Cloudland Blue : A Diary

A leisurely five hour birthday lunch...

2012-01-29T23:59:00.000Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Here Comes Mr Nice pt 1” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Various – Milano Jukebox
Sombre Reptiles – Music for Birthdays
The Mothers of Invention – Weasel’s Ripped My Flesh
Black Sabbath – Volume 4
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Callingstill
Frank Zappa – Laether

Up late and out to obtain some goodies for Anne...

...and croissants for breakfast, which were duly enjoyed...

Cards were opened...

This from me and Meg (in disguise)...

At 11:15, out and along to the bus stop...

...it is Annie’s birthday...

...and we were catching the bus to Leith...

We walked down from the bus stop in Great Junction Street, past several places we were not going to visit...

... to The Shore...

...to meet up with brother in law Keith and lovely wife Maureen at 12:30 for a leisurely afternoon of food, drink...

...and jazz...

At 5:30, not too much the worse for wear (despite what this badly lit, shaky image might suggest re your correspondent's condition)...

...we emerged into the gathering twilight...

...and took the bus home again...

Back home with Meg the Black Cat, some admin was undertaken while Anne watched the telly...

Highlight of the Day : Leisurely five hour birthday lunch...

Flesh ripped by a weasel apparently...

2012-01-28T23:59:00.002Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Going Down” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Brian Eno – Drums Between the Bells (Instrumental Disc)
Brian Eno – On Land
The Doobie Brothers – What Were Once Vices are Now Habits
John Lennon – Walls & Bridges
Barclay James Harvest – Live 74
The Kinks – Lola
Dr Feelgood – Stupidity
Elton John – Here & There Live in London & New York
Lone Star – Lone Star
Cream – Disreali Gears
Gordon Lightfoot – Don Quixote
The Mothers of Invention – Weasel’s Ripped My Flesh
The Mothers of Invention – Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Kiss – Kiss Alive!
Angel – Angel
Angel – Helluva Band
Angel - White Hot
Angel - Sinful

The leg seemed a bit better today – crutches put to one side...

I did not venture forth till later, however...

Up at 6:30 and updating this and then downloading more music to fill the gaps from my 1972-1983 list of music I used to own...

In all, sixteen albums gathered (see playlist) – although I confess I did not own any Angel at the time – but I was interested in them and they are now deemed to be “no bad”...

In 1977 and 1978 I bought a few Zappa albums it seems, though quite what I made of them at the time, I cannot recall...

I seem to remember it was the “less weird” stuff which I enjoyed – “Directly From My Heart to You” and “WPLJ” – these days, I enjoy it all and my Zappa quotient is increasing...

Still not driving due to the ankle, so Anne drove us to my mum’s around 1 and a good blether with her and with the Exec Producer was had, along with light lunch, coffee and biscuits - home made (by someone else) melting moments apparently...

Still much to do to sort out sister Pam’s situation...

Back home and, mostly, listening to Zappa and Kiss (and Angel) as we prepped for tonight’s night out...

Good news from Palmerston Park - Queens are off the bottom of the league at last after beating Greenock Morton 2-1 today – the new striker getting two on his debut...

The bottom club have three games in hand however...

Tough season for the Doonhamers...

At 6:30, we left the house – with Meg the Black Cat in charge...

...and Anne was forced to walk very slowly indeed by your hobbling correspondent down to the White Lady to meet up with Lynn, Ross, Brodski and Penny for drinks there and, then, along to Abida for an extremely tasty celebratory Indian nosh up...

Here is the aftermath...

Then, back along to the pub – Penny stopping off to check out cash machines re scamming - following a police visit to Anne’s work advising what to look out for and duly passed on to us all by the Exec Producer...

Chucked out at closing time, we bade farewell to our quartet of chums and we walked home (very slowly indeed up the steep route of Crispycat Hill) and to bed, already well into Annie's birthday...

Highlight of the Day : Celebrations with Anne and chums...

Return of the crutch...

2012-01-27T23:59:00.000Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Abstract Interlude No 2” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Elton John – Caribou
Katy Perry – One of the Boys
Ke$ha – Animal
Brian Eno – Clean OST
Brian Eno – Drums Between the Bells

Had to resprt to a crutch today re walking...

Was kept entertained however by Katy Perry and Ke$ha...

Due to the state of the leg by early evening, I called Jim Park to advise we'd be unable to make it to his much looked forward to Burns Night...

Instead, co-codamol ingested, I spent the evening with my leg up, lying on the sofa as we watched the final six (SIX!!) episodes of The Killing...

....which was good and distracting...

We have the second series waiting on the Tivo...

Retired with Brian Eno on the cans...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Perry and Ke$ha and, of course, The Killing...

Return of the gyp pt 956...

2012-01-26T23:59:00.008Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Nail Them Up” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight Live Version

A bright, late Winter/early Spring day...

Sadly, I was unable to enjoy it to its full extent due to the unexpected return of the inflamed Achilles tendon...

Argh!

Hobbling - but lifts provided by the Exec Producer to avoid the usual walks down and up Crispycat Hill...

Thirty two years ago today, Capital Models recorded "The Sweet Thrill of Industry" - that will mean nothing to you probably but it sticks in my mind...

The drummer was Jim Park...

Burns related tune writing for Jim's Burns night tomoroow put on hold re the gyp – in fact PC not even fired up all day...

“The Killing” overload with three episodes watched this evening prior to rounding things off with “This Week”...

Counting those recreated myself and burns gifted by Prog Rock Willie, 83 albums in physical form have joined the collection in 2012 so far...

The Shelf has been reinstigated...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : The Killing...

Reboot, remake, remodel...

2012-01-25T23:59:00.001Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Dirty Men in a Red Car” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Various – Albums Owned in the 70’s
The Rolling Stones - Rolled Gold
Deep Purple - 24 Carat Purple

Not much happened today, other than, I continued to download or create old albums I owned in the 70’s – today’s were, in particular, The Rolling Stones’ 1975 compilation, “Rolled Gold”...

...I, of course, recreated it on 2CD with the original tracklisting rather than the re-released version which contains a further twelve tracks and has the running order mixed up – and Deep Purple’s classic compilation, “24 Carat Purple”...

I have now recreated nearly 50 albums since the start of the year...

Oh yes - and I managed to have the Exec Producer's Netbok fully repaired and, in fact, improved, by IT Gurtu Martin - a different Martin from our other IT Guru, Martin, if you follow...

We had haggis for tea, in honour of the really not that entertaining or indeed good poet, Robert “Rabbie” Burns – we are off to a Burns Night at Jim Park’s on Friday and I have selected one of RB’s poems, anglicised it and intend to write a tune to it to perform on the night...

....and we watched another two episodes of the quite addictive, “The Killing” - quite apt then that today's track of the day is entitled "Dirty Men in a Red Car" - or maybe that should be red van...

Highlight of the Day : Living in the past...

From twelve to five...

2012-01-24T23:59:00.000Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“The Beautiful House” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight Live Set Version
Mott the Hoople – Brain Capers

Back to listening and, hopefully, learning the live set today...

In the evening more printing of covers re the “albums I used to own” project...

Three episodes of “The Killing” entertained...

Highlight of the Day : Re-owning lots of 5” versions of 12” albums I used to own...

Control, p...

2012-01-23T23:59:00.000Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Big Big Man” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Various – LPs I Owned in the 70’s

Loaded all the recent downloads into the jukebox this morning and enjoyed all the old albums on shuffleplay...

Back home, the new printer had arrived and the early art of the evening was spent setting it up...

Success...

It works via WiFi (unlike Anne’s netbook right now but hoping to have that sorted this week)...

Another episode of “The Killing” watched...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : New printer...

Reboot, cake and killing...

2012-01-22T23:59:00.000Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Lap of Luxury” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight Live Set Version
Dream Theater – When Dream and Day Unite
A Certain Ratio – The Graveyard and the Ballroom
Matthew Florianz – Koude Handen
Abba – The Singles 1973-1982 The First Ten Years
Abwaerts – Amok Koma
Andy Mackay – In Search of Eddie Riff
Adam & the Ants – Kings of the Wild Frontier
Grauzone – Grauzone
Herman Brood and His Wild Romance – Go Nutz
John Cale – Honi Soit
Man Parrish – Man Parrish

Up again at 6:30 and working on the proposed live set and updating various CBQ websites...

At 10 to PC world to enquire as to what might be done with Anne’s Netbook...

With tips received, back home...

By 4, while I had reinstalled the operating system and many of the drivers, connecting to the internet, which is really all Anne does with the machine, was still eluding me...

To Anne’s mum’s for the family tea, today celebrating Anne’s birthday next Sunday...

Back home and two more episodes of “The Killing” were enjoyed...

Lights out..

Highlight of the Day : The Killing...

Goosed, pt 658...

2012-01-21T23:59:00.001Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Walkout” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight Live Set Version

Up at 6:30 and further tweaking of the “live” version of the new album...

Out to Pattisserie Florentin at 10:30 to meet up with chums Lindsay and Guy...

A three hour breakfast was undertaken, the majority of the time spent chatting...

Pics were taken on both sides of the table...

Guy also showed us some of his top notch pics on his I-Pad from their extended stay in Edinburgh and a recent trip to Aviemore...

To B&Q and, in a rock’n’roll stylee, new curtains, blinds and a drill were acquired...

Back home had a couple of runthroughs of the proposed live set, recording one and posting it to the CBQ Live Site the first release of the new material...

Also finally posted up the CBQ tracks played at the house gig on 2 December, including versions of four songs from the forthcoming album...

In the evening, the first three episodes of “The Killing” impressed – just another 27 to go re both series - looking forward to them over the coming weeks...

Late on it appeared Anne’s netbook is goosed...

Aaargh!

Highlight of the Day : Three hour breakfast and new live set...

Preparatory work undertaken...

2012-01-20T23:59:00.005Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Everytime” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight Live Set Version

A reasonably red sky this morning, with icy pavements...

For the first time since possibly finishing the proposed new CBQ album back in early December, a day spent on my own music...

Started the prep for the gig in March by doing some judicious editing and remixing of the proposed new LP to get the songs into a 30 minute live set format...

In the evening, after spending some time researching Berlin accomodation and watching of an episode of "Coronation Street" followed by "Mastermind", the work continued, having listened to the morning work through the day re the edited actual tracks and set about editing and mixing the backing tracks...

The hours sped by...

Such is the nature of this work...

Highlight of the Day : Working on my music again after a long lay off...

Gapfill overload...

2012-01-19T23:59:00.001Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Short Story” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
65 Days of Static – The Fall of Math
And So I Watch You From Afar – Gangs
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight
Aphrodite’s Child – 666
AC/DC – High Voltage
Can – Future Days
Mannfred Mann’s Earthband - The Roaring Silence
Ralph McTell – Spiral Staircase
Chapman Whitney Streetwalkers – Red Card
The Rolling Stones – Some Girls
The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones
The Who – The Who Sell Out
Jeff Beck – Beckola
Wally – Wally
Ian Gillan Band – Clear Air Turbulence
Jeferson Airplane - Bark

There are dates throughout everyone’s year which hold a special significance...

The Nineteenth of January is one such for the Exec Producer and me, given that it marks the anniversary of our first date...

Thirty two years today...

Before any celebrations took place though, I returned to the Western General...

...and was discharged by Fiona the Physiotherapist, her being very pleased with the progress made re the gyp infested ankle...

She will keep my file open till mid February just in case but foresees no recurrence...

In the early evening, I met up with Anne in town and we walked to Cockburn Street and to Ecco Vino...

... for a celebrationary glass of vino rosso each...

...before nipping next door to the Ghurka Café...

...for an excellent meal, including the best Tandoori Lamb starter Anne has ever tasted (she advised)...

High praise indeed from the lovely lady...

We were home in time for Anne to catch the second half of tonight’s “Masterchef” while I, not content with a further five CDs gifted to me today by Prog Rock Willie, continued the “The Pointless Gap Filling Project”...

January is 19 days old – over 150 albums have joined the collection...

Owya...

Highlight of the Day : Celebrating with the Exec Producer...

Breakfast in Australia...

2012-01-18T23:59:00.002Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Abstract Interlude No 1” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Various – 50 Best Blue Note
Duke Ellington - Jungle Money
Electric Light Orchestra - Electric Light Orchestra I
Various - Electric 80s
Wishbone Ash - Pilgrimage
Udo Lindenberg – Votan Wahnwitz
The Velvet Underground – Lou Reed & The Velvet underground
The Bad Plus – Never Stop
Supertramp – Breakfast in America
The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter
Buffy Sainte-Marie – She Used to Wanna Be a Ballerina
Edgar Froese – Macula Transfer
The Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya Yas Out
Hawkwind – Quark Strangeness and Charm
Hawkwind – Astounding Sounds Amazing Music
Jade Warrior – Floating World
Arlo Guthrie – Alice’s Restaurant
Hawkwind – PXR5

First thing, Meg the Black Cat did not want me to leave and so took up a position on my hat...

Lunch today with chums Margaret, Fiona and Pamela – the latter is about to have her first baby...

Ghandi’s Indian Restaurant was the venue, no alcohol (apt re Pam) but tasty Thalis all round...

A flurry of communication from sister Pam’s chums in Hemel, probably coincidental that it all happened on the same day, good to hear from them all again and looking forward to seeing them in a few weeks’ time...

In the evening, a visit from sister Sheila, brother in law Andrew and mum – Sheila was collecting the old computer desk and chair...

Pictures were taken re a project by Oz chum Ryan...

After our visitors departed, Annie enjoyed “Masterchef” (seems like it’s never off the TV these days in one form or another), while I downloaded another clutch of albums to fill in the gaps in my collection...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Old music, Indian food, visitors...

The cat in the box pt 342...

2012-01-17T22:22:00.000Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
" We Are Still In Love" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Various - Last 9 Months Rock & Pop on Shuffleplay
The Who - Tommy OST
The Doors - Strange Days
Nightwish - Imaginaerum
Credo - Against Reason
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Don't Explain
Wishbone Ash - Elegant Stealth
Beth Hart - My California
Morricone - The Music of Ennio Morricone

Very annoyingly, having just spent twenty squid on new ink, the printer, a Kodak ESP 3 is on the blink...

I have read some reviews and it seems it is a crock of shit...

Kodak are always banging on about how cheap their ink is (erm, £20 for some ink??) but they have been rumbled recently into admitting that, when their printers start up, they use a load of ink to "clean the heads" so it doesn't work out any cheaper...

My next printer - probably my sixth or seventh in ten years - will not be a Kodak...

A charity shop at lunchtime provided music by The Doors and Ennio Morricone and a film by Jean Luc Goddard featuring The Rolling Stones...

In addition, Prog Rock Willie passed me five albums...

Back home, a very tasty indeed Spaghetti Bolognese by the Exec Producer nourished and the film "Paul", on loan from chum Lynn, entertained grandly...

Meanwhile, Meg the Black cat enjoyed the box in which the new chair arrived...

...before it was consigned to the bin...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Anne's cooking...

Living in the past...

2012-01-16T23:59:00.003Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Caged pt 2" from "Callingstill"

Playlist
Various - Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Golden Earring - The Blue Compilation
Steeleye Span - Now We Are Six
Saturnalia - Magical Love
Juicy Lucy - Lie Back and Enjoy It
Kingdom Come - Journey
Humble Pie - Thunderbox
Deep Purple - Stormbringer
Free - Free Live
The Carpenters - Horizon
The Glitter Band - Hey!
Rick Wakeman - Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Bay City Rollers - Once Upon a Star
The Byrds - Greatest Hits
Elton John - Caribou
Loggins & Messina - Full Sail
New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon
John Lennon - Rock'n'Roll
Lou Reed - Lou Reed
Eagles - On the Border
Beck Bogert & Appice - Beck Bogert & Appice
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
Bad Company - Straight Shooter
The Who - Tommy OST

The moon was up...

...as I made my way to the dentist first thing...

A tooth was to be removed...

It seems my message re preferring extraction to route canal treatment (RCT) had not been registered, as two injections were given and some rather painful drilling commenced...

With pain very much to the fore, Mr F advised RCT would not be possible...

I advised I thought I was to undergo an extraction...

Aha...

To the waiting room, hopefully to allow the two injections to kick in a little more...

Back to the chair but feeling remained - a third injection directly next to the offending tooth was attempted - it could be felt - the exercise was abandoned until early February...

Owya...

In the evening, I enjoyed the new desk...

...and watched some TV with Annie...

Late on, CDs were burned to fill the gaps in the stupid "replacing albums I used to own but no longer do" list - all in all a further 20 discs were created...

Of the 160 albums I appear to have purchased between 1972 and the end of 1975, only eight now elude me...

To bed...

Highlight of the Day : Living in the past...

Construction time again...

2012-01-15T23:59:00.000Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“Third Essence” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Various – Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Brian Eno – Drums Between the Bells
Young the Giant – Young the Giant
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Aftersilence
Cluster – Sowiesoso

Up around 6 and to the PC...

Amended the listening experience above from “Splinterheart” to the two discs of “Aftersilence”...

Added recent acquisitions to the recent (last 9 months) acquisitions jukebox...

Frosty...

To the local store for rolls before booking flights for late spring – heading to Berlin for the first time...

Out to Loanhead for lunch at my mum’s...

Sister Sheila popped by too...

Tomorrow I am to have a tooth removed – Sheila regaled me with tales of terror re recent similar situations she has experienced...

Thanks for that....

Then, to Ikea for the third time in as many weeks re the proposed new desk for the computer room...

Today, we finally bought one – and a new chair too...

Back home around 4:30 and, while Anne shopped for provisions, I built the desk...

At first, the PC tower would not go far enough underneath...

So, I deconstructed slightly and then reconstructed...

Satisfactory - apart perhaps for the wires...

Post a tasty tea of pork chops with home made apple sauce, I set about constructing the chair...

Job completed...

...just in time for tonight’s “Sherlock” – very enjoyable indeed – this was the last but I want more...

“Sportscene”, featuring Hearts’ performance from yesterday and an appearance from their manager as guest pundit, rounded off the day...

Highlight of the Day : New desk and chair at last...

Not nodding off....

2012-01-14T23:59:00.001Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“You Haunt Me pt 2” from “Callingstill” (1997)

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Callingstill
And So I Watch You From Afar – Gangs
Various – Zunior Compilation 6.14
Various – Zunior Compilation 6.15
Athlete – Beyond the Neighbourhood
Bella – String Quartet & String Quintet
Duke Ellington – Money Jungle
Grechaninov – String Quartets
Michiko Kamiya – Violin Recital
Beethoven – Cello Sonatas
Young the Giant – Young the Giant
Beethoven – Piano Sonatas
Grieg – Lyric Pieces
Chopin – Piano Sonatas

Up around 6 and to the PC...

My latest idea – to add a CBQ track of the day to each entry for 2012 – and so, the first 13 tracks from the 1997 triple CD set, “Callingstill” were added (the 14th track is above)...

A nip to PC world for ink and blank CDs to keep stocks up...

Into town with Anne, dropping her off and being driven to distraction by the road works re the billion pound replacement for the number 22 bus that is the “Edinburgh Tram” (just the one)...

I wonder if they are, this time, actually laying some track or are they just putting more retailers out of business?

Finally got parked and walked to George Street to meet with Anne again, post her eye check up and, for the first time this year, with Dr Prog...

To Café Centro for coffee etc...

Porridge for the, quite literally, big man, tasty looking tasty things for my companions...

Then, Dr Prog went a bit OTT on the cake front...

Good chat re football and progressive rock was undertaken and enjoyed by the trio of chums...

Anne bade us adieu and returned home to prep for this afternoon’s 5-2 thrashing (despite having a man sent off in the first half) by Hearts of CBQ’s home town team St Mirren (Queens held league leaders Ross County to a 0-0 draw in Dumfries but remain bottom)...

Meanwhile, Dr Prog and I perused the latest wares in Fopp...

I selected some classical stuff...

I am a sucker for string quartets and partook of discs by, unknown before today to me, composers Bella and Grechaninov...

A 2CD violin recital by Japanese winner of a Hanover International Violin competition, Michiko Kamiya and a 2CD set of Beethoven’s cello sonatas also joined the large amount of discs in the back room at Crispycat Towers...

Added to this was my first ever Duke Ellington disc, from 1962 with Charlie Mingus and Max Roach, “Money Jungle”, a track from which recently impressed on the “50 Best Blue Note” box set purchased just before Xmas...

Back to George Street and to the Wham Church (St Andrew’s & St George’s) as opposed to the Beatles Church on York Place (St Paul’s & St George’s) for a piano recital by Mr Tom Poster...

A quite superb way to spend two hours on a Saturday afternoon – the beautiful Sgambati transcription of the theme from Gluck’s “Orfeo and Euridice” kicked off the set, followed by 9 miniatures, five by Kurtag and one each by four who influenced said Kurtag pieces, Bartok, Bach, Tchaikovsky and Kabelevsky...

The first half was rounded off by Beethoven’s late sonata in E Major, Opus 109, while the second half comprised Grieg’s Lyric Pieces, Opus 43 and Chopin’s Sonata in B Flat Minor, Opus 35, the one with the famous Death March...

Played in a good space...

Brilliant...

I did not nod off...

A bus home to listen to and rip the new acquisitions and await Annie’s return...

The evening was spent catching up on stuff recorded over Xmas, Eddie Izzard in “The Lost Christmas” and the animated film “Monsters v Aliens” and rounded off with “Live at the Apollo” and “Match of the Day” which, for me, was soundtracked by the piano pieces from earlier today...

Lights out on a good Saturday, what would have been my dear old dad’s 82nd birthday and the 10th anniversary of the slipping away of our much loved and much missed Crispy the Kitten – good that we now have the lovely wee Meg the Black Cat...

Highlight of the Day : Piano recital...

And so I flew in from afar...

2012-01-13T23:59:00.002Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Apprentice" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Various - Top 100 of 2011
Young the Giant - Young the Giant
Bang On A can - Big Beautiful Dark & Scary
And So I Watch You From Afar - Gangs
And So I Watch You From Afar - And So I Watch You From Afar
And So I Watch You From Afar - This Is Our Machine and Nothing Can Stop It EP
And So I Watch You From Afar - Letters EP
And So I Watch You From Afar - Straight Through the Sun Without a Scratch EP
And So I Watch You From Afar - Tonight the City Burns EP

Breakfast...

..comprised more than the fruity concoction above...

I was in much better fettle than yesterday morning - not nearly so hung over and glad I'd not stayed out all night like some...

Out again, past the BBC...

...and a different route into town...

There's a kind of New York feel to much of the architecture...

Back to the City Hall...

...and down towards Harland and Wolf - but did not go all the way...

Instead, a return visit to HMV resulted in the purchase of Belfast band And So I Watch You From Afar's second album "Gangs" along with the debut by Californians, Young the Giant...

Chances being taken...

I stumbled across a White Stuff and a present for the Exec Producer was procured...

This impressive building stood opposite the branch of Anne's favourite shop...

Heading back to the hotel, this plaque to Belfast's most famous ship...

The Titanic...

Once again, past City Hall...

...and back toward the hotel, spotting a plane crossing the sky...

I could not resist...

Checked out and then, up to The Crown, apparently Belfast's most bombed pub - but not in the "troubles", rather the Second World War (I think anyway)...

Some lovely workmanship...

...and, for the first time that I can recall, I had a pint of Guinness...

It was not bad...

Taxi to the airport for a few of us, with the intention of taking the 4:20 rather than 7:25 flight back home to Edinburgh...

Mission accomplished re the tickets and to the plane...

An uneventful flight...

Landed around 5 and met up with the Exec Producer at the bottom of Crispycat Hill...

Home to Meg the Black Cat and listening to the new purchases...

And So I Watch You From Afar impressed so much I immediately set about downloading as much of their music as I could find...

In addition to this, the collection continued to expand with a 2CD download, "Big Beautiful Dark & Scary", from Bang on a Can, celebrating 25 years - go here to get it yourself direct from the band (only until 26 January though)...

A very enjoyable trip all told but good to be back home...

Highlight of the day : Home to Annie and Meg and discovering a great new band...

Ginger not minger...

2012-01-12T23:55:00.005Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Cortege" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Various - Top 100 Albums 2011
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightbright

Up reasonably early and to breakfast to hear the exploits from last night...

Out for a walk...

The hotel...

...was opposite the BBC building...

I walked into the town centre, past some reasonably-good-to-look-at buildings...

...and up to the impressive City Hall...

...then, along to "Progressive House" - it wasn't a club...

In preparation for the trip, I had researched all the record shops in Belfast and printed off a map - now I was walking round them...

The first, opposite Progressive House, was Dragon Records...

...at 9:52 am...

...it was shut...

I walked on through the town centre..

...and came to Premier Record Stores...

Despite being the oldest Record Store in Ireland, it did not impress...

Round the corner, the famous Good Vibrations was shut down...

The walk continued back to Dragon Records - it was now well beyond their opening time of 10am...

It remained well and truly shut...

In fact, all the shops I had noted on my map were either shit, shut, shut down or no longer in existence...

Rather disappointingly, only HMV held any promise...

I noted an interesting section dedicated to local bands - I partook of nothing but thought I might return tomorrow...

I started the walk back to the hotel...

...donating some cash to this busker, who advised his home-made (in 1984) machine was a "violin-trumpet"...

I believed him...

On, through the arcade...

...past the City Hall again...

...past this tall building again...

...and round to the local Weatherspoons where I was able to partake of their WiFi to catch up on e-mails...

Back round by the BBC...

...and today's drinking session began...

After spending probably too much time in the very expensive hotel bar, we set out in search of Kelly's Cellars and, after a few false starts, finally found it...

It had a slight, shall we say, "Republican" bent...

This was not a problem as far as I was concerned - and it was cosy and good...

...with a welcome roaring fire...

...and an old man with a beard...

...and portraits of the original Wolf Tones - this Barry Manilow look a like was apparently the "lucky" one, in that he was "only" hanged, as opposed to being hung drawn and quartered like his colleagues...

Taxis back to the vicinity of the hotel and to the excellent Ginger Bistro for a quite superb three course meal accompanied by more red wine and various other types of alchoholic beveridge than you could shake the proverbial stick at....

Tasty...

Indeed, tastier than it looks in the picture above...

After much eating, drinking, carousing and, in general, shenanigans, we left the restaurant around midnight...

At this point, your correpsondent once again bailed, deciding not to partake in the taxi rides around the city to various clubs and pubs where gaining entry would be succesful or not depending upon the whims of the doormen and their ability to detect the nuggetness of my chums...

Suffice to say, several of them were still out and about beyond 4am...

I, however, was in the land of nod...

Highlight of the Day : The fayre of the Ginger Bistro...

The fast of belle...

2012-01-11T23:59:00.004Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Road Rage" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Various - 100 Best of 2011
Uriah Heep - Into the Wild

A three day trip to Belfast with chums Julio, JK, Kris-with-a-K, JY Johnny, Spike, Baz, Gaz, Gav, Lodger Dodger, Bernardo, Raymondo, Wheelers, Frodo and Big Al today, tomorrow and Friday...

Out into the not so dark around 8, the moon was out but my camera wasn't quite up to it...

The trip commenced in the early afternoon at the CBQ cancelling Melville Lounge...

Taxi to the airport and a half hour flight to Belfast, with more drinks in the departure lounge...

An uneventful flight...

And we arrived at Belfast International Airport - which is a £30 taxi ride away from Belfast....

For some reason we had to have another drink before getting taxis to the hotel...

Drinks at the hotel before going out for, erm, drinks....

Is there a pattern emerging here?

By midnight, I was a little too much the worse for wear to continue with my chuns and so called it a night and retired to bed...

My colleagues were out till beyond 4 am...

Highlight of the Day : Getting to bed...

The bass awaits...

2012-01-10T23:52:00.004Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Lucifer Falling" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Various – 70’s & Early 80’s Albums on Shuffleplay
Wire - Pink Flag
The Carpenters – Horizon
Nilsson – Nilsson Schmilsson
The Mothers of Invention - We're Only In It For the Money
The Mothers of Invention - Absolutely Free
The Mothers of Invention - Uncle Meat
Frank Zappa - Hot Rats

Nothing much happened today...

Legal work again – probably won’t have everything sorted till the Summer time...

Some Tivo’d TV - watched “Lee Mack Going Out” and “Hacks”...

I am away for the next three days – Meg the Black Cat will need to keep the Exec Producer company...

Meanwhile, the bass guitar awaits its use on the next album...

Maybe I'll add some thirty two year old synth and some twenty three year old keyboards too...

Highlight of the Day : Hacks – and old 70’s owned music on the jukebox...

The idiot bastard son...

2012-01-09T23:43:00.004Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Coming Home Today" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Various - Jukebox on Shuffleplay
10cc – How Dare You
Black Widow – Black Widow IV
Free – Free
Free – Free at Last
Nazareth – Razamanaz
T Rex – Electric Warrior
Deep Purple – Fireball
Lothar and the Hand People – Presents
Boston – Boston
The Doobie Brothers - The Captain and Me

Legal stuff today re Pam, in the vicinity of these buildings and under these blue skies...

At home, rather than downloading, an evening spent burning downloaded albums and printing covers - until the printer ran out of ink...

In the last nine days I've downloaded over 100 albums and, so far, burned 24 - gaps are being filled...

The question must be asked though...

Why?

This is how an idiot wastes his time...

“University Challenge” and “Sherlock” entertained very nicely indeed...

That was about it...

Highlight of the day : Sherlock...

Not exactly Buddy Rich...

2012-01-08T23:24:00.007Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"You Haunt Me pt 1" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Golden Earring – The Naked Truth
Gentle Giant – GG at the GG
Gentle Giant - Pretentious
Halloween, Alaska – All Night the Calls Came In (Instr Version)
Elton John – Caribou
Golden Earring – Moontan (European Tracklist)
Grand Funk – Monumental Funk
Santana –Greatest Hits
Grand Funk Railroad – Grand Funk
Spock’s Beard – High Voltage 2011
John Lennon – Rock’n’Roll
Status Quo – Dog of Two Head
Bay City Rollers – Once Upon a Star
Black Widow – Sacrifice
Deep Purple – Concerto for Group & Orchestra
Deep Purple – Burn
Rough Diamond – Rough Diamond
Soft Machine - Bundles

A distinct lack of David Bowie on the playlist today, despite the fact it was his 65th birthday...

I have listened to him for over forty years though so that's probably ok...

More “work” on the downloading and replenishing project...

Up at 6 and “working” till 9:30...

Anne was in the throes of a bad headache and so unable to accompany me on the morning’s tasks...

Drove over to my mum’s and we had a wee chat about this that and the next thing – including how much we were missing Pam and how even the smallest thing could remind us of her absence...

With mum off to church, another visit to Ikea, again in search of a new computer desk – again to no avail...

Tried to find Lawson’s Tiber to get a cut to size piece of Perspex to try and keep the wind out of our skylight...

Another to no avail scenario so I ended up in a large B&Q and bought some rubbishy flimsy plastic sheeting which will no doubt fly away...

A walk in to Staples re their desks...

A distinct lack of avail...

Home after three hours and more time spent downloading albums I used to own...

To Anne’s mum’s for family tea – very tasty...

...after which I tried to teach niece Kitty the rudiments of rhythm – she enjoyed drumming on a biscuit tin and some glasses...

Home too late to catch the start of “Sherlock” and decided instead to watch the film “(500) days of Summer”...

I remembered we have it on DVD – or rather Pam had it – she bought it on the day of our first visit to The Beatson when we had lunch and went to Fopp by way of celebrating that things didn’t seem then to be as bad as they might have been...

Of course, at that time, we didn’t know they’d got it wrong...

Less than two weeks later she was in The Western, unable to speak...

I enjoyed the film but it made me rather sad to know that Pam bought it but never got the chance to see it...

Highlight of the Day : Watching Pam’s movie and remembering her...

Take a look at these hands...

2012-01-07T23:59:00.004Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Blind" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Alice Cooper – School Days
Emerson Lake & Palmer – The Very Best of
Philip Glass – Obras Maestras
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
The Glitter Band – Hey!
Clouds – Watercolour Days
New York Dolls – Too Much Too Soon
The Rolling Stoners – Gimme Shelter
Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits
Various Composers – The World of Your 100 Best Tunes : The Top 10
Brian Eno – Clean OST
Bay City Rollers – Rollin’
Santana – Greatest Hits
Golden Earring - Golden Earring (Blue Compilation)
Golden Earring – On the Double
Golden Earring – Eight Miles High
Golden Earring - Together
Golden Earring – Moontan (European Tracklist)
Automatic Man – Automatic Man
Bad Company – Bad Co
Bad Company – Straight Shooter
Golden Earring - The Wall of Dolls
Francoise Hardy – Sings in English
Focus – In and Out of Focus
Focus – Ship of Memories
Focus – Mother Focus
Bob Dylan – Another Side of Bob Dylan
Francoise Hardy – Francoise
Strawbs – Ghosts
Lou Reed – Lou Reed
Crosby Stills Nash and Young – Deja Vu

Up early and to the PC...

I have started downloading albums previously bought (on vinyl in the 70’s and early 80’s) but now missing from the collection...

After a couple of hours of that, it was out to the podiatrist for the first time in just over two years...

And so, now on the advice of the physiotherapist, I was back in the capable hands of the lovely Helen...

She tended nicely to my feet and ordered a couple of very expensive indeed inputs for my shoes to stop the effect of my flat feet which is taking its toll on my ankles, knees, hips and back...

Back home and, after some shenanigans up in the loft - which included extracating the bass guitar for proposed work on the new LP, the rest of the daylight hours were spent on the music project – hence the rather large playlist...

Anne watched Hearts scrape a 1-0 win against Auchinleck Talbot at Tynecastle..

Meanwhile, Queen of the South thrashed Partick Thistle, erm 1-0, with a goal in the 89th minute against the run of play – but, hey, that’s the Cup...

In the evening, over to Dunfermline...

...for a very tasty indeed and long time arranged post Xmas/post New Year Indian at Kushi’s...

My companions on the evening were chums Angie and Kerry...

...Chris-with-a-ch, who insists on sticking his hand over his face when being photographed so gets this posted up...

...and the Exec Producer...

...complete with fetching new hat...

For once, I wasn’t driving (due to continued leg gyp) – however, this led to this situation...

...no idea what it was about...

Out into the Dunfermline night...

..and back home, not too much the worse for wear, despite what the picture above might suggest...

Highlight of the Day : Sourcing music I used to have / night out to Kushi's...

Frosty, pink, blue...

2012-01-06T23:59:00.003Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Cornfield" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight
10cc – Sheet Music

A frosty morning...

A blue and pink sky first thing...

At lunchtime, down to Stockbridge - a wee change from Fopp...

...and trawling around the charity shops...

A nice walk back up to town...

...over the Dean Bridge, above the path we walked along recently from roseburn to Stockbridge of a Sunday morning...

...having purchased some 10cc and some Philip Glass...

A relaxing evening which ended in the back room with Meg the Black Cat listening to one of the latest purchases...

Meg prefers Gentle Giant...

Highlight of the Day : A variation in shopping for music...

Twenty seven in five...

2012-01-05T22:00:00.005Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"She's Watching TV" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Various – Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Covers
Cloudland Blue Quartet – November 11 Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet – McKenzie Sclater Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Souvenir XIX
Udo Lindenberg – Alles Klar auf der Andrea Doria
Udo Lindenberg – Ball Pompos
Udo Lindenberg – Votan Wahnwitz
Udo Lindenberg – Galaxo Gang
Udo Lindenberg – Udopia
Kraan – Kraan
Kraan – Wintrup
Kraan – Andy Nogger
Kraan – Let It Out

Soundtracked today by acoustic CBQ music from the last six months – looking to determine what songs to play at my next outing...

I must rehearse a little more methinks...

Back to the Western....

....to see Fiona the Physio, who advised progress is being made, gave me a new exercise regime and an appointment for two weeks’ time...

In a charity shop at lunchtime, two books partaken of "A History of Europe" and ""This Sceptered Isle" - no doubt they will languish on a shelf for years to come, before ending up in a skip once I've kicked the bucket...

HMV sale – nothing...
Back home though, two tasty parcels from Switzerland had arrived..

A 5CD set of early Udo Lindenberg and a 4CD set of Kraan...

While I await the arrival of Grand Funk's second album, German music was the soundtrack this evening, in between which, “Big Bang Theory” was enjoyed...

So fifth day of the year and CDs acquired thus far number twenty seven...

Idiot...

Of course, I’ve not yet actually bought any in 2012 – I’ve either downloaded for free or received stuff bought at the end of last year...

Highlight of the Day : Udo Lindenberg...

Music is a time machine, pt 342...

2012-01-04T23:54:00.003Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Thinking of Me" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Various - Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Various – Music from the 1970’s
Lee Morgan – Cornbread
Geoff Love – Favourite TV Themes
Steeleye Span – Parcel of Rogues
Steeleye Span – Now We Are Six
Saturnalia – Magical Love
Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come – Journey
Humble Pie – Thunderbox
Loggins & Messina – Full Sail
Rick Wakeman – Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Tim Curry – Read My Lips

To the library today through the wind, rain and Grassmarket...

...to return the three box sets borrowed a few weeks ago – enjoyed the Sly & The Family Stone the other day...

Meg the Black Cat had wanted to come with me...

A quick nip into FOPP but nothing took my fancy...

On the way home, the street has been unblocked but the evidence remains...

Back home, the fourth of four end of the year purchases from Amazon’s marketplace arrived, another tasty Blue Note set by Mr Lee Morgan...

In the evening, returned to my list of LPs bought between 1972 and 1983 and added all the LPs I still have to this, noting which of the 72-83 purchases are still in my collection and all the LPs I must have acquired post 1983...

A goodly number of the listed LPs are now long missing from my collection, many for the good reason that they were bought due to their price rather than anything else and turned out to be shite...

Nonetheless, I spent probably too much time downloading a few for free from some rather dodgy websites around the net...

I felt no guilt doing this as (a) I didn’t really want them other than because I used to have them and (b) I already paid for them back in the 70s...

I downloaded nine in all, with Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come being the ace in the pack – very much ahead of its time...

Once again, this is how I waste my time – but I enjoy it so, so what...

Highlight of the day : Finding some old LPs and realising they’re still not that great but not being bothered...

Stormy Tuesday...

2012-01-03T23:59:00.004Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Last Days of the Empire" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Various – Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Rheostatics – Commodore Ballroom 18/08/00
Rheostatics – Horseshoe Tavern 16/02/01
Grand Funk Railroad – Live
Grand Funk Railroad - Grand Funk
Sly and the Family Stone – A Whole New Thing
Pet Shop Boys – Performance
The Who – Tommy
Beck Bogert & Appice - Beck Bogert & Appice
Various – 1970s LPs

Woke at 4 but didn’t rise till 5...

Downstairs for some work on the stupid lists of LPs I used to own...

Upstairs and updated this, having decided to keep it going...

Breakfast at home with a storm outside – 100mph winds, trees uprooted, bridges closed etc etc...

Downloaded a couple of Rheostatics concerts...

“Only an Excuse” watched...

A Pet Shop Boys DVD soundtrack burned to a 2CD set for chum Chris-with-a-ch – I’m sure I did this for him in 2009...

Then more “work”, adding all the LPs I still have which I don’t think I have on CD to the “big list of LPs I used to have”...

Then, prep for going out...

Some results of the storm could be seen up the street...

...but the full effect wasn’t to be seen till later...

To Le Divan for 7:30...

...to meet up with chums Lindsay and Guy who are in Edinburgh till the end of the month before returning to their home in France...

I first met Lindsay in 1964 when she was around one year old – she is the daughter of my mum’s chums Lex and Moira, whom we visit a few times a year in Bearsden...

Drinks and chat were enjoyed before we moved upstairs to la P’tite folie for a slap up meal with mucho vino and more splendid chat...

So good in fact that I forgot to take any pics...

Around 11 we headed home...

...to find the full extent of the storm which blew in early this morning...

Shame for the trees, they had no insurance...

Highlight of the Day : Night out with Lindsay and Guy...

Your own, unproportional Jesus...

2012-01-02T23:59:00.007Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"Attention to Detail" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Gentle Giant – Pretentious
King Crimson – The Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson
Various – Milano Jukeboxes 2001-2010
DDHR – The Drone Effect
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Souvenir XIX
Pergolesi – Il Flaminio
Cecilia Bartoli – Maria

With Annie back in the swing today, it was off to Patisserie Florentin for breakfast - no croissants though due to the holidays...

Then, it seemingly being a "nice dasy", we drove down the A7 into the Borders - my first time behind the wheel since Xmas Day...

Through an uninviting Galashiels and on to Selkirk...

..whose main attraction is an old church and its graveyard...

...but these were quite nice too...

It was freezing and we took refuge in the Selkirk Deli...

...where nourishment was partaken of...

...coffees were enjoyed - Anne's is not very far away, it's just very small...

...and the baby Jesus, albeit not a very proportionately correct baby Jesus, lay next to us in the window...

On to Hawick but, with my leg now signalling the onset of possible gyp, Annie took over the driving...

A stroll around the town and down by the river...

Back to the main street and Annie partook of a new hat and fleece in a shop opposite this tower...

Back up towards Edinburgh with the light fading...

...and preparations for worsening weather...

I liked this traffic light for some reason...

An abortive desk buying attempt at Ikea was followed by a visit to my old mum to wish her a Happy New Year and accidentally break her bathroom light switch...

Despite this last, she was on good form...

Home and my CBQ remix of my 1977 recording "The Drone Effect"...

...along with various other music, soundtracked much stupid moving around of CDs...

...the Living Room shelf now carries all my "Now That's What I Call Music" CDs - not the real ones, the ones I've made myself to my own tastes - however, they are around ten years worth of favourite music not yet recorded there...

Another pointless exercise beckons...

"Endeavour", a prequel to "Morse" was very much enjoyed before we turned in...

Highlight of the Day : Road trip...

Deciding to keep going...

2012-01-01T23:59:00.022Z

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Track of the Day
"This Is All There Is Pt 1" from "Callingstill" (1997)

Playlist
Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper – Muscle of Love
Alice Cooper – School’s Out
David Bowie – Aladdin Sane
David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust
Mott the Hoople -All the Young Dudes
T Rex - Ride a White Swan
Uriah Heep - demons and Wizards
Alice cooper - Love it to Death
The Velvet Underground – Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground
Michael Quatro – In Collaboration with the Gods
Alice Cooper – School Days
Ringo Starr – Ringo
Cream – Cream On Top
Gentle Giant - Pretentious

Well, I swithered long and hard about whether to continue this drivel into yet another year, my eighth...

But I'm typing this up early doors on the 3rd of January having decided to keep it going...

I know it's rubbish really but, mainly, it's so, on each day, I can look back and see what I was doing on said day the year before and the year before that etc etc...

What kind of persuaded me was something I was doing tomorrow (at the time of writing, yesterday), which was continuing with yet another pointless, time wasting project I started on New Year's Day...

I found an old excel spreadsheet of albums I owned on vinyl, ordered chronologically re when I made the purchases...

I re-started analysing how many of these I now have on CD (68%) and which, if I don't have, I have on a hard drive or from which I have tracks on various compilations...

Hell, I even started recreating some of the albums in little plastic sleeves...

An old Velvet Underground compilation I bought in 1975...

...the Alice Cooper double set of their first two LPs re-released in an excellent sleeve in 1973 to cash in on their "biggest band in the world" status at that point...

A Gentle Giant compilation, with an excellent, tongue in cheek title...

...erm, Ringo Starr?

...and Cream - so rare I couldn't find a decent scan of the cover...

Anyway, I had initially only listed the titles and now I was adding the performers, most of which I knew by heart but, for some of which, I had to return to the original source of the information on the list - my diaries and charts from 1972 to 1983 (amazing to think I "only" bought records for around 14 years but have been buying CDs now for nearly twice as long)...

I actually used to keep written diaries back in those days - mostly drivel like this - what I did today, work on music carried out and lists of music bought and acquired...

It was disappointing when I came across long periods where I obviously just couldn't be bothered writing down what I'd done...

So there you go - that's why this is continuing - though why it needs to be published on the net for all to see is another question of course...

So, first day of a new year and, apart from the above, what did I do today...

Up at 10 after a bad night's sleep and tidied up and did all the dishes whilst Annie slept on...

When Annie eventually surfaced around 11:15, it was clear she wasn't doing too well...

We enjoyed the annual ritual of the New Year’s Day Concert from Vienna - now just one more thing which will always remind me of sister Pam...

Then a charming film from 2008 with an excellent performance from Peter O'Toole, "Dean Spanley" - an initially weird concept which ended very poignantly indeed - regarding a dog reincarnated as a clergyman...

You had to be there...

Then, while Anne continued to feel unwell and snoozed on the sofa under a downie, I commenced the project referred to above...

In the early evening, we watched and wondered about "The Gruffalo" and "The Gruffalo's Child" - hugely disappointing but, like "Harry Potter" I suppose you reap what you sow when you watch children's stuff...

More listing and recreating of old albums followed...

Then the new episode of the TV version of "Sherlock Holmes" - set in the present - another excellent film - and Anne started to perk up a bit for this, followed by "Match of the Day 2"...

Ended the first day of the year with some more listing before hitting the sack, once again having done nothing of any import all day...

Highlight of the Day : Listing, recreating and Sherlock Holmes...

Adios 2011, may we never see your likes again...

2011-12-31T23:59:00.002Z

Playlist
Various – Top 100 Albums 2011
King Crimson – The Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson
Various – Milano Jukeboxes 1998-2010
John Renbourn – Another Monday
John Renbourn – Sir John A Lot
Graham Bond – Solid Bond
The Killers – Hot Fuss

Last day of the year and, frankly, it's not been a good one...

Almost every well wisher who has mailed or texted or visited today and over the last few days has said, "surely 2012 can't be as bad for you as 2011"...

This is a sentiment that I cannot but agree with...

But it has to be onwards and upwards now...

Up super-early - still not sleeping correctly...

With my now having seven of the 40th Anniversary King Crimson remasters, I decided to recreate the classic 1975 compilation "The Young Person's Guide to King Crimson" - which I bought as a Christmas present to myself back in 1978...

This is how I waste my time...

Initially, I was going to try and recreate all the edits involved but then I decided to include all full tracks and also to add a third disc featuring 1969-1974 tunes chosen by Robert Fripp to appear on subsequent compilations...

Done, listened to - excellent...

Fine tuned the Top 100 after more listening yesterday...

A good sign that around half the CDs I acquired made it to the long-list stage - but my final selections are perhaps a little predictable given my long-standing musical tastes...

A few mentions though of people kind of "discovered" in 2011 but who didn't quite make the final cut...

Alonso Arreola Project
Charts & Maps
The Douglas Firs
Dutch Uncles
Empty Yard Experiment
Lady Antebellum
Memories of Machines
Morrow's Memory
No Sound
Pagan's Mind
Quaoar
Sky Architect
Symphony X
Von Hertzen Brothers
White Denim
Everything Everything
Ke$ha
Broken Records
Amy Millan
Broken Social Scene
Glen Hansard
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Laura Nyro
The Yardbirds

...and composers too...

Metcalfe
Viotti
Ives
De LaLande
Kraus

Spent some time transferring Annie's 21 Milano Jukebox CDs I've compiled for her since 1998 to MP3 files on the hard drive - painstakingly typing in all the artists and titles...

This to burn to a couple of discs to help soundtrack this evening's eating, drinking and carousing with chums Lynn and Ross...

Watched "Sherlock Holmes" in the afternoon with Annie - top film and kudos to the much maligned Guy Ritchie for his direction - of course Downey and Law make a great double act...

Very entertaining...

In the evening, we saw out 2011 with the aforementioned Lynn and Ross - with two very tasty curries from the Exec Producer and lashings of lager from around the world, red wine and, for our guests, whisky too...

Games were played, laughs were had, Meg the Black Cat stayed up well beyond her bedtime and 2012 was ushered in...

The year was 4 hours old by the time we called it a night...

Bidding our guests farewell, it was off to bed, somewhat the worse for wear...

On into 2012 we go - hopefully it will be better than the disaster movie of the same name...

Highlight of the day : Putting 2011 behind us...

Top 100 of 2011...

2011-12-31T23:59:00.000Z

Top 100 of 2011 (100 of 257 Long-Listed)

Rock & Pop (50 of 178 Long-Listed)

New Albums (10 of 40)

Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!
Brian Eno - Drums Between the Bells (2CD)
Peter Gabriel - New Blood
Jakszyk Fripp & Collins - A Scarcity of Miracles
Levin Torn White - Levin Torn White
Neal Morse - Testimony Two (2CD)
Uriah Heep - Into the Wild
Yes - Fly From Here

Recent Albums (10 of 24)

Adrian Belew – e
Dio – Magica
Everything Everything – Man Alive
Brandon Flowers – Flamingo
GPS – Window to the Soul
Halloween, Alaska – Champagne Downtown
Jorn – Dio
Ke$ha – Animal
Lady Antebellum – Need You Now
Jordan Rudess – The Road Home

Re-Issued Albums (10 of 55)

Graham Bond – Solid Bond
John Cale – Slow Dazzle
Brian Eno – On Land
Brian Eno – More Music For Films
King Crimson - Islands (CD & DVD)
King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black (CD & DVD)
Neu! – Neu! 75
Klaus Schulze – Cyborg (2CD)
Van der Graaf Generator – H to He Who Am the Only One
Van der Graaf Generator – Pawn Hearts

Compilations (10 of 23)

The Alice Cooper Group – Old School 1964-1974 (4CD, 2DVD, LP, 7")
DAF – Das Beste von DAF
Bob Dylan – Biograph (3CD)
Family – In Their Own Time (2CD)
King Crimson – The Young Person’s Guide to King Crimson (3CD-R)
Mott the Hoople & Ian Hunter – The Journey (3CD)
Laura Pausini – The Platinum Collection (3CD)
Pink Floyd – Echoes (2CD)
Herman Van Veen – 100 (5CD)
Dar Williams – Many Great Companions (2CD)

Live Albums (5 of 21)

Fripp & Eno – Paris 1975 (3CD-R)
Robert Fripp – New York 2010 (2CD-R)
Gentle Giant – GG at the GG (CD & DVD)
Michael Rother – New York 2010 (CD-R)
Yes – In the Present : Live From Lyon (2CD & DVD)

Various Artists Collections (5 of 16)

Various - The Blues Scene
Various - High Voltage 2011 (2CD-R)
Various - Natural Progression (20CD-R)
Various - The Wall Rebuilt (2CD)
Various - Wondrous Stories (4CD)

Jazz (25 of 41)

Studio (10 of 17)

Brand X – Unorthodox Behaviour
Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out
Jack Bruce – Things We Like
John Coltrane – The Believer
Kenny Dorham – Blue Spring
Happy Apple – Part of the Solution Problem
Jackie McLean – It’s Time
Wes Montgomery – Boss Guitar
Lee Morgan – The Procrastinator
Sonny Rollins – Sonny Boy

Compilations (5 of 7)

Miles Davis – The Real Miles Davis (3CD)
Andrew Hill – Mosaic Select (3CD)
The Jazz Crusaders – The Best Of
Grachan Moncur III – Mosaic Select (3CD)
Return to Forever - Return to the 7th Galaxy (2CD)

Live Albums (5 of 9)

Miles Davis – Monterey Jazz Festival 1963
Eric Dolphy – The Illinois Concert (2CD)
Allan Holdsworth – Blues for Tony (2CD)
The Jazz Crusaders – Lighthouse 68
Matthew Shipp – Art of the Improviser (2CD)

Various Artists Collections (5 of 8)

Various - 1959 : Jazz’s Greatest Year (3CD)
Various – 50 Best of Blue Note (5CD)
Various - Miles Not Miles (CD-R)
Various – The Lost Grooves 67-70
Various - Straight No Chaser (2CD)

Classical (25 of 38)

Single Composer (15 of 26)

JS Bach – English Suites (2CD)
JS Bach – Orchestral Suits arr. For Guitar Quartet
Benda – Symphonies 7-12
Druckman – String Quartets 2 & 3
Enescu – String Quartets 1 & 2
Fasch – Concertos
Fernstrom – String Quartets 3, 6 & 8
Ginastera – Complete String Quartets
Ginastera – Complete Piano Music Vol 1
Hofmann – 5 Symphonies
Kraus – Symphonies Vol 1
Schnittke – Piano Quintet – String Trio
Schubert – String Quartets 12-15 (2CD)
Schumann – Complete Piano Works (13CD)
Zimmermann – String Quartets 1-3

Single Artist (5 of 6)

Glenn Gould – Slaughterhouse 5 OST
Jacqueline du Pre – The Very Best of (3CD)
Katia & Marielle LaBeque – Piano Fantasy (5CD)
Alban Berg Quartett - 20th Century Masterpieces (3CD)
Prince of Wales Consort – Cello Music in London at the time of Frederick Prince of Wales

Various Composer Collections (5 of 6)

Various Composers - 19th Century Masterpieces (17CD)
Various Composers – 20th Century Masterpieces (16CD)
Various Composers – Music in Sansouci
Various Composers – Wien 1900 The Death of Tonality
Various Composers – Lustige Feld Musik

Emergency glass purchase required...

2011-12-30T23:59:00.010Z

Playlist
Various – Top 100 Albums 2011

Listening to music this morning on the bus, I wondered who was performing a particular track and, reaching for my reading specs, I realised I'd left them at home...

Accordingly, a fifth pair of glasses entered the collection - £1.99 from Poundies...

Pre-label removal...

Uptown, HMV was visited and a 2CD set of Berio's "Sequenza" was swithered over but, in the end, not purchased...

Late December in Princes St Gardens...

Back home, the afternoon was mainly spent listening to CDS acquired this year and compiling my end of year list of best albums...

This year, I have acquired 529 CDs (of which 99 are "burns")...

Possibly too many...

My specs looked not bad without the labels...

The beast was about its business at Crispycat Towers...

The evening was spent lounging around, watching TV and listening to one track each from my finally selected 100...

Meg the Black cat enjoyed my lap...

Anne the Exec Producer enjoyed her laptop...

Highlight of the Day : Completing a list and lounging around...

Walk like Poirot...

2011-12-29T23:10:00.000Z

Playlist
Various - Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Fernstrom - String Quartets
Vivaldi - Four Seasons
Various - Top 100 of 2011

To the physio first thing...

Strapping removed, muscles doing better - these being held onto though, just in case...

To FOPP at lunchtime and a big new Classical display - I partook of five titles - two of string quartets by people I've never heard of, 3CD sets of Vivaldi and Josef Strauss Jnr and a 2CD set of Wagner...

An online shop was discovered with tasty German fayre - Udo Lindenberg and Kraan are winging their way from Switzerland, along with a bargain purchase of the debut album by Grand Funk Railroad...

What was I thinking??

Back home in the dark...

Tasty pasta from Annie and a two hour "Poirot" followed by "Big Bang Theory" before listening to more of my top CDs from the last year...

Some Ke$ha, Alice Cooper and Udo Lindenberg was watched on Youtube...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Strapping removed even though I have to walk like Poirot...

Another pointless exercise...

2011-12-28T23:50:00.001Z

Playlist
Gentle Giant - The Missing Piece
Gentle Giant - Giant For a Day
Gentle Giant - Civilian
Gentle Giant - Octopus
Gentle Giant - In A Glass House
Various - Top 100 CDs Acquired in 2011

Gentle Giant soundtracked today, following the viewing of their DVD yesterday...

A walk to HMV at lunchtime - despite a big sale, nothing enticed...

In the evening, complied my list of albums of the year...

...and created a new folder which will hold one track from each album...

Another pointless exercise...

Later on, a pilot for what could be great new comedy show from Armstrong & Miller, written by Simon Nye, "Felix & Murdo"...

Highlight of the Day : Felix and Murdo...

Between the giant and the king...

2011-12-27T23:56:00.001Z

Playlist
Gentle Giant - GG at the GG
Lee Morgan - The Procrastinator
Various - 50 : The Best of Blue Note
Peter Gabriel - New Blood
King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon
King Crimson - Islands
King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black
King Crimson - Discipline
Brian Eno - Panic of Looking
Brian Eno - Drums Between the Bells (Instrumental Version)
Yes - In the Present : Live from Lyon
Various - Oh Canada! Vol 15
King Crimson - Cadence and Cascade

Up early once again - no wonder I am so knackered in the evenings but I can't help this inability to return to sleep once I awake...

Really, really enjoyed the Gentle Giant DVD of their BBC Sight and Sound In Concert from January 1978...

What a brilliant band they were...

Once Anne arose, it was time for the annual "Dr Who" Xmas special...

One of the best I can recall - I think this must be the sixth of these since the programme was resurrected...

"Madagascar 2" also entertained as did the Xmas "Outnumbered"...

Anne enjoyed "Downton Abbey" and "Great Expectations" and The Little Shop of Stuff" (I think - a Dickens spoof)...

So, much of the day spent in front of the box...

Made a first stab at compiling a list of my favourite CDs of the year - failed...

Ended the day with some splendid sounds of, and reading about, the Mighty Crim...

So, a day of nothing much, sandwiched between Gentle Giant and King Crimson...

A typical Xmas holiday day in fact...

Highlight of the Day : A Gentle Giant experience relived...

The preposterous end of the world...

2011-12-26T23:45:00.003Z

Playlist
King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon
King Crimson - Islands
King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black
King Crimson - Discipline
Various - The Xmas EP
Various - 50 : The Best of Blue Note
Various - The Milano Jukebox
Yes - In the Present : Live From Lyon

Up reasonably early and listening to the Xmas acquisitions and viewing the extras on DVD...

Updated this for the last few days...

Generally did nothing worthwhile...

The tulips brought last week by Chris-with-a-ch are coming into their own...

The non-worthwhile actions continued around lunchtime as we settled down to watch the preposterous end of the world film, "2012"...

Suffice to say, Anne fell asleep...

My mum arrived with around 20 minutes to go...

She enjoyed seeing herself on the blog via the I-Pod Touch...

An enjoyable chat was had, followed by a lovely salmon based tea, with desert comprising apple crumble and custard...

Something which escapes me was watched on the Tivo, ah yes an old episode of "Poirot" - I do like "Poirot", as do Anne and my mum...

This was followed by an hour long "Coronation St" for the ladies while I listened to Yes on the cans...

Mum headed out into the windy rainy night and called once home to advise she was safe and sound...

The end of "2012" was predictable...

Tivo viewing continued...

I cannot remember what we watched...

I'm sure it doesn't matter...

Highlight of the Day : The special effects in 2012 - not the storyline though...

Merry Xmas...

2011-12-25T23:59:00.017Z

Playlist
Various - Milano Jukebox 2011
Peter Gabriel – New Blood
Various – The Xmas EP
Brian Eno – Drums Between The Bells (Instrumental Disc)
ELP – 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert
Yes – In the Present : Live in Lyon 2009
Various Composers - Cello Music for Oliver
Webster Young – For Lady
Various – Miles Not Miles
City & Colour – Little Hell
Various – Electric 80s
Brian Eno – Before and After Science
King Crimson – In the Wake of Poseidon
King Crimson – Islands
King Crimson – Starless and Bible Black
King Crimson – Discipline

Up unfeasibly early...

I am finding that once I’m awake, I cannot sleep...

However, today’s inability to return to the Land of Nod may also have had something to do with the fact that it was Xmas Day...

To the back room and listening to a purchase made yesterday but not yet sampled, Peter Gabriel’s album of songs rerecorded with orchestra, “New Blood”...

Around 8:45, my leg felt sufficiently not-too-bad to warrant a drive, along empty roads...

....over to my old mum’s, soundtracked, of course, by the Xmas EP...

At first mum was a bit upset but I managed to cheer her up...

And she loved the framed photo of her and Pam together with a wallet containing many more shots which my mum has probably never seen as they normally reside on the hard drive...

...and she liked this pic of Pam which she used to have on her desk at work...

...and her expensive pendant...

...and her new hot water bottle from her neighbours...

She was off to a friends’ and then, later, to nephew Andy’s for Xmas dinner with sister Sheila and her family...

I left and drove home, along empty roads...

...and was back home for 10 for the annual present opening ceremony at Crispycat Towers...

A very Merry Progmas for me I must advise, with DVDs by ELP, Gentle Giant and Yes and CDS by King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Yes and Eno...

...and slippers...

...and Anne got some stuff she likes...

Quick watching and listening took place and then the walk to the bus for the trip to Jane and Bobby’s...

On Boxing Day last year we made the same walk, that day through the snow, but with sister Pam...

Her passing casts a shadow - but we must accept that fact and we must do our best to get on with things...

From three till nine, there was drinking, laughing, playing, eating and carousing at Jane and Bobby’s...

There were scallops on a bed of chorizo and black pudding with pea puree...

...there was stuffed salmon and there was turkey with potatoes and veg...

...there was throwing hoops onto people’s reindeer antlers...

...there was a very tasty chocolate log...

...there was fun for small children...

...there were cheese and biscuits for the adults - except me - I'm not a fan of cheese and biscuits....

...there were more games...

...and there was the trying on of mum’s new boots...

A bus home after a very enjoyable day, whereupon “AbFab” was deemed not that good and “Michael McIntyre’s Xmas Roadshow” was not bad but the guest spots were too short...

Some King Crimson was listened to and then accompanied your tired correspondent to the sack....

Highlight of the Day : Loads of Prog based presents from Annie and superb cooking from sister-in-law Jane....

Thwartation good in hindsight...

2011-12-24T23:59:00.001Z

Playlist
Various – Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Various – Best of Blue Note 50
Various – Milano Jukebox 2011
Various - The Xmas EP

My plan this morning, was to finish off the presents for my side of the family and have my mum over for lunch while Anne watched Hearts (beat Motherwell 2-0)...

But these were thwarted by the breakdown of the photo printing machine at Tesco...

In hindsight this was a good thing...

While it meant cancelling my mum, it also meant heading into town to get the required photos printed there...

But this also allowed me to obtain a few more presents for Annie...

And so, whilst still limping around on one crutch, a good few hours was spent scouring the shops for suitable “stuff” (post having ensured presents for Sheila and Mum were sorted – brother-in-law Andrew’s having already been secured at FOPP yesterday)...

Home on the bus...

Some wrapping and some further present manufacturing on the PC and then, time for “It’s A Wonderful Life” – tears were accompanied by tasty nibbles, a couple of glasses of white wine and Carol Singers at the door...

More present wrapping followed by the last of the current series of “Merlin” and a documentary on Les Dawson – which I abandoned after around 40 minutes to finish off the wrapping...

Presents for Mum and Sheila (amongst other things)...

Put together a new version of the Xmas EP, now adding the Pet Shop Boys song from 2009 to classics by Wizzard, Slade, Greg Lake, Gary Glitter and John Lennon (I will not have Shane McGowan in the house)....

Final act of the day was compiling and burning Anne’s annual “Milano Jukebox” CD – to bed just before midnight, excited like a child...

Highlight of the Day : It was Xmas Eve...

The procrastinator...

2011-12-23T23:48:00.000Z

Playlist
Various – Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Lee Morgan – The Procrastinator
Various – The Freakbeat Scene
Various – The Blues Scene
Various – Best of Blue Note 50
Martin Gore – Counterfeit 2
Dio – Sacred Heart
Elvis Presley 75
Uriah Heep – Live ‘73
The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
Bob Marley – Legend
Kenny – The Bump
Deodato – Also Sprach Zarathustra
Family – In Their Own Time

Still on one crutch...

Out in to the cold...

A small dog was introduced to the Billion Dollar Baby’s head...

Today, with only two days to go and with only one Xmas present bought, shopping started in earnest...

Even when Xmas shopping though, I am drawn to FOPP...

DVDs for Anne, Jane, Keith and Anne’s mum and CDs for Bobby and Maureen were secured...

Several items also partaken of for my good self, including a 5CD Blue Note box set...

BAck home, the second of four Miles davis related CDs had arrived - could have been named after me - "The Procrastinator"...

In the evening, some drinking and carousing in the house...

...followed by a walk down to local excellent Indian Restaurant, Abida, to meet up with Count Brodski and Penny...

Top notch meal enjoyed...

Penny’s lizard necklace reminded us of the old Reptile Records logo...

A walk back up the hill to Meg the Black Cat...

A good day...

Highlight of the Day : Out with Alan & Penny...

Linguine, pancetta, onions, eggs, creme fraiche, parmesan, salt, pepper, olive oil...

2011-12-22T22:20:00.001Z

Playlist
Various – 2011 on Shuffleplay
Herbie Hancock – Blow Up! OST
Various – Blue Movies : Scoring for the Studios

Out into the darkness...

...still on one crutch...

...it’s nearly Xmas...

...and, today, I started my Xmas shopping, which will continue until Xmas Eve – you can get some good things at a Petrol Station – flowers, briquettes...

An excellent afternoon spent with the Exec Producer...

Back home to find Herbie Hancock’s soundtrack to “Blow Up!” behind the door – the first of four CDs expected in the series described here a few days ago re sessions by members of the second great Miles Davis Quintet between 1963 and 1968...

Anne and Meg the Black Cat watched me fall asleep to this...

Too much Red Wine perhaps...

Later on, we cooked together for the first time in a wee while...

Linguine Carbonara from scratch...

Extremely tasty...

Music-wise, apart from Herbie and some film music on the Blue Note label, albums released this year soundtracked the day...

Mum advised over £700 was raised for the Marie Curie Hospice on Monday and Annie and I will deliver over £1,000 to them tomorrow...

Great stuff...

Highlight of the Day : Cooking with my lovely wife...

Return of the daily drivel...

2011-12-21T23:52:00.002Z

Playlist
Various – 2011 on Shuffleplay
Sonny Stitt & Jack McDuff – Stitt Meets Brother Jack
Bill Evans – Interplay
Various – Best of Blue Break Beats
Various – Blue 45s : The Ultimate Jukebox
Various – Very Best of Euphoric Dance Breakdown
J S Bach – Orchestral Suites Arr. for Guitar Quartet

The walk down to the bus stop this morning took three times as long as normal...

Even though only using one crutch...

Another child was introduced to the Billion Dollar Baby’s head...

Wee Dod looks a bit worried...

He’ll be fine – it’s Xmas...

To FOPP at lunchtime once again and swapped the two Dexter Gordon discs for one by Bill Evans and one by Sonny Stitt – each of which I was convinced I did not have already...

On the way home, rather annoyingly, despite my prominent display of a crutch, the two fat ladies in the disabled seats on the Airport bus steadfastly refused to notice me and I had to stand...

Alighted at the bottom of the hill and it took a further 40 minutes to get home, normally a 12 minute brisk walk away...

A visit this evening from Anne’s workmate and our good chum Mr Chris-with-a-Ch – the trio enjoyed some tasty home-made lasagne from the fair hand of the Exec Producer – it was so good I forgot to snap it...

I wasn't my usual good time self though - I'm a wee bit drained with all that's happened and there's a big hole where Pam used to be...

Now I need to get back to concentrating on Annie...

And maybe spend a bit more time with my old mum too...

But this is a daily diary of "what I did today" - it's not a touchy, feely "thoughts and feelings" thing - and I don't expect that to change, so forgive me if the diary resorts to it's usual Daily Drivel (anagram of "David Reilly") status...

Post Chris’ exit, to bed at an unfeasibly early 10:15, leaving Annie watching the box...

Shattered...

At least today, at the third attempt, I managed not to buy any CDs I already had...

Highlight of the Day : Annie’s lasagne...

The day after...

2011-12-20T23:40:00.001Z

Playlist
Various – 2011 on Shuffleplay
Dexter Gordon – Tower of Power
Dexter Gordon – More Power
Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys!

The day after...

Back to The Western General to see the physiotherapist...

My ankle strapping was renewed and I was advised to return to using the crutches after abandoning them over the weekend and yesterday (perhaps moving to one crutch if things go ok over the next couple of days) and to re-start my (very small) exercises - and definitely not to drive for the time being...

Accordingly, a bus to FOPP to exchange the two Herbie Hancock CDs purchased on Sunday which I found I already had...

I took two Dexter Gordon discs instead...

Unbelievably, back home, I found I had them both too...

Idiot...

Back tomorrow...

Heaven knows what the staff think of me - even though I keep them in wages...

Highlight of the Day : Leg a bit better, all things considered...

Goodbye...

2011-12-19T23:59:00.003Z

Playlist
Herbie Hancock – Fat Albert rotunda
Herbie Hancock - Crossings
Herbie Hancock - Mwandishi
King Crimson – Red
Albinoni – Oboe Concerti
Various – Music for Pam

Up at 4:30 – as usual, couldn’t sleep once I awoke...

Enjoyed the jazz fusion musings of Herbie H in the back room with Meg the Black Cat...

Knackered...

Back to bed at 6am for a couple of hours and did manage a bit more shut eye...

Porridge for breakfast and then, some last minute changes to the Eulogy and burning some CDs of this afternoon’s music, re keepsakes for Pam’s chums...

Loads of texts on how people were fairing on getting here – many more coming from down South than previously expected, most flying but some had driven up yesterday...

A couple of Pam’s chums flying in from Sweden and one from Ireland...

“Starless” by King Crimson was our exit music as we took the car to the crematorium in preparation for possibly having to give lifts to people wishing to head to the post service gathering in nearby Roslin...

Sheila and Andrew met with us and took us back to mum’s, where we were joined by their sons Andy and Alastair...

At 1:30, right on time, the hearse and car drove into the street and we were taken, at a snail’s pace, back to the crematorium...

A very big turnout indeed – we were advised by the Funeral Director afterwards, that, once 150 people were in, they had to move the screens at the back of their estimated seating area to allow a further 70 attendees...

The music I’d prepared for the entrance, two soundscapes from the next CBQ album, were eminently suitable in their sombreness...

Once everyone was in, the coffin was brought to the front of the chapel and placed under the red cover – our three floral tributes, one from mum, one from me and Sheila and Andrew and Anne, one from Pam’s nephews and grand-nephew, were all beautiful...

An introduction from the minister, then, “Morning Has Broken”, taken at quite a pace by the organist but that kept things upbeat...

A reading, some words on Pam from the minister and a prayer, then it was time for the Eulogy...

Once I got through the first few paragraphs, I thought it was going to be okay...

I’d read it enough times to know it almost inside out...

I think I struck the right balance between seriousness and jocularity – I managed to raise a few laughs and no doubt elicited a few tears too...

But, when spontaneous applause broke out at the end, it hit me and I broke – luckily I was almost back at my seat...

Another prayer and the committal, then into “Thine Be The Glory” followed by a closing prayer and the announcement re the post service get together and an appeal for people to give lifts...

And that was it – we walked to the door to the sound of “Yesterday” by The Beatles – Pam loved Paul McCartney...

It took around 20 minutes for everyone to exit past us – there were more laughs and more tears and lots of familiar faces from the past – most looking that bit older, some almost unchanged...

The voluntary donations to the Marie Curie Hospice raised a magnificent total...

Out to Roslin in the big black car, with mum and nephew Andy, to find the room we’d booked already full to overflowing – a further room was quickly opened up and more provisions were provided...

A favourite party CD of Pam’s was applied to the sound system (“strange music for a funeral” the proprietor opined at the end of the afternoon – “That’s what Pam would’ve wanted” I replied)....

The majority of the English-based attendees left just after 4 for their 6 o’clock flight, the driving group shortly thereafter (a nine hour drive home)...

Brother–in-Law Andrew and I took four ladies each to the airport for five thirty/six re their eight o’clock flight..

My four were four of the five Hemel musketeers, Suzanne, Michelle, Julie and Debbie...

Back to Loanhead and chatting with mum, Sheila and Anne – we all agreed it had been a good, if sad, day...

We were amazed at the turnout, when we ought really not to have been considering Pam’s popularity...

And home to normality, kind of...

Highlight of the Day : A great send off for my brave wee sister...

THE EULOGY

I

“First things first....

No-one ever said life would be fair.

And we’re here today because, frankly, life isn’t fair.

Pam knew this only too well but what was her reaction?

She just said “whatever will be, will be” and then she got on with it.

II

So how do you sum up someone’s life in just a few minutes?

Well I can sum up Pam’s life in a few words.

Pam loved life. She loved people. She loved her family. She loved her friends. She loved their kids. And she loved her colleagues.

She was full of life and she was full of love and her great big loving smile is how we’ll remember her.

III

Pam was born in 1963, at home, in Paisley, on her grandmother’s birthday, the 13th of June.

I recall she had a good head of hair at birth – quite unlike a Reilly.

Our sister Sheila’s first memory of Pam is of her, aged around two, in the middle of the living room floor, dancing to the song “Tears” by Ken Dodd.

As you’ll hopefully be able to tell from the music we play as you leave here today, Pam’s taste improved over time.

IV

As children, Pam, Sheila and I were very close.

And, with our Dad often only at home at weekends due to his work, we did our best to help our mum out.

Well Sheila did anyway but, as for Pam and I, I think I have to admit we led our mum a merry dance with our nonsense.

I can remember one time running around the house with Pam up on my shoulders and she was laughing so much she pee-ed down the back of my neck.

Twenty seven she was.

I think at the time she also had a broken wrist - no doubt the result of some other adventure we’d undertaken - which made it all the more daft to have her up on my shoulders

But that was Pam to a T.

She was always one to brush off a setback and just get on with life.

V

Even over the last few weeks, she would always manage a smile and a laugh - she never, ever lost that fantastic sense of humour for which she was so loved by everyone.

And if she were sitting amongst us here today and saw me crying like a baby, she’d probably make me laugh with a joke or a funny comment or one of her accidentally made up words, or some inappropriate wind.

More than anything, it was Pam’s amazing sense of humour which got us through so many of the lows of the last year.

VI

We moved to Loanhead in 1966 and Pam started school there a couple of years later, where she met her oldest friend, Liz.

Now, I know our mum would never forgive me if I left out this next bit.

You see, mum has always been very proud of Pam’s two appearances, that’s two appearances, in the Loanhead Children’s Gala Day – firstly in 1970 when both she and Liz were trainbearers and then, in 1975, when Pam was crowned Queen of Loanhead.

I don’t know if I’ll ever convince my mum though, that it’s not the same as being the real Queen.

VII

As teenagers, Pam and I were on the same wavelength

We both enjoyed music and Pam, having gotten over her love of Ken Dodd, would help me organise summer holiday gigs in our house for all the kids in the neighbourhood, where we’d mime to the hits of the day using home made stringless guitars, roughly nailed together from discarded pieces of wood.

When I progressed to being able to play real instruments, Pam was a frequent attendee of my bands’ gigs and after-gig parties, where she’d stay up all night bopping with the boys – but still be ready to pop to the shop in the morning - for rolls, and bacon and eggs.

We never took life too seriously and we carried that outlook into adulthood.

VIII

From the early eighties onwards though, we spent most of our lives apart.

Indeed, there are many people here today who knew Pam a lot better than I did after 1982, when she announced she was heading to Hemel Hempstead to follow her heart.

Suffice to say, she had a great time for the next thirty years

She made lots of new friends, many of whom like Debs, Suzanne, Julie, Michelle and Lesley, have been towers of strength to Pam over this last year.

IX

When Pam moved down South she obtained a transfer with her then employer, Lloyds TSB, to their Westminster Branch, hob knobbing with the rich and famous but, typically, unphased.

Indeed, whenever Anne and I visited Pam, she would look at us incredulously when we expressed a wish to go “up London” – as if there could possibly be anything there of any interest whatsoever, compared with Hemel Hempstead.

X

Pam eventually managed to transfer to her adopted hometown, before leaving the bank and joining the tool and plant company deSoutter, moving to their glamorous sounding Chicago Pneumatics division, to work in credit control.

As far as I’m aware, she never actually went to Chicago but she did end up at Atlas Copco, where, until last December, she worked with a wonderful group of people, in Hemel and around the world, many of whom I have gotten to know over the last 12 months through keeping them up to date with what was happening in Pam’s world

Colleagues like Vipool, Anna, Maggie and Lou. Pat, Helena, Clive and Stuart. Eileen, Ruth, Paul and Joanna – the list is almost endless.

XI

But Pam also never forgot her family, friends and neighbours back here in Scotland – old school chums like Liz and Janice, old neighbours like Janette, Debbie, Suzanne and Diane and Ian; and old music chums, with whom she once danced the night away, George and Paul – all frequent visitors to Pam over these last few weeks.

XII

On this very Monday last year, the four Reilly’s made a hair-raising car journey through the ice and snow from Hemel back to Edinburgh, so Pam could spend Christmas at her old home with her family. She’d just had her first operation and our hopes were high.

She really threw herself into the festivities, cooking dinner at our mum’s on Christmas day.

And she surprised everyone by enjoying at least two helpings of everything at the Boxing Day meal at Anne’s sister’s.

Pam tried to blame the steroids but I’m not so sure.

XIII

She really seemed to sail through her treatment, apart from, on her very first day of chemo, throwing up all over the hospital transport bus – including a couple of blind passengers who, quite literally, must have wondered what had hit them.

And she lost her hair and became a true Reilly at last.

XIV

It’s to her credit that Pam wanted her life to be as normal as possible and so she was delighted to be able to return to her job this summer, despite still undergoing treatment for her illness.

She particularly enjoyed the Company Summer Barbecue and it was as if she’d never been away. Her colleagues wondered where all the booze had gone, till they remembered Pam was back.

XV

Right till the end, Pam knew how to party.

Just a couple of days before going into hospital for what turned out to be the final time, she was up late drinking and carousing with Liz and Janice, just like the old days.

She had a great social life with all her many friends, in Hemel and beyond and she brought sunshine into the lives of everyone she got to know.

And she baked a mean apple pie.

XVI

Above all, Pam cared for people - so many of whom have repaid that love with their presence here today and many of whom, I know, are thinking of Pam right now in far off places around the world, in her adopted England, in Ireland, in Sweden, in America, in the Middle East - because circumstances would not allow them to attend today.

XVII

So there we have it – Pam’s life – condensed into just a few short minutes - a life filled with love, laughter and good deeds.

And I’m sure you’ll all have your own special memories of my wee sister that you’ll never forget.

We have lost a huge personality who was loved by so many people, old and young alike.

XVIII

So thank you everyone for coming here today to help celebrate Pam’s life with us.

And thank you Pam, for all the laughs and all the good times and all the love you have given us over your far, far, too short life.

But your light has not gone out. We will keep it burning, in our memories and in our hearts.

Thank you”

THE MUSIC

ENTRANCE
Cloudland Blue Quartet
The Ship That Sailed (Pt 1)
On the morning after Pam had been admitted to the Western General, I awoke to the sound of a beautiful piece of classical music on my player. On checking, I found it was the Prelude from Wagner’s opera “Lohengrin”. Over the next couple of days, I set about creating a soundscape based around samples of some of the chords used in the original, removing all of the more raucous parts. The finished piece reflects my mood at knowing Pam had more than likely entered the final phase of her fight.

Cloudland Blue Quartet
Knowing This Day Would Come Did Not Prepare Me For Its Coming
Seven weeks later, the call came to say Pam had slipped away. Just after 4 am and unable to sleep but deeming it still too early to give the sad news to my mum or my sister, I sat alone and listened to some of Schumann’s piano music. Later that day, having spoken with so many of Pam’s friends, I was drawn again to the music and created this short piece based around one of the works which had helped console me in the early morning...

HYMNS
Morning Has Broken
Chosen because my mum believes Pam must’ve liked it, as she chose it for her wedding in 1985...

Thine Be The Glory
Chosen as it was sung at our Dad’s funeral in 2003...

EXIT
The Beatles
Yesterday
Along with Donny Osmond (of course), Paul McCartney was one of Pam’s first big loves in music. During the summer holidays in the seventies, Pam and I used to invite all the other children in our street to concerts in our house, mostly miming to the hits of the day but later we progressed to playing a few Beatles songs in the back garden and this was one of them...

Pet Shop Boys
Being Boring
Whenever Pam was in our car, if the Pet Shop Boys came on the sound system, she would express her delight and immediately start singing along – which wasn’t always for the best! The lyrics to this particular song sum Pam’s attitude to life up perfectly – never be boring and, no matter what happens, get up and keep going...

The Tubes
Love’s A Mystery (I Don’t Understand)
Since the mid seventies, Pam and I have been fans of this now little remembered band from San Francisco, famous at the time for their wild stage shows. Often when Pam and I would meet over the years, the Tubes video would be dug out and watched again (even though we’d seen it hundreds of times). This was always one of Pam’s favourite Tubes songs – she was a sucker for an epic ballad...

Roxy Music
Tara
Another of Pam’s favourite groups was Roxy Music and I thought long and hard about which of their tracks to include. In the end I went for this, the last piece from their final album. A fitting adieu...

Cloudland Blue Quartet
Human
When Pam came back to Scotland to stay with our mum in September, I had a gig lined up and, especially for Pam, had learned this song by one of her favourite groups, The Killers. When the day of the gig arrived, Pam advised she wouldn’t be coming, preferring instead a night out with much eating, drinking and carousing. It turns out she made the right choice as, when I arrived at the venue in the evening, the gig had been cancelled. So she never got to hear this...

Elvis Presley
The Wonder of You
On arriving for her visit at the end of August to celebrate our mum’s birthday, I picked Pam up from the airport and took her back to my house. We had an hour or so to spare and decided to have a wee sing song to some cover versions I was attempting to learn. This had always been a favourite of ours and our duet on it, complete with big backing vocals, was rousing indeed - although the neighbours may not have appreciated our efforts...

The Carpenters
Only Yesterday
While I was living with Pam at her home in Hemel Hempstead, we would often just sit relaxing in her living room listening to her music. She had a wee MP3 player which she would set to shuffleplay so we’d never know what was going to come on next. However, there seemed to be quite a lot of Carpenters songs on there and so I’ve chosen this one for today...

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)
Pam and I attended a few gigs together in the years before she moved to England and one of the most memorable was Steve Harley’s in 1976. But our seats were right at the very back of the balcony of the Edinburgh Playhouse and, to make matters worse, our listening pleasure was continually interrupted by a young girl, obviously in love with Mr Harley, who spent the entire concert wailing “Steeeeeve!” from the darkness. From then on, we usually referred to the Cockney Rebel as “Steeeeeve!”...

Laura Pausini
Bellissimo Cosi' (So Beautiful Like This)
Virtually unknown in the UK, over the past few years, Pam had come to love the music of Laura Pausini after I introduced her to the work of the Italian pop star. Laura’s greatest hits would often soundtrack our trips to the hospital in London. Latterly, I was able to give Pam a new 3CD best of collection and this track was one of her favourites...

Pet Shop Boys
Go West
Another from the Pet Shop Boys and this song in particular was always a favourite of Pam’s. The lyrics speak of there being a better place to go to, to get away from the life we have here...

Kool and the Gang
Celebration
Although Pam was virtually unable to speak or communicate in her final weeks, she surprised me one night when I sat at her hospital bedside and, for some reason happened to be singing this song. Imagine my surprise when Pam started singing the refrain. “Celebrate good times, come on”...

The Osmonds
Crazy Horses
The first song I can remember that both Pam and I liked simultaneously. She was a big fan of everything to do with Donny Osmond and his brothers, while I was into the Alice Cooper group. But we found common ground on this Osmonds rocker...

Flying visit...

2011-12-18T23:59:00.000Z

Playlist
Wayne Shorter – Discography
Herbie Hancock – Discography
Tony Williams - Discography
Various – Music for Pam
Elbow – Build a Rocket Boys

Up early in readiness for the arrival of Pam’s chums Anna and Jason...

Working away awaiting their call – ably assisted by Meg the Black Cat...

They booked flights a while ago to come up and visit Pam...

Anna will return tomorrow for the funeral...

In the event their flight was delayed by an hour...

With Annie still in bed, I picked the visitors up around 10 and we drove into town and parked at the West End and walked to Wannaburger where an excellent pancake based breakfast was enjoyed...

Then along Princes St where background and info re Edinburgh was imparted before the guests said goodbye and headed off to enjoy the delights of Edinburgh in December, including a visit to the lost underground neighbourhood of Mary King’s Close...

It was a fine day...

...and, being uptown, I popped into FOPP and picked up two Herbie Hancock CDs and the latest from Elbow...

The usual ten minute walk back to the car was elongated threefold by the leg scenario...

Back home to Annie, only to discover that I have both Hancock discs already...

Idiot...

The afternoon was spent on prep for tomorrow before heading back to town to meet up with Anna and Jason for a couple of drinks and then taking them back to the airport...

Tivo’d “Rev” and “Life’s Too Short” entertained before more work for tomorrow...

To bed, trepidatiously...

Highlight of the day : Flying visit from Pam’s chums...

Eulogising...

2011-12-17T23:11:00.001Z

Playlist
Various – Miles Not Miles
Juicy Lucy – Lie back and Enjoy It
Jack Bruce – The Jack Bruce Collector’s Edition
Todd Rundgren - Runt
Todd Rundgren – Runt : The Ballad of Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren - Faithful
Todd Rundgren – Hermit of Mink Hollow
Todd Rundgren – The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect
Eric Dolphy – The Complete Prestige Recordings
Carl Craig & Moritz von Oswald – Recomposed

Finally awoke at midday...

I seem to remember I had a good time...

Leg not quite so sore today but I still did not venture out - a day of rest - no driving...

Spent the afternoon practising the eulogy for Monday...

...while Queens were thrashed 5-1 by Falkirk and Annie watched Hearts beat Dunfermline 4-0 at Tynecastle...

In the evening, was surprised to enjoy the grand final of “Strictly Come Dancing” with Anne...

Also watched was penultimate “Merlin”...

These were both favourites of Pam’s and we watched both these shows with her in Hemel and here in Scotland...

A call from chum Debs - advising large numbers of attendees from England, Ireland and Sweden on Monday...

Late on, rediscovered some music on the hard drive whilst ripping Todd Rundgren, borrowed last week from the library – decided against the Warren Zevon though...

"Match of the Day" and some final PC work...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Enjoying "Strictly" with Annie....

Happy, sad...

2011-12-16T23:59:00.000Z

Playlist
Marais – Various Works
Various – Miles Not Miles
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight

A week gone already...

Finalised the music this morning....

Changed the McCartney song from the little known “Venus & Mars” track “Love In Song” to the rather more well known “Yesterday” by the Beatles...

My logic being that people are more likely to hear the latter in the future and be reminded of Pam, whereas their chances of hearing the former in the future are fairly low...

Took Anne into town and then headed to the hospital for the paperwork I left there on Tuesday...

Had the Order s of Service printed...

Santa and his elf came today...

...and I received a nice bottle of wine...

Bought blank CDs to keep the stocks up...

Out to Loanhead to leave the Entrance and Exit Music and the Orders of Service with the funeral director...

Home and changed, for, tonight, I was off out for the annual Xmas Party – an event I missed last year but was determined to enjoy this time round...

I did indeed enjoy it, staying right to the end and drinking probably far too much red wine...

This man is happy but sad...

I even managed a dance without moving my feet and performed David Bowie’s “Life on Mars?” in the karaoke room. I may have sung “Always on My Mind” as well but I can’t remember...

Home at 2 and snoring shortly thereafter much to Anne’s delight...

Highlight of the Day : Partying....

Return of the crutchmeister...

2011-12-15T23:04:00.000Z

Playlist
Various – Miles Not Miles
Various - Music for Pam

To the hospital for physio first thing...

...and I am back on crutches...

Home to find chum Lynn a welcome visitor...

Meg the Black Cat pinched my seat...

In the afternoon, the Gas man attempted to fix our goosed fire but to no avail – he will return soon with “parts”...

Out to Loanhead with the finalised music for Monday...

Entrance will be made to two instrumental tracks from the proposed new CBQ LP...

The hyms will be “Morning Has Broken” which mum reckoned Pam must have liked as she chose it for her wedding in 1985 – and “Thine Be the Glory” – a favourite of our mum and which featured at our dad’s funeral in 2003...

Exit will be to a Paul McCartney song, followed by various others of Pam’s favourites plus a rehearsal tape of me covering The Killers’ “Human”, which I learned to play for a proposed gig in September which Pam was supposed to have attended but pulled out at the last minute for a night of drinking and carousing...

Probably the right choice given the gig was cancelled on the day...

So Pam never got to hear it...

All the music was approved by mum and by sister Sheila...

The Minister came round and we discussed the order of service and told him stories about Pam...

I advised it was my intention to write and read the eulogy – he will get a copy though in case I’m too upset to read it myself...

Back home and continuing to draft and redraft the eulogy...

And created the Order of Service...

Highlight of the Day : Pain slightly ameliorated by crutches...

A day off, kind of...

2011-12-14T23:01:00.000Z

Playlist
Miles Davis Quintet – Sessions 1963-1968
Various – Miles Not Miles

A day off today, kind of...

Other than calling the hospital to see if I could see the physio a day early – to no avail as she wasn’t in today - much of the rest of the day was spent revisiting the big list of albums I compiled a couple of years back in relation to Miles Davis second great Quintet of Miles, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams...

It’s a list of every album upon which a member or members of the quintet appeared during the existence of the quartet...

After much mucking about and listening to tracks from said LPs, I ended up with a new wee compilation which I’ve called “Miles Not Miles” which features one track each from the eight discs which feature at least three of the four quintet participants...

This is how I waste my time...

Ended the day ordering missing albums from the list from Amazon, along with some Xmas presents for Annie...

Highlight of the Day : Excellent jazz...

Coffee and cake uplift...

2011-12-13T23:59:00.002Z

Playlist
Various – Classical Jukebox
Various – Music for Pam
Locke – The Broken Consort
Various – The Great Jazz Saxes
Shania Twain – Greatest Hits
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Katy Perry – One of the boys
Britten – Sinfonia da Requiem
Cat Stevens – Morning Has Broken
Rick Wakeman – The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Up at 7...

Working on Pam’s music...

To the dentist for 8:30 – nothing can be done re my wayward tooth other than either route treatment for £150 or extraction for free...

I have until mid January to decide...

Home and then out again with Anne – a trip to the docs...

On the way home we stopped off for coffee and cake...

Always an uplifter...

In the Marie Curie shop, four CDs procured...

Home again and “admin” re Pam to do with HMRC and the DWP...

Then, work on the eulogy...

Out to the hospital...

With my leg now in agony and my ability to walk seriously impaired, I went to the physio department on the off chance I might see the nice lady who helps me...

An old lady in the waiting room reading her Kindle advised her friend was in with Fiona and would not be long...

45 minutes later, no sign...

When I finally found someone to ask, I was advised Fiona only works in the mornings on a Tuesday...

An hour wasted....

Hobbled to Ward 31 and met again with the lovely nurses who cared so well for Pam for the several weeks she was here...

More “admin” re a form left with them for completion, signing and future collection...

Home for a very strong beer...

...and a tasty Mexican dish from the Exec Producer...

The final episode of “Pete Versus Life” on the Tivo was followed by a “Strictly” offshoot which drove me away...

Noted that the new CDs pushed my 20th Century classical music box set off the living room shelf after a little over 2 months...

I buy too many CDs...

Highlight of the day : Coffee and cake with Annie...

Registering the thing...

2011-12-12T23:51:00.001Z

Playlist
Various – Top Albums of 2011
Various – Music for Pam
Vasks – Cantabile Per Archi
Paul McCartney – Back in the World

Up at a normal time for the first time in a long time...

Gyp now mostly in my foot rather than my back...

Back to work on matters after a "normal" weekend...

To the registrars to obtain Pam’s death certificate...

Afterwards, a trawl around the charity shops in Dalkeith – in the Cancer Research shop, a copy of a 2CD live album from Paul McCartney was secured in Pam’s honour...

To mum’s where we were joined by sister Sheila and nephew Andy...

Trying to estimate how many people might come a week today for Pam’s funeral...

The Funeral Directors came by to fill out forms and get the details before I headed home while mum and Sheila went to organise flowers...

Back home and more work on the music for the funeral, followed by “University Challenge” and the very funny and cheering up “Mongrels”...

Baltic music enjoyed again....

Highlight of the Day : Mongrels...

Brilliant music uplifts...

2011-12-11T23:47:00.000Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight
Various – Top albums of 2011
Various – Music for Pam
Heinichen - Concerti Grosso
Part – Fratres

Up very early as I still can’t sleep...

Working on music for Pam...

To the store for breakfast provisions...

Breakfast then out for weekly provisions...

Car washed...

Watched “Ice Age 3”...

To Anne’s mum’s for the family tea...

Ended the day with a superb Xmas concert at Greyfriars Kirk from the Scottish Ensemble featuring brilliant music from the Baltic States by the likes of Vasks, Tuur and Part along with English stalwarts Purcell and Byrd...

Brilliant...

Uplifting...

But sad...

Highlight of the day : Brilliant music...

Trying to keep it normal...

2011-12-10T23:59:00.000Z

Playlist
Various – Top Ten Albums 2011
Electric Light Orchestra – A New World Record
Alice Cooper – 2001 Live Setlist
Todd Rundgren – Faithful
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight
Various – March-December 2011 on Shuffleplay

Up at 3:30 – couldn’t sleep...

Outside, it was snowing...

Spent some considerable time listening to my current list of top ten albums of 2011 whilst leafing through next week’s and the Xmas Special editions of Radio Times – ringing programmes I will most probably never watch...

Back to bed at 6:30...

Awoken again just after 8 by a call from Brisbane...

Spoke with Oz chum Ryan in real time for the first time – he’d called to offer his condolences re Pam...

At 10, out to the library through the snow...

...where we met with Dr Prog and I borrowed three 5CD boxes, Todd Rundgren, Warren Zevon and Sly & The Family Stone...

To Ali Bongo’s for coffee, sandwiches and cakes and chat...

Home via the fishmonger's...

...and the Queens Hall having secured tickets for tomorrow’s candlelit concert at Greyfriars Kirk...

Lovely flowers delivered...

A call to my mum re the details to be sorted for Pam’s funeral...

Then some time spent re-recording some of the vocals for the new LP and some work on the new piece from yesterday...

Tasty Sea Bass for tea and listening to music while Anne watched “Strictly” – then “Merlin” and a Woody Allen film, “Vicky Christina Barcelona”

All in all, a strangely “normal” day...

Highlight of the Day : Keeping it together...

A very sad day...

2011-12-09T23:59:00.000Z

Playlist
Schumann – Complete Piano Works
Zimmerman – String Quartets 1-3
Albinoni – Complete Oboe Concerti
Corelli – Concerti Grosso
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight

A very sad day...

Awoken at 4:15 am with a call from the hospice to advise sister Pam had just slipped away in her sleep...

She had been comfortable and in no pain and had not suffered any more seizures since the big one last Tuesday...

She had not woken since last Thursday...

Sister Sheila and my mum had visited last night and I was glad my mum was with Pam on her last night on Earth...

I arose and chose to listen to some of Robert Schumann’s piano music, the gentle pieces taking me through to 6:30, at which point I called Sheila to give her the news...

That’s the worst part, imparting the awful news...

The reaction always breaks you...

We agreed to meet at our mum’s at 8:30 to give her the news in person and so, me, Anne, Sheila and Andrew entered her house at 8:35...

Immediately my mum saw me she knew...

What a dreadful thing it is to outlive a child...

But what had happened was the best we could have hoped for in what had become a hopeless situation...

And to have Pam go so painlessly was surely a blessing – but a blessing that is very, very hard to take...

Calls to Pam’s friends and colleagues in England to let them know their dear friend was gone and further tears were shed...

Around 10, a call from the hospice to advise they were ready for us and, leaving my mum with Sheila and Andrew and their lovely wee dog Cassie, Anne and I drove over...

A talk through matters with a very nice nurse and then I went alone to Pam’s room and sat with her for a while, just chatting away about all the things we’ve done over the last year and agreeing it was good that, at last, the tumour had been defeated...

She did not laugh at my jokes today...

We took her belongings to the car and drove home...

Called my mum and agreed we’d do our best to have a “normal” weekend and deal with all that needs to be dealt with on Monday...

A conversation with the local undertaker was a necessity though and we will look to wait before saying our final goodbye with a week on Monday being the likely day...

To the PC and further e-mails to further friends, colleagues and acquaintances as messages of support and goodwill and tales of Pam’s belovedness poured in...

In keeping with the struggle for normality in the face of the event, I worked on a new piece of music, based around one of the Schumann pieces from the early hours of this morning...

That may seem strange but, for me, it was “normal”...

In the evening, with matters calmer but messages still arriving, we ordered a curry in tribute to Pam – she always loved a curry – in fact eating a curry was one of the last things she did at our house just seven short weeks ago, on the night this final phase started...

Elsewhere around the country, friends were raising glasses and having a few drinks in memory of my wee sister...

She will live on in our hearts and in our thoughts...

Pam...

2011-12-09T04:10:00.001Z

Forget all the photos I've posted here of my wee sister over the last year...

Here's the real Pam...

She has slipped away but lives on in our hearts...

Sober and hobbling...

2011-12-08T23:48:00.000Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight
Various – 250 Tracks of Party Music

Well now, the party tonight, for which I spent so much time preparing the music on Tuesday, took place...

However, my participation was hampered by the ongoing back problems – and no opportunity to partake of all the free drink on offer (other than three Diet Cokes)...

...as, due to continuing inability to walk, the car had had to be utilised in order to attend...

The sound system was so pathetic that the music could not be heard above the chat of the people in attendance...

Left after a couple of hours, the back pain becoming too much to take...

Back home to a grateful-to-have-their-invalid-back-in-the-house-on-such-a-stormy-night Annie and Meg the Black Cat...

Meanwhile sister Sheila has visited sister Pam over the last three nights and I will see her tomorrow for the first time since being told last Saturday that she will not awaken again...

Highlight of the Day : Getting home...

Continued non perambulation...

2011-12-07T23:45:00.001Z

Playlist
Various – Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Van Der Graaf Generator - Godbluff

Walking now almost impossible...

Took the car into town and enjoyed a lunch at La Petite Folie with some young ladies...

Back home and unable to do much at all, other than the dishes and mope about...

Pathetic really, given what others are going through...

On that note, some time spent tonight consoling a Hemel chum of Pam feeling guilty about inability to visit and feeling really bad in general re what has befallen a best friend...

I hope my consoling was effective...

Highlight of the Day : A nice lunch...

Ripping and waiting...

2011-12-06T23:41:00.000Z

Playlist
Various – Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Various – 250 Tracks of Party Music
Sky Architect – A Dying Man’s Hymn

Up and, not only was my Achilles very painful once again but, it would seem that, in trying to protect it in the night, I have twisted my back to the point where I can now hardly walk at all...

Nonetheless out early into the dark...

You can just see a wee star a twinkling - perhaps a star to wish upon...

Back home around 10 and spent the day ripping “party music” from various compilations to make some new compilations for a party on Thursday night...

Meg the Black Cat gave her opinion...

Wasted almost the entire day on this project whilst trying to ignore the pain in my back and pathetic attempts at perambulating...

Ripped 14 hours worth of music and whittled it down to 5 hours...

In the end I let the PC randomly pick the running order as I was getting a bit sick of the whole thing...

Collected Annie from a day away at around 7:30 – back home by 8 and spent some time watching TV before retiring reasonably early...

Highlight of the Day : Starting the project with high hopes...

Art thing missed, Art Tatum bought...

2011-12-05T23:34:00.003Z

Playlist
Various – Last 9 Months on Shuffleplay
Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Wainwright
Various Composers – Neujahr’s Konzert 2011
Glenn Miller – The Very Best of Glenn Miller
Various – New Blue Horns
Art Tatum – The Tatum Group Masterpieces Vol 1
Art Tatum – The Tatum Group Masterpieces Vol 4

To the physio at The Western first thing with Annie...

Although I am too late to enter this art thing...

...my foot is sorted again and some exercises learned...

Back in ten days...

To Fopp at lunchtime – bus along, walked back...

Six discs purchased...

Not sure how often I’ll listen to Glenn Miller but brought back good thoughts of my dad and of the manufactured Miller revival of 1975...

My third Rufus Wainwright disc and I’m still not convinced...

A 2CD set of this year’s New Year’s Day concert from Vienna, which Anne, sister Pam and I enjoyed at Pam’s house in Hemel, back when things didn’t look quite so bleak and confidence was high...

Some splendid late 50’s/early 60's tracks from the Riverside catalogue and two Art Tatum discs, bought on the recommendation of brother-in-law Keith, made up the rest of the haul...

Outlay? £15...

Back home and a quiet night in with Anne...

Not feeling that great and foot gyp seemingly on the way back once again by the time I hit the sack...

Highlight of the Day : Foot fixed again – but for how long...

Life, it would seem, goes on - but it is far from fair...

2011-12-04T23:59:00.001Z

Playlist
Various - Last Nine Months on Shuffleplay

Up around 5:15, unable to sleep...

Once again surfing downstairs with Meg the Black Cat...

Anne up around 8:30...

Snow...

To the store for rolls and bacon re an uplifting and supportive breakfast visit from Count Brodski and Penny...

Good times as always with Alan and Penny - an underlying sadness though...

On this Sunday last year I flew to Hemel and taught Pam the mantra "I have a brain tumour. I'm having an operation. I'm going to be fine"...

It seems I was wrong...

A year ago today, I went for our family Xmas meal without having told anyone of what had happened to Pam...

Today the meal fell on the same date and Alan and Penny gave us a lift over to Leith, allowing them to extend their breakfast visit to Crispycat Towers, due to our no longer having to take an hour long bus journey...

A brave face was adopted...

A very tasty tapas extravaganza was enjoyed...

Then on to nearby Sofi's for more drinks...

Not content with my thoughts of Pam, my leg had decided not to be fixed any longer and was giving me gyp...

A bus home...

An evening of phone calls to Pam's closest friends in Hemel advising them of yesterday's news...

Much sadness and upset...

Not an enjoyable experience...

"Garrow's Law" distracted the mind before bed...

Highlight of the day : Uplifting visit, family meal...

Knowing this day would come did not prepare me for its coming...

2011-12-03T23:59:00.002Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Souvenir XIX
Kat McKenzie - Hiding EP
Ian Sclater - It's Weird In Here
Al Stewart - A Beach Full of Shells
Alice Cooper - Along came a Spider
Laura Pausini - Primavera in Anticipo
Leann Rimes - Best Of
Various - The Classic Chillout Album
Various - Very Best of Euphoric Dance
Ella Fitzgerald - The Best of the Songbooks
Janine Jansen - Beau Soir
Various Composers - The Best of Opera
Berlioz/Dukas/Mussorgsky - Symphonie Fantastique etc

The day started quite well...

Up super early due to inability to sleep...

Surfing the net downstairs soundlessly on the I-Pod Touch...

Anne surfaced around nine...

To my mum's for 10 for a catch up visit and I promised to return in the afternoon...

Over to the hospice for their Xmas fair...

A goodly sum spent on the tombola - three prizes from twenty tickets...

A goodly sum spent in the CD and Book tent...

Seven discs procured...

Home for lunch and then took Anne to her mum's re today's Hearts match - thrashed 2-1 at home by St Johnstone (Queens moved up to 8th from 10th with a 4-1 win over Ayr Utd)...

Back to the hospice to visit sister Pam...

Visitors over the last couple of days, ourselves included, had noted Pam sleeping throughout their stays..

Upon arriving I noted Pam was sleeping again...

On mentioning it to the nurse with whom I had a had a long chat on Thursday night re Pam's situation, she took me to a room for a further chat...

Sadly, it has become clear that Pam's condition has deteriorated somewhat since her large seizure on Tuesday - indeed she has only awoken twice since Thursday morning - ideed she has hardly been awake since Tuesday evening...

And so it came to the bit...

As nicely as possible, the nurse advised that, due to a combination of the tumour and all the drugs now being constantly administered by automated pumps (due to Pam's inability to take anything by mouth), it is highly unlikely that she will ever wake again...

And so after all this time - a year of struggling and battling, it would seem it is all over...

I did not realise that, when I took the picture posted here last Monday, of my wee sister Pam smiling, that that would be the last time I would see her animated and that that would be the last time I would talk to her in the knowledge that she could hear me...

Knowing this day would come did not prepare me for its coming...

Pam's chum Liz arrived just as I reached Pam's bedside after the meet with the very nice nurse...

I did not bear up...

However, Liz was strong and she and her lovely 5 year old daughter Sky, sat with me for the rest of the visit and we chatted about Pam and all the good times and read out the mail that had been delivered in the last couple of days...

Then, a phonecall from the hospice car park to sister Sheila before heading back to my mum's to tell her the news...

Not a good day...

Not a good day at all really...

To Anne's mum's to pick her up after the game and our trip out tonight to a birthday party cancelled in favour of a quiet night in...

Life is, in general, unfair it would seem...

Highlight of the Day :

An excellent room...

2011-12-02T23:59:00.051Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Al Stewart - A Beach Full of Shells
Kat McKenzie - Hidden EP
Ian Sclater - It's Weird in Here
Al Stewart - Bedsitter Images
Al Stewart - Love Chronicles
Al Stewart - Zero She Flies
Al Stewart - Orange
Al Stewart - Past Present and Future

Good sky this morning...

A visit to FOPP this lunchtime resulted in XTC's second album and two recent releases (2005 and 2008) from the mightily unfashionable Al Stewart entering the collection...

On the way back, the tree featured a couple of times over the last few weeks, is now leafless...

Anne brought the Cloudland Blue Mobile to me uptown before setting off to meet Munro climbing chums Sid & Debbie for a performance of Matthew Bourne's choreographed "The Nutcracker", declared later this evening to have been one of the very best ballets Anne has ever seen (and she's seen a few)...

Meanwhile I drove back home to pick up the guitar and sundry necessary accessories and then down to Kat McKenzie's to pick her and partner Dave up (along with Kat's piano) and, around 6:45 we arrived at the venue for tonight's special gig a House Concert at 42 Royal Park Terrace in Edinburgh...

A quite excellent room...

A successful soundcheck...

...including the late unexpected introduction of Ian Sclater's bassist, Dougie, indicated the sound was going to be good - although the sound onstage itself was possibly going to be difficult...

We needn't have worried...

The audience started to arrive...

..and we took to the stage just after 8...

Everything went according to plan - we played three sets, with all of us onstage throughout, ending just before eleven...

The first and third sets featured each of us playing solo, in a round robin stylee, while the second was a specially prepared set where the newly formed trio played two Ain Sclater, two Kat McKenzie and two CBQ songs - again alternating the lead vocalist...

Here's the view from my place - rather shaky I'm afraid...

It sounded pretty good by all accounts from our audients - who included chums Jamie, Geroge and Jim...

...despite our only having had two practises prior to tonight...

The format was a big success for performers and audience alike...

Altogether we presented 32 songs to a great audience - while we were playing you could have heard the proverbial pin drop - and I managed to include four songs from the forthcoming CBQ album...

I gave everyone in the audience a copy of "Souvenir XIX" which features the 10 CBQ songs played tonight and will shortly be uploaded to the CBQ Live site for streaming and download...

So, all in all a very enjoyable and successful evening which ended with me taking Kat and Dave home and finding upon my return to Crispycat Towers that I'd left the iron on all evening and left the house without setting the burglar alarm...

I think I got away with it by blaming Meg the Black Cat...

Highlight of the Day : Performing to an appreciative audience...

A little peace...

2011-12-01T23:59:00.008Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Souvenir XIX

Up early as ever and to the PC to mock up "Souvenir XIX" version 2...

Ripped to the jukebox for today's critical and song-learning listening...

In the evening, to the hospice and Pam slept through our hour long visit - Tuesday's seizure has taken it out of her and the now 24/7 anti-seizure drugs make her very sleepy too...

Hopefully, she'll improve over the next few days but nothing can be promised...

Sad, sad times - a year to the day since the tumour was diagnosed...

Back home, readjusting the levels on the tracks culled from various sources for the CD and then burning and putting together...

Stayed up reasonably late doing this...

Not the best day ever really...

Highlight of the Day : Pam looking peaceful despite everything...

Seventeen songs...

2011-11-30T23:49:00.005Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Souvenir XIX

November away...

Up at an unfeasible 4:30am and updating the blog, helped of course by Meg the Black Cat...

I'm quite busy right now and updating has slipped...

Also, a first stab at choosing seldom heard recordings or working on remixes to include in the new version of "Souvenir XIX" - the one recorded for the aborted Melville gig has been shelved and this new version reflects the ten CBQ songs which will be aired on Friday evening...

At 10, a call from my mum...

When she was visiting Pam last night with her friend Janette and Pam's old schoolchum Liz, sadly, another big seizure occured - her first for a couple of weeks at least - from my mum's description it was similar to those she had five weeks ago while staying at our house - and which led to her being admitted to The Western...

Having experienced this, I know it's not something my mum will have wanted to see and the memory of it will haunt and be unable to be forgotten...

I called the hospice immediately and received an update which advised Pam was ok this morning, slept a little later but had managed to eat breakfast...

The occasional medication being administered to keep tremors under contriol and seizures at bay has now been increased to hourly doses and this has the consequence of increased sleepiness...

Dreadful, terrible stuff - and the worst thing is, we all know it's not going to get any better...

Trying as best I could to put these thoughts out of my mind and with Anne out for a meet with chum Theresa, I made my way to Kat McKenzie's place for a trio rehearsal for Friday...

A good night's work and things are in place - or as in place as they can be with just two rehearsals (thanks to my leg problems) and some playing along with recordings...

Some issues were ironed out though and Ian and Kat each learned one more of my songs while I learned another of Kat's...

All in all then, I will play six CBQ songs solo (including four from the upcoming LP which soundtracked the rest of my day), a further three as a trio and one more as a duo as well as being a duo with Kat on one of her songs and a trio on three more of Kat's and three of Ian's...

So seventeen songs in all - the most I've played live for a good while...

Back home and a reassuring call to my mum before some telly then off to bed, very tired after the early start...

Highlight of the Day : Pam ok after a rough evening yesterday...

Paintings and songs...

2011-11-29T23:59:00.001Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight

To HMV at lunchtime - no purchases...

In the early evening, along a gradually becoming festive Princes Street...

...for a private view of this year's Royal Scottish Academy Open Exhibition...

...including this work by our old chum Eona Aitken...

Other old chum Alan McLaren was also in attendance...

...as were ex-colleague Mark and his partner, seen through the doorway below, Galia...

Around seven, up to Out of the Bedroom to meet up with Ian and Kat...

Ian and I took the third and second slots respectively...

I debuted two songs from the upcoming LP, "Too Good To Be True" and "If I Fall", before Ian and Kat joined me for "I Re-Arranged the House"...

Kat also joined Ian on "San Francisco"...

All in all, an enjoyable evening and we hung around for headliner Jim Bryce's entertaining act before a lift home for me, Kat and her boyfriend Dave was supplied by Ian - even though we all live way over on the wrong side of town for him...

Going through No entry signs and red lights seemed par for the course but I was home much earlier to Anne and Meg than I would have been...

Highlight of the Day : Performing and Art viewing...

Walking and talking can be taken for granted...

2011-11-28T23:59:00.013Z

Playlist

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight

Cloudland Blue Quartet - December Set

Up early and some quick mixes carried out on the two versions of the new song and on "Starlight Starbright"...

Possible final version of the LP mocked up and soundtracked the day, as is the norm when working on new stuff - the six song set for Friday was also listened to...

An unmentioned run through the set on Saturday evening had proved I am still not au fait with the others' work...

To physio first thing...

I entered, not able to walk very well and on crutches...

After a long consultation and much probing and testing, a long strip of plaster was applied from the sole of my foot up, the back of my ankle and calf to just below my knee, whilst the inside of the heel of my shoe was built up...

I exited, able to walk and my crutches were left behind...

Back in a week for more - I may need a stick - we'll see...

Took a bus to Fopp at lunchtime...

...no purchases but a chance meeting with Count Brodski was enjoyed...

Walked back to the West End successfully...

In the dark of the early evening, a bus to Fairmilehead for a two hour visit to Pam...

A better pic above than of late but it shows her at her best during the visit...

Post was opened and read out and pictures shown - Pam's first Xmas card, from chum Julie and family, a cute dual self portrait from Pam's "nieces" Olivia and Megan - daughters of chum Suzanne, a letter and pics from France from our childhood friend Lindsay and a card and jokes from pam's work colleague Pat were all enjoyed...

Sister Sheila, brother-in-law Andrew, nephew Andy and fiance Tori all arrived for the second hour and Pam enjoyed listening in to the chat...

A lift home was offered and accepted - the two bus journey back to Crispycat Towers would have seen me home around 10 rather than the more convenient 8:50...

Telly, then bed...

Highlight of the Day : Family visit to pam - and, of course, being able to walk again...

Bookending...

2011-11-27T23:59:00.001Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Dar Williams - Promised Land
K D Lang - Hymns of the 49th Parallel

Another day of distinct parts...

Up super-early and to the back room with Meg the Black Cat to rework the lyrics for the new song...

Then, once the time was reasonable, singing them quickly over yesterday's music...

Previously they were too upbeat, now they are perhaps too downbeat - though the tune itself remains the same...

At 10, sister-in-law Jane arrived and took us down to our neighbour's restaurant for a charity coffee and cupcake morning...

Raffle tickets were purchased along with various other bits and bobs...

Funds are being raised for the Neuro-Oncology unit at The Western, where Pam was until a week ago...

This particular fund for the overall charity (there are many efforts going on simultaneously) has been set up in the memory of a young girl who turned out to have just 11 weeks to live when her tumour was diagnosed...

http://www.justgiving.com/Rachel-Appolinari

Pam's plight was also mentioned at the end of the event...

In the afternoon, Anne drove us over to brother-in-law Keith's to pick him up as we made our way out to Fairmilehead to visit Pam...

Today she was "ok" - asleep when we arrived but woke up and took her usual tome to really come to...

As always, it was so hard to take that she will never be able to speak again...

I can't really describe just how terrible all this has become...

After an hour and a half, during which I didn't manage to capture any of the smiles or laughs which Pam managed, we said our farewells and drove over to Anne's mum's for tea...

Here, the mood was more upbeat, raised of course by the kids...

Olly worked on a drawing just before they left...

The result...

..and off they went...

Back home, some quick work on the new song before and after "Garrow's Law"...

Two versions will now bookend matters and the CD track count rises to 12...

To bed...

Highlight of the Day : Making the new song better...

Too good to be true, just a song title, not reality...

2011-11-26T23:59:00.001Z

Playlist
McKenzie, Sclater & CBQ - December Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet - December Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight

Writing this five days on, it still ought to be simple as the day was split in three...

And I did not leave the house or take any pics (till last thing)...

Having finally retired around 2:30, part one commenced just after 8 as I went to the PC to work on parts for the others' songs for Friday...

Texts from Anne advised Bryan Adams having been very enjoyable...

Negotiating the stairs still required use of the crutches...

By the time Anne arrived home just before midday, I'd completed a cheeky wee six song solo recording of the trio setlist, using Kat's I-Phone recordings as a starting point and then finally removing them...

Still not sure though that I actually know the songs...

Part two commenced on Anne's arrival and we lunched together before she set off for Tynecastle for today's Hearts match versus bottom club Inverness (a glorious 2-1 win)...

As usual Queens threw away two points, drawing with Morton 2-2 after having been in the lead, away at Greenock - still rooted to the bottom...

Meanwhile, I was back at "Starlightnight" - meaning it's not finished - indeed I worked for a few hours on a new song, "Too Good to Be True"...

By early evening I had a final, reasonably upbeat, happy-go-lucky piece about the perils of internet dating, to take final spot on the LP...

It doesn't fit in though with the overall downbeat nature of the collection...

In the evening, it was mostly telly...

No driving yet meant no visit to Pam but we will see her tomorrow...

Meanwhile, last thing, Meg the Black Cat was, well, black...

Highlight of the Day : Music work...

While the cat's away, even though she's still here...

2011-11-25T23:59:00.001Z

Playlist
Wilco - Kicking Television
Various - The Blue Note Box
Isaac Hayes - The Very Best of Isaac Hayes
Sclater, McKenzie and Cloudland Blue Quartet - December Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Bill Evans - Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah um
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come
Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
Miles Davis - In Person Friday Night at the Blackhawk
Various - One Album a Year 1951-2011

Awoke and thought my ankle was a bit better but walking was still a non-starter without the crutches, so I stayed in all day and all night...

Won a 3CD set on e-bay for £2 - jazz from the late 50's - turns out I have every note included already...

Idiot...

The day started horrible, stormy, windy and rainy...

Got slightly better just as Anne's chum Michelle and sister and niece popped round to whisk the Exec Producer through to Glasgow for tonight's Bryan Adams concert...

Left to my own devices, I proceeded to waste much of the day compiling a list of an album a year from 1951 to 2011 and ripping those from said pile of discs not already on the hard drive in a possible project for an upcoming 60th birthday celebration...

Other than a break to cook and eat some tasty chorizo based spaghetti whilst watching "Dad's Army" - and a cheering call from Count Brodski - I spent the entire day at the PC...

By evening time, I noted the pain in the achilles dissipating somewhat, allowing me to make my way around the house (except for upa nd down the stairs) without the use of the crutches...

Hopefully, my recovery will be closer to the two week estimate rather than the six to eight week estimate...

No doubt Meg the Black Cat and I will be staying up unfeasibly late tonight without the Exec Producer to Executively Produce us into bed at a reasonable hour...

While the cat's away, erm, even though she's still here...

Highlight of the Day : Pain receeding a little, let's see what it's like tomorrow...

Not too mobile...

2011-11-24T23:41:00.000Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Live Set 20/11/11
Yes - Yesmix 1969-2011
John Coltrane - Trane's Blues
Ben Christophers - The Spaces in Between
Various - Electric 80s

Achilles tendon still not right...

Consequently, nothing much done today...

Horrible, windy, stormy day outside...

So, good to be in a cosy living room with Annie and Meg the Black Cat...

Managed a few steps today without crutches but, venturing out to visit Pam put things into perspective - I could hardly walk at all really...

Pam slept for the first half of our visit and woke of her own accord - but it takes a while for her to "come to"...

When she eventually did, communication was at an all time low other than a couple of laughs at some jokes from your correspondent...

Back home for "Rev" and "Big Bang Theory" which were funny enough but, unfortunately, reality is never far from the forefront of our minds...

Onwards and upwards though...

Highlight of the Day : A smidgeon of progress re the foot...

Not the way to celebrate an anniversary...

2011-11-23T23:59:00.007Z

Playlist
Various - 50 Recent Albums on Shuffleplay
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Ben Christophers - The Spaces in Between
David Bowie - Toy
Yes - The Ultimate Yes
Dutch Uncles - Cadenza

Once again awoken early doors (3:30am) with pain in the achilles...

A doctor's appointment just after 9 - took 10 minutes to make the minute or so walk from the bus stop to the surgery...

The doc advised nothing she could do for me...

A taxi to the Western General and to the Minor Injuries Unit around 10...

I was diagnosed with inflamed achilles tendon - mighty sore it is too...

And so, six years to the day after this, I find myself once more reliant upon these...

No driving, rehearsals for the gig cancelled for the time being...

Unbelieveable...

It could take six to eight weeks for this to sort itself out (or it could take two weeks)...

The cause? It's a mystery but the nurse advised it could have been something as inocuous as standing on a small stone whilst walking...

Physio booked in for Monday...

Home to bed for the entire afternoon - and an evening in front of the telly with my foot up...

A consolation Chinese was ordered and the new CBQ LP soundtracked nicely the latest episode of "Frozen Planet"...

To bed slightly earlier than usual with extra pillows under the right foot...

Highlight of the Day : Well it wasn't being back on crutches...

Pain is my achilles heel...

2011-11-22T23:59:00.002Z

Playlist
Various - 50 Recent Albums on Shuffleplay
Kenny Dorham - Blue Spring
Graham Bond Organisiation - The Sound of '65
Graham Bond Organisiation - There's A Bond Between Us

Awoke this morning around 4am with a horrendous pain in my achilles tendon...

No discernable reason...

As Meg the Black Cat settled down inside the guitar bag...

I soldiered on through the crisp, sunny day...

...and, soundtracked by the recent Kenny Dorham acquisition, brought home some flowers from a friend for sister Pam...

A new arrival from e-bay or Amazon or some such - two not great, just OK albums on one CD from Graham Bond...

In the evening, despite the painful leg, I even managed to give Anne a lift to the new Chinese restaurant opposite the Zoo for a belated birthday night out with her mum and sister Jane...

Back home, working on the set for the upcoming gig...

The expected call took me back to the Chinese and I ferried the ladies home...

To bed in much pain...

Highlight of the Day : Anne enjoying a night out...

The abstract expressionist feelgood factor...

2011-11-21T23:30:00.000Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Various - 50 Recent Albums on Shuffleplay
John Coltrane - Coltrane's Blues
Sclater, McKenzie & CBQ - December Set
Impossible Songs - Wild West Lothian
Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare

First thing, to the dentist to hopefully have my wayward molar fixed at last - alas, part of what remained of it sheered off when Dr Fenny was trying to remove the four week old temporary filling...

Mucho pain, sorted again for another couple of weeks with something called Fugee and some judicious planing down of the remains of the tooth to avoid it being pressurised too much...

A frozen face when, mid morning, a call from the hospital to advise Pam was to go to the hospice before mid-day...

A call an hour or so later to advise it was happening and could someone go to the hospital and collect all her stuff which they weren't able to take in the ambulance...

The Exec Producer duly obliged, before picking me up and driving us out to Fairmilehead...

A call to my mum and texting sister Sheila...

At the hospice, Pam is in a good sized room with one other lady whom we've not met yet - and a TV - Pam was enjoying Corrie and Emmerdale while we were in and we gave her her lunch...

The nursing staff are very attentive and it's a lovely relaxed atmosphere...

Pam seems quite happy here and it was a good visit - she even managed a few words - I'm just so glad and relieved she's not upset about coming here from the hospital...

In all the flurry of questions and form filling, I forgot to take any pictures but I can advise that, as is now the usual for Pam, she took it in her stride and was giving people smiles as appropriate - if only she could communicate more than this - I internally chastised myself for all the times in the past I've told her to stop talking so much - I'd give anything to hear her chattering away now...

All in all, not an easy day in the least...

Back home, we relaxed as best we could with some Tivo'd telly - "Harry Hill", "Merlin", "Curb Your Enthusiasm" then a sit in the back room with John Coltrane...

In the evening, with Anne at Keep Fit, I played along to the recordings of yesterday's rehearsal, put together our info sheet...

...and typed up my own versions of the others' songs to make things a bit easier for me...

Later on, on BBC Four, an excellent programme on American art in the 20th Century - Abstract Expressionism makes me feel good - preceeded an enlightening interview with Alice Cooper by Mark Lawson...

Even a forty year long Cooper fan like me gleaned some new snippets of info from this conversation...

Which reminds me - why do politicians and the media now use the word conversation when they mean discussion?

Very annoying...

Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Pam settled again...

The trio progresses...

2011-11-20T23:59:00.003Z

Playlist
Various - 50 Recent Albums on Shuffleplay
The Divine Comedy - Regeneration
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Sclater, McKenzie & CBQ - December Set
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Acoustic set

Up at 7:30 with the intention of compiling a mix CD a la Murray's from last night - but got caught up instead with sorting out the wires under the computer...

Around 10, out with Anne in the car along to Roseburn and then a walk along the Water of Leith to the Gallery of Modern Art for breakfast...

Back home around 12:30 and working on the possible songs for the setlist on 2 December...

At 2, down to Kat McKenzie's place for the first trio rehearsal with her and old chum Ian Sclater...

We're each learning two of each other's songs for a six song "trio" set...

An enjoyable afternoon's work...

In the evening to the hospital to find Pam sleeping - I did not wish to wake her...

Eventually though, she came round and we had a good visit, interacting with the other three ladies in the ward...

Back home and some telly enjoyed - "Garrow's Law" a particular highlight of a Sunday night's viewing these days...

To bed with a CBQ acoustic set on the cans...

Highlight of the Day : A new trio...

In Peru, we've lengthened the day...

2011-11-19T23:59:00.001Z

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet - Starlightnight
Various - 50 Recent Albums on Shuffleplay
Cage - Etudes Boreales Etc
Lee Scratch Perry - Dub Plate Mixes 1973-1979
John McLaughlin - My Goal's Beyond
Nguyen Le - Signature Edition
XTC - White Music
Kesha - Animal
John Coltrane - Favourite Things
Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Various - Murray's Soundburger Mix

Up early and writing up this and responding to more e-mails of love and support for Pam...

Into town to meet up with Dr Prog...

Accompanied today by the Exec Producer and so, in her capacity as Exec Producer and being in a captive environment (the Cloudland Blue Mobile) she was given her first full hearing of the proposed new LP...

It was declared "not go-ey" and one track in particular, "All is Fine", one of my favourites, was deemed "dreary"...

Hmm...

Parked amongst leaves...

...and walked over to the library...

...playing hide and seek on the way...

Met with Dr Prog and we both borrowed more music than we need...

Then to a nearby Turkish coffee bar...

...where sustenance was enjoyed and a natter was undertaken...

Two cafetieres of coffee and second order of cakes later, we bade the Doc a fond farewell and returned to the car...

...and home to Crispycat Towers, noting the progress of the non-tree destroying emergency vehicle access path...

...and the various very expensive and very close together houses...

After some rehearsing for the latest upcoming gig - a house concert on 2 December - it was into the hospital to visit sister Pam...

She took a while to wake from her slumber but was soon in good form...

She enjoyed all the messages of love and support I'd taken along and given to her and sent a big smile in return to all her friends from near and far...

In the evening, forgetting my camera, we drove down to Leith to brother-in-law Keith and lovely wife, Maureen's for a very tasty tea, enjoyed with stepdaughters Rebecca and Abbie and their respective boyfriends, Murray and Ryan...

John Coltrane soundtracked the meal - as did Steely Dan...

Retiring to the living room, a relaxing evening was very much enjoyed to the sounds of Mr Wonder followed by Murray's mix disc promoting his club night, "Soundburger" - mucho rare funky vinyl (ironically on a CD) featuring Peruvian pressings of never before heard of Portuguese bands...

Very entertaining...

Back home just after midnight and off to bed, noting Meg the Black Cat has developed a limp - reason, as yet, unknown...

Highlight of the Day : Meet ups with Dr Prog and Keith and family...