If you just want to see this interesting article, click the image on the left or.... on this link for a pdf version, <<Live dangerously...>>
Otherwise here are a few thoughts from me. People who know me know that I am not a Company Man. I have opinions and for better or worse have been known to let folks know what they are. My Scouting buddies also know that I am not enamoured with the celebrity element of our current Chief Scout, Bear Grylls. My view is that some of his antics are not a good example to the Young People who see him as an Action Man Super Hero. I feel that we do need to take just a little care as we are human and we can break. The kids sometimes misread Bear's seemingly gung-ho TV persona as "normal". They cannot see the armies of rifle toting back up just in case a bear attacks our hero. That said, Bear Grylls is good with the youth and being high-profile brings attention to the largest Youth Organisation in the world, which cannot be a bad thing. I was browsing the good old Radio Times yesterday and saw an article by Bear Grylls headlined "Live dangerously - Every kid needs a penknife". After reading it, I found that I had a smile on my face. After all my criticisms of him, (not because of them), I think that maybe the Chief Scout's view and my own are actually not too far apart. I attach this article <<Live dangerously...>>. Credit where it is due, I think that the boy has nailed it with this one. The kids need to learn through experience and fun (but with a helping hand and bit of guidance) and with that will flourish. That is all.
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In April, (only a couple of weeks ago) we have Easter and it's associated Good Friday and Bank Holiday weekends. Hot on the tail of those we have what before Mrs Thatcher's interference was known as the "May Day Holiday" - the Bank Holiday on Monday is now unimaginatively called the "Early May Bank Holiday". With the bank holidays, and a few days leave plus a couple of days sick, it seems like an absolute age since I last worked a full week - it is probably four weeks at least. A chap could get used to that. We are having a Cub Scout meeting tomorrow on the Bank Holiday - a bit of fire making. Been a little 'busy' this week on the music front. I have received a couple of CDs through the post and "collected" a couple of others.
On Thursday (May Day) I enjoyed a great evening at the Hammersmith Eventim with Billy Bragg. The atmosphere was like school "end of term". Good support from Seth Lakeman and Phill Jupitas. <<photos here>> On Friday, tickets for the Seasick Steve gig at the Royal Albert Hall on 23 May dropped on the doormat. Unusual one this, as it is for a Dog Charity and I will be going with James and his girlfriend,Tara. I am looking forward to that one. With only one game left in the season, my beloved Arsenal have managed to secure 4th place in the Premier League and so are in the Champions League qualifying knock-out stages next season. Just hope that they don't gag when it comes to the FA Cup Final against Hull City in two weeks time. I have been a bit annoyed by criticisms of the Arsenal set up this season. I agree that after being on top for so much of the season, maybe - just maybe - they should have finished stronger. I think however that people's expectations needed to be brought back a bit. At the start of the season, pundits expected nothing from the Gunners - in fact, even as they topped the table at Christmas, nobody tipped them as Champions. As has been proved right, they could simply not cope with games at the "top" clubs. I resent the "I told you" from the smug pundits - there are lot of Arsenal-haters out there. They expected nothing of the Gunners. The bubble has burst. If that is actually the case, tell me why they are fourth in the table ? The beauty of a league is that the team who finishes top deserves to be top - no more, no less. In their defence, it was a close-thing. I wonder how close they could have come if Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey, Lucas Podolski and Jack Wilshere had not suffered long-term injuries when their form was excellent. I do enjoy a fan's "what-if" and "if-only". I think in honesty that Arsenal's squad needs increasing to improve it's strength in depth. The nucleus of the team is great, but lacks injury and rotation cover. A couple of players out and there is just no players to come in and do a job. From a personal point of view, Nikolas Bendtner needs to be replaced and Yaya Sanogo needs experience at another club. In particular, I cannot see what Arsene Wenger sees in Sanogo - he does not seem to have a clue. Relegation is now certain for Cardiff City and Fulham, if results go as expected Norwich City will join them in the drop. To this armchair pundit, I think that Manchester City will get the results they need to win the title. Web site - I have tried to tidy up some of the pages.
Until the next one... As probability dictated, the ticket resales for Glastonbury 2014 resulted in an epic fail.
Still, I noticed a Twitter / Facebook notice for a fairly local alternative. I have signed up for a weekend at the Hop Farm Festival based in Paddock Wood, Kent. Acts include: Ray Davies (of the Kinks), Squeeze, Deacon Blue, Bellowhead, Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys), Nick Lowe, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Lightning Seeds, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Billy Ocean, The Full English and The Feeling on the various music stages and also Rich Hall, Josh Widdicombe, Andrew Maxwell, Katherine Ryan in the Comedy Tent. Last Friday was a busy but good day. Although the comedy script read through was a bit hit and miss, the production company did buy me a drink. On the way back to central London, I stopped off at the Science Museum and took in the fabulous Collider exhibit. I learnt some stuff about the Large Hadron Collider. VERY interesting. I was in the BBC Radio Theatre for a recording of two episodes of the old-school Radio 4 game show "Just A Minute" hosted by the 90 year old Nicholas Parsons. Great entertainment. Back to Cub Scouts yesterday with the Reigate District St George's Day Event. Promises were renewed after a morning's activities. This evening we had the first Pack meeting of the Summer Term. Football results over this weekend seem to be pointing towards Arsenal getting 4th place which would mean Champions League football again next season. Apart from that possibility, other results in the Premier League have made predictions almost impossible. It is going to be a nail-biting next few weekends for supporters of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea at the top and Cardiff, Norwich and Fulham at the bottom. I love this league. 19/4/2014 0 Comments Nice long weekend to catch up...Wow, time flies Pop-Pickers. Over a month since my last blog post. Essentially, I have been coughing, tinged with another cold on top of that. I have had my third and fourth days sick this year. Then a couple of days in the office on short-time : I really was ill. Luckily, I think the bugs hold on me is waning and losing the battle. We are on a break from Gibson Pack Cub Scouts until 28 April because of the Easter holidays. Not being idle, we have put up the new dining shelter and sorted out next term's programme. Reigate District St. George's Day event is being held on Sunday 27 April. Nice gig by Summer Camp at the Islington Assembly Hall on 26 March. I love the venue and my thoughts about this band are public - they are wonderful. The Tuts released a new EP - "time to move on" - some previously released stuff and a remarkable remix of "Worry Warrior". Good stuff Glastonbury is calling me again. The bill is good. The ticket resale is coming up on Thursday 24 April. I hope I am lucky... Billy Bragg's DVD/CD set of his 2013 show at the Union Chapel has come through. Need to make a bit of time to re-live one of my favourite gigs of 2013. Not such a good month for my beloved Gunners in the footie.
To my mind, I think that Arsene Wenger could well walk at the end of the season - I would be very sad to see this, as there is no obvious qualified successor. For the good of the Arsenal, I hope he signs the contract renewal. I "celebrated" my birthday on 15 April (that would be 56, if you must ask). Very quiet and understated this year, but I received many messages and texts and phone calls from around the Ratcliffe Universe - but before the violins come out, I have enjoyed meals with James and Tara, lunch with Jo and promises from Chris (who is on-call until after Easter). I have been surprised how many of my friends have birthdays at this time of year - it is surprising what information Facebook gives you! It also seems that my niece Emma's daughters were born on 15 and 17 April (Iris is 9 and Isobel 11 years old). I have been on R&R this past week and it is Easter this weekend. No entertaining at home, but I went up to London to see my Mum on Good Friday. Apart from the Bank Holiday on Monday, I am also on leave on Friday of next week. It was going to be a half day as I had landed a ticket to see one of my favourite old-school radio shows recorded at the BBC Radio Theatre in Langham Place in London. I am quite excited to get to see "Just A Minute" after listening on Radio 4 since the 1970s. I saw something on Twitter about a TV show being recorded with Isy Suttie. It turns out that Frankie Boyle and Miles Jupp are also signed up for a pilot show called "Wild Life". There is a read through by the cast on Friday afternoon, so I am off to the Tabard Theatre in Turnham Green to check it out. Hence changing the half to a full day's leave and a 3 day week. The following week is also a 3 day week because I am going up to the Hammersmith Odeon to sing along with Billy Bragg on May Day. Happy days a-coming, I mustn't get too used to it !! Adieu, mes amis... 27/2/2014 0 Comments February has been a busy month...February has rumbled on and left me tired and suffering from the mother of all colds.
The weather started stormy but has been dry-ish here in Surrey for the past week or so. I still feel for the poor souls in the South West and cannot see how the farmers of the Somerset Levels will stay in business or how the coastal population centres can rebuild adequately. Mum's birthday lunch went well - James and Chris both came up and everyone seemed to enjoy it. We have been busy at the Gibson Cub Scout Pack and practicing in the meetings either side of Half Term for the Cooking Competition coming up this coming Saturday (March 1). This year one of the Dads is helping out with menu and method advice. We sadly lost a leader due to family commitments, but another has stepped up as ACSL. Pete (Akela) is on holiday in Australia, so those of us remaining are having to attend to the pack meetings, the Cooking Competition, Pancake Making next Monday and the Swimming Gala on 15 March in his absence. We are a team, so I mustn't complain too loudly - but I found out last week about the Pancakes, so I will have been banished to the kitchen for three meetings on the trot, which is just a little frustrating . The past week has been a great one with gigs from Emmy The Great on 19 Feb and Jake Bugg on 21 Feb. Unfortunately things have taken a downturn for me with a bad cold and throat. It arrived with some vengeance on Tuesday of this week and has plateaued leaving blocked up and with an evil sore throat. People have suggested I should take a few days out, but in truth there is too much on at work and I just don't want to lumber my supervisor - I have little faith in him getting much real help from other team members at work. So, I am busy and sick - essentially I need to stay standing until Saturday lunchtime - I can afford to drop then. Wish me luck... I am still annoyed that the Arsenal put in such an inept and lack-lustre performance at Anfield yesterday. Five Bloody One - just shocking.
Still, the bad results make the good ones seem so much sweeter. They now need to perform against Manchester United on Wednesday, and then again at home in the FA Cup against Liverpool on Saturday. And then there are upcoming Champions League games against the mighty Bayern Munich. So, #COYG Sadly we have lost one of our Assistant Cub Scout Leader due to family commitments. Now starts the big search for a replacement. Cooking Competion practice week 1 on Monday, fingers crossed. Mum's 81st birthday on Wednesday. I should be going up to town for a celebratory lunch with Mum and the boys next weekend. I have been trying to research my grandfather's WW1 service and have drawn a blank. Unfortunately, we do not have any of the right details at the moment to drive accurate searches. Hope we can come up with something. Onward, my friends... 15/12/2013 0 Comments I really don't know about this...I am not sure if this blog is a good idea, but I figure that if I don't try it I'll never find out.
Anyway, it has been a busy last couple of weeks. A few Cub Scout activities last weekend - very good party / sleepover on 7th, followed by the District Carol Service on Sunday. Games night on Monday to finish the term. This week has been a little hectic - two days at Canon Europe and one at Canon UK, two days on leave. Thursday was great - weekly shop, then up with shopping to Mum in London. All clear from the dentist and then to Brixton Academy. The XFm Winter Wonderland showcase had good bands and a long session (19:15 - 23:20). Temples, Lewis Watson, Chvrches, Miles Kane, White Lies and the ever reliable Vaccines. The only question I had was why has nobody told me about Miles Kane ? - ridiculously exciting! Friday was a relaxing rest-up (Christmas food shopping sorted). Last night was a change of pace - up to the Hammersmith Odeon/Apollo/Eventim to see the Prof. Brian Cox and Robin Ince curated "Christmas Compendium Evening of Reason". A really enjoyable night of science related guests, acts and presentations by various BBC documentary hosting Professors. The big highlight was Commander Chris Hadfield singing "Space Oddity" which raised the roof. He is inspirational. Back to Earth this coming week - at CEL Monday and Thursday and CUK the others. I just hate the journey to and from Uxbridge. 1/12/2013 0 Comments Last week, Next weekWork again tomorrow...
Christmas decs up at home today. Good gig by Summer Camp at Heaven on Wednesday - nice to see them enjoying performing. Canon Europe on Tuesday and Friday this week.Sleepover and Cub Scout Carol Service next weekend. This really is life on the edge... |
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