goodbye mr chips

Staff gathered together at the end of the afternoon yesterday to bid farewell to a much-loved and highly-revered Dave Watson, Deputy Head Teacher, after some 32 years at our school. A brilliant teacher and someone who was genuinely interested in and concerned about people (rather than numbers or statistics). I can recall a long conversation I had some time ago with a very difficult Year 11 pupil, who spoke with huge respect and in complete awe of this larger-than-life teacher. I’m just finishing my second year at the school and can certainly recall feeling somewhat overawed by Dave in the first few days in my new career (afterall, he’d been in education all his life and I was a complete novice)…. but he was just great – asking me how things were going; encouraging me; making me laugh – and, very soon, I realised he was a very special man. You could have asked anyone in the staffroom yesterday and they would ALL have said similar things about him (young and not-so-young alike). Dave spoke a few words at the end of the afternoon (when he wasn’t being interrupted by well-wishers!) and he made us feel very proud to be working in education (even new “boys” like me!). He’s going to be greatly missed in school by staff and pupils alike and those of us who have worked with him feel very privileged to have done so.

sounds of summer

We usually spend a lot of time outside in the summer, but certainly haven’t done so this year, so far. However, we did actually manage to read the Sunday paper and have a relaxed lunch in the garden yesterday. Perhaps summer has arrived at long last (yes, I know it really came in April!)? The only downside was the fact that the neighbours at the back our house thought it would be a really good day to play music ….. very loudly. It was just like being at a rock concert, but without being able to see the stage!
Photo: lavender+shadows in the garden

david soul and me

In an idle moment(?), I followed Ellen Loudon’s advice and checked on my “celebrity profile”. It transpires that I’m a dead ringer for David Soul (of “Starksy+Hutch” fame)….. I’ll settle for that, I thought. I ended up googling him and discovered that he’d actually aged somewhat from his “Hutch” years. Then, of course, I realised that he and I really DO look like brothers – but only if I compare our current somewhat haggard appearances!
Photos (clues): me (blurred football captain, aged 10), him, him and me.

birthday weekend

Despite the gloom+doom of the weather forecast, the Smith birthday weekend was just brilliant. One of those perfect weekends with a group of great people and made even better because we were able to stay with lovely Gail+Ian at Old Walls. We barbequed in Mags+Jez’s large(!) workshop extension to their house on Friday; we chilled during the day on Saturday – but also went for a lovely afternoon walk around the estuary - and then all met up for wonderful food+drink at Pig Finca in Kingsbridge; and on Sunday, we all met up on Thurlestone beach and watched huge waves and played an hilarious game of rounders (boys won!) before returning to M+J’s place for yet more food.
We hardly got wet at all (except for Brian, Luke+Rob who decided to go for a swim)!

Photo: birthday team photo on the beach

more 50th birthdays

This weekend Moira+I will be joining up with the lovely Smith family and lots of great friends to help celebrate Mags+Jez’s 50th birthdays in Devon (continuing our theme of only mixing with people younger than ourselves). A barbeque tonight; meal at Pig Finca, Kingsbridge tomorrow plus general celebrations; and a beach party on Sunday. Unfortunately, having just checked the forecast, it looks as if we’re in for Glastonbury-like weather (ie. today: reasonable; tomorrow: heavy rain; Sunday: heavy showers).... and I don't own any wellingtons!
We’ll probably be playing “happy families” in a pub somewhere!
Photo: Mags (right) and Jez (left) with Moira in the middle from a previous Devonian weekend. They're wearing well aren't they (even if Jez does seem to need a walking stick these days)!

facebook

Fellow blogger Matt Rees made the following comment in one of his recent blogs: “It looks like everyone has been well and truly bitten by the great bug that is facebook - I know I certainly have. And it looks to me like there's far less blogging happening as a result”.

I’d never really paid much attention to facebook, but his comment spurred me into checking things out and I’m now a fully-registered member! I immediately discovered that there were lots of facebook people at school and so I’ve been able to make contact with some of them (even if I do see most of them every weekday!). It’s clearly very early days (ie. about a day and a half!) and I realise that I don’t really know how to do things in the simplest way or appreciate all that I could do using facebook. However, thus far, I’m finding it all very frustrating (and somewhat disappointing) and it seems little more than an on-line chatroom. In order to contact anyone, I think I need to send them a message (assuming that I’ve managed to track them down – and it’s not always easy to be sure you’ve got the right person!) and wait for them to respond before you can read their profile etc. I also haven’t yet worked out how to import photographs to accompany any notes I might write.
Not sure this is for me… may just have to keep blogging?

www.number40.net is back

After what seems like absolutely ages, our number40 website is back on-stream at last! A combination of server problems, hackers, software problems and my own inability to obey simply instructions I’m afraid. It might take a little time to update everything, but I’ll try to do so over the next fortnight if possible.
Apologies - bet you’ve been trying every day just in case we’d sorted things out (then again).
Photo: some of Ruth’s hand made baby clothes

update to “people’s music”

You need to have read my 8 June blog to make any sense of this! It’s been great to continue to receive such a lot of brilliant feedback. Somewhat pathetically, I’ve been downloading most of the suggested tracks and seem to have compiled an amazing list of wonderful music as a result (and I now find myself relating each piece of music to the person who suggested it, which is rather nice!). I know I’ve slightly cheated by including two tracks from some people but have just put together the first of a number of compilation CDs (in no particular order) for playing in the car and it’s just brilliant (and incredibly varied):
1. “Small Hours” by John Martyn (Si S)
2. “Where are you Tonight?” by June Tabor (Cara H)
3. “Meet on the Ledge” by Fairport Convention (Ellen L)
4. “Coulibaly” by Amadou+Mariam (Dave M-D)
5. “How We Operate” by Gomez (Alan B)
6. “Beat Bop Part 2” by The Rammellzee (Pete R)
7. “That’s Entertainment” by The Jam (Pete R)
8. “The Osmonds” by Denim (Si S)
9. “Kathy’s Song” by Simon+Garfunkel (Cara H)
10. “Thunder on the Mountain” by Bob Dylan (Bob F)
11. “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke (Chris H)
12. “To Be Alone with You” by Sufjan Stevens (John H)
13. “I Heard it through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye (Moira)
14. “Newborn” by Elbow (Su S)
15. “When I go Deaf” by Low (Su S)
16. “All I Want is You” by U2 (Alan B)
If you’ve not yet let me know about your two tracks, please do so!
Photo: John Martyn
PS: I’m pretending that Si’s wife Su submitted a couple of the tracks (somewhat predictably, Si keeps coming up with his latest favourite pieces of music – which, I must say, are always brilliant!)

mayBe on the quantocks

Spent a wonderful time on the Quantock Hills with lots (26 of us, I think?) of old and new friends from the mayBe community, Oxford over the weekend. Worship, liturgies, prayers, stories, laughter, conversation, music, great food, drink, swimming, face-painting, football, frisbee, cricket, long walks, silk-screen printing, huge campfire and even some Andy Goldsworthy-type art installations!
Now need another weekend to recover!

apprentice

As captivating as “The Apprentice” tv programme has been, I can’t help feeling uneasy about the dog-eat-dog recipe for “success” that it seems to provide as the essential “must” for all successful business people. It’s all a little too much like “Thatcher’s Britain” for me, I’m afraid. It all appears to be about "winning at all costs" and I can certainly recall an advert on one of the Business pages in a national newspaper a few years ago declaring that "The Rules of Fair Play were invented for Losers" – which I found deeply depressing. I know that this is not how it should be.
This might sound somewhat precious (who me?), but I included the following prayer in the intercessions I wrote for a church service at the time:
“Dear Lord, life often seems to be all about pace; about pressure; about agendas; about deadlines; about instant action and urgent decisions; about lies; about greed; about worry and stress; about ourselves - but not about others or you. Help us to keep our lives in balance and to reflect your love for us”.

Amen (even though I loved the programme!).

there are good people out there!

A couple of weeks ago I was very depressed about my camera. The zoom only worked if I used super-human strength and, even then, it wouldn’t actually allow me to take photographs! I took it into Jessops for their advice; they were very nice, but essentially told me that it would probably cost me £200 for someone just to look at it and that it would be more cost-effective to consider a new camera. I returned home duly depressed and started looking on e-Bay for a possible replacement - I just couldn’t afford to splash out on a new camera. Moira suggested that I took it to a local repairer (and even downloaded details from google for me!). I made some comment about them just telling me what Jessops had already told me (gracious to the last!). Anyway, I DID ring the firm (Luton Camera Repairs, Bristol) and they agreed to look at the camera; the man there was really nice and said he was optimistic he could help me. He rang me back a week later and told me he’d fixed it. I duly collected my camera and paid the bill….. £29.38!
Moral: always listen to your wife and don’t just assume everyone out there is out to get you!

song of the earth

As Moira will tell you, I’m not a ballet fan. There was the famous occasion when we attended a premier performance by Ballet Rambert in Oxford (we’re sophisticated like that!). It was a Friday evening; I was tired, the theatre was hot and unfortunately I fell asleep(!). The performance finished and was met by loud applause; it woke me up with a huge jolt and I immediately shot up out of my seat and discovered that I’d led a standing ovation for the performance (much to Moira’s embarrassment)!
However, there was a piece on Channel 4 News last week about Darcy Bussell’s imminent retirement as principal dancer of the Royal Ballet and it featured excerpts from “Song of the Earth” which was to be her final performance. I found myself sitting absolutely transfixed by its shear beauty - the amazing intricacies of the choreography and the incredible skill of the dancers. I even found myself watching the final performance on the BBC on Friday night – just spellbinding!
PS: there is no truth in the rumour that we’re having wall mirrors fixed in our basement!

people’s music

I’ve been irritating family+friends alike recently (what’s new?)! This followed a conversation I’d had on the back of such things as “Desert Island Discs” (8 favourite records for your desert island) and Fi Glover’s “Inheritance Tracks” on Radio 4 (where people select a piece of music from their childhood and another they’d like to pass on to their children – or something like that!).
I thought it would be “interesting” to receive feedback from friends/family suggesting two pieces of music on the following basis:
“if I had to choose just ONE piece of music, this would be it” (it might be just a great piece of music or something that has special significance), and
“Steve, I think you’d like this piece of music” (or "Steve, I think you should listen to this”)
I duly e-mailed lots of people and the responses received to date have been fascinating and, from a purely selfish viewpoint, could well open my eyes/ears to new musical horizons (eg. “Beat Bop” by Rammellzee and K-Rob; “Where are you Tonight?” by June Tabor; “Coulibaly” by Amadou+Miriam; “Thunder on the Mountain” by Bob Dylan) plus well-known classics (eg. “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke; “Kathy’s Song” by Simon+Garfunkel).
PS: my selections (and I realise that everyone’s selection will vary on a day-to-day basis): perhaps 1. “Love Letter” by Nick Cave and 2. “Early Morning Ramblings” by Beth Rowley?
Photo: Nick Cave

trinity cakes

Last Sunday was Trinity Sunday and I spent part of my morning trying to explain the concept of the Trinity (God the Father/Son/Holy Spirit to those who don’t know these things) to a group of 11-14 year-olds. What I should have done was to have got my lovely friend Ellen Loudon to do it! At the Foundation service in the evening, she got us all to “imagine God” in pictures, sounds, numbers, words, sacraments, lights, thoughts, stillness, laughter…and cakes!

Well it worked for me – and the cake tasted REALLY good too!
PS: cake photo taken from Ellen’s blog without permission!

did golfing opponents take bungs (again)?

I didn’t cry (see yesterday’s blog)! In fact, it was definitely a case of déjà vu and I played pretty well and ended up within 2 shots of my 15 handicap (this will mean absolutely nothing to non-golfers, so please accept my apologies!). Once again, and much to my embarrassment and my golfing partner’s pleasure, we beat our gracious opponents with 6 holes still to go! Back in October, I claimed to have discovered the magic formula for golfing success and vowed to wait another 3 months before playing again.
Clearly, the formula still works even if you leave it 7 months!

I used to be a golfer…..

There WAS a time when I used to play golf with my brilliant mates Pete+Ken+Steve every Friday afternoon, throughout the year (in the winter, we sometimes only played 4 holes due to lack of daylight – but at least we DID play!). This has undoubtedly been the most difficult adjustment in coming to live in Bristol. Unfortunately, I hardly play these days (the last time was October 2006) and have just relinquished my membership at Stockwood Vale (I played at total of 3 rounds there last year!). But I'll be back(!) and I’m actually travelling up to Oxford very early this morning to play golf with Ken+Steve+Colin at my old club at Studley Wood. Having not swung a club for such a long time (and I’ve only just managed to locate my ancient golf shoes!), it could be quite interesting!
I might cry.
Photo: Steve+me+Coach+Ken at St Andrew’s in 2003 on our wonderful Scottish golf tour (met the amazing Tony/Coach for the first time when we played golf in New York State in 2001 – a truly lovely man).

tacky blackpool

Now I know that Blackpool has a reputation for being a really tacky holiday resort, but I have very fond childhood memories and have retained a somewhat romantic recollection of the place. Last Sunday, Moira accompanied me on a pilgrimage and we duly sat overlooking Bispham Promenade eating our chips and watching the occasional tram trundle past (where had they all gone?). Clearly, it seems that the only reason anyone goes to Blackpool these days is for a stag weekend (can’t actually imagine anything worse!)… I left feeling really quite depressed: everything IS plastic, cheap and incredibly tacky.
Maybe it was always like this and I just didn’t notice?
Photo: Blackpool: miles of empty beaches!
PS: apologies for not updating our number40 website for some time – the computer software keeps telling me it has “experienced an unexpected error” and I can't work out what's wrong…. Aaaaaaaaaaargh! Am left feeling like a grumpy old man (no comments please!).

lancashire

We’ve been away for a few days up north visiting Alice+Dave+Mickey. Great to be with them and lovely to see Mikey growing up and into lots of new things. Moira+I managed to visit Blackpool (well, Bispham – 4 miles up the coast) during the course of the Bank Holiday weekend, where I spent all but one of the annual Broadway family holidays up to the age of 16. Contrary to popular belief, the beaches were deserted (ok, so the weather wasn’t brilliant!). Yesterday we all visited Tate Liverpool (the first time for us) and were really impressed. Back home now after a very tedious (ie. slow!) drive down the M6!

hero

We’ve got a mufti-day at school today (last day of term). Pupils (and staff) pay £1 to ignore school uniform and dress up as one of their heroes for charity. In my case (any excuse to avoid wearing a tie!), I’ve decided to wear my old Villa shirt, c1965. As a former centre-forward myself*(!), I shall pretend to be Gerry Hitchens for the entire school day (no one at school will be any the wiser!). Not many people know this, but he once scored 10 goals in 14 days (14-28 November 1959)(sad, who me?).
Those were the days!
note*: I can remember scoring 29 goals in the season for Handsworth Grammar Under-12s, but my goal tally declined season by season to something like 8 by the time I played for the First Eleven (by then, people had “encouraged” me to play in midfield!). There was a famous match, when I was probably 14 or 15, and was playing centre-forward; we won 16-0 and I failed to score!! It’s tough at the top.

leavers day

It was Leavers Day at school today for the Year 11s. It’s a great day when all the Year 11 students get a chance to dress up in their finery to celebrate their last “proper” day in school before (as the name suggests!) leaving for college, apprenticeships, jobs or before going into the sixth form. They arrived at school by various modes of transport: limos; horse+carriage; motor bike; racing car; camper van; tractor; hydraulic hoist; unicycle; pogo-stick et al!
As someone relatively new to the world of education, the whole business seems a little strange to me…. because they haven’t actually left school yet – in fact, it’s right in the middle of their GCSE exams! Nevermind, they all seemed to have a wonderful time!

christian aid and cannabis cookies

I’ve done my annual duty street collection run for Christian Aid this week (just two very small streets). I’d been terribly organised and printed out little notes with each envelope explaining when I intended to collect them. Arrived home after doing my collection rounds and explained to Moira that people fall into three categories: a) those who aren’t at home (or pretend not to be); b) those who are absolutely lovely (and have either got their envelope ready or make their sincere apologies for not getting their act together and then fill their envelopes on the doorstep); and c) those who simply grunt some form of mild abuse.
Moira thought I ought to know about the latest from “The Archers” message boards (sorry, but she loves them!) regarding Christian Aid collectors and speculation about “cannabis cookies”!
PS: Actually, I WAS chased down one of the streets on Friday night by a suntanned lady wrapped only in a black towel clutching her CA envelope (honest!)…. but I don’t know if any cookies were involved.

iona

I’m feeling quite pleased with myself! You know what it’s like when there are various “jobs” hanging over you…. Well, over the past couple of days, I’ve booked tickets for the Bromyard Folk Festival in September (ie. music, beer+camping weekend with my lovely brother Alan); booked flights+coaches for my trip to Iona in August; and booked the car in for its annual service. All I need to do now is to re-erect the kitchen shelves; transfer all the furniture+equipment from the dining room back down to the basement; and buy photographic paper+cartridges so I can mount some more photographs (ordered after last week’s Arts Trail). Maybe I’ll also find time to watch the Cup Final?
Photo: Iona shoreline
PS: Great friend Ian has written a beautiful (+moving) piece in his blog about his Dad, who’s suffering from a form of dementia. It includes a wonderful poem from RS Thomas.

ukulele

Great evening at St George’s in Bristol with Hannah+Moira yesterday to see/hear “The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain”. Just brilliant! Spent the entire evening sitting with a huge grin on my face. Pity Felix wasn’t able to make it as it would have inspired him to persevere with his own ukulele playing. Only other regret was that they didn’t play “Wuthering Heights” – but you can see them perform it here.

southbank arts trail3

Well, they said it was going to be wet….. and they definitely weren’t wrong! Heavy rain for long periods of the day gave way to bright sunshine right at the end of the trail yesterday. Another great day (and a great weekend) – lots of people came to see us despite the awful weather and we also managed to get out and about to see some of the other exhibitions.
Photo: We dubbed these girls “The Southville Arts Posse” – they arrived en masse at about 11.30am; they were very organised and determined to see as many exhibitions as they could; they were enormously self-confident (but in a very nice way); and they knew what art they liked and what they didn’t (ten year-olds going on twenty!)!
PS: I had a text from Charlotte (one of the support teachers on the Ten Tors) at about 4pm yesterday to say that all our school teams had been picked and that the pupils had all been “brilliant”. That’s good to know.

southbank arts trail2 (+ten tors)

Well, the weather forecast had sounded pretty bad but, in reality, the sun shone for a fair amount of time yesterday. Lots of visitors (it felt just as busy as last year) – possibly thanks to Paul making contact with Steve Wright (Evening Post 24/Seven) who gave us a really good write-up in this week’s edition. Smiling and chatting to people from 11am until 6pm is pretty tiring (but good fun)!
I’ve added some photos to the SouthBank flickr site.
PS: Early morning news is that this year’s Ten Tors event is being abandoned due to very poor weather conditions – for only the second time in it’s history. I was really disappointed not to be with the teams this weekend and just know how devastated they’ll all be feeling by not being able to complete the challenge (but perhaps also somewhat relieved in the circumstances?).

southbank arts trail1

Lots of lovely people came to see our exhibition last night at the start of the SouthBank Arts Trail weekend. We were really lucky with the weather – heavy rain until 7pm then, amazingly, the sun came out and it remained dry for the rest of the evening. I probably talked too much and drank too much red wine, as usual! I did actually remember to take a few photos this time (I forgot at the last exhibition), but only at the very start of the evening – it’s difficult to use a camera and drink at the same time!

blair's going, going....

He’s finally going – or rather, it seems that there’s going to be an announcement later today of his intention to go (oh, do hurry up!)! I was a strong supporter until he decided to side with Bush and invade Iraq on a false premise. An articulate, charismatic, political leader – unfortunately, like many other people I’m sure, I ended up feeling I couldn’t trust him any more.
Photo: “Blair’s Lair” chalked on to a signpost near “Chequers” (Prime Minister’s country retreat) – someone had written “Brown’s” above the PM’s name, then had second thoughts and crossed it out! Do they know something we don’t? Actually, there was something in the Observer this weekend saying that, if he became PM, Brown would be dispensing with Chequers as a regular weekend retreat – so perhaps they did!
PS: this is an announcement of my intention to go to school today; I might issue further announcements when I set out from home and when I actually arrive at school….

take me back*….to mull (not hyndford street)

Spent much of the weekend preparing the basement for this coming weekend’s SouthBank Arts Trail (eg. decorating, framing, hanging and moving lots of stuff out of the basement and piling it into the dining room!). Still not finished, but it’ll be fine by Friday (honest). Played lots of music over the course of the past 3-4 days, including loads of Van Morrison stuff (just brilliant!). One song – not a particular favourite of mine as it happens - took me back to a wonderful holiday/retreat on Mull with our great friends Cara, Fay, Gail+Ian from Anamcara (forerunner to maybe) in October 2001. As soon as I heard the opening bars of “On the Bright Side of the Road”, I was instantly transported back to our little wooden shack (it's in the top left of the picture) at Croig on a beautiful sunny morning, looking across the white sand to the flat waters of our little cove; Fay was cooking breakfast; and VM was playing on the CD player. Great memories!

Photo: Croig beach, Mull
PS: *obscure reference to a line from VM’s “On Hyndford Street” from Hymns to Silence!

it was fifty years ago today…..

I remember it well (unfortunately, I really do!). Villa won the FA Cup (they haven’t managed to do so since!); Johnny Dixon lifted the trophy after Peter McParland had barged Man U’s goalkeeper into his own net (fracturing his cheekbone I think?). United seem to have been beating us ever since! I was convinced that 2007 was Villa’s year (50th anniversary etc) and very nearly placed a bet on them to win at very good odds. Unfortunately, we were beaten by (yes you guessed) Manchester United!
On his blog, Adam Bond has pointed out that the Villa have gone for a new crest/logo and I agree with him – it’s horrible!

kielder challenge

I spent a wonderful day at Ashton Court, Bristol yesterday in one of the Regional Heats of the Kielder Challenge – a national outdoor adventure competition for teams of 13 to 16 year old young people. Our eight students (from Norton Hill and Fosse Way Schools) competed in the category of teams which included four pupils with physical, sensory or learning disabilities. Our team won the regional competition and are now either in the Challenge Plate or the Cup Final itself in Northumberland (depending on other scores from around the country), but the biggest thrill was seeing the pupils working so well together as a team and just having a great time - laughing and joking with each other as they tried to solve problems in the sunshine (and making Rachel+James+me laugh too!).

A great day!
Photo: Rachel, James and the team

last ten tors training

I won’t be able to be part of the actual Ten Tors weekend in a fortnight’s time because it coincides with the SouthBank Arts Trail – so this weekend on Dartmoor was my last for 2007. I’ve really enjoyed the experience. Once again we set out from school at 4.30am on Saturday and were up again at 5am yesterday (so that the various teams could have breakfast and break camp to enable a 6am start to their on-going trek). The weekend’s weather was sunny and warm (probably rather too warm when you’ve got to carry a 30lb rucksack for nearly 30 miles!). I was lucky enough to be at the first checkpoint yesterday to sign teams in as dawn broke on another beautiful day. Pupils were brilliant again – but lots of blisters!
Another great weekend – breakfast at the Fox Tor Café is highly recommended!
Photo: Dartmoor images at dawn yesterday

southbank arts trail

It’s almost that time of year again! This time it’s an ArtsWeek – Arts Trail Weekend on 12+13 May, with a Performance Week 14-19 May. We’ll be opening up our basement again and Paul (Brown), Stu, Ruth, Hannah, Moira+I will be showing our latest stuff and we’ll also be having a “private view” on Friday 11 May too. At least that’s the theory – I’ve still got to get my act together!
Photo: number40 exhibition flier (based on an “Ubu Rex” poster by Hannah)

babs lunch

We get together with our lovely friends Gail+Ian+Debby+Ken three times a year for “BAB’s lunches” (Barnes/Adams/Broadway) to celebrate pairs of birthdays. This time it was (somewhat belatedly) Moira+Ken. Yesterday we celebrated in Bristol, with the others travelling down from Oxford by train; Moira+I met them at the station and travelled to the harbourside by ferry (a first for us – very good except perhaps for “pleasure boat prices”?). We had a great meal at Bordeaux Quay (another first for us and highly recommended!) then relaxed outside the Arnolfini listening to excellent live music in the sunshine.
It’s what friends and weekends are for…..great time!
Photo: half of BABs (Ian+Moira+Gail – sorry Ken+Debby!) at Bordeaux Quay.

brother

My brother’s brilliant (despite being over 4 years younger than me)! Although we don’t see each other as often as we’d like, we get on really well and I love him dearly. Just received a lovely, entertaining letter from him - he does things like that - enclosing an Easter Card to him from John Sentamu (Archibishop of York to you) as he knows he’s a bit of hero of mine. He suggested that I either keep it for his autograph or give it to a friend called “Alan” next Easter! Three years ago Alan and I went to the Bromyard Folk Festival (just a boys’ weekend you understand!) and, despite the rain, had a really great time…. I’m currently trying to persuade him back this September (as long as he brings his impressive tent).

Photo: Me and me bruvva at BFF 2004 (picture cropped to exclude beer!)

birthday party

Scenario: thirty guests invited to a “surprise” weekend party to celebrate our lovely friend Steve’s 50th birthday at a Tudor Manor House in East Sussex (we like to associate with younger people!). Problem: it’s in April – thick coats/waterproofs, wellingtons, log fires et all. In reality of course, it was just the most glorious weekend weather and we spent lots of time eating+drinking outside, playing games and swimming!

Great party, lovely people, glorious food+drink and incredibly generous hosts.
Photo: pathetically, I forgot to take photographs of people enjoying themselves and, instead (despite the quantity of champagne, wine and port consumed the night before), got up at dawn to watch the sun rise over the Sussex countryside!

hot air

This morning saw my first hot air balloon of the year (I think - but perhaps I’ve just not been looking?)…. despite the rather overcast conditions. I’m absolutely useless on heights, so I know I’ll never be brave enough to fly in one, but I do envy the people who do! It put me in mind of the balloon fiesta that happens in Bristol each August…. getting up at dawn to watch dozens of colourful balloons take off into the morning sky (when there aren’t any high winds, that is!).
Photo: just a few of the many images taken at the fiesta in 2005

easter people

Spent a wonderful relaxing Easter weekend staying with great friends Bob+Christine in Thame, Oxfordshire (where we lived for over 20 years). Went to celebrate Easter Day with our old church community at St Mary’s and Moira+I felt very humbled by the large number of people who still remembered us and greeted us with hugs+kisses after the service. Returned to Bristol later in the day and had a lovely time with Mikey+Iris (and their parents!) – Alice+Dave dropping in overnight on their way to Devon.
Photo: Mikey+Iris getting to know each other at home

manchester passion

Watched the Manchester Passion on BBC3 last Easter and watched a repeat again last night. Found the whole production powerfully moving (as I did last year) – particularly the illuminated 8m long white cross being carried through the streets of the city. The use of “classic Mancunian songs” such as “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” (The Smiths) and “You’re Gonna Need Someone On Your Side” (Morrissey) was surprisingly apt and relevant. I’d read St John’s account of Jesus’s crucifixion in “The Message//Remix” during the course of the afternoon and found it equally fresh and thought-provoking.

easter

Attended a well-meaning (but rather dry and awkward) Assembly at school last week given by four friendly, but somewhat imposing, members of the Gideon’s Society to a group of 11-13 year-olds. Was saddened at the answers offered by pupils to the question: “What’s the meaning of Easter?” - responses included: Easter eggs, chocolate, holidays and bunnies; only one reply (“new birth”) gave any hint of any deeper meaning. No one mentioned “Christ” or the “cross” or “crucifixion” or the “resurrection”.
Perhaps they were just embarrassed to appear too keen in front of these strangers from GS (or their peers) but, nevertheless, I found it all rather depressing.
Photo: Nun’s Cross, Dartmoor

blackout bristol

It’s just possible that you read my blog in December (then again!) about the huge wastages of energy due to unnecessary lighting in commercial buildings – featuring a photograph of a brightly-lit building in Canary Wharf, London taken just after midnight. Well, Friends of the Earth, Bristol is pressing people to turn off non-essential lights tonight (“Blackout Bristol”) and, over the past few weeks, has been putting together a list of the worst offending buildings. The winner/loser appears to be the new HBOS building, Harbourside – it has remained empty for nearly a year (apparently due to major air-conditioning problems) but, despite this, “all the lights are on all night”.
More power to FoE’s elbow I say!

more ten tors training

I spent the bulk of this weekend helping out on a two-day training exercise on Dartmoor with 15-17 year-old pupils – setting out from school at 4.30am yesterday! The conditions were pretty good this time (heavy cloud and mist; rain; strong north-easterly winds; and sunshine!). My principle role was minibus driver, but I did manage to do my fair share of walking too. Pupils walked some 28 miles across rough and undulating terrain over the two days carrying their rucksacks - each weighing 30 lbs! You should try it! Once again, the pupils were brilliant (and very good value – they made me laugh!) and the number of volunteers who were out of the moor manning checkpoints was pretty staggering.
We camped in the grounds of a pub last night and, obviously, the helpers were all forced to sample beer!
Photo: teacher Emma with two of the pupils resting at a checkpoint on day one

norfolk golf tour (I wish)

It’s felt very strange this week. At this time of year, I used to spend a few days playing golf, with about 20 others, on links courses on the Norfolk coast (Royal Cromer and Sheringham for anyone interested!). Working in a school has obviously put an end to this for me – the tour is arranged in non-school holidays – and 2006 was the first time I’d missed it for about 20 years. Missing it last year wasn’t too bad because many of my best mates weren’t able to make it either…. but, on Tuesday, I received a text message from Steve+Ken to say they were “on their way” (and how strange it will be without me being there too etc).
Feeling very envious!
Photo: (left to right) Steve, me and Ken golfing at Prestwick in 2003

lent

It’s taken me some time to put something in writing, but I’ve been hugely challenged by the foundation quarterly service (on 18 March, entitled “Unknowing God”) – hauntingly beautiful and somewhat dark in content. I’m still reflecting on the powerful and stark declarations from Lizzie, Ellen, Dylan and Tim. No easy answers or forced optimism, but rather an honest rawness as they shared aspects of their own spiritual journeys. I don’t yet really know of any of them all that well, but I wanted to hug them all!
Our Bedminster Parish Lent group, meeting at home, has also provided much food for thought (study book: “Source – on prayer for Lent”). We decided we needed an “askjeeves.com” equivalent on the parish website – to help answer those tricky questions no one knew the answers to!

Photo: "Breast-feeding Madonna" by Antonia Rolls (one of the artists featured in the foundation quarterly service)

hands off!

I’m not a huge follower of the England football team (too many disappointments over too many years!) and wasn’t particularly surprised by another woeful display against such world-beaters as Israel yesterday. By the end of the game, fans were chanting “you don’t know what you’re doing” at the current England manager. This didn’t really worry me… but then I suddenly realised that I SHOULD be worried!
Here's the scenario: within the next couple of months, the powers-that-be decide that they’ve made a terrible mistake in appointing McClaren as manager - fine, no worries. BUT then they decide to make Martin O’Neil (the Villa manager) their target for the England vacancy!
No way/hands off (you heard it here first!)!

adoption day

Received really great news yesterday afternoon: Mikey has now been formally adopted by Alice+Dave! In Alice’s words: “It was the least official-feeling official thing EVER. The judge asked me ‘so, is he continent?’ I thought it was such a stupid question I must have misunderstood him so just meekly said ’he's doing very well’!” Nevermind, he was apparently a very nice man.
As you might imagine, this crucial question will go down in the archive of family stories – at the least appropriate moment, Dave will turn to his wife and whisper those immortal words: “so, Alice, is he continent?”!
Photo: Dave+Alice+Mikey with Judge Gee (great name!) and social workers Chris+Kath.

joni (again)

More words about Joni Mitchell on this blog I’m afraid! I received e-mails from Alan and Sarah yesterday telling me that there was the first of two documentaries on her last night on Radio2 (good to have people looking out for you!)(this comes hard on the heels of Paul Robert’s recent blog). Wonderfully evocative programme – I’m sure you’ll be able to hear it on the “listen again” BBC link (although I think I could have done a better job at interviewing her!). The BBC website includes a messageboard with lists of people’s favourite songs. For me, “Blue” is the definitive album (and being featured on next week’s programme) – with my top songs: “The Last Time I saw Richard”, “A Case of You” and “Little Green”, although “Both Sides Now” from the “Clouds” album brings back most memories!

rat pack

Went to a great charity concert at school last night featuring Toby Marsh (an ex-pupil) and his sister Charlotte. Charlotte danced (she was recently selected to perform with the English Youth Ballet) and Toby sang a selection of “Rat Pack” songs (plus some of his own) quite brilliantly.

I love seeing young people blossom!
Really enjoyable evening and lots of money raised for Cancer Research.

desert island discs

About 25 years ago, I came up with this cunning business plan (actually it never got anywhere near becoming any such thing!): it was all about producing personalised cassettes(!) for people consisting of their favourite pieces of music - everybody's "desert island discs", as it were. Since then, of course, someone's invented the internet, the iPod and iTunes and rather put a dent in my scheme! At long last, I actually started to download some music from iTunes at the weekend and, after clumsily trying to ensure that it was compatible with the music I already had on the computer, have now managed to compile my very own set of songs to keep me happy on my desert island (which, thanks to iTunes, now includes such rather pathetic oldies as "Go Now" by the Moody Blues, "Heard it through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye, "Clowns" by Judy Collins and the theme to the film "Un Homme et une Femme").
As you might imagine, it's somewhat more than the eight records they allow on the radio programme!

spring

Moira+I had a lovely time last night at Ruth+Stu’s, celebrating Ruth’s birthday. Stu had taken the day off and they were telling us about Iris enjoying breakfast in the garden - in the sunshine.
Spring has clearly arrived!
Photo: tiny Iris flowers in our tiny garden

ten tors training

I was helping out on the training day for a group of sixty or so 15-17 year-olds on the Quantock Hills today (essentially manning one of the checkpoints rather than walking the 15 mile arduous route) – in preparation for the final two-day challenge over Dartmoor in two months’ time. The views are apparently stunning, but we didn’t see any. The weather was absolutely atrocious – incessant, heavy rain with high winds from start to finish and with visibility down to 100m or so at times!
In the event, the students were brilliant. They didn’t complain; they simply got on with the task in hand with determination and wonderful good humour.
It was a completely exhilarating day.
Photo: one of the groups from our school – not quite half-way round!

PS: this was posted before learning of the tragic death of a student on one of the other training sessions near Okehampton. Horrible news.