Out and about...

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Anthology 1977-2007
Dittersdorf – Symphonies in D, A & E Flat
Ultra Bra – Sina Paivana Kun Synnyin
Various – Holiday Hits Vol 18

This morning, early, I worked on an idea for the proposed anthology – firstly, just one CD instead of the six (count ‘em) burned last week – then an idea for three discs, each separately charting a course from the past till now...

All still at the early stages...

We went to Stockbridge for breakfast...



...and I took a couple of pics with the new camera....



...having already captured Meg the Black Cat before we left...



In the Oxfam Music Shop I toyed with a Bill Bruford’s Earthworks best of CD, with two live tracks I don’t have being the only “new to me” music on it...

But, instead, I bought “Sina Paivana Kun Synnyin” (“On the Day I Was Born”), a double CD by Ultra Bra, apparently, Finland’s most successful band that no-one’s ever heard of...

Weird, happy go lucky Eurovision type music married to, I am assured by fan-sites, deeply political lyrics...

Of course I don’t speak Finnish so it was all a bit lost on me...

After a walk round the back streets of Stockbridge...



...back home, I listened to Ultra Bra and after having found out a bit about them, I worked on a new type of CD cover, utilising a full A4 sheet, both sides, and some cutting and folding, to be housed in a plastic sleeve...

After much measuring cutting, folding and mucking about, I had a finished article...



Then the Cup Final – and Dunfermline fought bravely against an under performing Celtic who managed a goal with five minutes to go. The ‘tic deserved their win though, having had probably three clear cut chances earlier in the game which they squandered while the Pars produced little of any real effect...

Then over to ex-drumming colleague Mr Keith Apter’s housewarming – his wife Angie had called me yesterday morning to advise of this, having previously lost my number and only then managing to locate it with the help of Jim Park, comedian and leg breaker...

A man called “The Hawk” was there...

Twenty seven years ago, we looked like twins and, today, could still see the facial similarities though, like most people nowadays he is thinner than me and has more hair...

I learned today how it was that Keith came to join our band in 1980, replacing Jim Park on drums – Keith went to school with The Hawk and The Hawk was on a Youth Opportunities Scheme with two members of a band we often played with, Pure Bears...

Also met an old footballing chum, Mark Glancy who, it turns out, also went to school with Keith but came to our five a sides nights invited by Jim Park after they met in a samba drumming band - of which Keith was also a member...

A day of revelation...

We left Keith’s around seven having had a prior arrangement for dinner with Anne’s friend Debbie and her husband Sid (real name Andrew)..

After deciding to partake in Sid’s gin-tasting session to compare 40% proof and 60% proof options, much red wine and some very strong sherry – we decided to leave the car and that we’d take a cab home....

The meal was unbelievable - all on a Spanish theme, including a meat paella and a chorizo dish complete with duck eggs cooked in the pan on top of the rest of the ingredients...



And wonderful home made ice cream with glazed oranges...




Tasty...

We talked into the night and Sid showed me how to sell stuff on e-bay (much to Anne’s delight)...

A cab was called around 1:30 and we made our way home..

Highlight of the Day : Two days out in one...