Cry God for Brian Blessed

We all know the list of things to survive a nuclear war is quite short: spiders, locusts , Courtney Love and of course Brain Blessed. Brian is a force of nature as well as being a force for good so I was pleased to see him hamming it up with the Henry V speech trying to put some vim into the England side. Unfortunately the BBC intercut Mexborough's greatest son with rather weedy "sportsmen" so I've done an edit of the speech just with Brian's bits. Not sure it will stiffen the marrow of Rooney et al but it will cheer the rest of us up*.



By the way to record it on audacity I had to turn the recording levels down to 40% to stop BB distorting!!!

* health warning BLTP & BBC suggest you remove small children and pet fish from the room before playing this clip.

Cry God for Brian Blessed

The church clock stands at 10 to 3

“Aisle 6 for tinned goods, toiletries & hideous carbuncles.”

As the train rumbled on I was reading a new compilation of John Betjeman’s TV scripts (I got it for a quid in the book frenzy as Borders on Oxford St. closes). It’s good if a slightly odd read, as some of passages refer to montages on the TV films we can’t see. It’s worth a look though.
I would have been in a Betjeman state of mind anyway; heading out of Paddington on the GWR does this to me for some reason. Changing trains at Didcot (I think it’s could be the name) is an essential JB moment particularly if a steam engine is puffing by.

In one passage in the book JB’s praising some alms houses and describes the beauty of a cupola/lantern/dovecot built above their communal dining hall. As I read this bit the train sped past some out of town shopping centre, a Tesco centre and there topping off this temple of “best of Tuscan-style tomato & Parmesan vine grown organic frittata & Value range savoury egg multipack” over consumption was a cupola. You’ll see it’s like sprinkled all across this part of the country; seemingly the last cynical click of the mouse designed not to flood the interior with light and air or even host cooing doves but to ensure the fall of the rubber stamp of some beleaguered council planner and the subsequent nod from the misguided acquiescent local councillors. They give an arrogant finger to their neighbours; my heart always sinks whenever I see them.

A Taxi tour of Midsomer County via the breakfast bar.
After dropping my bags off at my travel lodge, 75 quid a night but “the “premier breakfast” is 8 quid extra (how can a breakfast without say kippers or black pudding be “premier”? What’s “premier” about a thimble sized shot glass of sugary orange juice and what service exactly would I get if I asked the pimply but friendly staff “to warm my croissant”?) I got a cab to the church where my friends were getting married.

Along the way the “local lad” driver got lost! While he tried to find his way he inevitably informed me of the inadequacies of the one way system (does anyone ever care about this? No but cabbies the world over insist of telling you about it “you see you use to be able to turn right here but the pillocks at the Council blocked it off...”). He wasn’t a bad soul and dropped the price down for us having cruised the mean streets of Wallingford twice looking for the church. (My map was right it turns out “there is a church down there” after all).

Pre-wedding Butterflies and Romanesque musings
I was in plenty of time however and sat in a patch of sunshine in the otherwise shady church yard. The church I think would have please old John B being as its impossibly old (a list of former Rectors on the wall goes back to 1200’s). Its walls curving to little towers and also at the east end of the nave. It was really a very bucolic setting, patches of the grounds had been left to grow long and where filled with wild flowers providing nectar for buzzing butterflies and bumble bees. Above me somewhere a black bird serenaded us all. Inside the choir (Don’t listen to anyone who says the English can’t sing!) were practising and for moment avian and human voices were entwined. Over come by it all I was just about to go next door and ask if there was still honey left for tea!

Reluctantly I went inside, the church was filling with tiny hats and impossibly high heels, new suits and freshly shaved chins. Being Romanesque (in design) the church has a wide curved arch across the nave delicately carved with simple repeating floral cross reliefs. At times like these my mind drifts off to thoughts of the people who built these places. Not strangely the fresh off the boat Norman using his ill gotten wealth to glorify God (and himself along the way) but the put upon nameless mason chipping away at the honeyed stone. I doubt he would've imagined I would be sat here all these many years later in my tight collar and tighter best shoes looking up at his delicate work. His simple open carving out lasting the vanity of his patron. I’ll have to stop now the brides arrived and the blackbirds struck up again.

flag day

flag day
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

.........It's all nonsense really when tonight has been so remarkable. Not sure where to start I was on George Formby's boat no that's not right, i was in this bar in no no.

let's see when I was seeing 400 blows I found out that Sea Power where playing the BFI tonight it was of course it was sold out but G suggested there'd be some returns. And wonderfully there was the marvelous J sold me his spare for the cover price J was excellent company (he'd seen the Truffaut at the same times as we did!) as well potato picking with soft machine which is maybe how he lost his finger.

Anyway some genius had organised British Sea Power to play the soundtrack to Man of Arran. by Robert J. Flaherty which was inspired to say the least. Not only are they the most maritime of power pop combos, they already have the sweaters!

They played a half hour set based loosely on The Great Skua from their last lp, to some excellent bird footage followed by the main film.

Sorry this is getting like a film class (I hope your taking notes as there's a test on Monday)round here but basically Man of arran is probably as good as film as 400 blows.!

It's an early docudrama, it's much discussed so I won't go into the the debate but basically Flaherty understood that sometimes truth is as important as fact and basically the film is really beautiful shot and surprisingly gripping. Some of the scenes of men fishing are incredible and seem to made up entirely of silver and black. a Remarkably poetic film.

BSP music matched really well with the right the dynamics , drama and lightness of touch some parts where quite moving.
I'll stop now great films are one thing but seeing my favourite band as well is rendering me monosylabic. Suffice to say it was good.

oh and on the warm evening with people laughing and ambling along the south bank I was reminded of what day it was by the office in the picture and looking down on the wine (more like stout)dark river, what wth Boris Johnson putting on folk gigs? and people in knitted chain mail handing out beer?
Are you more English when the tides out?
Are you less when the Thames comes rolling in?
and if I get my faced painted do I have to drink Becks?
and are you going to tell the lads on the train or should I that it won't still be the 23rd in the Bromley walkabout because "it's still yesterday in Australia".

Bless 'em they'd had a good day which is all you want really, it beats collecting sea weed off the sea shore or boiling up sharks for lamp oil or being chased through France with hammond organ player and a stolen case of the 45 you could loose a finger doing that...

Anyway night all.

looking for a new England?

Handy if your not looking for the new one
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Are these blessed Isles (well the bottom bit anyway) the only place in world where you can see as I just did someone joylessly eating a crossiant with a knife and fork.

a little lion

Found this picture on Flickr it's wonderful in so many ways. It's by Jazz Beat.
Here's his pics

My own little corner of Flickr Giant Plastic Ice Cream Cones goes from strengh to strength with 15 members and 31 pictures!