Within life’s repetitions, we might see individuals’ difference, freshness, novelty, divergence, innovations…
While taking a break in the homeland last week, we were travelling the coast road and the ever-vibrant @DavidWhite played the 1974 summer classic Beach Baby by The First Class.
As moods were lifted, it struck me that the horn in the final part of the track was used by the similarly vibrant Strawberry Switchblade in 1983 with their 1985 hit Since Yesterday.
But digging deeper, we inevitably find the 1974 and 1995 pop has used a refrain from 1915. The opening fanfare from Since Yesterday and the horn from 3 minutes into Beach Babyis used in the third movement of Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5. It’s introduced after 1min 30 seconds and the musical motif is repeated and morphed throughout the finale.
Thinking of Switchblade, another borrowing that I have always noticed from the above is the wonderable Mike Scott’sThe Whole of the Moon, which seems (to me anyway) to borrow Strawberry Switchblade’s vocal style if not essence. Halfway through The Whole of the Moon (after the trumpets) we hear Switchblade-esque “laaa la la la la laaaa” similar to the middle eight bars halfway through Since Yesterday.
“There’s nothing new under the sun…” a common proverb that originated from the Bible’s Ecclesiastes 1:9. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” There may be nothing new, but I think the fundamental things always apply. Within life’s repetitions, we might see individuals’ difference, freshness, novelty, divergence, innovation… As time goes by… Play it (again) Sam!
After a rainy summer’s day yesterday today the sun shone and the garden needed a bit of tlc. The rogue apple tree was straining under it’s load of fruit and so baking had to commence.
Can’t pretend to know what I am doing but we made a random flapjacky type apple creation and an apple traybake type cake. I can’t even remember what we put in to the flapjack, oats and honey and stuff – total guesswork. But here’s the Apple traybake Cake for the record…
Peel and roughly dice about 500g of apples and mix with lemon juice to stop browning.
Mix the ingredients below butter, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and mix well until smooth.
250g cubed softened butter
280g caster sugar
A dash of vanilla extract
A shake of mixed spice to your liking
350g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
Spread some of the mixture into a prepared traybake tin. Sprinkle half the apples over the top of the mixture, then add another layer or 2 of mix & apples… top with demerara sugar.
Bake for ~50 mins at 160C fan 160c fan.
Cool for 10 mins before you turn out of tin and cut to your liking.
It all depends on ‘what the jet stream does’ says Tomasz Schaf.
What all depends?
Our attitude to what might be…
Our reaction to what might be…
We recently enjoyed a week in the sunshine; cream teas, ice cream, climbing hills, paddling streams, sandy beaches, steam trains, and barbecue evenings…
But then the prospect of inclement weather threw a shadow over proceedings.
A cloudy sky blocking the warmth of the sun, and the expectation and arrival of wind and rain, the weather altered the outlook, it affected the view, it changed the atmosphere… the storms of life…
Having to forsake the things we become accustomed to, the pleasures we come to expect and perhaps take for granted, can seem like an unfair wrench.
Thankfully many of us might never experience serious loss. But many do face major challenges. People parted from family, getting by with minimal income, dealing with serious health issues, having to leave homes behind… we really cannot comprehend the realities some people face. However, relatively small changes in our lives can still seem challenging. We are creatures of habit and when routine and habits have to change we can experience dis-ease, apprehension, and uncertainty. A hole in the roof… a broken car… challenges at work… aches & pains… small injustices… unexpected bills… offspring growing sideways… rotten luck… the xxxx in the black saloon car… these things matter to us. It may not be life threatening in the scheme of things but on an immediate level they can be unsettling.
As a boy I was brought up by the sea, and a familiar annual tradition included the singing of this song, often on a harbour side, with men & women from a Cornish community that may well have really known something about real storms of life.
“…when the clouds unfold their wings of strife… When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain, will your anchor drift or firm remain?”
Confucius said ‘The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.” Aesop’s Fable ‘The Oak and the Reed’ says similar.
Yes it’s probably healthy and wise to see the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll, grounded firm and deep in principals that have stood the test of time but it might also be wise to bend with some winds of change. Yes, occasionally we might become ‘shaken by the wind’, but ‘a bruised reed love will not break’.
I am not sure about anchors and straining cables but the idea of shelter in a harbour, the comfort of a refuge, or the sanctuary of a haven seems just as needed in today’s turbulent world.
When the prospect of inclement weather shadows our views or shakes our perspectives, don’t be too concerned about what the jet stream does, but perhaps given a little shelter or refuge our own attitudes and reactions might benefit from a little flexibility, and indeed love.
A friend of mine, who writes & illustrates children’s books, made me think again recently about our need for ‘stories’ to make sense of our world.
Many of us have fed our children at an early age with a rich variety of colourful, vibrant, imaginative, stories from a wealth of good books. We tend to stop doing this as they ‘grow up’, I guess they choose their own stories, and our noisy energetic cultures take over. Our lives are influenced by stories using engaging images, clever narratives and rich imagination to visualise ideas. As adults we might regularly read novels, watch films or TV, go to theatre, sing songs, etc… These imagined worlds give us some other hyperreality to grasp, when much of our real reality might seem to fail or crumble if questioned or relied on. With these stories we can create worlds that are ours, to give ourselves fantastic assurances or tentative hopes in a perhaps random or chaotic world.
By ‘stories’ I mean anything that signifies a sequence of ideas, an agreeable pattern. This may be an entertaining pop song, a dialogue between people on the radio or online, a news article, a novel, a film, a piece of art, a discussion in the pub, a lecture, a children’s picture book…
We latch on to meaning from a multitude of sources to form our world view.
So, from the classic tale ringing age old truths, to the contemporary fiction that highlights the frailties of the human condition, from snacking on a quick pop song, to the assuring bedside read.
The very best stories stay with you forever. They bring us closer to the world we know, or transport us to fantastic ones we’d never imagined. They change us, comfort us and challenge us. I for one could not keep it together without stories…
Splitting a PDF landscape single double-page spread into two portrait pages??
OK this is dull and not relevant unless it’s relevant, but it’s a solution to a problem that once explained is easy; I should have sorted it way before I did!
single double-page spreads
Every now and then I’m sent a PDF for folded booklet printing, that has been created as single page double-page spreads.
This is no good if a printed folded “booklet” is required. It’s been created for viewing on-screen, not imposed for print production. There is no automatic way to print this as a folded booklet as the page/s need to be chopped in half.
There is a relatively easy workaround solution, which involves digitally cropping the pages.
Create a duplicate of the PDF file.
Open the original file in Acrobat Pro.
Insert the duplicate file at the end: Right-click “Insert,” select “from file”. Select the duplicate file, insert “after”.
Place/move the pages that need cropping into their correct orders, such that you have two in a row for each page (1,1, 2, 2, 3, 3,…)
Select a page to crop and right-click the thumbnail “Crop pages”
On the first page to be cropped, select the left-hand side of the image, by making the right margin half the width. 148mm for half 297mm (Show the ‘Crop Box’)
Set page range for the pages you want to crop, “Apply to” to the “even pages”
Go to the next page to be cropped. This time select the right-hand side of the page, by making the left margin half the width.
Set page range to “All,” and “apply to” to “odd pages”
This leaves you with single paged PDF that can be printed as a stitched folded booklet if you have a booklet printer/finisher.
I am not a ‘classical music’ fanatic. I know very little about the history of music, composers or the political or social relevance of ‘classical’ music creations. I can imagine for the creators, there is a lot of loaded significance behind, underneath and inside many compositions. Perhaps I might dig deeper at some point. But it’s the raw essence of some classical music that I find wonderfully powerful. I have heard it suggested that a definition of ‘classical’ music… is that it transcends cultural, as well as generational barriers… music that’s created through sincere devotion, not through selfish desire, but rather by something greater, which exists beyond time, history or culture. Golly gosh! When you hear a musicologist say “it’s a ravishingly beautiful piece of music … and we can’t quite understand why…” that’s the kind of thing that makes music special. What has struck me over the last few years is the power of music to affect.
I am a fan of a radio series ‘Soul Music’ on BBC Radio 4. A series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact. The programmes highlight ordinary people’s stories about a variety of popular and classical tracks and how they have been significant in their lives. I hesitate to recommend, give it a listen!
Yes, I am still a fan of popular music, and cherish the memories of music from my childhood and through my student years. Music that ranges from rock and roll’s Sun Sessions, Eddie Cochran, through Adam and the Ants, Hothouse Flowers, through The Proclaimers, Oasis, REM, through Paul Simon and Eva Cassidy, through Bugge Wesseltoft and Jon Hopkins. Too many to list (think MMU 1990’s Student Union end of term disco, courtesy of pop fanatic Vicky Richardson). If you imagine how much music has sifted through your synapses, it’s a rich smorgasbord of delights and memories!
I am thankful that in my early years I experienced music and specifically ‘song’ as part of everyday life, and I can associate music with memories of people, promises, hopes and times gone by. I fear young people today might not experience ‘song’ quite as we did. But what do I know?
A lot of popular music is imbued with the culture of the time. We personally load music with memories and experiences in our lives… That’s what we relish when we are young. We have an exciting appetite to consume and soak up our surroundings. This is good, and I hope the music and culture our young people encounter continues to nourish and fertilize their lives. I hope it grows and stays rich and varied and does not become formulaic pulp.
But I am middle-aged and though I still enjoy new-culture I sometimes feel my mind is full, my sponge is saturated, my canvas is bursting with signs, symbols and signifiers… After the events of 5 years ago, I have got through things in part by taking a step back and breathing again. Like a form of indigestion, I had to stop, walk away from the table and rethink my cultural appetite and cerebral diet. I had to ship into harbour and re-rig. Cut out the noise and listen again!
In years past, I would never have predicted that I might habitually listen to Radio 3! But, I have to admit, for about three years, my morning routine has seen me listening to (fellow Cornishman) Petroc Trelawny’s selections on ‘Breakfast‘ on BBC Radio 3.
As I cycle my 45mins to work, endorphins cause the abstract combination of musical compositions accompanying the fresh air, wildlife, seasons (sun, rain, wind, snow) and the things and people I meet, to become more than the sum of their parts. Combine {insert random piece of music} with a sunrise, a river, wildlife, a friendly ‘morning!’ fresh air, cardiovascular exercise and helpful neurochemicals, and you have a hint towards life in all its fullness.
The above doesn’t seem so easy on the way home, it’s just as the day starts that it seems more possible to glimpse something true before the business of the day kicks in, before the popular noise takes over…
So in the words of a cheesy (we all need a little cheese) pop song “Thank you for the music…”.
As The Inkspots sang “I don’t want to set the world on fire…”.
As Liam O’maonlai and friends “some people jive when they hear music start, others just kneel…”.
As Mr Brown sang “have a funky good time…”
…But, before you crank up your musical choices, take a pause, unclench your fist, and take a listen to something else outside of the popular media…
I’ve just had some days off from ‘work’, and any ritual routines and soft disciplines have gone out the window. My daily endorphin hit and my usual duties have been replaced with some priceless time with my family, and time to conjure thoughts, needs and wants.
A certain old lady once said… “When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go…”
As I said last month, occasionally everything can seem utterly defeating… When found wanting, we tend to look for a validating script, a role, a purpose, a narrative. We seek value, reason, a righteousness… We like to come up with things to define stuff, things that help make sense of the worlds around us.
To differing degrees, I guess we are all wanting (or needing?) to paint something on the raw cave walls. Whether it be reading a novel, watching drama on TV, knocking a ball around a field, playing or listening to music, cultivating a garden, building machines, walking the dog, painting, giving blood, creating routine, eating healthily, writing, acting*… we all want to fill the void… I do find the human capacity to make more of what’s there exciting, perhaps it’s part of what makes us more than animal. It is to be encouraged, it is to be celebrated, it is to be respected.
I’m a person who likes to play with variables, I find it hard to accept definitions, I like to create more out less, or perhaps less out of more… (I am excited by the current Frank Bowling exhibition.) However, a problem with this approach is when you do find you need to rely on something it can be hard to find…
*A ‘retired actress’ character in a play I am currently in says she considers her ‘acting’ to be “the best escape you can have”, “escape from the burden of being oneself…”.
On reflection, I find that quite sad… rather than acting out an escape from the void, can we create acceptance, find enchantment, capture awareness of what we really have, where we really are, what we truly need, and not create a burden of want?
When you want me but no longer need me I can be hard to find…
You can see this ‘stuff on the wall’ in 2012: HERE
Gates ‘Belt Drive’. Gates say “Free yourself from oily, rusty chains… Clean. Smooth. Strong. … last longer than chains, never need grease and are nearly maintenance-free … goodbye to high-maintenance bike chains. Say hello to simplicity and fun”.
Shimano ‘Hub Gears‘.
The Shimano Alfine 8 speed. Shimano say “a stylish and sophisticated way to enjoy the ultimate urban riding experience”. Reviews are good: “…does an impressive work … you don’t have a problem with its weight … rapid and silent functioning … unpretentious maintenance”.
One of the reasons for the upgrade was gear, chain & chain-set wear & maintenance.
Over 6 years, I have discovered that bike commuting ~16 miles a day takes a large toll on the mechanics of a bike. The condition of our roads and bike paths throws dust, debris and all manner of crud into the mechanisms of a bike. Without regular cleaning and maintenance parts wear. Even with cleaning and maintenance parts wear! The novelty (and cost) of this is ok for some, but I am not naturally a dirty-hands bloke. I have to put a thankful word in, to the lads at City Cycles in Thurmaston – great service always!
But I digress, in 2017, my ‘Gazelle Ultimate S8‘ was supplied by the great folks at Leicester’s Future Cycles. If you have any questions or are up for investing in something that might change your life, speak to the guys at Future Cycles. There’s more to a good bike than the loud-brands will tell you!
But as I say – an update…
As mentioned before, one of the reasons for the choice was that on an urban commute, a chain/gear mechanism picks up so much muck and dirt that a regular adjustment, clean, degrease, lube etc is essential! Of course with a quality hub and belt, the bike still has to traverse the same paths, but the theory is there’s not so much mech to maintain. But, there still is mech to be wary of!
Other the planned service, my bike has had little attention, but after about 4000 miles (15 months) the rear sprocket needed attention as you can see below.
After consulting Future Cycles and the helpful folk at Velorution, I discovered that my S8 came with a ‘durable composite’ rear sprocket. This is the basic choice, and in retrospect knowing that I do ~80 miles weekly, I should have opted for a more durable one.
Thanks for the advice from Andy at Velorution, and I the fitting and service from Jon and Tim at Future Cycles. I now have a steel one. We’ll see how this fairs.
You can see below the state of the old one against the new one.
Words… Go Big Reach Love Find Swim Run Grasp Hello…
Without certain words, the futility of everything can seem utterly defeating.
So understandably we all look for a validating script, a role, a purpose…
As it’s been half-term I have of course been thinking too much, but hey that’s what I do.
Yes, I need to get out more – and I do try to.
I recently have been learning lines for a small local play – it’s been quite a while since I ‘acted’, so I am a tad apprehensive and nervous. I recall ‘reading’ (bad acting) Teddy in Pinter’s ‘The Homecoming’. I remember really attempting to know Doug in Lucy Gannon’s ‘Keeping Tom Nice’. I specifically remember a whole summer getting to know Lucky in Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’. I remember walking up and down a Cornish high street hunched in a mask as a wordless creature in a bowler hat. How could one possibly feel those words? “…quaquaquaqua … the heights of divine apathia divine athambia divine aphasia… unfinished!…”
As I learned years ago, as Stan’ said; “In the language of an actor, to know is synonymous with to feel”. Feel the words, feel the world around you. I tell you, I did feel something of a ‘Lucky’.
I am still learning this new play’s lines, but again, a key part is to make those lines real. Not just read or even speak them out, but live them out in the performance space.
A friend asked me recently “How many of us can hold on to hope in a hurricane? Is hope still good when wild winds rage?” My immediate thought was “Words can be powerful. It’s one of the only things to hold on to when nature roars…” But again, the key thing is to feel those words that we hold onto. Words can be powerful.
Unfortunately, some of the words I can’t shake are the mindless criticisms, the failing disappointments, the expectant comparisons… like devilish stains, they can colour our worldview. Thankfully, there are some other words that good friends have shared. The harsh words are often based around material or cultural expectations. The more creative words are more respectful; selfless, generous, forgiving, love-filled words.
So, especially when wild winds rage, stuff goes wrong, promises are broken, disease, damage and loss overwhelm us, and we feel utterly defeated, I pray that we might know, and feel, words that are more selfless, generous, forgiving, and loving. And I remind myself that I am still, and probably will always be, learning my lines.
Perhaps actions follow once we have helpful words…
Another friend has asked me to put some visual consistency to their services as a one-to-one science tutor.
As mentioned before when people see consistency and quality in your visual brand, it can convey strength, reliability, and professionalism.
So here below is a new logo and styling for KNTutoring in Leicester.
Kieran will use this on promotional posters etc as well as online to visually reinforce his services.
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As before a few designs were considered but the above was chosen.
I am still learning this new play’s lines, but again, a key part is to make those lines real. Not just read or even speak them out, but live them out in the performance space.
Jules P Richards 