Springsteen 2009

One of the most revered and hated figures of the twentieth century was Che Guevara, In any assessment of the man, rather than the myth, it is important to dive his life into four phases: His childhood, education and first travels throughout South America; His participation in the Cuban revolution; His period in the Cuban Government and then what became his last campaign to spread the revolution to the rest of South America and his execution with the help of the U.S.A assassination

He was born ten years before me as was killed in 1967 aged 39, I like what his father said of him The first thing to note is that in my son’s veins flowed the blood of the Irish rebels, the Spanish conquistadors and the Argentinean patriots. Evidently Che inherited. There was something in his nature which drew him to distant wanderings, dangerous adventures and new ideas. I know nothing of the father except that Jesuit expression give me a child for seven years and I give you the adult,

Che as be became known through the world had grown up in a left wing and revolutionary household as his father supported Juan Peron and socialism and Spanish republicans visited their home. He learned to play chess at he age of 12, I taught myself about that time with a small pocket board with press in figures, playing lunch times at school with a class mate. And later through a correspondence league and playing for Croydon Local Authority against teams form other local authorities across London for one season until I was dropped after a losing run. We shared some of the authors who interested him, although in my instance most were after I left school including William Faulkner, Andree Gide, Walt Whitman, John Keats,, Jules Verne, Franz Kafka, John Paul Sartre, H G Wells, Robert Frost, Jack London and Bertrand Russell and Sigmund Freud. The fundamental difference between us was his father’s influence and my Catholic fundamentalist childhood brought up by aunts.

We both became missionaries.

Three years after entering University to Study medicine he undertook a year off from studies to embark on a motorcycle trip throughout South America with a friend and witnessed the poverty and oppression of ordinary people throughout the continent, also spending short time at a Leper Colony in Peru. His diary of the trip was made into a film, The Motor Cycle Diaries in 2004 which was one of the film highlights of the year.

With me the defining moments were the decision to read two reports of the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, the six month prison experience and the decision to switching to child care after working among exceptionally poor an derived families in Salford Manchester during the summer of 1962 with the Family Service Unit. I was an emotional missionary while he became an intellectual one, never appearing to question or change his belief in revolution through violence and that a Marxist dictatorship was the only alternative to rampant capitalist imperialism

He completed his studies and qualified as a doctor in 1953, He then decided to travel again visiting Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador After six months on the road he reached Guatemala. Here is was introduced to leading members of the left government and also had contacts with Cuban exiles linked to Fidel Castro’s and his attack on a Baptista military barracks on 26 July 1953, Che tried to gain medical work but was advised to leave the country after the CIA sponsored coup following the arrival of Soviet arms into the country. The overthrow of thee government effectively by the USA confirmed his belief in the adverse effects on ordinary people of USA capitalist imperialism in the Southern continent. After taking refuge in the Mexican Embassy he made his way to Mexico. There he met Raul Castro and then Fidel who was plotting to overthrow the corrupt USA crime based regime. As a result of this meeting he decided this was the cause for which he had been looking, Eighty seven Cubans plus Chet set off from Mexico to Cuba in a leaky boat and only 22 survived the landing and of these only twelve were to enter Havana as the revolutionary victors.

As the film Che Part one- The Argentinean accurately portrays he was a ruthless fighting leader as well as caring doctor. Fidel described him as intelligent, daring and an exemplary leader but that he also took too many personal risks. There is nothing in the film to explain his dedication as a doctor and emotionally detached fighter and military leader, except that he and Fidel possessed am earth planet vision and recognised they were only temporary influences. The great part of the film deals with the military role of Che during the revolution, his ongoing work as a doctor, the emphasis providing the poor and illiterate with an education and his initial loyalty to his wife and child in Mexico, and then his growing attachment to a Cuban who offered her services divorcing his wife and marrying her after they entered Havana.

The film ends with his successful battle to take Santa Clara on New Years Eve 1958 and Baptista fleeing on learning that his generals were negotiating a separate peace with the rebel leaders. The ending is distinctly odd, except to indicate that it was only the first part of his life as a revolutionary and that he attempted to maintain his code of appropriate behaviour even in the moment of triumph.

It is noteworthy that President Obama who is attempting the third way revolution has accept the resignation of two of his government nominees following the disclosure that they were federal tax avoiders. The non payment of federal taxes appears to be a long standard activity among government official in the USA. I still remember my sense of shock and horror on being told by a USA government visiting party of top officials and representatives looking at the new British system of Social service local authorities in 1971 how they avoided paying taxes by renting out slums to the poor and others devices. They appeared to have no moral or ethical basis for their work in social welfare.

The film in which Che played by Benicio Del Torro has a documentary feel as the writers and producers attempt to recreate his Memoir Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. The chronological account of the progress made after meeting with the Castro brothers to making the journey into Havana is intercut from time to time with a black and white recreation of his 1964 interview a Journalist in New York after addressing the UN. The five demands he made to the UN have echo’s of President’s Obama views in 2008.

I continued with my Bruce Springsteen fest throughout the day enjoying two live performance records, Barcelona and then New York.

Atlantic City 7.10 (Everything dies that is a fact perhaps everything that dies comes back); Because the night, The Rising 7.20;7.30 Dancing in the Dark; Youngstown .35; The Ghost of Tom Joad 8.40; Always a Friend 8.50;eth July Asbury Park Sandy 10.25 Turn Turn Turn; Long Walk Home 10.30 Radio nowhere; You will be coming down; Living in the future; Your own worst enemy.... Come to town; Girls in their summer clothes...pass me by; Gypsy Biker11.00; I’ll work for love; Magic; Last to Die; Devil’s Arcade and Terry’s song. Barcelona Live: Empty Sky; Waiting on a Summer’s day. Badlands, Darkness on the edge of Town. Mary’s Place, proving all night, She’s the one; Lonesome Day, The Rising; Worlds Apart and Dancing the Dark listened to again 12-1.130 the Disk 2. Incident on 57th Street; Born in The USA; Land of Hope and Dreams; Counting on a miracle; Thunder Road; Night; Ramrod; and Born to Run;

Thunder Road; Adam Raised Caine; Spirit of the nights; 4th July Ashbury Park; Paradise by the C; I’m on Fire; Growing Up; It’s hard to be a saint in the city; the Backstreets; Rosalita; Raise your Hand; Hungary Heart; Two Hearts, Cadillac Ranch; You can look; Independence Day; Badland’s, Because the Night; Candy’s Room; Darkness at the Edge of Town; Racing in the Street; This land is your land; Nebraska; Johnny 99; Reason to Believe; Born in the USA; Seeds, The River; War; Darlington County; Working on the Highway; The Promised Land; Cover me; I’m on Fire; Bobby Jean, My Hometown; Born to Run; No surrender; Tenth Avenue Freeze; Jersey Girl.

Duffy Joan Byaz Amy McDonald Nina Simone Billy Holliday

The last day of January experienced in several dimensions of time, sound and mind

Sometimes I am very slow in working out the best way to do something or the best use of my time. Sometimes I am very very slow. For several years I have gone to bed or got up in the early hours an played music or watched TV with the sound turned low anxious that would disturb the adjacent neighbours, despite thick walls which deadens the sounds of my neighbours activities, unless there is work or contact directly on the partitioning wall. Yesterday wanting to listen to music loud so that it dominated my sense I decided to try the super headphones I use for my keyboard located in the upstairs work room adjacent to a neighbour’s bedroom. This has a volume control on the connecting lead and on the desk top a link is available at the front for both input microphone and output, and so for the greater part of the day while writing I was able to be overwhelmed with sound.

However I did not make a note of tracks which I am doing now listing to some of the tracks again. I commenced with Duffy whose work and persona has became my new artist for 2008 with her Rockferry Album, Warwick Avenue, Serious, Stepping Stones, Distant Dreams and of course Mercy were all numbers I was looking forward to hearing again after watching her performances on TV over Christmas, other tracks were Syrup and Honey, Hanging on too Long, Delayed Devotion, I’m scared, Rain on our parade, Fool for You Stop, Oh Boy, Please stay, Breaking my own Heart and Enough love.

She replaces my girl of 2007 Amy Winehouse where there is nothing but sadness for what is happening to her. I listened to the Back to Back Album Rehab, You know I ‘m no good, Me and Mr Jones, Just friends, Back to Back, Love is a losing game, Tears dry on their own, Wake up alone, Some unholy war, He can only hold her, and Addicted. Hopefully she will not become a one year phenomenon .

I was then in the mood for Billie Holiday selecting from a compilation These foolish things, I’ve got my love to keep me warm, I must have that man, He’s funny that way, You go to my head. The very thought of you, More than you know, Strange fruit,, Night and day, The man I love, Body and Soul, Time on my hands, Solitude,| Lover come back to me, Don’t Explain, Good morning Heartache, and my Man

I also listened to a little Nina Simone from her Tribute to Billie Holiday Album, including Strange love Fine and Mellow, Tell me More, It don’t mean a thing, I love you Porgy and I love to love

A recent discovery has been Amy McDonald and her album This is the life with Mr Rock and Roll, This is the Life, Poison Prince, Youth of Today, Run, Let’s start a band, Barrowland Ballroom. LA, A wish for something more, Footballers Wives which should be played at start of every game at every Premiership game. During

While I wrote, thought and listened I also kept one eye on the soundless telly where first Stoke beat the bottomless bank of moneybags Man City 1.0. And then Boro was held to a draw by Blackburn and stay in the relegation zone while in the evening Man United not only won 1.0 but their goal keeper has not allowed the opposition to score once in the past 12 games, a British Record. Later to day Sunderland visit St James’s Park.

As I wrote I reflected further on Valkyrie, impressed by the extent to which the film followed the actual events and which perhaps some critics felt it was not Hollywood thrilling enough. In my judgement it is not a subject for cheap thrills or entertainment just entertainment. It achieved an excellent balance of chronological unfolding and emotional interest although the outcome was known over sixty years ago.

It was not all the ladies with James Morrison’s Broken Strings and from the Bob Dylan collection Woody, Blowing in the Wind, Masters of War, A hard rains A-gonna fall, The Times they are a Changing, It A’nt me Babe, Like a Rolling Stone, Just Like a woman, It’s all over now Baby Blue. I have never experienced hearing Bob live and also Joan Baez missing both when they came to Newcastle in 2006.

Farewell Angelina is still one of my great album possessions from when it was first released. The album also has Its all over now Baby Blue as the opening number, sung in German Where has all the flowers gone Sagt Mir Wo DieBlumen Sind, Daddy you have been on my mind and Satisfied Mind and A Hard’s Rain’s A-gonna Falling. I left to another day the title song, Colours, Rangers Command, The Wild Mountain thyme and Puavre Ruteboeuf

During the day I listened to a French group Pep’s and their Album Utopies Dans La decors with Melodie, Poterie Des Dieux, Liberta, Dans Ma Tete, J’Te Serre, Utopies Dans le Decors, Fakir, No Indentifie, Ca Va, De Le air, A L’Insouciance, Me Contente De Rein, .... Ca Vient, Liberta live at Lyon with the audience joining in the English chorus, Tristan, J’Te Serre. Liberta - Just want to be free in this way just want to be free in my world Liberta is a top ten song. I also found catchy Dans Ma Tete. I love the sound of the French language even if I only understand a few individual words and wish I could speak although there was a period when with visits and watching French films I was able understand a little more and get by on visits.

I also worked hard to achieve the 3 new sets a day target having settle for this over the greater part of the past year, finishing the task around 7pm and also doing the preparatory work for new volumes of My Space Blogs as I come close to two thirds of the target 101 x10 thus matching what I achieved for AOL now no longer available online, My Space Friends volumes have increased as I come close to matching the number of Blogs with over 600 registered. The speed of the increase over the past three months means that I have not been able to give the attention I would like to the additions but will focus on this later in the year when I am only adding one a day or so. I photographed a completed My Friends volume with 304 photos. I was not in the mood for taking more photographs or scanning slides.

I had a pork chop with apple sauce and baked beans as he main meal and a salad with olives and sardines in tomato sauce. There was the weekend treat of a small pot of caramel mouse and cherries for afters. I had soup and a roll for breakfast and a tea time snack of four crackers topped with pickle

Abba Gold

Music has always played an important role in my life, although always second to the film on the subject of imagination and influence. Music has been by means of emotional expression thus the greater sense of failure that I have been unable to become a musician, from traditional jazz blues in my adolescence to Beethoven wile in prison and the power of Verdi’s Requiem Mass on an early visit to the Royal Albert Hall. I was never into the Beatles and Elvis Presley when they first hit the headlines, but one Group who were and remain a visual delights and who music express great joy, whose lyrics always tell a story and towards their final performing years included some of the realities love, relationships, and its failures, was ABBA.

It has been an odd choice of music to enjoy over the past few days dominated by news of a devastating tragedy in my extended family but it was a way of holding things together in a way which other more serious and sad music will have been more difficulty.

The DVD, Super Trouper, marking the 5th year of the London Show Mama Mia had come in the New Year, along with In Bruges, and therefore had not been a first choice, but as soon as I commenced watching it touched so many memories that as with In Bruges I held it back to watch again, and did so.

The DVD also marked the occasion when three of the four member of the group appeared together on stage, not to perform, but to mark thirty years since they first became internationally recognised entertainers wining the European Song Contest with Waterloo. The four did come together in their homeland Sweden for the opening of the musical production there and then more recently this year for the opening of the film, both called Mama Mia.

On stage in London they were presented by Pete Waterman with a Los Vegas style elongated plaque with all their Platinum triumphs and not a gold in sight.

(The record industry categorises its awards in each country differently and in the UK a gold record is issued for 100000 albums sales and platinum for 300000 while in the USA the award is for half a million and 1 million and Diamond for 10 million while in some countries an award can be for significantly fewer sales in quantities of for sales in only thousands and tens of thousands. For the traditional single, which these days are often an EP, the awards are for 400000 and 600000 and in the USA half and a million again with no Diamond award. In the USA where digital downloading has become common the same standard is in operation. It also appears that sometimes the industry announces and award based on initial sales and forecast rather than actual sales. Even lists of popular and successful record sales is open to significant manipulation within the industry and should be treated with great caution. It is not as bad though as the scandal of Boxing.)

Abba is general regarded as having sold Albums in their millions and the plaque presented on the London stage mentions some 360 million albums although Wikipedia gives the total of 400 million an increase of over 10% in five years for a group that has not performed together for over twenty five years.

The DVD is structured in a confusing way with film of their career as a group especially the amazing tour of Australia when tens of thousands lines the streets all the way from the airport into the city and the hysteria was such that they became hotel prisoners for whole tour, an experience which happened elsewhere, but to less extent, and which resulted in affecting Agnetha, especially who found the crush overpowering and threatening

The DVD includes individual interviews about their early music lives and contains rare footage as well as of music performances. Is there anyone who does not know that Abba stands for Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid, who is known as Frida? Or that they shot to fame by winning the European Song Contest with Waterloo and were the first Continental group to sells records by the millions in the USA, as well Australia, Germany and South Africa as well as in the UK.

Benny was part of a popular Swedish Beatles style Rock group that had hits in Sweden who was mainly a keyboard instrumentalist who started to write for the band. Bjorn was a singer guitarist who was part of a group, the Hootenanny Singers and when both groups found themselves performing at a Folk festival one attended the party of the other and Bjorn and Benny decided to write song together while continuing with their groups.

It was during the Swedish contest of an earlier European Song Competition that Benny Anderson met Anni-Frid and they decided to date and within a month they became a couple. Benny and Bjorn then did an album of work together so the three became linked..

Agnetha the natural blonde, had a separate career where she had a hit record when she was only 17. She met Anna at a TV show and Bjorn at a concert shortly afterwards. Bjorn and Agnetha met again commenced a relationship and married and also got involved with each other’s recordings and then Benny and Anni provided backing vocal for an Agnetha album so the four worked together for the first time. Anni Frid: Freda, was in fact the youngest early performer of the four, starting at the age of 13 with bands playing a jazz cabaret style. She had her group at one point and made records. Thus ABBA was not a music management creation of people with little proven talent and no previous experience of performing and recording. They were individually established and experienced performers where Waterloo could have proven their first and only lasting international success. One f the remarkable aspects of their longevity is that their first language, and their performing language was Swedish.

The four commenced to work together and to perform regularly in 1971. It was not until a couple of years later that they decided recording and performing as individuals was unwieldy and their manager Stig Anderson, who had privately referred to them as ABBA, the name of a Swedish fish canning company, that they needed a group name, and they became known as ABBA .

Their Euro contest winning song Waterloo was an instant chart success reaching first spot in the UK, Germany and Australia and significantly 6th in the Billboard 100 in the USA. There second Honey Honey, featured in the film, (I have not seen the stage show and assume all the songs are the same in both, was not an instant success and it was likely that they and the international music world thought they would they were what so many others have been, a one song or one album success story, never be defeated or surpassed.

Their first tour to West Germany, Austria and Denmark in 1974 was not a great success but their tour of Sweden and Finland in 1975 attracted huge crowds and their further records topped charts in Australia and South Africa. Their third Album included S,O.S and Mama Mia and while they had international success including the USA, they were not regarded as International Superstars until Dancing Queen and their Australian Tour and its film. Fernando written originally in Swedish for Frida and became a hit in 12 countries and remained top in Australia for 14 weeks. Money Money Money followed and Knowing Me, Knowing You But then they produced Dancing Queen in 1977 which became number One in the USA and the rest they ay is history. They then commenced their European tour and 3.5 million mail order requests were received for their two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, 580 times its capacity. Part of the London Concert was filmed for use as part of the film ABBA the movies based on the tour of Australia.

In 1979 their recording Chiquitita was created for the Unicef Year of the Child with royalties to the charity and became a number 1 in ten countries.

As many people continue to point out ABBA song tell stories of human experience and are complex and difficult to sing. The two girls would be required to spend hours learning and recording them, bearing in mind these were also in English and not their thinking and speaking language this only underlines their professionalism. Benny and Bjorn also used their studio time creatively making stronger and deeper sounds by double tracking voice and instrumentalists and this created problems with some in the live audiences audience who found that the stage performances sounded different from the records. This was so with their first and only tour of the USA and Canada although every concert was sold out. Then they played in 23 sold out concerts in Europe including six nights at Wembley Arena. By 1980 they had produced Super Trouper and more significantly perhaps The Winner Take All and this raises a major issue which has affected all my writing and other work past and resent,

The lyrics of their songs at this time reflected some of the emotions experienced as their young marriages turned into divorce. As I have previously written there is a sorrowful spiritual aspect to the Swedish soul hence their high suicide rates. There is also a frank adult openness which the traditional middle class English have felt uncomfortable about, and the films of Ingmar Bergman reflect this creating a succession of masterpieces and clinically perfect relationship studies of marriage and between parents and children.

I have always found writing the truth about myself, especially my emotional self, difficult to impossible and have always questioned the use by the artist of specific experiences relating to their personal relationships with others. It is not just a question of respecting the rights and interests of others but the using of personal experience in this, for me, takes away something from the actual experience, in music the same way that I often do not take or use my camera with people I know and care about and for my mother’s 100th birthday, I have relied mainly on the photographs taken by others,

What is a different issue and something which applies to ABBA is that personal participation in tragedy and relationship traumas, or involvement in major events such a War or natural disaster does effect the quality of artistic work as well as lives in general. Some artist true genius when their work reflects the deeper emotions, passions and psychological insights without the individual having had direct experience

My reservations and inhibitions mean that my daily writings can be unbalanced because they do not affect the personal emotions experienced in my life which I believe should remain private to those directly concerned. Hopefully something of the full rainbow of emotional experiences during my day is communicated.

The public break up of the second couple within ABBA resulted in the official breaking up the group as stage performers and recording artists in the early 1980’s, that is two and half decades ago and yet in some respects the public love of their music has become stronger, affecting generation after generation.

While they all continues to perform and record or to be involved with writing and music production, some with success, nothing has come close to their collective work as ABBA and is derivatives, the stage musical and now the film.

There was involvement with the production of Chess and the musical Abbacadababra produced in France for TV and for children. Individually they have sometimes included ABBA song in their performances with Benny and Bjorn performing together. However 25 years was to pass before the four met together for the Swedish openings of their work. While attention has focussed on Benny and Bjorn because of their work with the musical and the film, Agnetha and Frida continued with their careers. In 1995 Frida issued a box set of her solo records and a three and half hour DVD of her professional life in which she guides the viewer,

In the 1990 Abba Gold was released, I have a copy of their greatest hits, one of the 26 million sold. This was followed in 1994 by the Thank you for the Music compilation, a four disk set. The opening of the Musical Mama Mia in 1999 ignited international interest and it is true that they were offered 1 million Swedish Kroner £140 million US dollars for a world tour in 2000, although the precise amount is something of legend. There is no sign of public interest in the musical fading and other language versions have been created and opened in different parts of the world. The film Mama Mia is likely to become another chart topping success as has the DVD. While there is a nostalgia aspect the those who took to the group in the 70’s and 80’s new generations have joined in. Their music lives on.

Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry

I decided that I would not go to cricket today but watch the start of the Ryder cup when the Europeans have won three last bi-annual meetings of the best golfers of the United States and Europe. The Europeans are lead by non playing captain Nick Faldo whose team has been inform. The odds are in favour of the Europeans but my hunch is for a narrow win for the US team who could not bear a second successive defeat on their home turf.

I kept an eye on the cricket, more to know whether I would attend tomorrow if a result was possible and the weather reasonable. There is the competition from a Sunderland Borough match where there are still tickets and the second day of the Ryder cup. There is also a radio commentary of Newcastle visit to West Ham where a the visiting Geordies can expect a difficult time from the West Ham Cockneys as well as an invigorated team with Emile Zola in charge for the first time.

The day did not go well. Durham tried to move the score on quickly but lost wickets and then Sussex batted well to end the day with so that a draw appeared inevitable. I was glad that I decided against going. The Ryder cup started well for the first hour or so and then disaster for the Europeans. For two decades the Europeans have always been superior in the foursomes with the USA coming back strongly in the singles. However this time the Europeans crashed heavily and at end the day they had a couple of wins from the opening matches. Andy Murray managed to win his singles in the Davis Cup to level the match 1.1 at the end of the first day in a Wimbledon where there were empty seats. After their disgraceful performance at the Olympics and Murray became it plain that he is a Scotsman and only interested in his performance and personal success, it would be surprised if the British tennis community was wild enthusiasm with paying a fortune to watch pressed men.

During the week I have enjoyed the master chef programme even though I am unhappy about the gourmet food industry in terms of half the world starving and hundreds of pounds being spent on one meal. There is no doubt that the top chefs use the best of ingredients and they and their staff work hard. On Thursday the final three were asked to prepare the before and after dishes. A little something on arriving at the restaurant while the three main courses are being prepared. This is followed by the with coffee sweet, a mini cake or sweets of some kind. After this the three chefs were each were responsible for cooking a course for five of the leading restaurateurs. On Friday in an hour long programme they faced to tests. The first was to prepare one of three courses for a group of thirty other leading chefs and five former Michelin inspectors with seven hours but where components of one course could take several hours to prepare. Finally that had to prepare a three course meal for the two judges to show off their knowledge, skill and creativity to perfection. I predicted the winner during the earlier rounds although this did not require special insight as the two judges themselves showed their leaning by their comments even when critical. For lunch I a large thick piece of sea bream with a thin parsley sauce and the tray of vegetables roasted in there over for thirty minutes. There was no much work after that.

I enjoyed a programme about Roxy Music who many regard as having the second most influence on British popular music to the Beatles. Bryan Ferry came from Washington Sunderland and went to Newcastle Art school where he graduated. The music was always original and many regard his lyrics as the most creative of the latter part of the twentieth century. There is always something being said as well as moods and feelings created by the music. The programme was followed a recording of a concert. I have two Long play records and have seen Bryan perform at the Newcastle City Hall.

It has been an extraordinary week for capitalism which was on the verge of collapse before the British and USA government used socialist measures of unprecedented state intervention and support to prevent further melt down. There have been several contributing causes. The exploitation of the shortage of energy by producers unable or unwilling to respond to the growth in demand, together a similar shortage of food, coupled with governmental policies to change approaches to the use of energy in terms of counteracting to drain on resources and the impact upon the environment and the need to redistribute food more fairly across the earth. Then there was the criminal behaviour of the money lenders to provide funds to those who could not pay thus inflating property prices and encouraging debt beyond the scope of the large numbers to cope. Then the speculation by some with the funds to cause deflation.

The day has the feel of an intermission of indeterminate length

1467 Balshazzar at the Royal Albert Hall Hall

The second day of my mini trip commenced around 2am when I awoke, checked the time and decided to watch the Olympics although the swimming event with Rebecca Adlington was not scheduled until after 3 am. This proved to be a good decision although it wrecked havoc on the rest of my day. Because of the early hour I had two coffees, the remaining bath bun and later the two rolls with the rest of the ham. The 800 metre freestyle involves sixteen lengths of the pool and except for the opening few strokes Rebecca was always ahead and destroyed the opposition with several metres of clear water winning by some six seconds and breaking the long standing (some nineteen years) world record by over two seconds. She is the first British female competitor to win two swimming medals and only the second to do since the first occasion in 1908 when a British male swimmer achieved this feat. He future life is assured and given that she is only 19 my impression is that she will want to try and repeat the feat in 2012.I stayed up for a while but then tired I did manage some sleep, waking again early to watch some more of what was to become a major day for British sport. It should have commenced with two more medals in the sailing but the weather becalmed them again voiding one race in which we were in gold position. There were five rowing finals with varying prospects although in some instances the attention was on those who had triumphed over adversity to get into the position, including one who had developed an infection which prevented six weeks of vital training but who nevertheless managed to get into the final or the two women rowers one who was knocked in a hit and run accident and the other developed glandular fever. There were two bronze medals and then the coxless fours where it was a great fight and they came thought to win in the last moments. So two gold medals and someone came to clean my room and I decided to go back to the South bank to see if I could photo the statuesque figures of the previous evenings. At Somerfield I bought two Maple Pecan Plats and a bottle of Highland Spring water £1.61 (202.01) I got some cash on my way to thee station where I knew I could only go London Bridge as stations between there and St Prancas were closed for engineering works. Ticket cost £7 (209.01) for those travellers who were going across London and who needed to break journey, having to travel from London Bridge to St Pancras before continuing the train journey.At London Bridge I started on the left had side of the road to the Bridge and started to go down towards the river when it looked as there was no walkway under the bridge and I encountered another man, of similar years to me who was attempting to do the same. He had hoped to travel on the Jubilee line which was closed and therefore going along the embankment to Waterloo/Charing Cross. We had some difficult in working out the way to get to the riverside after crossing the road and found ourselves at a riverside in where there was a recreation of the ship the Golden Hind and an Inn with a riverside view. We decided on a drink and enjoyed two halves of lager at a riverside table.£2.60 (211.61) For the second day running I had met someone our lives connecting briefly before we went out separate ways.I was surprised at the volume of people around the recreation of Shakespeare's theatre in the round, The Globe. There is also an exhibition area and where on one visit there was free entry to the art market. Although I took my time I was uncomfortable with the heat and managing my bag, two jackets and the camera. On reaching Tate Modern I went to the Gentleman's rested on a bench within the building and then decided to continue with the task in hand, deciding not to visit the latest public access exhibitions, although I was also tempted by the Francis Bacon exhibition. I also resisted the temptation to visit the open market at St Gabriel's Wharf and was even more tempted by the offer of Sea Bream at Tamesa a very popular restaurant on the riverside frontage. St Gabriel's was derelict twenty years ago and the development heralded the extension of the riverside around the Festival Hall along the South Bank building. There are now a dozen eating places in this area some in the two stories of shops at the adjacent new building which is part of the Oxo Tower complex on the river front. There some 50 shops, including art galleries as well as the market. I found myself a bench under trees nearby and eat the Pecan Twists with some water. There was then disappointment because along the river bank until reaching the National Film Theatre and the Hayward Gallery and the book sellers there was not one of the statuesque figures and street entertainers. I climbed the steps up to the main veranda level outside the Royal Festival Hall when at least was pleased to note that there were the 100 or more tables and riverside overlooking high chairs which had been packed with young people the previous evening. Today there was more of a mixture of visitors enjoying a midday break. It was at this point I decided against continuing under the Charing Cross Bridge along the bank passing the Millennium Wheel and the former London County Council Building where there is a permanent exhibition of the work of the Salvador Dali and where the Saatchi Gallery was also the first major attraction until it suddenly closed. It is due to reopen at a different building. The Duke of York Building in the Kings Road, Chelsea where there is some 700000 square metres of display space and where there are two be several exhibitions including sculpture and photography, contemporary art from USA and Germany as well as the UK and where the exhibitions are going to be free to visit. This is a very exciting development. It was my visit to the Gallery in the Spring of 2003 that was to have such an impact on my life as it has become. There is also a passing thought that the living statues were also in this area. However on Saturday afternoon checking that it was still early afternoon I decided to walk back to London Bridge, taking the train back to East Croydon and the Travel Lodge. Change clothes after a shower and travel in just my suit and an umbrella back to South Kensington for the Royal Albert Hall concert. Reaching the end of the west side embankment close to the station where it was necessary to take side streets behind the river bank I noted that there was a steady column of visitors coming from a road which although going inland appeared at an angle which should lead to the station rather than continue as I had started on what had been an L shaped walk. I thus discovered a new area of interest, and area of the city alive over the weekend with restaurants, street markets and covered market. I returned to my room before 4pm which gave half an hour before setting off for the concert. This time I travelled to Victoria Station where it was possible to reach the Royal Albert Hall by two routes. The quickest was by district and circle line from Victoria to South Kensington station where there is a long and wide underground passage to the Museums for which this area is famed and where I had intended to visit the Albert and Victorian Museum earlier in the day. The other route was to take the Victoria line to Green Park Station and then the Piccadilly line to Knightsbridge near Harrods and other up market shops and then pass the Guards HQ within the boundary of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens (I never know where one ends and one begins) and continue to the Albert Memorial in the park area opposite the Albert Hall building. At Victoria there was boards and announcements indicating there was chaos on the various lines with one closed at one station because someone was on the line under a train and because of engineering works. There were delays on the circle and district line so I opted for the route to Knightsbridge. I had not been in this area for many years. There was also a one way system in operation just before the Hall. To my left opposite the park there are large terraced villas with private roads running across the fronts and with access at different points on to the main road where normally they would be able to turn left, but where today this was the single lane coming in the opposite direction with those wanting to travel in the closed direction having to use the park perimeter road. I witness one vehicle peak out of an exit road from the villas near me and wait until oncoming traffic had cleared and then dive into the facing on coming traffic and then diving into the next private road, undertaking this manoeuvre three times. I arrived at the Hall just a minute or so before it was open to concert goers at 5.45 although booked diners were able to commence their meal some two hours before the concert performance. I had one of the best seats with an entrance into the auditorium at ground floor although the seats then fall below to the standing arena of the promenaders which was my first experience of this magnificent concert hall some fifty years before when I invested in a half season ticket and went to the majority of the 20 or so concerts, staying in Town after work or using my travel season ticket to go on Saturday's when then as now some of the most popular concerts were arranged.My first thought was for a glass of wine, perhaps a chilled Rose but I turned away from the bar at ground level as only plastic glasses were in use. I therefore reluctantly climbed the stairs to the next floor when glass was used and I enjoyed the rose £4.25? (215.86) overlooking the Pimms 2 bar located in the covered forecourt when coffee was also being served. This brought back memories of my first job for Middlesex County council where I had been invited to the 18th birthday party of a female colleague in another department who I had only known by sight and where on arrival I fount that the only other young people was a couple who also worked at the office and where the parents disappeared for the rest of the evening and night and where I stayed at the house in a guest room. We had drank Pimms number 1 all evening. I do not know which of us had been more shy of the occasion and we did not together subsequently. On arrival in the auditorium after purchasing a programme £2.50 (217.86) I found that one of the seats next to mine was already occupied by an intriguing young woman who had also been affecting by her first visit to a Prom, remembering everything about that evening and where she was now something of an expert about the Proms and serious music. The intriguing part is that during the interval she used a phone to make contact with someone who she had not met before and who, one could not help overhearing was researching in neuro psychology, having studied as a psychologist and had switched to the physical aspects of the brain, an issue which is dividing psychology departments at universities where some are moving to physical and medical side while other remain with the testing and survey research methods. The woman had obtained her degree in philosophy at Newcastle where one of the teachers had been Mike Brierley the English cricket captain. I have never tire from being in awe at the magnificence of this building with its tiers of boxes above which there is the roof balcony also used for promenaders either to look over the railings or sit on the floor and look through the supporting posts. One does not get a full view of the great organ because of the sound controlling canopy above the orchestra stage.Now to the work which I had remembered was by Handel on my way to the all although earlier in the day my mind had gone blank when asked this by the gentleman acquaintance encountered during midday, He had met his wife of close on 65 years at a Prom in 1948. The work was Belshazzar composed in 1745 and performed by the Age of Enlightenment Orchestra and Choir. This is an unusual and highly regarded orchestra, not must because it uses only instrument contemporary for the period of the work but because it is self governing so that one of four violinists share the role of leader and where the conductor is selected for each concert. Among the conductors closely associated with the development of the Orchestra since its formation in the mid 1980's is Sir Simon Rattle ands where the Conduct for the evening was its most distinguished Emeritus conductors, Sir Charles Mackerras aged 82 years. The Choir is made up of professional musicians. It is fortunate that the programme provided the full text of work written in 1700-1703 by Charles Jennens, in verse and with some beautiful and moving passages. The chorus components are a minor part of this long piece with the performance commencing at 6.30 and continuing until 10 with only one interval after the first act. There is also one duet and the soloist only perform together at the same time at the end. You have to like the Recitative of which there are 24 with 18 arias. The singer was superb as my neighbour commented but it is a long work and after all my exertions I had to make great effort early not to fall asleep. From my viewpoint the star of the soloists was Bejun Mehta from North Carolina, the counter tenor who ahd great emotion in his voice and most expressive performance. Afterwards I made my way back to South Kensington and Victoria where I needed some food and bought a filled half baguette which I devoured finding a seat nearby £3.50 (220.86). I arrived back before 11pm and went straight to bed and to sleep after checking the internet for information on the Olympics where the tally for the day was four gold and others, and I also checked the emails.

Jazz in the Afternoon, and Bratislava Hot Serenaders

Jazz in the afternoon is North of the Tyne Jazz band who play every Monday at lunch time at Cullercoats. They are middle aged plus musicians who play in a solid and professional way many jazz standards, Sweet Sue, On the Sunnyside of the Street, Oh Lady be Good, I can't give you anything but love, baby, Summertime, Stranger on the Shore, Muskrat Ramble, Water Melon Man. Somebody wants me and C C Rider. It was pleasant stuff suitable for a family audience many who would not have heard live jazz of any description played before although it was evident there were some like me who had made the effort to come for the event, ignoring all the others, at least for a time.

The main event was the appearance of the Bratislava Hot Serenders, a major ensemble from the Slovakian Republic who arrived in the poshist coach I have ever seen. There are not many bands to day, let alone in the thirties who would be able to travel in such style and who boast five stand alone singers, three young and attractive women dressed in style and two young men. The men of the orchestra were in general of more mature years and highly professional musicians producing an authentic well oiled sound which unfortunately the sound system could not reproduce. The stage was also cramped for such a large orchestra: three trumpets, one trombone, three who played saxes, clarinets, and flute, two tubas, pianist, drummer, one banjo guitarist, three violinists one of whom also played the vibes twenty one artists in total. They also have a MySpace site with four numbers and videos. Their music is not my everyday music but reproduces that which was being played during the decade of my childhood and over the past two decades since coming together to perform at special concerts they have acquired a following outside their country. They would do well in the USA. The weather turned cold and was most unkind given that back home it would be in the mid thirties.

Meanwhile on the main stage a representative of Latin American and Spanish sounds part of the Vamos ten days in Gateshead and Newcastle festival was being performed throughout the afternoon and early evening. More on Vamos later especially I get to some of the events over the next week.

The Whitley Bay Jazz Feastival comes to Tynemouth

Jazz on an English Summer's afternoon became an amazing experience which will be long remembered. The day commenced with a disturbing dream which was of being rejected, the details of which I vaguely remember but will not attempt to recapture the detail. This is only significant in terms of the subsequent acceptance.

After waking and getting up and did some writing I prepared for the arrival of a local builder and household repairer at 10 am. He arrived early as I was finishing coffee after two slices of toast. I had attempted to open the garage doors and they had continued without stopping so I continued to have a problem and decided to leave them as they were, finding the hand winding tool just in case.

Not only did the builder immediately identify the problem causing the rain penetration on to my work space area but the solution was provided immediately. There was also time to fix the bathroom cold water tap which involved the collapse of the valve and the a return visit was promised for later in the week to sort out the light fixture and clear the guttering which would need someone else to hold the ladder. I was well pleased with the work and the cost and given that it was sorted by 11 and the sun was shining I decided to go to Tynemouth for the mouth of the River festival and the three concerts by bands participating in the Whitley Bay Jazz festival. The atmosphere of my day had changed within the space of one hour.

I prepared two ham and cheese sandwiches, a banana and a flask of coffee and one of cold still water., also a notebook and pens, my hat and rain top and the coloured red umbrella which I thought could be used as walking stick to lean on if I could to find a seat. I decided against the camera as the rucksack was already weighty. It was only 11.30 when I left the house and walked to the ferry landing, finding that a ferry had arrived, the passengers disembarked and already filling up but fortunately there was a small queue which enabled me to become the last person on board as the vessel immediately set off. There was no available seat on the entry deck so I had to go upstairs, decided to begin my notes, felt like a drink of cold water but only had the first small cupful when I realised we had already reached the other side. There was a small queue formed for the bus which when it arrived was the North Tyneside and back bus and the driver mistakenly or massively said there was no special bus so I stayed on but a couple with whom I had spoken pressed him and they got off. I should have followed them for as we set off the number 2 special bus to from the Ferry to Tynemouth arrived. I guess the competing bus company was upset about the loss of trade with everyone heading for Tynemouth.

The bus terminal is nearby the Metro station and having missed the location of the Tynemouth Metro station on my previous visit I thought this was a good opportunity to find its location and was rewarded with a bonus. For on Saturdays there is a station market with over 100 stalls I would guess packed onto both platforms, selling records, including jazz records and books antiques and nick knacks, I had a quick look but as midday had arrived I was anxious to see if there was a seat for the first jazz band concert.

The fine weather only lasted till then as the clouds commenced to gather overhead as I made my way passed the Tynemouth School which is opposite the station and then turning right into the main road which leads to the Tynemouth High Street, a wide thoroughfare where car can usually park at the dividing central areas. It is a road full of bars and bistros, antiques shops and boutiques. A delightful place to visit on any day. A little way along the road is closed to traffic where there is a performance area which was already busy with visitors and events getting underway. The Jazz stage is set back on a small green against the Gibraltar Rock Inn where two meals are available for £6.75 every day and children eat free. There are railings to one side, good for leaning against, separating the green from the roadway and green entrance to the ruins of Tynemouth Castle and priory. On the nearest side to the main road from the Metro Station there are seats facing on the road but if you are nimble you can sit reverse or get a side view to the stage. Not only was I able to find one seat but within half an hour able to move to the end of the seat and where there was a gap on the green. This meant that I could put by umbrella and haversack down but have access as well as face onto the green and stage.

The first band was from Milan Italy called the Chicago Stompers, a ten piece band of hot Chicago instrumentalists aged between 16 and mid twenties with a singer who had the looks and style similar to Thursday night called Elena Paynes and she was sometimes joined by Veronica Sangagostina Baldi who in addition to vocal support played the Tenor Sax, Clarinet and Ukulele. In addition to the usual make up of drums, piano, trumpet Trombone, Alto sax and Clarinet individual musicians doubled with Alto, Cornet, Guitar and Violin. Given that they had flown over just for the weekend festival, funding their performances justified a good amount from my month's council tax. It occurred that this was well spent Council tax money, albeit by North Tyneside.

As a challenge to the weather the band played on the sunny side of the street. Their performance of Minnie the Moocher which the Humph band was fond of playing can be found on You Tube and there is a video on their own site www.chicagostompers.it. It was while they were playing I was joined by a couple just younger than me and then their friends who have been passionate followers of traditional jazz since their on youth but have remained stalwart of the local jazz club, had been New Orleans and attended both the Edinburgh Jazz festival for over a decade as well as that at Whitely Bay. Their friends had been to the Benny Goodman show on the Thursday so were able to show joint amazement when the player of the vibes was one of the star turns in MaMa and the Kids from Switzerland. MaMa is a joke because the oldest member is Papa and his son is the main vibes player and they have a MySpace site.

Raymond Grasier is an extraordinary musician and performer who at the Sage was very sedate playing authentic Lionel Hampton who let himself go only with a piano duet but this afternoon he was mainly on the drums and provided the vocals as well as joining in on the vibes but the highlights was when he took to the washboard with tin hat and his antics delighted the younger members of the audience. However those listening as well as watching noted that even here he was a brilliant musician. There are four numbers on MySpace.

Then it really rained but were we downhearted no and I felt sorry for the final band of Local Traditional Jazz players the Vieux Carre Jazzmen as the passing by spectators commenced to dwindle. I also stayed for only the first set however not before having two experiences which added to the day. First the couple who I had met at the Ferry bus stop came over for a chat and their daughter worked as a nurse at the District General. Then a female voice said don't move your umbrella away and someone two if not three decades younger than me snuggled up under the umbrella, although she was accompanied by her husband I would add who stayed in the rain, which they subsequently admitted they did not mind having remained passionate campers throughout their lives which left to another chat about camping horror stories when I met them again at the bus stop back to the ferry landing although they were going in a different direction.
Earlier I had been tempted to join the conversation between a local couple and local man, a widower who had sat on the grass a few feet away and marvelled at the extent to which experiences of people living on their own are similar from the gratitude at waking up each day to the enjoyment of going out and about to the small practicalities such as getting up after getting down. During the afternoon I was to talk about the free bus travel experiences and pass on information about special travel lodge offers so I felt I was contributing something.

Staying at the Jazz stage meant that I only saw something of the rest of the festival as individual performers came by. There was a group of giant figures four males with musical instruments forming party of their heads followed by two female head figures and led by a normal size person playing two wailing clarinet type instruments. They moved in slow procession into the main performance area behind the Castle and back into main street three times and were a great attraction for the children. There were three dragon form figures, also two person size being chastened by a wicked witch from the north figure. There was also a human size bee and a woman in a machine collecting honey. There was also a screeching mechanical called Paka the Fire Horse made out an old electric wheel chair.

We were able to watch the Castle and Priory site prepared for the evening concert, paid ticket affair hence the army of stewards arriving before the sad looking audience given the weather conditions. The concert was to begin as I was leaving at 5 with Beverley Knight the main headliner at 8. There did not appear to be many at the earlier time.

Back home I enjoyed two Bream fishes after a glass of red and some peanuts followed by delicious fresh strawberries without sugar. The weather was taking effect with several sniffs so I enjoyed a whisky, put on the central heating, started to write and look up performers on the internet before a coffee. There was also an interest and moving film from China Seventeen and the end of the third day of the Lord's Test but again this will be left to another day. I could hear the sound of fireworks despite the damp conditions and that it had just stopped raining but I thought having got warm its was sensible to stay in and plan for the morrow.

1931 Young Musician of Year and Boy George

09.00 16th May 2010.There has been great joy and much satisfaction over the past days and yet a great sadness suddenly gripped me. I was thinking about a Wallander episode seen last night after and equally sad drama documentary on aspects of the life of Boy George. The highpoints were England’s win in the 20 20 World Cup Final against Australia and the Young Musician of the Year Final 2010.

The drama about aspects of the life of Boy George Alan O’Dowd was revealing as although I enjoyed the Culture Club records and was aware of his notoriety subsequently I had no knowledge of his background. He was one of six children of an Irish family although born in Bexley in 1961. There was limited information about how George became an ultra feminine homosexual and was able to join a London squat in Kentish Town with other similar orientated beings including, Marilyn (Peter Robinson) who is portrayed in the film as a feminine homosexual. In the Wikipedia notes on Marilyn it appears that he and George did not move into the squat until after they had met at the Blitz club- an establishment mainly catering for homosexuals and bisexuals who dressed up ostentatiously with extraordinary hair styles, flamboyant makeup and clothing. The film portrayed the young men in their late teens and early twenties, although I suspect many in the circle would have been younger, promiscuous and drug taking, some running away from care and other earning money as rent boys. While those able to perform as rock, punk and the new romantics quickly had the means to fund their lifestyle, it was not made clear how those like George were able to afford the clothing make up, club entrance drugs and food during the early years.

What quickly emerged in the film is that George wanted to be allowed to be himself in the world he made for himself and to be loved by one individual which eluded him. His father appears to have never given up on his son although he did not understand the whys and wherefore’s. George is said to have become a cloakroom attendant at the Blitz Club in order to survive but was sacked after the manager, Steve Strange, suspected George of stealing from the paying guests who included many notables of the day, including David Bowie and Spandau Ballet. George appears to have taken over the job when Marilyn left London for a time.

All three men have had colourful lives. In the film Marilyn goes off at one point with a wealthy young Scotsman but this relationships ends in tears as appears did the relationships of Boy George. It is known that Marilyn also worked as a cloakroom attendant at the Blitz club and possibly George took over the job when he left London for a time.

According to Wikipedia Marilyn went to live in Los Angeles in the early 80’s but then had a successful career as a solo singer after record companies tried to cash in on the popularity of Culture Club, David Bowie and such like, he became friendly with George’s brother Kevin, and he and Kevin appeared in court in 1986 charged with a heroin offence. He struggled to restart his career and after appearing in a few TV programmes about the era is said to be living quietly with his mother in North London admitting to health and financial problems.

Steve Strange born Steven John Harrington in South Wales became a singer with the group Visage but his name has remained more known for his involvement with trendy nightclubs commencing with the Blitz Club where Richard Egan was the DJ and reported to have exercised considerable influence over the creation and development of the New Romantic musical movement in the early 1980’s. Other names involved included Adam Ant, Ultra Vox, Duran Duran, the Human League with Brian Eno and Roxy Music also having an important influence.

Steve worked for Malcolm McLaren, the clothes designer with his partner Vivienne Westwood and who became the manager of the Sex Pistols and Adam Ant. At one point in the film George persuaded McLaren to give him a job as a singer in a new group but the group then persuaded McLaren to fire George before going on tour. Strange, as he liked to be called, formed Visage with Rusty Egan and Midge Ure and the band had considerable success in the early 1980’s and after leaving Blitz he and Egan ran the Camden Palace nightclub for a couple of years and then the Playground which was not successful when public and commercial interest in the New Romantics and glam rock changed. He then moved to Ibiza to become part of the early Trance club development and hosting what Wikipedia describes as exotic parties for such celebrities such as Sylvester Stallone. A heroin addict Strange suffered a nervous breakdown and over the last decade has published an autobiography and appeared on TV programmes.

While the drama concentrated on the years before the success of Culture Club there are scenes showing how his intense emotionality affected his life as a major performer and recording star. Culture Club was renamed from Sex Gang Children to reflected the English Transvestite, Jamaican-British, Jewish and Anglo Saxon mix of the band. Do you really want to hurt me was one of the early hits featured in the Drama with Karma Chameleon perhaps the most successful. Drugs commenced dominated George and his circle leading to an arrest for possession with a keyboard player dying from an overdose at George’s home The programme shows one moment of reconciliation with his father who remain steadfast in trying to help in son overcome his difficulties. He continued to record without success, wrote songs, created a fashion line, presented a radio programme became a DJ visiting continents, countries and more than thirty cities. In 2005 George was arrested while in New York and was sentenced to five days community service, a fine and ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation programme. The more recently he was found guilty of having imprisoned a male escort in his home and served fourth months of an 18th months sentence before being tagged and placed on a curfew for the balance of his sentence which is due to end over the next month or so I was left with the impression that George has rarely been happy in his life and then for only short periods which I find sad.

On Saturday evening I watched the five group winners repeat their 20 minute performances to gain a place in the final shown on Sunday. There was in fact a three month gap to enable three successful participants to prepare to perform a concerto of their choice with a full orchestras. Anna Doulas18 years had won the Brass competition and played Strauss Rondo from Concerto no 2, Saint Sans Romance in E and a piece by Krol. I thought she was good but was not in my top 3. Lucy Landymoore aged 17 years impressed me greatly with four pieces Zappa The Black age, Corea Children‘s Song no 1 Freidman Texas Hoedown which caught the attention of the audience most and Zivkovic- to the Gods of Rhythm. I was disappointed that she was unable to perform in the final under the new system although I was not unhappy that that her place went to the Flautist Emma Halnan 17 years who played In Ireland by Harty, the Largo from Bach’s Concerto in G Minor, the Spiral Lament of Clarke and 3rd movement of Suite Trois by Goard.

This brings me to two young musicians who I thought were exceptional exceptional and that one would be the winner. Callum Smart was the youngest in the final at 13 and his violin playing was not only technically perfect but he showed an emotional understanding and maturity beyond explanation. He played only two pieces Tzigane by Ravel and the Sonata no 3 by Brahms 1st Movement. He is also in this year’s final of the Yehudi Menuhin competition being held in Oslo.

And there was Lara Omeroglu playing Beethoven’s Sonata in B Flat, and Etude by Chopin and a Suite by Ginastra. It is difficult to put into words the impact this young woman has on an audience. She becomes, completely, intensely, emotionally engaged in what she is doing showing every feeling in her face and physical movement and she also immediately and totally engages the audience. In the keyboard final she faced the young individual in the competition the group finals Yuanfan Yang another prodigy destined to become a soloist and composer. He was awarded the special prize for the most outstanding competitor.
Because of the cricket on Sunday evening I decided to watch Lewis immediately following and the Young Musician on Monday morning. I enjoyed the Lewis which featured Alan Davies as a harmless conman who arranged quiz weekends at Oxford Colleges and posh nosh hotel for £500 with a prize money of £2500 which always was allegedly won by students or other employed for a fee to whom he provided the answers in advance of the various rounds of the competition. There were several red herrings and it was not possible to work out the murderer in advance other by guessing.

Previously, probably before the trips to Leeds and Nottingham, I started to watch New York New York, the 1977 Martin Scorsese film with Liza Minnelli and Robert De Nero. I was attracted because De Nero plays a jazz musician and while there was some early swing band music it was quickly evident that the jazz was not going to be at the level I had hoped in this two and half hour epic to merit staying up late.

Now the final of the Young Musician of the year which I will be listening to again and again over the remaining days when it remains available on the BBC i player as well as the semi final. KI heard the keyboard final on Monday evening. Callum Smart opened the final with the well known Violin Concerto in E minor opus 64 by Felix Mendelssohn. This is a familiar work which I have though Callum played as well as anyone two and three times his age. Clearly he has yet to have sufficient life experience to communicate emotions with a passionate intensity although he did demonstrate considerable maturity and well as technical brilliance.

However there was no inhibition about the playing of Lara Omeroglu who brought one judge to rears with her playing in the section final. To say her playing is awesome is an understatement, In fact I have no words to explain and express what happens when this young woman takes the stage. On Sunday night she performed the second piano concerto in G Minor, opus 22 by Camille Saint-Sains. Its is not a work I know I would have rushed out to buy had I listened to beforehand, or since, if it had not been for performance of Lara. She clearly has a remarkable mother who has brought up her two daughters alone since the break up of her marriage and where the elder daughter is also an accomplished Pianist attending college and has become her sister‘s biggest fan, shrieking in delight at the announcement of the winner. I was stuck how she had the same electrifying impact as Jacqueline Du Pres although hopefully not the same emotionally challenging life or tragic young ending.

1429 Benny Goodman Tribute launches Whitley Bay Jazz Festival and the roof leaks over my desk

By nature I am terrified of life and new experience, and the implications and consequences of old age and the thought of dying in sudden circumstances before I have organised everything to reduce the expense and sorting out of issues without them being burden on others is a constant worry, and would prefer not to have to think or spend time on dealing with the practical aspects of such matters and I have so much else that I want to do.

write for myself about myself, something which people are discouraged from doing, with the current expression is too much information. The decision not to write about people who are alive in an identifying way unless they agree or the matter is already a public issue was important and right within the overall concept of public and private art and public and private life, However working out the dividing line is a constant problem with at present communications made and responded to by the English and Wales Cricket Board and Durham Cricket Club. More on this in the next day or so Blogs as events continue to unfold during today Friday, where my first priority is attending to the sudden but fortunately brief appearance of rain water through the ceiling above my main work station during a torrential downpour in the early hours of Thursday morning. I was sitting at the station finishing off some work needed for later in the day when the water dropped on the mouse and mouse pad so the not working out what the problem was I immediate moved the table out of the way, got a bucket as the water continued to fall and switch off the electrics and then did quick tour of all the of all the under roof areas and window. It was only after this did I work out that the rain had come through the comparatively small area about 9 by 3 feet where there is a sloping tiled roof to the widow bay.

The water penetrating only last a few minute during the heaviest of downpours and later in the morning after I was able to grab some brief sleep I was able to check and found that there were no worn slates so I suspect this is a problem which required attention anyway and which the severe rain storm simply brought forward and hopefully means that a greater problem has been prevented.

Although it has meant the cancellation of a mini trip I am not disappointed given recent events and that there are some competing activities which I was unaware when I made the booking.

On Thursday I had an excellent lunch at the national glass centre which comprised a charcoal lemon chicken breast pieces on a bed of noodles which was delicious followed by a fruit food salad although when I saw a neighbours strawberry shortcake which comprise two pieces of biscuit type base shortcake with a generous wallop of cream as a sandwich and on top with fresh strawberries on a beautiful inset glass dish with icing sugar dribbled. I had an iced water with the meal followed by coffee. This set up for the evening entertainment, the first concert of the Whitley Bay Jazz festival which has now fully reached my horizon and will be a priority for my agenda next.

First last night's concert celebrating the music of Benny Goodman and featuring his radio broadcast music in the first part and the Carnegie Hall Concert in the second and where I have the original 2 LP discs sets.

The Story of Goodman is covered in the film which bears his name, The Benny Goodman Story and where I have the video. He was born in 1909, the ninth of 12 children in Chicago, a poor Jewish immigrant family from Hungary, and a pass thought is that GB has become the principal immigrant country for Europeans which once the USA was, When only 10 he was enrolled at the local Jewish Synagogue for music lesson and he then joined a boys, band and came under the influence of its director a classically trained clarinettist. Fortunately for all of us he developed an interest in New Orleans Jazz and clarinettists Johnny Dodds and Jimmy Noone, a few of whose records I have owned for fifty years. At the amazing young age of 16 he was invited to join one of Chicago's top bands, led by Ben Pollock. He moved to New York playing in various well known bands of the day in the 20' and 30's but it was not until the 1935 that the situation and dramatically changed. He had appeared with a band on the radio programme Lets Dance playing stock arrangements of the day but also Swing arrangements by Fletcher Henderson who had been introduced by that extraordinary impresario and recordist music John Hammond. There was only a modest response, until the band performed in Los Angeles with some 4000 young dancers present and given the poor response to the stock arrangements decided to start playing the swing arrangements only to find this was what the young dancers had come for and everyone stopped dancer and corded the bandstand to listen and to cheer.

Among those in the main band at this time was Harry James and Ziggy Elman on trumpet, his brother Harry on bass and the legendry Gene Krupa on drums. Black musicians were not allowed play with white musicians in the full bands so Goodman got around this by creating a quartet with Teddy Wilson on the Piano and Lionel Hampton on Vibraphone, but who could also play the piano.

Last night the part of Teddy Wilson was played by Keith Nichols, the musical Director with Mattias Seuffert playing Benny Goodman Richard Pite the Drums and Raymond Grasier the guest Soloist on the Vibraphone.

Although I enjoyed the first half especially Lets Dance which opened the records and King Porter Stomp together with Down South Camp Meeting and Stardust, most of the programme was not familiar. I also enjoyed the jazz singer Joan Viskant from Chicago and more about the great jazz singer and great to look at young lass later. I was disappointed that there was no performance of Shine, Runnin Wild, Darktown Strutters Ball, the St Louis Blues, Caravan and the Sheik of Araby.

I had not attended a performance in Hall 1 of the Sage, a three tier main hall where the third tier back seat disappear away from the stage some distance seating a total 1700 and which about 12-1300 in hall for the concert. I had asked for a stall and was given one of the best seats in the house second from the stage at one side but just above stage level so one did not have to look up. It will be difficult to get a better seat.

The second half was superb. The Carnegie Hall concert was a triumph Black tie event and the first of its kind. Don't be that way opened last night's as it did the original 1937 concert and Life Goes to a Party with Body and Soul played as a quartet although as a trio at the concert and Avalon followed by the Man I love. Blues skies was played as the build up to the finale last light although it came earlier at he original show and I was pleased that

Joan Viskant did both Loch Lomond which was a popular swing number of the day and Mei Mir Bist du Schon. China Boy from the concert was played in the first half from the radio performance. There was also Swing time in Rockies and the man I love. However the anticipated highlight proved to be even better this was the concert version of Sing Sing Sing released as double sided 12 inch 78 record and where Richard Pite reproduced as effective, and dare I say it, more effective drumming performance than Gene Krupa. You have to hear it to believe what is one the of great piece of Jazz band music of all time and which also has exceptional solos. The show was closed with Goodbye, the traditional ending for the band followed by an encore.

At the concert Johnny Hodges played alto and Soprano Sax, Lester Young the tenor and Buck Clayton had joined Harry James on Trumpet. Count Basie also performed at the Piano with Teddy Wilson.

And now to Joan Viskant who is on tour in the UK over the summer and appearing with Pete Long and his Benny Goodman band at Marlborough this weekend, then Hever Castle with the Ella Fitzgerald show. At Aldeburgh at the Maltings in August followed by the Dover Street Wine Bar on August 18th which the day I coach back from my London visit. She has released three CD's and I was able to listen to a couple of snippets from each on line However she thrives before a big band. She has very good stage presence and is a great mover in a lady like restrained way which reminds me of Anita O'Day (Jazz on a Summer's Day. Joan is a slim woman who worse a black dress with little slit at the from and a glamorous but tasteful top which she discard for an over the shoulder scarf. Style, finesse and quality are words which immediately come to mind.

The performance is part of the Whitely Bay Jazz festival where for £65 there are three days of traditional and big jazz band music from noon to midnight with day tickets at a new Hotel Village between Whitely Bay and Newcastle because the Whitley Bay venue is being modernised. Six of the 20 bands can be heard fro free at the Tynemouth Jazz Stage by the Rock of Gibraltar between noon and six over the weekend.

There was only one potential hiccup to the end of the evening having decided to prepay the car park fee at the Sage I pressed the wrongs sequence so that the ticket did not show the correct departure time. However there was someone on the exit barrier and there was no problem so I returned home contently to watch the end of Question Tine and the weekly Parliament Show

1426 Lulu in the Park British Grand Prix and Wimbledon Tennis

Having gone to bed at one am and risen several times, going back to sleep, but not feeling I had done so on waking, and then getting up before six full of asleep and unhappy with myself but without any obvious cause, I knew it was not going to be the good day I hoped for. And for a time this seemed to be so.

I had problems getting online. I messed up at chess and failed to win several games at Hearts. When I did get online I learnt of the death of Clive Normby who played Jack Sugden in Emmerdale for 28 years at the age of 63, six years younger than me. I was pleased that I had rejoiced at being alive despite the uncomfortable night and that I accepted that another day of strong showers meant that that I would miss the concert of Lulu in the park.

I continued to sort and scan photos coming the last few of phase one although the task of converting slides to photos would then be a long process. I turned my attention to the British Grand Prix and the news that in 2010 the contract had been signed for a move to Donnington Park near Derby a better location from the transport viewpoint although multi million expenditure was required in order to create the latest world class racing track and facilities. The weather conditions would make the penultimate Grand Prix at Silverstone an interesting race although I was grateful I was watching from the comfort from home without the long and slow drive here, the likelihood of watching in an open stand to the weather and then the long wait to get out of the car park and the crawl for hours to get away. The team 'mate' of Louis Hamilton was on the grid first and was also first away with a member of the Red Bull Team amazingly second and Louis fourth although in the first rush he passes these to take second place challenging his team mate who refused to give way, but then did so a little later. This was a race where drivers were spinning off as they hit surface laying water, some managing to get back on the track, but several finding themselves stuck in gravel and out of the race. The main question teams and drivers faced was which tyres to use with the intermediate wet which slowed lap times by about ten second or the full wets which cut the loss of time but if the track dried there were gains for the intermediate, and losses for the wet and reverse positions if it rained significantly.

There was one significant moment for Louis as both he and his closest rival entered the pits to change tyres and refuel, but amazingly the Ferrari did not change tyres and with Louis managing to exit half a second before he commenced to move away. He hit one patch of water later on which involved a minor spin but otherwise he drove according to the weather conditions and continued to win his first British Grand Prix, the first time there has been a British winner since 2000 and with his main rivals faltering he now leads the driving championship table with two others and with the second half the series to come. My day had changed.

Although it was still cloudy with the strong possibility of rain I considered going to the Lulu concert after a quick dash to the supermarket for batteries for the slide viewer, some onions for the stir fry and some pears. I had cooked a chicken for lunch with microwaved vegetables.

I could not park below the hill so returned the car to its garage and seizing my new £4 sports umbrella then walked down looking across to the Tynemouth priory and castle and the river piers before walking through North Marine Park and across South Marine still undergoing million pound renovations and into the concert park where there was one of the biggest crows I have experienced given the weather conditions.

Around 1964 I went to the cinema in Oxford and watched a short supporting feature called something like New Faces which featured new musical talent. It ended with a fifteen year old fiery Scottish lass wearing a shimmy dress with a strong accented voice sing Shout. This was Lulu with her backing group the Luvvers. The amazing aspect of her performance to-day at the age of sixty was that has lost none of that energy and was able to persuade the usually seated and sedate family audience to get on its feet and stomp to the beat. She was supported by a strong band and to young male dancers and backing singers. It did start to spit and then drizzle and for a time umbrellas were needed but unlike previous concerts the audience stayed and were attentive. Lulu was joined by local Jarrow singer song writer John Miles who once toured with Tina Turner, and his guitarist son, which was one high spot and then when she finished her hour long performance with Shout, followed by an encore, in sudden and temporary sunshine. She has had an amazing career with a joint winner of the European Song Contest Boom Bang a Bang! After working in America she had her own TV series which ran for seven years and then co hosted Oh Boy when it was revised in the 1980's. She also appeared on the West End Stage in the 1980's with Song and Dance Andrew Lloyd Webber and the National Theatre's production of Guys and Dolls. She sang the title song for the Man with the Golden Arm and continued to appear on radio and to record singles and albums. 23 or is 24 albums have been released and she has appeared in nine films including To Sir with Love I and II. Off stage there was her much publicised marriage to Maurice Gibbs, and they remained friends after it ended. She married again, in 1977 her hairdresser and they remained together until 1991 when they separated and then divorced in 1995. There is one son from the marriage. There was also the publicised romance with David Bowie. She was involved in a major car accident which threatened her singer career but recovered to be able to entertain those of all ages to this day. While never attaining the great heights of popularity and stardom she has remained a shinning example of the Scottish and British Entertainer putting to shame the one hit youngsters who continuously flat across our horizons. She has received the O.B.E and a Honorary Doctorate of Music.

When I returned the Spaniard Rafa Nadal, the humiliating conqueror of Andy Murray in the quarter finals, was two sets up on the five times in row Wimbledon Champion Roger Federer. Then with advantage to Nadal there was a long rain interruption in the third set which went to a tie break win to Roger and as did the fourth so the match was then all square at 2 sets each. There was a further break for rain which meant that there was the prospect of the game not finishing, especially as without a tie break it subsequently continued in the gloom to 7 games each, but then Nadal achieved the break in service to take the match. These brief words do nothing to convey the longest men's final of all time, the most exciting, the most concentrated quality performance in a final there has been. The physical and mental stamina was matched by courage and extraordinary skill which left former champion Boris Becker and would be champion Tim Henman were left speechless in awe. The gulf between the best of British tennis and the world's best is there for all to see.

It had therefore become a great day but with one disappointed. Having praised Catherine Tate for her acting in Dr Who she appeared on the Graham Norton Show, always a mistake suggesting desperation by an actor seeking publicity for their work. She revealed her lack of interest or understanding about the significance of the programme, but also the approach to her work in general which is to give herself wholehearted to her role of the day and then move on oblivious to its impact which was shown by the contrast in the reception she received to the equally well known and liked James Nesbitt of Cold Feet fame and subsequent series and individual performances. Her appearance underlined the myth that all publicity is good publicity but this was only a hiccup in what had become a great day.

1419 More Glastonbury Spain wins against Germany

To-day I started out uncertain of how I would use this day and opened a photo album and the decision to start scanning and then look for the souvenir album of cards and memorabilia from the event and which in turn led to commencing a project album from the material, and soon I had become so engrossed that the day had passed by and become the priority work for the week ahead. I have wanted to do this work but putting off for several years as it will take a lot of time.

In the evening I was able to work and watch the Euro Cup final between Germany and Spain and the delight of the Spanish population, the British nations and most of Europe the Germans were thoroughly beaten by a classic performance of imaginative and skilful football the like of which we have not seen since the Brazilians performed at their best. The Germans did not come close although the final score was only 1.0 they were outclassed in every aspect of the play. Of course I remembered that my grandmother and great grand mother were Spanish and several holidays in Majorca, Blanes and Lloret with visits to Barcelona and a one day trip along the coast from Gibraltar.

I enjoyed a later Sunday lunch of a large chunk of freshly cooked chicken with a small portion of vegetables. Later there was smoked salmon on one slice of toast cut into four with for a late supper of tomato soup with plain bread and a prawn salad followed by strawberries. And at nearly midnight, some coffee. It has been that kind of day.

And then there has been Glastonbury where it has been possible just to give myself to the music and this time I decided to watch a recording of The Gossip which I had left viewing before because I doubted she would be able to connect with her audience in the way she had on the John Peel Stage in which she closed the show with such electrifying effect last year. Oh ye of little faith. It was another wow performance in which Beth Ditto still gave her all, reminiscent of an overweight Janice Joplin. A new to me performer was another visitor from across the Atlantic, this time from Toronto The Crystal Castles in which lead singer Alice Glass is best described as a screaming shouter whose hypnotic sound overwhelming the physical being and is another who throws herself bodily into the crowd in musical orgasma. Both artists put into perspective the prima donnish behaviour of Amy Winehouse on Saturday night. In complete contrast I enjoyed Goldfrapp Electro folk pop with Alison Goldrapp, a marvellous commercial undertaking with a harpist and beautiful girls in baby doll dresses prancing about the stage and then in colourful paper ostrich feather outfits and someone pole dancing. Violins were also much in evidence on the band of King Solomon Burke, a huge man sitting on a throne surrounded by female violinists in a rhythm and blues and soul preacher's set. Violins too were also a major part of Elbow but I agree It is looking like a beautiful day matched the mood although not sure about the pink rubric cube effect. Another concoction of instruments is Mark Ronsons Band. I managed to catch a Will Young number on his own some unlike the super production number at the Diana concert. I have heard the Zutons before and they whipped up the crowd although this was not difficult on this day when everyone seemed in a great party mood forgetting everything else happening in the UK and abroad.

However the surprise find of the day was Newton Faulkner who I thoroughly enjoyed, especially the Queen numbers. There is no doubt that the afternoon//early evening top performance went to Neil Diamond who gradually built up the support of his audience after early microphone failure, giving all his well known numbers for over an over an hour and creating a very happy atmosphere which was shown on the faces of everyone and he evidently was having the time of his life. I stayed up until after 1 am, fell asleep and then dragged myself to bed. A day significant

1418 More Glastonbury, Poor Amy Winehouse and more TV

I commenced the day unsettled because of many things I wanted to watch on TV conflicting with project work activities, and the in-tray. It did not prove to be a great or memorable day although there were except highlights.

The surprise of the day was an exceptional first part of Dr Who which saw the reappearance of. Billy Piper, the Daleks and the Dr commencing another transformation as he clearly leaves the series to play Hamlet at the RSC and someone else takes over if there is to be a new series. The acting was excellent and Catherine Tate has stopped being Catherine Tate and become an effective travelling companion, the story line is a good one with the whole earth hijacked with twenty seven other planets, and the pace and level of surprise was also significantly above average. It will become a classic episode, especially if the second part can match or excel the first.

I also enjoyed some of the acts on America has got talent which I have missed over a couple of weeks, included an amazing young illusionist but the main viewing was between sport and Glastonbury with a horrendous performance by England against New Zealand, poor bowling and bad batting with the captain's curse striking Petersen. Durham are to play Yorkshire again in the 20.20 quarter final at Chester Le street Riverside Monday week with a second day allocated if the weather continues as most of June. This will an exceptionally competitive game with a large crowd coming from Yorkshire, hopefully, to add to the occasion. Andy Murray commenced to conquer Wimbledon and replace Tin Henman with a concentrated professional demolition to reach the last sixteen with the fourth round match on Monday. He had a brief stutter losing his first set of the tournament, the second of the match when he lost his service rhythm but this was regained to complete the match in four sets, The centre court was full of personalities with Sir Bobby Charlton alongside Sir Bobby Robson and Nail Quinn, Terry Wogan and Matthew Pinsant along Sir Redgrave is it eight or nine gold medals for rowing between them. Tin Henman is making himself at home looking forward to the afternoon tea and evening meal, no doubt courted among the other personalities.

On BBCi I discovered a video recording of a Bruce Springsteen Sessions with the full 18 musicians to recreate the Album to the work of Pete Seeger. This was an unexpected bonus. I re-logged on to ITV on line which is just that with lots of information including clips about programmes but I am yet to find complete programmes. However on ITV music it is possible to listen to a few bars of all the tracks on records such as Amy Winehouse Back to Back and just about every other album in release The idea is that you listen to a bit and the download buy the whole number or album for a cheaper rate than in the high street.

The big disappointment of the evening was Amy Winehouse who looked on another planet, physically a wreck, her singer debateable and her chat incomprehensible. She and I thought she would pop out of her dress at any moment and it was not a promising prospect. It was very sad but she continues to have a lot of support among Glastonbury goers who hug the front of stage.

The biggest Glastonbury treat of the day was James Blunt although I have missed the full set recording which was not repeated but I was impressed with three numbers performed, one exclusively for BBC which were full of intense emotion and musicianship and what contrast to Amy. Will Young was interviewed and said it was his best performance experience but alas no video. Joan Armatrading sounded good without the wow factor and this also applied to the full set of Buddy Guy whose Mojo was working well and had Mustang Sally going. Likke Lil a Swedish acoustic stage group were interesting using a loud hailer for part of the number. Saw Shakkin Stevens who opened and 10.45. Understand the fuss about Jay Z who is evidently good at what he does and has a large following but I do not enjoy rap, but I understand the argument about his place in the order of appearance as headliner on the main stage on a Saturday night. Also saw bits of Neon Neon, Duffy the latest in bird, Crowded House and Elbow but nothing produced a new Wow or stopped me from going to bed as soon as I was tired.

A different experience was the decision to reorganise the upstairs work room so I couple starts a few sessions of working with my electronic keyboard. I need to learn to read music again after some sixty years. At present I can mess about playing with automatic rhythms and tones, sometimes using some of the includes tunes such as House of the rising sun and let it be. I use a good set of ear phones which also had a head microphone and in and out connections. All being well this will be a next winter activity.

Recently I wrote about the reappearance of Paul Temple on Radio Four so it is was a pleasant surprise when BBC audio books asked to be a friend. Coincidence or does someone check out the database re interests and references.

It is one year since Gordon Brown became Prime Minister and Labour losses deposit at Henley By Election polling less votes than the National Front. But who will be King Herod?

1417 Dylan and Caitlin Thomas The Edge fo Love and Glastonbury 2008

For the second time since writing on MySpace my attention turned to Dylan Thomas, In 34 15th March 2007, I wrote of my experience attending a one man show presentation of his work at the Northern Playhouse and the opportunity was taken to remember my visit to Laugharne, seeing and listening to Performances of Under Milk Wood on the radio, on stage and on video. It was only yesterday that I discovered that the first of two films about some of the women in his life had been released. When the weather forecast indicated that play in the final 20.20 of the first part of the competition was unlikely I decided to experience the film, The Edge of Love in the afternoon, making an early lunch and taking cool bags for shopping beforehand. The sun was shining so there was also a little hope for some cricket.

The queue of cars at Asda, South Shields was such that I abandoned the stop to visit to the station greengrocers for fruit and went on to Lidl were I stocked up on salmon steaks in various dressings, some salami and some cheese. The only fruit which appealed was plums. There was a good size wholemeal loaf for 87pence and some milk. One upon a time a Councillor ran a greengrocers in Fredericke Street, and while he is still on the Council thirty five years later and the greengrocers continues but is under different ownership. There I filled a bag with what I thought would cost £3 or £4 of fantastic large and sweet cherries which came to only £1.87 pence. Strawberries 95p carton and 4 bananas for 50p. It was only later that I learnt that the supermarkets had placed large adverts in the morning papers announcing they had commenced a programme of major reductions in order to help with rising costs, but no doubt also to do something about the sudden drop in sales as consumers decided to cut down on non essentials and therefore tipping the country further into recession, rising prices and wage pressure, an escalating situation which spells disaster.

I then went to Boldon Cineworld for the film listening to Mark Kermode's film reviews at Wimbledon where play was held up because of rain. I then immediately knew there would be a problem when two teenage girls passed me going out and on the back row there were half a dozen others. They looked school age but were not in school uniform. Perhaps they were doing Dylan as part of the English curriculum. There were two couples, one elderly one middle aged sitting in front of me and two young women arrived and sat behind. The girls talked incessantly throughout the adverts and trailers and debated the upset of telling them off or having the film experience ruined. The female of the couple immediately in front shouted that she hoped they would be quite when the film started. They were not, so I stood up and said they had been asked once, now I was telling them to shut up or I would ask for them to be ejected, Shortly afterwards a staff member cam in and took a look at the back of the theatre suggesting my intervention had been picked up. It was necessary to turn round and give a long warning look which had good effect later and if it had not I would have requested assistance.

Now to the film. This centres on the alleged relationship between neighbours of Dylan and Caitlin at New Quay Ceredigion in 1944 Vera Killick nee Phillips which led to her husband William shooting up the outside of their adjacent home and being charged with attempted murder but was found not guilty at his trial. As the film is produced by the grand daughter of William one hopes this ensures some truth to the story. I have tried hard to find independent evidence to substantiate the details without success so far. Dylan remains one of the best loved and known British poets whose work I read again or listen to his tapes or watch video from time to time. However I do not overlook that he was as a drunk which led to his early death, that he went with any woman who responded to his advances and he lived of the generosity of others. The film suggests that he was also a coward and committed perjury at the trial. If true then he is damaged further and therefore I attempted to established the accuracy of the story in this film.

The core of the story is that Dylan and Vera were childhood friends who made loved once when Vera was 15 years of age. According to an interesting article in the Daily Mirror of May 2007 when filming in Wales was about to commence Dylan and Vera did attend the same school and their parents were also friends

Between May 1940 when Dylan failed his conscription medical and the incident in 1944. Dylan was dependent on well wishers to support his wife and child and their life style, and this included frequent moves between London and Wales and at various houses of patrons. The couple also lived separate lives even when together and this included affairs. According to the film Dylan remeets Vera in wartime London who is then a singer and actress and pursued by William Killick, a fan and serving officer in the British army. Surprisingly although Dylan has become well known, involved with making propaganda films and working for BBC radio the film suggests that Vera did not known Dylan was married until his wife arrives seeking his attention and fed up with being left to care for their son on her own or with relatives who she does not get on with. The film suggests that Vera who had continued to carry a torch for Dylan, first love, what we do and who we do it with lives with us and them for ever, but struggled against her inclinations which became impossible when Dylan and Caitlin resorted to living with Vera in her small accommodation after they had fallen out with relatives, and that it was this situation which led her to accepting the advances of William Killick, although the decision to give herself to him and to agree to marriage arose after the couple were nearly killed in a bombing raid which decimated those who had been around them in a basement nightclub. Dylan and Caitlin were the witnesses at the wedding something which can be verified by obtaining a copy of the marriage certificate.

The film for shortens the period between 1940 and 1944 when it is known that Dylan and Caitlin first rent the modest single storey home on the Welsh coast at New Quay and the Daily Mirror confirmed that they were neighbours of the Killicks, and that for a time William was away on an expedition to Greece, returning home on his own something of a hero and suffering from what is generically now known as shell shock but which throughout both World Wars was dismissed by the services and the officialdom, especially the courts as bunkum.

What has not been established and again this is something the family of William might have access to relevant records is the extent to which Vera used her own money and that of her husband through their joint bank account to fund the lives of Dylan and Caitlin and their son, their drinking and their hospitality to their intellectual and fashionable friends, or the abortion which Caitlin was said to want after one of her affairs. I did not gain the impression from the film that Caitlin and Vera became lovers rather than for a time they developed an intimate friendship led by Caitlin, not just because of the money but because she saw Vera as the one threat to her marriage, bearing in mind that she had only met Dylan before the war, and that she was quickly aware of his life style, although the film suggests that Dylan' behaviour was a reaction to that of Caitlin who he says cannot help herself.

This all makes one hope that the film on the life of Caitlin with Miranda Richardson will be completed. In an Observer article of November 2006 it was revealed that the producers were racing to complete and release their films in he light of what happened to the two films about the life of Truman Capote, one of which although released in the USA and achieved some box office success had not been released in the UK. It will be interesting to see how the second film present Caitlin and if attempts to balance the rather one sided view of her presented in the Edge of Love, a script written by Keira Knightley's mother and where the original actress to play Caitlin is reported to have dropped out over the interpretation of the character in this film.

Most people will accept to a degree the financial dependency and chaotic lifestyle of the exceptional artist and his partner and parent, including the infidelities and the abortion, together with the self injury from being drunk in charge of a bicycle, but Caitlin and Dylan and shown to push everything beyond the limits, There is a hint of what it is to come when Vera asks Caitlin if she is threatening her about the relationship with Dylan and admits towards the end of the film that is the fact that Vera had not disclosed the relationship which developed with Dylan during their stay in Wales which led to her turning her back on the couple at the time of the shooting incident and trial. I could not help thinking of the relationship between George Melly and his wife, Diana and Molly Parkin. Diana and Molly were close friends for many years but it was when George commenced a relationship with Molly that the relationship between the two women broke down and where according to the recent documentary there was some reconciliations during his last year and with his death.

In fairness to Caitlin she also warns Vera about not disclosing her previous relationship with Dylan although the way the couple behave would have been difficult for anyone not to realise that they were more than conventional childhood friends with a common language and heritage. It could be argued with hindsight that that shooting incident became inevitable when battle scarred William returns to his wife clutching a Sten gun and finds her with a son, living closely with Dylan and then finds that all their and primarily his money has gone when advised of the situation by the bank. The film suggests that it is the loss of the money and the extent of village gossip plus the visit of some of the Bloomsbury set which triggered the shooting incident.

The film also suggests that the reason for Dylan's evidence at the trial against William arose because Vera had pleaded with him to help because she loved her husband and could not bear it if he was sent to prison fro attempted murder. When he does the opposite and says what he can to get a conviction Vera accuses him of wanting her to be the young girl he seduced when she was 15 and that if she asked him to leave Caitlin and live with her he would not do so.

So much for the story line. I liked the style of the film which captured the nature of wartime London and being active soldier without unbalancing the film yet giving it serious framework. The four principal characters were convincing and the interaction between Keira Knightly as Vera and Sienna Miller as Caitlin is remarkable and despite the problem with the children, (I wonder what they made of it). I was able to give myself to the film. I also liked the way the film included clips of Dylan reciting his work to remind that this was a great artist and the clips did appear to fit in with the timeline of his work. However I am not sure if this film will have any appeal to those unfamiliar with his work and life although it could lead some to enquire further. I also thought that the intensity of the lifestyle could have a corrupting influence on the young minds behind although I hoped they took in that Caitlin as well as Vera had sexual experiences before they were emotionally mature enough to cope with its lifetime impact. Caitlin was seduced by Augustus John when she was also 15.

As forecast as I left the film theatre the sky had dampened and there had already been a shower. I debated returning home but given the situation earlier in the week decided to go to the ground as I was already part way there. The omens were not good as the blanket of rain cloud covered the ground as I approached. There was a great crowd in the ground as I had to park my park several rows in the overflow park in the adjacent Riverside parkland. Although I have a large black gentlemen's umbrella I rarely use preferring the smaller telescopic variety and my Durham one felt apart year's ago. Lidl were selling brightly coloured ones for £4 and I bought an attractive single colour maroon one which had to be used on the walk from the car to the ground, although rain stopped and play continued, having started before my arrival but was cut short for bad light as the rain clouds closed in. As anticipated there were no free seats on the Members Veranda and although I could have obtained a seat inside it was too warm for comfort and I cannot enjoying viewing through glass. I therefore made my way to the allocated seat and soon the umbrella proved a great buy as it poured down but I remained protected enjoying sandwiches prepared before departure. However a look around suggested the rain was set for the evening and there were counter attractions on the television. I returned home after drinking some coffee in the car and but left the soup for the morrow

I knew that between 9 and 11pm ITV were showing highlights of the Hyde Park concert celebrating the 90th birthday of Nelson Mandela who has become increasingly physically frail. The concert was designed to promote the causes which he has promoted since retiring as the South African President and this governed the ITC production which spent a such time interviewing celebrities for their reactions to the great man and his causes as they did showing the music and where there were also frequent breaks for advertisements. I thought the presentation was sycophantic and banal and counter productive on a night when I also discovered it was the Friday of Glastonbury, Nelson Mandela has rapidly become a Godlike figure exploited my heads of state and musicians or looking for worthwhile causes. I cannot ever forgot that he was a terrorist whose organisation used violence mercilessly as did the state. He was no Ghandi although in fairness it does appear he ahs become converted to the search for conciliation and peace, although over the recent decade he has been singularly quiet about events in Zimbabwe and it appears that it had only been international pressure before his trip to London which persuaded him to say the world wide quoted words which can be interpreted as a condemnation. In fairness the point was made during the programme that if the world is now dependent on one man for its future survival or in fact on the actions future generations are doomed and there will be no progress until we all understand and accept our individual responsibility and no rely just on politicians, religious leaders and the media to be our conscience and do what is right.

And so anther year has passed and it is Glastonbury (see 112 Glastonbury from last June). Given that the weekend is always a sell out the BBC has great responsibility to present a compressive representation of the artists performing on the sixteen stages. This year it appears the BBC have settled on those artists they are showing despite having three channels showing programmes BBC 2, BBBC 3 and 4. The problem appears to be the creation of BBC I with the same films whichever channel you press the red button I am being unfair because in fact there was a fair coverage during the over session with occasional short films which convey something of the experience.

From what is regarded as the main stage, the Pyramid stage it was possible to see the sets of The Kings of Leon and the Fratellis where I am not fans but I am of The Feeling and KC Tunstall who were great. I missed out on The editors and only saw part of the Gossip set. Gossip had a giant an oversize girl single who last year wore skimpy clothing and threw herself with great abandon into the crowd. This year for the main stage she was more suitably attired and although was throwing herself over around the stage with just as much abandonment one felt the barrier between herself and the crowd destroyed something of the impact of her performance. I did not watch Panic at the Disco headliner of the other stage or the Hoosiers, but front the third headlining stage, the Jazz World Stage I did enjoy Candi Staton especially her In the Ghetto, and I did catch part of Jimmy Cliff and Estelle. From the John Peel Stage, I looked in vain for the set of Reverend and the Makers whose set last year was one of my highlights, Hopefully they will progress to the other stages and get a second showing. The new band so far which caught my attention is the residue of The Ting Tings where I unintentionally watched the hit record three times but also enjoyed the full set of the singer guitarist with drummer, having split front the rest of the band. Nothing was shown from the BBC introducing stage nor Franz Ferdinand appearing on The Park or Sinead O'Connor on the Acoustic Stage although there was mention that Phil Jupitus had appeared with the Blockheads and it may be that I went to bed for the clip was shown.

There was also nothing from the Left Field although mention that there are Three Dance Stages this year East and West and the Dance Lounge with Fatboy Slim headlining East. It was at this point that I remembered my exchange with the Berlin based group Team Plastic (335) and looked in vain for their listing on the comprehensive BBC list of bands in alphabetical order then on the new list of performers on the individual stages stage.

Tomorrow I hope there will be a showing of Amy Winehouse. Already confirmed is the set of Joan Armatrading and James Blunt and Crowded House. I hope on Sunday they will show the full sets of Leonard Cohen and Neil Diamond together with Katie Melua down the list on Avalon.