Christmas edition

 Not that long to go, school closes today, so the long established ritual of the Christmas pause begins as things get rather busy here with visiting people and being visited too as I have been getting on with things like reading this years Beano Christmas special with its 68 pages of interlinked comic adventure and fun.

I also played a few records I hadn't spun for a few years before changing the cartridge over to the Ortofon Concorde Music Blue and the phono box which was quite enjoyable as I got around to posting a few cards off.

All that remains is to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a great New Year as crazy as politic is presently. 

Christmas preparations

The countdown towards Christmas is gathering very much at pace here even if with delays with the computer replacement issue and a few issues with cramp and that I'm a little behind in all honesty although the Advent Calendar is up and I do have some cards ready to write. 

Christmas would not be christmas without the Nativity Story for me, going back into childhood so being in church for services either at school, with parents or in Girlguiding or Scouts whatever people themselves may do or believe in.

For me it underscores so much of my own values and this life.

Santa Claus can be found in many places at the moment - must have a degree in Time Management - in the malls, schools and in his very own parades.

Many Girlguide/Girl Scouts and Scouts Associations have him fully signed up such as this Girl Guides unit in British Columbia, Canada where he's accompanied by by members in seasonal attire often making collections to aid the local unit and raise its profile in the wider community.

That for me is the sort of thing this time of the year is all about.

Post Christmas round up

So it is a few days after Christmas when in the grown up world the papers held under the Thirty Year Rule and a few others come out to embarrass senior politicians and their friends and talk around the Kings's New Years Honours starts leaking although you're not supposed to say a word to soul one you've had the initial letter and your reply until the official announcement is given.

We also had severe storms with rain here which worked into flooding and half the road losing power for a good number of hours.

Getting back to Christmas we had one, not that is the same Christmas as in the past as with one Aunt unwell and of course Mom not being here that's two faces missing, two hugs less apart from the rituals before that you are abruptly reminded.

Still despite everything there is Christmas, tree, nativity scene and fairy is out plus cards arranged across the window sill and mantle place and dinner is underway.

There were some presents such as the Triple Pack of Beano and Dandy annuals from past and in the case of the Beano very modern and present day.

For enjoyment later is this up to date compilation of  eighties synth pop from Erasure taking us from O L'Amour to the mid twenty tens via unforgettable songs like Stop! spread across two lps.

And then there's a Winnie the Pooh dairy which given my brain is invaluable for noting what is happening when as I forget.

I had some money to put toward some feature purchases in the new year which should see me away earlier on the year.

Christmas preparations

Apart from the usual syncropost this will be last full post on here until after Christmas  where I've been a bit busy writing cards and having my hair trimmed and restyled. 

Preparations for Christmas week here usually involve the traditional 14 day Radio Times that I still find easier to navigate than on screen electronic program guides apart from forgetting what I saw on screen seconds later.

Some of us read comics rather than the Economist and this year's 68 page special is one we'll be opening up to dip in and out of in what has for decades been a christmas ritual for some of us with seasonally themed cartoon strips with characters we grew up with like Dennis, Minnie and Gnasher and newer ones.

That's what the edition just after christmas as it usually pauses a week before looked like in the early 1980's before we went to full colour, glossy paper and bigger sized edition and no doubt there will be after Boxing Day edition this year to tuck into which after all the news on tv I'll be glad of.

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

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.

Christmas day edition 2021

On the ball or not this has been hastily put together by the blog team as a syncropost tm  as we are able to do a bit more than last and so we will have a few visitors today.

Christmas here is very much a repeat of how things were cos I haven't change any so a staple is annuals connected to comics so we have this years Beano Annual which my of caught up with the Spotty as Scotty renaming in the Bash Street Kids or not but will have the two new classmates in.

We don't have a Dandy no more outside of the Summer Special but we do have an all new annual to look forward to.

Recently there has been themed compilations of classic cartoon strips from the Dandy and Beano from the past and this years looks at stories featuring characters doing art and drawing within the comic.

 

 Although I am familiar with the aria's from it I hadn't a copy of the full Madama Butterfly opera by the Italian composer Puccini and in the christmas stocking is a new acclaimed recording and a disc of Woodwind music by Vivaldi.

 Spinning at 33 1/3rd, I had the limited edition Dusty Springfield Atlantic singles set from 1968 thru 1971 on ruby red vinyl that uses the original mono singles mixes.

Also I had the November 24 limited edition 2 lp mono set of the Best Of The Red Bird and Mercury Shangri La's  album with retro disc labels.

I also had some money I can take with me once we are clearer how the start of next year is likely to be.

Looking ahead and that

The countdown is ticking away as we move out of this month with a coolish fade out unlike last year where we were at sixes and sevens about what we could even do as we approached the festive season.

Things are as most on this account know a bit on the Smolish side so as far as I am aware we will be having a Advent calendar this year to mark our way towards Christmas of a fairly traditional chocolate treat behind the date kind.

Equally while there won't be as many cards written as in the recent past, I have ordered up some cards to get written for family and that as unlike last year, touch wood, we will be able to mix a bit this year although obviously people need to be a bit careful, have their inoculations and ideally try to get some ventilation going if indoors.

One just hopes there isn't a mad dash for everything or an outbreak of Turkey hoarding by people who get into a panic and make things worse for everyone.

I was a bit disappointed that package of three cds continued one with the wrong disc in it, one with booklet out of case and another with an obvious scratch you could feel with your nails that I doubt would play correctly.

Why you should sell what could be called human scratching posts as in "very good condition" beats me as for that matter how you get them in that state in the first place.

Christmas Day edition 2020

It's been a crazy year and that of course feeds into Christmas where I'll be with my folks this year although the difference between what the rest of my family say they're going to do and what in fact they do remains although I think one brother might just making a fleeting visit.

In terms of presents as it is time to open them I think we'll kick off with "The Big Un".

I've been slowly and with Covid affecting recording and manufacturing this year, slowly building up a collection of Super Audio cds, mainly classical.

My folks bought me this new recording on Sacd, of Beethoven's Piano concertos, all five plus bonus material which will supplement my classic 1960's stereo William Kempf versions with the Berlin Philharmonic on DG.

The Beano today isn't what it was growing up although to be fair the world of children today isn't although much of childhood remains the same so while back then I'd of had the Annual, today I have the Christmas special edition of the regular comic with the mixture of classic cartoon strips such as Dennis The Menace and newer ones that are more inclusive around sex, race and disability.

The Beano and Dandy were comics I had and more fittingly I did have this years installment in the "Classic" Beano and The Dandy themed compilations from that past they issue every year, this time looking at the work of Dudley D Watkins, one of D C Thomson's finest creators of comic book strips.

Finally as I sip my grape juice, eventually after a long delay the all time early classic Harry Nilsson Nilsson Schmilsson album issued in 1971 came out on a Super Audio cd edition with just a print run of 2,500 world wide in October.

This album, the title of which may escape you was a massive seller in that era and was the home of the #1 single Without You written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of the Welsh group Badfinger.

Now that's what I call scrumptous!

Happy Christmas folks!

Christmas paws

 

We have a week to go which basically means from now on I take a break from Tumblr and pause this blog until Christmas day which does at least this year tie in with the publishing schedule.

In what's been a very different year than we may of expected, Christmas of sorts will be happening next Friday.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS FOLKS!

Christmas hope

Yes even on this blog in a crazy ol' year we are moving toward Christmas with many people having their decorations up with many reindeer, Santa's little helper, santa claus living in peoples gardens, well illuminated.

It seems people this year have invested an awful lot of hope in Christmas with having the year we have had so around the restrictions we have, we are celebrating and looking forward to a New Year with better times ahead as the year progresses on.

It was very much wet weather when that picture was taken but I liked that illuminated bush.

This week has seen some concrete signs of hope that follow on from what I wrote about last week.

Maggie Keenan of Coventry, Warwickshire became the first person in the world to have the fully tested Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine joined by a William Shakespeare  aged 90 and 83 respectively here in the Midlands who explained why they decided to as the mass vaccination program kicked off Tuesday.

The aim is to get around four million people vaccinated by the end of December and then continue on into the New Year which will massively reduce symptoms in the worst cases and enable over time normal life to continue.

It was as Maggie put about being able to visit, interact and hug her grand children and enabling a near normal life to resume.

That is the Hope we need, and what it is so many of us are looking for this Christmas as we look out past our reindeer, three wise men and presents.

Christmas is Saved!

It's not that far off Advent so thoughts had been very much around just what would Christmas in this topsy turvey year going to be like.

One thing it can include to the delight of boys and girls everywhere is a virtual Grotto where you can meet Mr. Claus safely on his sleigh, wave and talk to him about what you'd like for Christmas. 

Amazingly the leaders of all Four Nations within the UK didn't just get together for virtual mince pies but agreed a common set of agreed exemptions from each countries rules for five days starting December 23rd to enable people if they wish to meet up over Christmas.

Because you are being allowed to do this doesn't mean you should go overboard and have everyone over during that period - you should try to keep that contact as brief as is necessary and avoid having people sharing things you may dip into such as festive candy and savoury snacks - but does mean people can see children and people who aren't at the highest risk of catching anything who might of had little face to face contact with family can be reunited.

No, it's not everyday you get festive decorations from the Government  but this Bubble was nearly universally welcomed for allowing Christmas of sorts to happen and setting some rules as people would only of met up anyhow in less safe ways.

Christmas was saved but what about the Turkey?

Next Wednesday in England, we're out of our National Lockdown V 2.0 so amongst other things no matter what Tier we end up in where we live we can have our hair cut.

When this was written the decision of what areas went into which tiers had not been announced - I suspect it was made with Council leaders knowing - but under an embargo unto the Minister makes his announcement on Thursday.

This is a summary of what applies to each Tier from December 2nd.

To me it looks a bit more balanced with a good number of less risky things that people can do including non essential shops reopening and grassroots sports resuming but with stricter rules that are more targeted at things that pose the greatest risk increasing for areas with the highest levels of infection, stretched NHS capacity and so on.

Spinnin' Christmas day edition

Christmas but once a year so getting out of bed not really being asleep for much of the night I am up having smelt the grump's turkey, well basted, cooking overnight and am opening the presents.
There is only on batch of main presents this year thanks to a three year delay from getting he licence to issue them in the States which comprises of the first four Dire Straits albums remastered and issued on Super Audio cd.

 They were not cheap and will be reviewed at some future point but the sheer expense cut into my Christmas allowance my folks allow but as the reviews at other sites were so positive trading my original cds from the 80's for these seemed to make sense.
Back to the future  with annuals connected to christmas of the past with the boys, girls and pets of which we laughed our heads off reading the Beano and Dandy Comics.

 Being straight reprints they take you back to the past you knew which is why as with last year there's no current Beano annual simply because while some of the favourites of the past are still there, the contexts are different and the newer series of cartoon strips don't connect that much with me.
I do have a copy of the Dandy Annual though to plow through.

 I did pick up the Christmas Beano Special which is the christmas themed regular edition which covers the comic as it now is which is enough to enjoy the way the comic has moved. 
Let's put it this way, last weeks regular comic for Christmas week was a plastic festooned edition with bits for pranks while in the past the stories would be enough to get you reading what might be happening to Walter and his Softies chums from Dennis and Gnasher and so on.
I had some money from relatives that I can use towards some books or Blu ray discs in the future.
Hope everyone's enjoying Christmas and it won't be long before I tuck into our Christmas meal.
Regards Caro.

Advent thoughts and that

Just about two weeks and a bit to go before things happen so this week I've had me hair all tidied up ready at the hairdressers who are all ready for it with their own decorations and that up.
By this time next week we'll know pretty much what if any direction this country is likely to be going with us going to the Polls next Thursday having listened to all the debates, read the leaflets, seen the 'fact checker' posts and the like.
I have been continuing as  a certain person  knows making some more cassettes as I have had a few more arrive which in view of having to toss out some expensive ones because someone had stored them in an ill ventilated damp place leaving them badly mildewed  was no bad thing.
Sometimes I feel I have to be a bloodhound, sniffing everything to check it is okay just because some people cannot do this before listing them for sale. 
That said, I intend to leave that side of things outside of the odd recording which I can start and return to later as Christmas does eat  time up with family and that plus obviously buying tapes costs money which is needed more for other things like presents.
As well Mom's brother in law and my Uncle is in bad way so things there may well take time and even headspace away from Christmas so it's best to concentrate on getting everything done ready to run no matter what.
It's not I'd want - this time of year does have it's fair share of bad memories -  but happens happens no matter what and you have to get on with things the best you can.
There should be a special edition next week all being well and then it's the one before the day. 
  

Christmas 2018 style

The day is finally here as I'm home for Christmas and I'm out of my jim jams and into my pinafore dress, tie and grey socks with pretty bows as we get to open this years presents.
Starting this Christmas edition like last year made 'on the hoof', Elgar has always called with most my recordings being from the very late 1970's to the 1980's.

This newish acclaimed one, came out in 2016 offers two works I did not have and adds them in both stereo and surround sound in Super Audio cd quality (playable also in regular cd).
It will no doubt be treasured as collecting classical music recordings is very much a long term thing.

The Dandy is the always the Dandy, one a few comics I had as child and while sadly it no longer comes out weekly, it does have summer specials and this annual that stay with the original stories and indeed do even have reprints of cartoon strips from past years

One difference this year is I didn't get the Beano annual because there has been a big change in how the more traditional cartoon series have been drawn, in some such as Dennis the Menace written so he doesn't actually menace that messes up the whole backdrop to the character and a move toward so-called political correctness in the newer stories.

Instead I opted for this compilation issued to mark the 65th anniversary of Minnie The Minx  which consists of reprints of classic adventures as is which is a tribute to a heroine of mine.

I did however pick up the 2018 Christmas special edition which as 68 pages and printed more like a softback magazine.
lt fits in where I'd of had the comic editions across Christmas  where its a good example of where the comic is at today.

 Finally a new anime for me to watch in blu ray and regular dvd too.

And another but this one is just in blu ray.

This was a much talked about anthropomorphic animated film from 2016 that I had as a 'stocking filler' on Blu-Ray.
I also had some money I can put toward some other things after Christmas.
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable Christmas.

Christmas Paws

Well by the time you see this, I shall be off social media for anything than the most briefiest of moments to ensure all is well and there is absolutely nothing that needs urgent attention on those accounts left.
There's that much other stuff to do that simply I can't run the blog and tumblrsphere and carry out all my social responsibilities connected with christmas so real life wins out I'm afraid.
Actual christmas's count.

We've always loved Hello Kitty on this blog from day one and I certainly love to watch ice skating and hockey either in person or on tv.
Wishing you all a very happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

Introducing Selena - from christmas of the past

After last weeks excursion into the early nineteen-seventies,  we are going forward into the past here by looking at something I had for Christmas but in nineteen seventy-nine instead which as anyone who lived through that time knows also was turbulent politically.

The cold war was very much still on but for all of that trade with what was the U.S.S.R was fairly common place and ownership of soviet era cars, cameras and electrical goods was popular partially down to price compared with West European and Japanese models but also because being in production for longer they did appeal to traditionalists.
The Vega Selena B212 was unlike anything made by Panasonic, Grundig or Sony in a number of ways such as it featured a wooden cabinet which was unheard off aiding the sound.
You just didn't get that then anywhere else.
An unusually feature was the use of a mechanical rotating Turret that had been a common fixture of televisions featuring VHF reception to change the wavebands which again was unusual for a domestic rather than one designed for radio operators in that it had five short wave bands that typically were used for international broadcasting as  the signals could travel thousands of miles.

The one criticism that could be made was the tuning scale was only marked in a fairly rudimentary way but in terms of sensitivity it was surprisingly good and it did feature a signal strength indicator that could be illuminated.
Frequencies are marked in metres except for FM where they use megahertz
The waveband in use was indicated directly through a cut out on the tuning scale.
That was major appeal to me as listening to short wave transmissions is something I did from an early age so to have it on fairly portable radio - weighing four kilos it is fairly portable and not as light as most of competition was an advantage.

This is the 'gubbins' of it - the main assembly where on the bottom right you can see the turret with its coil packs,on the top  the old school but still good silver hatted transistors because no integrated circuits were used, plus on the far left mains cord connector, D.I.N. connector for monaural record and replay from tape recorders and a earphone socket.
 As well on the turret is the AM antenna and ground connectors although for AM there is a ferrite rod and for FM and shortwave a telescopic antenna built in on the top of the case.
It was relatively inexpensive too so to have something that performed well, looked like a piece of furniture and portable was great.
It was the radio I listened to the Abba concert from Wembley on that Christmas and one reason why I fondly remember having it.

Pre Christmas edition

Around this time of year I take a break as some of my oldest followers may recall for a few days from blogging, social media  and commentating on various sites cos in truth all of that is only possible from spare time and I'm busy dealing with face to face encounters and family events over Christmas which do take priority.
Christmas for me is a time of that child-like magic.

***HAPPY CHRISTMAS FOLKS!***