AndyBlog

My thoughts exactly

[P O N D E R S]

I'm sorry, I have a cold...

One way or another, I knew as soon as I spoke to Jason on the phone earlier in the day, that I would end up with a cold. HIs cold, to be precise.

Over the years, I have developed great self belief and confidence in certain areas, a good example of this would be my firm conviction that I was going to have JAson's cold worse than he had.

Then, of course, the paranoia strikes in earnest:

Maybe it is not insight and confidence at all... maybe I just /want/ the cold - and a bad dose of it at that. Maybe it reflects my mood, and is therefore a good way for me to externalise my mind-set without actually talking about it.

I'm still smarting from these thoughts, and as of this moment have no good answer for you.

One thing's for sure, I absolutely definitey do have the cold and it absolutely definitely is a bad one.

Bad enough to rob me of any kind of motivation for work, bad enough to steal most of my voice and bad enough to make my throat sore, my nose stream and to force me to cough up things that would best be put to use on the set of a horror movie.

Circumstances seem to love to cluster around such a misfortune and make it sting a little more:

Yesterday, or was it the day before? I don't know. I'm ILL.

Andyway, the other day, my wonderful and utterly lovely soon-to-be-kinda- like-but-not-really-step-daughter rang me and asked me if I'd like to tender for a voice-over job.

Part of the tendering process is to send in a voice sample, so that the talanted and highly trained selectors can listen carefully to each voice - assessing timbre, regional accent and delivery style, before going for the cheapest quote.

Obviously, to send in a sample of my voice right now would render me unemployable for any part, except, perhaps, as some sort of disgusting sex pervert.

(IS it paranoia? ...or do I hear you muttering something at the screen right now?)

Maybe I'll concentrate my efforts on getting well for what promises to be yet another busy weekend in th North East. More on that later.

The Weekend

It's been one of those “busy trips up to the North East from Huddersfield” weekends for me.

This time, on my own, in the hope of getting some consultancy done and playing a gig at Dissignton Hall. My plan, also was to take pictures of it all and post them here, along with cheerful and slightly self-depricating comments.

So, here goes:

Journey up: No pictures, but it went smoothly.

Met with Terry: No pictures, but I picked up my music gear and had a nice natter.

Played the gig: No pictures, but I had great fun playing the gig, although ended the night very tired.

That night: No pictures, but safely back to Jason's house for a few snatched hours sleep. I was exhausted. I have learned to love the floor-based single mattress afforded to me, Thompsonwise. Comes with a smashing double duvet - great for exhausted snuggling.

That morning: Picture!

Jason brought me this exquisite toasted bacon sandwich, hot tea and biscotti. A perfect start to almost any day, apart from those special awful days when one has to go to the doctors to have one's blood removed and tested by white-coated path-lab people who neither know one or care particularly about one.

But today was not to be such a day. Instead, I was to visit two of my major clients.

Naturally, one cancelled.

No pictures of the day's visits. Sorry.

That evening: I went with my now ex-wife (how weird is that?) to the excellent Monju Tandoori restaurant, where she had the intelligence and good sense to order a Chicken Tikka Balti curry. It was a taste revelation, and I am already keen to work out how it might be possible to re-visit that particular dining emporium in the near future. Sadly, no pictures from here.

(Maybe there should be Bazouki music playing as I write this?)

That night: No pictures, but I got safely to my Dad's house to spend the night, despite the best efforts of the pouring rain. Sadly, for me, I had been given the wrong keys and my Father and his wife were away in Spain. Slight moment of soggy desolation at this point.

Later that night: No pictures, but Terry put me up for the night. He is truly a very nice and kind man.

Much later that night: I slept about as soundly as anyone ever has. Thanks again, Terry. (not that he reads this blog, but you all should know that he is great) Thankfully, no-one took any pictures of this.

That morning: Toast and marmalade quickly consumed at Terry's, I set out on my second day of consultancy. This was to be a long day. I ended my time in the Newcastle area with an unexpected Bluetooth headset (Thanks Ian!) and decidedly achy limbs. Once again, no pictures.

Early evening: One last job in the delightful village of Swainby, which I almost totally failed to find. Thanks to Ted for setting me straight. I was past taking pictures by this point.

Late evening: Back to Huddersfield and a more familiar bed. Aaaahhhh.....

So, I hope you all like my new photojournalistic style and long may it continue.

Diesel Telegraph, anyone?

Do they just do it to amuse me?

A Nice Announcement

TL and myself are now officially engaged.

In the midst of a life with so many rapidly moving goal-posts, this is one thing which is now firm and official. It certainly feels good to be engaged and soon to be married to Lizz - who is so very special to me.

It's an opportunity to seal the new start in my life with a new marriage, and I really do feel full of hope that things will be very positive in the years to come. A new adventure, a new place to live with so many new possibilities.

It's all out there - and I owe so much to TL for making it all possible by doing something amazing - loving me. The feeling is completely mutual.

Thanks to Les for ensuring we got exactly the right ring. It's perfect for Lizz, and therefore I'm very happy.

The Actual Wedding Thing

See there? In a Church, getting married. Textbook.

Both E & R are keen mountaineers, hence the arch of ice-picks.

Classic shot of TL's three spawn.

Insert own jokey caption here.
This fellow joined us for the wedding meal. Didn't say much.

Bubbles on the table - a sure-fire winner. Both TL's daughters were good at big ones.

It was nice seeing a wedding from this angle, instead of seeing it from behind the keyboard in Soul Doubt as the guests dance themselves into a frenzy.

...and it was a s good a wedding do as I have been to. Beautiful surroundings, comfy hotel and some really nice people.

Here's to E & R - wherever they currently are. Have a great life together.

Lancelot Robson at 90

It has been my delight and joy recently to make a CD and DVD featuring this amazing chap. He is nearly 90 years old and yet has a spirit and sense of fun that would put many of us to shame.
See him here, still well able to play the fiendishly difficult Northumbrian Pipes. He has singlehandedly done much to keep the tradition alive in Northumbria, and he currently own one of the world's largest collections of pipes and piping related exhibits.
I'd be delighted to be this full of life at 90. who wouldn't? I reckon old age could be fun, after all.

Scottish Fayre

After the wedding main course - the wedding pudding.

Oatmeal biscuits, cream, oatmeal,raspberries and several other good things joined forces to make a pudding that was very impressive. Impressive to look at as well. One other advantage is that I was un-hungry enough by then to remember to photograph it.

The main course for most folks was a wonderful steak and ale pie - more like an oversized vol-o-vent, complete with a small pastry lid poised on top of the rich steak in gravy. We were pretty famished by the time this delight arrived at the tables, so no photo. Sorry. The wedding meal was a big success all round. I can highly recommend The Forth Inn in Aberfoyle, if you're ever in the area and wanting a meal.

The breakfasts were outstanding, too.

Many hotel breakfasts are disappointing, but The Forth Inn kept the standards high. The scrambled egg was excellent. and those who went for the smoked salmon were not to be disappointed. Often this dish is served with a few tiny pieces of salmon within the egg - not so here, check the picture.

The full breakfast, too, was outstanding. Lots of Haggis and a large potato scone underneath it all. The mushrooms were real and not canned. They even cooked the bacon for me just the way I wanted. The only negative was that the sausages were awful. Amidst all the high quality, they stuck out like a sore thumb. Cheap and nasty catering sausages. I can only think that there was a mistake made somewhere, or that these were the emergency sausages.

Picture Postcard Country

Aberfoyle, just north and east of Glasgow is situated in some of the most dramatic and beautiful countryside in the UK.

The setting for the wedding of TL's C1S1 was a tiny church at the lochside, and the weather just about held up.

Two views from the grounds of the Trussocks church.

I was playing for the service, so it was a last-minute panic to get my gear set up and sounding OK. Having forgotten my minidisc player for the “Official” wedding music, it was a proper “Eleventh Hour” affair, with me waiting in the car park for the “oh-so-vital” bag to arrive from our hotel in Aberfoyle. I'm glad it did, or I would have looked like a “proper Charlie”.

Oh dear, I'm back to using “quotes” too much again.

A snog can 'cure hayfever'

This just in from the Ananova news wire...

OK, so you know who you are - get kissing!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

A new study says a passionate 30-minute kiss can help relieve the misery of hayfever.

Researchers found kissing relaxes the sufferer and reduces production of histamine which triggers hayfever, reports the Mirror.

A team at Satou Hospital in Japan told 24 men and women with hayfever to spend 30 minutes kissing their partners while listening to soft music.

The experiment was repeated with cuddles but not kisses. Blood samples showed a significant drop in antibodies fighting the allergens after the kissing session but no response at all to cuddling.

The same happened in patients with atopic dermatitis, a skin condition also triggered by allergies.

Research leader Dr Hajime Kimata said: “These results indicate for the first time that kissing may alleviate allergic responses.”