Friday, March 28, 2003
Station Officer Phil Thompson, of Preston Circus fire station in Brighton, said this afternoon: 'The fire is definitely of doubtful origin. There is no way it could have started on its own.'
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Just been onto the prom. The fire's just about out now, as it's down to bare metal and has run out of fuel. They don't seem to have intervened at all - I suppose when they realised it was going to die down there wasn't any point in trying to get fireboats out there.
And now there's a suggestion it might have been arson:
Dr Geoff Lockwood, chief executive of the West Pier Trust, said: 'I am extremely curious about how a fire could have started on the pier which was not accessible from the land. There was no electricity or combustible material there.'
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And now there's a suggestion it might have been arson:
Dr Geoff Lockwood, chief executive of the West Pier Trust, said: 'I am extremely curious about how a fire could have started on the pier which was not accessible from the land. There was no electricity or combustible material there.'
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Fascinating photos of the West Pier (pre-fire) by diver/engineer Sean Clark.
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During a discussion at work about food-based prog rock performances (we're very busy people), I remembered that during live performances of their song 'Ginger', the lead singer of David Devant & His Spirit Wife would grate a carrot over the bass player's head...
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'In another life maybe We'll all be ginger and free...' |
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Thursday, March 27, 2003
Something strange and wonderful is happening: I looked in the mirror and saw a pretty girl smiling back at me, looking quite startling happy... Maybe that sounds daft, but I haven't had a pretty day in the longest time. The past year or more has been such hard work, and for a while there I thought my mojo was gone forever, but circumstances have started to change, and suddenly I'm smiling at sunshine again, and dancing in my bedroom, and laughing out loud, and singing while I wash up.
Here's the big thing: tomorrow I leave a job which has bored and depressed me for sooo long, at a company which demoralised me just when I needed it to be supportive, where I listen to a daily litany on shareholder value. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been bad. I have met so many wonderful people there, and made some really special friends. There have been loads of good times and lots of laughter and random acts of kindness. But the bad now outweighs the good and it's time to go.
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Here's the big thing: tomorrow I leave a job which has bored and depressed me for sooo long, at a company which demoralised me just when I needed it to be supportive, where I listen to a daily litany on shareholder value. Don't get me wrong, it hasn't all been bad. I have met so many wonderful people there, and made some really special friends. There have been loads of good times and lots of laughter and random acts of kindness. But the bad now outweighs the good and it's time to go.
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Wednesday, March 26, 2003
'Love is such a game, love is such a game, and I don't wanna play-yay-yay-yay-yaaaay...'
Just found The High Fidelity's Luv Dup on Epitonic and am find it very difficult to sit still. Anyone for Formation Office Chair Dancing?
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Just found The High Fidelity's Luv Dup on Epitonic and am find it very difficult to sit still. Anyone for Formation Office Chair Dancing?
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Tuesday, March 25, 2003
'And this circle doesn't fit its little square
It bulges with opportunity, bulges...'
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It bulges with opportunity, bulges...'
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Monday, March 24, 2003
In which Julie builds up her antibodies...
"After scoffing a whole bag of maltesers in about 60 seconds flat and thinking, 'Mmmm wasn't many in there,' I suddenly recall.......dropping one on the floor. Straight away my instincts spot the stray malteser, in it goes........'Mmmm, tastes a bit odd,' I think, 'but nevermind, can't waste!'
2 hours later whilst tidying my files up under my desk I suddenly realise there are 2 more stray maltesers on the floor......OHH SHIT! The one I ate early was obviously not the fresh, dropped on the floor one.....the last time I ate any maltesers was at least a week ago!!!!"
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"After scoffing a whole bag of maltesers in about 60 seconds flat and thinking, 'Mmmm wasn't many in there,' I suddenly recall.......dropping one on the floor. Straight away my instincts spot the stray malteser, in it goes........'Mmmm, tastes a bit odd,' I think, 'but nevermind, can't waste!'
2 hours later whilst tidying my files up under my desk I suddenly realise there are 2 more stray maltesers on the floor......OHH SHIT! The one I ate early was obviously not the fresh, dropped on the floor one.....the last time I ate any maltesers was at least a week ago!!!!"
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This is my 'five more days to go!' dance (wiggles, grinning). It differs very little from my 'six more days to go!' dance...
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Friday, March 21, 2003
Can any singer move me more than Emmylou Harris? I've been listening to Red Dirt Girl for the first time today, and one song - Bang The Drum Slowly - in particular strung a chord on Day 2 of this world's latest war. She ends the song by humming 'The Last Post'.
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Bang the drum slowly, play the pipe lowly To dust be returning, from dust we begin Bang the drum slowly, I'll speak of things holy Above and below me, world without end... |
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Thursday, March 20, 2003
Upon completing His outburst, God fell silent, standing quietly at the podium for several moments. Then, witnesses reported, God's shoulders began to shake, and He wept.
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Wednesday, March 19, 2003
OK - it was so ridiculously sunny on my lunch break I've just been caught in my office, singing, in jolly tones, the following ditty:
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James the Cat I've had fame Money, and all that Now I'm here Growing fat Chasing birds and butterflies: James the cat.' |  |
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Monday, March 17, 2003
Fabulous...
Patsy: (to Saffy) - 'Care about her? You may dress like a Christian but the similarity ends there.'
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Patsy: (to Saffy) - 'Care about her? You may dress like a Christian but the similarity ends there.'
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Thursday, March 13, 2003
Paging Dr Freud!
Good grief. I've just remembered that last night I *dreamt* I was in Habitat trying to buy the new cheap version of Tord Boontje's 'Wednesday Light'...of course, in the dream, it was on display but out of stock. I AM DREAMING ABOUT DESIGNER LAMPSHADES. (This perhaps vindicates this week's decision to quit working for The Man and being a starving artist...)
'I didn't want my work to be too fashionable or perfect. It's neither of the past nor the present. It's normal - like a Wednesday.'
Tord Boontje is my new favourite designer. It started when I saw his 'Wednesday' collection - the etched steel light and table and the glassware - at the Craft Council's Pattern Crazy exhibition. I was stunned by the beauty and fragility of the light - laser-cut from steel but so delicate it shimmied if you blew on it. The whole of the exhibition was wonderful - particularly my longtime love Michael Brennand-Wood's giant 'Stars Underfoot' photos - but I kept going back to the Wednesday light for another look. It even had Boontje's signature etched in miniscule script on one of its leaves.
Then the Wednesday light (£150) began appearing in all the style magazines. Then I started spotting other Boontje items - such as a stunning £1,800 Swarovski chandelier. One day I spotted a GOLD version of the Wednesday light in Elle Decoration - and read on, assuming I'd hear it was a limited edition gold-plated version and about £300 - but it is in fact a mass-produced brass version and on sale in Habitat for just £15!
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Good grief. I've just remembered that last night I *dreamt* I was in Habitat trying to buy the new cheap version of Tord Boontje's 'Wednesday Light'...of course, in the dream, it was on display but out of stock. I AM DREAMING ABOUT DESIGNER LAMPSHADES. (This perhaps vindicates this week's decision to quit working for The Man and being a starving artist...)
'I didn't want my work to be too fashionable or perfect. It's neither of the past nor the present. It's normal - like a Wednesday.'
Tord Boontje is my new favourite designer. It started when I saw his 'Wednesday' collection - the etched steel light and table and the glassware - at the Craft Council's Pattern Crazy exhibition. I was stunned by the beauty and fragility of the light - laser-cut from steel but so delicate it shimmied if you blew on it. The whole of the exhibition was wonderful - particularly my longtime love Michael Brennand-Wood's giant 'Stars Underfoot' photos - but I kept going back to the Wednesday light for another look. It even had Boontje's signature etched in miniscule script on one of its leaves.
Then the Wednesday light (£150) began appearing in all the style magazines. Then I started spotting other Boontje items - such as a stunning £1,800 Swarovski chandelier. One day I spotted a GOLD version of the Wednesday light in Elle Decoration - and read on, assuming I'd hear it was a limited edition gold-plated version and about £300 - but it is in fact a mass-produced brass version and on sale in Habitat for just £15!
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Friday, March 07, 2003
Tell Laura I love her...
Laura Cantrell is playing Brighton AGAIN! End of April. Still haven't got over my excitement at her playing a pub gig ten minutes from my house, back in December, the day after my birthday. First time I've ever been keen enough (and close enough) to ask for someone's autograph! No need for me to go on any further, found this rather fitting review on the excellent AmericanaUK site:
She-Haw and Laura Cantrell - Prince Albert, Brighton - December 6th 2002
There are moments in life when you realize your true vocation or when you realize who your true love actually is; tonight, within seconds of Laura Cantrell's band opening their set, I immediately decided to finish it with mistresses Punk, Hip-Hop and Soul, stop my rambling and settle down with the Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Seriously, I thought tonight that I could happily listen to this music for the rest of my life and be very happy indeed, such was the charisma, humour and talent on display. This was She-Haw's second Brighton show this year, and last time, they made it down from a wedding party in Glasgow the night before, getting stuck on the M23 and ending up performing a pitifully short set, because Alan Tyler had to be fitted in sometime that night. This time around, we get a full length set, and this Philly twosome make the kind of music that you could play to your twang-allergic friends and they'd love them, yet the depth of their knowledge and love for traditional music is so huge that it shines out of them. But mostly, it's sheer energy and fun that is the biggest attraction; this isn't the place to rave about them any further, but go buy the records, and if they're playing in your town, book your tickets NOW.
In a major coup for the Gilded Palace, not only is this the smallest venue (70) on Laura Cantrell's tour, but one of the few with a full band, with full time Fannie and Record Label Magnate Francis Macdonald stepping in on drums. They run through many of the great tunes from 'Not the Trembling Kind' and 'When the Roses Bloom again', with highlights firmly being 'The Whiskey makes you Sweeter' (an unmatched tale of drunkenness and regret) and Amy Rigby's 'Don't Break the Heart'. (Fantastic to see this high profile and very special artist supporting another great female singer-songwriter from NYC- one day Amy will be as well recognized as a songwriter as Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch). There is also a song (title??) about the parents of a soldier getting two letters home for Christmas, the first from their son saying how much he will miss them, and the second being of the 'he was a brave, brave man' variety from his C.O.; I would love to know what that song was- it brought the house down, the place to a stand still and tears streamed in great quantity. This small room in Brighton was immersed in sadness, grace and beauty for that song and for much of this performance. How to summarize? Laura Cantrell will be the hugest of country stars, and has the ability, stature, talent, voice and business sense to take on the country music business and play on her terms; she will sell buckets of records, and will go down in history with artists as great as Emmy Lou Harris and Johnny Cash. Guaranteed. MP
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Laura Cantrell is playing Brighton AGAIN! End of April. Still haven't got over my excitement at her playing a pub gig ten minutes from my house, back in December, the day after my birthday. First time I've ever been keen enough (and close enough) to ask for someone's autograph! No need for me to go on any further, found this rather fitting review on the excellent AmericanaUK site:
She-Haw and Laura Cantrell - Prince Albert, Brighton - December 6th 2002
There are moments in life when you realize your true vocation or when you realize who your true love actually is; tonight, within seconds of Laura Cantrell's band opening their set, I immediately decided to finish it with mistresses Punk, Hip-Hop and Soul, stop my rambling and settle down with the Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Seriously, I thought tonight that I could happily listen to this music for the rest of my life and be very happy indeed, such was the charisma, humour and talent on display. This was She-Haw's second Brighton show this year, and last time, they made it down from a wedding party in Glasgow the night before, getting stuck on the M23 and ending up performing a pitifully short set, because Alan Tyler had to be fitted in sometime that night. This time around, we get a full length set, and this Philly twosome make the kind of music that you could play to your twang-allergic friends and they'd love them, yet the depth of their knowledge and love for traditional music is so huge that it shines out of them. But mostly, it's sheer energy and fun that is the biggest attraction; this isn't the place to rave about them any further, but go buy the records, and if they're playing in your town, book your tickets NOW.
In a major coup for the Gilded Palace, not only is this the smallest venue (70) on Laura Cantrell's tour, but one of the few with a full band, with full time Fannie and Record Label Magnate Francis Macdonald stepping in on drums. They run through many of the great tunes from 'Not the Trembling Kind' and 'When the Roses Bloom again', with highlights firmly being 'The Whiskey makes you Sweeter' (an unmatched tale of drunkenness and regret) and Amy Rigby's 'Don't Break the Heart'. (Fantastic to see this high profile and very special artist supporting another great female singer-songwriter from NYC- one day Amy will be as well recognized as a songwriter as Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch). There is also a song (title??) about the parents of a soldier getting two letters home for Christmas, the first from their son saying how much he will miss them, and the second being of the 'he was a brave, brave man' variety from his C.O.; I would love to know what that song was- it brought the house down, the place to a stand still and tears streamed in great quantity. This small room in Brighton was immersed in sadness, grace and beauty for that song and for much of this performance. How to summarize? Laura Cantrell will be the hugest of country stars, and has the ability, stature, talent, voice and business sense to take on the country music business and play on her terms; she will sell buckets of records, and will go down in history with artists as great as Emmy Lou Harris and Johnny Cash. Guaranteed. MP
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Wednesday, March 05, 2003
A long weekend in Wakefield. Watch this space for further details once I've got my head round it all...
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