyfall (loved it!!!), (3) The Hunger Games (?), (2) The Dark Knight Rises (I liked it for the most part), and the number one film was (duh, duh, durghhhh) The Avengers (or The Avengers Assemble as the British Film Commission decided it had to be called). I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the Avengers film, but wish that I could have seen the whole film when we hired it out since it was decided to snip bits out for the British copy. Now to see if I can get a copy from the US so I can see it all without some bloody hoity toity person deciding that it's not right for us to see things. Another thing that bugs me about the DVD is that it is scant on extra features, instead insisting on putting them onto the bluray edition instead. I'm not sure if I like them doing that at all. I must admit that I am sort of interested in seeing what it would be like in 3D on the bluray version, but am not sure.
Wow, this is a great link that Louise has sent me to check out. There is so much going on here that I think I should just let you follow the link and check it out for yourselves - CLICK HERE.
Other great offerings from my sweetheart include the fact that it has been a great year for underwater exploration. James Cameron set a record by being seven miles underwater inside a "one man bathysphere"). Freediver Ashley Futral Chapman went down 67 metres (223 feet) and back on a single breath of air, and Casio have started working on the first diving underwater transceiver, which allows divers to talk to each other whilst scuba diving. More on these and more great achievements in the oceans and seas can be found right here (thanks again to Louise for finding this).
Thus ends what I have now decided is the first part of my Review of 2012. To be honest I fancy getting away from it because all of this research, brain activity, and that sort of thing has taken ages I can tell you.
More of this and more later on. Thank you for reading, and Happy New Year wherever you are.
How is everybody? Eaten too much? Drunk too much? Enjoying the Christmas Spirit, whatever spirit that may be?
Don't worry, this is a very quick blog post that I just felt as though I had to write to just bring it straight out into the open. I don't know if I have said this before, never mind in such a way!
I was reading a friend of mine's post (+Robert Huskinson ) on Facebook and made me realise something that I suppose I had sort of thought about before. Essentially I am writing this blog to admit it to myself. He wrote in a response to a comment I made to a status post of his - "Gigs do my head in though. Can't turn my critical brain off..." There was another little bit, but that right there made me realise something.
I started to write a response out to that, but decided to admit it instead in this blog so that I can face it and hopefully turn a corner. The response I was going to give was basically that we can all be critical anyway, including of ourselves. Now I think I am a pretty decent musician, but I also willingly admit that there are far better musicians than me that I am happy to call my friends. I also freely admit that there are a lot more friends of mine who are far better singers than I am.
This is where it sort of gets weird though, and even I admit that it is weird. The singing thing is different, and it actually scares me in a way. I can get away with it, but it leaps out at me when I'm listening to songs that I am on. I don't mind doing backing vocals, harmonising, or that sort of thing, but the whole "lead singer" business really does bother me. Playing instruments doesn't worry me though, even when I am in a room with someone else who plays that instrument in fact, unless it is someone that I really do look up to on that particular instrument, but then it's not absolute fear like the singing thing is. I really have to force myself through the whole fear thing to sing.
The set that I started working on a few years ago now that still hasn't seen the light of day completely is a case in point. For that set it was a case of having the bare bones of songs in place or even ideas in place and recorded, but then the lyrical and melodic side were tinkered with until I was okay with where the song ideas where. While I was working on all of this, I thought that for the majority of songs other people would take the lead vocals, and I could continue working on the backing (instrumentation, arrangement, even backing vocals). I didn't mind putting a vocal guide down for the singer to eventually replace it, but I wasn't thinking of myself doing the majority of the lead vocals.
It seemed to start well I think, Good Morning World (of which there is a trimmed version available as a single on iTunes and Amazon worldwide) features my friend Jon James Hall on lead vocals (some nice double and triple tracking on there) and the back vocals during his sung parts - the middle eight vocal breakdown with piano is myself and Mark Allsop (mostly Mark). Speaking of Mark, he sings all of the vocal parts on the album's closing song appropriately and intentionally entitled Good Night World.
Jon is also the lead singer on the song In The Shape Of Things, and provided a vocal for Breakfast Song, but the latter has caused a problem because instead of sending a copy of just his vocals, he sent a fully mixed version which meant that when it was decided that an arrangement change would be good, I couldn't do anything with Jon's vocals. Hence I have had to go in and record lead vocals. I have a tendency nowadays to do a lot of tracks of lead vocals, because it makes me feel a bit better about my voice for some reason. It is something that John Lennon did a lot of in The Beatles, because for some reason or another he felt very insecure about his voice. I don't know why personally, because his voice was incredible to my ears, but then as a Beatles fan I am possibly biased?
Well you get the gist don't you? As time went on I realised that I would have to do the majority of the lead vocals myself, and over time I have done a lot of them. I still have some to do, and because of my financial status, I have recorded a lot of vocals on substandard equipment, because I just don't have the ability at home. For some unknown reason, my computer won't accept the hardware I have in the form of my Pod interface, so I am stuck using the laptop's own built in microphone or the audio on my digital cameras (yes, I have more than one of them).
I have been constantly forcing myself to do the singing, but even now I am worried about how the material will sound with these multi-tracked and noisy lead vocals by me. It's a whole lot of worry I can tell you, especially when I see the very little interest paid in anything else that I have available music-wise. As it slowly approaches February, I am wondering if it is worth paying out to continue having that material still available in fact, because that is an expense in itself, let alone releasing anything else.
Like I said, a whole lot of worry, but now that I have realised this, I also now realise that I have to push on through that incredible fear and just finish it. Some people are waiting to hear it, such as those who have taken part in it's making. For them, I will push on and do something about it. Besides, muggins here has more material that needs finishing for the next two projects that he has already virtually finished writing for (and started recording in a few cases too).
To those people who have helped me on the set I am talking about, I offer my eternal gratitude. They are (in no particular order) - Jon James Hall, Mark Allsop, Mark Freezer, +Tony Hearn, Mark Smith, John Sampson, Jonathan "Joff" Spittlehouse, Rob Humphries, Kerri Lake and Jay Shakespeare. Not to mention those who have helped towards it's already started follow-up that include some of those mentioned plus Rob Huskinson and Stephen Cripwell. People from past incarnations of Project Marv also include +Andy Dobb, Bill Rawson. Andy Wright, and Ellie Mason.
That post is much longer than I intended it to be, but do you know what? I have come out of that feeling better now. It is strange, but I have this urge to finish the project off and get it out there for all to hear. I always wanted it to be the best I could get it, but I have to sort of stop being self-critical and just finish the damn thing. The songs are almost all (bar the song written by +Tony Hearn) self-referential in a vague and sort of hidden way, so having my voice on them sort of means that I am putting myself out there for all to hear. It's like Pete Townshend bringing out solo albums (not that I am saying I am that good) - he isn't Roger Daltrey, but he is giving himself in that performance, and in some ways that is something different in a world that is full of artists that have songs written for them by a conglomerate of producers and that sort of thing.
Thank you for reading, please take care.
December 31 2012 (41 years, 1 month, and 5 days old).
Well here we are then, it is nearly ten to three on Friday the 28th of December 2012. What can I say? It's a strange thing this year because most years I really enjoy Christmas time, but this year there is something holding me back. I think it's the whole work business to be honest with you. I really don't like the fact that I am working right through the whole Christmas and New Year period without any time off. My first day off will be Thursday the third of January 2013. It's not like I can do the whole Christmas thing then is it? It's bloody over an done with by then! That plus I am back to work the next day as well, so no chance there to get merry either!
Now I am normally one that tries not to hate people, but I am very steadily beginning to hate the Operations Manager for the company I work for who has given me this rota - idiot! Yes it is true that I need the money to sort things out. They want me to sort out a car, but I'd rather make myself debt free first. It's what I call prioritising. There is no use having a car if you get into trouble for faulting on bills and become homeless as a consequence. To be honest, it's the employer's fault anyway, because they cut my hours down so badly that I actually wasn't making enough each month to pay the bills, never mind necessities like food. Therefore I ended up behind on these things and, when the car did fail the MOT on all of those things, I obviously didn't have the money to pay for repairs because I couldn't even afford to pay the household bills. The car had to go, there was no choice. Like I said, it's their fault!
Now some people may say that I should have saved up some money, but when I started with them I actually requested enough hours to just get by. You can't actually save up then can you? It was a case of prioritising once again - my real life against my work life. My time outside of work with the woman that I love is much more important to me than the acquisition of wealth. Now, my employer's response to that is that work should come before anything else. That's why he's enjoying a good few weeks away from the company that he owns while those that work for him are at work earning the money that he can enjoy time off with. That's the way of the world anyway isn't it. I can't begrudge him that because he is the boss after all. The comment that work should come first though does seem slightly hypocritical though, and I don't give a crap if he reads that I have just put that. I will speak my mind no matter what! Free speech is still a right isn't it?
In years past I can remember being someone who was incredibly enthusiastic about this time of year. On a site I worked at in Chesterfield for a good number of years, a few of us enjoyed decorating the cabin there so much that it was a wonder you could see anything of the cabin other than the tree, tinsel, baubles, things dangling from the ceiling like paper bells and streamers, Christmas cards up from the site staff to security, a little miniature tree on the desk that had flashing lights, snowmen and Santa Claus attached to the windows, and all of that sort of thing. I miss that very much. Me and particularly Stephen who I worked with really enjoyed the decorating and that. When one year one of the Muslim security guards moaned, we both brought more decorations to work and hence put even more up. I know that in a way that is wrong, but we really liked Christmas. In truth it was to hide the fact that we were working, and it was to make us feel better, but it actually did work for us - we did enjoy it and feel better.
As it is I am sat in a cabin, on my own, no Christmas decorations, no tree, and the laptop interferes with the radio signal, so I can't even have the radio on. Typical. I know, I could go online and listen to the radio online, but I'm not fond of listening to music on laptop speakers. Actually, in passing, I have a really niggling pet hate that irritates the hell out of me - people that listen to music on their mobile phones as a normal thing. Now I can understand maybe playing a snippet of something on there for some reason or another, but playing many songs or the same song constantly on repeat using a phone just does my head in. Not only is it impolite and rude, but it sounds awful. As a musician I do not record music to be listened to in that way. Why would I spend absolutely hours working on bass parts and things like that if no one was going to hear them? There is no bass frequency available on those little tinny crappy speakers on phones. They are mobile phones not bloody hi-fi's!!!
I think that is enough ranting? I really feel bad talking like that during Christmas time, but what the hey. As Carl Jung taught, it's good to let it all out "because it frees the soul". Yeah, it's not freed yet I can assure you. I will always have peeves, and ranting about it won't change a damn thing! Bloody psychological mumbo jumbo. Lennon did all of the "tears for fears" and "primal therapy" thing, but he was still a bitter man who told people when he was pissed off. It didn't really change him as a person did it. He's a legend yes, but it didn't change his personality. Oops, where did that come from? Sorry.
I'll leave that blog as it is. It could be interesting to someone. I'll write another one soon that will make people forget that I ever wrote that? Yeah, I'll do that.
Thank you for reading, please take care.
December 28 2012 (41 years, 1 month, and 2 days old).
PS - Got some bloody great presents though. That has made me much happier. Thank you. :-)
How are you all? Rushing around trying to get everything done I suppose? If you are towards the Christmas persuasion of course. There are those whose beliefs do not align with this supposedly Christian-related annual celebration.
Pope Gregory XIII
In all truth I think that there are positives to most of the views of this period. Christians are celebrating the birth of their Messiah, who was born on the then tenth month of the year. The twelve month calendar that we now use is the Gregorian Calendar, which was brought in by a decree made by Pope Gregory XIII on February 24 1582. Initially adopted by Catholic countries, over the years it was used by other countries until the majority of the world now use it. By that I mean that not the whole world use it.
Nativity a la Mr Bean
Because of this, Christ was apparently born in the tenth month of year, which was still called December, and it was still the last month of the year. With that in mind then it is sort of approximately correct. You can't be exact about these things of course because databases didn't exist back then, and those birth registers have probably had so much coffee and tea spilt on them that they have died from caffeine exposure a long time ago.
So, yes for those of the Christian persuasion it is a good way for them to honour their God.
For most other people though, Christmas is a time where people try to have joy, fun, time off work (for a lot of people anyway), and in a few cases it is a chance for families to get together.
Family get together in the seventies
I remember when I was a kid that my grandma and granddad's house would be the place where everyone would show up for the annual get together there, and their house was heaving with people, just like Rock City when there is a cracking band on (such as when I'd been there to see Big Country once, and Slash's Snakepit another time, but to mention two times). Everyone was there, and I mean everyone to do with the family.
Actually, even the neighbours either side got in with the whole "get together" thing. All three houses would set up things for the buffet style food thing (trifle was always a favourite), and all of the families would actually take part. I look back on these times with the vague memories that I still have and actually wish that in some ways these things were still going on, because I feel ashamed that I am distant from some members of my family. We don't see each other, and that is something that bothers me a lot. Back then I didn't think much about it, but now I think about it every year. The get together's at my grandma's each year were incredible times that I looked forward to - the great food and getting together with my cousins who I didn't see very often (although I see even less of them now).
I for one don't see a problem with it being a time where families get together.
www.shelter.org.uk
There are those who see Christmas as a time for thinking of others who are less fortunate (for instance Shelter). Now, myself and my sweetheart do things for charities, but I am not about to blow my own trumpet with a big list. Some people may think that we would be better off financially if we cut out the charitable side altogether. Of course that is true, but charity isn't about the money. It is about so much more. I can't really put my finger on it, but I know that I feel good that I do something for charities. I feel awful when I have to say no to a lot of them because quite honestly there really is only so much that you can give before you yourself become the person needing one or more of these charities (Shelter comes to mind there of course). Needless to say that I think that this too is a good thing.
I also don't see a problem with the whole Christmas present thing either. In a way it shows how you feel about these people. I for one am someone that likes to show my appreciation for people by giving them gifts. I hate it when I can't give people gifts sometimes, and I hate that I can't give everyone something. I just can't afford it, and that is the truth. I always end up pushing the boat out present wise each year, but in a sense I think it is worth making things a little tighter to, like I said, show the appreciation that I have for them.
Computer Battleships
However!!! I do agree that it is a far too commercially inclined event now. I know when I was a kid that we were absolutely bowled over when as the three of us (James wasn't born then) got a black and white portable television set as a joint Christmas present we were absolutely bowled over. I remember us sitting down watching Buck Rogers In The 25th Century on the television (muggins here being the youngest would be sent up onto the roof to mess about with the television aerial to ensure that we could get a decent picture - yes, that is exactly how Rod Hull died albeit around 12 years later at least), and other programmes. The same goes for the joint electronic version of Battleships, which really was exciting. I know, different times, but these things were incredibly exciting all the same.
A reboot in the making for sure?
Nowadays it seems that kids want so much stuff, and in these days of recession are making things so much tighter that I can't really understand how people afford Christmas. What is more is that these kids do get what they want because the parents are scared of their children being sad. Gone are the days of "you'll get what you're given." A shame really, because I think in some ways that if more families had "joint presents" then there may be more interactivity and a stronger bond between these siblings. Perhaps it's just me that thinks that way? What do I know? I am just a man with no children, but loves to still think like a child at times.
Not got what he wanted?
Thank you for reading, please take care. I hope that you all have a great Holiday Season, even if you don't do this Christmas thing in any of it's various forms.
December 22 2012 (41 years and 27 days old).
PS - Don't forget that there was much better stuff to watch on television during Christmases of yore, back when there were less channels to choose from! Just my opinion?
Hi, how is everyone during this holiday season (or lead up to it). That is of course unless you are me, because I have just seen my rota and think my employers are taking the piss. One day off out of 14 days! Really? Gee thanks...
Anyway, I'd better get on with the blog.
The other day I recorded a video while I was at work, which I was going to put up here as a video blog. However, because I recorded it inside a site vehicle, it came out more like a podcast that a video blog, because there is nothing viewable on there at all. I switched the inside vehicle light on and everything, but still it came out as darkness.
It is a shame really because I think it was a good blog, but I don't want to waste all the download/upload limitation of my internet, so I will write a blog that touches on the basics of that video.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Sergei Prokofiev
I mentioned that I was listening to Classic FM in the background, which showed how my taste in music was changing. I don't think that it's changing in the way that I am beginning to go that way and lose the pop and rock side of my enjoyment, but just that what I seem to be getting more and more into classical music. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. Horses for courses they say, and to be honest I think the way mainstream music is nowadays, that I need to look for something different. Most chart based music now seems like the same thing over and over again. It's a case of "well they are bound to like it because it's the same as every other song out there". That's why I think it is popular, is because the songs are interchangeable. They must be thinking about linking the songs on those Ministry of Sound compilations or something.
The funny thing is that I have really been anchoring for being in a rock based band for a long time, and now more than ever after I've been going through some old material that me and Paul McLaughlin recorded way back when. Even now I listen to riffs that he came up with, or me and him together in some cases, and I am still bowled over by riffs, licks, and the shebang with funky rock music.
Soundgarden
I remember not too long ago I caught Soundgarden on Later... With Jools Holland, and they were absolutely amazing to watch. Back when grunge first came out, both Soundgarden and Pearl Jam were the bands that were at the forefront in my mind. I didn't get into Nirvana in a big way for a long time, mainly because I was scared away by people saying how great they were, and I didn't want to be let down. For some reason then, I shied away from them. I got into Alice In Chains very quickly, but Nirvana is a posthumous enjoyment. I know that me and Mac touched on Come As You Are by Nirvana back in the day, but that was just a quick run of the riff before going into the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' song Backwoods (like the Chilli's did themselves a few times).
I've added more songs to my list of self-penned Christmas songs, of which I hope to one day record a full album's worth of them. I have had another idea about this, but I need to research it first. If I can find a way, then I would be really happy with it going ahead in the alternative way.
Novoselic, McCartney, Grohl.
While talking about Nirvana on the video blog that never got posted, I pointed out that I had caught the remaining members of Nirvana playing with Paul McCartney at a charity performance recently. I actually like the song, and it surprised me. It shouldn't have done really, because I was also surprised when the last Fireman release (a McCartney project with the Producer and ex-Killing Joke member Youth) came out, and found some really great stuff on there. In a lot of ways, I think that McCartney's experiments at home should have been worked on more over the years and issued then as official recordings. I think then that the people who have put him down over the years might have looked on things differently. If he had replaced some of the things he had released with more of these, then perhaps he would have been viewed in a much different light. He is the guy that wrote Helter Skelter, Daytripper, Paperback Writer, and all of those other great riffs.
Erm, I've forgotten where I went then on the video... I'm tempted to look at the video, but I can't be bothered to be honest.
Let's just say that music is still in my heart, and that will never ever change. If anything my love for it will just keep growing and growing.
I think I will leave that there. The original video blog had more in it I think, but I really think that I have said enough.
I am almost sure that I will be posting again beforehand, but I will just wish everyone a very Happy Christmas/Hannukah/whatever.
According to some people, the world was supposed to have ended now. According to some others it's supposed to end on the 20th of December or something like that. What a load of old tosh! For better or worse we will continue to be. Despite everything, we are all here. All except for those poor people at the primary school in Connecticut. That bastard killed all of those children and staff. The reason behind all of that though is something that can only be blamed on one thing, and this is where I am sure some people will disagree with me.
I caught a discussion on BBC Two's Newsnight programme with the interviewer Jeremy Paxman. He was saying that if it wasn't for the Second Amendment in the American Constitution ("the right to keep and bear arms") is at fault. Obviously the American politician he was talking with said that the right wasn't at fault but rather that it was unfortunate that a man who wasn't all there had a gun. That to me is a very cold assessment. The politician also said that there was nothing that could be done about it. Now I will admit that in this country (the UK) there are illegal weapons around, which cause a lot of lethal crimes, but not to that sort of a degree. I think that if the Second Amendment was either removed from the constitution somehow, or Amended, then perhaps this sort of thing could be at least controlled better.
I am almost certain that there are perhaps some of my friends on the "other side of the pond" that will disagree with me, but I will not change this opinion. If guns weren't so freely available, then wouldn't this sort of thing become less of a potential problem. A known mentally unstable person should not have been able to have got hold of a fire arm, and yet the politicians over there say that there is nothing that can be done. Tell that to the families of those 27 people who were killed by that man!
I love America, and will happily admit that in a lot of ways I could happily live there, but the gun crime over there is one thing that scares me about even going over there to visit - not that I could afford to right now of course.
I have just finished watching the latest (and apparently last) Batman film to feature Christian Bale, that was directed by Christopher Nolan. I actually thought it wasn't as good as the first two films in the trilogy if I am being completely honest, but that is just my opinion. There were bits that I did like, but some that I didn't. I liked the last five minutes the best by the way.
I haven't mentioned that film to give a review by the way. I mention it because in that film (and the other two films in the trilogy) there is an awful lot of weaponry in the criminal's hands, where they are killing so many people willy nilly. I know that these films are taken to the nth degree, but it still shows the fact that there is a big thing with this law.
I will also mention in passing while I think about it that there were those people who were killed during the showing of the actual film that I sat down to watch. I hadn't actually realised the significance until this moment. I was watching the film anyway.
I apologise if I have offended anyone with my point of view, but it is just that. In the United Kingdom and in the United States of America there is the freedom of speech, and I have just exercised that right.
Thank you for reading. I am saddened by the loss of those people in that horrific school shooting as well as those who were killed back at that picture house for the film's showing, and offer condolences to all those who were affected by these incidents. I did actually cry when I heard about the school shootings. It is an awful thing.
So, here we are then, the month of Movember has been and gone. The same goes for the moustache that I grew for charity as well. I was surprised that there was so little grey in there, but the fact that there was tells me that next year I may not be so lucky! I'm not completely sure what type of moustache that I will be growing next year, but I am absolutely sure that I am going to be growing one for Movember again next year. Louise says she is proud of me for it, but a month with only "peck" style kisses instead of the more, erm, loving ones means that I actually look forward to the moustache going away. Otherwise, I would be quite happy to leave it as a face warmer in cold weather. Hey, it's a darn sight cheaper than a ski mask!
Would you believe that I actually wrote the first few lines of this on December the second. Very strange. I just thought "ooh I'll write a blog," and suddenly came across this.
As per usual I have no idea where I'll be going with it, but we'll get there won't we. I'm not one of those like my friends Drew and Paul, who know beforehand what the main subject of their blog is going to be. Well, sometimes I have been known to be specific, but that is a rarity as my head doesn't work that way a lot of the time. I know my limits. There is however my other blog, which is very specific and planned, but that is because there is a subject matter in general for the whole thing - the music of the ex-Beatles (by that I mean Wings, solo projects, Plastic Ono Band, etc).
Probably November the 26th 1985 ?
So, what has been going on then? Well not that much to be honest. The fact that I am "sans car" means that I don't get up to much, and made for a week's holiday at the end of November that was, well... It was okay because it gave me and Louise some time together, which doing a job that is mainly night-based and has long hours as well, is a much needed thing. It's just a shame that we couldn't really go anywhere as such.
I've pretty much finished the Christmas shopping without even realising! I know what you're thinking. How can someone not realise that they had finished their Christmas shopping? Well, I have a tendency of while I'm going around I will think "ooh that would be good for such and such a person," buy it, and then place it into the "Christmas Box" (yes, that is a real item by the way). However, this time I got to work and thought while I had a few minutes to spare (there are plenty of those I can tell you), I wrote a list out of people I buy presents for and then I put presents down that I had got next to the respective names. It is then that I suddenly thought, "wow, other than those who get cash, I have got everybody's presents!" It wasn't until that moment that I realised - honestly.
Now I'm not trying to say that I am the great Christmas shopper that people should aspire to - no way! I am just saying that because of the way that I normally do my shopping for Christmas, I find that I pretty much have everything ready in time. Big problem now though is how to get the presents to these people when I don't have a car to do the annual Christmas Present Courier Service.
Therein lies a quandary that I have to think about. It's not like I can do it all in one day either, because there are a good few places to go to. The more days that I spend hiring a car out for this, the more I have to spend, and then the less money that I have to put aside for a car. Can you see where I am coming from there? It is a very tricky thing.
Henry Cooper flu-jab promotion
Even before November ended, Louise had started with the effects of flu, which she still has now. It's really strange how I haven't got it as well, especially since I didn't get "THE JAB" until Tuesday just gone. I'm keeping my fingers crossed because time off work would be extremely difficult financially.
I caught a little bit about the mini budget thing the other day and just thought the present government are a big load of scaredy-cats. Before the actual day itself there was talk of charging those with big mansions and that sort of place with an extra one percent tax - no skin off their nose. However, the "u-turn government" did what their nickname suggests and instead decided to not do that and make things much more difficult for the poorest in the country. I can just hear Prince Philip saying that "there is no such thing as absolute poverty in England!" Yes, and how would you know you pampered to the hilt and molly-coddled royal highness??? If there isn't such a thing, then the CONservative in Liberated parties are certainly trying to make it a reality! For political equality I will quickly add that all parties have their flaws, which they do. I just don't vote for either of those. Why? Well, the conservative party was pretty much what I remember growing up with for most of the life that I remember, and they love the class divisions don't they? The present so called Liberal party have very much shown that they back down very easily and don't push things. Okay, the Conservative party are the ones with the majority, but they wouldn't have got power if they had created a coalition with the Liberal party, therefore that Liberal party could stop them and say, "now hang on a minute", rather than being scared to get in the way and let their opinions and pledges count. A real life case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.
A smarmy git.
Sorry, politics again - ooer. I don't half get carried away don't I? Anyone would think that this makes a difference to me - IT DOES!!! My opinion on the present Chancellor of the Exchequer is made very clear by the little caption that I have put to his picture at the side of here. The sooner we have a revolution the better - "Viva La Resistance"!!! Unlike Lennon in the song Revolution, you can count me in - I don't stand on the fence like his "In, Out"!
Anyway, before I start too many different discussion, I think I had better shut up and let you get on with your own lives rather than read about mine.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you all take care.
December 6 2012 (42 years, and 11 days old).
Barbers Shoppe, Newark Town Centre, December 1st 2012
Welcome to Movember the 23rd, 2012. Not only is it the 23rd day of the month, it is also the first day of my seven days holiday. I've arranged it in such a way that it gives me a break before the hopeful rush of Christmas time shifts. Fingers crossed because the money would be flipping useful.
We're not going to be doing very much during my holidays, because there just isn't the money available. Well, I say that, but we are going to the theatre on Tuesday 27th of November to see a ballet interpretation of A Christmas Carol. Louise likes the whole ballet thing, and I'm sure to enjoy the music. I got the tickets when we were better off, and it is the day after my 42nd birthday. I know - 42 years old on Monday!!! I can hardly even believe it myself. I certainly don't feel that age.
Movember 23rd 2012 (shows as 24th as after midnight).
The Movember thing is going well, with my own Movember page showing over £20, which is great. That money will be going towards research into testicular and prostate cancer. The team I am a part of have over £200 I think, which is great. I am a part of the Fidler & Pepper group, who are a solicitors with bases in Mansfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, and Kirkby-in-Ashfield, where my brother Mark works. He too has been growing a moustache for Movember as part of the same team. I think there are ten of us as part of the team.
With the history that my family has, I think it is very important to promote men's health issues, particularly prostate cancer and testicular cancer. I like the fact that all of us have different designs of moustache, with mine being a pretty usual one that I used to have back when. I have added a little bit underneath the lip, because I thought that it would look a little less camp.
I miss having a car, and hope I can flaming afford one in the new year, because it's killing me not being able to visit people.
I'm reading another Lee Child book, this time the novel Die Trying. It's funny in a way because I am reading them out of order. The books don't actually follow on from each other, but going from an older book to a more recent one, and carrying on that way shows how Lee's writing has changed over the years. Before this I read One Shot, which is the ninth book, and I can see a big difference in his writing. Not that any of his books are rubbish, because what I have read have all been great. I just can't stop reading his books. They are a good yarn so far. In all truth I have basically read Killing Floor, One Shot, and now Die Trying so far, and am thinking of reading The Hard Way next. I don't know what it is, but I'm just on this thing of reading all of the books by him that I have. I don't have all of them. I am missing five books, which include the latest. This doesn't include the books that have only been issued as e-books I think they call them. I'm not really a fan as such of that sort of thing, because I have this whole thing about turning pages, feeling the books, and all of that.
There is also the fact that I take books to work with me, and some of the sites that I work on don't always let me take a laptop or something like that, so I am guessing that would also include the Kindle or any sort of e-reader, if that's what they are called?
There are a lot of books that I can read, because I have quite a sizeable collection of books, most of which are in the garage, which I really need to find some way of tidying up. I really like the idea of having some cheap bookcases where I can put books and CD's up on, but still with some boxes in there as well, because I don't think I'd have much room left if I put enough bookcases in for everything! What would I do when I have a car again for crying out loud???
I borrowed a car the other week from a local car hire place, and will probably do the same again soon so that I can go visiting people before Christmas. There you go, I've said it, that word - CHRISTMAS. For those who aren't of the "Christmas disposition", I apologise. Happy Hanukkah to those who are from a Jewish background. As someone who was brought up with the Christmas thing, then I am one who has done some shopping and got most people's presents. I know, I'm low on funds, but I would feel awful if I didn't get people something for Christmas, so I have most of the people I buy presents for sorted out. I do have this thing that niggles at me though when I have bought people brand new books as presents, and then I can sense them wondering if they are second hand from a charity shop or something - No, I bought them brand spanking new from an actual shop (no Amazon books as presents this year surprisingly enough, although there are a few deliveries coming from them coming of other presents).
Speaking of Amazon just in passing, I have ordered some presents from there, and two of the presents give a long date - one says it will arrive by the twelfth of December and another the twenty seventh of December. I don't get that at all - WHY? I could probably ride my flaming Raleigh push bike around the world quicker than that!!! Oh well, if they're late then they are late, but it is very embarrassing, especially when I felt like I had posted them within plenty of time.
With Christmas coming by the way, someone from the First Tuesday Songwriting Group that I take part in thought of the idea of writing Christmas songs for the next get together. I've been thinking a lot about it, and then the other day I started writing three Christmas songs - how's that for something funny and different - I couldn't think of anything and then suddenly came up with three ideas. I suppose that I could do the "progressive thing" and piece them together into an epic-length single song? Who knows. I hope that I can go so that I can get my sleigh bells used there backing everybody.
I am slightly irritated that I haven't done anything on my music blog for a while. I have posted the first part about the Ringo Starr album Beaucoups of Blues, but not the second part. It's difficult when you're in the situation we're in here. We only have a stereo to listen to in the bedroom, because there isn't enough anywhere to set my Technics system up with the five speakers it has. Even if I just left it as stereo, those left and right speakers are absolutely enormous and wouldn't even go anywhere alone!
Anyway, I'll stop now. Initially I recorded another video blog, which mentioned these things, as well as other things, but the battery ran out on the camera and the two parts I ended up videoing were four and a half minutes and five minutes and forty something seconds long I think, which made more than a gigabyte in total file size. That is an awfully large amount of data to be using a mobile dongle for!!!
Thank you for reading, and please take care. Chat soon again I promise.
November 23 2012 (41 years, 11 months, and 28 days old, alternatively known as 42 years minus three days).
PS - I think there was more initially, but thankfully for you I've forgotten what the more was.
It's hard to believe that my last post was eight days ago, but I am carrying on strong with this whole Movember thing. Oh yes, I most definitely am.
I'm going to post up a video blog (if I can) here, which is my main reason for all this chit chat. I apologise for the fact that I say it is December in the post when it is quite obviously November. I am just uploading the video to youtube, and then hopefully it will play okay. I will use the excuse that I was tired and towards the end of my shift at ten past five this morning when I made the video, and to be honest I couldn't be bothered with doing the video again!
Other than that I don't know what to say. I've got a couple of things happening this week, so I will most assuredly be blogging again within the next few days.
Thank you for reading (plus listening and watching). Please take care.
12 November 2012 (41 years, 11 months, and 17 days old).
Today is the fourth of November... Turns and looks at the clock... Yes, it is still November the fourth where I am right now.
Myself on Movember the 1st 2012
I have decided this year that I will grow a moustache for what people are calling Movember. The idea of Movember is that those who take part are clean shaven on November the 1st, and then spend the rest of the month growing and taking care of a moustache. The idea of this is to bring to bring to people's attention health issues specific to men, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and other such things.
A big problem with men, myself included (I won't explain that), is that we do not like to go to a doctor for such things and find it embarrassing. The fact is though that obviously more lives would be saved if we let go of that embarrassment and just went to our doctors as soon as possible.
Me with 'tache in 1993 I think?
From what I can see of the history of Movember, it seemed to have begun in 2003 and started originally in Melbourne, Australia. Since then it has gone on to become an annual event that has risen in the amount of people taking part, and it has become an international one at that. You can find out more here.
Last year my brother and some of his work colleagues took part and, if I'm being honest, I didn't really know anything about it until it was too late, but I did decide that I would take part this year, which I am doing.
Me with full beard, 1989
So, with that in mind I have even been to the local newspaper (Newark Advertiser) and have been interviewed for a piece that I hope will be in the paper this coming Thursday about my taking part in it. I hope it will be in there, as I want to make as many people aware as I can, and I think that the media is a great aid in that sort of thing - to get a message across.
You can of course follow my progress online here. There you will find photographs that I will be uploading during the month, and the occasional video as well, although the first one I put up was incredibly quiet, which I apologise for. We are also raising money for research specifically into things such as those cancers mentioned, and you can donate money through a link on my mospace (yes, I like how everything has a Mo attached to it somehow).
Me as I am doing this blog.
Thank you for reading, and please take care.
You'll hear mo' from me soon.
4th Movember 2012 (41 years, 11 months, and 9 days old).
Hello, how are you? I hope this blog finds you well.
It has been over a week now since my last epistle and, quite frankly, I've not had much chance to actually settle down and come up with something for your joyful (or not too bad) delectation, much as I like to waffle on about all sorts of things that really don't matter so much in the shape of things.
Since we last chatted I have had another single that has become available on the iTunes and Amazon placings for your aural entertainment. I have thoughts for a video to accompany it, but that is another thing that requires that most precious and rare commodity known as time! There certainly isn't very much of that around is there.
I was unsure as to whether I should release that song as a single, but in the end it won out. There's also the fact that it was easy to edit it to a decent single type song. Those of you who like intro's and outro's to songs will enjoy the album version, which has an almost dramatic introduction and a rocking out-going. Oh yeah. I just hope that people don't think that my drumming is programmed, because that is actual a real drummer in the shape of myself. I don't play them that much now, but sometimes a drummer just doesn't show up and, well to be honest I just want the drums and percussion doing, so the music can be finished really. I am not an amazing drummer by any stretch of the imagination, but I am a "make-do" drummer. I'm there to do something that fits. The strange thing is that the basic rhythm is almost precisely the rhythm I programmed for my original home demo of the song. Perhaps it's natural to do that, I don't know. I hadn't really done that intricate a demo for songs before really.
I've done a lot of reading lately, which I suppose would explain where a lot of my time has been spent. I have really enjoyed it. I used to read a fair bit when I was younger, but haven't done so much for a number of years, but now have got back into it in a big way. I don't know why, but I am happy that I have. I can quite happily sit down for hours reading a book, and in some ways I find it more interesting than going online - please don't take that too personally Mister Internet, it's just the person that I am becoming I think. I don't think that I will stop my internet acquaintance, but I'm just making it a little more healthy perhaps?
Recently I have enjoyed delving into the literary worlds of people such as John Wyndham, Jules Verne, HG Wells, and am presently reading Killing Floor by Lee Child, which I am over half way through already after not even two complete night shifts. It's not as distracting as the computer and the internet, and there's something about it that is just different.
It wasn't that I had given up reading during those years, but just that I hadn't done that much. I read a fair few biographies over that time, and have a decent collection of poetry and verse books that I frequently delved into, but fiction was a rarity.
Other than all of that, I still haven't got a car, and am enjoying riding my bike to and from work (except times like tonight where I'm outside of where I live and work have loaned me a company vehicle to get here in).
Anyway, I know that is a short epistle, but I want to get back to the great character of Jack Reacher.
Thank you for reading, and please take care.
31 October 2012 (41 years, 11 months, and 5 days old)
Hello my friends and acquaintances. How are you all?
I'm actually in a semi-happy mood. I know that makes a change.
I've at last got back to doing the music blog, which is a good thing for me because I wanted to get around to finding the time (and quiet from the neighbours, which is a rarity I can tell you). The latest music blog is a little bit of a job you see where I actually have to learn the songs by ear, rather than finding the music somehow, learning, and then talking about that.
As I have said already elsewhere, I was initially not going to go into too much depth about songs not written by ex-Beatles, but here I decided to do something different as there was nothing about the actual music of the songs on Ringo Starr's second solo album Beaucoups of Blues. Hence why I have learnt the songs by ear, and have now put the music up for people to follow.
I'm getting very used to riding my bike to work now all of the time (so long as they leave me working locally), and I have made a decision that even when I do have a car again, I will carry on getting to work and back using the bike whenever it is one of the more local sites that I am sent to work at. I just need to cut down on the naughty treats. It's just that site vending machines don't sell fruit, unless it's inside some sort of sweet bar or something.
I've had to restore my iPod this week because it has been playing up, and now I am stuck with just over 4,000 or so songs on there rather than the previous 40,000 or so. Why can't they invent a technology where you don't have to use the restore option now and then. What we need is infallible technology that always works and never deteriorates.
What this titbit of information tells you is that I will have to find the time to get the external hard drives out and put more tunes onto the iPod. I'm not sure when that will be because I quite fancy doing some more blog related work (song learning) while Louise is out on Tuesday afternoon again (I hope the neighbours stay quiet for that).
Actually, this past Friday I got the guitar out with the intention of blog work, but got carried away and wrote a new tune. I did have time after that to work out one of the songs from the Beaucoups of Blues album towards the next blog instalment.
Anyway, here I am at work on my next to last night shift before two days off, and I can't bloody wait. I am so tired lately, and need to catch up with some sleep. I've become such a lightweight haven't I. :(
I think it could be the fact that for I only bring decaf drinks to work with me now, which was something that I was certain was causing me trouble with getting to sleep. This was turning me into a not very nice person, and funnily enough I have been better since dropping the caffeine. We do have some special coffee in the kitchen that is caffeinated, but that is a rare luxury.
I hope that you are all okay, and have a good week ahead. Take care.
Sunday 22 October 2012 (41 years, 10 months, and 26 days old)
Hey, how are you? I know that my blogs get less frequent, but the fact that it's a blog where I ramble on means that sometimes I really don't know what to ramble on about. Well, that isn't technically true I suppose, but I would probably just be going over old ground a lot if I wrote more frequently.
Let's do the old make it up as I go along thing and see where it takes us then.
As a catch-up, I am still without a car, but I am still working, boy am I working some. Work are giving me more hours because they want to "help" me to afford a new car, but I haven't the heart to tell them that there are other things that I need to sort out first, such as rent that is owed, and there's the Television Licence on the first of November (a great use of money that is for someone who isn't at home much to watch anything except for the DVD's that are sent to me by Lovefilm).
I do want to get a car, and I mean that wholeheartedly. However, I have to look at things in perspective and see that other things are more important. It is more important after all that I catch up on this rent, which in some ways I am happy about, because it is the only debt that I have with bills. Everything else is fine, as far as I know. Let me just use my grey cells a moment... Yes, that is it.
They are helping in another way by giving me shifts that are local, so there isn't much travel involved. That is a great thing, and in some ways I could really get used to it. I've grown tired of driving any distance really for work now, especially considering the amount of money that fuel is costing, and it only continues to keep rising. Also, the company I work for don't pay expenses anyway, so I wouldn't see anything back - I just get the same money working locally on 12 hour shifts as I would for somewhere that is 20 miles away, with nothing extra on top. Figure that one out for me if you can!
A really nice thing happened though on Saturday morning when I finishing my shift though, because the guy who was doing the following day shift turned up with a push bike for me that his son was going to just throw into the skip, and he said "I know someone that could do with a bike." Sure enough he was right. Other than a little one off riding of someone's bike at Chesterfield once, I hadn't been on a bicycle since I think pre-teenage if my memory serves me right.
The seat had apparently been lowered, and they had used a different bolting set-up on the seat since the original had somehow gone missing. I set off on it at quite a pace surprisingly, because the seat was far too high. So there's me with my bum hovering above the seat trying to avoid hurting, erm, myself. Every time I broke on the way home though I kept catching myself and having to jump off in a clumsy sort of manner because it was far too high for me.
I used it again that afternoon to get to my next shift somewhere else in Newark, having not gotten around to sorting the seat out. After that 16 hour night shift I cheekily got a lift home with the bike in the back, and took the bike indoors, where I left it in the hall. The neighbour was apparently none too pleased about this because he could be heard moaning and groaning about, I'm guessing due to the fact that it made it tricky to put his there. He could be heard saying "what gives them the right to put that ugly thing there?" The same right as him I think. I got three hours sleep, and when I was getting up I heard him and his girlfriend talking in the hallway saying "we could just put it outside because it's not worth shit." When I heard the door downstairs close, I popped downstairs and brought it up into the flat. While it was in the flat I sorted the seat out.
The journey to this shift therefore was more more comfortable, and I am now looking forward to two days off, although with a bit of irritation as I can't really go anywhere because I don't have a car, and I really shouldn't catch a train or bus anywhere, because money needs saving.
At least I will be getting a rest, which will be nice. I am hoping that the neighbours will be quiet on Tuesday afternoon while Louise is out, because I want to be able to get some work done on my other blog, as normally they are too noisy for me to be able to hear the songs that I need to learn.
Anyway, that seems like a nice place to leave things for now.
Thank you for reading, please take care.
October 15 2012 (41 years, 10 months, and 19 days old).
I hope you are all okay. I thought that I would just, on the hoof as per normal, write a blog about the fact that the other day was the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the single Love Me Do by The Beatles, as well as the release of the first James Bond film Dr No (not the first person to play James Bond by the way, by any stretch apparently).
I don't completely remember what the first actual song by The Beatles was that I heard, but both my mum and dad are fans, so I'm pretty sure that me and my older brothers had all heard their music from the off.
I do remember the compilation albums 1962-1966 (Red) and 1967-1970 (Blue) with great fondness, and they were fans of the members in their various "After-Beatles" exploits. Before I was even ten years old I had acquired the habit of looking at people's record collections whenever I went anywhere, just to see what it consisted of. I suppose I was mainly looking to see what Beatles-related gems they might have had, but was also interested in whatever else there might have been).
If truth be told I probably heard more music from the members' "After Beatles" projects, because my mum and dad had more of that, specifically Wings, which was Paul McCartney's seventies band (I was born in November of 1970). Whenever I did come to hear Beatles songs that I hadn't heard before though, it was magical (no pun intended). It took me many years to appreciate the brilliance of George Harrison's Indian influenced songs, but I did, and I think that Within You Without You absolutely stands out on Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (an album I didn't hear until I left school and bought it on tape for myself at Revolver Records in Mansfield along with Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast, and Queen's first album).
I carried on getting hold of as much of their music as I could. I was into their music big time, as I still am. I make no apologies for that.
James Bond is something else that has followed me throughout my life. I am not sure what the first Bond film I ever saw was, but I do know that the first Bond film I saw in the cinema was For Yours Only, which I think my brother Richard took me to see - I'm not completely sure about that though. I do think that it is one of the better Roger Moore Bond films though.
Since then I have seen every Bond film at the cinema, and I have actually seen every one, including the David Niven/Peter Sellers comedy Bond film Casino Royale, although only once and I remember nothing at all about it. Perhaps I should watch it again sometime.
Looking at it from a psychological point of view, how we are brought up does shape the people that we become. I have an appreciation for music and film through my formative years I believe, and a lot of that was my watching James Bond films and listening to the music of The Beatles.
To push more the idea that we are influenced by our formative years, I will quickly add that I am very much a fan of family films, and when I was younger it was something that we used to do a lot of - sit down and watch films and TV together. Luckily my sweetheart was brought up with family films as well. Unfortunately she wasn't brought up with science fiction or that many musicals, so my favourite film being Singin' In The Rain is sort of lost on her, but she has said recently that she will watch it with me one day because she has since seen clips on these programmes (100 greatest something or other), and that she liked what she saw on those. My mum is a fan of musicals, with her favourite film being a tie between The King & I and The Italian Job (the Michael Caine version, not Mark Wahlberg).
Me and my older brothers (those PJ's must have been tasty)
This may sound like a strange thing to say but I am proud and happy that I like The Beatles, and music in general. I'm proud to be a James Bond fan. I'm proud to be a science fiction fan. I am happy to say that at one time I could have maybe been called a Trekker, but unfortunately I have had to get rid of a lot of things that I had because of space, and the need for money in some cases. An awful thing to admit, but these things happen to people.
I wouldn't get rid of my main musical instruments though, that's for sure!
What can I say, I'm happy to enjoy these things because it gives me something that can take me away from the things around me. I may have a wallet that is so empty that Old Mother Hubbard could suggest that there is more in her cupboard, but while I am listening to music, watching films (and genre TV), and even reading books (not an anniversary for that I don't think), it can sort of push that to the side for a little while and let me feel like everything is okay.
Thank you for reading, please take care.
October 8 2012 (41 years, 10 months, and 12 days old).
PS - I've just thought, what do I do about this blog when I reach fifty?
I have read with a response that is a mix between shock and one of non-surprise at this information coming out now with regard to alleged acts of a sexual nature by ex-radio, television presenter, charity fund raiser and friend to the royal family, Sir Jimmy Saville.
My much better half Louise reminded me today that she had taken part in a charity fun run when she was but twelve years old, and this did bother me. She was the same age as some of Jimmy's alleged victims. Thankfully Louise wasn't one of those that he defiled and whose life was destroyed by him.
Now these people who worked for him and with him who have admitted to witnessing such acts have appalled me, because now he is dead, the man cannot be made to pay for the crimes. Why have they waited until now, and what would their reaction have been if it was their own juvenile children being sexually abused by this man?
Brushing things under the carpet; that's the way with a lot of these things in the entertainment world.
When I got to work this evening I found myself as usual when I relieve this specific person with his two newspapers on the table for me to peruse. I spent the first couple of hours doing just that, and both The Sun and Daily Mail have a lot to say on the subject.
In the Daily Mail, Sandra Parsons spoke of sexual predators having more likelihood to be someone who is admired and looked up to rather than the clichéd old man in a raincoat.
With my own experience, which I have spoken of in this blog before, I found this to be the case.
I will be honest and say that I did write in to try and get onto Jim'll Fix It as a kid, mainly because my auntie wanted to meet Kenneth Williams because of Wilo The Wisp, which was a programme that I saw very little of in truth, much preferring whatever was probably on ITV at the time (we only had three television channels back then). I did however think even then that there was something odd about a guy who was nearly sixty years old like he was back then sat like Santa Claus on a chair with a child on his knee, while he smoked enormous cigars and drink copious amounts of what looked like alcohol to me. I was too young at that time to work anything out, but I did think he was odd.
Anyway, that is getting away from the point altogether.
All of this just shows to me that things need to be done to protect children. It's right what Jane Moore said in The Sun that back then the word Paedophile wasn't known or used. But it is now, and we must do something to protect these lovely children against these disgusting, abusive, and mentally disabled people who would do such things.
They need all of the red tape that is now in place to become a teacher, or to have any job that brings people into contact with children on a one to one basis. In fact, why not start having school staff double up to ensure children's safety?
In the media, they need to make regulations where children are chaperoned at all times - ALL TIMES!!! Don't give these people a chance to do these things. Even with the law as it is now, people such as Saville will have got through the red tape because there was never a case brought against him to get his name onto the child sex offender's register, and he probably isn't the only one to have got away with it. Now that does scare me!
