ABC

This is a short video of my lovely Grandson Callum doing his alphabet back in August 2004.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tnEkp5H-rI

Still Having a Sort Out

Continuing having a sort out and came across the photo on the left of my Mother, Brother and me at a wedding. I must have been about ten years old so it is circa 1961. I'm the taller of the boys and my brother is wearing the Beret (no he isn't French) My Mother is very non pc in the fur coat. The photo on the right is of us all in November 2005. I'm on the left.

THE WHO

Had a bit of a sort out today. Found a concert programme from Pop Proms which was held in July 1969 at The Royal Albert Hall. On the Saturday (5 July 1969) The WHO played and were supported by Chuck Berry. On the same day just across the road in Hyde Park, The Rolling Stones performed a free concert in memory of Brian Jones. This was the concert where they released hundreds of white Butterflys. Went to both concerts. Don't get days like that anymore!!

The other photo is of a concert programme for The WHO tour in 1979.

Do We Or Don't We

Jill and myself run a Disco /Karaoke for a bit of fun. We have done some amazing gigs and some not so amazing. We don't advertise apart from our website and have never wanted to be too busy with it as there are other things we want to do. So we don't market it and just do the odd one now and again. The problem is, whether we do a gig or not it still costs money i.e. CDs, insurance, etc. We now have other projects we wish to do. So the question is, do we sell the gear to finance other things or keep it to do the odd gig now and again?

Walking On The Grid (2)

In a previous post I mentioned that Gary Stockton had written a brilliant song called Walking On The Grid which featured many Bloggers in it. Paul B has now made a video to go with the song and it brings Garys song to life. Watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Od4_PPczs

Great stuff Gary and Paul!!!

Happy Mothers Day

To all of you reading this, make the most of your Mothers. Yes, they can be a pain sometimes but one day they will be gone, either mentally ( like my Mother or passed away) and then you'll miss them like mad. Love 'em to bits, pains or not!

Walking On The Grid

Fellow Blogger and friend Gary Stockton has written a song called 'Walking On The Grid'. In Garys words ' it is about the experience of reading Pete Townshend's online novella "The Boy Who Heard Music" and bumping into some pretty cool people along the way'. Gary has kindly mentioned me in his song so I guess I am one of the pretty cool people that he has bumped into on the way. So a big thank you to Gary, whose songwriting is brilliant. Here is a link to Garys IAC site where you can listen to the song and read the lyrics http://iacmusic.com/songs.aspx?SongID=18600&ArtistID=28606 Hope everyone out there is well. Mark

A Poem

I'm so tired, but I sit here looking
Nearly midnight, the laptops cooking
Voted for Rachel, looked on her Blog
Read about the poo from her dog

The Birthdays been, another year nearer
Life becomes so much clearer
As you get older, wiser and old
Trying to find that pot of gold

So I've filled in a bit more time
Having trouble making this rhyme
Brains not working, cells expired
But I sit here looking, I'm so tired

Goodnight

Birthday Boy

Yes, another year passes by. I still think as if I'm about thirty years old. Time just flashes by as one gets older. I have a theory that age is like a rollercoaster. On the way to forty it's like going up the rollercoaster to the first drop and once past forty it just flashes by so quickly, to the time the coaster comes to rest. But the main thing is to have as much fun as possible before it stops. Well that's enough of the philosophy. Time to enjoy the day. Hope that you all have a good day. Will let you know what I did later.

Nearly Back To Normal

Lots been going on, but nearly back to normal. Had a great time at The Vibrants gig a couple of weeks ago and sung with The Q Tones over the past weekend. A couple of photos for now.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Just a quick post to say I'll post something more substantial as soon as I get the time.
Hope everyone out there in Blogland is OK. Mark

Daddy T has a Blog

Well, my brother has succumbed and started a Blog. He is heavily into Reggae and has an excellent sound system on which he plays his extensive collection of CDs and has gigged at several establishments in Brighton. He gigs under the name Duppytune. A Duppy is a Jamaican name for ghost. Visit his Blog (Daddy T's Reggae Shack) and say hi. www.duppytune.blogspot.com

Collage

It's been a busy week, what with work and other things, so I have not had much time to post here.
Put together a collection of photos, CDs, BJ tickets as a collage. When I think back on all the good things that have come out of Blogging, like the friends we've made, the fun we've had, the music and performances we've seen it really makes me feel great. And it's all thanks to RF. Lovely lady!!
PS See some of my photos of Rachel etc. on Rachels MySpace site, here is a link http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=47158448

A Happy New Year

Another year goes and another comes. 2005 was a lovely year for me. What made it special was the new friends I have made through Blogging. You really are a lovely bunch. Special thanks to the lovely Rachel Fuller for getting me into Blogging and the great times I've had through it. It was four o'clock when we finally got into bed this morning so I'm a little tired. Have a great 2006 everyone and may it be good to you all.

PS Oh yes, the other thing that made 2005 special was that I married Jill in February.

One of the photos is of me taken on New Years Eve and the other is of revellers at the gig we did the same night. If you enlarge the photo you will see the bubbles we float into the party.
I don't normally wear earrings, I was getting in the party mood.

Happy Christmas Bloggers

Guess what arrived via the postman today? Our tickets for Basement Jam!! They were posted on November 24 and have taken a month to reach us. Must have got lost 'In The Ether' . Have a great Christmas everyone! Enjoy yourselves, don't overdo it and spare a thought for those less fortunate. Have fun!!

Spooky Photo

I took these photos whilst at a friends wedding reception about eighteen months ago. Opposite where the reception was being held was a circus. I was taking some photos of the big top when I noticed the moon behind the clouds. I thought it would make an interesting photo. I aimed the camera and just as I did I saw what appears to be a face. It lasted a second and it was gone. Spooky!!

Stu

Just seen a post from Claire Eliza asking if I have a photo of Stuart from Rachels band. Yes I have, here it is.

The Vibrants @ The Pleasure Unit

Another excellent set from The Vibrants!! These guys are going places! The Pleasure Unit is not a patch on The Halfmoon in Putney as a venue, but it doesn't matter if you have The Vibrants to watch. Met the band members after and they are really nice guys. Here are a few photos of the guys in action. Their EP is available on www.thevibrants.com Buy it!!!

Basement Jam (Part Two)

I took 120 photos at BJ here are a few more of them. I haven't bothered to explain who they are of, as you all know them.

Basement Jam - An Incredible Experience

Rachel and Me
Mikey and Me
Rachel and Mikey
Pete
Rachel
Simon

Mikey

Left to right - Me, Koos, Jim, Debby C
Stephanie, Gary, Jillytee, Marietta.
I do not know how to describe the experience of Basement Jam. This post would be full of repeated adjectives if I tried. There we are, about one hundred and twenty of us, mostly Bloggers, sitting in Oceanic Studios waiting for an intimate show to begin. Other Bloggers have described the event elsewhere (Garys, Mariettas and Jillytees Blogs) so I will just describe the special 'to me ' bits and post some photos. I met Mikey and Rene again and they are a fantastic couple. Mikey is such fun and did an excellent set, he also signed my photo of him that I bought from photographer Cat Stevens. I prefer Mikey to Foy Vance. I don't know why, but I do. Mikeys great!! Simon stormed through his set. Rachel , as normal , was perfect. Pete, well, what can I say. Well that's the short version of BJ. It was all a million times better than my description, just fantastically incredible. So I met Mikey and Rene, Simon T and now for the very special bit, not that Mikey and Rene and Simon aren't special, 'cos they are, very. But this next bit was surreal. During a break I am walking past Rachel and she is talking to Marietta. Jill is behind me and I hear Rachel mentioning smoking, so I say something like ' you must give it up Rachel' and Rachel says that she is going to see Alan Carr on Tuesday. We speak a little more as we walk along the corridor. Rachel leads us into a production room. Matt Kent is sitting to my left. Others are sitting around. In front of me in the middle of the room is, well it's him isn't it, Pete, the man whose music has been my inspiration in life for the past forty years. Now I am in dreamland, I take a couple of paces and say' Hi Pete, I'm Mark'. 'Hi Mark' he replies. I introduce him to Jill. Ask for a photo with him and he suggests I take one later on. 'Come this way Bloggers' says Rachel. We go through a door up the stairs (they are very steep) and there we are In The Attic. By this time, I'm thinking F**k me!! This can't be real!! We chat with Rachel, who is adorable, and after a few minutes she says we best get back to our seats as the show is about to start again and she needs a wee!! Down the stairs, holding onto the handrail, past Pete and into the corridor. How I got along the corridor with the widest grin in the world on my face I don't know. After the show I chat with Rene and she tells me they are driving back to Southend that night. I buy Simons CD and shake his hand and have a quick chat. After a couple of false starts I get my photo taken with Rachel (WOW!!!). I give Mikey and Rene a hug goodbye. We say goodbye to everyone and drop two americans Debby (Debby C) and Jim to Heathrow and drive home. Finally, I'd like to say Hi to all the Bloggers I met, especially Gary and Stephanie, Marietta, Debby and Jim, Koos, Delbut and lots more whose names I forget. And lastly a BIG thank you to Rachel, Pete, Mikey, Rene, Simon, Foy, Rachels band and all the production crew for a truly wonderful evening. Thanks!!!!! PS I said at the beginning of the year that it was my ambition to shake Petes hand before the end of the year. Idid it!!! Next year my ambition will be to have my photo taken with him as I didn't get it this time.