Feckers

I just need to get some things off my chest. Sorry.

1. What is it with the constant stream of people coming and going throughout a gig? I know it's about the 2 Ps. Piss - well if you need to go, go before the concert starts. I was taught that when I was still a babe in arms. Pint - if you need to drink beer at a gig, buy it at the bar before the start and make it last. In both cases you've paid forty squids for your ticket, which is a complete waste if you spend half the time not actually listening to the band. These are surely the same people that can't get through a couple of hours at the cinema without munching their way through a ton of sweets and crisps and a lake of cola. Or get on a European flight without a three course meal, crisps, nuts and beer, wine and and and.

2. To the man standing next to me last night checking the e-mails on his Crackberry. Get a life you fecker

3. If you go to a gig, don't leave ten minutes before the end so you miss the rush for the tube afterwards. That's like not reading the last ten pages of a novel. Feckers the lot of them

Right. Sorted.

Oh yes, Kings of Leon? Brilliant.

Travelled down the river from London Bridge to the O2.



My apologies to Glasvegas who were the support. I love your music, it was everyone else's fault that we only caught the last song in your set. It was a very good song.

And when KoL came on everyone, even in the seated area, stood and danced from beginning to end.



Hope they're playing again soon.

Old as old could be

Old age has a nasty habit of creeping up on you unexpectedly. Whilst still feeling like a teenager in the head, you gradually realise that your skin is wrinkled and saggy, you have more aches and pains than before, you can no longer consume a skin-full of booze and get up easily the next morning, policemen (and traffic wardens) start looking younger and you prefer Magic FM to Radio 1. You realise that all those hopes and ambitions...the ideas of conquering the world (or saving it...) have long gone, and all you want to do is sit in the rocking chair with a mug of cocoa watching an episode of your favourite soap.

The boy found his first grey hair today

Fullsome Friday

Friday was a busy day. I disturbed the boy at crack of sparrow by firing up the MLC just underneath his bedroom window for a quick jaunt down to the seaside. Arriving there, the man from the gas board took delight in telling me yes I could move the meter and no I didn't need to ask him. Any Corgi could do it. So a 160 mile round trip was for not much really.

However, my mind was elsewhere.

My friend in the North (well it's north to me) was asking for positive thoughts as she winged her way through a job interview for which she didn't feel qualified. As my motto is never to let the facts get in the way of a good story, I couldn't see the problem. As she was offered the job later the same day, I hope it was something to do with my motivational thinking.

In the opposite direction....many thousands of miles away...I was also thinking positive thoughts. My friend's teenage son (and his friend) had been killed by a drugged-up drunk driver some eighteen months ago. Friday was the day of sentencing. The driver was given a long sentence without the possibility of parole for eight years. Whilst you can't feel pleased about this, it does seem that for once the justice system has delivered as best it could. And of that I'm glad.

Connecting with the people you serve

GPs 'may not work amid pandemic'

And in the same vein (sic):

soldiers will not work if they're being shot at
police will not work if there's criminals on the street
firemen will not go near a burning house
ambulance drivers will not pick you up if you might die in the back
the RNLI won't come out in case they sink
Formula 1 drivers will not drive if everyone else is going too fast
...and politicians will not go to the ballot box if they think they'll lose