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ON THE BOAT - not my boat but Salamanca - Brittany Ferries gas powered ferry. Caught the 10pm Friday night from Portsmouth arrived in Santander at 8am Sunday.Last visit to Northern Spain for a while. House and horreos just about sold - sad but there it is , there are much worse things going on...Camped in Playa de Utor - beautiful with 1/2 km walk to an unspoilt sandy cove. Stayed one night with John & Ellie , and their two boys Tom and Ollie. The most scenic place in the whole of Asturias (well the bit I know anyway) - lovely - thank you.Support the show

As in Ready, Steady Go - which is a TV show well before my time It ran until 1968.The show went out early on Friday evenings with the line "The weekend starts here!", and was introduced by the Surfaris' "Wipe Out", later by Manfred Mann's "5-4-3-2-1", then Manfred Mann's "Hubble Bubble (Toil and Trouble)", and finally The Rolling Stones' "Goin' Home". There is also the possibility that The Who's "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" was used as the theme music for a short period. It was more youth-orientated and informal than its BBC rival (from 1964), Top of the Pops. It was notable for featuring the audience as dancers, and for the interaction of artists and audience. Artists appeared on different mini-stages, sometimes on studio gantries and stairs, or on the main floor for solo artists, closely surrounded by the audience. The producers chose the audience in London clubs, picking out the best or the most fashionably dressed dancers. This ensured a hip audience in tune with the artistsSounds great - apparently Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five ( Bits and Pieces) acquired the rights Support the show

I met a lovely 80 year old welsh lady this week - she'd had a hard life most certainly - but wasn't having any of it - and certainly had no self pity whatsoeverShe'd made money over the years and had money perhaps wrongfully taken away from her - no pockets in a shroud - she said at one point . An old fashioned expression but said with no sense of injustice or bitterness. Here's the explanation :This one is co-pilot"No pockets in a shroud" is a proverb meaning that material wealth cannot be taken with you after death, emphasizing the futility of hoarding possessions.Idiomatic MeaningThe phrase originates from the idea that a shroud, the cloth used to wrap a deceased body, has no pockets, so you cannot carry money or goods into the afterlife. It serves as a reminder to focus on spiritual or meaningful pursuits rather than accumulating wealth for its own sake. For example, one might say, "He spent his life saving every penny, but a shroud has no pockets," highlighting the futility of excessive materialism.Support the show

Back on the Wiki bit instead of the AI- ( AI is such a know-it-all)Upcycling, also known as creative reuse, is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value. I don't make claim to doing that sort of thing very often but today I turned some old cupboard doors into some shelves - almost up cycling - perhaps ?Support the show

Twenty Ways Upon the Bells - Thomas Robinson - A lute duet with a ground bass accompaniment repeating its way through the tune with bell like imitations overlaid by the top part - Grade 5 in the UK ABRSM guitar exams at the momentSupport the show

Its nearly 2 years since I was out in Spain - where, in many respects, I'd still like to be. I travelled from Luarca to catch the ferry from Santander back to Portsmouth on Wednesday 12th getting back last night .The wiki bit..The Cantabrian Motorway (A-8) is a highway in Spain connecting the north of the country, stretching from the French border to Bilbao. This dual-carriageway runs along the Cantabrian coast, beginning at the Biriatu international bridge in Irún and ending in Baamonde, Galicia. Spanning approximately 486 km, it is a major traffic artery for the Bilbao metropolitan area, carrying heavy traffic along the 30 km stretch that passes through the city and its surroundings.BUT after you move away from the big towns - there is hardly any traffic on the road . It is one of the most scenic drives I ever been on ( I am NOT the most well travelled individual you have ever met) with the sea on one side and the craggy cliffs on the other. Support the show

 The CD and digital download "Creatures" was released on 1st August with this, and many other tunes, on the recording. Click on  Support the Show for more details.This was put up not long ago - when I first saw this Alpaca it was standing in a field on its own near the railway line. It took me by surprise. Now there are 3 of them - it looks like a mum and 2 offspring. They stand absolutely still and just look at you as you walk by. All a bit strange with their permed hair do and camel like superiority complex - looking down across their oversized nostrils at you. Support the show

This began as "Hold up" as in delayed but is really about being "Holed up" - that is hiding from stuff..I've likened it to having car problems - only because at the time, in November 2023, the winter was just getting started and I was having the annual car issues.The car issues I have are usually associated with driving far too many miles with a car that is well past its best ( a bit like its owner) . I do this every year - try to avoid the obvious that if I need to drive this amount of miles I really need to buy a decent car. I'm sure I won't. Support the show

Remember Jakes Bark - Jake was our much loved collie cross who died about 3 years ago at the age of 14. The piece is a play on J.S Bach - the piece is in the style of the prelude from the cello suite - with bass added in the style of Jazz pa Svenska ( a 1960's Swedish jazz LP) which I keep going back to. The CD and digital download "Creatures" was released on 1st August with this, and many other tunes, on the recording. Click on  Support the Show for more details.Support the show

Making light of the idea of a "stalker" - I can't imagine how hard it must be to be stalked - unwelcome attention is bad at the best of times but when it just won't go away - terrible. The tune makes it into a children's game."Hide and Seek"Support the show

The old fashioned alternative to feeling depressed - Black Dog .Not as serious as being depressed and considerably easier to shake off, I would imagine, but we all get it to varying degrees. The CD and digital download "Creatures" was released on 1st August with this, and many other tunes, on the recording. Click on  Support the Show for more details.Support the show

From July 2023 - you choose - who's your conspiracy man / woman / gender ?There are plenty of people to choose from.Support the show

There are alot of them about this summer - not sure if it is the good warm weather that is sustaining them - but it is lovely to see. The CD and digital download "Creatures" was released on 1st August with this, and many other tunes, on the recording. Click on  Support the Show for more details.Support the show

Have you ever been left "High and Dry"? - Its not a pleasant experience - from 2023.Support the show

Paper Tigers was what Trumpy referred to Russia recently.Nearly 80 years after Mao Zedong called the United States a “paper tiger” to boost morale at home, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are exchanging barbs who is the paper tiger of today.In a post on Truth Social, Trump mocked Russia’s military powers and called the country “a paper tiger,” prompting the Kremlin to push back. Trump backed off, but then he brought back the dismissive rhetoric when addressing a roomful of generals and admirals. “You’re four years fighting a war that should have taken a week,” Trump said of Russia’s war with Ukraine. “Are you a paper tiger?”On Thursday, Putin retorted, “We are fighting against the entire bloc of NATO, and we keep moving, keep advancing and feel confident, and we are a paper tiger; what NATO itself is?” He added: “A paper tiger? Go and deal with this paper tiger then.” The CD called "Creatures" was released on 1st August with this, and many other tunes, on the recording. Click on  Support the Show for more details.Support the show

From 2023 - I'm told I don't do this enough. However, the last time I picked up a call which I didn't recognise some so-and-so tried to scam me . So maybe its not so much of a problemSupport the show

From earlier this year and as part of the "Creatures" CD - If you're interested this is on the support the show section beneath. ThanksSupport the show

We all want one of these every so often - don't we ?Support the show

Plenty of them around as the warm weather in the UK continues.The CD called "Creatures" is released today with this, and many other tunes, on the recording. Click on  Support the Show for more detailsSupport the show

Maybe it should be "You Love the Life" For those oldies who've had a good run - there's no reason to quit - next stop IMMORTALITYSupport the show

From January 2025 - a now extinct bird - not quite a penguin : not quite a puffin ( in fact pretty big !). This is the second track from "Creatures"The CD called "Creatures" is released on 1st August . Click on  Support the Show for more detailsSupport the show

The AI thing keeps coming up. One medical specialist said as a tool it should be known as "Augmenting Intelligence" . Probably too late now..But - a really good point. I'm using it to replace me thinking at all - and some times it comes up with a load of rubbish. Jack ( my son) says in art its not very good at drawing human hands - thats brilliant - all that computer power and it can't draw 4 fingers and a thumb !.Support the show

A CD is released on August 1st - called "Creatures". Click on  Support the Show for more detailsHere's a taster "Magpie"  - the CD is a collection of songs and instrumental tracksSupport the show

As families become spread across countries and different regions the feeling or sense of a family becomes more difficult to sustain - there's little to be done other than chasing all over the place to meet for brief re-unions that never really fulfill that longing to be a part of something that is no longer intact.Support the show

An increasingly prosperous career choice - the influencer. I'm still to be convinced it has anything to contribute to anything ..Support the show

Same theme as yesterday - watch out for the bad things - get on with the good stuff ..Support the show

There are so many things you want to do in those seemingly few years we have on this spinning planet - you just got to get on with it as best you canSupport the show

Thomas Tuchel's rationale for going into defensive mode after getting the first goal in the World Cup semi final was based on Intuition, Instinct and experience. The ex footballers, many who had their own World Cup disappointments by and large didn't agree.Where was the common sense. Put more defenders on; you go on the defensive; more attackers you at least try to attack.Support the show

You hear about it all the time - it happened to me on the 16th July and I put this up as a bit of therapy. I genuinely felt stupid - I've heard stories about it and people losing their life savings. Nothing like that and the bank are going to re-fund the money anyway. Its just annoying that I got taken in...I'm annoyed with myselfSupport the show

Thats it until 2030 - but that was amazing and I look forward to the tournament celebrating 100 years in Spain, Portugal and Morocco with the opening matches in Uruguay - where it all started. Support the show

From 2024 - re-mixed to reflect the US World Cup and how many of us have been  up into the early hours to watch some amazing matches.By the time this comes up we'll know the outcome England, France, Spain or Argentina - even though I'd be pleased to see England win I'd love the little man to win in one more time.. come on Leo..Support the show

Happy No.70 Steve !!!"Three score and ten" is a poetic way of saying seventy years.The phrase originates from older English usage, where a "score" denotes twenty. Therefore, "three score" equals sixty, and adding ten gives seventy. This expression is most famously found in the Bible, Psalm 90:10, which states: “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” Bible Hub+3. It reflects the average human lifespan and emphasizes the brevity and transience of life.Support the show

In my ignorance I knew there was a quote somewhere in the phrase "Order from Chaos" - I had a rather unpleasant feeling it was used by one of my least favourite politicians - Margaret Thatcher, when she became Prime Minister.Andy Burnham look out .. It wasn't from Mrs T - she used a prayer wrongly attributed to , apparently, Francis of Assisi: Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope.For many years the prayer was attributed to St Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), but modern research has established, beyond argument, that it is not his work. In fact he had been dead almost 700 years when it was first printed, anonymously, by a French clerical magazine, La Clochette, in 1912. The real author was probably the magazine's editor, Father Esther Bouquerel. The horrors of the Great War gave the prayer special power and wide appeal; by 1916 it was famous enough to merit reprinting on the front page of the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, a measure of official standing.BUT - co-pilot it and you get this load... “In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.” – Carl JungInsightful Quotes on Order and Chaos“Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man.” – Henry Adams emphasizes the natural tension between unpredictability and human desire for structure A-Z Quotes.“Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein highlights the potential for growth and clarity within disorder snugfam.com.“Chaos is the score upon which reality is written.” – Henry Miller reflects the creative and foundational role of chaos in shaping life A-Z Quotes+1.“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” – Friedrich Nietzsche suggests that personal creativity and transformation arise from internal disorder snugfam.com.“Order provides the stabilities that we crave, but chaos creates the opportunities for change that we need.” – Unknown underscores the complementary nature of chaos and order in fostering progress Goodreads.“All notions of order are a myth, only order of the universe is chaos. Expand your sight and you'll realize, there is order in every chaos.” – Unknown reminds us that apparent disorder often contains hidden structure Goodreads.“We adore chaos because we love to produce order.” – M. C. Escher captures the human drive to create structure from unpredictability Quotlr.“Disorder can play a critical role in giving birth to new, higher forms of order.” – Margaret J. Wheatley emphasizes that innovation often emerges from disruption Quotlr.Philosophical PerspectiveMany thinkers view chaos and order as intertwined forces rather than opposites. The yin-yang principle is often used to illustrate this balance, showing that unpredictability and structure coexist and enable transformation, creativity, and growth info-welt.com. These quotes collectively suggest that embracing chaos can lead to insight, opportunity, and the creation of new order, both in life and in art.These reflections can inspire personal growth, creative endeavors, or philosophical contemplation, highlighting that order often emerges from chaos in both the universe and human experience.I gave up after the Carl Jung bit .Support the show

Two things here:I really thought that Morocco might break through this World Cup and be the First Nation from the African continent to get to the final.Its getting very close - but France had Mbappe - the sort of goal scorer that Morocco are crying out for..More rock and roll - I loved the band Brand X - oh my - this is from 1977. The great Phil Collins other band Moroccan Roll is the second studio album by the British jazz fusion band Brand X, released in April 1977 on Charisma Records.[1]The title serves as a pun on "more rock and roll," alluding to the album's status as the follow-up to the group's 1976 debut Unorthodox Behaviour.Featuring a core lineup of guitarist John Goodsall, bassist Percy Jones, keyboardistRobin Lumley, drummer Phil Collins, and percussionist Morris Pert, the album was recorded at Trident Studios in London from December 1976 to January 1977 and mixed at Morgan Studios in February 1977.[2][3] It spans nine tracks, including extended compositions like "Why Should I Lend You Mine (When You've Broken Yours Off Already)" (11:16) and "Disco Suicide" (7:55), alongside shorter instrumental pieces such as "Collapsar" (1:33) and "Orbits" (1:38).[1] The recording showcases the band's experimental approach, blending intricate jazz improvisation with rock elements and subtle Eastern influences, particularly evident in tracks like "Malaga Virgen" (8:28), which draws on flamenco-inspired rhythmsSupport the show

From February 24 - the Paper Trail - How my little world has changed in just over two years. When there were"issues" with a file two years ago you would send the paper file up the management ladder to be scrutinised. Now - its the online file that has to fulfil all the the SLA - ( Service Level Agreements) for the uninitiated ( I'm none the wiser) Support the show

The most commonly cited version of the rhyme goes:Monday's child is fair of face,Tuesday's child is full of grace,Wednesday's child is full of woe,Thursday's child has far to go,Friday's child is loving and giving,Saturday's child works hard for a living,And the child that is born on the Sabbath dayIs bonny and blithe, good and gayThursday Child was the name of the first album (an LP) that I was involved in. A Youth Club band formed by Chris. He got together with some fellow players and recorded Thursday's Child under the band name MCC. Our band had Chris on keyboards vocals, Simon on vocals, John on bass, My brother Steve on electric guitar. me on a guitar with pickup, Dave on drums ( I think) which later became Russell.I found the LP in my collection when we were unpacking following the move - 1973 - ish I think .Support the show

Not as in jail time - although I bet thats much much worse. This is serving notice on a job you loathe. Jack's doing that now. I hope the new one's better.Support the show

Walking "Woody" ( the dog) early this morning and what d'ya know ? - There it is this imperious white Alpaca looking down its nose at me - wonderful - you don't see many of those in Dorset.Support the show

Sometimes you get 'em - good days that you'd just like to go on a bit longer. The song Last day becomes a much more cheerful may the day last...Support the show

In the UK there is a campaign to reduce speed limits in built up areas - 20 is plenty - re-inforced with sleeping policemen (raised bits of road) to re-inforce the message. We live on one such road and, when I drive, I get pretty fed up with the slowness of it all BUT when you're on the receiving end of fast driving its a very different story. You can hear the sound of a "Twenty is not enough.." driver speeding past our house as the track winds its way onwards.Support the show

A poem in tribute to the English spirit in recognition of Sir Gareth Southgate's contribution to the cause - 60 long years without a World Cup win - was read out by Sir Ian Mcellen on the radio this week. Our virtues of stiff upper lip, courtesy and good manners were recalled together with the ability to fight like lions.Unfortunately there is another characteristic that so often counters those strengths - it is a very positive weakness ( if that makes sense) - we hold open doors, we queue politely - "After you please" is so often said.Not so helpful in the World Cup round of 32 in the Azteca tonight ( this was uploaded on the 5 July before the match against Mexico) - Good luck..Support the show

Happy day - that Friday feeling and the weekend ahead ! Have a good one.Support the show

The reverse sentiment of yesterday's tune. Go for it --- My inconsistency of thought is sometimes quite alarming.Support the show

A bird in the hand - is worth two in the bushThe proverb means it is better to hold onto something you already have than to risk it for the possibility of gaining something greater that may never materializeThe saying "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" advises caution and prudence. It emphasizes that having a certain, smaller benefit is preferable to pursuing a larger, uncertain one. This can apply to material possessions, relationships, career opportunities, or investments. For example, it is wiser to keep a stable job rather than risk it for a potentially higher-paying but uncertain position, or to maintain a current relationship rather than jeopardize it for someone else Writing Explained+3. The proverb essentially warns against greed and unnecessary risk-takingSupport the show

Its going to be hot in the UK today - keep out the way stay- In the shadeSupport the show

A follow on from yesterdays tune - when you know you're going its so hard not to get ahead of yourself and - in your head anyway - be already gone..Support the show

End of term and some long term colleagues say goodbye - time to call it a day.Their faces show it - mixed feelings when you finally make the decision.Support the show

America's celebration of 250 years is a significant milestone - how the tables have turned ... Congratulations have a great party.Support the show

The second of 2 choro's written for Tony and Lekan in about 2006. Tony was a great saxophonist and this was intended as a vehicle for him to improvise over.Support the show

Nearly 20 years since Lekan, Tony and I put together a group of pieces to play a short series of concerts and festivals.This piece was the opener - Choro Prelude.Support the show