Journal Entries
Unexpected festivity
Posted Dec 17, 2004
My lunchtime pint (of milk! What sort of person do you think I am?) has a best before date of 25th December. I suddenly feel all festive and seasonally inclined.
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Latest reply: Dec 17, 2004
When there are no fields left untouched.
Posted Nov 25, 2004
"And welcome back to this special Time Team dig in Bob Monkhouse's Joke Archive where we are heading over to trench two where I believe Phil has found something very interesting. ... Phil?"
"Ooo arr arr Zider arr, feather in me 'at, arrrrr, look at that, ooo arr."
"And what do you make of it Mick?"
"Well Tony it is quite clearly an Early Anglo Saxon "Britain needs more lerts" joke. Really quite rare and an astonishing find."
"So, a lerts joke, some Middle Ages Welshman jokes and some very interesting geophys which may turn out to be some of Britain's earliest limericks. Join as after the break to see what it all means."
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Latest reply: Nov 25, 2004
Delia Derbyshire play
Posted Oct 15, 2004
I went to see a play called Standing Wave at the Tron last night. This is a play based on the life of Delia Derbyshire, who most famously arranged the original Doctor Who theme tune while working for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. And yes, it does feature the Who theme (twice) and a mysterious traveller in the fourth dimension. It also has much to say on Delia, the Radiophonic Workshop, the Space Race, Womens Lib and the birth of Electronic Music. There is also rather a lot of quarter inch magnetic tape. Its really good. As someone who didn't know much about Delia beyond the theme I found it both informative and entertaining on many levels. It is amazing how much work went in to her music. Each sound was recorded to tape and then the tape was manually edited (by chopping it up with a razor blade) and then played back at various speeds while being recorded by another tape. By this iterative process she built up some extraordinary sounds and tunes. Oh, and the programme includes a CD of electronic music.
And finally, the guy who plays Brian "Key down a piano string" Hodgson lives upstairs from me and if it is succesful he will be able to afford the close repairs we need doing. 
See http://www.deliaderbyshire.co.uk for more info.
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Latest reply: Oct 15, 2004
Where does the time go?
Posted Oct 5, 2004
I've just had a look back and discovered that my home page was created on 3rd September 1999. I have been on here (on and off) for over five years and I didn't notice!
In other news I will be back in the Post this week and scarily enough I actually have a good few weeks already written up. Mostly about camping.
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Latest reply: Oct 5, 2004
Many Happy Returns
Posted Jul 5, 2004
Big event last weekend. My dad was sixty two weeks ago and so last Saturday he, along with a mate of his, had a party in Arran. Much setting up was done, mostly not by me it has to be said, before a vast number of people arrived. And they arrived from all over the place. People my parents haven't seen in years.
I reckon my dad had a great time and he certainly enjoyed being the centre of attention. It was a bit odd for myself as numerous people came up to me to ask what I had been up to since I was ten and generally made me feel like I should have been around more often. But as I have no wish to be like my sister who still lives at home I am fighting that feeling.
Still, there is one point that made this weekend really special. One point that caused so many to travel so far. One point that made the embarrasement and awkwardness acceptable. One point that I shall quote my dad on as he cut the cake;
"Eighteen months ago I was told I wouldn't make this. But here I am and I hope to see many more."
Happy Birthday dad and may you have many more.
Course, then I came home and watched my DVD of Big Fish and had a wee greet. Damn you Mr. Burton for making such a film at precisely the point when it has the most effect on me. 
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Latest reply: Jul 5, 2004
Munchkin
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