Waltzing Along

 The title of this blog is a track by Indie band James, one of our all time favourite bands.  We went to see them last week with our friend Ade and his son, Billy.  They've been going for a whopping 40 years now, but their clean living frontman, Tim Booth (who, incidentally, also attended a boarding school just over the border from us in Shrewsbury) is still in fine voice.

It was a double celebration so beers were consumed.  

Ade was marking a landmark birthday...and as for Gareth and I, a little over 22 years ago, we got married at a local country house where we partied until dawn.  The owner was extremely accommodating, if a little eccentric and pretty much let us have free run of the place.  One of my abiding memories of that day was our impromptu midnight "Library Disco."  The band we had booked to play outside earlier in the evening, had long since departed.  We had planned for this eventuality by bringing along our CD player, knowing that no one would be ready to call it a night until the wee small hours.  In this photo, we're all singing along to James's "Sit Down."

We've seen James a number of times over the years and they always deliver.  

Still on a high from this, we were excited to get the best seats for Glastonbury (shimmying between our living room and garden sofas).  

Whilst I still hold out hope of visiting Glastonbury Festival some day, this year we were grateful to be a few strides away from the refrigerator and the shade of the garden.  I'm not moaning....I'm not...but the heat has been intense and we seem to have evaded the predicted thunder storms.   

We saw Billy No Mates, Foo Fighters, Manic Street Preachers, The Pretenders (amazing), Arctic Monkeys, Guns n Roses, a sprinkling of Young Fathers, Sparks, Kelis, Texas, Sparks, Queens of the Stone Age and Rick Astley (covering a number of Smiths songs).  For me though, the standout performance was Cat Stevens (fine voice, fine human being).  

I saw Sunday's headliner, Elton John when I was 18 and recall feeling quite bored, but decided to watch his headline slot on Sunday anyway.  Sadly, this time my experience was no different.  I like a few of his songs and he's undisputedly talented, but for some reason, I once again found myself drifting.  He just doesn't do it for me.  However, I'm obviously in the minority, judging by the humungous audience.

In between watching Glasto coverage, we squeezed in our annual Mini & VW Meet just down the road.

Headlight selfie!

Sunday's weather was scorching hot and many people took shelter in the shade of our trade stand.  Friends joined us, bringing along their cool cars, company and ensuring that the music played on.

The few photos I took on Sunday need little explanation apart from the winner of "Best VW T4" which was conceived and created by its Welsh owner, Jon Power.  The attention to detail was phenomenal and the entire build took him six months.  I loved the copper bar with its soft close fuel can drawers and of course, the occupier, Evie.

Back at home, garden wildlife is everywhere to see.

Fledgling Blackbird

Speckled Wood Butterfly

Nosey Wood Pigeon

Green Bottle Fly

But this has to be the most spectacular mini beast I've ever seen.  I say "mini beast" but with a wing span of around 10 cm, this Hawk Moth spotted resting on our water butt on Friday night, looked as if it could take on the world.  Surely, this is a "festival ready" insect if ever there was one!  

This week will be all about preparing for our long awaited mini break.  For those of you who know me well, will know that I would rather put needles in my eyes than fly.  However, life is short, this place looks pretty special and there's really only one way to reach our chosen destination.  We're also hoping to catch up with the Glasto Queen at the airport before we leave.

So where are we going?  Ending on a song, here's a clue.

INXS - Never Tear Us Apart (Official Music Video) - YouTube

See you soon!

Midsummer Magners

I'm going to start this blog post with the question on everyone's lips:  Where did summer go?  First Freedom Day is snatched from under our feet and now someone's turned the heating off.   

Here's me, getting ready for another Friday night in and planning what to wear for a weekend's outdoor trading with an ever changing forecast ranging from biblical to middling.

Yes, last weekend we were trading at the Mid Summer Mini & VW Bus Meet in our home town.  Naturally, the clouds gathered and the gods of wind got busy.  Mercifully, we had decided on a low key set up, treating the event as more of a PR occasion and deliberately selecting a few key items to add to our display.

People were desperate for human contact and there was a good turnout of campers on Saturday night.  Thankfully the sun made an appearance later in the day to greet them.  Soon, there was the sound of music (not the soprano nun type of music) and eau d'BBQ permeating the air.  Cider was consumed.  It was almost like old times.  Visitors were requested to take a lateral flow test prior to arrival, although, I was disappointed to discover that some elected not to.  This was particularly galling when you consider that some traders were so keen to do the right thing, that they had paid to take the gold star PCR test.  

I have to say I think the entire system is fundamentally flawed.  After getting used to twice weekly tests by virtue of being parents of a school age student, it seems ridiculous to me that to record the results of a test, you simply have to scan the QR code.  This does not provide evidence of a positive or negative result - that bit is down to the honesty of the individual recording it.  Am I alone in thinking that it's likely that there will be a large percentage of people wishing to cram into large events who might be tempted to report a negative test even if they are positive - particularly if they are symptom-free?  Maybe I'm a suspicious so and so, but judging by some of the conversations I overheard at the weekend, I'm genuinely worried at the level of resistance to vaccinations and continuing conspiracy theories.

 

Anyway, as promised, here are some photos of the classic Minis and VW buses that graced us with their presence.

Mini owners tend to lavish time and attention on their vehicles and the cars are usually in mint condition.  This one has been subject to the same level of care, but we loved the owners' bravery in embracing a slightly more "ratty" look, giving the Mini heaps of character.  We were thrilled to spot one of our logo stickers in the rear window.

This Beatles inspired Mini caught my eye with its Sgt Pepper roof rack.

Here's Hetty's owner huddled beneath the car's blanket in Sunday's Autumnal temperatures.

I have no idea what this is, but it was attracting plenty of attention.

I loved the little tea tray set up inside this Mini van.                        

Mr Bean was Covid compliant.

Spotted - a BMX enthusiast sporting one of our hoodies.

Pretty Minis all in a row.

And finally, my favourites - the seniors, aka VW split screens - living the dream.

Eventually I did get a little distracted by the poppies growing next to the spectator stand (the show's setting was the local Football/Rugby Club).

Incidentally, here's our lone poppy - delivered by the birds no doubt - and springing up in a crack between the stepping stones at the side of our house.

Ultimately the show was a success.  We sold well and my photos were shared by the British Mini Club.

In other news, I have discovered a way to make my morning coffee more exciting - a life hack of sorts.  I have been dairy free for a few years now and Alpro have introduced a new Barista soya milk, said to froth really well.  Sadly I don't have a posh coffee machine (I try to limit my intake of coffee to a couple of cups a day) or one of those little metal whisks/milk frothers (never had a need for one).  However, I purchased this milk out of curiosity and decided to decant some of it into an empty and freshly washed Mentos Gum container.  

A few shakes, which will also keep the Bingo wings at bay and hey presto!  Frothy coffee!  Now all I need is a curiously shaped stencil for the chocolate powder, or am I over-thinking this?

I'm also dipping into this book with a curious title.  

Save the cat?  Lotte needs saving from a life of unbridled luxury.

The one big lesson from the book so far is to nail the logline (or one line pitch for a story).  Here's mine in its current incarnation.  I'm always tinkering with it.  

"Spirited Shropshire lad Eddie, can't believe his luck when he cheats death in WW1 and returns home to live the rural idyll and sets about building his dream roadside garage, but fate has other ideas for Eddie, who is destined to live a big, eventful life in a small, nowhere town and has yet to face his biggest challenge."

What say you?  

Anyway, we're off to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Twenty years today!  There's a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge courtesy of my father-in-law.  Cider is more Gareth's thing.  Apparently, the traditional gift is china.  We don't usually bother with gifts, but I decided to look it up for once.  We will have to see if we can find something interesting on our travels.

Next week's post might be a little delayed as we're taking some time away.  See you all soon!

Hot Stuff

I don't need to point out the obvious - the weather over the last few days has been more than favourable shall we say?!  But this heat isn't just confined to the climate.  Our garden has become a veritable hotbed of seediness (get it?) in the past 7 days; wood pigeons, magpies, they're all at it!  Constantly.  Publicly.  Perhaps our most bizarre observation is the squirrels that have transformed our crumbly old tree house-come-woodpile into a love shack.  So to Gareth's relief, the re-organisation of this area will have to wait until the wildlife peepshow is over.  Unfortunately, it's quite disconcerting when you are trying to entertain in the garden to the bird-like squawking of a squirrel's mating call.  They even chase each other around the area in circles, all heady, in lust and oblivious to all around them.  If I only had a couple of Terry and June sun loungers and a Benny Hill soundtrack, we could truly be back in the 70s.

The garden gives and it takes away.

It's giving us great fern coverage this year, although I really should thank the woodland for these.

The Lavatera started small but is now charting a path to world domination.

The foxgloves, although not expected to flower this year, are in bloom and brightening up a dark corner of the garden.  They are just visible behind the church relic we received as a wedding gift.  No idea what it is (I haven't spent much time inside churches during the course of my lifetime), but it's in the photo to remind me not to keep banging my head on it.

In the same area, the wild geraniums have taken over where the spring bulbs left off.  We're happy for them to do so.

Since my last post, we now have two frogs in the pond and damselflies are regular visitors.

The honeysuckle is also growing well, but it's making my makeshift bamboo arch less of an arch and way more lopsided.

I also purchased some succulents from B&Q, as suggested by Vicky (Vintage Vixen: The Distancing Diaries - 13th & 14th June, 2021 (vintagevixon.blogspot.com).  They were originally intended to edge part of our driveway, but have ended up in a Belfast sink as the slugs have chewed the Cosmos back to ground level.  I think Lavender might be the way forward to edge the gravel drive, as it's poor soil and an area we tend to overlook and the Lavender won't mind too much.

I re-potted the Black Rose Aeonium I purchased after seeing one growing like a Triffid at Arlington Court a couple of years ago.  For the record, the spaceman had been orbiting Earth for some time before touch down.

Aside from the Cosmos, one thing I wish the garden would take is some of the bamboo.  It's certainly going to take up precious time as it's so invasive.  It's also currently covered in a mysterious sticky residue and needs tackling.  That's a job for another week.  Just the thought of it makes my temples throb.

In other news, I have perfected French plaits starting at the top of my head and no longer have to make like a Hindu God to do them.

I took some more macro shots in the garden.  I don't always take pretty pictures.  

The first was a happy accident - a Damselfly making its escape.

This abandoned spider's web, suspended between the metal chains of our windchimes also caught my eye - strength comes in many forms.

I've also completed a Treatment for my screenplay.  Hurray!  But I've missed the deadline for submissions to the BBC Writers' Room, which was apparently in January.  Boo!  I'm having a meeting with the story's mystery benefactor next week and will then start plugging away at it as and when I can.  Nigel, my chiropractor (and now business advisor) suggested I investigate funding options and offered to appear as a "tall, ginger farmer" should something ever come of this, which is very generous of him.  Quite why he wants to be cast as a farmer I didn't ask.

We also have our first show since before the pandemic at the weekend (MINI & VW BUS MEET - British Mini Club) - more of a low key, PR affair for us really and one we're happy to sponsor, as it's in our home town.  But my, how times have changed!  It took a 3 hour meeting with Public Health England to give this show the go ahead.  It's an outdoor show, but as expected, we have to take a lateral flow test (we're both also double jabbed), have hand sanitiser on our stand and even day visitors must pre-book their tickets.  Still, it will give me the perfect opportunity to hopefully get some great shots of some classic VW campers and Minis and to engage with strangers once more - at a safe distance.  Last time I was distracted by a balloon seller, so I'm making no promises.

The weather is also sure to break at the weekend, as whenever we roll out the gazebo, a mini tornado whips up from nowhere.  That said, I could do with catching up on some sleep.  The heat, various TV shows and music have all conspired to keep me awake this week.  Anyone who is watching Time or happened to catch the last episode of Inside No. 9 will know what I'm talking about.  

Randomly, this song has been something of an earworm for me too this week.  I've always loved Stevie Nicks (particularly 1970s/early 80s Fleetwood Mac Stevie) and once won a competition to go to a Q&A session with her at the Curzon Hotel in London, but logistics made it impossible for me to attend.  This is by no means one of her best, was never properly recorded in a studio and never featured on an album, but it's the staple opening track at many of her shows as her hardcore fans go wild for it.  It's a little too country for me, but for some reason was playing on a loop in my head a few nights ago and as a result I was still awake to hear the dawn chorus - the only thing that ultimately managed to dislodge it.  Anyway, I don't see why I should be the only one to suffer the curse.  I dare not watch it again, but if you get nothing else from this, check out those platform boots!  Sleep well.  

Gold and Braid ~ STEVIE NICKS White Wing Dove - 1981 - YouTube

Do leave me a comment.  I love reading them and it helps me discover more about you too.  I'm still a relative novice to blogging and hopeless at discovering new blogs unless someone reads, comments and gives me the blogging equivalent of a slap in the face with a wet fish.

Until next time!