Well, after a week's silence, I'm back... Did you miss me?
Towards the end of last week I was insanely busy trying to clear stuff up to allow Sally & myself to get away to London without the kids for the weekend. Then I managed to stay off t'internet all weekend (almost harder than coming off heroin I would think!) and things were a tad busy on my return... More of that anon.
But it was all worth it... We had a great time... Not restful, but certainly relaxing. One friend at church asked why on earth we were going to London instead of going off to chill at a hotel in Donegal? But the truth is, that I have been so busy & stressed recently that if I had gone somewhere where there was nothing to do, I would have ended up churning stuff over and over in my head in a totally unproductive manner.
Instead we enjoyed a weekend in the comfortable surroundings of the Rembrandt Hotel, which I would heartily recommend. We were practically able to fall out of bed into the Victoria and Albert Museum, which despite our pretensions of being cultured, neither Sally nor I had visited before... And on the Saturday we nipped across to the Science Museum for the brand spanking new "Wallace and Gromit" exhibition being put on by the Intellectual Property Office... It had only opened that morning, so all the attendants were as excited as the children attending. We hadn't realised it was on, but were sold two cut price tickets by someone who had been organising a larger party and had some spares.
Getting to that exhibition made up in part for missing the Darwin's Big Idea exhibition at the Natural History Museum, which was one of the reasons I wanted to go in the first place... But it was booked out... But we still enjoyed wandering around that wonderful museum.
It has always struck me as grossly unfair that the most priveleged borough in Britain bar none, has the added luxury of 3 of the greatest museums in the country, if not the world, on their own doorstep, and they are free!!! As my mum would say, "The world is ill-divid!"
But whilst not wandering around museums, we also managed to take in a matinee of "Wicked" which was, in that street parlance that I so often use, "Wicked!" Mind you, Sally almost needed to administer oxygen to rouse me from the shock of the price!
We also ate outrageous amounts of great food, from the hotel breakfasts, to lunchtime tapas, and evening meals a la Thailand and Lebanon... And spent some time with friends on the Friday night in a local pub, "the Anglesea Arms" which I am assured was the local to Dickens and D.H. Lawrence, neither of which would have impressed me, as they are two of my least favourite authors. But they served good ale, including a bizarre concoction called "Dark Star Espresso" which was a coffee flavoured dark ale.
Whilst chatting with our friends, one of whom we hadn't seen for 19 years, we were afforded the luxury of watching the beautiful people of Brompton getting well and truly wasted... WHich they did with great gusto...
Two days later we saw another batch (and perhaps some of the same group) of the beautiful people, at worship, as we went to Holy Trinity Brompton... I'll return to that experience in due course, but here's a word of warning for faithful readers... what I have to say will not be in the least cynical... Honest!
No... the whole weekend was a splendid success... Even the food in Luton Airport on our return journey was delicious...
A much needed and appreciated break, and thanks to all those who made it possible, by minding children (my wonderful mother-in-law) and covering Sunday worship.
Comments
This will, I can safely say, be one of the most illuminating theological discourses you've read in recent days - and if you believe that...
I've been reading your blog with interest and I may well get back to you on one or two things eventually (I am a bear of little brain and much of what I read needs to seep in and coagulate first before I can make any coherent sense of it...).
But, one thing I can comment on at this stage, is that you need - dear brother - some well informed, soulful consultancy guidance in respect of your musical choices. Alas and alack but sad to say that, at present, you are a man who has, sadly, lost his way musically... and I'm the very man to assist you (no charge but donations welcome). I will try my best to ensure that this does not degenerate into anything approaching the abuse you've been getting lately which I was very sorry to read about - some people!
Now... Seasick Steve - yes, I'll give you that one. But Snow Patrol! Snow Patrol!!! Definitely not - melt it into a flowerpot immediately. Danger to children, disgrace to Bangor, etc, etc. As for U2 - yes to the early stuff (e.g. War) but presently if they were playing in my back yard I'd pull the blinds.
But my main point is this - Duffy? DUFFY? Duffy Schmuffy! The woman couldn't tie Aretha Franklin's diamonte high heel straps. She has a voice thinner than a very thin thing's thinner mate. Recently they put a double CD of stuff from Aretha's Atlantic sessions - stuff that wasn't good enough to make it on to an album mind you - and any single track from it would have Duffy crying into her Brains SA ale - the best Welsh ale - err, possibly the only Welsh ale in fact.
So - a challenge for you - download any 'best of' album from Aretha, Etta James, Betty Swann or Doris Duke or, for that matter, Nina Simone and compare it with Duffy... no contest I think you'll find.
And I'd advise staying away from Adele as well - I'd rather poke out my own eye with a dirty carrot than listen to a single Adele track. In fact, possibly sadly given that she may not be around for that long, the only one whose voice is capable of holding a dim candle to the above list is Amy Winehouse.
See! Told you it was a deep post!
From Super Snobby Soulboy (a.k.a. Trevor Gill).