Plenty has happened since my last blog post, especially seeing as it was back in 2016!
I’ll be restarting my blogging endeavours soon...
Thursday, 4 February 2021
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Hiawatha
I've read many "2016 sucks" posts on Twitter and other comment pages. I
haven't written mine yet, but after Victoria Wood's untimely passing
yesterday, I think it's about time. If you've been through my posting history, you'll know I've been writing about my favourite music, and I planned to hopefully introduce people to some left-fielders. However, after the dismal start to this year, the focus is on just one song.
Just one song? Well, one song from a brilliant album by Laurie Anderson. I've been a fan since I first heard O Superman, but Strange Angels (1989) was the first album where the focus left the spoken word and vocoder, revealing the most mesmerising singing voice. The album, which gave rise to the "Empty Places" tour (and we all have those Empty Places in our lives), touches on themes of missed chances, bad decisions, defiance and loss. The tracks include "The Dream Before", which revisits Hansel and Gretel in their twilight years, shacked up in a flat in Berlin, with Hansel wistfully pondering his feelings for the wicked witch; "Coolsville", where the vocals overlay each other with a slow, fading echo to tell a tale of unrequited love, and the delightful "Babydoll", wherein Laurie complains about her very bossy, male brain.
But after hosts of angels singing in the garden, kerjillions of stars and describing Heaven as "...a perfect little place that doesn't really need you", we come to the last song, Hiawatha. The song that takes the idea of Empty Places to its logical conclusion as it brings the album itself to a close. Starting with the opening stanza from Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha, sung in the upper register with crystal clarity, the song leads into a meandering melody that brings in the familiar metaphor of hanging new stars in the sky, with late and lamented characters from the history books and popular culture carrying on their lives in the hereafter. There are obscure references aplenty, and even The Star Spangled Banner makes an oblique appearance. Then, the song goes back to its beginning, describing a dark forest of pine trees on the shores of a bright, sea-like lake; all those angels fade away in the long denouement as Laurie vocalises over the sparse, yet warm and comforting, music.
Dear 2016 - we have enough stars in the sky for now, thank you.
Friends - I'd love for you to listen to this song (or the whole album). I was going to post a link to the song on YouTube, but there were no official uploads of Hiawatha, and those that I found had "fan videos" to accompany them which detract from the song, as all the imagery you need is in the music. You need to close your eyes and drift away with this song. Indeed, on the cover of the album, even Laurie is seen with her eyes closed. It would be a pleasure to send this song to you via the iTunes "gift" system - let me know if you'd like a copy.
Just one song? Well, one song from a brilliant album by Laurie Anderson. I've been a fan since I first heard O Superman, but Strange Angels (1989) was the first album where the focus left the spoken word and vocoder, revealing the most mesmerising singing voice. The album, which gave rise to the "Empty Places" tour (and we all have those Empty Places in our lives), touches on themes of missed chances, bad decisions, defiance and loss. The tracks include "The Dream Before", which revisits Hansel and Gretel in their twilight years, shacked up in a flat in Berlin, with Hansel wistfully pondering his feelings for the wicked witch; "Coolsville", where the vocals overlay each other with a slow, fading echo to tell a tale of unrequited love, and the delightful "Babydoll", wherein Laurie complains about her very bossy, male brain.
But after hosts of angels singing in the garden, kerjillions of stars and describing Heaven as "...a perfect little place that doesn't really need you", we come to the last song, Hiawatha. The song that takes the idea of Empty Places to its logical conclusion as it brings the album itself to a close. Starting with the opening stanza from Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha, sung in the upper register with crystal clarity, the song leads into a meandering melody that brings in the familiar metaphor of hanging new stars in the sky, with late and lamented characters from the history books and popular culture carrying on their lives in the hereafter. There are obscure references aplenty, and even The Star Spangled Banner makes an oblique appearance. Then, the song goes back to its beginning, describing a dark forest of pine trees on the shores of a bright, sea-like lake; all those angels fade away in the long denouement as Laurie vocalises over the sparse, yet warm and comforting, music.
Dear 2016 - we have enough stars in the sky for now, thank you.
Friends - I'd love for you to listen to this song (or the whole album). I was going to post a link to the song on YouTube, but there were no official uploads of Hiawatha, and those that I found had "fan videos" to accompany them which detract from the song, as all the imagery you need is in the music. You need to close your eyes and drift away with this song. Indeed, on the cover of the album, even Laurie is seen with her eyes closed. It would be a pleasure to send this song to you via the iTunes "gift" system - let me know if you'd like a copy.
Thursday, 31 March 2016
Turning over a new leaf
I now appear to have arisen from my blogging hibernation with an appropriately nature-related idea for a post.
Living in a top-floor flat wouldn't suit those with green fingers, but it suits me fine not to be mowing the lawn every week in summer or scraping up piles of leaves in the autumn. I do, however, have a rather large windowsill in the kitchen, and it would be a shame not to use it. A few years ago, it was full of chilli plants, but it was a battle to get rid of the greenfly (although diluted washing-up liquid in a cheap squirty-bottle thing from one of those pound shops did the trick). The final straw was when I bought a rather nice chilli plant from a dedicated chilli plant farm - it turned out to have a few stowaways - really unpleasant black flies that soon infested every plant in the flat and proved impossible to remove.
As a result, the last couple of years have been relatively plant-free. I have a small Aloe plant that has spawned seven or eight baby Aloe plants, but they look so happy snuggled up in the original pot that I don't want to disturb them... Then, along came a DIY Bonsai kit for Christmas, which remained in the "pending" pile for a while. With the new house due to be started at the Edge of Exmoor, I suddenly thought that the trees in the kit could be grown to full size for the Ians' new garden! So - out came the kit. Red Maple, Mountain Pine and Silver Birch - a nice trio.
The initial batch was four of each species. The stratification process began on 10 February 2016; seeds were soaked overnight then planted in the special compost pellets in the kit, the pellets were put into perforated plastic bags and off they went into the office - cool and light, but not direct sunlight. Two weeks in the office were to be followed by six weeks in the fridge to simulate winter (trees like that kind of thing, apparently), before going back into the office to germinate.
Surprisingly, two of the Mountain Pine seeds germinated during the first two weeks in the office. They are now on my windowsill and the original leaves (needles) are now being joined by more, tiny needles. The rest of the seeds are still in the fridge - no signs of life there yet!
A couple of weeks ago, I started off the rest of the Red Maple - they went into the fridge today, and I started soaking the remaining Mountain Pine seeds this morning. At least I have two trees growing, so that'll be a start for the Ians' garden - although I bought myself one of those little Bonsai pots, you know, just in case those green fingers grow back again.
Living in a top-floor flat wouldn't suit those with green fingers, but it suits me fine not to be mowing the lawn every week in summer or scraping up piles of leaves in the autumn. I do, however, have a rather large windowsill in the kitchen, and it would be a shame not to use it. A few years ago, it was full of chilli plants, but it was a battle to get rid of the greenfly (although diluted washing-up liquid in a cheap squirty-bottle thing from one of those pound shops did the trick). The final straw was when I bought a rather nice chilli plant from a dedicated chilli plant farm - it turned out to have a few stowaways - really unpleasant black flies that soon infested every plant in the flat and proved impossible to remove.
As a result, the last couple of years have been relatively plant-free. I have a small Aloe plant that has spawned seven or eight baby Aloe plants, but they look so happy snuggled up in the original pot that I don't want to disturb them... Then, along came a DIY Bonsai kit for Christmas, which remained in the "pending" pile for a while. With the new house due to be started at the Edge of Exmoor, I suddenly thought that the trees in the kit could be grown to full size for the Ians' new garden! So - out came the kit. Red Maple, Mountain Pine and Silver Birch - a nice trio.
The initial batch was four of each species. The stratification process began on 10 February 2016; seeds were soaked overnight then planted in the special compost pellets in the kit, the pellets were put into perforated plastic bags and off they went into the office - cool and light, but not direct sunlight. Two weeks in the office were to be followed by six weeks in the fridge to simulate winter (trees like that kind of thing, apparently), before going back into the office to germinate.
 |
| Reaching for the blue |
Surprisingly, two of the Mountain Pine seeds germinated during the first two weeks in the office. They are now on my windowsill and the original leaves (needles) are now being joined by more, tiny needles. The rest of the seeds are still in the fridge - no signs of life there yet!
A couple of weeks ago, I started off the rest of the Red Maple - they went into the fridge today, and I started soaking the remaining Mountain Pine seeds this morning. At least I have two trees growing, so that'll be a start for the Ians' garden - although I bought myself one of those little Bonsai pots, you know, just in case those green fingers grow back again.
Sunday, 25 October 2015
The Naming Of Dogs...
I started thinking about this over the past week, since Freddy passed away on 18 October. Why? Well, every time I mentioned him, I was able to give a different name. All variations on a theme, and he responded to them all, bless his cotton socks.
We need to go back a few years, of course, as the dogs in my grown-up life have all had names which, for want of a better word, evolved over the years. Annie was Ian's absolutely gorgeous blue merle Border Collie. Her name was a suggestion from Ian's mum, Janet. Annie was a nice enough name but Ian decided that it was short for Antonia. Being a blue merle, it was probably inevitable that her surname would be Specklehound. However, I remain unsure where her middle name came from. It wasn't long before she became Antonia Floripedes Specklehound...
When Annie was taken from us, far too early thanks to a rare and virulent form of doggy cancer, Ian vowed: no more doggies for a fair old while, no boy doggies and definitely no puppies. Which is probably why, just four weeks later, Ian headed off to the other side of Wales to pick up - you guessed it - a male Border Collie puppy. The last in the litter, from an advert placed by a sheep farmer, so clearly neither the best of the bunch nor a natural sheepdog. But along came Joey. Or, to give him his full name, Joseph Ffairfach Nathan Jones. A fine name indeed! So how did this one come about? Well, it was the week before Christmas (hence Joseph), the farm was near Ffairfach and the farmer's name was Jones. This didn't take Ian long to come up with (and it was a long drive home, so plenty of time to ponder). I added the Nathan; Bananarama have a lot to answer for ;-)
Joey didn't take kindly to being an only child, so the following spring we headed off to the Border Collie Trust to find him a playmate - or at least something to chew on other than the furniture... Folks - if you are looking for a Collie, this is the place to come! They interview you first about your experience with dogs, your living situation and working pattern - everything that would affect the choice of dog they would introduce you to. As it turned out, the first dog they brought out was Freddy! We saw a couple of others as well, but we ended up going back to their first recommendation. They had asked us to bring Joey along, and we put them together in the play area. They hit it off immediately - and so we welcomed hairy kid #2 into the family! His name was Prince, and it is best to rename a rescue dog in case their original name has negative connotations. Some simple word association and we had his new name: Freddy! Need a clue? Well, we'd watched the Scooby Doo movie not long before...
One day, a few weeks later, we were walking the dogs when an Australian guy passed by, saw Freddy and commented "That's a mighty fine dingo you've got there!" - and so plain old Freddy became the rather lovely Freddy Dingo! Dog name evolution kicked in and it transpired that Freddy was, in fact, short for Federico. Not Frederico, which would have been easier to explain, of course, but you'd have to ask Ian why there was no "r" after the "f". He was studying Spanish at the time. And French. And Italian. And Portuguese. Perhaps that had something to do with it? More confusion was to come, and Freddy's full name eventually became Federico Dingo Dingo Dog. He was also known as Mr Dingo, but you had to pronounce it "Meeeeesta Deeeeeeengo" with your best Speedy Gonzales impersonation. And yes - he'd happily come running no matter which name you called him with!
Two weeks later; a phone call, a trip to a motorway service station and lo! Hairy kid #3 has arrived, albeit with a cat's food bowl, a bag of adult dog food and a very disgruntled expression on his face. His previous owners had obviously not done even the most basic research into the breed, leaving him alone in their flat all day then wondering why he ripped up all their furniture. Rule one: Huskies are pack animals and should never be left on their own. Cody (his pedigree certificate naming him Prince of Dream was shredded immediately) was now with his fourth owners after just a few months. Unfortunately, we had a holiday in Canada planned. The other two were off into kennels, but we managed to find some friends who could give Cody their undivided attention while we were away.
Times change, and the hairy kids ended up on a livestock farm down in Devon at the Edge of Exmoor. Joey was finally back in his puppyhood environment and actually showed some natural instinct when introduced to the sheep. And, inevitably, along came hairy kid #4. One of the young farm dogs wasn't getting along with his doggy daddy, and so Sonny joined the gang. Now, this was a tricky one, as Sonny was his accepted name. Not to be outdone, Ian interpreted this as "Sunny" and so he became known as Sunshine Superhound! Well, he is rather splendid to watch as he rounds up the sheep.
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| Annie |
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| Joey - you can see the mischief in his eyes... |
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| Freddy Dingo |
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| Freddy's favourite place! |
 |
| ...and what a nap partner Freddy was! |
Two dogs became too much for our small terraced house, so we made the switch to rental and moved into a lovely four-bed semi in the middle of nowhere (more or less) with a massive garden. Just as well, really, as hairy kid #3 joined us a couple of years later.
A last-minute change of plans, a switch to an earlier train home after a conference, and Ian hears the whiny sounds of an unhappy puppy. He goes to investigate under the guise of a trip to the loo. It's a gorgeous Siberian Husky, on his way down to a flat in London with new owners. New owners who have never had a dog before. Ian has a chat and gives them his card in case they have problems.
 |
| And then there were three! |
And so the name evolution process began once more. Cody was fine, of course, but it turns out it was short for Codias or, sometimes, Codiac. His previous name had been Alex, which was relegated to being his middle name, although we changed it to the grander Alexander. And the surname: this was where the holiday in Canada came in handy. We drove past the ice rink of a local hockey team, the Timberwolves. Well! Huskies are genetically close to wolves, sharing more wolf-like traits than other dogs, and Timberwolf would make a fine surname. But it didn't quite sound right. Cody is a saddleback, mainly white, but with a grey patch on his back. Just then, a certain song came on the radio, and so Cody finally became Codias Alexander Timberlake. When we got back, we told him his new name. He didn't seem that bothered, unless use of that name resulted in him getting food.
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| Sonny in his natural habitat |
So there we go! The Ians got rather used to the four-dog situation, and Ian F has always wanted more. Now, with Freddy's sad demise, there is a vacancy - in our hearts as well as in the kitchen at lights-out time. No doubt, once a new hairy kid has been adopted, the whole doggy name evolution process will start once more.
Sunday, 13 September 2015
Summer-y
Well! Summer has been and gone without a single blog post, so here's a little review of the highlights (thanks to Chris for the titular pun!)...
After some of the hottest July days on record, it was a relief when the good weather stayed for Hannah and Jamie's wedding. A perfect day all round, and a great example of what can be done when you decide to do things yourselves and apply some lateral thinking to the whole day. After a beautiful Church service, the happy couple were whisked away to the reception in a converted VW camper van, welcomed by the sound of everyone singing "All You Need Is Love" to the delightful tones of David and his Ukulele band. Hay bales covered in colourful blankets abounded on the lawns surrounding the community centre, where we drank Pimms and enjoyed a barbecue, chatting with friends old and new. Dessert was, quite literally, delivered out of the back of a van - an ice cream van serving home-made delights. The traditional layered cake was replaced by layers of cheese wheels and a Commitments-style band had the happy crowd jiving into the night. Lanie gave me a guided tour of the decorated community centre - all home-made decorations, which looked superb.
Then came the end of the school year. True to form, the blistering sunshine lasted until lunchtime and the well-deserved staff barbecue was a typically British rain-splattered affair. Two days left until the weekend? Time for some annual leave. Back down to Margate for a second visit to the newly-restored Dreamland, and it was looking lovely! The Scenic Railway was testing with a half-finished train; just two makeshift seats on the second carriage so that the on-train brakes could be put through the their paces and the sensor system could be tested. The trains are still being made, apparently. David Littleboy's restoration team have installed their Speedway ride - a true Rock 'n' Roll classic, which was being managed by a highly enthusiastic young team. It was great to see such a vintage ride being so popular with the youngsters. A newly-restored Grasscutter Twist has now replaced the modern version that was present at the opening; it wasn't running as the safety bar system had to be replaced, but it looks the part...
Next stop was Hastings, or rather St Leonards on Sea, for a first visit to see the sis and bro-in-law in their new apartment. Well, I did see it on moving day, but to see it now, after a very determined Rosie sorted out carpets, soft furnishings, a new kitchen and pretty much everything else, was a delight! And that telly! Wow! Oh yes - there's a lovely view of the sea from the living room... We tried out one of the Curry Houses on the Friday night, while the heavens opened outside. Door to door taxi rides, even though it's only a ten minute walk? Well, we'd otherwise have either dissolved in the torrential rain, been zapped by lightning or been blown out to sea by the gusting wind. That's our excuse ;-)
Saturday morning was the calm after the storm, and clear blue skies encouraged us to wander down into Hastings for breakfast, followed by a truly touristy walk around the old town. Rides on the cliff lifts, with a sneaky latte at the top. A tour of the fishing area and the RNLI lifeboat (and yes! I really did buy Christmas cards from their shop). A look at the miniature railway and small but welcoming funfair, the boating lake with the swan-shaped pedal boats. Finally, fish and chips for lunch, sitting outside (of course). I wish I had had my camera at the ready as we left our table; within seconds, five or six gulls had demolished everything on the table. Scraps of food snatched up in eager beaks, crockery smashed by wildly flapping wings - I'm surprised they waited until we had actually finished...
The school holidays no longer mean the best part of six weeks marking books and planning for the
year ahead. Instead, I'm faffing about knee-deep in MySQL and PHP with 28 days of annual leave. Of course, I had to take a couple of days out to pop down to Devon. It's always a treat to see the Ians, the hounds, the cattle and sheep. In that order? Mostly... This visit coincided with the North Devon Show, and we had a great time wandering around and admiring everyone's livestock. This is a true community event - everyone seemed to know everyone else and we were stopping to chat with people every few minutes.
The other key Devon-based event was getting Ian F interested in (take a deep breath now...) Social Media! It was weaning time down on t'farm, and this meant taking the lambs and ewes down from the top fields to the main farm, sending them down the race and through the dreaded whittling gate, then taking the lambs (on their own) back up to their new field. So - I started broadcasting this momentous occasion on Periscope, with which you can broadcast whatever you are doing to the Internet, allowing anyone to watch, enter comments and (if they like what they see) tap their screens to send you a heart (Periscope's version of "Likes"). Before long, people from around the world were watching the sheep: "Hi from New Zealand", "Hello from Texas" - the messages and questions kept popping up on the screen. Sonny always got loads of heart-likes when was made the focus. Then one of my followers from Turkey popped up and said "Hello from Istanbul" - to which Ian F replied "Hello" - but in Turkish (well, he is learning the language at the moment). Then followed a conversation between Ian, in the wilds of North Devon, driving sheep along a narrow country lane, and a guy in Istanbul - in Turkish. I think it must have been the overall surrealist nature of the encounter, but when I got home - lo! - Ian F was on Twitter!
Back home and back to work, with just a few theatre trips to keep me sane! My theatre buddy
Charmain and I managed to get awesome seats for the first preview of Kinky Boots at The Adelphi in London. The show is a musical based on the film based on the true story of a men's shoe factory in Northampton that is saved from closure by a chance encounter between Charlie (the reluctant heir to the factory) and the drag queen Lola, whose heels keep breaking. Charlie realises that he can diversify into making high-heeled boots for men - and so the fun begins! The show exceeded all my expectations and is (Shock! Horror!) my new favourite West End musical (sorry Book of Mormon). The music, by Cyndi Lauper, covers a range of musical styles, with highly hummable tunes and witty lyrics. The choreography by Jerry Mitchell is superb - the Act I finale, with the conveyor belts (I'll say no more) is sheer genius! The show flows so smoothly, and the stage adaptation allows the subtler moments of the film to shine through. Kinky Boots is Killian Donnelly's third headline show - I was lucky to see him as Deco in The Commitments and Huey in Memphis, and he is perfectly suited to the role of Charlie. I don't think I have seen a musical actor with such stage presence before. Matt Henry plays Lola, and he is a revelation - so much sass, and he handles those high heels perfectly. Looking forward to seeing it a few more times ;-)
The other theatre outings were Book of Mormon (well, I did win the Mormon Lottery) and Briefs - the "Boy-lesque" show at London Wonderground. Six very, erm, talented gay guys who performed all sorts of circus/dance/comedy acts, mostly wearing very, very little. Let's just say I'll never look at a yo-yo quite the same way again. And as for the ending of the "Dog Show" act, well - I really hope it was some kind of optical illusion, but I haven't been able to work out how it could be, unfortunately. No spoilers - but it was a brilliant demonstration of how this sextet of performers were able whip up the audience into a frenzy, as that act got a huge round of applause and loads of cheers. It was quite something! I'd highly recommend this show - but don't sit too close to the stage. Oh yes - the raffle prize is well worth winning!
Finally - I did manage to squeeze into one of Jeremy Corbyn's rallys. Does that count as theatre? I get the feeling the coming weeks will be...
After some of the hottest July days on record, it was a relief when the good weather stayed for Hannah and Jamie's wedding. A perfect day all round, and a great example of what can be done when you decide to do things yourselves and apply some lateral thinking to the whole day. After a beautiful Church service, the happy couple were whisked away to the reception in a converted VW camper van, welcomed by the sound of everyone singing "All You Need Is Love" to the delightful tones of David and his Ukulele band. Hay bales covered in colourful blankets abounded on the lawns surrounding the community centre, where we drank Pimms and enjoyed a barbecue, chatting with friends old and new. Dessert was, quite literally, delivered out of the back of a van - an ice cream van serving home-made delights. The traditional layered cake was replaced by layers of cheese wheels and a Commitments-style band had the happy crowd jiving into the night. Lanie gave me a guided tour of the decorated community centre - all home-made decorations, which looked superb. |
| Let's Twist Again? Soon, perhaps... |
 |
| On the Cliff Lift with Rosie and Pete! |
 |
| Hastings - really rather lovely! |
 |
| Prize-winning onions!! |
year ahead. Instead, I'm faffing about knee-deep in MySQL and PHP with 28 days of annual leave. Of course, I had to take a couple of days out to pop down to Devon. It's always a treat to see the Ians, the hounds, the cattle and sheep. In that order? Mostly... This visit coincided with the North Devon Show, and we had a great time wandering around and admiring everyone's livestock. This is a true community event - everyone seemed to know everyone else and we were stopping to chat with people every few minutes.
The other key Devon-based event was getting Ian F interested in (take a deep breath now...) Social Media! It was weaning time down on t'farm, and this meant taking the lambs and ewes down from the top fields to the main farm, sending them down the race and through the dreaded whittling gate, then taking the lambs (on their own) back up to their new field. So - I started broadcasting this momentous occasion on Periscope, with which you can broadcast whatever you are doing to the Internet, allowing anyone to watch, enter comments and (if they like what they see) tap their screens to send you a heart (Periscope's version of "Likes"). Before long, people from around the world were watching the sheep: "Hi from New Zealand", "Hello from Texas" - the messages and questions kept popping up on the screen. Sonny always got loads of heart-likes when was made the focus. Then one of my followers from Turkey popped up and said "Hello from Istanbul" - to which Ian F replied "Hello" - but in Turkish (well, he is learning the language at the moment). Then followed a conversation between Ian, in the wilds of North Devon, driving sheep along a narrow country lane, and a guy in Istanbul - in Turkish. I think it must have been the overall surrealist nature of the encounter, but when I got home - lo! - Ian F was on Twitter! |
| So - who is better-suited to Kinky Boots? |
Charmain and I managed to get awesome seats for the first preview of Kinky Boots at The Adelphi in London. The show is a musical based on the film based on the true story of a men's shoe factory in Northampton that is saved from closure by a chance encounter between Charlie (the reluctant heir to the factory) and the drag queen Lola, whose heels keep breaking. Charlie realises that he can diversify into making high-heeled boots for men - and so the fun begins! The show exceeded all my expectations and is (Shock! Horror!) my new favourite West End musical (sorry Book of Mormon). The music, by Cyndi Lauper, covers a range of musical styles, with highly hummable tunes and witty lyrics. The choreography by Jerry Mitchell is superb - the Act I finale, with the conveyor belts (I'll say no more) is sheer genius! The show flows so smoothly, and the stage adaptation allows the subtler moments of the film to shine through. Kinky Boots is Killian Donnelly's third headline show - I was lucky to see him as Deco in The Commitments and Huey in Memphis, and he is perfectly suited to the role of Charlie. I don't think I have seen a musical actor with such stage presence before. Matt Henry plays Lola, and he is a revelation - so much sass, and he handles those high heels perfectly. Looking forward to seeing it a few more times ;-)
The other theatre outings were Book of Mormon (well, I did win the Mormon Lottery) and Briefs - the "Boy-lesque" show at London Wonderground. Six very, erm, talented gay guys who performed all sorts of circus/dance/comedy acts, mostly wearing very, very little. Let's just say I'll never look at a yo-yo quite the same way again. And as for the ending of the "Dog Show" act, well - I really hope it was some kind of optical illusion, but I haven't been able to work out how it could be, unfortunately. No spoilers - but it was a brilliant demonstration of how this sextet of performers were able whip up the audience into a frenzy, as that act got a huge round of applause and loads of cheers. It was quite something! I'd highly recommend this show - but don't sit too close to the stage. Oh yes - the raffle prize is well worth winning!
Finally - I did manage to squeeze into one of Jeremy Corbyn's rallys. Does that count as theatre? I get the feeling the coming weeks will be...
Friday, 26 June 2015
Dreamland rises from the ashes - part two
Seeing the new wood going up on the Scenic Railway was such a delight! There were time-lapse videos on the new Dreamland website, pictures from the park and, of course, us enthusiasts were discussing it all on the Save Dreamland Campaign forum. A slight setback in the early stages saw some of the bents being blown over, bents being the vertical support sections that are joined together horizontally to form a rigid structure. Time was made up nice and quickly, however, and the structure of the Scenic was finished well before the park was due to open. The Scenic is now listed as Grade II*, which means it has been moved from Grade II ("special interest warranting every effort to preserve them.") and is now considered by English Heritage to be a "particularly important building of more than special interest." Only 5.5% of listed buildings are Grade II*. The Dreamland Cinema, which is also undergoing restoration, is also listed at Grade II* - so much history in one small site!
On the All The Fun of the Fair forum, we were following the progress of some of the rides undergoing a full restoration by David Littleboy and his team: A set of Gallopers (four-abreast, no less), the Zodiac Jets that were once toured by Carters' Steam Fair, a rather rare double-decker juvenile roundabout, with a circle of rockets on the upper deck and a selection of scooters (of the motorbike variety) to be attached to the lower platform (giving rise to the name "Mods and Rockets") and a lovely Dodgem track. These rides were all delivered in plenty of time and in perfect order - they looked absolutely superb. You can read more about David's restoration projects on his website.
Now a word about campaigners and volunteers. We're an interesting bunch of people - just ask anyone who has to co-ordinate volunteers within an organisation where most people are paid to do their jobs! We don't expect anything special as a result of our efforts, but we do like to be treated fairly and with a modicum of respect. I sure as flip didn't expect what happened when the tickets went on sale: A two-hour priority booking session for Margate residents only, for the limited opening day tickets, with the resulting possibility that I would end up not being able to go to the opening day I had been working towards for a decade. Annoyed? Just a little! Then, it was revealed that the first 50 people to buy their tickets in person would get a special souvenir of the original Scenic Railway wood - being a Friday, that meant people who lived close enough to the park to buy their tickets in person - i.e. not me! The final straw was the Heart 103.1 competition to win the chance to be on the first public ride of the Scenic Railway - every enthusiast's dream. Guess what? Only open to Margate residents. I finally got my opening day admission ticket, but I have to say that this was an absolute snub to the many campaign members who weren't local. As I said, I didn't take part in the campaign for any kind of special treatment, but I certainly didn't expect to be actively discriminated against! Still - at least Dreamland will be open once more...
So the great day dawned! The Thursday had been such a lovely day that I found a place at a nearby hotel and drove down in the evening sunshine. I got to Dreamland shortly after 9.00am and, as I drove into the Dreamland car park, one thought entered my mind: "They are doing this RIGHT!". The sight was truly impressive, and the Scenic Railway was just - perfect! All new wood, left in its natural colour, and with the profile just as I remember it in the old days. The big wheel added the perfect finishing touch to the skyline of the park - even with dear old Arlington House poking up just to the right.
Security and press members were out in force - I was simply nodded into the park by the security guards on the entrance under the Scenic Railway turnaround. And the sight was quite something! So many people working flat out to make sure the opening went ahead. The hi-vis vest and hard hat brigade spraying tar and laying gravel, cementing-in fences and filling the tyres around the kiddies pedal-car track with sand; technicians were musing over the half-finished Waveswinger ride (sporting the well-chosen colour scheme used throughout the park); ride and customer attendants were lugging piles of boxes to and fro, dressed in retro chic. And they were (almost) all smiling and joking! The atmosphere was so incredibly positive that I wandered around with a huge smile on my face, wondering whether I should offer to lend an hand!
It was clear that several of the rides weren't going to be open in time, but this was more a problem thanks to "Scrappage-gate", as mentioned in the previous blog. Substitute rides had to be found at relatively short notice, so any issues with these rides would inevitably mean a delay. The trains for the Scenic Railway weren't ready, which was unfortunate, but thanks to the arson attack, the ride could not be regarded as having been in constant use since the park closed, hence new safety aspects had to be incorporated. The trains are coming along nicely and will look just fine when finished - and it is very sensible not to rush such important things!
As far as the workers were concerned, they had
to get the park into a state in which the public could enter and walk around in complete safety, so fencing off the incomplete aspects of the park was the priority this morning - and they were going for it hell-for-leather. I was pleased to bump into David Littleboy - all of the rides he and his team restored were tested and ready to run, including the Four-Abreast Gallopers built by Savages of King's Lynn many years ago. I heard a few tales from the past twenty-four hours, and my admiration for those still hard at work increased a hundredfold!
It was getting close to the 10.00am opening time, so I made a last tour of the site, keeping out of the way of the tipper trucks carrying yet more gravel to finish off the walkways, and watching out for people carting food to the catering units in the rather tasteful Food Court. I had another chat with a chap who had worked at Dreamland for many years. Like me, he was so pleased to see the park finally re-opening. Given the last-minute rush, it almost seemed to be a better idea to delay the opening, but then this is simply weekend number one, and the park was due to be closed from Monday to Friday of the following week - plenty of time to get these problems sorted. Treat this weekend as the preview weekend, I thought - and we all know that previews don't always go as planned.
Back at the entrance, a large, red ribbon was being installed across the entrance under the Scenic Railway turnaround. A raised platform was filled with TV cameras - members of the press had been wandering freely around the site all morning! A small crowd had gathered, but it was clear that a 10.00am opening wasn't going to happen. Out came a delightful group of entertainers! I think the theme was Cockneys on a Day Out as they started a sing-a-long. "Oh! I do
like to be beside the seaside" and "My old man!", with some songs that
had clearly been written for the occasion! It might have been more convincing if they all knew all the words to "Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside", bless 'em, but they were so enthusiastic you couldn't help but sing along! You could see the tipper trucks racing out of the park behind all the colour and bustle, and just before 11.00am the speeches and ribbon-cutting ceremony began! The crowd behind me had grown quite impressively by this time. And then the magical moment - the public were finally allowed to enter the park that had, ten years before, looked likely to end up under flats for commuters.
All I could think was how perfectly the plans were being realised. There were a fair few rough edges, but looking at the park as a whole, it was abundantly clear exactly how great this park is going to be. The pastel shades used in the designs by Wayne Hemingway are just - perfect. There are so many of those little touches that many people may not even notice, but which make you feel good on a subconscious level. Things like using the same colour wood in the ride walkways and fences as used in the Scenic Railway - it brings a sense of cohesion. Take the Jets and the Scenic side-by-side in the picture on the left - it just works! The Jets may be a travelling ride, designed to be moved from place to place on a weekly basis, but the addition of the wooden platforms and fences turns the ride into a static park model that looks completely at home here in Dreamland. The ride operators and other support staff are wearing T-shirts with classic slogans such as "Scream if you want to go faster" and "Put your hands in the air!", with those familiar pastel shades as drop-shadows. And they were the most enthusiastic and just plain jolly ride operators I have seen. Despite the cloud I arrived under, with the dreadful booking experience, I couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear - the atmosphere was one of pure joy (well, for most of us). There were some rides closed - the Scenic, of course, and, rather disappointingly, the big wheel. But I knew I'd be going back from the moment I entered - and everything will be running then.
Messham's Wall of Death was in attendance, which means that I had seen this version and Ken Fox's within a week of each other. As usual, the show was very loud, fast-paced and utterly thrilling. When you have two bikers riding the wall, overtaking each other and zooming up to within inches of the top, you can't help but be drawn in by the spectacle. And, of course, every performance was packed out and the crowds were generous with their donations to the "insurance fund" at the end. Once of the aims of the park is to bring back the attractions that have featured in Dreamland over the decades, and the Wall of Death was a major feature at the park in the 1960s, when the star of the show was Yvonne Stagg.
The Dodgems, Spinning Wild Mouse, Jumping Pirate Boats, Helter-Skelter, Twister, Gallopers, Jets and (temporary) Waveswinger were running full all day. There were some lovely juvenile rides as well, and the restored pedal cars and push-bikes were hugely popular with the younger visitors. Once the Big Wheel, Caterpillar, Kiddie Coaster, monorail, "proper" Waveswinger and the Scenic Railway are running, this park is truly going to have something for everyone!
Another nice touch is the open space! There are plenty of seating areas, sensibly using astroturf underfoot rather than grass that would be subject to wear, tear, too much water and too little water. Giant deckchairs provide great photo opportunities and well as a novel place to relax. There is also a huge emphasis on up-cycling. So much of the old wood removed from the Scenic Railway has been used to build huge wooden signs, stalls and other features. Old arcade machines have been gutted and turned into shelf units. There is even an illuminated sculpture made out of random inert gas tube lights...
And then there is the arcade building! This houses the Roller Disco which has a beautiful wooden floor, a huge mirror ball and a great sound system. The seating is 50's Diner-style, with a Pizzeria and bar, all opening out into the main seating area. The information/ticket stall is here, together with the Dreamland Emporium, where a most impressive range of souvenirs is available for purchase. Pleasingly, there is plenty to buy at the lower end of the price range - and I must say I'm tempted to get a "Scream if you want to go faster" tea towel next time I go! The souvenirs feature that pastel colour scheme, but there is also a range of custom crockery and plate settings, mugs and other household bits and pieces. Good use has been made of the original wood from the Scenic here as well, with a range of upcycled wooden souvenirs for all budgets.
Oh dear - sounds like I'm slipping into fanboy mode. But that's the truth of it - I had such a great time I just can't wait to get back. As I left the park at the end of the afternoon session, a huge queue had already built up for the evening Hullabaloo - featuring Chas & Dave and Marina & the Diamonds, among others. And this is the last thing that made me think that this park is going to do well - events! There is plenty of room left, and once the rides that are still undergoing restoration have been added, there is the Hall by the Sea ballroom waiting to be restored (and The Rolling Stones played there once) and the possibility of a permanent outdoor event arena. As I drove out of the car park, the tracer lights on the Scenic Railway were twinkling away - Dreamland really is going to be a magical place!
On the All The Fun of the Fair forum, we were following the progress of some of the rides undergoing a full restoration by David Littleboy and his team: A set of Gallopers (four-abreast, no less), the Zodiac Jets that were once toured by Carters' Steam Fair, a rather rare double-decker juvenile roundabout, with a circle of rockets on the upper deck and a selection of scooters (of the motorbike variety) to be attached to the lower platform (giving rise to the name "Mods and Rockets") and a lovely Dodgem track. These rides were all delivered in plenty of time and in perfect order - they looked absolutely superb. You can read more about David's restoration projects on his website.
Now a word about campaigners and volunteers. We're an interesting bunch of people - just ask anyone who has to co-ordinate volunteers within an organisation where most people are paid to do their jobs! We don't expect anything special as a result of our efforts, but we do like to be treated fairly and with a modicum of respect. I sure as flip didn't expect what happened when the tickets went on sale: A two-hour priority booking session for Margate residents only, for the limited opening day tickets, with the resulting possibility that I would end up not being able to go to the opening day I had been working towards for a decade. Annoyed? Just a little! Then, it was revealed that the first 50 people to buy their tickets in person would get a special souvenir of the original Scenic Railway wood - being a Friday, that meant people who lived close enough to the park to buy their tickets in person - i.e. not me! The final straw was the Heart 103.1 competition to win the chance to be on the first public ride of the Scenic Railway - every enthusiast's dream. Guess what? Only open to Margate residents. I finally got my opening day admission ticket, but I have to say that this was an absolute snub to the many campaign members who weren't local. As I said, I didn't take part in the campaign for any kind of special treatment, but I certainly didn't expect to be actively discriminated against! Still - at least Dreamland will be open once more...
So the great day dawned! The Thursday had been such a lovely day that I found a place at a nearby hotel and drove down in the evening sunshine. I got to Dreamland shortly after 9.00am and, as I drove into the Dreamland car park, one thought entered my mind: "They are doing this RIGHT!". The sight was truly impressive, and the Scenic Railway was just - perfect! All new wood, left in its natural colour, and with the profile just as I remember it in the old days. The big wheel added the perfect finishing touch to the skyline of the park - even with dear old Arlington House poking up just to the right. |
| The Waveswinger |
It was clear that several of the rides weren't going to be open in time, but this was more a problem thanks to "Scrappage-gate", as mentioned in the previous blog. Substitute rides had to be found at relatively short notice, so any issues with these rides would inevitably mean a delay. The trains for the Scenic Railway weren't ready, which was unfortunate, but thanks to the arson attack, the ride could not be regarded as having been in constant use since the park closed, hence new safety aspects had to be incorporated. The trains are coming along nicely and will look just fine when finished - and it is very sensible not to rush such important things!
to get the park into a state in which the public could enter and walk around in complete safety, so fencing off the incomplete aspects of the park was the priority this morning - and they were going for it hell-for-leather. I was pleased to bump into David Littleboy - all of the rides he and his team restored were tested and ready to run, including the Four-Abreast Gallopers built by Savages of King's Lynn many years ago. I heard a few tales from the past twenty-four hours, and my admiration for those still hard at work increased a hundredfold!
 |
| Even the Hook-a-Duck needed TLC |
Back at the entrance, a large, red ribbon was being installed across the entrance under the Scenic Railway turnaround. A raised platform was filled with TV cameras - members of the press had been wandering freely around the site all morning! A small crowd had gathered, but it was clear that a 10.00am opening wasn't going to happen. Out came a delightful group of entertainers! I think the theme was Cockneys on a Day Out as they started a sing-a-long. "Oh! I do
like to be beside the seaside" and "My old man!", with some songs that
had clearly been written for the occasion! It might have been more convincing if they all knew all the words to "Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside", bless 'em, but they were so enthusiastic you couldn't help but sing along! You could see the tipper trucks racing out of the park behind all the colour and bustle, and just before 11.00am the speeches and ribbon-cutting ceremony began! The crowd behind me had grown quite impressively by this time. And then the magical moment - the public were finally allowed to enter the park that had, ten years before, looked likely to end up under flats for commuters.
 |
| The Food Court and bandstand |
Oh dear - sounds like I'm slipping into fanboy mode. But that's the truth of it - I had such a great time I just can't wait to get back. As I left the park at the end of the afternoon session, a huge queue had already built up for the evening Hullabaloo - featuring Chas & Dave and Marina & the Diamonds, among others. And this is the last thing that made me think that this park is going to do well - events! There is plenty of room left, and once the rides that are still undergoing restoration have been added, there is the Hall by the Sea ballroom waiting to be restored (and The Rolling Stones played there once) and the possibility of a permanent outdoor event arena. As I drove out of the car park, the tracer lights on the Scenic Railway were twinkling away - Dreamland really is going to be a magical place!
Thursday, 25 June 2015
Dreamland rises from the ashes
 |
| Scenic Railway, Gt Yarmouth |
I've been a roller coaster enthusiast for more years than I care to remember, right from that very first ride on the Scenic Railway at the then Botton Brothers park at Great Yarmouth, when I ended up having four repeat rides as I just didn't want to get off. The second drop, plunging underneath the superstructure, was the biggest drop on the ride and I just couldn't get enough of it!
Since then, I've been on some of the tallest and fastest rides on the planet, but I still love the classic rides that form the rich heritage of the roller coaster. One of which is, of course, the Scenic Railway at Dreamland, Margate. Like the ride at Great Yarmouth, it has flanged wheels on a raised wooden track with a metal running surface on the top; an on-train brake is operated by some lucky so-and-so who gets to sit on the train all day long. No under-track upstop wheels here - any airtime you get is real airtime, although the track was profiled so as not to cause the wheels to rise too far off the running surface. When Dreamland was under the management of the Bembom Brothers, the Scenic
 |
| All run down and ready for housing in 2004 |
Except some of us weren't so keen on that idea. The Save Dreamland Campaign was born, and our
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| The Gala Evening - final rides in 2004 |
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| Flying round the track... |
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| The "Big Tidy-Up" Day, 30/11/13 |
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| The Dreamland Expo - packed out! Opening day 2014 |
...and then the work started on the park itself - The Pleasure Gardens. The Scenic Railway needed all its wood replacing. In order to preserve its Grade II listing, the old wood was replaced section by section, so that the new wood stood in the same structure as the old wood - the "Ship of Thebes/Theseus" paradox. All the operating vintage wooden roller coasters in this country will have had the entire structure replaced over the years - it all just happened a little quicker with the Scenic Railway!
So there we go! Things went quiet on the Save Dreamland Campaign front, as the contractors took over. New wood started appearing on the Scenic Railway not long afterwards, and enthusiastic websites, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages appeared, and we eagerly followed the updates from the building site...
In part 2, I'll take you through my experiences on the Grand Opening Day - 19 June 2015!
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