Christmas 2022 style

This weeks issue is a synchro post looking at christmas and it doesn't matter how you spin it it's the same thing typed shortly after a traditional turkey roast Christmas lunch here with no guests.

One brother came on Boxing Day morning for a short period for coffee and chat.

You'll hear a bit more about this Big item in the present list but it is a extra bit to the 1980 to 1984 Now Yearbook series issues with tracks they didn't include which has proven to be  very successful form them showing a quality hits series is most popular.

I asked one S Claus for this as it rounds off that part and so have this the three lp set version that will tie in with the LP of Now Yearbook 80 and my other original compilations on records from the NOW and HITS series.

I had the Beano Annual that goes with both the Christmas Special comic and the Christmas edition of the regular comic with exclusive cartoon adventures from Minnie the Mix, Rubi, the Bash Street Kids and the like.

Everything is in the world children in 2022 live in which as the sole surviving comic of the generation we were brought up on makes sense as much as the ones we had had the technology and many of the attitudes towards children of our era.

Ultimately you need to see it reflect the world you are in.

That's a ritual that goes way back in time and single digit ages.

 

This was a delayed Record Store Day issue of a live concert from 1982 during the Rio tour for those of us alive at the time, the first time it came out on two slabs of gold coloured vinyl.

 I had these two Super Audio cds that originally were issued in 2000 and 2003 part of a series seeing the entire Steely Dan catalogue remastered and issued in audiophile vinyl and Super Audio cd form by Kansas based Analogue Productions.

I had a voucher from one aunt, some hand knitted woollen socks,a new diary to help keeping things organized, money from the 'rents and one brother although one present sent by mail hasn't arrived and one hopes isn't lost

Annual card edition 2022

 

We are wrapping things up here in time honoured style as things get rather busy with present swapping, looking out for deliveries from the likes of the "Swan", getting our own arrangements in order for Christmas Day and the like.

Thus social media and the like gets paused as they do eat up time which is more needed for Christmas and that also includes the time taken in writing up blogs here too.

With that I'll wish you all a very happy christmas and all the best for 2023.

Regards

Things that come back from past memories

Not that long to go before the day so in the incredible sub zero degrees temperatures apart from sleep in a woollen hat and gloves as I could feel myself almost shiverthouhhts go back to the past.

Way back in 1978 Saturday tea times had runs of The Pink Panther Show on BBC1 where the inspectors poor thinking often showed him outwitted by the criminal gangs and his Pinkness outfoxed his opponents.

Sometime these were the original sixties versions and at other time newer compilations with other characters series shown.

I just loved watching them. Still do.

Back in the day records were the main medium, a big concern was if the person you lent (never "loaned") a record to to listen would look after it from spilling things on it, knocking the tone arm and scratching it but I never had a person place it upon a radiator although you might have to remind some about keeping away from gas or coal fires as heat can cause significant warps that may not play well if at all.

There may be a record or two in eight nights time although I'm waiting on a few with the current industrial action delaying matters more than just this weather normally would.

There will be a pause after a out of sequence post on Monday until at least boxing day if not later that week.

Moving across advent

 Just another week before break up,eh?

That kind of reminds me of some of things I used to do like using the school stapler, paper from the stationery cupboard and photocopier for personal projects apart from time honoured pranks such as placing objects on the tops of doors.

We're moving along as the Christmas tree is up as is the estates own community tree decked with lights and we have the advent calendar up.

It's been jolly cold this week with temperatures below minus four, not that I'm exactly nesh, known for being out the cold with semi bared legs, just covering my head and hands as that's where you tend to lose the most heat in the winter, out in the woods watching the pigeons.

Unlike last year we do have heating so no waking up feeling half frozen but we don't heat the house a lot apart from the front room as a rule, just taking the chill off so its comfortable and you can always add a layer if needs be.

Publication over Christmas is something I always address on this blog given how long this has been running and after next Friday's post there will be a special one on Monday December 19th and then a pause until Boxing day which Monday the 26th.

Like most I'm home then, helping make Christmas so things always get busy just before the day so that's priority here not sat scrolling websites and typing stuff out.

Advent Catgut music

 

Funny start to the month with rather cool days and even the expectatation more in eastern England of snow showers and very low temperatures so it doesn't really feel like one season or another.

It's never the best time of year for me - too many traumatic personal memories - so don't be surprised if I go from various sites unexpectedly as stuff just comes over me in waves I'm afraid.

 While with the postal dispute still raging deliveries have been somewhat erratic, thinking at one point earlier in the week I may need to chase up a record, this interesting cd of violin solos played by the renowned violinist Rachel Podger came  out last month.

Personally I quite enjoy violin based music and am a sucker for a compilation of short works including transcriptions from organ or piano.

This which is a Super Audio cd with a regular layer is just fantastic to listen to.

The Thriller in the Rain

It's an odd week, getting close to Advent but not really feeling that much like it probably with both the generally downbeat feelings post covid and with everything else going on such as War in Ukraine, the controversy around the World Cup and the continuous trickling reports on the Cost of Living crisis.

It also has rained rather a lot this week that impacted on my abilities to spend time outside often coupled with strong winds so I've been busy reading books and comics when not on forums as a number of things have come out tied in with the Christmas book and record sales campaigns before years end.

This was an important one which in its record form was what caused the great cutting from digital controversy at Mobile Fidelity in July cos the copied the master tape at a super high resolution from the label that owns it and then made adjustments using analogue equipment to cut the record.

It's forty years old and I feel remains one of the best records of that era with an exceptional recording.

Way back in that era I had copies of that and Michael Jacksons other albums on cassette tied in with playing on my radio cassette recorder and "Walkman" except mine was a Aiwa but they went by the late 90's as I embraced the MiniDisc.

With my only surviving MiniDisc recorders being portables and having a home cassette deck back again since 2016 I've remade a couple including Thriller using that Super Audio cd version which sounds fantastic even on ordinary players backed with Off The Wall, his 1979 Epic solo debut from the European first issue with original mixes.

The last copies from the mid to late 80's were done on these cassettes which were very classy looking and technically more reliable than late TDK SA's.

I redid my own custom edit of his Bad album of 1987 again from the original European cd (Japanese pressed) as several tracks later on got remixes inserted by taking out one weaker track the 48 minutes got reduced to just over 45.

I then added a few tracks from his 1975 Forever Michael album including the UK number one single One Day In Your Life and the 1973 missing at the time recordings but completed in 1984 Farewell My Summer Love album as I liked his work at Motown from the Hello World box set of 2010. 

They came out well so that bit of revisiting the past paid off.

Colaterial damage in the Ukrainian war

This week we return to why pausing this blog usually fails - rapid grown up post inspirations that don't fit the other blog - rather than what I'd much prefer to writing about.

It was reported late Tuesday that two people were killed when a couple of missiles landed at a farm in Poland.

This was about 3 miles from the border with Ukraine that itself had received over 80 missiles falling on its towns and cities destroying or damaging buildings including homes fired by Russia.

Much of the initial discussion around this incident in Poland centred more around whose rocket it was, something hard to reach a clear conclusion on given both Ukraine and Russia do have some identical missiles and that missiles can go way off target.

This conflict added more to the emotional feel as we marked Remembrance on Sunday.

Current thinking suggests it may be more likely to be Ukrainian fired from an anti missile unit but in a way it really doesn't matter that much as the issue is more one of was it deliberate or not as that if it had been Russian fired would of been a major issue for NATO.

It is a reminder that this conflict started by Russia can easily spill over to other countries in the same way Moldova has reported power losses following attacks on Ukraine's electricity systems probably because of being interconnected.

Ukraine had every right to stop rockets landing where they cause harm but Russia alone is responsible for the attacks and how they are impacting other countries.

The rocket attacks need to stop as are causing harm to all.

Remembrance weekend edition

 After two entries that went into current affairs

 

I enjoy a bonfire night as much as anyone but the other thing GirlGuiding is involved in around this time of year is Remembrance  which will be marked today with Armistice Day and in two days time on Remembrance Sunday.

Having taken part in Parades it has a bit of a sombre nature because we think about what men (and women) did both at home and on the battlefield to preserve the liberty, freedom and way of life we have and the sacrifice of lives given to have succeeded in it against great odds in WW2.

It is important for people, especially children to know about this so in guiding with the help of people such as the Royal British Legion, girls are taught about this as in a good number of schools they are too.

 

Here we see Guides and Brownies going to the cenotaph as many will this weekend placing their wreath upon it as a symbol of our respect and appreciation of what those people, often young gave for us and our country.

We will remember our war dead.

Of tax and climate action

 

While I wait for the chaos around the about bloomin' time changing of a tap downstairs to subside - and why is it you want to go just when there's no chance to flush? - I'm just looking at some of the important stuff that needs doing.

We know on the 17th the Annual Autumn statement needs to be published by the Chancellor which I am sure will feature some tax rises to claw back the money lost by the Albatruss in her short period apart from the black hole in the reserves that existed at that point when she and her chancellor tried to borrow a massive amount to secure tax cuts with no clear plan to pay it back.

It's quite probable a sort of tax on energy firms profits might feature even if not perhaps in name given both the need for revenue and the fairly widespread feeling they are profiteering from peoples misery.

The other side of it is that some support for people and business who are struggling with the step rises in energy, food and fuel is likely to be needed over and above that that has been done so far.

Mortgage and Rent rises too are causing a lot of concern not least because failure to keep up with does leave to loss of a place to live fairly rapidly.

It was a surprise to see that outside King Charles III's special event to be held prior to COP27, the climate change conference, Mr Sunak decided to actually attend it given he'd previously indicated he felt there was more important domestic business he needed to do.

Could it of been being out staged by ex Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying he was going lead to this? Possible as was the criticism both from people such as the Green Party you might expect but also from some of his own back bench Members of Parliament whose voters are interested in Climate Change and what globally we can do about it.

A lot of store was placed on last years COP26 in Glasgow but there has being much backtracking from commitments because of both the energy issues with alternative and renewable energies not quite filling the gap left by nuclear and fossil fuels when it comes to making electricity.

The other is of course the weaponization of energy with Russia turning off the gas to continental Europe which has raised prices for all and the War itself Russia is engaged in against Ukraine.

I must admit I'm wary of big conference events such as COP not least because it seems to me little is achieved that justifies the time, effort and yes even energy used when many of the Worlds biggest polluters who prioritize short term growth over keeping with sustainable year on year reductions in C02, "air miles" and the like.

It's like you want to talk green and really not do much beyond changing the window dressing and yet climate change and its impact on our only planet is very real.

I do wonder if Mr Sunak's first though might of had some merit? 

A resumption of stable governance?

Finally we *may* have an end to the chaos of the last five and a bit weeks following Friday's about time too intention to resign statement from the Prime Minister Liz Truss following the final straw for many of an amazing premiership-amazingly inept and incompetent-of a motion to move a Fracking Bill that descended into farce of the first degree last Wednesday.

There was a foreshortened selection process for the leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party where three members of parliament were touted by supporters but with Boris Johnston deciding his standing would only lead to more disunity undermining his abilities and Penny Mordaunt being unable to pass the one hundred nominations threshold Rishi Sunak was the only one standing with a large majority of nominations.

Given the speed of all of this, the headline of Monday's papers was soon superseded by Mrs Mordaunt's withdraw from the contest late Monday Morning even though she had little support.

Thus by Monday we knew Rishi was to be the Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party but under our constitution the previous Prime Minister's resignation has to be presented and accepted by our Head of State, His Royal Majesty King Charles III and after that he sees and asks the new Leader of the largest party in the House of Commons to be the Prime Minister in whose name he governs to Form a Government.

 

That in practical terms means with having a clear majority incoming Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after having a meeting ("audience with") the King, returned to No.10 Downing Street to deliver an sobering speech to the Nation and get on appointing Ministers many of which will attend daily Cabinet meetings with him.

This is an important event, the first ever appointment of a Prime Minister of Indian heritage, the son of immigrants following the then ground-breaking appointment of its first ever Woman Prime Minister in 1979.

It is a clear indication that sex and race are not impediments to getting on and holding supreme power in the Conservative Party as much as it, like the remainder of society does hold some prejudiced views in its members. 

It is interesting to note this has not yet been matched by the socialist Labour Party which makes more play on integration and inclusion.

Given he was a very successful chancellor during Lockdown striking a balance delivering much needed help while keeping a lid on finance and does understand finance well given his former employment, I feel if anyone can set us on road to dealing with the unprecedented crisis of inflation in food and fuel bills and a stagnant economic growth it is him.

Friday rambling post

 

The pantomime season is still running in the pinnacle of Adultland with duelling onstage and shouts off it from the peanut gallery in the Commons so while that nonsense is playing out in the Alice In Wonderland world we appear to be stuck in my thoughts are elsewhere.

I should be getting my fourth Covid Jab in few days time, the Winter Booster having got that booked given I hadn't been call in by the local doctors online that seemed to easy enough to do and any having come close to collapsing in the street and being very ill afterwards to it I know it doesn't pay to ignore it.

There should be coming a replacement record as one I bought looked rather worn with no shine to the groove and some deepish marks on the second side which given the music has a lot of contrasts does rather make itself heard.

The legendary grump actually got around to replacing the main house stereo as it developed a fault effecting the input switching and tone controls with a second hand unit looked like a shop return that with the model being replaced for the next season they couldn't do much with.

Apart working like a treat I'm glad of that as last time I HAD to replace it as he just wasn't bothered.

A few of my favourite things

This week hasn't been the best week with some anxiety raising stories in the popular press and the usual childish antics in Parliament so armed with rope, I'll skip over that to things I do find comforting.

I like this illustrated traditional children's poem a lot.

 I feel at my best with my cute stuffies either on the shelf or when I handle them and taking time however hard it may be look pretty helps to shift more downbeat attitudes and cycles of "don't care".

Halloween will be upon us soon and although we may need to wrap up in the evening I find time spent making halloween related things like masks and pumpkin lanterns is relaxing especially if you can do it with friends.

A spot of listening to music is something I love, transporting me to other more enjoyable spots and these recent recordings by the Sinfonia of London with scores from the Big Screen and new to me music by the composer John Ireland are just great for it.

Sort of sorted - craziness revisited

As I type this out it is raining heavily and so we'll kick off the first edition of the month  a bit where we were.

Money, your friend and mine started getting into a bit of a mess last week probably because firstly there was nothing to show how the mini budget was costed, the Office of Budget Responsibility seemed somehow to of been ignored although it plays a part in presenting the budget and there also appeared a disconnect between the Bank of England, a super important player and the Treasury.

The latter HAD to but back Bonds to shore up the value of the Pound because the lack of any of the things that might give you the feeling this mini budget had been fully thought through and costed up to and including a report by OBR just were not there.

Making up for lost time with the loss of ten days to mourning can be understood - having a change of Prime Minister with the cabinet changes  at the same time as the death of one Monarch and the appointment of another was exceptional - but this mini budget was extremely important and while having sorted out the messy idea of borrowing while eliminating the upper income tax rate which at least is doing the job of restoring the pounds value, nontheless some 65million was spent before the simple step of just dropping that ill thought out idea was made on Monday and it still leaves interest rates and by extension Mortgage interest rates historically higher for people.

While I have personally felt interest rates needed to rise as in some fifteen or more years the well-being of savers had been neglected - interest rates of a quarter of one percent were frankly a nonsense - the manner this has been reversed has damage confidence in how the economy is been handled just at the point we needed it with all the other issues we face.

I just hope more thought and planning is put into the autumn financial statement in November as this has been damaging episode.

Craziness at the end of the Month

 It has been a turbulent week not least on the financial markets with the unprecedented reaction to the Mini Budget last Friday that appears to of spooked them with impact -we hope only temporary-on the exchange rates and mortgage product availability.

Whether or not actually in power Keir Starmer's Labour Party announced economic plans that include a chunk of what government is doing minus the scrapping of the upper level income taxes levels but adding a commitment to gather up and nationalize the energy companies that you might well think would add to borrowing to buy the companies and compensate share holders would be any better received by the markets is an interesting question.

I'm inclined to think not but hey, the current plan with them is about making political hay (from the government's problems) while the sun shines.

The problem with stagflation is being a combination of inflation and a stagnant economy the cure for any one makes the other worse so policy tends to be "chicken and egg", stimulate the economy, try to control energy costs, borrowing where needed or slash spending, increase interest rates and risk unemployment rising significantly with all the associated spending on unemployment benefits, training schemes and so on.

 

The onset of the fall reminds me what I miss still from Marmalade who died several years back, that curiosity and poise.

After the heavy rain here earlier on the week the woods were rather like this.

The End and a new era

Exiting the week here with a short post as I'm not feeling too great  looking back at the Queen's life, the very things we will remember her for even if the earliest were not things I personally lived through.

Time was when I had scrapbooks of Royal connected pictures and that but they've been missing for a good few decades, probably some "you won't need this" tidying up session but this is the next nearest thing.

Reminds me a bit of schools posters.

Funeral was long with separate stages beautifully choreographed, everyone with a role looking spotless, rich in symbolism even if ultimately sad as I got through a number of tissues.

Hundreds of thousands turned out to pay their respects, 26 million saw live coverage on tv, the weather held up for an event that was unmistakably British as much as others from he commonwealth to which she was Queen played a part.

We will miss her.

LONG LIVE THE KING!

The energy crisis

 I've purposely left out a weekly blow by blow account of the great Leadership Contest of 2022 simply because in the main it is a private affair within the Conservative Party and having covered the initial round of selecting it was all going to be private meetings and a poll.

Come Monday last, at 12:30 it was all over with with Liz Truss gaining some 57% of the vote which made her the winner which didn't surprise me

Tuesday meant Boris Johnston had to formally tender his resignation to the Queen, and have that accepted and Liz Truss arrived for the Queen to formally request her to become our 56th Prime Minister and 3rd Female P.M all as Theresa May remarked on Thursday in the Commons, Conservatives.

 

A typical household energy bill will be capped at £2,500 annually until 2024.

The huge support scheme could cost up to £150bn, but Ms Truss refused to put a figure on it, saying "extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures".

Businesses will get help, with prices capped for six months renewable.

In addition relaxation of planning determination to streamline the gap between a plan being set out and the approval will be done, fracking for gas resumed and plans for new power stations set out to meet the need for own energy rather than the reliance upon others.

Due to Her Majesties death on Thursday afternoon, Parliament being out of session, legislation to bring these measures will be delayed,

Upon the death of our Queen

Yesterday seemed very much like any other but sadly it was not to be.

In the afternoon it was announced Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth IInd had died aged 96 years and so we enter a period of ten days of mourning for our Head of State.

In that time she served with a exceptional sense of duty visiting much of the Commonwealth, supporting many organizations, hosting meetings with leaders the world over and playing her role within the Constitution of the United Kingdom appointing Prime Ministers, holding meetings with them, opening Parliament and so on.

The planned post for today was to had been about the appointment of our new Prime Minister but rightly this takes its place.

Thank You for your service.

No doubt we will hear more from our King, Charles III in days and weeks ahead.

September-a month of challenges

 Lots of things on the horizon, the return of school from Monday, the appointment of our next Prime Minister as Summer officially ends.

 

The one common denominator it seems is the need for a super hero to deal with things from moving up a form or finding new friends as you transfer school with lots of children from schools you don't know and new staff you have no idea about.

It seems to me that any incoming prime minister might well be forgiven for feeling they might given just extraordinary our times are, living with covid, the war in Ukraine with its fall out, the crazy, worrying climate change and the whole "cost of living crisis".

Quite possibly the biggest set of challenges for any generation post WW2 that affect not just private individuals but also industry, agriculture and commerce.

Dealing with Stagflation - that sticky mix of stagnating economy and rapid inflation all in one mix - has no easy cure as the requirements for each part are very much the opposite of each other so there's a chicken and egg argument between "experts" and academics over which to start with with all to real human consequences.

The recent announcements on the Energy Cap permitting cost rises up to 80% are a huge worry for individuals that go beyond even staying warm and having a hot meal but into the very food we buy and remember business has no cap so get the full rise as soon the companies apply it.

Expect some announcements with combinations of removal of "green taxes", possibly value added tax and other taxes with direct assistance for groups most impacted by it.

Help for business I'm less sure of although cases can be made for hospitality and energy intense manufacturing and all of this may need to run beyond six months

Think we need Bat Girl myself!

The state of the scroll

 Month is coming to a close, some topics purposely left off the blog  cos they take me to places that are not good and while of that was going on, we find more than enough to post about.

Social media often feels that way -it can be bad enough for your processor to get through a forest of big size pictures and gifs without failing to load any- never mind all that scrolling  to get to the stuff you really want.

You might think to just see things on accounts you have chosen to follow would be such a great experience to offer but how many times do you find "Posts you might like" added in or promoted posts?

Often and that is what can make doing social media such a energy sapping time consuming business just because they want more click through's cos that's potentially more revenue for them or the people they promote.

I do think a basic charter of rights for the end user is needed.

The Stones at the El Mocambo

 This week we are going back in time with a two cd set that came out on April 29 this year.

Live At The El Mocambo marks the first official appearance of the group's two famous secret concerts at the 300-capacity Toronto club in March 1977. 

This double cd set features their full set from the March 5 show, plus three bonus tracks from the March 4 gig, all of which have been newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain. 

Although all of performances were available at the time, only four found their way onto the Love You Live album that followed in September 1977, that I bought at the time which was dominated by tracks captured on the band's 1975 and '76 tours in Paris, with the full set having never been heard before. 

As the Stones took residency that year punk and disco were both rearing into full view, supposedly ready to see off a band who had already been at the top of their game for 15 years. Over two nights, in an intimate space in one of their favourite cities, they showed they still had it.

For reasons best known to themselves over recent years their artwork on new projects has been somewhat uninspired and this is a good example with just the Tongue logo and title where a band photo on stage would of been more eye catching.

The card sleeve has pockets for the discs which are not in protective sleeves to avoid damage scratches so I had to line them myself.

The set includes songs from Black And Blue, their then current album such as Crazy Mama and Fool To Cry coupled with songs from It's Only Rock And Roll, the previous album of 1974 followed by a mixture of classic 60's and  early 70's sings plus blues covers such as Mannish Boy.

For me the smaller setting helped take the Stones' back to their roots leading to their inspired Some Girls album which mixed the energy of punk and interest in disco sounds while still being true to themselves showing they were still relevant.

It's good to have this set of live recordings out.

Raymond Briggs: a reflection

 

One Wednesday it was announced the story-writer and illustrator Raymond Briggs died.

He was born in 1934 in Wimbledon, Surrey and later moved to Sussex, making his own difference in story telling for being less inclined to write sweet happy ending stories for children for more gritter stuff and writing things also for adults but in form of a comic book.

 

Ethel and Ernest was a looking back of his own upbringing based around his aspirational parents, working to bring in the money, keeping a nice well kept house, helping to ensure their children got a decent education.

Raymond had his views, a life long Labour supporter although no fan at all of the Corbyn era he championed unilateral Nuclear Disarmament which found support during the tensions of the Cold War in the early 1980's taking part in protests.

He wrote the highly influential When The Wind Blows which saw the following of government advice in publications such as Protect And Survive by an elderly couple who'd lived through WW2 exposed for the load of absolute piffle it was (and I favour the deterrent generally speaking) 

The book end on a blank page. The inference was they died from radiation sickness as the measures they followed could never protect them (but made people think everything would be okay).

Christmas was tackled twice by Raymond originally in a story that looked at the challenges of Santa Claus (aka Little Saint Nick) delivering a multitude of presents from Santa's point of view, cursing as things went adrift.

The Snowman is a ritual in our country, every Christmas we all gather to watch this moving tale of the boy who plays in the snow building a Snowman who becomes alive forming a friendship that sees the boy  being taken on a voyage of discovery only to melt the next day with him being mourned by the boy.

The Sinfonia of London play a score for the duration of the cartoon and famously "walking through The Air is song as the boy is flying with the snowman looking in wonder at the world.

Summer is here

Start of Summer proper here with a fair bit of sun although it was rather drizzly over Tuesday so it's time to read the Summer Specials and make the most of the season.

Well you might as well take off the layers and let the fresh air and sun in trading sweaters, long pants or skirts for something much much lighter.

In world of big cats wouldn't you rather be a kitten?

Music I associate with summer does include this offering by the Jazz-rock group Santana who at the time included some tremendously talented musicians that originally came out in 1970 and spawned the single Black Magic Woman of which I still have the Columbia 45.

This is the super audio cd version of what was in that infamous one step double 45 rpm record set sounding better than ever for a good deal less.

Now to read the final edition of this, ghoulies!