timtum

My father in law died last month. Dementia took many things from him, but the essence of the man was there until the end.

I've just heard that Steve "Bear" Hall has died. A lovely man who did so much for RL and for Indigenous Australians. https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2019/03/02/nswrl-steve-bear-hall-loses-cancer-battle/

In the search for approbation from our fathers that many of us do, the closest I got was sourcing a copy of Previn's Berlioz Requiem, long before it was readily available. My dad had previously written to him asking for a recording and received a hand written reply. My dad was not one to be star struck, but Previn for him was a mighty conductor.

My good late friend Klaus told an expenses story... On an overseas trip to somewhere very sunny he invested in a sunhat. On returning to the UK he submitted an expenses claim which alongside the usual hotels, taxis and meals, included one sunhat - bonce for the protection of. His manager rejected the claim saying that this was not a legitimate expense. Undeterred, at the next expenses run, Klaus once again claimed for the sunhat with a further explanation of why it had been necessary. Again it was rejected, this time with a little more vehemence from the manager. The following month Klaus again submitted his expenses, this time in person. "Thank you Klaus" said the manager, "and I hope I don't see that bloody sunhat in there again". "Don't worry" said Klaus, "you won't see the sunhat, but it is there."

The times they are a changing. I have been with a group of 43 Australians for three days now and I have yet to be called Timmy. Disappointed.

I was given a bottle of Chivas Regal 18 by some nice Hong Kong people that I helped out in Paris a couple of years ago. In a fit of charitable benevolence I donated it to the local SPA dogs home event near Carcassonne the other week. They ran a no lose tombola and some bloke walked up, paid 2 euros for his ticket, and swiftly headed off with fifty odd quids of hooch. The Whisky Gods being as they are, my big brother appeared the following week with a bottle of Quarter Cask Laphroaig. Sod the dogs, this is going tummywards.

I am thoroughly enjoying revisiting, after nigh on 30 years, the Len Deighton Game Set and Match trilogy on that there Youtube. Ian Holm and Mel Martin in the lead roles, with an international ensemble supporting them. Dated, but marvellous.

Mme Saucisse has booked her holiday for a couple of weeks here in France in August. It will be hot. I will moan about it being hot. She will moan about me moaning that it is hot. Repeat to fade.....

And conversely but still made me feel very old, a fella on a stall near me at a fair today in Ornaisons was sporting a Sleaford Mods T shirt. He was absolutely astounded when I asked him if his business was going down like BHS.

My wife recommended it to me last night. Time to sort out a new VPN. As I completely missed it first time round, and so enjoying it in an even more time stretched manner, I'm currently watching Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. (Watched Ashes to Ashes first for shamefully base reasons).

I am currently in the middle of the Weeping Women Hotel by Alexei Sayle. Thought I would hate it. Instead I find it hilarious. A few easy punches landed but very funny nonetheless.

This lot kept us royally entertained at a do last month. Great fun.

I was trying to explain to someone the other day how terrified I was as a little boy of Ron Mael. This however is wonderful.

I discovered yesterday that one of my longest standing (suffering?) customers is the mother in law of Radio 4 Today stalwart, Sarah Montague.

To drive home to the UK from near Carcassonne / Perpignan costs me about 60 euros in tolls on the French side. There is one stretch if I go visiting my chum Oiseau in St Junien and take the Tour / Le Mans peage it costs nearly 30 euros for a 2 hour journey - strangely enough you have the motorway to yourself.

I had a tour of the BBC Breakfast set earlier this year. Must confess to a little Naga and Steph dream sequence.

While doing my delivery round today I was mostly listening to New Order. They go from the sublime to the absolutely bloomin awful.

...and reading through the stuff, he spent one winter in Ille sur Tet. Wonder if he bumped into Jean Galia?

Charles Rennie Mackintosh lived out his last years in the area around Perpignan. http://www.crmackintoshfrance.com/index.html

I was on Radcliffe & Maconie's the Chain today with this....

At the moment, stags bellowing in the fields around here. Quite powerful nature stuff at work. On 6 music, bizarre sundays with a John Peel retrospective followed by Annie Nightingale. I'm transported back to Newcastle in 1982. On the new stuff, the new National album. I should have been in Manchester on Friday night to see 'em. A bit broke right now but have bought tickets to see them in Sydney next February.

My lass wants this to be played at her funeral.

Mister Saucisse made London sausages sizzling in the pan. Shoulder of pork, no added fat, rusk, water (that'll be the profit thank you very much), cracked black pepper, sea salt and sage. I was always told not to trust a landlord who doesn't drink in his own boozer. Never trust a food producer who doesn't gorge themselves on their own products !

I never forgave them for the celery ice cream finisher. Just utterly vile and ruined the meal.

Today I have wormed my dog. He is now breaking wind like thunder.