It has been a while, Dear Reader but time flies and I feel like I have been damned busy (whether this is a reality is upfor discussion). In the office this week, one of the Marketing / Sales chaps was left holding an empty "green, linen" company logo'd bag which he had brought a mailshot in for us to post. After I told Mo that it was not a good look, he suggested he should have a Man Bag, which reminded me of one of my "War Stories" which he listened to with patience, politeness and a smile. In my previous life, in July 2000 I was visiting the New York office for a few days on the way to Tokyo and all centres in Asia. My business trip wardrobe was bi-polar : Smart suit for office and client visiting (with a no tie concession for our own offices), but my casual off-duty attire was basically scruffy sod with comfort in mind. When I arrived at the New York office, I was almost immediately barred until I got some casual clothes - "We don't 'do' suits in NYC" This took me on a little shopping trip and I found a reasonably priced store called "Century 21" which was in the shadow of the World Trade Center. I guess that sadly it will no longer be there following the events of 9/11. I picked up a couple of smart casual shirts and trousers but realised that having no suit jacket would leave me with no storage. Be honest Gents, our jackets are actually a man's handbag - but without the handle and with a few pockets. To rectify this, I picked up a cheap (less than USD 10) long shoulder strapped pouch style bag with a couple of zipped pockets - ideal for glasses, books/maps, wallet etc. I have used this bag regularly for concerts and visits when jacketless since then, a small navigation compass has come off but otherwise it is still going strong. Although I love this bag, it spooks both James and Chris. Whether this was actually the first Man Bag, I do not know but, 15 years on trendy sorts pay a fortune for this style statement. You, Dear Reader will need to decide - I would be pleased to leave this as my gift to Mankind. More seriously, when I called on my Mother a couple of Saturdays ago, she had received a letter from Westminster Council telling her that she owed them £4683 for her care costs and that recovery action would be taken if she did not pay it with 14 days. Now, Mum is 82 and the care she is receiving is from "Dementia Care Services". Whenever I find an invoice on her table I pick it up and send a cheque. Essentially what has happened is that many invoices have not passed my eyeline. This matter has now been sorted, but a couple of things really grind my gears about this :
Answers on a post card please. After great advances, the mighty Arsenal have had an up and down last few weeks to the Premier League season. For once they have done well enough to qualify directly to the Champions League Group Stage. Well done Chelsea on winning the Premier League. Also to Newcastle, Aston Villa and Sunderland for hanging on for another season. Hull City, Queens Park Rangers and Burnley have not made the grade. A football fan should not be too bitter at the end of a season. Whoever is on the top of the league after 38 games deserves to be. Next season, AFC Bournemouth and Watford join the top flight. The final promotion place is decided on Monday in the play-off between Norwich City and Middlesbrough. Next week is the FA Cup Final against Aston Villa. COME ON YOU GUNNERS !! Cub Scouting carries on, although we do not have a meeting this week because of the Bank Holiday. Three more Cubs were invested at last week's meeting. Upcoming, we have the Athlete's Badge, "From Farm to Fork" with Tesco Supermarket. In a couple of weeks, we will be down in the Ashdown Forest with 12 Cubs and the normal selection of leaders. On Wednesday, Koko in Camden calls again and I shall be seeing NEEDTOBREATHE at a full blown gig. I am really looking forward to that, if not the day after when I unfortunately have to work from 07:00. Wish me luck with that ! I was surprised to receive a pre-ordered copy of the new Summer Camp album "Bad Love" on Saturday (due on Monday). Great vibe and they have discovered the joy of using a bass guitar. I am slowly getting my kit ready for my Glastonbury Festival break. It will soon be here and the announced lineup is looking pretty good for me so far. Excited... Adieu, Dear Reader until next time.
0 Comments
Hello - you are looking damned fine from here... and I hope you are well It has been a fairly tiring couple of weeks for yours truly. You know - physical, lots of kit to move and send around the country (London Fashion Week, Broadcast and Video Expo etc), and some staff sickness to cover. All this was preceded a couple of weekends ago by mixing of concrete to fix a 56 inch (approx. 142 cm) 5 inch ( 12 cm) "H" profile steel girder to protect my recently built wall from turning traffic. Son Chris kindly dug out the 24 inch (60 cm) deep hole through the soil and concrete footing, which was as well as it would have take me and my helper a month of Sundays to do so. Half a day was taken to attach a reflective chevron plate to the post before rain stopped play. Another to put the post into place. I am biased, but it definitely seems a good job. If any vehicle gets too close to my wall, it will take the wing off or leave a fabulous dent at the impact point. Old Friends Sadly, I heard the news that one of my Mum's oldest friends Esther Harrison passed away aged 87. We first knew the family when we lived in Chelsea back in the 1960s. Esther was a stalwart of the church going community at Christchurch in Chelsea, and a whirlwind. Here are a couple of photos that I have come across - one of Esther when she was given her MBE and another meeting one a Brownie's dad when she was Brown Owl. Music, Music, Music Since my last outpouring, there have been a couple of gigs - a bit of a showcase with Colour Me Wednesday and The Tuts on 11th February, followed by Rae Morris on the 12th. I enjoyed both very much, and inevitably took some snaps. Click on the following links: The next week or so bring me to an intimate gig with Slow Club and then a trip up to the Roundhouse to see the Unthanks promoting their sublime new album Mount The Air. I have spent a bit of time uploading the photos of gigs to my Photostream on Flickr. I am trying to get a point across to more "serious" photographers that you really don't NEED a state of the art DSLR and associated paraphernalia to get decent pictures. The results to date are here for all to see, but I am working through my older digital concert images (until at least 2011 or maybe as early as 2008, if I can find my original images on the PC) and will get them all onto Flickr eventually. If you are interested the link is <<HERE>> The photos will still be available to view via the more usual Music / Gig / Artist pages on this site. The 'mighty' Gunners Form has been mixed of late, with too many lows to balance the highs. Inconsistency will be the thing which wrecks my expectations. The win against Manchester City was great, but the defeat in the first leg of the Champions League game against Monaco was awful. I was allowed back in the hall at Cubs this week for our back after half term games night. With Mother's Day looming here in the UK, we had have had to think what the Little Darlings can make for their Mums. We have come up with an arty card showing a plant or tree with a photo of the Cubs face in the flower. So it is 20+ portrait photos of Cub Scouts next Monday. Adieu... 23/12/2014 0 Comments That Was 2014 That Was --- Well AlmostHappy Christmas to you all...I am now on holiday until 5 January 2015. The annual collection of good produce from local supplier at Priory Farm tomorrow morning will fill the refrigerator with traditional fayre. Then I will be up to London to escort my Mum to Merstham on the limited train service to stay until 2 January. It will be a change for Mum, which will hopefully give her a boost as she hasn't been away from her flat in Covent Garden for a long time. Christmas Day lunch will be my "traditional" which has served well since the boys were lots younger and first spent Christmas with me after Jo and I went our separate ways. The Menu will be something like : Starter - Prawn and Salmon parcels. Main - Roast Turkey with stuffing and trimmings, Roast Potatoes, Swede and Carrot Mash, and Steamed Brussel Tops with Rosemary Butter. Followed by Christmas Pudding and Mince Pie with cream and custard. Wine will be a Chateau Neuf-du-Pape with the main followed by a Dessert Wine and ending up with some Port. It is really pretty good "dos" as my family says. It is coming up for that time of year - just pre-post-Christmas - when a glance back over the past 51 weeks brings a smile or a sigh or both. Mine brings a smile. It has been a good year in most areas of note. The Science Museum, Imperial War Museum, Eastbourne, The Greenwich Maritime Museum and Number 24 Bus have all provided stimulating and enjoyable times. However, the BIG memory will be the brilliant installation of poppies at the Tower of London - "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red". Moving, provocative and very poignant. I am lucky enough to say that this year has brought some great gigs and music my way... It looked like this: 19/2 Just Julia, Emmy The Great 21/2 Jake Bugg 7/3 John Cooper Clarke 26/3 Art Club, Paul Hawkins & the Awkward Silences, Summer Camp 1/5 Seth Lakeman, Billy Bragg 23/5 Duke Garwood, Seasick Steve 4/7 Hop Farm Festival - Jezabels, Lightning Seeds, 10cc, The Full English, Nick Lowe, Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbot, Echo and The Bunnymen, Ray Davies 5/7 Hop Farm Festival - Tinlin, Azedah, The Feeling, Paul Carrack, Slow Club (1), Nerina Pallott, Squeeze, James Blunt, Brian Wilson 6/7 Hop Farm Festival - Ordinary Noise, Meadowlark, The Dunwells, Danny and The Champions of The World, The Family Rain, The Beat, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Chas & Dave, Peter Hook and The Light, Marc Almond, Billy Ocean, Grace Jones 12/9 Paul Thomas Saunders, Rae Morris, 11/11 Happyness, Slow Club (2), 2/12 Ella The Bird, NEEDTOBREATHE ... AND I landed a ticket for next year's Glastonbury Festival. Enjoyed the Scouting this year. Good camps and reunion . Seven Cub Scouts achieved the Chief Scouts Silver Award this year. Numbers have grown to 24 in the Pack, so we are now at full capacity. All of this and my beloved Gunners won some silverware after all this time. Getting a little late now, so I must to bed. This has been a good year, and I am already looking forward to 2015. I caught the fall out of Black Friday when I covered at the Uxbridge office - piles of Amazon and other packages hit the Post Room on Tuesday of this week. I am realistic enough to see that people can't resist a bargain, but have to ask the retailers why they can't sell the goods at these prices all year round. I was surprised to read that on Cyber Monday, Visa was expecting that £5000 per second would be crossing their system in the UK. Creating fanatical demand is not a good thing, as evidenced by the need for Police Intervention in at least four London stores. I cannot understand the darker side of the human condition which leads to folks fighting over a TV set. At least the numbers of items coming into my normal office in Woodhatch are steady, although inflated. I have been a licensed road user since about 1976, but had a new experience this week. While driving home on the main road from Horley after doing some Christmas errands, I was waved down and stopped by a Police Officer with a speed gun. This has never happened to me before. I realised straight away what the issue was, but as I told the PC, it did not seem THAT fast - I was just on the way home. It seems that I was doing 41 mph in a 30 mph zone. Rather than issuing me with a caution (and points on the license) the officer gave me a warning and there will be a note on my license that I have been stopped for 12 months. If it happens again in this time, there will be no leeway. I guess that if nothing else, this will refocus my attention on driving speeds. NEEDTOBREATHE (acoustic) at Bush Hall was terrific. The band seemed to be feeling their way a little and suggested that this was the first fully acoustic set they had performed. They are a good bunch and their experience showed. The Christmas gig by Slow Club scheduled for next Friday (12th) has sadly been cancelled as Rebecca has been told by the medical team to rest until the end of the year. This is the first concert that I have experienced being cancelled in 36 years of gig-going. Seasick Steve is releasing a new album next March and touring. I have pre-ordered a signed CD and booked up tickets at Hammersmith for James and Tara and me to see the Dawg in April. I was asked to play Father Christmas at a Family Day in a couple of weekends time at the office. It is a nice thing to be asked. At first I baulked at the idea, but then warmed to it. Oddly, in a straw poll of friends and family asking if I should do it, only 3 friends who are Scouters told me categorically "No, don't do it". Everyone else said, "Go for it, it will be fun". Having settled on this, a colleague told me in a quiet moment that he felt a bit sad when I changed my mind and decided to do the job - he had thought that he would really like to do the Santa thing. Of course, I told the organiser that I had stepped down in favour of my colleague and felt better for it. I think it is much better to do this sort of thing if you WANT to do it rather than because you COULD do it. Fair play, I say. Judging on how I am feeling better about my eventual decision to decline this opportunity, perhaps I just need learn to say "No" and stick with it rather than over analyse. Not a bad couple of games for the Gunners since my last update. Without Alexis Sanchez however, I wonder where they would be. He runs and runs and scores. Seems to be a great buy. "Wenger Out" ? - my take is to be careful what you wish for. He may have had his day, but I can't see anyone fit to replace him. Arsene has an eye for talent and no one can deny that he helps the Arsenal Board run the business in a very sensible manner. Frustrating to see that even when they are beating one of the best teams in Europe Borrusia Dortmund 2-0, half of the Arsenal "Faithful" see fit to make their way home with 10 minutes to go rather than cheer the team's success at the final whistle. Having to go to Stockley Park has messed with my Scouting, but next Monday is the last of the year - it was planned to be a games night, but we are going to have to make cards and finishing Christmas presents (shhh... don't mention it.) The Leaders are quite pleased as this year 7 cubs have been presented with the Chief Scout Silver Award, which is the highest achievement a Cub can get. Managed to get Mum out to Marks and Spencer last Saturday and we got her a few new clothes to wear over her stay at Christmas. It went pretty well and we didn't have raised voices. And that, dear reader, is about it for this one.
Until next time... 10/11/2014 0 Comments Silly Season starts...As has become the norm, I really can't believe that it is the best part of a month since my last update to BlogFest. Either time flies when you are having fun, or time is going quicker as I get older ! Centenary of the "War to End All Wars" In the UK, we have seemingly embraced the 100 year anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. The most iconic scene has been produced by the installation artist Paul Cummings, who has been planting close to 888,246 ceramic poppies in the moat at the Tower of London. It is a stunning piece of work and is very moving - "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red". Luckily I went up to the Tower a few weeks ago, and managed to get a few photos. The last two weekends, it has been heaving with people and has become a bit of a free for all. The last poppies will be planted on Armistice Day, 11 November, after which it will be dismantled and the poppies sold in aid of Armed Services charities. Two parts are being saved - one section each will go to the Imperial War Museums in Manchester and London. Some more photos can be seen here. Trip to the Imperial War Museum On 25 October, four Adults and 16 cub scouts we headed up to Lambeth and went to the recently revamped Imperial War Museum. London stations and streets were heaving with tourists and families enjoying the first weekend of the school half term. I had not visited the museum since I lived in London as a kid. I enjoyed it, especially the World War One galleries, which are very informative and nicely laid out. There are a more few photos here. Cub Scouts postponed Very wet weather caused the weekly Cub Scout meeting to be postponed - rain water had seeped under the wood block flooring causing it to swell and form humps like traffic speed bumps. Traffic mayhem in Reigate has also caused us problems - a planned quiz trail around the town has been rescheduled until road works on major roads around the area have been completed in early 2015. Greenwich - Maritime Museum and the Longitude Problem Last Saturday, I went up to London (as normal) to keep an eye on my Mum and took in the Tower Poppies for a second (very crowded) time on the way, and a visit to the Maritime Museum on the way back. I had seen a poster for an exhibit about the Longitude Problem and how it was solved on a train. This is the sort of history I love - an individual's dedication to solve a problem, up against the establishment and fighting for recognition. John Harrison created timekeepers to maintain an accurate record of the time in Greenwich for mariners. Using the time difference between their local time and GMT, they were able to calculate their longitudinal position. In the 1720s, this was considered a big enough problem for shipping that a prize of GBP 20,000 was offered (about GBP 3,000,000 today). The timekeepers "H1", "H2", "H3" and "H4" were masterpieces of design and overcame the major problems (temperature variance, ship's movement etc) brilliantly. It is a great story. Upcoming... Silly Season has started, so I am going to be sharing my work time between Woodhatch and Uxbridge until (currently 5 December). The plan is pretty disjointed, but we shall see what physical effects it has on me... Concert Time... Tomorrow (11 November), I am up to the Electric in Brixton to see Slow Club, (for my money, at least) a great duo. On 2 December, I am booked to see NEEDTOBREATHE play an acoustic gig at the lovely Bush Hall in London's Shepherd's Bush. Christmas present to me is on 20 December, when I am up to the Hammersmith Odeon to see the science based annual "Christmas Compendium with Brian Cox and Robin Ince" Already booked for next year are: Emmy The Great The Unthanks NEEDTOBREATHE and the Glastonbury Festival. TTFN, my Friends. until then... A bit of down time after a busy start to Monday gives me a chance to bring news up to date. Last weekend was a very busy one. I was expecting to be kitchen gopher at a Beaver and Cub Scout Training Course weekend (you know the drill, "Could you make some coffee and tea?", "Can you peel some carrots?", "We need to wash those pots up", that sort of thing). On Friday morning, I got an email from the Course Leader telling me that the main cook and also another helper were both sick and could not attend. Help was being requested, but could I still come along. Of course, I did go - but unfortunately little extra help was forthcoming. Still, the Course Leader had modified the menu to a Ploughman's Lunch on Saturday and Lasagne for Sunday so it would be a little easier to manage. The attendees also washed up their lunch dishes which was an unexpected bonus for me. We got away with it, and it was a hard couple of days, but 30 trainers and trainees got through the weekend fed and watered and seemed content enough. The annual battle which comprises the Glastonbury Festival ticket sale has taken place. This is an act of massive faith as no acts are confirmed until later in the year, so you don't know who will be performing. 15,000 "Green" tickets - for those of us who don't mind coach travel rather than going by our own car - sold out in 14 minutes on Oct 1. 150,000 ordinary tickets sold out in 24 minutes in the main sale on October 6. The Green ticket sale time is remarkable, as the process involves choosing a day of travel, time of departure and also city of departure as well as entering pre-allocated registration numbers to actual get a festival ticket. Long story to short, I secured my ticket for the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Contemporary Arts 2015 after 9 minutes of the green ticket sale. Getting a ticket gives one (me, at least) a massive morale boost - simply because you will be at Worthy Farm again at the end of June next year. Q: What can you do at the Glastonbury Festival and nowhere else on the planet? A: Stand at the gate just past Entrance A, look out over the site, smile and say "Wow, this is it - I'm here - I am at the Glastonbury Festival !" I really am pretty excited about it. Cub Scouting carries on, recently we have had visits from the local Community Police Officer, we are visiting the local Pets@Home store this evening and next week are looking a Hazards at Home and at the Scout Hut. Upcoming, a trip is planned to the re-vamped Imperial War Museum in Lambeth, London with a sleepover at the Scout Hut. I have been binge-watching one of my favourite ever TV dramas "The West Wing". I am nearing the end of Season 5 of 7. Sharp writing, great characters, marvellous cast, wit/tragedy and light/dark all make for a fabulous televisual experience. I really cannot praise this enough. Nothing unusual to report about the Footie. The Gunners are suffering a injury jam, but somehow haven't absolutely disgraced themselves yet this season. Time will tell how this one will pan out. Oh, and England are apparently brilliant as they have won all of their Euro qualifying matches... Adios, Amigos... 19/9/2014 0 Comments Wow, another month flies by...A month since my last update. Time does not feel kind when it careers past as it has done since my August catchup. Work is getting back to normal - supervisor was off on leave, and then sick for a few days. Ho hum... I need a break, but it seems that I have taken all my leave entitlement in dribs and drabs and it is used up or booked for Christmas. Oddly, although my leave is all gone, I don't feel like I have done anything or rested at all. This might be because I haven't and that festival, gig attendance and Cub Scout camps have frittered it away, but I must address this in 2015, when I will get a bonus 3 days after 10 years service. As I say, I am need of a break as I am struggling not to feel jaded. Anyway, the news... The 88th annual Gilwell Reunion was really enjoyable. We hadn't been for 3 years and a good time was had by all. Cub Scout meetings started after the summer break and we have had 6 or 7 newbies from either Beavers or " fresh off the street". Challenging times. Our programme for the winter term doesn't look too bad (from the leadership side any way). The next few weeks see the District Push Cart competition, which is a good one with thrills and spills. watch this space... ! I had a smashing evening at the Green Door Store in Brighton in the company of Rae Morris. I think she is a great, blossoming talent. I am looking forward to her album, which is due for release in Q1 of 2015. More good news is that NEEDTOBREATHE are playing three acoustic dates in the UK in December. I have got tickets for 2 December at Bush Hall in London's Shepherd's Bush. Looking forward to that one. My beloved Arsenal are not yet firing on all cylinders, but have only lost in the Champions League against Dortmund. Sanchez seems to have hit the ground running, Ramsey is playing reasonably consistently and "Our Jack " has had a few good moments. Injuries have decimated the Gunners defence. I hope the players who are currently MIA can turn things around. Adieu, Mes Amis. Let's be careful out there... 20/8/2014 0 Comments Summer BreakAt Work... My supervisor has been on holiday for the last couple of weeks, so I have been busy. There isn't much support from the rest of the "team", so I just have to get on with it. I found out last week that the super was on leave for three rather than just two weeks last Thursday and today was told that he also has the first three days of the following week off. It could all get a bit intense! At Play... The Footie The season has started, and my beloved Gunners are to be frank being a little inept. Still no defeats as yet (only 3 games played), so it is all good. Be Prepared... Cubs has been in Summer recess for about three weeks now. Since the break started we have had a Scouters Meeting (pub), a Pack Programme Meeting (another pub) and an evening of housekeeping at the Scout Hut to put kit back where it should be. The first weekend in September means the annual Gilwell Reunion - three leaders and Akela's wife will be having a very sociable weekend setting the world to rights, checking on different ideas for Scouting Activities and Programme Ideas and enjoying a glass or two. I am due to be cooking at a County Beaver and Cub Scout Training Course on the 13 September. It is good to give a bit back. Days out... Had a great day out in Eastbourne with my pal, Charlotte. A nice catch up after meeting at the Hop Farm Festival in July. A little sadly (for me any way), Charlotte is moving back to the north of England to work in Kendal. Good luck with that, my dear... but I am sure we will keep in touch. And coming up... Pleased to say that a couple of gigs are on the near and far horizon. The lovely and talented Rae Morris (who I last saw as second support act for Noah and The Whale at the Royal Albert Hall in 2012) is playing the Green Door Store in Brighton on September 12. Here is the latest tune, Cold And off in the distance, The Unthanks are playing at the Roundhouse on March 7 2015. It has been a few weeks since my last regular update. I really don't know where the time goes...
The Hop Farm Festival exceeded expectations. The bill was great, the acts which I was more familiar with did not disappoint - special mention to 10cc, Squeeze, Billy Ocean and Bellowhead. Friday night legend Ray Davies played an emotional set to celebrate his sister who had passed the day before. Although it was always likely to bring a tear, his rendition of "Days" was very poignant and yes, I had a serious blub which I could not disguise as the weather has lovely and dry. Although Saturday's headliner Brian Wilson's band did play a good set of Beach Boy hits (in fact hit after hit after hit), Brian Wilson himself is very frail and was really only able to introduce the songs he had written. The nine band members (plus ex-Beach Boy Al Jardine) were great musicians and singers, so all was not lost. It was interesting to see the reaction to James Blunt, who played an enjoyable enough set. I still don't buy in to the "Wide-eyed Posh Boy, eager to please, need to be loved, but shocked that I am this popular" persona that Blunt has, but there is no doubt he has powers over his fans - it he claps, both the ladies and men all clap dutifully, if he gestures that he wants them to wave their arms, they do that too. On the Sunday, Peter Hook and the Light really ended my must-see festival wish list and played a very high energy set including versions of New Order's "Blue Monday" and best of all Joy Division's "Transmission" and "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Acts new to me and deserving very honourable mentions are Ordinary Noise, Meadowlark, Timlin, The Dunwells, The Family Rain and my new band tip for greatness, Slow Club. Met some nice people, temorarily lost my tent on Friday night and enjoyed the weekend a lot. <My Hop Farm Festival Photos Here> World Cup Brazil was really enjoyable, the only mar being the leniency of the Suarez ban after his third biting incident. Put simply, the country with the best team won the trophy. Brazil, Argentina and the Netherlands all had great individuals, but Germany had the best team. It looks like the Germans have got their footballing act together. The nucleus of the team have grown up together and I suspect will be a force for at least the next four years. Work has been slack in the office, but yesterday there was a Family Day in the grounds at the Canon UK office in Woodhatch. Although I was in the reception area keeping and eye and checking the people in for about four and a half hours, the couple of hundred who attended all seemed to have a good time. There were some birds of prey, crafting, bouncy castles, soft play areas, Pimms and pizzas. It was nice to be involved in whatever capacity. I spent a day at the Canon Europe office last Tuesday. 5th Reigate (Gibson) Cub Scouts - we have had a meeting themed around the 2015 Jamboree in Japan, we tried to navigate the orienteering course on Redhill Common last week, and have a wet games evening planned to end this term on Monday. NASA and Apollo 11. I cannot stress this enough - those guys were heroes, but I cannot believe it is 45 years since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon. THE MOON - I am still in awe. I did publish a separate blog about that. 'Til the next one... I have just updated my status on Facebook: <QUOTE> Just one more sleep until the start of a weekend of Scouting madness. Get a few leader tents up tomorrow evening, then get food, gear, ridge tents and other tentage to Broadstone Warren to make camp proper on Friday. Cubs arriving 18:30-19:00. Fun and games (and it looks like rain at times) on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday a.m. Screaming starts Sunday p.m. as we try to break camp with tired cubs and leaders. If the canvas comes down dry, happy days. Otherwise more mayhem at the Scout Hut and a re-jigging of the programme for Monday's "normal" pack meeting. Nothing like a relaxing weekend.... Enjoy yours Good People ---- Ours will be brilliant. <ENDQUOTE> Scouting is something we enjoy and believe in. I think that our putting in a shift gives the Young People something that modern times does not always allow - a chance to do something out of the ordinary. A bit of a challenge and ultimately the opportunity to give new things a try. We can't expect everyone to be brilliant at everything, but surely not shying away from something simply because it is unfamiliar and giving citizens the confidence to try "as best as you can" has to be a good thing for the individual and society at large. And in other news... I am still coughing a bit (more than I would want going into the camp) but I am hopeful that by the start of the World Cup I will have won the battle. Seasick Steve put on a great show at the Royal Albert Hall . He is a class act. Ten years previously, Seasick Steve was playing to club audiences of only 20 or 30, now the man is a star. My page about the gig is <here>. |
Archives...
February 2024
CategoriesAll Christmas COVID 19 COVID-19 Diary Football Gigs I Love That Song Music Scouting Site Updates |