Kings Croft 83/84

After some frantic memory searching and a hiccup in my memories internal time line I now have this great event nailed down sort of. Here are the Black & White photos from Kings Croft common room  circa 1983/84 featuring the band we think were called ECLIPSE thanks Jeremy.  As you can see scattered throughout the band and in the crowd a collection of the usual suspects, all looking ridiculously young and on their best behavior.  I wish I had the soundtrack to go with it. This was the year I got seriously into Photography. Having returned from my first Euro Rail trip and working at the Big Tree ( Temporarily Beefeater at the time a horrible experience  they made me wear a Red and White striped uniform which I would like to say was the most hideous thing I have ever worn but in all honesty I can’t, but it is the one and only time I have been caught in the Red & White I can only say I needed the money for Cameras ). Just to put this period into context (1983) Blackadder debuted and it was the last year for the Professionals and Animal Magic. Spitting Image  and the Tube were  going strong.  (1984) was the last year for The Young Ones. To keep with the rise and demise theme we lost the great Tommy Cooper (Just like that), Eric Morecombe . Leonard Rossiter (The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perin) and Reginald Bosenquet.     So 1983/84 listening to Magazine, Thin Lizzy (As always), Peter Gabriel, Dire Straights & The Blues Breakers. Interests include Photography,Travel and Beer. Albums released in 1983:- ZZ Top : Eliminator.  Duran Duran : Rio.  Def Leppard : Pyromania. Frankie Goes To Hollywood: Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Hanoi Rocks : Back To The Mystery.  Eurythmics : Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). The Blue Nile : A Walk Across The Rooftops.      ...

Jasper 2012 (a slight return pt 2 )

As our 2013 trips get ever closer I guess I should close out last years trips. How things change 2012 was the year of the Techno Campsite I booked a slot with power initially I thought I might need it to start my old lemon meringue  Jeep but due to my wife never failing to surprise and delight me I got a new car well not new new but  from 1994 to 2004. So what to do with the power? Well I had just become the proud owner of a slightly used   i Pad 1  64 gig and 3G and and after my new camera from last year running out of battery  the power came in handy. My daughter showed me how to play Angry Birds and I have no idea what our fellow campers thought all the laughter was about. I had started loading my CD music library on to the i pad ( I found out my daughter likes Muse ) and a couple of apps  (Word Press for 1 ).  So 3 season Vango and new ZR2 loaded up we set off on our adventure Father and Daughter into the Rockies.    ...

Long-board 2013

Well as mentioned at the end of HEB Softball 2013  we have the pride before the fall. You guessed it we have an accident and a broken elbow #1 Son (Who was a bit upset about this) ended up missing the rest of the Softball games, he was not able to play Sax in the spring music concert and had to sit in the middle of the raft and not paddle during the river watch on the North Saskatchewan river last week. Now I know what you are thinking there is some risk in long-boarding to school. and I agree I was set up for an accident but believing in a bit of prior preparation #1 Son did a trial run the evening before using paved bike trails and carrying the board over major intersections we discussed pedestrians and to be respectful to other path users etc. So off he sets, gets up early (which is something in its self) so he has plenty of time to get to school, 19 minutes later a I get a call from an upset wife # 1 Son is all bleeding and battered dragging his long-board home. Fell off ? Well no on his way to school he moves aside for an oncoming bike and the arse on the matt black BMX with his Chicago Bulls cap on backwards leans over and clotheslines him instant wipe-out. I rush home take him to the emergency room X–rays later one broken elbow which is set in a splint and a forecast of three weeks before it will be healed. Why did he have no protection on well I don’t know so now he has a broken elbow I sort him out a new helmet that actually fits over his mop of hair and isn’t too embarrassing how this will stop him breaking bones I have no Idea but a Dad has to do something. The school also suggested that the incident was pretty serious and needed reporting to the police so that took up the rest of the day and its not a bad job watching out for concussion (you can see we also sorted out how he could continue online gaming and use his keyboard).        ...

THE BETA BAND “THE THREE EP’S”...

The BETA BAND, formed in 1996 and split in 2004 were a UK band  carrying the tag of  “Folktronica”, a blend of folk, electronic, rock, trip hop, and experimental jamming. I came to this one in the usual unexpected way, loving the Nick Hornby novel “High Fidelity” (so much so I lent it to someone to read and that was the last I saw of it). I watched the Movie release in 2000  John Cusack, Jack Black  & Todd Louiso interaction as the nerd inhabitants of a vintage record store rang so many bells my initial unease at the shift from 1980s UK to America post 2000 fell away; although  it had me messed up for a time but this movie is  so true I let it go . I even had a go at organizing my records(CD’s) AUTOBIOGRAPHICALLY. which worked great up to around 2000 and then nothing. My life got disconnected from the soundtrack. Roll on Christmas 2012 and a present from my wife reconnected me. I was the proud owner of 1001 Albums you must hear before you Die. And if you have the time or inclination you can follow my journey through its pages of this here Bio-Blog. Now back to the BETA BAND The Three EP’s is not in the revised 2010 1001  but I believe one of their Albums was in the 2005 edition. So onward John Cusack aka Rob Gordon announces to the shop “I will now sell five copies of The Three E.P.’s by The Beta Band”and plays a minute give or take of the song “Dry the Rain”. As far as I am concerned at the time who are the “BETA BAND” and do they even exist because its hard to tell, try looking for something by “Kinky Wizard”. Now confessing here to a mild case of OCD in my operating system “High Fidelity” got stuck in my top 5 movie play list I have seen it a lot. Not as much as ” Flip side of Dominick  Hide” but a lot. So “Dry the Rain” and “The Three E.P’s” gets stuck in my head so prowling HMV last year has me speechless there  on the racks are 5 shiny copies of said album. Purchased and rushed home its an awesome sonic journey, yes it takes time and dedication but...

HEB Softball 2013

The Slow Pitch Softball season opens , # 1  Son makes the team draped in the Lucky # 13 shirt playing at Catch and a wicked hitter. Playing at St Rose home of # 1 Daughters school, rivalry is high (Fortunately # 1 Daughter is grade 7 and did not try out for the team) #1 Son is grade 9.  Sun shines Lady wife and myself slope off work to view the exploits a great opportunity to try my new 80-300 lens. Game goes great H.E.B win by 2 runs Slurpies on the way home all is well. In the next game # 1 Son Pitches as buddy is out of town, hits 4 home runs and H.E.B win 21-6 all is right in the world…… This is a very good time to remember pride come before a fall and curve balls exist in this world?    ...

Jasper 2012 (a slight return pt 1)

Well its that time of year again, The camp sites have been booked with Parks Canada and we are off to Jasper in Early and Late July. The format has changed this year it will be our last mandatory Tribe outing. Last year in need of R&R and peace for my journey I booked time away for myself. I begged  (well asked nicely if anyone would like to accompany me )no one was terribly enthusiastic to come with me. My better half was hosting her sister and a trip to Ft McMurray. and my son wanted to stay attached to his computer.  It turned out my daughter really wanted to come and look after me to make sure I did not get lost ( which can easily be done if you stop paying attention ) apparently I would be missed @ home. What started as Me my Camera and the Vango turned into one of the greatest unexpected  experiences of a Fathers journey.  ...

Thin Lizzy ” Live And Dangerous”...

No surprise with this one sitting here this morning blogging to Thin Lizzy. This was the first Album I bought back in 1979 ( which got scratched the replacement vinyl sold and now I have a CD) and I am still crazy about it today. Awesome cover (Has to be because of the Bass). This undoubtedly was why I eventually bought a Bass and proceeded to play it very badly. (I still play it badly today it hangs in my sons room with my Marshall which he completely ignores! don’t figure.) Favorite track has to be “Rosalie”, but slower numbers like ” Southbound” & “Dancing in the Moonlight” also get my vote. In case you missed them also released in 1978 were Van Halen :Van Halen , Dire Straits:Dire Straits , The Cars :The Cars and Magazines Real Life.   In 1979 listing my interests as Thin Lizzy, Hiking and D&D, reading  “Lord of the Rings” again ( I actually did this every summer right up to the summer of 1989). The favorite Wrangler shirt I am wearing was the one I went to my first Thin Lizzy concert in. Lined up twice round the City Hall from early morning with my friend Peter to get tickets. Awesome concert....