Is there a wedding somewhere

Hullo ma wee blog,

You seem to be the only place that isn't concerned with 'that wedding' going on down south. I've tried and failed to find a radio station that isn't hosting either a wedding commentary or some celebratory wedding show of any kind. It's all just a bit too much. I know I'm a grumpy old bugger at times but there are so many people who think this is complete overkill and resent the fact that as far as every media is concerned you are sadly lacking some mental capacity if the royal wedding isn't consuming your every waking moment.

It's beyond sad.

And yet it's not that I don't wish them well. I do, I really do. They are at the end of it all making a lifetime commitment and that is to be applauded. So on a purely human level I wish them well.

So good luck Kate and William. Just for you one wedding song you probably won't have on a play list today.

A Perfect Day

Hullo ma wee blog,

Like the same day twenty years ago the day of our anniversary was a sunny day. Back then there were days of solid bad weather before and after but we struck it lucky for our wedding day which allowed us to take a boatload of guests out to the island in the middle of the Firth of Forth north of Edinburgh for the ceremony in the ruins of Inchcolme Abbey.  Wednesday was a chilled out affair spent, just the two of us, sharing the garden here at home with Jess, the birds and a bottle of pink champagne to kick off an alfresco day enjoying each others company in the sunshine. We had thought of going away for the day, spending it in Edinburgh or further afield, but the weather made it an easy choice to relax and spend the day on the patio. It suited our mood perfectly.

Jess headed for her favourite planter tub at the edge of the patio and slumped down around the curve of the rim, head on the pillow provided by a weed and gave a contented sigh which said she too had nothing planned for the rest of the day but a spot of sunbathing and idle birdwatching. The birds chorused a 'welcome' from the hedge at the back of the garden for a few moments until satisfied we had settled down and they could resume normal business. The dominant male blackbird strutted the length of the roof with his chest puffed out and tail held high until he too was satisfied he could bring his mate down beside us to feed and drink the clean water we had put out. Soon the garden was full of quiet activity, birds came and went swooping past a dozing Jess The blackbird made several zig-zag runs towards her, head thrust forward as if to check if she was really asleep before returning back to his mate to feed at a safe distance. Jess' belly sighed her complete indifference and she closed again the one eye she had opened to watch proceedings with before scooting herself onto her back to lie with four paws aloft as if to say 'Look! I'm just chillin. Leave me alone!'

I brought out another bottle of  bubbly and we continued to chat and read or just sit and watch the comings and goings of our garden residents and listen to the music from the laptop beside us until the afternoon took a turn towards a cooler evening. I split some wood and lit the chiminea which gave us warmth for another hour or so before we felt the chill close in and  headed in to continue the rest of the evening inside, leaving the birds to have a final seed or two before dusk.

A perfect day.

Hullo Rerr China!

Hullo ma wee blog,

'Hullo Rerr China' is a saying familiar to most Scots my age and older as being a greeting used in Glasgow and the West coast for many years.  Based on Cockney rhyming slang it was used by two Scots comedians, Ricky Fulton and Jack Milroy - or at least by their creations 'Francie' and 'Josie', who became famous in the 50's and were popular through many years of my growing up.  It means 'Hello there pal!' as 'China' means 'china plate' which rhymes with 'mate'.

I mention it here as it fits today in a weird, cack-handed and pretty unromantic way {which reflects much of my personality}. Today is our wedding anniversary. We were married in Inchcolm Abbey on Inchcolm Island in the Forth estuary twenty years ago which makes today our china wedding anniversary. My lovely G is both my pal and my mate in so many different ways. Many who knew us twenty years ago would never have bet on us lasting more than a couple of years at best.

Somehow we've made it here through those twenty years and are stronger, closer and more in love now than ever. So this my weird, cack-handed and pretty unromantic way of saying I love you and I will love you for my ever.

So.....

Hullo Rerr China! Are ye dancin'?

Ah'm dancin'........

Here's a favourite clip of Francie and Josie and the interplay between boy and girl.

The Sunday Post

Hullo ma wee blog,

Likenesses. {1962}


It comes to mind,
Where there is room enough, water goes
Between tall mountains and small toes.
Or, if I like,
When sun rises, his first light explores
Under high clouds and underneath low doors.

Or, {doing it still}
Darkness can hide beside all that it hid
Behind a nightfall and a dropped eyelid.

Why do I add
Such notions up, unless they say what's true
In ways I don't quite see, of me and you?


Norman MacCaig.

The Royal Wedding Dance

Hullo ma wee blog,

I'm not a Royalist and constant news and media items about next weeks wedding is doing my head in. Even so - this T-Mobile advert brought a smile.

See you later

Will you please TURN THAT MUSIC OFF!!!!

          A beautiful version of this track

Hullo ma wee blog,

The header to this piece would have been very familiar to my mother, although she would usually have ended it with "and come down and have your dinner" or something similar. Strange - looking at me now you would never believe I missed a dinner in my life!


You may {or not} have noticed that the last couple of posts have had a song posted from a particular concert. I found a series of clips on youtube of Neil Finn {Crowded House} Roddy Frame {Aztec Camera} and Graham Gouldman {10cc} playing an acoustic set together. I really enjoy the stripped back sheer musicality of this type of set and when it's handled by such wonderful singer-songwriters as these three it's doubly special, hence me not being able to resist posting yet another piece  {well two actually} from their set. This set me thinking about music and the blog.


Regular readers will know I often post a copy of what I happen to be listening to as I write {if I can find it} and also you may notice that it often reflects the theme or tone of the post itself. This is an unconscious thing for me. I usually have music on about the place, especially when I'm here on the laptop, and I tend to write posts just on impulse or instinct off the top of my head. Usually I've no idea what is going to come out when I sit down unless I'm doing one of my history posts as they need to be a bit more organised and so I tend to plan them out a bit beforehand, although I do have to confess to having a notebook where I jot down things which come to me that I feel I might be interested in writing about. Over the life of the blog I've come to realise that music is an integral part of my blogging experience so that's why I share the songs that have accompanied the post. Most times a post takes two or three {or more} songs to get me to the end with my limited secretarial skills and so I'll add whatever I'm listening to at the time of publishing and it's often only then that I realise there is sometimes a direct link between what I hear and what I write.


{I've no idea why or even if this is important by the way!}


There have been comments about the songs at times but they tend to be relatively few and far between so I really have no idea if most of you take a moment to listen, listen if I happen to post a favourite of yours or just pass them by. I've often wondered how many people listen and what they think of either just the music or about any connection they might have to the piece?  I wonder if these songs sometimes resonate?  I wonder if I should post them at all -is it important or just a distraction?  Do most people flit in and out without listening?  Would it help or hinder the blog if I dropped them?  Should I post them nearer the start of the post so that readers could hit play if they want and read on while it plays?


In some way though I think it makes the blog more personal, more immediate to me at least and so for now at least they'll keep making an appearance as and when they can.


See you later.


Listening to

          Roddy Frame - Hymn to Grace

And God Created Woman.

Hullo ma wee blog,

God walked the Garden of Eden with Adam.

Adam explained he was lonely and needed a companion and God thought about this for a moment and said,

"I can make you the perfect companion. I'll make you a woman! She will love you and look after all your physical and emotional needs. She will cook and clean for you and work at your side. She will never complain and will always laugh at your jokes. She'll always agree with your decisions and will never criticise you or argue against you. She will listen to your every word and will be there when you need her. She'll lie with you and keep you warm on cold nights, make love with you whenever and wherever you want and do your bidding without question. She will be beautiful and have perfect skin. She will have curves and be soft and supple to your touch. She will excite you and fulfill you in every possible way.

Adam replied 

"She sounds fantastic. Absolutely perfect. But how will you make her Lord?"

 and God said,

 "I will make her in your image and from your body. She will be of your flesh"

Adam walked on thoughtfully for a second and said,

"Lord, will you need much of my flesh to make such a perfect creature?"

 and the Lord replied,

"It will cost you but an arm and a leg."

Adam walked on a moment and turned,

"Um - What could I get for a rib?"

see you later.

Listening to