I used to go to auctions all the time, initially dragged along by parents, I was a reluctant bystander, but I grew to enjoy these excursions and in later life enjoyed a positive buzz about the whole scene. Last craze of collecting was more than a decade ago – Art Deco ceramics Shelley, Myott, Burleigh […]
My very Favourite Tree. Why, because as a boy I can remember (from 6 or 7) I would hear the Autumn storms sweep in and be anxious to get out in the morning and scout the ground collecting conkers. I would watch fascinated as bigger boys would hurl large sticks high into the tree canopy […]
Foreigner Unplugged Entering the intimate arena of Shepherds Bush Empire I sniff the scent in the air and note the warm and welcoming sweet smell of pot! So a relaxed audience and as it proved, a relaxed and polished acoustic set delivered by a magnificent seven, led by Mr Foreigner himself, Mick Jones, on guitar – the man who composed […]
Do you remember the beloved I-SPY series? Pocket sized travel boredom cures from yesteryear, guaranteed to drive your navigating parents to dispair and only second in effectiveness to Barley Sugars. I-SPY Birds, Castles, Classic Cars, Wild Flowers, On a Car Journey, Flags, even On the Pavement… I must have had the lot (thanks Mum). Obsessing […]
Tulips have a dark and distant past – for many long forgotten. Tulips are still Vogue – an expression of love, voluptuousness, indulgence, art and fashion and they are just about to fire our imaginations again as Spring awakes from its slumbers. A member of the sprawling Liliaceae (Lily) family I was hooked several years […]
Bring on the confetti, it’s my Wedding Anniversary this week. Sitting in my bedroom some 21 years ago, in a slightly bizarre pre-marital musical brainwashing courtship ritual I produced a ‘I think you’ll like this’ style cassette compilation for the future Mrs Forté (I remember her being slightly less impressed with volume 2 by the […]
A couple of weeks back, we successfully landed the space craft at Aldeburgh Music for another mind expansion session programmed by the boundary pushing sonic assassins at Faster than Sound. Their events are like a 5th dimension version of Wire magazine, proper ‘did that just happen?’ avant head tilters. I’ve been hugely impressed by the […]
Rooks, are a member of the Corvidae family, one of the first bird to nest and raise their young, a sure sign of Spring’s eventual arrival even in mid-winter. In February, they rebuild their twig fortresses high in the tree tops, eggs arrive at end of the month or early March and youngsters hatch 16 days later. So why […]
A Murder Mystery evening – Now I know the concept may sound a little hackneyed but this evening event was an evening well spent. Mike Henderson has written and produced an excellent mystery ‘Dying For A Laugh’ The narrative unfolds in a ‘Fawlty Towers’ style hotel with a large cast of actors who play their […]
