Overdue

It's been over 2 weeks since my last post and it seems this blog is suffering from neglect.  The header seems to have shrunk and my Last FM chart has disappeared. In my defence I have been quite busy of late. As well as the usual gigs, football and so on you also get the chance to catch up with friends and family, eat, drink and generally have a good time.  That's exactly what I've been doing

First up, The Vaccines at Leamington Assembly.  We arrived early.  Thinking doors opened at 6 we caught the train about 7pm. It turns out that doors were at 7 so we ended up catching all of the bounds. 

First up Howler.  I didn't want to like them because the were young and American.  They were actually very good and had some great tunes. Frankie and the Heartstrings were next and again I warmed to them very quickly despite not wanting to.  They had interesting songs with an 80s feel.

Finally, The Vaccines.  Very loud and lots of strobe lighting.  Short, sharp shocks of songs and a set that lasted about an hour.  Of all 3 bands these were the most disappointing although I don't know what I was expecting (if you'd pardon the pun).

The set list went something like this

Blow It Up
Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)
Tiger Blood
A Lack Of Understanding
Wetsuit
(New Song)
Post Break-Up Sex
All In White
Under Your Thumb
Wolf Pack
If You Wanna
Family Friend
We're Happening
Nørgaard

The following day Clare and I went to see Hugo.  We saw the 3D version obviously.  It looked fantastic and I can understand why the film is being credited with rejuvenating the 3D format.

Twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy.

Directed by  Martin Scorsese and with a cast that includes Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Emily Mortimer, Christopher Lee, Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone, this is a lovely story which is visually stunning and as far as I'm concerned, a must see!

Later in the week I spent an evening at an old friend's. It was good to catch up and had a really nice evening.  At the end of the week I found myself at the Westley Arms Hotel in Acocks Green for a Christmas meal.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting a lot but the staff were friendly and the food much better than I expected.  Most people opted for the carvery but I went for the vegetarian option.  I started with the leek and potato soup. I'm not really a soup fan but I thoroughly enjoyed it!  For my main I went with Pepper, Spinach and Mushroom Tart with a red pepper sauce.  It was accompanied by the veg from the carvery.  I was worried it may be a bit dry but my fears were unfounded. The sauce was lovely and more than enough to see me through my meal.

On the Saturday Clare and I took my mom into town to visit the German market.  My mom had not been before and she thoroughly enjoyed it.  We also went to Bacchus Bar for a warm drink and to the  Handmade Burger Co. for lunch.  It was busy but after a 15 minute wait for a table we were rewarded with great food and a lovely table with great views of St Martin's in the Bull Ring.

My mom had a lovely time and Clare took her on the carousal in Victoria Square. 

Last week and another meal with friends. Another carvery, his time at the Wheatsheaf in Sheldon.  Being the first to arrive we ordered drinks at the bar and whilst we were being served the rest of the staff were shouting across the bar to each other about their Christmas shifts.  It seems that most were unhappy with what they had been given.  The staff serving food seemed to lack the Christmas spirit and by the time we got to the counter there wasn't much in the way of vegetables. We waited for them to be replenished and eventually asked a passing member of staff.  The food arrived and having helped myself to the fresh roast potatoes hurried back to the table.  I was surprised to find that they were cold!  Still, it was good to catch up with friends and despite the food was a good night.

The following night it was time to wrap up warm and head to St Andrew's. Blues were taking on NK Maribor in their last group match of the Europa League.  Unfortunately qualification was out of their hands.  Not only did they need to win but they need a Braga victory against Bruges to qualify.  Birmingham did their bit winning 1-0 thanks to a Rooney goal in the 24th minute.  However, Braga could only manage a draw which meant we finished 3rd in the group with 10 points.  Bruges & Braga went through with 11 points. 

I'm not too bothered that our European adventure has come to an end.  It was nice while it lasted but I don't think anyone would have believed we could have gone on to win it.  We got there and played well but it's time we concentrated on the League.

That pretty much brings things up to date.  Just this weekend to cover.

Friday - Hatton Craft Village for late night shopping and a Christmas Nativity with real animals!  I really enjoyed it!  On a cold night, wrapping up warm and singing carols around a nativity scene. The highlight was the donkey which started braying at the end of Hark The Herald Angels.

Saturday - The morning was spent shopping and the afternoon spent wrapping.  We spent the evening Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jnr.  I enjoyed it but Clare fell asleep.

Today - Leamington Spa Christmas Market.  I have come to understand that a Christmas Market is the same as a normal market with a few decorations (in some cases no decorations).  Despite the dawning of this truth it was a lovely day.  Getting home a couple of hours ago, Clare finished the wrapping and I watched the football whilst writing this.

So there you have it, back up to date. All I need to do now is sort out the layout. Think I'll do that over the holidays.

Odd Week

It's been a strange week.  A quiet start then on Wednesday we headed over to Leamington for a lecture on Christmas traditions.  Having made the journey we arrived at the theatre to find the dates had been changed and we'd missed it by 2 days! Neither the literature or the website had been updated.  Clare even called the Box Office the day before to check it was still going ahead and was told that it was. We ended up heading home.

What made things worse was that I missed the football!  Blues were away at Braga in the Europa League.  It was being shown on ITV4 but by the time we got home it had finished. Blues lost 1-0 which means our European adventure could be over soon.  We need to beat NK Maribor and hope that Bruge lose to Braga.

Friday we had people over, played bingo and had a good laugh.  We had some Christmas crackers which we bought from the RSPB.  Inside each cracker was a wind up penguin. In the box of crackers is a material race track.  Wind up the penguins and watch them race!   It was really good fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Yesterday we headed into Birmingham for a bit more Xmas shopping. Originally we were due to meet friends and do some shopping in Nantwich.  Probably not the first place that springs to mind but it's close to where a friend lives.  This was cancelled and we had planned to pop over to RSPB Sandwell Valley but when we awoke yesterday we were not really in the mood so opted to join the crowds of shoppers in the Bull Ring.

Today has been quiet with breakfast at Sainsbury's and then, whilst I watched the FA Cup (AFC Totton 1 Bristol Rovers 6), Clare sorted out the Christmas decorations.

Despite not going birdwatching yesterday I have watched the birds in the garden today.  Jay, Woodpigeon, Redwing, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Song Thrush, Magpie, Carrion Crow and a Goldcrest.  We also had a flock of Siskin!

It's been a nice relaxing sort of day which is good because shortly we will be heading back over to Leamington Spa to see The Vaccines!

It's Quiet

Not much going on over the last week or so.  A quiet week last week with a bit of Xmas shopping at the weekend.  Warwick seemed like a good place to go, and although we managed to get a few things, the highlight was picking up a copy of Blur's Live at Budoken CD from Oxfam for the grand price of £2.99.

Last night Clare and I popped into Solihull for a bite to eat at Bella.  Despite the Christmas run up and the shops now open until 8pm it was remarkably quiet!  Good for us as we got a good table, with no waiting for food and when it arrived it was piping hot.  It was a lovely evening all in all.

Shopping

Other than last night's gig it was mainly a quiet weekend with shopping being the main priority.  Having started by going to the Festive Fayre at the NEC.  I wasn't impressed. I had expected a lot more Christmas stuff and some unusual gift ideas. As it was a lot of the stores were the same as Grand Designs earlier in the year. 

There was one decent stall that was doing a roaring trade in Christmas decorations.  We bought a couple of things and Clare also bought herself a couple of scarves. 

We also toured some of the pound shops around the area and managed to pick up one or two other decorations in readiness for the forth coming festivities.

The Besnard Lakes @ The Hare and Hounds

Hailing from Montreal, The Besnard Lakes are a 4 piece indie band.  They make great music.  Brilliant harmonies with distorted guitars and driving bass lines. Very atmospheric and at times, nothing short of beautiful.

Having only heard a couple of their songs prior to last night, I booked tickets and headed along not knowing what to expect.  Could they recreate their recordings live?  Yes they could!  It was brilliant!

From the opening song to the end of the set, the fairly large audience were captivated.  A good hour and ten minutes later they left the stage.

I would love to be able to give you the set but unfortunately I don't know their catalogue well enough.  I will by the time I see them play live again!

A Busy Few Days

It’s been a busy few days, starting on Thursday evening in the Coach House for a drink with friends. It was a good night but I was surprised at how quiet it was in the pub. Usually Thursday nights are quite busy but even the town centre seemed quieter than usual.

On Friday Clare and I went to The Royal Spa Centre in Leamington to see The Holly & The Ivy written by Wynyard Browne and starring Stuart McGugan and Corrine Wicks.

Set in a Norfolk vicarage on Christmas Eve 1947, the vicar's family gather for the festive season. Peace and goodwill radiates from the warm-hearted elderly vicar, cared for by his young daughter. But with the arrival of two irritable aunts and an errant daughter the emotional veneer is skilfully peeled away. As skeletons tumble from closets and stones are turned over, family members are forced to confront their regrets and secret anxieties. Even the lovable vicar is not immune to the stresses and strains of a normal family life.

The play is split into 3 parts and after a slow start I found myself being drawn further and further in. The cast were superb (with the exception of one aunt’s dodgy Irish accent, which could be forgiven) and although the whole play took place in the one room the set looked fantastic!

It’s a shame that it wasn’t a full house. It deserves to be sold out each night. However, the fact that it wasn’t worked well for me as it enabled me to move seats during the first interval. Having been hemmed in for the first part we asked if we were able to move during the break and we ended up with nearly an entire row to ourselves!

One last thing, the staff, at the centre, are great, friendly, polite and willing to help. It is how a theatre should be run!

Saturday

An early start. The 8.05 to London was quite busy but I’m glad we went at the time we did as England were playing Spain at Wembley later in the day so if it was busy when we went it would have been horrendous as the day went on!

Arriving in London we headed straight for the National History Museum (having stopped on Baker Street for a sandwich and cup of coffee).

We arrived and made our way to the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011 exhibition. There were some fantastic photos. Favourites included Moonlight Over Aloba by Marsel Van Oosten, Polar Power by Joe Bunni, The Assassin by Steve Mills, The Coming by Sven Zacek, False Killers Disguised Dolphin by Clark Miller, Sinuousness by Macro Columbo and Trust by Klaus Echle. There were also one or two that seemed either a little clichéd or, in at least a couple of cases, it seemed to me not worthy of entry but then again what do I know!!

Having spent the best part of 2 hours in there we decided we would save the rest of the museum for another visit and headed off to Tate Modern. I was amazed at the queue to get in!!! If you are going to go then get there early!

With parts of the tube closed for Engineering Work we headed to Embankment and walked along the river towards the Tate. With the mild weather it was lovely and we browsed the books of at The South Bank Market before continuing our stroll.

We arrived and immediately headed for The Turbine Hall to see the installation by Tacita Dean. Having first viewed it from the Level 1 we headed downstairs and whilst most people kept a respectable distance Clare and I went in for a closer look. I’m not sure what I made of it to be honest. I was impressed by it’s size but can’t say it spoke to me.

Upstairs we happened to stumble on A Living Man Declared Dead And Other Chapters  I - XVIII by Taryn Simon.

This was a great exhibition, photographs of families from around the world depicting bloodlines. In some cases, blank spaces were generations have been lost, refused to participate or were banned from participating on religious grounds etc.

Not only was it interesting but also very moving. A Brazilian family torn apart be a long running feud, a Bosnian family who lost many of their men folk during the massacre at Srebrenica and children from an Ukrainian orphanage are just some of the subjects.

We left Tate Modern and headed across the bridge towards St Paul’s and the tube station. Passing the Anti-Capitalist occupation at the steps of the cathedral. We also saw a few of the floats that were used in the Lord Mayor’s Parade which had also taken place that day and had been rerouted because of the demo.

Tate Britain houses a work by Constable that both Clare and I wanted to see. It is a picture of the deer park at Malvern Hall or as we know it now, Solihull Nature Reserve. We headed over to Pimlico and to Tate Britain. We wandered the galleries dismissing most of the other works and eventually found the Constable collection but unfortunately the canvas did not seem to be on display. A quick look at Henry Wallis’ The Death of Chatterton (a larger version than the one in Birmingham) and then we were off again. Walking back along the river, up through Westminster, along The Strand and then to Convent Garden and Piccadilly Circus before finding some place to eat.

Afterwards we walked up to Leicester Square and then jumped on the tube back to Marylebone but not before Clare had got herself an ice cream!

We hung around the Departures board, waiting for a platform number to show next to our train and hurried through the turnstiles when the number 2 appeared, in an effort to get a decent seat.

It was a lovely day out and having spent the best part of 12 hours traipsing around London it wasn’t long after arriving home that I headed to bed!!

Sunday

The Rum Diary, written by Hunter S Thompson, is a fictional account of his time working for the San Juan Star. Johnny Depp has now made it into a film.

Although I could have done with something a little more quick paced on a grey Sunday afternoon it wasn’t too long before I settled into the film. It is slick, stylish and looks great. You really do get a sense of the humidity, the hot sticky nights and the rum soaked haze in which the lead characters see it.

A great story (although not much actually happens), superbly acted and beautifully filmed. Not for everyone I should imagine but I really enjoyed it.

Remember Remember

Remember Remember the 5th November. To celebrate the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot Clare and I went to the bonfire and firework display at St Margaret’s C of E school in Olton. We have done this for the last few years. It’s a great display (put on by Solihull Fireworks) that lasts for about 20 minutes.

Hot drinks and food stalls helps fend off the cold (despite it being mild for the type of year it is still quite chilly having stood around for an hour and a half). After the display we paid my parents a visit and, having had baked potatoes, spent the rest of the evening playing Yahtzee.

Early in the day we headed over to Sandwell Valley to see what migrant birds had arrived. Although still fairly quiet we had Teal, Goosander and Snipe on and around the lake. On the walk to the lake we noticed a flock of birds at the top of a Poplar Tree. On closer inspection the flock was comprised of Goldfinch, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll and totalled about 20. Other birds included Redwing, Mediterranean Gull, Lapwing, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Kestrel and Buzzard as well as the usual Black Headed Gulls, Blue Tits, Great Tits and the like.

Sunday was a quiet day. Having spent some time wandering around the shops in Solihull we returned home. I spent the afternoon watching the football and listening to music.

After dinner we settled down to watch Harry Brown. Michael Caine plays a pensioner who lives on a housing estate which is terrorised by kids. Having lost his wife to illness and his best mate at the hands of the teenagers he finds himself alone in the world. With nothing left to lose he decides to take on the teenagers.

This is a dark film. It’s violent and paints a grim picture. At times farfetched and at times extremely accurate. Great performances by Ben Drew and Jack O'Connell who played gang members made for some very realistic scenes and some uncomfortable viewing.

I can’t say whether I enjoyed the film or not, perhaps it was the subject matter, but I’m glad I took the time to watch it.

Birmingham City 2 Club Brugges 2

On a mild November night I was at St Andrew’s to watch Blues fight back from two goals down to earn a point against Club Brugge in the Europa League.

The Belgian side went ahead after 39 minutes through Thomas Meunier who scored from a corner. 5 minutes later it was 2-0 when Joseph Akpala side-footed past Colin Doyle.

Jean Beausejour pulled a goal back in the second half after Brugge failed to clear Nikola Zigic's effort. Marlon King levelled the score from the penalty spot after Ryan Donk fouled Beausejour.

The point leaves Blues second in the Group H table, on head-to-head, with two games to play.

To be honest, the first half performance was poor but after King, Wood and Burke were brought on after 65 minutes we looked a better side.

It was good to see another full house and I was surprised at the amount of Brugges fans who made the trip. 3000 of them all in good voice (well at least until Blues scored).

A nice moment was the applause on 23 minutes. It turns out that Club Brugges fans do this at each match in memory of  sriker Francios Sterchele who passed away in a car crash back in 2008. When we played them at their place the Blues fans who had travelled over joined in, the only away team to do so. Last night we did it again. Both home and away fans came together for that minute, something the Club Brugges fans appreciated. At the end of the match they even sang Birmingham City’s name! A nice touch and something I’d not seen before!

Although we only managed a draw it was a great night and I’m hoping for many more European nights before this competition is over!

The Weekend

Saturday and despite the EDL, anti -Capitalist, and anti -Fascist rallies all taking place in Birmingham, along with West Brom and Birmingham both playing at home it was off for a spot of shopping and a bite to eat before leaving Clare and my Mom to go to the theatre. The amount of police upon our arrival at Moor Street Station was quite something! Only once have I seen a larger amount on a train station and that was at London Bridge when Blues played Millwall a few seasons back.

Having taken my mom around the Bullring we headed to the markets (talk about a contrast). Whilst browsing I ended up buying a couple of reggae sound system CDs and when I arrived back home I spent the rest of the afternoon listening to them. A great way to spend the day!

Food at the Coffee Room Bar and Bistro (formerly the Green Rooms) was OK but slightly overdone. Actually, my pizza was burnt around the edges, which was a shame as the middle bit was quite nice. The staff were friendly and the menu reasonably priced.


Sunday and it was back into Birmingham to do a bit of Christmas shopping with lunch at the café in Debenhams. I’d not been there before and although the food is pretty basic the views of the south side of Birmingham make up for it.

I tried in vain to buy a new coat and whilst looking in one department store bumped into one of the women I sat by at the ballet a couple of nights before!

Weather wise it has still been quite mild and although there has been the odd shower it is still lovely for the time of year. I think it will come as a shock when we have our first really cold snap of the winter.

The Snow Queen @ Solihull Arts Complex

I’d not been to the ballet before and was worried I would get bored. However, last Wednesday, on the spur of the moment, that's exactly what I did and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was not a lavish production but the small troupe of Ballet Theatre UK kept me entertained throughout.

The story, by Hans Christian Anderson, is about Gerda and her quest to find her lover Kay, who has been placed under the Snow Queen's spell. Her adventure takes her on a journey where Gerda encounters a band of gypsies, an enchanted reindeer and the mysterious Lapland woman, who tells Gerda to continue travelling north, where she will find Kay and the Snow Queen's palace of ice.

Only Gerda's love for Kay can release him from the spell and break the Snow Queen's curse of eternal winter.

Although not as spectacular as the poster promised I was still drawn in and the time passed really quickly. I can't really comment upon the quality of the dancing, it looked good to me, but as a novice I might well have missed some of the finer points. The two ladies next to me who are regulars at the ballet said it wasn't a bad performance although one or two were playing to the crowd. I could not say whether or not this was the case. I still enjoyed it and I think a trip to the Birmingham Royal Ballet may not be too far away.

Stopping for food before the performance we ended up going to the Handmade Burger Co. A little on the expensive side (luckily we had a 2 for 1 offer) but good food and a large vegetarian selection!

The Specials @ Plymouth Pavillions

Having seen them a couple of weeks before in Wolverhampton I knew exactly what to expect! A great night with a great performance of great tunes. They didn’t disappoint. Although the songs were the same (all the tracks from their 2 albums) they did move the odd track around. Highlights for me included Little Bitch, Blank Expression and Nite Klub.

The crowd were a strange mix and seemed much friendlier than the Wolverhampton lot. Although friendlier they were a lot less lively when the band took to the stage with a large amount around us content to stand and watch.  This surprised me as I had seen The Specials on their last tour in Plymouth and the crowd that night was just one big sweaty mosh pit from front to back.

Prior to arriving at the gig the first part of the evening was spent at the Jury’s Inn bar. A great atmosphere with a group of us who were there just for the gig. We watched the football (QPR beating Chelsea 1-0) and talked about Man Utd's defeat to rivals Man City 6-1.  It's funny how a result like that can bring people together! Afterwards we ended up back there for a nightcap before heading to bed in the early hours.

Monday arrived far too quickly, no sooner had I gone to sleep and it was time to get up again. We checked out, found somewhere for breakfast. Afterwards it was a mad dash up to Bristol to get my train back to Birmingham.

As expected the train was overcrowded and there was a delay whilst the powers that be added more coaches. I got chatting to the woman next to me who was trying to get back to the Isle of Man. She had been performing at a music festival somewhere in Cornwall.  Chatting away made the journey so much quicker and it wasn't long before I was back in Brum.

Cornwall

The following day – Friday 21st I packed my bag and headed off to Cornwall. A couple of days visiting family. Arriving Friday evening it was a quiet night in with a takeaway.

Saturday and having spent an hour or so on Praa Sands (T-shirt weather in October!) It was off to Hayle Estuary for a spot of bird spotting. Black Tailed Godwit, Bar Tailed Godwit, Oyster Catcher, Little Egret, Shelduck as well as Black Headed Gulls, Lesser Black Backed Gulls and a highlight for me a Whimbrel!

To be honest, I wished I'd stayed longer and got a bit closer to the birds as I'm sure I missed loads but I intend on going back in the not too distant future.

One Man, Two Guvners @ The New Alexandra

No posts for over 2 weeks! This is down to a busy run about a fortnight ago and a lazy streak in recent days.

To bring you up to speed I’d like to go back to Thursday 20th September.

We arrived in Birmingham and, having had something to eat at Pizza Express in the Bullring, made our way to The New Alexandra Theatre to see One Man Two Guvnors starring James Corden.

I was not aware of the story prior to arriving but apparently it is based on an Goldini’s The Servant Of Two Masters. Richard Bean’s version is set in 60's Brighton and tells the story Francis Henshall (James Cordon) who inadvertently ends up working for Rachel Crabbe (disguised as her dead brother) and Stanley Stubbers (lover of Rachel and guilty of the murder of her brother).

I am not really one for farces and there were parts that I thought were predictable (you could see the punchlines coming a mile off) but there was enough here to make me laugh and keep me entertained. James Cordon suited the role and played it very well as did the majority of the supporting cast.

Not the greatest trip to the theatre but not a bad night. I’m not sure it is as good as the reviews make out but, judging by the audience reaction, I might be in the minority when I say that.

Sunday Sunday

An early start on Sunday for a trip to Solihull Nature Reserve.  Arriving at sun up we managed to see the best part of 40 species of bird in just under 2 hours.  Not bad for what is in fact a park with a couple of fields attached. 

Redwing, Fieldfare, Brambling, and a couple of Green Woodpeckers were amongst the highlights but my favourite was the return of the Mute/Whooper hybrid swans on the lake.  I last saw them on January 10th!

Having arrived home the rest of the day was spent listening to music and watching Blues take on Leicester City (live on BBC 1).  A dismal first half and an action packed second.  A penalty to Blues (Marlon King putting it in the bottom corner giving Blues a 1-0 advantage), Not long after Leicester, were reduced to 10 men but still managed to put up a fight until a great move by Blues on the counter attack saw Chris Wood fire home Blues' second.

Pottering Around

Today has been a lovely autumn day.  A crisp start and clear skies and sunshine that is still quite warm as the day goes on. 

This morning brought the first of the Redwings. Five of them in the Yew tree in the garden.  Clare and I went over to Knowle to have a wander around the shops.  We walked the quarter mile down to the locks to see what was around.  A pair of Buzzards, a flock of Long Tailed Tits, a pair of Wrens as well as the usual Black Headed Gulls, Pigeons, Magpies and Crows.  Clare saw a Kingfisher which I missed.  I heard it but was too slow. 

Despite our leisurely day it has flown by!

Corleone Cafe - Leamington Spa

Our trip to Wolverhampton to see The Specials had been part of Clare's birthday celebrations.  Having arrived back in Birmingham early on Thursday morning we decided to go to Leamington so Clare could spend some of her birthday money.

As the afternoon pressed on we decided we would need to eat and so went to the Corleone Cafe.  Clare had wanted to try this place but it is always really busy and being small it is hard to find a seat. On a Thursday afternoon, despite it still being busy, we managed to get a table upstairs.

Sitting in a booth next to an open window looking down onto the street it was lovely.  The rustic furniture, dog eared menus really do show off shabby chic at it's best.  The food is standard fayre.  Paninis, baguettes etc but it is served in a bowl with a mock newspaper advertising the cafe and showing stories of various gangsters.

The walls have pictures taken from The Godfather and Soprano's and some covers of Italian magazines.  Despite the cliches the place is really cosy.  The food was lovely and the atmosphere really nice.  I also liked the fact that my olives were served in a cup and saucer.  This place could be my new favourite place to eat in Leamington!

It was a nice day in all. Clare bought some new clothes and I picked up a couple of CDs.  We also got chatting to the owners of Doll's Domain toy shop next to Royal Priors Shopping Centre.  They were lovely and far more helpful than the staff in Avon Toys around the corner! Clare bought a jigsaw (from their huge collection) as well as a traditional bingo game for our next get together.

We spent more time shopping than anticipated but all in all a good day out and a nice way to round of a fantastic couple of days!

The Specials @ Wolverhampton Civic Hall

The room dimmed and the backdrop came alive with a video montage of historic events of the last 30 years. Margaret Thatcher appeared on the screen to a chorus of boos and jeers. The other Prime Ministers (Major, Blair, Brown & Cameron) faired little better. The images lasted for about 2 minutes before the band took to the stage and launched into Gangsters.  The crowd dancing and singing along from the off.  Do The Dog and (Dawning Of) A New Era followed in quick succession.

Terry Hall, chattier than usual, eventually addressed the crowd asking a member of the audience her name before dedicating It's Up To You to her.

The set comprised of both their albums but wasn't in strict running order, saving some of the songs for the encore.

After the initial excitement the crowd seemed a bit subdued and they took a while to warm up.  Although this didn't stop Clare dancing her way through the set. 

Standing next to me was a bloke in his 50s who stood stock still throughout the majority of the gig suddenly decided to launch his pint into the crowd.  He soaked a good majority of the people around him including Clare and myself.  Although I half expect this sort of the thing a lad in front of me took exception.  He marched up to the bloke and pushed him in the chest (despite being half his size).  It looked as if a fight was on the cards until someone pointed out they had their young daughter with them and the lad made his way back to his mates.  The big bloke next to me disappeared all together and it wasn't until we were making our way out at the end of the night that we saw him again, looking a bit sheepish.

This bloke, however, was completely outdone by the grotesque woman (in every sense) in front of us.  Downing pints of lager and hurling her plastic cups into the crowd, she seemed to think that Friday Night, Saturday Morning was an anthem. All traces of irony were lost on her.  She stood there waving her arms in the air (too big to dance) getting more and more drunk. When she sparked up a cigarette it wasn't long before security came over and had a word.  I had hoped they'd kick her out but unfortunately they let her off with a warning.

The band were storming through their set and it wasn't long before the encore. Ghost Town, Little Bitch and You're Wondering Now.  I had hoped they might have come back and treated us to a few others, Skinhead Moonstomp for example but it wasn't to be.

At the start of the show I'd bought a voucher for a CD of the night's performance.  It's amazing to think that you can watch a show and five minutes after the end a recording of it is available. As the lights came up we made our way to the foyer and queued up to get our copy.

It wasn't long before we were back at the hotel with a CD of the show, two commemorative pint glasses and a poster that Clare liberated during the last song!

The night itself had started well.  Having complained to the hotel following our last visit there (when we went to see Beady Eye back in April) we were promised an upgrade on this trip.  True to his word the manager had booked us into the bridal suite and having walked into the bedroom we wandered through to the living room to find a bottle of sparkling wine on chill and two glasses.

Once we had settled in and got changed we headed out for a bite to eat.  If we are in Wolverhampton we always head for City Bar.  With the exception of a couple of blokes we were the only people there.  It's not a grand place but is a step up from most of the other bars around the town centre so I was surprised at it's lack of after work clientele. 

Having had a veggie burger and chips, washed down with a couple of gins & tonic, it was a short walk over to The Civic for the gig.

The support came from The Stone Foundation. More Mod than Ska they seemed to go down OK with the crowd and had one or two decent numbers.  I wasn't really in the mood and preferred the reggae played through the sound system rather than something that sounded more akin to The Kinks. Were I to see them on their own I would probably enjoy them.

Poetry

You will find me drinking rum,
Like a sailor in a slum,
You will find me drinking beer like a Bavarian.
You will find me drinking gin
In the lowest kind of inn,
Because I am a rigid Vegetarian

The Logical Vegetarian (1915) by Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Lazy Weekend

It does you good every now and again to do nothing.  Today is one of those days.  It's been quite a busy week and so it's nice to have nothing to do.

Thursday night was spent at Jimmy Spice's with a group of friends.  As usual most of my food consisted of pizza, samosas and pakora washed down with gin.  A really enjoyable night.

Yesterday was hectic and having had an early start I was shattered come last night.

Yesterday afternoon was a quick dash over to the NEC for Grand Designs Exhibition .  It's the 3rd year I've been now and I spent most of my time walking round saying "these were here last year" and "that's where we bought.... last year".  Only stopping for a couple of hours before grabbing a free goody bag and dashing home, having something to eat, and getting ready for guests.

Last night was a Catchphrase evening.  A DVD game based on the TV show.  It's good fun but is slower than TV Quiz, naturally. 

It wasn't a late night (finished about 10.30) but as soon as everyone had gone I headed straight to bed. 

Emmy The Great - The Glee Club Birmingham

October 4th is a cool day, so says Emmy The Great.  She was referring to the changing of the seasons and not my birthday but that was why I was at The Glee Club on a Tuesday night, for my birthday.

It had been a nice evening.  Having a drink and a bite to eat at Poppy Red before heading up stairs to The Glee Club.

Having arrived pretty early we were treated to The Horrors' Skying album being played through the PA in it's entirety before the support act took to the stage.

Stealing Sheep hail from Liverpool (I think).  I'd not heard them before but as their set went on I really grew to like them.  Great harmonies and quirky little songs.  Follow the link to their website below and you can download a free song.

http://www.stealingsheep.co.uk/Site/Home.html

Emmy The Great took to the stage about 9.10.  Without saying a word she walked out picked up her guitar and played Eastern Maria before her band joined her onstage.   

I am not sure of the set list but songs included First Love, We Almost Had A Baby, 24, MIA, Cassandra, Iris, Dinosaur Sex, Easter Parade and Paper Forest.

I really enjoyed the set.  Having left the stage the encore consisted of 4 songs finishing on Canopies and Grapes.  These songs had been requested by the audience and although she played all 4 she did say that people could leave after 3 and only hang around for Canopies and Grapes if they really wanted to.  The band left the stage, the audience didn't.

http://www.emmythegreat.com/default.aspx