sidewinder

Snowed in !

Yvette Cooper Ed Balls Terry Major-Balls

Jeez - everything North of Watford Gap is shut/out of action !

Anthony Valentine Major Mohn Herr Flick

Too true ! Still no significant fall of the fluffy stuff here, although a sprinkle is scheduled overnight. I have a drive to Alpha Centauri/Lancashire to do on Monday afternoon so hope it thaws out up there !

Thanks ! Not a major issue though for the South as we don't have the dumps of snow that you guys have had. That forecasted thunder storm, perhaps? Certainly some strong gusts of wind first thing but it has calmed down now. No snow, just around 0C. Positively balmy, indeed.

No, 'fraid not. Although I sometimes eat Danish salami and might have some distant Viking blood from Erik Bloodaxe's troop, perhaps ! UK weather this week is unseasonably cold. It's been around -10C in the rural area around my place. If the gulfstream has shifted then we're stuffed and I'm off back to Canada to warm up. Wish I was a teacher like Bev and got the week off !

Put me down for the Mingus Uptown and the Mingus Town Hall Concert please, Porcy. Thanks !

5 euro is certainly very reasonable, Porcy. I know that when I was looking for a copy it took a while to dig one out.

Likewise. One day I'm gonna just flip and do it. Crazy weather this week - there's actually thunder storms forecast for Thursday.

'Beyond bloody cold' would be my description this morning ! I'm sure it was warmer in Northern Canada. Either that or I'm getting soft. Block heaters anyone?

Amazed it lasted that long !

Yes, the 'Sospiri' was a very interesting listen. Actually passed by the Elgar house near Great Malvern (actually, nearer to Worcester) this year as I was doing some work in the area. Lovely part of England and his music is infused with the feel of the place.

Bradford's most famous son ! After JB Priestley that is... He was part of a very notable German immigrant subculture to that city, by virtue of the wool industry. Victorian Bradford to Florida is one heck of a transition !

Fascinating programn on Elgar's life and music on BBC4 recently. Some of those late choral works (e.g. the one about the owls) sound totally unlike his usual pomp & pagentry stuff - more impressionistic and Holst-like.

Just got hold of this too. Music that has somehow, inexplicably, eluded me for decades. Some outstanding music on here ('The Essence Of George Russell' an initial standout on first listening) and sound quality of the CDs is fine. Wish they had put a booklet with it though including good legible session notes and the lineups (without the need to get a magnifying glass out).

About -5C down here this morning. The snow has melted though !

Tox Drohar Howard Flight Sir Keith Joseph Rasputin TS Monk Cadfael

Hi again porcy - you can put me in for the Lou Donaldson 'A Man With A Horn' as well. Cheers !

Sure do !

Happy Birthday Mr BF !

The British Film Institute have also brought out DVD collections of this Health & Safety stuff originally produced for TV (some of them scared the living daylight out of me back in the day e.g. kids playing by a spooky pool with the grim reaper stood in the distance) and also 50s/60s/70s 'Industrial' documentaries intended to help train up the workforce. Many of them are fascinating social documents of their time - think I'll pick up a few of those DVDs.

Woody Herman did a version of it on 'Jazz Hoot' (CBS). I heard this years before I ever heard the Lee Morgan version. Hilton Ruiz also recorded the tune on 'Strut' (RCA/Novus). With Sam Rivers !

Gay Bikers On Acid The Mekons The Maggon

Jack Good Jade Goody Goody Two Shoes