Journal Entries
my Jollies - March 2015: London
Posted Mar 15, 2015
On Monday, 9th March I left Bristol with the National Express (my new favourite way to travel) and headed for the Victoria coach station in London.
I was going to spend a couple of days in Gipsy Hill, London, with a friend I first met 15 years ago on the internet. It's very easy to get to her house as trains leave from Victoria station and her house is a few hundred yards from the station at the other end.
It was sad going past the Battersea Power Station which is being spiffed up and only had 3 towers. And no pig.
On the first day we first went to a café while she did some work and I did some studying (only a little bit) then collected her son and his friend from school, fed them fish and chips (very fine fish and chips, I have to say, but being down south no mushy peas) and took them to their trampolining lesson.
While they were bouncing around we walked around the park and looked at what the Victorians thought dinosaurs looked like.
The next day we took the lad to school then headed in to London to do the tourist thing. First we went to Tower Bridge station to gawp at The Shard. It gave me vertigo just looking up at it. After that I went on a tour of HMS Belfast (she did some work in the café - it was to become a feature of her day). We then walked over Tower Bridge and I was sent off (in disgrace, having never seen them in the flesh) to the Tower to see the crown jewels.
The Jewels are very sparkly but actually I found most of the crowns very tacky and tasteless. Except for the one for Queen Victoria when she was mourning Albert. And some of the older crowns were clearly made for very small heads.
Our plan, because we're both Shakespeare fans, was to have our photograph taken by the Globe and we were running out of time. So having whizzed round the jewels, I collected my friend and we walked back over Tower Bridge, and along past Southwark cathedral and Borough market to the theatre. Where we accosted a very kind Dutch gentleman and asked him to take our photo. It turned out well, which is good. And he didn't make off with my camera which is better.
My friend had to leave then so I nipped into the Tate modern (to use the loo) then back to Borough market for some food - Ethiopian, and totally scrummy. After that I went back to the Globe for a look around the exhibition and a tour of the building, which was fabulous.
Then it was time to get some presents for my daughters, but the weather was so lovely I walked from the theatre to Westminster - stopping at the bookstall by the National Theatre for a browse - and took the tube to Picadilly circus. For I was headed to Hamley's with a target in mind: a nail varnish art set for #1 and a Ravenclaw t-shirt for #2.
A quick interjection here to say how fantastic Oyster cards are.
So, I quickly found the nail art stuff, but the Harry Potter selection does not include clothing. The kind chap suggested Primark or the shop 9 3/4 at Kings Cross. So I tried Primark on Oxford Street first. No luck.
So back on the tube - I'm an expert with the Oyster card now - and found my way to Kings Cross, bought the t-shirt, took a photo of the trolley stuck in the wall and headed back to my friend's house. Only she texted me to ask if I had the chance to pick up a plain black t-shirt for her son's assembly in the morning. No probs, I had to go via Oxford Circus and there's an H&M there on the corner.
But that was for adults only, so they sent me to the H&M on Regent street. I found the t-shirt and was the last customer to leave the store. Down in the bowels of Oxford Circus tube station I realised that my phone was gone. There was a brief moment of panic before I realised I must have left it in the shop.
Trying to extricate yourself from a tube station isn't easy, but I found the surface and hotfooted it to the shop, and banged on the glass doors until someone noticed me. The security guy came right over and gave me my phone. Phew! When I looked at it I saw lots of messages saying "did you call me" and "call home". I called home and a rather bewildered 
asked why the H&M in Regent street had called to say they had my phone... similar messages were also there from other friends.
Turns out - I don't have a lock or pattern on my phone - that they had called the last 5 numbers in my call log to say I could go and get my phone the next day. Top staff! If I'd been them I'd have taken a few selfies too 
So, with really aching feet I made my way to my friends house, stopping only to collect chocolate and wine.
The next day I went to a year 9 class assembly, by invitation of my friend's son, which was great. And as in the day before we met up with a few other mums in a café for tea and breakfast. Mine, both times, was the best egg, bacon and mushroom roll ever.
After that I went to the London Museum of Water and Steam and had a very good poke around. What a lovely place. Unfortunately the steam engines weren't working so I'll have to go back when they are. It's only small but I can thoroughly recommend it. It's a good place to take children, very interactive and informative, especially about water, and there's a water-play area outside, but in a courtyard so they can't escape. There's also a café and a small garden with picnic tables where you can eat your sandwiches if you like.
It's not far from a couple of other museums (automata and music) and, of course Kew Gardens. For my last evening in London we stayed in and chatted and I packed my bag ready to leave.
So Thursday found me on another train headed to Tring. A place I thought didn't really exist.
The London Museum of Water and Steam:
http://waterandsteam.org.uk/
HMS Belfast:
http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast
The Tower of London:
http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/
Borough Market:
http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/
The Globe Theatre:
http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/
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Latest reply: Mar 15, 2015
my Jollies - March 2015: Bristol
Posted Mar 15, 2015
So I've been in Bristol and London - as any friends who know me on other social media already know as I've been living my life pretty much in public 
It starts way back in 1979 when our music teacher left school one year into our 2 year o-levels. I was in the o-level music group and struggling (laziness, I simply didn't learn to read on the bass clef, or learn key signatures or whatever and just coasted by on the theory. On the history and set works I was very very good)
So in came the new Director of Music, an enthusiastic young man fresh from getting the highest whatevers at the Royal college of music and from teaching at the St Paul's Junior school. The first thing that I noticed about him was that he was wildly enthusiastic about music and teaching, and that he had (still has) the most beautiful piano playing hands. I was forecast an E for music (and that would have been pushing it) which is a fail, but Mr Browne was simply put, the best teacher in the universe and one of the best things in my school years.
I got a B and a kiss on the cheek and the role of Canon in the school orchestra's performance of the 1812 Overture as a reward.
So... 36 years later he is retiring. The school does an annual spring concert at St Georges, Bristol, and this year's was his last. Alongside a piano concerto, there was to be a performance of JS Bach's Wachet Auf! - which was one of our set works. Mr Browne's love and enthusiasm for JS Bach knows no bounds, and he has completely infected me with it.
So, although I declined to join the choir for this, I did get tickets and turned up in Bristol on Saturday. It's a strange thing for me. I hated being at boarding school and haven't been back (for a school thing) with the exception of a brief appearance at the 10 year reunion since. So it was a Big Thing for me.
I took the National Express from T2 at Heathrow directly to Bristol - brilliant stuff and I will only ever use the National Express to get from Heathrow to anywhere from now on. The first afternoon in Bristol I walked around, Park Street, Clifton and Broadmead. I had to buy some flat black shoes because I only had winter boots with me, so I got a lovely pair of black leather brogues from Clarks. Yes, back in Bristol with flat, black, Clarks lace-ups. Full circle, then.
I also walked past the recruiting office where I joined up all those years ago.
In the evening I had dinner with 2 old maids (haha - the school is called The Red Maids' School - note the apostrophe) and looked at some photographs and had a good laugh at shared memories.
I was staying at the Premier Inn on King Street which was beautifully central, and near The Old Duke, a pub I had frequented in my youth, and St Nicholas Market, which is even better than Borough Market in London. (because it doesn't just sell food)
And the Premier Inn beds and fluffy quilts really are as good as they promise in their adverts.
On the Sunday I walked over to look at the SS Great Britain, which I'm ashamed to say I had never visited. I also had a look at the Matthew which is a replica of the ship that John Cabot used for his voyage to Newfoundland.
After the SS Great Britain i had a cup of tea, then used the passenger ferry to cross to the other side, and walked up to St George's in Clifton. As I got closer I could see the Cabot tower and it started to get a bit weird for me again. I was really excited about seeing old friends, hearing the music and meeting one or two teachers. On the other hand it is a really difficult thing for me to confront how I feel about school.
But there I was, suddenly, asking a woman at the entrance if I could go in. Turned out she's the new headmistress and she is lovely. So I had some wine with a few of the old maids who were going to sing, and play in the orchestra and the next thing I know we were taking our places.
During the interval I had a chat with some other people outside that I didn't know - and as happened fairly often that day, after a minute or two they got a particular look in their eye followed by "oh, you were a boarder" as if a penny had dropped.
I didn't realise, at the time, that most of what went on outside of school hours completely passed them by.
Then came Wachet Auf! and of course the audience participated in the final Chorale. Twice. Which left me blubbing, to be honest, because it's a beautiful piece of music and all the rest.
After that I met up with my friends again, managed to speak to a couple of my old teachers (I was expelled then reinstated in the UVIth, so I wasn't sure how they would be, but they were lovely) and a good chat with Stephen Browne who is still fantastically enthusiastic, and a lovely person.
Then I went with one of my friends for a few G'n'Ts and a gossip, then back to my hotel to pack and get ready for my trip to London.
Wachet Auf: (not the one we saw, I recorded it but only audio)
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=js+bach+wachet+auf%21
The concert programme:
http://www.headfirstbristol.co.uk/whats-on/st-georges-hall/sun-8-mar-red-maids-spring-concert-24186
The SS Great Britain:
http://www.ssgreatbritain.org/
The Matthew:
http://www.matthew.co.uk/
Discuss this Journal entry [6]
Latest reply: Mar 15, 2015
noo h2g2
Posted Dec 7, 2014
I wanted to add someone to my friends list today, but I can't find the "friend" button. I did see a "subscribe to" thing. Has that replaced the "friend" function (ah, yes, I'm using Pliny)
on my space is there a list of my friends, and people who have me on their friends list?
Discuss this Journal entry [10]
Latest reply: Dec 7, 2014
Not entirely enamoured with my philosophy course
Posted Dec 3, 2014
which is a shame but hopefully it will pick up. I'm now at the end of the 2nd section of 6. So far we've done The Self (which was ok but the course made it very boring for me) and The Philosophy of Religion (again great subject but the course is hideous. Plus IMO it lets the theists off with "God. Because.")
(and of course i'm here because i'm supposed to be writing an essay about Hume's objections to saying "god done it")
Ethics up next. I hope my interest can finally be piqued or it's going to be a flipping long time until the beginning of June when the exam comes round and the course is finished.
Still - I managed to work a Monty Python quote into this essay in about the 4th paragraph, and it's not even the Philosophy Song. So that's got to be worth a few extra marks, right?
Discuss this Journal entry [37]
Latest reply: Dec 3, 2014
Done too much much too young...
Posted Nov 30, 2014
If I hadn't been to see so many bands I'd probably be living, retired, in the Bahamas. As it is I have seen loads and loads of bands. So many bands. Some in massive open air things, stadiums and so on, and some in smaller, sweaty venues.
One of those was the Stahlwerk, Düsseldorf, yesterday evening. The Specials. They were just brilliant. Awesome. What a fantastic sound. And Terry Hall - I've always had a soft spot for him (that weird Fun Boy Three hair do!)
But anyway. if you get the chance to see them live, go. Just go. The place was packed and it was jumping.
I have never seen so many men dance so unselfconsciously. And... it was just like being back at the school disco: Ben Sherman or Fred Perry shirts and sta-prest trousers, parkas (with and without "the Who" and Mod roundels), Harrington jackets, Crombie coats... all the girls with their little skirts, creeper shoes and buttoned up blouses, or dressed similar to the boys (some were young, teenager/studenty types and some were old gits like me, a good mix of all ages)
But most of all - Doctor Marten boots, in all their glory. Ox Blood was in the majority.
Here's a taster (from the IOW festival) and what is really remarkable: this could be a young band right now protesting about politics and society and how awful it is. Has nothing really changed in 30 years?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzNOXbrf4LM
Discuss this Journal entry [6]
Latest reply: Nov 30, 2014
Sho - employed again!
Researcher U129860
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