2011 has not commenced as I would have wished although I am coping with a nose, throat and chest cold far better than usual. I believe this is due to developing a better attitude and using a Breathe right strip for the first time. They had lain in a box for at least two years and therefore I am not sure of their effectiveness but after no being able to sleep until 5 am on New Year’s Day, and then for less than four hours I went to bed before 9pm and although there have been several wakings it was not until 3am that I came down. I shall try and stick to going to bed early I return to regular 6 m swims but tonight is the start of the final Test with an early start of 10.30 for the introductions so essential viewing regardless of how I feel.
On Christmas Eve I did watch the substantially truncated BBC Show which concentrated on the midnight fireworks rather than the inane gatherings of celebrities and interviews with those who had come to the North embankment from midday to experience the show set against the Big Wheel and close up of Big Ben, the Clock tower at the Houses of Parliament. The purpose of this annual showing off is now shamelessly directed at attracting visitors to London for the event and over the rest of the year.
Restricting the length of the broadcast meant that I was able to watch large chunks of Jules Holland’s Hootenanny in which he showcases past and current British talent as well as artists from other nations. The programme does provider a platform for new Talent with Amy Winehouse, Duffy and Paulo Nutini coming immediately to mind. This year there was some good performances and some disasters.
Vampire Weekend, (who) was the first disaster although I also not impressed with the opening act, styled the Queen of Rockbilly in the 50’s and 60’s. However it is an annual feature of the show to bring to the attention of the present day music stars from the past and I guess someone wanted to balance the range of music by someone with a country background, of sorts.
I am also not a fan of Reggae music and therefore was unmoved by the performance of Toots Hibbert. This was followed by the uninspiring folk band Bellowhead, but good for a party despite the programme been recorded in a studio one afternoon early in December. My hope therefore rested with Alison Moyet who did not disappoint with Love Letters and who looked amazing having appeared to have lost half previous weight and to become ageless. He second number was Boom Boom. In between the acts Jools is required to interview an odd assortment of celebrities and others mostly unknown to me and who look as embarrassed as Jools in plugging their latest work projects.
Someone who I did not know and impressed was Cee Lo Green real name Thomas De Carlo Callaway a name more interesting than the stage version. Also in this category the Secret Sisters and 1940’s looking duo about whom nothing appears to be known except they are bringing out an album. I enjoyed more Jules band member Rico Rodriguez with a second Reggae number. I did not know Rumer who is said to sing like Karen Carpenter, she wish. Plan B made a lot of noise. a rapper with a good band and I could see something of his talent with Love Goes Down.
For me the star was Ruby Turner who sings with Jules’s band and therefore is given a couple of solo spots every year and did a great Boogie Woogie- Roll out of this Hole as did Jools and his band to get the show off to a good start with Sally Suaz. The top billing was divided between Kylie Minogue, a person I admire but whose work makes little impression, and Roger Daltry with Mannish Boy, but not a second number.
I am determined to kick start losing weight, getting fit and making work progress despite the cold which usually s normal functioning. I am drinking more than eating which is good.
I also commenced to reorganise the locations of completed work sets, making use of old lever arch files and planning to change the location of photo CDs of completed work and visits. This is intended to make better use of the Filing Cabinets and make space for the second half of the project by transferring sets to the Loft. This will be a slow job, transferring the volumes individually up the ladder before using the already made up boxes and keeping record, first of those transferred to the loft and then of those throughout the three story ten rooms of the property. I estimate that this reorganisation and audit will be spread over the year and signals my acceptance that I am unlikely to acquire the means to move into a more suitable property and location for the work and which in turn puts off, until it is completed, decisions about the future of the work during my remaining lifetime and afterwards. I did spend another £10 on the lottery believing there was another 25 individual millions. Alas there was only one but I did get my £10 back on the Saturday draw.
As part of the changed approach already introduced in relation to film and other cultural experiences I am ending this piece and will write separately about the three part Christmas special of Upstairs and Downstairs and the film on the life of General Douglas McArthur. This afternoon I will watch Newcastle away from home on Sky and the Ashes from 10.30.
On Christmas Eve I did watch the substantially truncated BBC Show which concentrated on the midnight fireworks rather than the inane gatherings of celebrities and interviews with those who had come to the North embankment from midday to experience the show set against the Big Wheel and close up of Big Ben, the Clock tower at the Houses of Parliament. The purpose of this annual showing off is now shamelessly directed at attracting visitors to London for the event and over the rest of the year.
Restricting the length of the broadcast meant that I was able to watch large chunks of Jules Holland’s Hootenanny in which he showcases past and current British talent as well as artists from other nations. The programme does provider a platform for new Talent with Amy Winehouse, Duffy and Paulo Nutini coming immediately to mind. This year there was some good performances and some disasters.
Vampire Weekend, (who) was the first disaster although I also not impressed with the opening act, styled the Queen of Rockbilly in the 50’s and 60’s. However it is an annual feature of the show to bring to the attention of the present day music stars from the past and I guess someone wanted to balance the range of music by someone with a country background, of sorts.
I am also not a fan of Reggae music and therefore was unmoved by the performance of Toots Hibbert. This was followed by the uninspiring folk band Bellowhead, but good for a party despite the programme been recorded in a studio one afternoon early in December. My hope therefore rested with Alison Moyet who did not disappoint with Love Letters and who looked amazing having appeared to have lost half previous weight and to become ageless. He second number was Boom Boom. In between the acts Jools is required to interview an odd assortment of celebrities and others mostly unknown to me and who look as embarrassed as Jools in plugging their latest work projects.
Someone who I did not know and impressed was Cee Lo Green real name Thomas De Carlo Callaway a name more interesting than the stage version. Also in this category the Secret Sisters and 1940’s looking duo about whom nothing appears to be known except they are bringing out an album. I enjoyed more Jules band member Rico Rodriguez with a second Reggae number. I did not know Rumer who is said to sing like Karen Carpenter, she wish. Plan B made a lot of noise. a rapper with a good band and I could see something of his talent with Love Goes Down.
For me the star was Ruby Turner who sings with Jules’s band and therefore is given a couple of solo spots every year and did a great Boogie Woogie- Roll out of this Hole as did Jools and his band to get the show off to a good start with Sally Suaz. The top billing was divided between Kylie Minogue, a person I admire but whose work makes little impression, and Roger Daltry with Mannish Boy, but not a second number.
I am determined to kick start losing weight, getting fit and making work progress despite the cold which usually s normal functioning. I am drinking more than eating which is good.
I also commenced to reorganise the locations of completed work sets, making use of old lever arch files and planning to change the location of photo CDs of completed work and visits. This is intended to make better use of the Filing Cabinets and make space for the second half of the project by transferring sets to the Loft. This will be a slow job, transferring the volumes individually up the ladder before using the already made up boxes and keeping record, first of those transferred to the loft and then of those throughout the three story ten rooms of the property. I estimate that this reorganisation and audit will be spread over the year and signals my acceptance that I am unlikely to acquire the means to move into a more suitable property and location for the work and which in turn puts off, until it is completed, decisions about the future of the work during my remaining lifetime and afterwards. I did spend another £10 on the lottery believing there was another 25 individual millions. Alas there was only one but I did get my £10 back on the Saturday draw.
As part of the changed approach already introduced in relation to film and other cultural experiences I am ending this piece and will write separately about the three part Christmas special of Upstairs and Downstairs and the film on the life of General Douglas McArthur. This afternoon I will watch Newcastle away from home on Sky and the Ashes from 10.30.
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