Respinning the Compact Discs

We've occasionally commented around changes with my stereo system on this blog although they are infrequent as having got a system to the point I'm happy with its reliability and sound unlike some looking for the next step over the rainbow, I prefer to leave it be and enjoy the resulting music.

While at one point the compact disc looked as if it was going to be phased out, sales have started to rise, used discs can be had for peanuts and having a player around continues to make sense not least as few classical new titles get a vinyl release.

Starting first, this is the Cambridge Audio CXC100 v2 compact disc transport, which sinks its  not in considerable cost into advanced servo controls for clean tracking of discs and the unannounced incorporation of CD Text, which gives you album name and track details on discs encoded with it.

It was designed to work with their own streamers and amplifers with a digital input as of itself it just plays the disc so needs that to be literally heard.

I partnered it with a used bargain, the 2012 original Rega DAC-r, a extremely high quality digital to analogue converor that takes the naughts and ones from the transport, cleans up any "jitter" and converts it into analogue sound you connect to your stereo.

It has two optical inputs which generally I don't use, two co-axial ones all of which handle from 32 to 192 kilo bits per second at 16 to 24 bit resolution and a USB one which only goes as far as 48 kbs which might of been an issue if say playing "High Resolution" files from a computer via that input and was put right on the 2016 revised model.

What is a very nice touch is it does actually have digital outputs so that cleaned up digital signal can for instance be recorded without having to unplug sources.

Onlike a good number today rather than Upsample every source before decoding it, it plays each at its own native resolution which makes for simplier circuits and cleaner sound of which this has bags of detail and exceptional timing so it is very easy to follow the busiest parts of say a piano performance without everything starting to sound blurred while the softer passages retain their delicate feel.

It makes the most of regular cds while being able to bypass the inexpensive circuits of other digital products such as the DAB+ tuner.

I'm delighted with the sound of it.

Spooky weekend

 

We're kind of getting ready to be off later on today for a Halloween meet and party so between wen dealing with the unexpected this week I've been sorting out my costume, other clothing like proper traditional little boy shirt, tie and short trousers for a meal and things to bring for party food.

Having a good number ghoulish bats isn't a bad idea either to hide amongst the trees or in old garden sheds for treasure hunts and the odd giant spider.

There are lots of decorations up around here as I noticed going out across the week and I'm sure a ghoulish time will be had.

Blown away

 

Strong winds send everything in the air, caps, leaves you name it and we've certainly had a few of them of late as I noticed on Tuesday when whole sections of pavement were taken up with broken branches and trees making my way back home from having my Covid Booster.

Given how the weather was at the weekend I'd decided the best bet was to stay in read the weeks comics which also made sense given I was recovering from this virial infaction and got any chores done like taking things out to the bins out of the way.

I did watch the final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year which is comprises of a series of rounds where each performer choses works to showcase an element of the abilities and are judged by three judges leading to an eventual winner.

This year it was a Canadian pianist studying in the U.K. who gave a dazzling performance of the Russian composer Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto and so during the week I was listening to set of Beethoven's Piano Concertos on record that I've always admired while the booster symptoms slowly faded away.

Thirty One years of Numskulls

After a short trip out wednesday which helped after weeks being locked in we return to staples of sorts.

The Beano remains something of a childhood focus that has run throughout myself being the only comic continiously in production still we are marking an anniversary  this week.

Starting on 16th October 1993, a new comic strip was added to the Beano as it went A4 sized from it's old smaller exercise book sized semi colour self as the connection between iconic series like Dennis moved into multimedia.

The series was called Numskulls after the little people that live in your head and the adventures they had through the individual children they live in and has proved to be quite enduring even in an era of new series and added characters as in the Bash Street Kids.

Catching up in '87

Well it  is Friday and we're slowly recovering here after playing catch up for most of this week catching up with things that had to be put rather on hold last week as I wasn't really up to doing much at all to be honest.

Most of the things around the Now Yearbook series are on the other blog for a very good reason but as explained there because of the series of cds I bought back then really I had little reason for getting most of the late 80's ones.

The late eighties were interseting for me as I went from post to post with gaps when systems supposed to help just tied me in knots as I watched Network 7, Blue Peter, followed the 1987 General Election, Tomorrow's World and Brookside.

Tastes rather like me hadn't really changed from the early 80's and even beyond.

Musically while the scene was evolving with more attention being played to club related styles and associated artists much of what I had loved for a long time was still on the charts as difficult as it was to begin to start a cd collection while still buying new records and oddly enough tapes that year although the big back catalogue news was the Beatles albums coming out on cd.

The compilations series Now and Hits were out on cd in 1987 but their first two releases, Now 9 and Hits 6 only came out on single cds although the record and tape versions were doubles and in a way while much of the main Now Yearbook wasn't needed I felt this extra bit did offer some of the missing material.

By 1988 both series were committed to double cd issues and it wasn't until 1991 that I said "Goodbye" to them just buying albums by artists I loved.

Day off

 

While normally I'd be thinking back to ones school days, watching the procession past the house along the very route you walked all those years ago, today's a bit different.

Sat here I'm thinking more of the days I didn't get there which might of been things like the many hospital appointments having my disabilities brought for examinations and the like, miagraines of which I had a good many and the usual childhood viruses.

Colds were not uncommon and sometimes it would be the phone call from school, as I got older checking someone would be at home and making my own way or typically it would develop overnight and so Mum would ring in your absence.

This morning I just like I was being kept home sneezing away, on the cough mixture and limsips.

Moving on

 

As you may of guessed or perhaps might of directly experienced it's a very wet day rather like the weekend gone minus the storms so I'm stuck here, eating a banana.

One thing over the time as we get towards Christmas and with it the anniversary of period Mum became very unwell is in the literal sense, picking up all the pieces because unlike the heavy magazine and tv push on minimalism, having little more than the clothes you usually wear, just the furniture and fittings you need Mum was the more the opposite.

She had wardrobes full and beyond say her books which were quite considerable set out on shelves, she was heavily into cutting articles out of magazines and newspapers, even saving whole pull sections and part works on themes that interested her.

Some had been moved out of her room by Dad but left very much as is so yesterday I worked through some and removed a chunk that were not really connected with her while keeping such as features on aircraft she'd help build, her interest in football such that of her last programs for matches she attended and moved books that were just left strewn downstairs into the vacated spots to both tidy things up and in a obvious way move things on rather than leaving the placing looking more like a well preserved shrine

Personally I feel that's really rather more what she'd of wanted, life going on and the life of house reflecting that as much as you hold on to some effects as much as the memories.

Computer use, engagement and manners

Certain parts of the internet are going into overdrive regarding a certain beatles box set release that I'm undecided if we'll review here or elsewhere, that's not really what we'll be dealing with as such this topsy turvey weatherwise week.

Yes there is more to life than them but really it was way internet behaviour shows itself of which discussion about that and another topic that's really more the topic.

One being the topic of different times - some things are seen as normal the past that may not be the lack of connectedness in the world such as popular culture took longer to travel around the time so film titles, record releases and the like varied for good local reasons in much the same way our schools and how they dealt with us has changed with some things thank goodness  are gone and others  now present causing modern concerns.

Younger members posting lacked - and failed to look into - why that all happened even though there's a whole industry writing books plus a good few websites that cover those points.

They just had a view everything is as it is now in a way that, for instance when I was in school studying say history or discussing topics we were always made aware of differences in what was seen as accepted at the time and the issues people were grappling with.

Like the Reformation was as much about religion as diplomacy and politics with plotting and counter plotting that individuals might find themselves in the middle of.

The other was what I'd call the drive by post where a person posts a question and is heard of no more with no thanks or further questions to gain clarification leading to a resolution of he question.

It's left in mid air with those who replied feeling used or toyed with where we were expected to engage having asked the question and thank them for their contributions.

That was really the way these posts left me thinking and very much why I'm typing this here.

Then and Now

 

Now there were and area many ways boys presented that whole unfastened not tucked in shirt look is one I could never seen been accepted from the 1980's and before simple because shirts were seen as formal attire and those had to be fastened even if some casual sorts would leave the collar unfastened and not entertain ties.

While in the 1980's I accepted trainers and indeed did wear them the idea of wearing them short ankle socks with tailored short trousers again wasn't something we did, you'd wear them with games shorts or tracksuit bottoms.

As to the shorts length, well they're so long and one really does wonder just why as the 1990's moved into the 2000's they became almost knee length rather like in Football one minute were were still in fairly short shorts and then - Wham! - they came so long.

I remember bursting out loud laughing when I first saw them and yet by the end of that season, near enough every Premiership time had adopted them.

While it is fashionable to sneer at Enid Blyton and many more classic authors in favour of those who slavishly follow every P.C. cause and push issue after issue in what is supposed to be a jolly fun read which is why we always used to encourage reading, suprisingly these authors we read are still popular with children.

A gripping yarn is really all that matters.

Out!

The week before school returned tended to be an option for holidays as short of of getting a B&B in Blackpool around Autumn Half Term where with the lights being up and running there season was longer than pretty much anybodys that was as good as it got if we couldn't of get something fixed a good couple of months in advance.

Across the decades though spending a good day or so in Llandudno in September is very much a ritual that has its start point in those day and so by the time you see this, then I should be off walking along the prom, down the pier jetting out into the sea and visiting shops.

There won't however be any record shopping unless there is a collectors fair on as the town lost its independent store and then in recent years the HMV branch due to rent issues between landlord and group which is a pity as I used to enjoy that a lot.

Stuffed toys, coconut ice, ice cream and fish and chips are likely to be on the agenda.

Stuff to consider when out together

 

That's where at least I'm at emulating although my shorts don't have turn ups (and I can only think of a couple of casual shorts that had a shorter turnover.

What I'm talking about this week refers to even in places that won't be named by people whose name, gender and that aren't going to be disclosed  but because I feel the subject needs some talking about.

The redacted version is a person was seen off site on a photograph engaged in and having attire more associated with "adult content" tm - how the photograph came to be seen is another matter.

Normal rules are: no pictures without permission, no identifying features of site to deal with reverse image searches.

Thing is if some place in full public view in less than a quarter mile is where you are doing something "adult", there's every probablity people staying very near you may see it and it wouldn't take much enquiring to find where you might stay and they may of seen you around a day or so before too.

Thus the likelihood is your group is likely to be outed probably in a state of disgrace to the venue holder who is likely to bar you from future bookings.

That understandably really annoyed the person in whose name the booking was made as they'd be one dealing with the fall out.

I raise it as a reminder of why as LB's we have to be mindful of how some who have other interests which legally they've every right to, IF NOT CHALLENGED,  can impact our days away if we don't make it clear when we consider acceptable behaviour while together and some of those things *may* be best in either totally in private or at some more "adult" event even if that's your bag.

The end of the line for Mamod

Somethings, some smells even are connected with pasts and this week one came into the news.

You owned one or had access to one at home or school but countless schoolboys remember the smell from model steam engines some using our old flammable friend Metholated Spirits or for a good while tablets following concerns about injuries from using Meths and pressure from safety authorities.

They came in many forms, steam trains, motor cars and the sort of steam engine we saw at fairs in our towns and cities, made in what was the County Borough of Smethwick, Staffordshire just on the Birmingham city border, in the Black Country.

What has resulted in the sad news that production is to cease is mainly the actions of the Terrorism Authorities who said the tablets used in over 75% of models to generate the head to create the steam traction were being used or could be used to make bombs and so they could no longer be sold.

Meths was ruled out by the safety people although we're still alive, well having used it and god knows what else back in the day.

This meant although the could sell the models, the owner could not see them working which was exactly why we bought them.

They were not still boxed glass cabinet items you collected but things we played with and retooling to convert to other fuels would of been too expensive.

They were living, breathing things boys and men loved.

I remember Chistmas 1980 having mine and loving it playing with assistance from dad, driving Mum wild with it outside.

R.I.P Mamod steam engines.

Designing the right pair for me

Experiments  this week at the cooler end as it was getting a bit much at the tail end of last week and we return to a staple of discussion both at the forum and on the blog.

One issue with me personally is I have Scoliosis, which is the medical term for curviture of the spine which is both painful as the spine doesn't properly support me, often is warm and makes getting anything around the waist to fit properly difficult unless it is elasticated or better still fully adjustible.

Elestication on shorts therefore is a must and yet even doesn't make for a snug heading to some chafing if you fall between waist sizes.

(Pix credit Albert Pendergrast Ltd)

Seeing it was getting towards the end of the School Hols and what would be the start of Autumn Term I thought  I try an experiment as a pair of charcoal grey short trouser was getting a bit worn in the seat (when you have difficulty staying upright, you put a bit more pressure around there).

I ordered up a pair pair of grey David Luke short trousers specifying the inside leg be reduced from seven inches to three, something with me height has very much the same proportions I grew up with but also requested belt loops as they like most tend not to come with belt loops.

Indeed it is unusual to see belts on shorts trousers, only appearing on the longs of older children in the way we were used to/

There would be little point in specifying a belt loop, without a belt and as it happened  you can get tradition snake buckle one that intersects fastening it and what is more they ARE elasticated to so they mould to fit tightly rather than trying to lift upwards rubbing my spine.

Having arrived a couple of days ago I can say double elasticity does work as they fit snuggly free from any movement around my waist and especially spine feeling very comfortable.

In terms of appearence, the length is right, I would wear longer around six inside leg ones in more formal settings such as meals out with family and that but for straight ahead adult-child me activities that just feels right.

Moreover the belt doesn't merely make for a better less painful fit, it does further take my appearence back to that ten year old as look back from the mirror or a passing window while out.

I know now what I need to get the perfect pair.

Clara Schumann

 

Some classical music composers are well known, being household names even amongst those who aren't greatly interested such as Mozart, Beethoven,Chopin and Holst and yet others are seldom heard and even less played regardless of their musics quality.

Clara Schumann a member of well known family that included Robert whose works are much programmed in concert halls is such an example.

Clara Josephine Schumann (née Wieck; 13 September 1819 – 20 May 1896) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. Regarded as one of the most distinguished pianists of the Romantic era, she exerted her influence over the course of a 61-year concert career, changing the format and repertoire of the piano recital by lessening the importance of purely virtuosic works. She also composed solo piano pieces, a piano concerto (her Op. 7), chamber music, choral pieces and songs.

Part of the reason may down to her anxiety and issues with how she saw her own works, often requiring her brother's support to compose and have performed for the public in an era that required a certain amount of self publicity and getting sponsors to act as advocates for your music.

Secure employment even for the best was uncommon and thus over time we heard nothing of her works, indeed it wasn't until the 1996 Proms season a work was performed and on the opening night of this years prom in July we were treated to a performance of her Piano Concerto.

That artist made a recording a few years ago for Decca Records with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic coupled with selection of other piano works  and I recently bought a copy out of curiosity, finding the complexity of her scores fascinating.

Thoughts while away

 

It's been a warm week while I've been away - more about on Monday on the other blog - but paused near the River Lune near Lancaster you are struck by how in North Lancashire much of the natural beauty has been preserved given the urban nature of Carnforth, Warton and Lancaster rather than the sprawling nature of the Manchester area or the damage in my own area of North Staffordshire from insensative uncontrolled development.

Much of this area is in an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is stunning visually and also in terms of the wildlife it helps support which shows, when supported we need not lose as much open countryside as happened elsewhere.

That's what concerns me with new government's planned planning restrictions in the so called grey belt.

People even in the more built up areas like here need gaps, green spaces for our well-being nevermind improving conditions around which many of us live.

Olympics 2024

 

Today sees the Olympic and Paralympic Games open in Paris, France at 18:30 BST with a fantastic opening parade co-ordinated by Thomas Jolly the ceremony's artistic director.

It will begin at Austerlitz bridge and end among the gardens, fountains and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero where there will be almost 100 boats carrying more than 10,000 athletes, plus a host of dignitaries, which sail past Paris' iconic landmarks, including Notre Dame cathedral and Pont Neuf.

He says the aim is to "Illustrate the richness and plurality shaped by its history, which has been influenced and inspired by the diverse cultures that have passed through it, while itself serving as a source of inspiration."

I'm mightily looking forward to watchiing it and the many events.

The tale of the tape has run

 Well it didn't come home losing by two goals to one and the manager resigned but we're back this week with a different entry.

The tale of the tape as  told over the odd entry had a move in  December of 1985 with the arrival of a auto reverse seperates deck with Dolby B and the then new C noise reduction but that turned out to be a disappointment as it its recordings were less than open.

By November of 1991  thoughts were moving towards a major change withing the hifi aided by a large pot of money so I bought what I thought was the best value cassette deck a Technics three headed machine so you could hear what was coming off the tape and some fancy tape tuning stuff to get the best from whatever tape you used to record on.

That didn't sound too great with the internal circuits masking much detail so for a long period we moved to MiniDisc, the domestic digital format until the last home deck died (and the format being dead).

We'd bought a decent Yamaha deck from the early 90's which although it only had two heads actually sounded better than the Technics ever did but I was still longing for that monitoring in real time advantage.

Well I saw recently a suitable machine that had the advantage of being fully serviced, calibrated serviced, and aligned which given this machine was made in 1994 really needs to give of its very best as like us, they are getting old.

The AD-F 850 was made in Singapore at a point where a newer form of Dolby noise reduction, type S was on the horizon aimed at seeing off the challenge of digital recording by improving on what cassette could offer but just missed this mode.

Although it is a little plastic feeling compared to top decks by people such as Nakamichi, it was cheaper and does make extremely good recordings aide by adjustable bias and record sensitivity although it lacks a calibration oscillator.

The biggest gain though is it has a dual capstan transport to provide the smoothest most accurate passage of the tape across the heads for the highest quality which is something that Technics model never had.

Compared to that, it is a revelation, sounding very open, stable to the point you wouldn't know you were listening to a reproduction.

The wheel has turned finally getting the machine I wanted.

Is it coming home?

Yet another wet day in what is supposed to be the Summer months and it's been the kind of day you couldn't go down to the park to play or for a kick about  so it's been more of a matter at catching up with a bit of tidying up and sorting out things like why my portable cassette deck doesn't feel like spinning.

Fortunately for those of of starved of of a kick about we've had a competition in Germany for the men's Euro 2024 competition.

Although England's playing had been somewhat lacklustre with me thinking I'd seem more action in Sunday morning community club matches, scraping through to the semi finals on penalties.

If you're English, then you know, possibly driven mad by, all the stuff about winning the 1966 World Cup and how they've not done much to match that over the decades.

Well with a second ninetieth minute goal, they've got themselves to the final against Spain which will take some preporation for as they are a great side so we'll see if  Football really does come home this time.

Polled reflections

 As I write this I'm blasting out a couple of albums, the Christopher Cross debut and Out Of Our Heads, the American version of that Rolling Stones album, looking out on to the street seeing people go back and forth.

Earlier on I had been out to the Polling Station seeing people vote, having cast my postally a good six days in my grey short trousers and turn over top socks, talking with them, obviously NOT discussing politics.

The last time we had a General Election, December 2019, was notable for being the first one I turned out to vote quite openly as an adult boy and was the last one before losing an Aunt and obviously Mum on a cool morning walking in to cast my vote in what whatever your leanings was a very decisive vote.

It was also decisive for being the first time many people had seen me in public and it had to be it was accepted, setting the scene for what happened during that period non of us foresaw and to so many are living with, Covid and the Emergency when our paths were forced together and I resumed being a boy all over again.

Now, we don't do politics on this blog - the odd bit of current affairs at times - but yesterday may well see major changes as results are counted today.

To whoever forms a government: Good luck as things are tough, tougher than we thought four and a bit years ago.

Annuals

Long,warm week here a one item is delayed as it went "up north" with little real reason and so has make its way towards me with some rerouting which is annoying but what can you do?

Been working on tidying a few things up here betwen the heat  and one thing there's a fair few of is books, specifically annuals of various kinds.

We usually kept our eye peeled and ears opened for any advance information that years annuals and back when I was a younger child such an advertisement and an order form were fairly common in publications your parents, relatives and that saw plus often the catalogue companies carried a number so together with a new school jumper you might of recieved a copy of the Tiger annual for the upcoming year.

There are a number of cubs annuals here, some officially endorsed others not and today they remain popular with people so go to any "antique" or auction house and you'll see them and f course on Ebay you'll find a load listed too.

Part of the reason is they do take people back to that time in their lives (some of us haven't left it!), others may be replacing copies lost or taken away as they got older and it was felt they didn't need them anymore.

Condition plays a part, spines on book can and do get damaged by tiny, excited hands, bindings get a bit worn and dust jackets at least a little feathered at the corners but I'm relaxed over much of this cos while I did take reasonable care of books, for me the fact it was owned and loved matters a lot.

So long as its not falling apart and is at least a "good reading copy" I'm fine.

Annuals despite all the digital world are still around although scouting and girl guides ones have stopped this century.

Weekends, steam and risks

 Friday, for most of us the last day of the school week and the start of the weekend, so you'd make your way back posing by the door before setting off.

Then weekends could mean doing other things that were messy, smelly and rather fun like using Oxford commas (lol) thanks to the wonders of Meths!

Turn of the decades me had a little steam engine that run on Meths as for that matter did my History teacher, P.O.C. who even showed one one day when we had a few spare moments and didn't mind going a bit off subject although he did put the link between steam and the industrial revolution in it must be said.

I enjoyed the smell of the thing although when I used it, I certainly wasn't in "sunday best", seeing puffing away and back then nobody raised an eyebrow at being handling meths and lighting it at the age of 15.

Given some my mates were smokers at that age perhaps we had experience of handling stuff current generations perhaps might lack.

It's like Bunsen burners back then we knew how to handle them and lighting up but not a few schols don't do that sort of hands on sort of science terrified about health and safety today but really the best way to be safe is to learn first hand how to handle things.

Performing a real "risk assessment" and handling ready for the real world.

Of bears and things

 Not feeling that great today I'm afraid so I'm upstairs and resting which kind of takes me on to something that is very much a part of this life.

Perhaps for some the last memory you might of had of handling a teddy bear might of been toward the last days of your schooling when it may of been your teams mascot.

I can recall being seen with a teddy much above thirteen was seen as a a wee bit embarrassing if you were a boy especially if you were sharing spaces such as a dorm or a tent camping.

I was never really like that at home although they could only be the odd one on a shelf at home and not seen to be had been played with although I'd hid the odd small one in my room to put by the pillow at night.

You really wanted him always with you like taking him out but unlike girls who get away with cute stuffy backpacks we never could once we started to be seen as  "big boys" not least cos teddy is the one thing you could tell your secrets to and just listen.

Although he's a bit dear at some £116.99 wouldn't you want a schoolboy  teddy with his very own satchel and gift of a cone of sweets for your class?

Reflections on Fridays in the past

Friday's eh?

Crackerjack from the past, today the one slot for Blue Peter we all had our "must see" television programs on that day which was the gateway to The Weekend where school lessons stopped for two whole days, weekly boarders went home and the rest of us may of gone on a excursion.

That was always the thing about weekends beyond World Of Sport and the Final Results on Grandstand with the teleprinter final results soming through at the bottom of the screen plus Match Of The Day if we got permission to be up late on Saturday.

Having come home by bus or train uniform was off which was as well as although it was smart you may well of stood out in your immediate district garnering some attention.

Girls seemed to come from another planet and not always that very demure having been chased from one end of the high street to the other in my teens by a gaggle thereof.

No sooner that you'd got used to that and been in Church where all the grown ups would be asking you how you were and how it was going  you'd be preparing  for the cycle to continue.

Rock 'N' Roll Music

Not generally something we'd post on here but it does have a few things beyond just a object post.

The first thing was as a twelve year old I saw retail starting to change from lots of little stores to bigger stores and just a couple of miles away a Hypermarket, a massive sell everything store popularized in France.

While there I saw a new rather shiny double lp during a period where following the charts and following more the Bay City Rollers and Abba I saw the number of reissued Beatles singles and heard them on the radio as they'd charted.

That was one of the first albums I had as in the main I bought singles and albums tended to be things people brought me.

It was an unusual album in that it wasn't just a compilation of hits, something I was to get the next year, but of more rocking tracks from their albums.

The cover remains controversial for having a rather tacky 50's American Diner theme which was quite removed from what the group were about and what actually existed in the UK at the time.

An offer by John Lennon to submit better artwork was rejected and the three other former beatles objected to it too.

What was good about is it was the first time in this country the four tracks of the Long Tall Sally EP were available in stereo together with I'm Down from the b side of the Help single and Bad Boy previously issued on a 1966 compilation but originally on the Capitol album Beatles VI in a single package.

Amazingly that record still exists in the collection some fourty eight years on although I was able to replaced the jacket that had got a little worn over the years recently from much handling and feline curiosity.

I had a great time sat just like that twelve year old with his comic listening to it this week.

Comic Elections and stuff

 

Well if you walked past your form master they may of muttered something about General Election in the last day or so of which we won't say much here and less on the forum but you might of recalled elections from your school days.

Until recent years here, for instance the estate infant/junior school was used as a polling station for the taking of votes.

Your school may taught something about the history of voting in the UK (or wherever you live), they way it is done and why exercising your vote matters.

In doing so they may of held various elections, perhaps a students council or for form representatives to certain activities or even a mock general election when people would stand as political candidates, producing a manifesto, making a rosette, writing and delivering a speech.

My school did that and I stood and won!

It missed the sudden announcement Wednesday but just maybe the Election might be referenced in an upcoming edition?

Parties and intriguing thoughts

It's been an odd week with a few familar faces on the forum emerge and for that matter a few issues popping up but as we make our way towards the old Whit Holiday and the end of Summer Term my thoughts are going backwards to the time I had a 126 "Instamatic" camera that tended to come out for parties and the hols.

Things were sort of straightforward for things like "Me on the Beach " or The Pier at Blackpool as there was enough sunlight usually but indoors?

Unlike later 35mm compact cameras you had this silly flash cub that you had to move around every.single. time. you wanted to take a picture indoors and after the fourth, then you had to change it!

The faff from doing that at parties in the early 70's remains lodged in me but there are other things that come into mind.

My family are very much products of the West Midlands not least the Marches just by the border with Wales, Wrexham and the North Wales coast are more familiar to me than the cities of Manchester, Liverpool and York in the North.

Like a good few others go back to the Middle Ages and the family line takes you to Normandy, France not that I'd start claiming to be French, with a strong Staffordshire accent and a tendency to to think in our own dialect first and then translate to Standard English it would hardly be convincing.

No, what I can remember thinking about around 1972-74 was more what if I could wear a Kilt as back then if you raided anything from the girls dress up box you'd get teased a lot so you often thought "what does it feel like" if you had *anything* like a skirt on not that you'd ever ask a girl that. Too rude!

Not being Scottish there wasn't just one you could borrow from a relative or the prospect of there being a wedding that might give you an excuse to dress up in a kilt.

Think I just might give that a go as much as I like my grey period length school shorts and turn over top socks as I think a kilt belongs just as much on me.

Rudi and the Crime of the Century

 Something a little different this week that goes back to what inspires this blog childhood and also ties in little to mention else where to 1974 and Now Yearbook' 74 cos that was when this record came out.

I originally had this on a UK A&M 8 Track tape which did sound very good in the way back then cassettes didn't always and records were no use in our car.

Supertramp's second album, examines many things but one area that comes up is school where Rudi, the central character becomes increasingly isolated in class, the playground which has real playground "play" recorded and used to transport you to his world as he moves into the grown up world which he feels ill at ease, unable to understand.

It was one the first things I experienced that matched my feelings not everything was okay in our school world - Roger Walters lyrics in "The Wall" was another some five years later  - and I saw them perform much of this album in a BBC "Sight & Sound in Concert special.

This Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs record version came out 1979, pressed very late 1978 actually, as one of those "audiophile" issues where a regular album is cut and pressed without some of limitations that make playing on cheaper systems okay but can rob the music of the dynamics and extended bass and treble by the late Stan Ricker.

On this the music cames to life magically and moves you even more.

Thoughts around just being me

So it is another Month already as fed up as I am with all this rain and wind we've had for most of this year we are heading into the summer and on Wednesday temperatures were up to about 18 degrees c so I was able to leave off wearing a coat completely and just have a fairly plain baseball cap on as walking past school with traditional school cap would really stick out.

In the time I've just come out being ALB/ASB publically one thing I've always taken a bit of thought over are what are the limits to acceptance or at least toleration when it comes to being "on the street", walking by and into shops, passing parks and the like as for one thing most certainly from their teens upwards if anything want to be seen as a bit older than they might be or at least as their age group and while we'd all agree we're just NOT, some people have this notion anyone who looks like a child, is looking to harm one.

And in their world 2+2=5.

Recently I overheard a bit of a conversation two boys were having talking about how they felt if they'd of been the subject of it, they'd be embarressed to dress the way that person did.

Most of us can recall from our teens the various groups and sub cults our friends were into and how they went beyond things like music, literature and film tastes to dressing in a particular style from often darkly dressed goths, the punks that terrified my parents when they saw a few of my school mates outside school and New Romantics with long hair over one eye, colourful outfits and make up (and that was just the boys!).

All stood out from the conventions of t shirts, jeans or chinos and trainers most were encouraged to wear beyond school or work, often the butt of ill thought out comments and preconcieved attitudes and assumptions.

Did looking out of sync with that really phaze (pardon the odd americanism) them as they ventured forth on the street just being themselves eyond just keeping themselves safe?

Hardly.

The adjective embarrassed means "A person who is embarrassed feels shy, ashamed, or guilty about something" and most of us can think of things that we may of felt embarrassed about such as going to a store with friends and not having enough money on to pay for something or taking part in school play rehearsal only to have your trousers fall down as where they'd been taken up to fit clearly wasn't enough and you're in the spotlight with just a pair of dark tights on between you, your mates and the spotlight.

You definately wanted the ground to swallow you up after that!

Do I feel ashamed, guilty or shy about being a little adult boy?

No, because fundermentally I cannot help being very much in the mindset of someone who from a mainstream point of view hasn't grown up, who does have little in common with the interests and obessions of "grown ups" even if I know of them.

It's hardly voluntary or an act.

Does dressing more inline with that of actual boys nearly all the time leave me feeling ashamed as I walk into the corner store with my short trousers and usually turn over top socks on, catching a bus into town and the like?

The short answer is no, because I look like I am and I feel even though like actual boys I have options so when it's a weekend I may wear boys sports or casual wear as they would unless it was a more formal occassion.

I do "read the room" when it comes to passing places where children (and parents such as at dropping off times) might be enmass, not wear school uniform in the park when children would be there (and they'd not be either) because all children do attempt to do the same too as much as you are being you to both ensure no one feels akward and alarm bells are not triggered.

It's nothing to do with my own feeling ashamed at all as that still a little boy in the room, out on the streets.

I don't feel guilty for being me, it's not kink based scene or a kind of a punishment I have to endure in public nor am I causing harm.

I am being just me.

Of gardens and animals

 

The last week of this month,what?

Well contrary to what your bones may of been telling you it is actually spring as yet again it's started to rain as I type this Thursday morning after a more spring-like day before with the sun very much on your legs.

There always appeared to me a difference between the gardens we had in the three houses I allegedly grew up in and that of other boys you knew and even that of your extended family in that was there less formal planted areas with specific plants and flowers that were seasonal.

The garden shown is more like like that of my much missed grandads, an unsual for the area long rear garden in the middle of a terrace that as raised from the rear of the property it was he'd made dedicated corners that we played in.

As much as we got to anything like that were roses on side panel, planters dotted about and the pyracantha I inisisted upon having that the birds love.

The one thing I didn't do a lot of was play with dogs chiefly down to us only having a dog for an extremely short period and that relatives didn't visit with dogs much and never in the garden.

The dog playing and walking bit was exercising our science teachers dog at boarding school in all weathers from the grounds and having a pass out to a nearby field along a narrow path I was trusted with.

Although our cats did go outdoors, they were always on leads during the spring and summer as they were not semi-feral.

Pawsing for rest

It's Friday so we're back.

It's been a bit of an odd week here recovering as sadly one does from pretty severe miagraines from the weekend that at one stage I thought I'd end up missing my life long favourite program as the light from the tv screen badly affects me when I'm like that.

There was even a conincidence of sorts where  Abby, one of the three BP Presenters and wheelchair user started having issues with her left wrist which you do use turning your wheels as she was preparing for the challenge of "running" the London Marathon in a sports wheelchair adn it urned out after a MRI Scan she'd damaged it and so needed to recover.

That sadly means she can't do that challenge.

Well my left wrist was playing up with very swollen tendons that left me in excusating agony when doing things like washing up, locking up for good measure so I needed to rest hence having to take things steady online as well as in the real world.

That's how these things just pan out I'm afraid.

Great conductors: William Steinberg

After last weekends adventure, we take a look at a new box set of cds.

This week a special four compact disc set was issued.

William Steinberg was one of America's finest conductors, making recordings for Capitol-Emi,Command and RCA Victor but whose career co-incided with a drop in record label interest in recording American orchestras so were overlooked at the time.

Including 'vital and inspiring performances', this set features William Steinberg conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which includes some of his 'best entries in his discography, and the finest recordings of the works'. 

Mendelssohn's own orchestration of the 'Scherzo' from his 'Octet' and Stravinsky's 'Scherzo fantastique' and 'Scherzo à la russe', coupled on CD 3 with formidable virtuoso renderings of orchestral showpieces by Dukas, Richard Strauss and Saint-Saëns, were originally prepared for release on LP LSC-3155 but remained unpublished - until now. 

All recordings in the set have been newly transferred and remastered.

After these were recorded, the orchestra signed a contract to record for DG, one of Europes leading classical labels and made a serie sof well respected performances that I do own on compact disc.

Drama

 I won't be around that much this weekend which is why things are just a little rushed as things involve a very early by my standards start and we have eaten all the eggs here, a slow process given the need to be mindful of miagraines and an intake of higher than normal sugar levels.

Looking over one site which I won't name, the attempt to assist a girl to rejoin a site was frustrating for their inability to comprehend that when a site makes itself practically invisable to all be registered, logged in members then you can't google to see how it looks and that an instruction to email the site at ----@-----.com and include some detail about you and preferred username means you cannot register via anything on site.

Is that the best way to balence keeping people clear of trolls and unwarrented attention on the one hand and get new members?

Probably not as some sites manage a overview of the forum that does't allow you to see posts on sub forums so things are kept confidential and equally while the site colour scheme isn't disablity friendly for having small text and white backrounds, there's nothing I can do about that.

Just somebody decided to make the layout appear uber pretty rather than accessible to all in the way one music site at least allows me to change text backrground colour and size to make it easy for me to read.

They were just getting snarkier and snarkier so when they said it had been settled for them, I just left them pretty much with it.

I like to be friendly, I'm that kind of a boy but I really don't need that grief any more than those who don't see past reminsciences as being a part of the regressive experience even if you don't just want to see only that on a site.