What looks like an "L" can, with the addition of a stroke, actually be a "W"...

Playlist

Melange - Viento Bravo

Lutosławski - Symphony #4; Partita For Violin & Orchestra; Chain 2, Etc.

Sonic Elements - Yesterday and Today

Johnny Jewel - Windswept

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Beware

King Crimson - Starless And Bible Black [4oth Anniversary]

Robert Fripp - The Wine of Silence

The Physics House Band - Horizons - Rapture

Elton John - Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy

Taylor Swift - Reputation

Jordsjø - Jordsjø

Max Richter - Hostiles (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Johnny Jewel - Digital Rain

Al Di Meola - Opus

Various - One Year, One Single

Various - Jackie The Album

Alice Cooper - The Alice Cooper Group Singles 1970-1974

Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You

Suzi Quatro - Can The Can

Gary Glitter - Gary Glitter Singles 1972-1975

David Guetta - Nothing But The Beat

Cheryl - Only Human

David Bowie - Nothing Has Changed

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Best Years Of Our Lives

Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind [Single]

Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson

Wizzard - Wizzard Brew

T Rex - The Slider

Pink Floyd - A Collection Of Great Dance Songs

Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Listening today to the music of Witold Lutosławski...

Top notch...

Then, later, a new "challenge" on the Twitter - to post 10 great number one singles from across the years...

There have been around 1,350 in the UK...

I whittled that down to 247 that I like...

So more work required...

This is how I waste my time...

Home to a tasty steak pie from the Exec Producer...

And more listening this evening plus, I think, "Zapped" and "Big Bang" and"New Girl" on the Tivo...

Confirmation from sister Sheila too that mum is back home, having been discharged late this afternoon...

Today's artwork, "Lutosławski"...

Highlight of the Day : Lutosławski

Modern dance is the best dance...

Playlist

Gentle Giant - In a Glass House

Gentle Giant - The Missing Piece (Remaster)

Various Artists - Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection 2018 Vols 1-52

John Grant - Love Is Magic

Status Quo - Picturesque Matchstickable Messages From The Status Quo

Dream Theater - When Dream And Day Unite

Hawkwind - Quark, Strangeness and Charm

Various - Chillout Moods

Various - 101 Stax

Allan Holdsworth - All Night Wrong

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Exodus (Deluxe Edition)

Out this evening for tasty Italian at Quattro Zero with the Exec Producer, then, off up to the Festival Theatre...

We were to see Ballet Rambert with chum Teresa this evening but she's been called away to Holland on grandchild business and so Mr Christoper joined us in her stead - good chat (not quite reflected in my big fat distorted face) as we waited for the performance to commence...

The piece, "Life is a Dream" featured amazing choreography, sets and lighting, accompanied by a wonderful live performance of Christopher Austin's orchestrations of pieces by Witold Lutosławski,...

The scene at half time...

The scene on the stage...

Some background from choreographer, Kim Brandstrup...

With the dancers in rehearsal...

Trailer...

Please do take a few minutes to watch these short films to get an idea of how brilliant this was...

Delighted to find, upon returning home, that all of the works by Lutosławski used in the piece, bar one, I have in the collection and will shortly enjoy again....

An excellent evening...

Today's artwork, "Life is a Dream"...



Highlight of the Day : Modern dance...

Thinking about going home, then, going home...

Playlist

John Grant - Love Is Magic

Moby - Music From Porcelain

Ashton Gardner & Dyke - Ashton Gardner & Dyke

Various - Trojan Foundation Dub

UK - Danger Money

Yuka & Chronoship - Dino Rocket Oxygen

Brian Eno - Music For Films

Gentle Giant - In a Glass House

This morning, a chimney pot was noted, sitting on the fence across from Crispycat Towers...

Photos were taken to try and determine the source...

Yep, it seemed it was from our stack...

A day as normal notwithstanding this situation...

Later, the beast was to be found contemplating heading home...

...and then, heading home...

Back home, the fact that I probably have too many CDs was evidenced...

...and this week's podcast was compiled and recorded...

Today's artwork, "Best Seat on the Bus"...

Highlight of the day : Podcasting...

Love is magic, apparently...

Playlist

Tangerine Dream - Quantum Gate

The Clash - The Clash

Queen - Sheer Heart Attack

Barclay James Harvest - Once Again

Alice Cooper - The Eyes Of Alice Cooper

Martin Tielli - We Didn't Even Suspect He Was The Poppy Salesman

David Bowie - Low

Bryan Ferry - Olympia

Bryan Ferry - Taxi

Rheostatics - Whale Music

Spock's Beard - Snow

Laura Pausini - Primavera in Anticipo

Asia - XXX

The Weeknd - Beauty Behind The Madness

Françoise Hardy - Françoise Mon Amour

Gentle Giant - Giant For A Day (Remaster)

Electric Light Orchestra - On The Third Day

David Sylvian - Dead Bees On A Cake

Chicago - Chicago

Roger Waters - Amused To Death

Weather Report - I Sing The Body Electric

The Skids - Scared To Dance

The Buggles - Adventures In Modern Recording

David Bowie - Heroes

Bruford - One Of A Kind

Brian Eno & John Cale - Wrong Way Up

LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundystem

Dar Williams - My Better Self

Santana - Caravanserai

King Crimson - Islands [40th Anniversary]

Argent - Ring Of Hands

King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King (40th Anniv)

Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy

The Tubes - Outside Inside

Billion Dollar Babies - Battle Axe

The Czars - Ugly People V's The Beautiful People

Focus - Focus III

Paul McCartney & Wings - Red Rose Speedway

Rheostatics - 2067

Rush - Moving Pictures

Hawkwind - P.X.R.5

Lucy Kaplansky - Over the Hills

Tangerine Dream - Rubycon

Moby - Music From Porcelain

James Grant - Love is Magic

A trip to Fopp at lunchtime resulted in two purchases - this 2CD set for £3 because...

..I bought this for £8...

A convoluted scenario re transport brought me to the Infirmary around 7 and an hour long visit with my mum, being driven nuts by the other "eccentric" ladies on the ward...

Oh well, hopefully out soon...

Back home, and "Informer" drew to a nice twisted close and was followed by highlights of tonight's second win in four days for Scotland, 3-2 v Israel and winning their funny wee mini league thing...

Then, tonight's "Holby City" pushed back to almost midnight...

Good nonetheless...

Today's artwork, "Love is Magic"...

Highlight of the Day : New John Grant...

Music listening,point scoring, tree finding...

Playlist

Tangerine Dream - The Virgin Years: 1974-1978

Françoise Hardy - Love Songs

Various Composerslbanese - Neue Meister Live in Berlin

Al Green - The Hi Records Singles Collection

Various - 60s Jukebox - The Ultimate Collection

Weather Report - The Agora, Columbus Ohio October 17 1972

Frank Wolff - Cello Solo

Various - 101 Stax

Japan - The Very Best Of

Die Ärzte - Geräusch

Max Richter - Memoryhouse

Udo Lindenberg - Panik mit Hut - Die Singles von 1972 bis 2005

Various Composers - Alpha Classics Autumn 2018

Falco - The Remix Hit Collection

Various - Sky Records Kollektion

Cluster - USA Live

Various - A Life in Yes - The Chris Squire Tribute

Tarwater - Adrift

Danny Driver - Dale: Piano Sonata; Bowen: Miniature Suite

Various Composers - Music For Viola Da Gamba & Lute

Roedelius - Kollektion

Halestorm - Vicious

Glasperlenspiel - Licht & Schatten [Deluxe Edition]

Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters - Tomorrow Is Another Day

Bryars - A Portrait

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Disquietmusik II

LaSalle Quartet - Recordings For SWR German Radio (1965-77)

Françoise Hardy - Frag' Den Abendwind

Adel Tawil - So Schön Anders

Various - The Spoken Word - British Writers

Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft - Ein Produkt der Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft

Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft - Reworx

Simon Dupree & The Big Sound - Amen

Stratovarius - Enigma: Intermission II

Having retired early last night re the ongoing pain in the neck scenario, this morning it seemed much improved...

A day of listening to new music - so much so that I missed my stop on the way home...

However, the different route down the hill to Crispycat Towers afforded a view of this groovy tree...

...which was good...

An evening of mostly telly (over 100 at "University Challenge2 then some stuff from the Tivo) and finishing off the calendars...

Today's artwork, "The Tree on the Hill"...

Highlight of the Day : Music listening...

Prodigal sons...

Playlist

Tangerine Dream - The Virgin Years: 1977-1983

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Jaffa Cake April Tutu

Dido - Life For Rent

Grand Funk Railroad - Classic Masters

Shawn Colvin - Whole New You

Händel - Organ Concertos, Op 4

Mozart - Complete Piano Sonatas

Bobby Hutcherson - Oblique

Glasperlenspiel - Licht & Schatten [Deluxe Edition]

Blackfield - Open Mind: The Best of Blackfield

Rheostatics - Night of the Shooting Stars

Tytingvåg Ensemble - Let Go Istrumentals

Laura Pausini - Laura (Spanish Edition)

Tuber - Out Of The Blue

Rodrigo Leão & Vox Ensemble - Theatrum

Marillion - Brave

Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

Bob Dylan - Time Out Of Mind

Roedelius - Kollektion

The Military Band of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - Amazing Grace [Single]

A Troop Of Echoes - Days in Automation

Pink Floyd - Obscured by Clouds

Tangerine Dream - The Virgin Years: 1974-1978

A welcome visit this morning from our wee pal Fang the Black Cat - not seen for too long...

Elsewhere, still working on the calendars...

Feeling cold and so the biggest cardigan in the world was brought out of the wardrobe...

In the afternoon, a visit to my mum who is doing ok but in a ward with three other ladies who are not quite with it...

I do my best to answer questions such as "where am I?", "why am I here?", "what day is it?" etc etc...

All very sad...

Hopefully mum will be out by next weekend...

To Anne's mum's around 5 for the family tea - a big turn out today...

Anne, Kitty, Bobby, Murray, Rebecca, Blair, Abbie, Craig, Keith, Mary, Olly, (Maureen), Jane, (me)...

Olly arrived having left his work early - and so was awarded the special chair...

Home for "Dr Who" on Tivo - slightly better this week but still the worst series I can remember since the revival in 2005...

Not that that matters of course...

Today's artwork, "Self Portrait"...

Highlight of the Day : Great big family tea and a visit from Fang...

Up to date, for now...

Playlist

Various - Trojan Tribute To Bob Marley Box Set

Various - Trojan Reggae Brothers Box Set

Various - Trojan Rare Groove Box Set

Various - Trojan Bob Marley and Friends Box Set

Various - This is Trojan

Various - Trojan Jamaican Superstars Box Set

Various - Trojan Producer Series Box Set

Various - Trojan Reggae Rarities Box Set

Various - Trojan UK Hits Box Set

Various - Trojan D.J. Box Set

Various - Trojan Roots Reggae Box Set

Various - Trojan Foundation Dub

Various - Trojan Beatles Tribute Box Set

Various - Trojan Club Reggae Box Set

Various - Trojan Soulful Reggae Box Set

Various - The Trojan Story: The Label That Defined Reggae

Various - Trojan Dub Rarities Box Set

Various - Trojan Seventies Box Set

Various - Trojan Instrumentals Box Set

Various - Trojan Upsetter Box Set

Various - Trojan Jamaica Box Set

Various - Trojan Dub Box Set Volume 2

Various - Trojan Slack Reggae Box Set

Various - Trojan Presents: Dub - 40 Deep and Heavy Hits 1973-1981

King Crimson - 2018 Tour

Bryars - The Fifth Century

Max Richter - Memoryhouse

Jlin - Autobiography

Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters - Underrated Silence

Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters - Tomorrow Is Another Day

Tarwater - Inside the Ships

Tarwater - Adrift

Moebius & Plank - Material

Karl Bartos - Atomium [Single]

Conrad Schnitzler & Pyrolator - Con-Struct

Cluster - USA Live

Cluster - Japan Live

Various - Sky Records Kollektion

Al Green - The Hi Records Singles Collection

Various - 101 Stax

Various - The Spoken Word - British Writers

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Disquietmusik II

Jean-Claude Vannier - En public & Fait maison

Françoise Hardy - Love Songs

Danny Driver - Dale: Piano Sonata; Bowen: Miniature Suite

Ashton Gardner & Dyke - Ashton Gardner & Dyke

Sand - Golem

Japan - The Very Best Of

Weather Report - The Agora, Columbus Ohio October 17 1972

Various - 60s Jukebox - The Ultimate Collection

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Beware

Yuka & Chronoship - Dino Rocket Oxygen

Die Krupps - Stahlwerkrequiem

Tangerine Dream - The Virgin Years: 1977-1983

Up super early and continuing to listen to the reggae which had accompanied my slumbers...

This was, of course, required....

Podcast uploaded and 17 days of this journal brought up to date, the Berlin trip having finally been documented late this week...

Then, working with Anne on photos for this year's family calendar for her mum and her own 2019 desk calendar...

An hour or so of relaxing and listening and then out to the Infirmary to visit my mum...

Looking well post her procedure on Thursday but still on antibiotics...

Accompanied her on, what was for her, a long walk up to the entrance to the ward...

...where she saw the wee dog, Pepper and the opera singer Magdalena Durant, both of whom have visited and entertained during her stay...

A pic sent to Anne re possible cake bringing home duties...

Out, clutching custard tarts...

..and home...

Anne had been awaiting delivery of my new man bag, ordered just last night - that's service...

It duly arrived...

Curry for tea and "Strictly" enjoyed...

All day, my right shoulder had been causing gyp - worsened this evening...

Not liking it...

Highlights of Scotland's 4-0 away victory in Albania, then, bed...

Today's artwork, "A Fridge Full of Cakes"...

Highlight of the Day : Getting this back up to date...

A random selection of a selection, plus comedy...

Playlist

Various Artists - Cloudland Blue Eclectic Selection 2018 Vols 1-52

Bryan Adams - Get Up

Tracy Chapman - Crossroads

Behind the Shadow Drops - Harmonic

Piebald - Barely Legal & All Ages

Ferguson - Piano Sonata in F minor

Starcastle - Starcastle

Grouper - Grid of Points

Grieg; Liszt - Piano Concertos

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Splinterheart

The Cure - Faith

The Yardbirds - Shapes Of Things

Various Artists - Early Hits

John Lennon - Mind Games

Di Lasso - Musica Dei Donum / Lauda Sion Salvatorem

Pink Floyd - Meddle

Seth Faergolzia - High Diver

Various Artists - Funk Fever

DJ Hell - Misch Masch

Roxy Music - Roxy Music

Taylor Swift - Reputation EP

Grandaddy - Last Place

M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Various Composers - New Music from Latvia 2014

Milhaud - Le Carnaval D'Aix, Concertos pour piano

Various Artists - Lazarus OST

Andrew Hill - Out Of The Blue

This Mortal Coil - It'll End in Tears

John Abercrombie - Class Trip

Zwoyld - 200000

Druckfarben - Druckfarben

Various Artists - A History of the Single - The 2010s

Robert Fripp - Network

Various Composers - Baltic Voices 3

Eluvium - Curious Things

Various Composers - Four Generations

Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra - Sky Blue

Haydn - Complete String Quartets

Nik Bärtsch's Ronin - Nik Bärtsch's Ronin

Variosu Composers - East German Revolution : A Composer's Portrait

Miles Davis - Harmon Gymnasium, University Of California, Berkeley CA, April 7th 1967

Cloudland Blue Quartet & Pedantic Pedestrian - Schneewittchen Schwarzmischung

Return To Forever - Returns

Kraftwerk - Die Klassik Werks Vol.1

Sparks - Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me) [Single]

John McLaughlin - The Boston Record

loscil - for Greta

Various Artists - Eurovision 2017

Orff - Kleines Konzert

The Zombies - The Singles As & Bs

Johann Johannsson - The Mercy

The Bad Plus - These Are The Vistas (European Edition)

Lutoslawski - Concerto For Orchestra, Jeux Venitiens

Robert Plant - Carry Fire

Ólafur Arnalds - Classically Chilled

Catacombe - Kinetic

Eluvium - False Readings On

Matt Simons - Catch & Release (Deepend remix) [Single]

Sam Rivers - Crystals

King Crimson - Thrak

Various Artists - The Best Prog Rock Album In The World...Ever!

Orrin Evans - Meant To Shine

Bill Orcutt - Bill Orcutt

Various Artists - A Hard Nights Day - A History Of Stiff Records

65DaysOfStatic - One Time For All Time

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

David Sylvian - The Modesto Muñiz Remixes

Various Artists - Krautrock : Music for Your Brain

Airbag - Disconnected

David Guetta - Listen

The New Odds - Cheerleader

Kuba Płużek Quartet - Froots

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Natty Dread

The Rezillos - Can't Stand the Rezillos

Emerson Lake & Palmer - Tarkus

Fun Lovin' Criminals - Come Find Yourself

Various Artists - Trojan Box Sets

Today's listening, this week's podcast first thing, followed by the 3,700 tracks featured on the programme since 2014, on shuffle...

Home on the dark..

A tasty pasta tea then out again with Anne...

Back to the Playhouse for Dara O'Briain...

...who was very funny indeed as always...

And so into the weekend...

Tomorrow morning, I'll be up early to upload the podcast and to try and get this up to date - I think I'm around 17 days behind at present...

Today's artwork, "Stage Front"...

Highlight of the Day : Dara O Briain...

Celebrating a life, again...

Playlist

Bryars - The Fifth Century

Max Richter - Memoryhouse

Jlin - Autobiography

Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters - Underrated Silence

Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters - Tomorrow Is Another Day

Tarwater - Inside the Ships

Tarwater - Adrift

Moebius & Plank - Material

Karl Bartos - Atomium [Single]

Conrad Schnitzler & Pyrolator - Con-Struct

Cluster - USA Live

Cluster - Japan Live

Various - Sky Records Kollektion

Al Green - The Hi Records Singles Collection

Various - 101 Stax

Various) - The Spoken Word - British Writers

Jean-Claude Vannier - En public & Fait maison

Françoise Hardy - Love Songs

Danny Driver - Dale: Piano Sonata; Bowen: Miniature Suite

Ashton Gardner & Dyke - Ashton Gardner & Dyke

Sand - Golem

Japan - The Very Best Of

Weather Report - The Agora, Columbus Ohio October 17 1972

Various - 60s Jukebox - The Ultimate Collection

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Beware

King Crimson - 2018 Tour

Cloudland Blue Quartet - Disquietmusik II

Music today, the choices for this week's podcast...

Plus King Crimson...

Plus the new CBQ LP...

A call around 9 from my mum at the hospital - she was being taken to theatre at 2...

I called the ward at 10 to find out what was happening - it seems they had gotten to the bottom of what was wrong and now were going to carry out a procedure re her gallstones and stent...

Hmmm...

Having gotten kind of back to normal, today was the day when that would be reversed, as we attended Keith Lodge's funeral, with a host of friends, colleagues and people not seen for years, from across the industry which funds my musicking and arting...

Cufflinks were donned...

And the sky was good...

A big lunch, over 20 of us at Quattro Zero, and toasts made - before taxis to the crematorium, where I met up with Anne...

So many faces from the past - and, of course the present...

A much loved man, seen here with the apples of his eye, his two boys Jonathan and Daniel, both of whom took part, bravely and movingly, in the service...

Keith's old friend, Ronnie Urquhart, gave the eulogy, just the right mix of sadness and laughter - and reflecting too, the disbelief among everyone gathered, that a freak accident could have taken Keith from us too, too early...

Just a couple more steps before his fatal stumble would have seen him merely bump into a fence, instead of falling through an open gate and down into a basement to be found the next morning...

Still hard to grasp that he's gone...

A celebration later at one of his favourite haunts, Angel Share; and a moving slideshow of his life and much good chat and reminiscing...

Word from Sheila re mum - back on the ward, groggy, visiting not required re her general "out of it" state but Sheila would return tomorrow...

And so, we left the gathering around 6:30 - others called it a day at 4 in the morning!

Back home, the podcast was recorded - in line with Keith's philosophy, described at his funeral, we have a short time here and we need to do what we like to do - what makes us happy...

And so, a few hours later, done, dusted...

Today's artwork, "Keith and His Boys"...

Highlight of the day : Celebrating a life...

A day spent listening to King Crimson...

Playlist

King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King

King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon

King Crimson - Lizard

King Crimson - Islands

King Crimson - Larks' Tongues in Aspic

A day spent listening to King Crimson...

...and visiting my mum at the infirmary...

She was on top form ad has had an MRI, the results of which are awaited...

Tht was it...

Last night, though, on our return from King Crimson, a txt re Holby menat we had to watch it into the early hours...

Gaskill, Gone, Good...

Today's artwork, "Crimson Shelf"...

Highlight of the Day : Mum getting back to normal...