cushion

I did visit Linda's fine art collection during Saturday afternoon.

I had to fight past a line of people all admiring various works in order to say "hello". About fifteen minutes later Rob showed up too. Linda has always been interested in textiles, photography and fine art including time spent at the prestigious St Martin's along the way, so I knew it would be special.

I selected a fine cushion to add to the rashbre central collection, although I'm wondering if it should really be in some sort of display area. Linda's work is very eye catching and original using silks, velvets and satins with designs that move from photography or sketches through various computerized processes in her studio and eventually become the designs which people were clamoring for today.

I know every piece has a story and the suitably improbable sounding one for the piece I have is actually based upon the work of a manhole cover designer, who also produced other metalwork for gullies and similar. You'd be hard pressed to know that by the time its been reworked by Linda and although the back story has suitably quirky appeal to me, I'd made a selection before I heard the tale.

In between the crowds of happy viewers, we also caught up on many other events even including Rob inspecting my fingers for any signs of guitar playing or similar mischief.

Alongside Linda's more exquisite pieces, she has developed an affordable line, which is proving popular with the upcoming festive season. Of course I also had various marketing suggestions to help Linda spread the word about what she is doing. Its at times like that I find my friends "tolerate" my enthusiasm, so I have to sometimes dial back the setting.

Please do click here to show support and request one of Linda's lovely brochures by email.

smoke

The rashbre central parking lot is filled with convertibles today as Julie and Andrea marshall people for their next great tour with the band. I think tonight its York on the way to Newcastle and then some zig-zagging around the Northern reaches of England. I'm sure they will be all of a twitter about it later.

This originally gave me a clear run at the weekend, as one of those left behind, but a little leaflet dropped through the door this morning from the unexpectedly early Saturday postman.

One of those 'burning bridge' moments.

Last Friday we'd been at the Michelle Shocked gig, where Michelle spoke of the old song which talks about 'walking across that burning bridge' to keep friendship with someone who had moved to Alaska. Turns out that was 25 years ago and the kid in the song is now 6 feet tall. However, Michelle had recently returned from visiting the friends who now live in Missoula, Montana - which I guess gets nearly as parky as Wassila in Winter.

So, the point? The little hastily scribbled postal leaflet was from Linda, who turns out to be in the area doing some sort of arty thing -er- today. Now I haven't seen Linda for quite a long time either. Not in the Shocked realms, but maybe ten years.

"Take me to the bridge", as they say in Anchorage.

glory hope mountain

A surprise CD by The Acorn blopped through the letterbox today. Its a proper 'concept' CD; a genre less commonplace nowadays.

Penned by Canadian Rolf Klausener, and with a narrative that weaves through all of the tracks. Its quite a chilled kind of sound, good musicans who sound as if they could play the whole album without needing a stack of retakes and fancy mixing. Oddly, for a Canadian, the singer somehow reminds me of George Harrison.

It actually arrived with a second mini album from an Acorn London gig, which illustrates their performing abilities well. The sleeve notes of Glory Hope Mountain indicate a dedication to the lyricist's Honduran mother and I'm guessing that the narrative of floods and reconstructiion is biographical.

When I first heard Neutral Milk Hotel's Aeroplane over the Sea, I knew it was one I'd return to fairly often and this has some similar tonality, perhaps more laid back than Jeff Mangum's churning acoustic but with similar need to get out some reasonably intense lyrics. There's plenty enough instruments, guitar, cello, banjo, slide, and some very gentle percussion.

Something for the early end of a mellow evening.

toad

Corporate eating for the last few days. Not all in one place, but a random selection of coincidences which have led me to have suppers, breakfasts, lunches and so on in various meeting situations.

In amongst the posh food was a 'toad in the hole' lunch option served yesterday as part of a meeting interlude. "C3" they are calling it. "Credit Crunch Cuisine".

"Gravy" optional?

snoopy

Surprised to see this little gadget pop into my eye- line a couple of days ago. I noticed the movement first and thought it was a flag or something, but no, it was a little pop-up camera complete with a motorised wiper.

Now I know I may occasionally get up to some mischief, but I thought this level of cross checking was perhaps a little extreme.

Anyway, I sidled over to the window and found the stealthy truck to which the camera was attached. Its here

cakiness

a sunny birthday & cakes later.

Haymarket

More West End zapping yesterday stopping for agreeable Italian food and then a show.

Taxis were somewhat rare, but I guess the area had extra people from the various events during the day and the evening rain didn't really help.

So we did one of those "share a taxi to multiple destinations" things and sort of passed the money forward to the last person sitting.

fireworks

I spent part of the weekend staying in a room by the embankment near Temple tube. So what? I hear you cry.

Well it just happened to be right by the side of both the Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday and then overlooking the barge with all of the fireworks for Saturday evening.

I wish I could say we'd planned it that way, but it was just pure co-incidence. I must admit, when I spotted a few Roman soldiers running past the windows and then a large straw version of Gog and Magog, then I realized something was happening.

It turned out that the very road was being used as the halfway house staging post for the procession and then in the evening the whole stretch of the River Thames was packed with people wanting to see the fireworks show.

I simply moved to the window to look across to see everything.

TX5F taxi

Well, the new design TX5F London taxis are going to be easier to spot in the street.

Apparently tourists were complaining about the visibility of black cabs and cyclists have asked for a softer exterior to taxis (and buses) as part of general improvements to London road safety. The high visibility roof extensions are multi-purpose, containing a GPS radio system, Wifi linkages which extend between similarly equipped vehicles and also provide another aid to spotting taxis in busy streets. Original criticisms about wind resistance have proved unfounded, because taxis have an average speed of 8.3 mph in the central area.

This prototype was sighted at the rainy Lord Mayor's show on Saturday, as was this gentleman trying to hail one of the more conventional designs.

Michelle Shocked - keep on rockin 'Shel.

A perfect evening; We were with a favourite troubadour artist at a favourite venue. Michelle Shocked at Union Chapel.

We met across the road from the Chapel. In the Library, which, of course was really a pub serving Belgian Monks' beer. We sat outside so that we could watch for the doors to open.

By 7:15 pm we were in the line, speculating about the support act named Shelly, whilst fireworks flashed in the November skies. We bagged some prime seats and left coats sprawled whilst we exited through a side door to the adjoining bar (no drinking of alcohol in the chapel).
We sipped Red Stripe, until they announced the support act was ready to start. Not everyone watches support acts, but I usually do, so we headed back into the pews.

Some surprise as a hoodied figure was already singing and playing guitar. 'Shelly' was actually Michelle Shocked, doing the support act herself. Older songs in a plain acoustic style, homage to the Campfire Tapes. Already excellent and with a fine violin accompaniment.

A short pause and then Michelle returned, minus the hooded tracksuit and now with a small band. A mix of songs, some new and plenty from the formidable back catalogue.

Michelle Shocked is a great performer, with a blend of stories and songs; plenty of narrative and good ways to relate to the audience. The band 's musicians are all highly accomplished too, and the performance has spontaneity and sufficient confidence to veer from a set list as the evening's mood dictates.

Michelle Shocked's career spans from the 1980s through to now. For this show it was great was to see the energy, enthusiasm and connection with the audience throughout the performance. Beyond simple professionalism, here is a performer who has experienced plenty and has produced an accompanying soundtrack. Always fiercely independent, convinced of her causes and creating messages within her lyrics, Shocked was on top form for this gig.

We all left the gig with big smiles from an excellent evening. It goes into my top gigs list.

re think

Locked away with piles of work papers today and surviving on cups of tea.

Harrogate's finest.

I seemed to finish yesterday evening at about 02:30 and then started today at around 07:30. I reckon I have another 3-4 hours tonight and then I'll be around where I need to be with this piece of work. I spotted one of my earlier notes which said "may need rethink".

Gulp.

I hope not at this stage.

ch

...the beginning of change. 77 days left, George. Just don't touch anything else.

And heres a little fireworks song as its the 5th of November.