My current predicament got me singing a song

My formative years were the 1980's. Music played a big part in my life at that time. My home town, Liverpool, was a mess. Unemployment crippled the city and Thatcher's Conservative Government took the brunt of the critiscism.

However, out of this blight, art, and especially music, flourished. In times of desperation, art is our saviour and the best art is produced. Liverpool's music scene in the 1980's was buzzing with new music and new bands. You were either in the synthesizer camp with bands like Orchestral Manoueveres in the Dark or the drums and guitar camp with Post Punk bands like Echo and the Bunnymen.

One band that stood out to me as offering something different were The Christians. They were a combination of blues, soul and gospel and with Garry Christian's rich, velvety voice and presence they had the perfect frontman.

I could never work out whether the Christians songs were political or religious. I think they were deliberately ambiguous and left it up to us to work out. Or maybe, like the rest of us, they also had problems differentiating between the two.

Anyway, the lyrics to Born Again can be seen as mixing both politics and religion. My first reaction when I heard this song was that it is about being unemployed, wasting time on the dole and then finding a way out of despair by finding a job and direction in life. But the lyrics could be equally about a person who is without religious direction and finds a way out of despair through God.

Good art can do that; it can be confusing and have multiple meanings. Good art makes the viewer/listener keep guessing and come up with their own interpretation.

My memoirs

I've had a bit of time on my hands lately and so I've been putting it to good use by starting to write my memoirs. It's something I'd like to keep going. It's not self indulgent; it's something I'd like my nephew and niece to read when they are older and maybe their kids.

Anyway, here is an extract:

During an early stage in my life I was going through a difficult time with a girlfriend. We had been going out with each other for several years even though I was a young man at the time. I was in my early 20s. My girlfriend was studying to be a Nurse and I was in full time education learning Engineering.

We were going through a bad time and we decided to have a split. She was happy pursuing her career as a Nurse and I felt like I was going nowhere. I decided I needed to do something with my life and so I decided to apply for the Royal Air Force. When I was a kid, I dreamt of being a Pilot. So, a Pilot I was going to be.

I had to sit an entrance exam to determine the trades that would be open to someone with my aptitude. Depending on my score, I would be offered a choice of jobs or trades.

My test results showed that being a Pilot was clearly way beyond my capability. My answers to two of the questions: "Do you own a driving Licence?" and, "Do you prefer cats or dogs?", were clearly instrumental in the RAF offering me 2 choices: Truck Driver or Dog Handler.

I decided to continue with my studies and get back with Theresa.

Friendly Fires - New favourite band

Laura Marling - Ghosts

Laura Marling has broken onto the music scene this year. Her album, Alas I cannot swim', is an excellent example of the new folk movement that has gripped the UK in 2008. The album is wonderful and was shortlisted for the Mercury Album of the Year competition.

I'm going to see Laura play at the Trinity Centre in Bristol on Friday 7th.

Go break an arm Rory!

Will someone please break Rory Delap's arm! Stoke are a one trick pony and don't deserve their position in the premiership. 8 of their 13 goals in their debut season in the premiership have come from Rory's undeniably incredible throw ins. But that's it. It doesn't ingratiate them to neutral fans who want to see proper football winning games not rugby or quarterback style tactics.

I wish he played for Everton!

Halloween movie scene - The Blair Witch Project

My choice of most scary movie scene is the final scene in The Blair Witch Project. This scene really freaked me out when I saw the film. The whole movie is scary and must have scared the living daylights out of campers all over the World; it scared me.

For those who haven't seen it, the film tells the story of a group of film students who are researching a story about a witch that inhabits an old wood in an American backwater. The students go armed with tents and video cameras to make a movie/documentary about the said witch. The whole film is shot using hand held video cameras which were later discovered by Police in a house in the wood. The cameras were found but there was no evidence of the missing students, and they remain unnacounted for.

The Blair Witch Project created a storm when it was first released, mainly because of the way the film makers had used the internet to spread the word and create an air of expectation, fascination and anticipation for their work. It was an original way of promoting the movie and probably the first film to exploit the internet in this way.

Back to the scene. During their research into the Blair Witch myth, the film students interview many local people who live in the area near to the wood. We, the audience, see some of these interviews. Most of the local people are sceptical but a few believe there is some truth to the story of the witch. When I saw these interviews, I remember not paying much attention to them as I thought they were filler to the film and not relevant. But one of the little snippets of conversation was to become very important and key to the final horrifying scene. I'll just say here that it's not gruesome or anything like that. It just relies on the power of suggestion, simple imagery and a reliance on the audience to have put the pieces together and worked out what happens next. Oh, and they must have paid attention to the key interview earlier.

That last image is so powerful. When I saw it, I was suddenly transported back to the scene where I heard about what was in front of me on the screen and this realisation gave me a huge jolt. There is so much build up to the final scene (maybe too much), and then it's over as quick as a flash. It's a truly great climax, and unlike in some films when I feel cheated by an abrupt ending, I was cut dead in my tracks with only my imagination to decide what happened and what will happen next. I think that is the key to the importance of this scene. It relies on our imagination.

Imagination is fundamental to the horror genre, especially the haunted house theme. We can all imagine what it must feel like to be in a haunted house because we have all spent time laying awake at night, listening to our heavy breathing and hearing the house groan and the bumps in the night.

Like a lot of people who saw the Blair Witch Project, that final scene stuck with me for days later and haunted my dreams for a while.

Looking at the scene on its own now in the cold light of day, it doesn't have the same power as it did back when I saw the film for the first time. I think it may have to do with not seeing the whole film together; there are lots of other scary moments in the film. I guess I'll just have to watch it again, maybe on Halloween.

I think I need to look at women who interest me for a change

I've been looking at my posts and I got a bit of a shock; they're all about men in this World that impress and inspire me. There are no women in here. Why is that? It is interesting how things are divulged through what one writes about and also what is not written about. Hmmmmm. What does this say about me? What value do I put on females? I don't think this is healthy. I need to discover some female writers and comediens. I do like Sue whatshername who recently won the BBC competition to find out the best Orchestral Conductor. See? I can't even remember her full name. She is funny though and original. I'll start with her and see where I get.

I also like The Ting Tings and Laura Marling. Now I'm getting defensive.

Song for Halloween - What's He Building in There?

What's he building in there? - Tom Waits

I'm a big fan of Tom Waits; just ask my Dad. A work colleague called Steve Johnson got me into him in the late eighties. My Dad can't understand my appreciation of Mr Waits. He thinks he can't sing and I think my Dad has missed the point. I think an appreciation of Tom Waits cannot be simplified into whether or not you like his voice. It's his whole personae that you have to dig. Tom started out as a Beat Poet in the 60's and was a contemporary of Jack Kerouac. I like to think of him as an alternative troubadour rather than as a Singer.

I think this song reinforces my argument about Tom being a Poet. It's more a recital of a story set to some weird background music than a song. Although this song is quite scary, it makes me laugh so much. There are some very funny lines in here delivered in typical deadpan fashion. I mean, how can you get the following lines into a 'song', "There's poison under the sink, of course. There's also enough formaldehyde to choke a horse". Pure brilliant!

I remember playing this song to my mates when we were on holiday together in Morrocco a few years ago. Nobody got it apart from Mike and he couldn't stop laughing either. Mike and I have the same sense of humour.

Anyway, this goes down as my best Halloween song of all time. Tomorrow, it's my best Halloween film scene. Can you guess what it is?

Fonejacker

fonejack / v. 1. to seize control of a telephone conversation by farce esp. divert it from reason and logic



I love this guy. I've been watching Fonejacker right from the start. It seems like others are eventually waking up to this chap's talent. I just heard him being interviewed by Shaun Keaveny on BBC R6. Maybe it's because the show is broadcast on E4 that it's taken so long for people to catch on.

Some might say that making prank calls is not a new comedy idea and reinforcing comedy stereotypes is an easy way to get a laugh. They definitely have a point. I know all about getting the piss taken out of me by people who resort to the latter to get a cheap laugh. I'm also a big fan of comedy and people who can make me laugh these days are in short supply. The Fonejacker can, and he does this in a number of ways with just the right amount of cyniscism.

The Fonejacker expresses our universal dislike and frustration at the call centre experience. He pokes fun at the publics' general greed and consumption of insignificant but collectible items that are easy to come by such as pirated DVDs. He shows us how gullible we are by asking us to give over our bank details to a stranger from a fictional bank in Uganda.

Prank calls have always been about making the recipient of the call look stupid. The audience laughs at their predicament and is reassured in their knowledge that there are people out there who are more of an idiot than themselves.

I suppose in a way, the Fonejacker has just modernised this idea by making the scenarios more relevant to today's society. He tackles subjects that we all find amusing, frustrating and downright annoying. It's the way he does this that makes the Fonejacker different than say Jeremy Beadle. He uses his comedy acting talent for all the voices in the show. He also uses little animations and video clips to illustrate the conversations which is a clever, imaginative way to get extra laughs.

The chap who plays Fonejacker is quite secretive about his real personae. We see him in the show hiding behind a full face, bobble on top, ski hat with black aviator sunglasses. He looks like a comedy terrorist and I suppose in a way, he is. This all adds to his mystique. Who is he? Is he watching me now? Am I next? The Fonejacker's Facebook page is inundated with postings from fans who want him to defrock himself and expose his real identity. I think this is really clever as it keeps people guessing and talking about who he is, and this ensures he is kept in the public eye.

Here is one of my favourite characters: The Mouse. What I like about this clip is that the recipient is not made to look daft but is wise to the gag and plays along with it, so creating a nice little improvised sketch in which the Fonejacker is able to display his comedy acting talent and tell the story completely without being cut off. It's also a very wicked and yet sweet idea that there's this vigilante mouse out to kill the cat that has eaten all his family. It does make me wonder how many takes they had to do before they got the killer scene. Another favourite character of mine is "Talk to me, Terry Tibbs". Again, the public that he speaks to in his sketches play along with the character developing nice scenes in which both characters score equal points. Nobody likes a person to look completely stupid at the hands of a prankster, do they?

Most of the Fonejacker clips can be found on You Tube or on the excellent Fonejacker web site.

One of those 24s

I rediscovered these verses of poetry that I first wrote when I left Scotland in 2001. I like it but I need to develop some more verses. Any ideas?

One of those 24s

It's been one of those 24s,
You know the ones I mean.
Everyone wants a piece of you,
A man they've never seen.

It started with the ex,
With a letter from the Tax.
"You owe us lots of money", they say,
"We're coming round with sacks".

More verses here....

Last verse....
Jack Bauer thinks he's got it bad,
With all his trouble and strife.
Next time you've got a spare 24 Jack,
Come round and swap me your life.


Jack Bauer is the fictional character played by Kiefer Sutherland in the TV drama series: 24.

Mountain hut slippers

At last I have found them.

Just as well because my old pair are looking a bit worse for wear these days and may not make it through another winter.

My friend Howard introduced me to this ubiquitous item several years ago whilst on a ski trip in Chamonix and everytime I go on an alpine trip I look out for a replacement pair. Apparently these are given out to guests in the more luxurious alpine ski lodges as comfortable footwear to wear while drinking scotch and smoking an aromatic pipeful of St Bruno tobacco.

Moving to the Middle East?

My friend Will planted a little seed in my head today when he told me of potential job opportunities in Dubai with a friend of his who is moving into IT recruitment in the area. I hate the thought of working in such a messed up part of the World. Dubai looks so crass. But the money over there can be very good and it could fund my exit out of IT and into something more fulfilling. It would also get me away from Bristol which is starting to get me down again.

Shaun Keaveny

I never thought anyone would top Big Phil Jupitus' breakfast show on Radio 6 but we truly have a new contender for the best toast and tea DJ. I remember that when Shaun Keaveny took over, he went AWOL for a bit and I thought, "He can't hack the early mornings". But then he resurfaced. I don't remember the reason for the no-show.

It must have been a really tough job taking over from Phil Jupitus; that really was a great show and I'm a big fan of Mr Jupitus. He's a very funny, intelligent and charming man.

However, Shaun has really made the show his own. He has that great Northern wit that I identify with and a level of intelligence that proves that us Northern men can have depth to them as well as humour and charm.

This morning he did a great spoof of a fictional meeting in a club between Paris Hilton (currently promoting a new television programme in which she is looking for a new best friend) and Prince William (some Royal bloke). In the spoof, Paris and PW swap telephone numbers after some innane chatting up routine. Shaun's general distaste at PH and all who sail in her is very funny indeed. He has similar distaste for those other true virtuous females: Madonna and Victoria Beckham.

He also played this great song from Prefab Sprout from the 80's. What a great tune from a truly quintessential band (also from the North).

Black Mountain

A recent edition of Uncut magazine carried a free cd of psychedelic music. It had a song from a 2008 favourite band of mine called Yeasayer. It also had this track from a Vancouver band called Black Mountain which I think is great. The video for Wucan is dark. I love all those images of ancient Indians. They remind me of some of the images from Oliver Stone's biopic of The Doors.

The Illustrated Ape

As part of my poetry quest, I came across a publication called 'The Illustrated Ape', whose Editor has a fondness for an interesting, sexy band with the great name of "Tits of Death". Is that Kim Wilde?

The Big Blue

I watched this film again tonight. I've seen it so many times but tonight I saw something different. It may not come to many as much of a revelation but it is such a male oriented film. I know it is about male competitiveness and failure to make commitment and all that typically male behavour. It is also tender and sensitive and nobody can dispute the powerful emotion invoked from the scenes between man and er..... dolphin.

I look at all these stereotypical things that we now recognise, and I wonder whether they were such obvious traits back in the day when the film was made. Looking at it now, it seems dated and naieve.

Don't get me wrong, I love the film for the obvious highlights like the cinematography, Jean Reno's wonderfully charismatic character - Enzo and the supremely photogenic Jacque Mayoll (Jean-Marc Barr), I even enjoyed the 80's soundtrack this time. But I feel the film suffers because of the incredible male perspective on everything. It was almost like "I, the Director, am a man, a French man, and I want all us men to look like we are incredible and I won't make any excuses for our bad behaviour". This doesn't work in this day and age.

I'm not sure I'll watch this film again. It's time has passed; time to move on.... Thankyou Luc Besson, Jean Reno and Carlo Varini (Cinematographer) and welcome to baldness Jean-Marc Barr. You had your time you beautiful man but like the rest of us you could also see it coming. Where's your mermaid now eh? And their I go exhibiting another male trait, envy. Or is that universal between sexes?

Liverpool FC fans react in their usual manner

Will Liverpool fans ever stop whingeing? Don't be so selfish. Atletico Madrid (their next opponents in the Champions League) are being punished because the Madrid fans chanted racist abuse during a recent match against Marseilles. Their punishment is that they must play their next game at a neutral venue which has upset Liverpool fans who have booked to see the game in Madrid. Now Liverpool fans are whingeing and crying in their usual way about it being wrong and they shouldn't be left out of pocket. It's a shame for them but these so called fans of Atletico Madrid need to be taught a lesson. This is more important than any hardhip the Liverpool fans have to endure. The way Liverpool fans react adds to the ammunition directed at the city for being a self-pity city. The next thing is, there will be a hard-hitting drama on TV about it.

The thing is games are played so close to each other now that any punishment delved out to a club is going to be felt immediately. If these clubs were not so greedy at cramming so many fixtures into a season maybe there would be enough time between fixtures to fix a punishment and not upset peoples' travel plans so much.

Sorry Liverpool fans, but the punishment delved out to Madrid because of their disgusting racist behaviour is more important than your hardship and your disappointment at, and I quote, "not seeing Torres play on his old ground against his former team". Please! Give me a break. Let's put things into perspective here. My heart bleeds for you. Get over it you whingeing cry-babies.

There's so much stuff in my life

Do you ever get the feeling that your most prized possessions are being overshadowed by stuff that gets in the way of you enjoying them? I do. You can't beat a good old fashioned note pad and pencil for instance. I'm surrounded with all this stuff that makes pens and paper redundant and yet in no way do they come close to satisfying that ancient pleasure of writing using a pen or, preferrably, a pencil onto a scrappy old pad.

I travel by train a lot these days and I look forward to taking out my journal cum notepad and writing stuff in it. And yet, here I am writing using a laptop.

A song by James which is included on their recent album has some great lyrics in it which go like this, "There's so much stuff in my life, what I have I don't even know. Don't take a phone company to tell me life's pay as you go. There's so much stuff in my life, no room for me to grow. Under the waterfall, under the waterfall, its cool and cold and clear. One day, I'm gonna break from my life, due south down to Mexico. I'm gonna burn down my house, it's the only way to let it go".

I can relate to this entirely. I like Tim Booth, he's talented.

I'm surrounded by stuff and I feel totally held to ransom by my house. I never owned a house until 4 years ago and now I feel totally attached to it. I don't like the draw it has on me. I know it's easier said than done but I need a clear out. I find all this stuff around me distracting. What do I really need to live a happy existence? Something to write with, something to listen to, something to get my adrenaline rush from and, ahem (look away now Mum) something to stimulate my urges (hey Giles, keep some of those copies of Hello for me, cheers). I think there's an idea for a poem in here.

My Dad

I received a really nice email from my Cousin Colette yesterday in which she likened my interest in writing poetry to my Granddad Joe's. We never met Granddad Joe because he was killed in WWII and is now laid to rest with so many others from the King's Liverpool Regiment where he fell in Casino near Rome. Granddad Joe had 2 sons with our dear Nanna Kitty: Colette's Dad (also named Joe) and my Dad (Bob (above)).

Earlier this year my Dad went into hospital for what he told everyone was a routine operation. "I'll be out after the weekend", he told us. It was far from a routine operation and it turned out to be very serious. Months later he is almost back to his normal self. Unfortunately, his appetite for a pint or two with his sons has now diminished but we're just grateful that he's still around.

My Dad is a fiercely loyal Scouser with a typical (probably mutual), unhealthy streak of Xenophobia directed solely towards a certain city not 30 miles from his home in Liverpool.

This is a poem I wrote while visiting my Dad in hospital shortly after his operation.

I'll be out after the Weekend

We breached the smoking towelling tier,
transcended to the sky.
We found you weak and exhausted,
amid yards of hi-tech sci-fi.

You lay there prone before us,
all twisted pipes and tubes.
The Nurses worked like troopers
and one of them had nice eyes (lovely they were).

The op had been a marathon.
Your blood was not your own.
We feared a Manchester accent.
They assured us it was home-grown.

Through tears we laughed and teased you,
knowing full well no reply.
We hoped you wouldn't remember,
or we'd be the ones waving bye bye.

You dreamed of far off voices.
We uttered our words right there.
You struck for the top like a diver,
craving the surface for air.

You were promised an Echo mountain,
and places away from the rain,
in Stoke-on-Trent or Bristol,
or maybe sunny Spain.

I waited around regardless,
for words without your tube in.
In the faintest belief,
due to medical mischief,
they'd transfused you a dose of Mancunian.

Highlights and lowlights of my week's cinema and TV

Tropic Thunder (in response to Peter Bradshaw's review in the Guardian)

Peter Bradshaw, have you lost your mind? This is one of the worst, most unfunny so-called comedies I have ever seen. With such rich acting and comedy talent at hand I expected much more. Instead this film is as lost as the buffoons who are stuck in the jungle trying to make a Vietnam type war movie. Steve Coogan and Robert Downey Jnr are the only ones who come out of this disaster movie with any credibility.

When the Cambodians discover that Ben Stiller's character played Simple Jack in his previous failed movie, that was a low point in Stiller's directing/writing/call it what you will career. If it hadn't been for the fact that I'd paid £6 (matinee price what a joke!) to watch this film at the new posh Showcase Lux in Bristol, I would have walked out there and then.

I've Loved You so Long

On the other hand Peter, I must say that you got this one spot on. What a great film and a highlight for Kristin Scott Thomas who was spellbinding. A very definite French film with a bit of Englishness thrown in. Great support acting from Luc, Michel, Lea, the melancholic cop and the family's adopted Vietnamese children are a revelation. But Scott Thomas is totally absorbing.

Just one thing Mr Bradshaw, how can you be so acute (and accurate I have to say) in your critiscism about the sugary country scene in this film and be so dismissive of so many bad scenes and cringing moments from Tropic Thunder?

Flight of the Conchords

This has been the main highlight of the week. What a great series, full of warmth and original humour and great performances by Bret McKenzie, Jemaine Clement and Rhys Darby as Murray. These guys are gonna be big. I love the songs, so funny. My good friend Matt Peers told me to watch this ages ago and I've only just got round to doing so recently. Thanks Matt! You have repaid my tip about Fonejacker.

This time last year

I just remembered it was around this time last year when I visited the Picos de Europa on my Spanish mountainbiking trip. I thought I'd publish the poem that I wrote at the time for a lady I met on that trip. For Lisa.

Her Orange Steed

Her Orange steed
her trusty breed
for breaking every hill.

Her athlete's legs
soon cut to shreds
would push and push until....

her slender frame
would stake the claim
then time was there to kill.

Her Orange steed
her trusty breed
carrying her from the start.

For mile on mile
her charming smile
designed to lift my heart.

I couldn't sleep thinking about you. I rose at 5 and wrote these words. I hoped I had remembered which room was your's and I slipped the note under your door. We met at breakfast with the others and you let nothing slip, not even a knowing look. I thought I had the wrong room. We walked our bikes to the cable car at Fuente De and you said "That was from you wasn't it? Very sweet". We got aboard the cable car and had one of the most memorable day's biking I ever had.

Music is my first love

Thankyou Elbow and Radiohead. Your music makes me a happy, emotional wreck of a man. I'm driving back from a great weekend of mountainbiking in Wales with some nice new friends; it's a beautiful, sunny Autumnal evening. Then on comes One Day Like This on the iPod. I turn up the volume and I'm singing in my loudest voice "So throw those curtains wide, one day like this a year would see me right". Then there's tears streaming down my face because the lyrics are so apt and the song is so wonderful. I saw them on tv singing the same song as the sun set over Glastonbury. It looked amazing and I'm sure people there were feeling the same as me driving down the M4 unable to see where I'm going because of the tears. Then that finishes and what comes on next? Only Radiohead singing Weird Fishes from In Rainbows which is just a beautiful song. I think that's my yearly blubb out of the way.

To me music is so powerful and people who don't listen to music are missing out on something so life enriching it defies me.

On finger nails

I wish I didn't have finger nails. They just get in the way. What purpose do they fulfill? For me they get full of shit when I clean my bike, end up tap tapping annoyingly on my keyboard when I'm writing and get in the way when I'm texting. And they grow quicker as I get older, I'm sure of it. Grrrr.......

Opera House - Valencia

See all my pictures here

The Church of the Virgin

Taken from the Cathedral tower.

See all my pictures here

This weekend

It's a beautiful day here in Bristol. Sat in my kitchen writing, looking at my pictures and listening to my new music mix from 2008. The Black Keys mixed with James, Laura Marling, Goldfrapp, Carole King, White Denim, Elbow and The Fleet Foxes. Now that is some mix oh and a bit of David Holmes.

Weekend looks good for biking and camping in Wales. Need to clean my bike first and take it on a test ride this afternoon. Meeting up with Lynda and Phil to do the Skyline for the first time. Should be good but haven't done a big ride since Exmoor Explorer in August. Gonna be a bit rusty I think. Looking forward to it.

Valencia pictures

My Valencia pics are on Flickr. Check them out here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toffeezebra/sets/72157607492620413/

Elbow

Got home from the pub last night and scanned my second set of negs from Valencia. Stuck Jools' 2nd show of his new series on iPlayer and watched Elbow playing live in his studio while I did my work. They are a cracking band. Guy Garvey's voice is so unique and his band are excellent. They all seem to create an incredible mood and atmosphere through their music. When the show finished, I stuck on Cast of Thousands which was the first Elbow album I bought. It's a bit darker and gloomier than Seldom Seen Kid but it has a couple of standout tracks such as Fugitive Motel. My pictures from Valencia are looking good so far.

Football and video games

Me and my Brother Alan have played video games together for quite a few years now, especially football games. We have subscribed to a franchise of football games for a number of years and have upgraded almost on an annual basis. We normally play these games when together, normally at his house until the early hours of the morning. It's a lot of fun but our family doesn't understand what we get out of it. It's probably unhealthy in some ways but in others, it's our way of bonding which I like to think is a good thing.

Historically, Alan and I haven't had a serious pastime that we both subscribe to simultaneously other than going to the pub, larking about and following our favourite Premiership football team: Everton. We have followed our team religiously since we were kids. We were lucky enough to see our team's last great success in the 1980's when we went to most home games for several seasons and saw them win the League championship, FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup. I was in my early twenties and Alan was a teenager at the time. We were at Goodison Park for the game that most Evertonians of out generation consider to be the greatest game ever seen at our historic stadium: our 3 - 1 win against Rudi Voller's Bayern Munich team in the semi-final of the 1985 European Cup Winner's Cup. That has gone down in most Evertonian's memory as a momentous occassion. For the past few years I have also made an annual trip up to Liverpool around the time of Alan's Birthday in November to go and see whatever home game is scheduled for that weekend and also have a few pints in the many hospitable taverns around the city centre. It's a special event and I hope we can maintain it for the rest of our lives.

Anyway, Alan and I are quite competitive. I'm five years older than he is so he has age on his side and I have talent - enough said. However, when it comes to football video games, it has to be said that he is better than me. He is the goal scorer and I'm the playmaker which kind of matches our personalities. He's a direct, straightforward type of person who knows what he wants and goes and does it and I fanny around the outside making things look good but can't score.

Nowadays, we play video games over the internet on Xbox Live and we've just discovered a new game called Fifa 09. We played a game tonight for the first time and it was such a laugh. Guess who won?

Black Mountain

This is what I'm listening today.

I'm in one of those moods. Just need some drugs now..... man!

Black Mountain: Wucan

The Quantock hills

I've been visiting the Quantock hills in Somerset for a few years now to go mountainbiking. It's a special place especially in the Autumn when the leaves are turning colour. The area has some great trails for mountainbiking with avenues of ancient trees, stream crossings and tight green valleys called combes which provide some of the best climbs and downhills along trickling brooks. It also has a long ridge where you can take in some great views of Exmoor and Minehead in the south, Brean Down and Burnham in the north and Wales across the other side of the Severn. You can also see the power station called Hinkley Point from the top.

Giles, Simon and myself went for an autumn ride in the Quantocks on Thursday. It was an excellent day as usual. As we were returning in Simon's van we saw this old boy pull out from the turning to Hinkley Point. He was riding an old motorbike and sidecar. He had a great beard and long bushy hair. His passenger in the sidecar was better looking but only just.