A View From....

I think I have a bit of a reputation as a fencesitter.  And I am rather happy with this as an assessment of where I and my head are at, on many important matters.  

 

I know I'm at least a week too late to say anything that hasn't already been said about the death of Margaret Thatcher, but I am alright with that too. 

 

I was born in the 60s and grew up on a council estate, with an older brother and a working mum and dad.  I guess we represented a typical working class family.  Apart from knowing, but not understanding, my dad's support of the unions, I had no clue about how our country was organised and governed.  My political consciousness wasn't formed until I saw, heard and felt the vitriol with which Margaret Thatcher's rise to power was played out amongst my teenage peers and others around me.

 

Carried along with the widely accepted view, I too hated Margaret Thatcher and everything she and the Tories stood for.  Yes, everything. 

 

Now that I am older, there is something I am absolutely clear on.  There are always two sides to every story.  I believe it's pretty much impossible for one ideaology or viewpoint to be completely right and another completely wrong.  Since having the confidence to climb onto the fence, I believe I've become more tolerant, more accepting and more open to the views of others.  Opening my eyes, my ears, my heart and my brain to the possibility that there is merit in much that I dismissed in my youth, has been one of the best things I have ever done.  I now have more questions than answers, but I find questioning what I instinctively believed as a result of my upbringing to be liberating. 

I admire some of what makes people believe passionately in one cause over another.  But what if some of what the other side is saying is actually quite sensible? 

 

I knew there was a reason I felt nothing but sadness at the passing of an elderly, frail woman who had stood for what she believed in and defended her beliefs admirably - whether I agreed with her or not. 

 

To quote the wonderful Louis from Admiral Fallow - "the courage to turn your back on the way you were raised."

 

I'm glad I'm a fencesitter - you can see everything from up here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGNX-UmxKFA

When I grow up............

 

Last night I saw the Sensational David Bowie Tribute Band live.  They fulfilled their brief to the letter.  What the frontman lacked in Bowie looks, he more than made up for when he started singing.  With just enough humour to poke fun at himself in costume,  he paid charming tribute to the evening's collective hero whilst nailing every single song.   With my eyes closed, I could swear I was listening to Aladdin Sane himself and from the reaction of the four hundred strong crowd, I think they felt the same.

 

Afterwards in the bar, "Bowie" emerged, dressed as himself. He looked much more impressive and had a real star presence.  I wanted to ask him "Did you want to be David Bowie when you grew up?" but I didn't want to interrupt him engaging with his fans.

 

Earlier on in the day I'd chatted to a guy in the gym I'd never met before.  He couldn't wait to tell me he'd lost three stones in three months and share his simple strategy.  Eat less, drink less alcohol and exercise more.  He couldn't keep the smile off his face.  And rightly so.  Perhaps his happiness had something to do with him becoming closer to who he wanted to be. 

 

I've heard this often and I wonder if it's even true but I choose to believe it happened...

 

A primary teacher tasks her seven year old pupils with writing on their paper - When I grow up I want to be............  She asks them to complete the sentence and draw a picture too.  On walking round the class to see the children's work, she stops at Johnny's desk.  His sentence says - When I grow up I want to be happy - and he has drawn a picture of a man with a huge smile on his face.    The teacher says "Johnny, I don't think you understood the question."  Johnny replied "Miss, I don't think you understood the answer."

 

I've had a great week at work; I saw David Bowie live; the sun shone all weekend; the horse I picked in the Grand National led valiantly from the first to the fourth last fence and my football team won 5-1.

 

The emergence of Spring and the sun in the sky often makes me reflect on my life. I'm pretty sure I'm pretty close to who I wanted to be when I grew up.  I hope you are too. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgcc5V9Hu3g

Our beautiful game...?

I love sport.  It makes me happy.  Watching it, participating in it and reading about it.  Living in the West of Scotland, ofcourse its all about football.  Much is written about this beautiful game.  Much of it factual, much of it partisan and some of it heartfelt.  I'd like to add my recent observations.

I live in a rather large Scottish town, whose local football team has seen the usual highs and lows you would come to expect from over a hundred years plying their trade. They've almost made the top flight once or twice. They've also lanquished in the lower reaches of the league but, interestingly, they've always enjoyed a larger than average support - of which they are fiercely proud. As a life long emotional supporter but a fairweather actual supporter, I've dipped in and out of attending home games and have even been known to travel on occasion.   

I've been lucky enough to attend some football at the highest level - a Champions League final at Hampden, where I witnessed the beauty and majesty of Los Galacticos, and, what's widely cited as one of the greatest goals ever scored; a European match at Celtic Park - wined and dined and sitting in the posh seats; a Scotland v England match, where I saw actual David Beckham and a derby at St James' Park in Newcastle.   Whilst I can't deny they were experiences I will remember forever, there is something about watching my local team that beats this, hands down.

Sitting in the stand (as I do), just behind the dugout, hearing the manager directing the flow of play, watching the subs warming up (and trying to guess who's coming on, before it's announced) makes the game as exciting as almost anything.  For me, this is where football really comes to life.  What's happening on the pitch is inextricably linked to what's happening off the pitch.  The dugout behaviour, the mood of the fans - the 12th man, as they are rightly called and the cut and thrust of the two battling teams, all merge into a rollercoaster ride of emotion that I don't think you can experience as well in a huge stadium.  Ofcourse, the sheer noise of tens of thousands of fans chanting in unison, the level of football on display and the pomp and circumstance of a big match is impressive and can be breathtaking - but give me an up close and personal experience any day of the week.

My most recent visit to my home ground filled me with a bevy of emotion, some unexpected.  I took my seat amongst the diehard fans, mainly season ticket holders and was enjoying the banter, the spectacle and the usual noises and smells of matchday.  The nod I give to the 3 old gents who sit just in front of me, who now bring their grandsons; the 50/50 draw ticket;  reading the team sheet; glancing around, seeing the same faces and basking in the comfortable glow that familiarity and a common purpose gives.  This feeling of being part of something - a collective - is something that I really like.  It's replicated in many areas of our lives but, being a sports participant and enthusiast all my life,  this is one of my favourites.

I'd no sooner settled in for the 90 minutes when the visiting team scored.  After only 9 minutes.  The small but noisy away support erupted, as expected.  What I wasn't expecting was the loud cheering in my ear from 3 away supporters who were sitting  right beside me.  I was speechless.  Looking not in the slightest unusual, wrapped up with hats on, I hadn't even noticed their allegiance as I said hello to them on my arrival.   I know that people are entitled to support who they please and sit where they please but I thought there was some kind of protocol - an unwritten rule - that if you were amongst the opposing support and your team score, you sit on your hands.   Our familiar, happy, collective had been invaded and we were aghast.  I would consider myself balanced, grounded, realistic and fair but this just felt wrong.  The end result was a convincing win for my team.  I will confess I felt like leading a chant of the familiar "you're not singing any more" when we went 2 up...  15 years ago, I suspect it may have ended in violence.

To the drama on the pitch.   There was a player in the opposing team who for me, stood out from the off.  His demeanour and attitude looked menacing.  He was a decent enough player but I was drawn to his behaviour around the ball, as much as on it.  Following a relatively innocuous tackle and a word from the referee, this young player launched into a foul mouthed and aggressive attack on the official that left me shocked and blushing.  Given my proximity to the action, I could make out the important words in his tirade and clearly see the venom with which they were being delivered.  What happened next shocked me too.   Precisely nothing.   The referee ignored the player, turned on his heels and carried on with the match.  The manager, who was closer to the incident than I was and would have seen and heard it perfectly, also carried on as if nothing had happened.

Just as there is familiarity in my footballing experience, the things I have come to know and expect, was what I witnessed from the referee and the manager the same?  Were their reactions normal?  I am sure I am naive but it disappoints me to see that kind of behaviour tolerated.  I think the language was so offensive he should have been sent off.  No questions asked.  And if I was the manager I would subsequently have punished him in some way. Unless I am mistaken, there have been many incidences of severe consequences against people at football matches who have used offensive language.  Why should this be treated differently.   Is football practising zero tolerance for some types of offensive behaviour and language, but not others?  I believe footballers - all athletes for that matter - have a duty to behave impeccably, to set a good example and to always be mindful of  the very privileged postition they occupy, the influence they have and the responsibility that goes along with it.

As I said, I believe what happens on the pitch is inextricably linked to what happens off the pitch. There were a number of young boys sitting within earshot of this.  What are we teaching them?

I've competed in a sporting arena, I understand that being passionate and hungry for success and caring so much about it that it ignites a fire inside you is an admirable quality.  I know.  I've felt it.  But what I witnessed wasn't admirable in the least.  It's the kind of behaviour that is making our beautiful game rather ugly.

If the young man I'm talking about happens to read this blog, perhaps he will heed the very important advice I was given early in my sporting career.

"Learning how to lose is every bit as important as learning how to win".

For a time, this was a theme song at our happy home ground. It brings back many great memories:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK0IQc222o8

And, just incase you've been on another planet since 2002, here's the goal Zidane scored at Hampden Park to secure a Champions League victory for Real Madrid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdARn64Zilw



Bond - Growing old gracefully

Let me share my new movie crush.

Last weekend, I had a moviegoing epiphany.  I went to see Skyfall, not knowing what to expect but guessing I would be somewhat underwhelmed.  I should nail my Bond colours to the mast.  I was convinced the new Bond needed to be Clive Owen.  Tall, dark, handsome, suave, sophisticated, the ability to carry off shaken but not stirred with an air of superiority - you know what I mean.  

I didn't get Daniel Craig.  He looked and felt all wrong to me.  Like everyone else on the planet, I saw the clip of him in his first Bond outing, emerging, scantily clad and dripping from the ocean in a scene cleverly reminiscent of  Bond girls Ursula Andress and more recently, Halle Berry.  I thought he looked great but unBondlike and I was sure Bond had been Hollywoodised but not in a good way.

No-one was more surpised than me when I left the movie theatre declaring my love for Daniel Bond Craig.  He's even taken over Roger Moore as my all time favourite.  Already.  And I've only seen Skyfall.

I'm not familiar enough with Ian Fleming's vision of Bond to know whether he is more or less like he should be, but I know this - I loved Craig's portrayal of the character, I loved his interplay with the other Bond stalwarts and I loved the look and feel of the movie.   Sam Mendes has done a magnificent job.  For me, the movie looked fresh, exciting, stripped back and uncomplicated but was still edge of your seat adventure stuff that had me gripped from start to finish.  I found it atmospheric, beautifully shot and quite old fashioned looking.  It felt like an attempt to move away from the gadget weilding, presposterous plot Bond.  And how!  What he's allowed Daniel Craig to create is a believable, mean, gritty, human, ageing, less than perfect, hard as nails Bond that I absolutely adore.  Now I can see that Clive Owen wouldn't have worked.

He looks and behaves like a man in his 40s, struggling to keep up with the rigours of being a fearless, trained killer.  His lettered enablers, M & Q, play crucial parts in the story, but there are twists in this particular plot that make them vitally important.  Q's back to basics approach to gadgetry is refreshing and works perfectly with our ageing hero.  We only get to see his true technical wizardry as the plot emerges and young Ben Whishaw plays this part brillliantly.  What a find, he looks born to play the role.   If you remain one of the only people who still haven't seen Skyfall, I won't spoil it for you.  Suffice to say, Bond's relationship with M is played out beautifully with professionalism but enough tenderness to melt even the hardest heart.

Not only is this a must see action and adventure movie,  I think it is one of the best Bond movies I have ever seen.  I'm sure it cost squillions to make but the special effects are very light touch - the only fireworks on show were the 12a version of Bond's sexual climax.   

For me, Bond finally has a realistic context - we can see how old he is, we are not that far removed from the world he inhabits and we get to watching him navigate his way, with extreme difficulty, through the path of the baddies.  Casting Daniel Craig was a stroke of genius and watching him come to terms with his age  was a real pleasure.


Isn't that what we all want - to grow old gracefully..?

Go see it.  Now. 

DanielCraigoutof10? - a definite 10.

This is what I imagine James Bond listens to on his ipod when he's contemplating his next job. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7la0SndoCI

A life less ordinary

I decided to start blogging for a number of reasons:

1. I have a few chums who blog and I was always interested in their blog-chat.
2. I am fascinated by the creative process but felt I had pretty much nothing artistic to contribute.  I wondered if blogging might be my foray into the art of writing.
3. I don't mind admitting that for a while, I wanted to be a journalist/writer when I grew up.  

Imagine the technology existing that allows us to get involved creatively, without the need for publishers, money, like minded or sycophantic people with influence.  Once I convinced myself I would get my blog on, I thought about what I would write. Now that was the hard but interesting part. I began to think that what people choose to blog about kind of defines them - in as much as it's important enough for them to commit those thoughts and opinions to the blogosphere.  

I've been called lazy.  I prefer to think of it as reflective and contemplative.  I suppose it depends who you ask. When I started to consider what I think about during all of my "downtime" I realised it would be the perfect inspiration for my new blog.  I am fortunate enough to be a naturally positive person so I thought I would blog about the ordinary things that make me happy.  I also hoped other people, who might come across the blog, would start to reflect on the things in their own lives that make them happy.  Perhaps I would start a new movement...  I also thought it would give some justification to my procrastination - "yeah, I'm just reflecting on what has made me happy this week so I can share it with my blog chums." And I have a probably annoying habit of rating everything out of 10.  It makes sense to me.

A learned blogger said it's important to blog once a week @ least, in order to keep any potential readers hungry and interested. Well, I fell @ the first hurdle since my last blog entry was in July.  It's not that I haven't been counting my blessings and rating them out of 10.  It's just that I've not managed to share them with anyone other than my best chum. 

But today I found the headspace.  I wonder if it's because I'm spending the weekend on a Scottish island with a population of less than 100.  I'm in a beautiful place and have had plenty of time to consider what life and blogging are all about and the effect outside influences have on our ability to be happy.  If this was the view from my window every morning, would my life feel differently I wonder?

So.  I'm going to find the time every week to stop, reflect on what's made me happy and to tell you dear blog chums.  

As I write, one of my musical heroes, Paul Weller, is on telly, advertising his forthcoming programme from Abbey Road Studios.  I have a feeling I will blog about this in the coming weeks.  Music has always been a huge part of my life - a great companion, a source of much happiness and something that makes me smile and dance.  Two of my favourite things. 

A wonderful old guy called Terry Callier died this week.  He collaborated with Paul Weller you know.  But my favourite song of his is a Northern Soul classic.  This fills my heart with joy and my feet with the urge to move.  I'm now off to smile and dance...  Catch you next week. :) x

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mTjiMWOnUc

Weekends in Vatersay outof10 - 9.75

Calling all the heroes

What a weekend it's been!  I'm a big fan of superheroes but Batman is my very, very favourite.  So, ofcourse I went to the movies on the evening of general release of the Dark Knight Rises, lining up excitedly for my fix of the caped crusader and the conclusion of Christopher Nolan's trilogy.  

I thought the first instalment, Batman Begins, was brilliant.   I loved Christopher Nolan's take on the story and the clever fusion of Eastern philosophy played out in the very heart of Western, Capitalist society.  The unfolding relationship between Bruce Wayne and his ever so English butler, Alfred, was beautiful to watch.  It reminded me of many such relationships I've seen on the big screen where the hired help take on a very special role in the rearing of their young charges - loving them every bit as a parent whilst maintaining a respectful, professional distance.  Glossing over the second movie, The Dark Knight, brings me to the final masterpiece.   The Dark Knight Rises - and how!

This movie was littered with the fruits of Nolan's labour in the first two movies.  Having spent time crafting a string of important relationships in Bruce Wayne's life, these are further developed and played out in a way that held me completely captivated.   Seldom has 164 mins passed in the blink of an eye, such was my interest in all that unfolded.  

Nolan takes on two huge current and controversial themes in the Dark Knight Rises - renewable energy using nuclear fusion (which ofcourse the baddies want to commandeer for their evil ends) and the public uprising against big business and capitalism - essentially the "have nots" against the "haves".  I thought he rather cleverly plotted these themes, whilst leaving the big questions unanswered.  Is nuclear energy the way forward?  Who exactly are the wealthy capitalists we blame for the mess we are in and where is the line drawn between the "haves" and the "have nots"?  

What a supporting cast, each one playing a role as important as Batman.  I was excited to see Matthew Modine, who plays the politician, Foley.  He has never received the acclaim he deserves - another fine actor playing a small but crucial part.  This is something Nolan does so well, weaving all the characters together into a story that is worthy of even the harshest critics praise.  He has masterfully produced an action packed blockbuster, with a child friendly rating,  that is worthy of an oscar nomination for the script and performances alone.   

The biggest and cleverest questions of all were a piece of movie making genius.  Does Bruce Wayne need Batman to define his very self and does Batman need Gotham City more than Gotham City needs Batman?   

And if all this isn't reason enough - OMG Christian Bale looks hot as hell in black Kevlar.  Thank you Christopher Nolan - nicely done. imdb.com rates the Dark Knight Rises 9.1/10.  For me it's a definite 10!

Which brings me to Bradley Wiggins.  What can I say about the man who has just won the Tour de France, without question the greatest sporting endurance event on earth.  The first British man to do so, he was favourite from the start after a blistering season up to that point.  No pressure then Brad.    Anyway, get this.  He covered 3500km in 87hours, 34 mins & 47 secs.  He rides on the flat @ a pretty consistent 50km per hour.  Yes, read that again because those stats seem almost impossible for a mere mortal.  He was pretty much assured of the yellow jersey in the final week but, like a true hero, he gave his all until the final km, leading out his wingman, the great Mark Cavendish, for one final stage win.   I had the absolute pleasure of meeting him @ a cycling dinner a couple of years ago before his rise to cycling god status.  He was Olympic champion mind you and one of only two British Olympians to have a medal tally of 6, including 3 golds.  And like a true Northern lad, he gleefully drank pints and chummed almost everyone in the room.  I'll tell you what though - just like Bruce Wayne I'm sure, if you looked closely enough you could almost see his cape under his Fred Perry button down shirt and Farah slacks.  BradleyWigginsoutof10 - a well deserved 10!

Only one thing separates Batman and Bradley Wiggins - one wears black and   the other, yellow.  But they're both true heroes.  

From the movie Drive, here's my musical tribute to them both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUWJFOnXuB0

  

And I didn't see one Alien.....

I recently spent a weekend on the beautiful Isle of Skye, in the Scottish Highlands.  I was excited about this trip for a few reasons.
- I would be accompanied on the journey by Rickie Lee Jones & Admiral Fallow
- I would be spending time in the great outdoors
-I was staying in a B&B run by Paul Weller!


Even although I can listen to music @ home anytime, I always think there is something rather special about embarking on a car journey armed with my chosen musical companions.  I heart the new Admiral Fallow album, Tree Bursts in Snow and always, always love listening to Rickie Lee Jones on long journeys.  Smooth, groovy and with an aura that's just a tad edgy, she somehow makes the passing scenery feel even more beautiful.
I'm always a wee bit nervous about staying in B&Bs, sometimes it's a bit too much like sharing a stranger's house.  However, I was willing to let this slide to stay in a house run by a guy called Paul Weller.  I knew it wouldn't be the Paul Weller I had had a musical crush on for 30 years, but it was a close enough association to have me thrilled @ the prospect.
I think you need to be a certain kind of person to open up your home and look after paying strangers and Paul & Jan Weller did it wonderfully.  Comfy bed, brilliant shower, fabulous breakfast and just enough charming but gossipy chat about previous guests to have me hooked.    If, like me, you get a kick out of staying with people who could possibly be celebrities, you could do worse than stay @ the old Church House on the Isle of Skye.


http://www.oldchurchhouseskye.co.uk/

The main event however, was the breathtaking scenery and challenging terrain.  Climbers will recognise the term "bouldering" as something entirely different, but, for me, it's all about clambering gleefully over big boulders, a pastime which fills me with sheer delight.  Add an uneven surface with lots of mud underfoot and I am moved to take to my heels.    So, the thought of clambering 300m up to the Old Man of Storr on a drizzly weekend afternoon was my idea of heaven.   I was superexcited to see this landmark for the first time, since the opening scenes of the recent Prometheus movie, where the scientists discover caves with ancient paintings, were filmed there.  A challenging half hour climb saw us arrive @ this wonderful stone formation, which has been fascinatingly fashioned from thousands of years of landslip.  There were a few movie fans tracing the steps of the actors and taking pictures from just the right angle to reflect the director's viewpoint. 
Once they had gone, the top of the hill was deserted, allowing me to sit in complete silence, taking in an awe inspiring view and filling my lungs with the freshest of air.  Until I started climbing, I didn't get it.  Now, I will never tire of this experience.  The only moving objects sharing my sense of wonder were a couple of sheep and my climbing chum, who was excitedly pointing his camera all around.   The enlosed picture is his version of the Prometheus view.
I am interested in the notion of mindfullness.  For me, it means being present in the moment and thankful for the here and now.  How easy to be present in such an environment.  My challenge is to recreate that feeling of calm and groundedness when my circumstances and environment are quite different.   The more time I spend in the great outdoors, the easier I find it to recreate the feeling in my mind's eye.    There's a lesson in there somewhere - for me @ least.


The only disappointing thing about my first visit to the Old Man of Storr - I never did find those cave paintings and I didn't see one alien...


isleofskyeoutof10 - 10!


my favourite weekend in skye songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAvHwV_pDNo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9Hj8bVqcig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itua4idU9nY