3273 - Jamming tomorrow

It's comedy tomorrow,  reggae theme
Got to learn the words, that is the main thing
If you know  the words it goes like a dream
If not, you can easily end up screwing
It up, as hesitatingly you sing
Or tell your jokes or comments, whatever
So after my tea, I'll be rehearsing
To try to learn my stuff, that's only fair
At least I was laughing when I compared
My lyrics to the originals, deemed
Quite sniggerable, although it's me saying
So myself. To sing it just like a bird
I need to run through it and get it clean
Into my memory bright and shining

3243 - Quays to the city

A warm day, went out in shorts and t-shirt
On the train to see Jo, had a coffee
At Tania's, her back's broken but not worse
Than it was before her brace (fits nicely)
Avoiding in Ramadan the city
Centre where possible, we caught the bus
Part way to Salford Quays, got off safely
Despite a madman on the bus, then passed
Some time in Costa, and sat on the grass
Then sat by Man U's stadium talkin' bout
Britpop and Madchester, that's what Josie
Likes now, the Gallaghers from Oasis
Blur and the Stone Roses, she knows their 'shit'
While it's all funny memories for me

3223 - Age of enlightenment (of the hair)

Went with Josie to Old T yet again
This time there was a fun match on
Man U Legends (old players) up against
Bayern Munich All-Stars, including one
Old great from my childhood years, the German
World Cup winner from '74, Paul
Breitner, then he had an afro, long gone
Now just thin grey hair ... how the hair does fall
Out in places, and get thinner. It's all
So inevitable, Paul. Yes, a win
For the home team, Jo's brought luck when we've gone
To watch games there, three out of three. Walk tall
United fans, though they're below the en-
emy, City, at present (they've less funds...!!)

3202 - Footy and tea

The daylight's dying, but there'll be no rage
I'm not Dylan Thomas, not meant to be
I'm glad about that, cos he was quite large
And also Welsh. Just joking, obviously
I like the Welsh accent, and musically
There's lots of stars from there who make good sound
Today I made notes to my holiday
Pix, now I won't forget where I was bound
Or what that statue was, or that high ground
That took about three hours, then ate, then watched
The last day of the Premier League, only
Me, no shared comments, Louis' not around
These days. Met Nance for an update engage-
ment over tea, Northern Quarter trendy

3201 - The Pound of Music

My feet ache, as they did regularly
On my recent European holiday
The Eurovision Song Contest's on, they
Are about to vote. Really hope that they
Show some shots of Vienna, where I strayed
Just over a week ago! A great place
So many elegant streets, and much I'd
Like to have seen but didn't have time. Grace
And monumentality, grandeur, space
No, they're going to have an Austrian spree
But in song on stage. Oh well. It's OK
If I want Austrian images, could face
For first time ever, perhaps, just maybe
Watch 'The Sound of Music'! Could be worse, eh?

3195 - That was the two weeks, that was

So many holiday pictures I took
Been posting them today, it took all day
First, posting them from phone onto Facebook
Replying to comments was fun, I'd say
But now I'm numbering them, not yet half-way
Through that process, and saving to hard drive
Good to relive it all, though, all that way
I travelled, walked like you wouldn't believe
It's reminded me all those things I strove
To pack into each day, people will look
At those pix and wonder, and some may say
'I want to go there,' and some may just grieve
That they can't, but despite their sad bad luck
I hope they liked seeing my holiday!

3192 - Back in the UKUK

So here I am back home, but honestly
I couldn't afford to be away more
I was shocked at my bank account money
Though I shouldn't be. First there was the floor
Of my flat last month, done by the builder
And after that I went on my travels
Specifically, a European tour
To Czech Republic, German towns and hills
And Austria, where I heard no yodels
I'm still in Europe in my head. You see
All these great buildings and Germanic lore
In museums and all around. It fills
Your head, immersed in sights and history
But you don't want to travel forever

3148 - I'm not only there for the beer

Off out shortly for a well-deserved pint
At the King's Arms comedy night, Salford
The weather's been bad, a night out I've pined
For these last two evenings, though not been bored
Kept myself busy, word up, word up, word
Started 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'
Book (seen the film a while back) and it's weird
Very heavy going, interesting too
And a fitting read as I'm sitting through
The many episodes of 'The Bridge' - wind
My mind back to my own memory hoard
Of seeing Copenhagen and Malmo
And travelling the bridge by train, the sound
Crossed, two lands joined that once were far abroad

3146 - Ramming the point home

Been watching three episodes of The Bridge
And it's tired me out! Also I should read
While I've got some free time, my heritage
As a Derby fan well celebrated
By 'Clough's War' which suggests Clough was indeed
An out-of-control maverick, his own worst
Enemy at times, but brilliant, afraid
Of none, unable perhaps to stop cursed
Honesty that does us no good, a burst
Of ill-chosen words causing a wreckage
Of bad feelings when none were intended
Still, though Derby were left behind, Forest
Were the winners in the end - he managed
Them to two European Cups, he did

3137 - Black hole moon

Oh hell, I forgot my exercises
And now I've eaten a big meal, so I
Don't think I can do press-ups and stretches
And stomach-straining stuff, or I might throw
This morning, nipped out of the office to
See the partial eclipse up on Bridge Street
And of course I took a picture or two
I saw a crescent sun briefly shine bright
My eyes felt dazzled for several minutes
Once I had sat back at my desk. It was
The first here since '99, after my
John o'Groats to Land's End bike ride, that feat
Remembered in a tattoo. My task is
Tonight to finish that huge book. I'll try!

3129 - Peter Powell ate my hamster

Quick sonnet before Top of the Pops starts
Top of the Pops 1980, that is
This is the time the programme used to start
7.30 Thursday evening, it is
It used to help Thursdays go with a fizz
Though Tomorrow's World just before was dull
I kind of sat through it with half-closed eyes
Waiting to see which bands were on, a thrill
Even if only one act was the deal
Memories that stayed for ever, don't depart
Because there was so little then for us
Kids with not a great deal, with boring meals
Well now it's half way through, I've seen The Beat
The Buggles, The Tourists, it's not finished...

3101 - Motorbike treat

Watching Top of the Pops 1980
The Revillos have been on Motorbike
Beat duty. That reminds me of when me
And a couple of school friends who quite liked
Punky stuff caught the train (no, not the bike)
To Sutton Coldfield from Lichfield in our
School uniforms, must've bunked off, got psyched
Up to meet The Revillos, Fay Fife a
Schoolboy's dream, but not a looker
In my book, sorry! More a fantasy
In those days was Kate Bush - made Dave and Mike
Go ga-ga before Lady G got here
And talking of gal singers, then Debbie
Harry of Blondie, hair messy and spiked

3098 - Train to Alphaville

Got sleepy at work this afternoon. I
Didn't stay up so late but hammered it
Probably because Louis said goodbye
And I was free to kind of celebrate
Though of course that's not the right word for it
Also spoke to Tania unexpected
A call on my phone came really quite late
And we both kinda gushed 'bout Jo and said
How great she is, which she is, though her head
Is now almost teenage and she'll defy
Us both at times, but not for long. Spirit
Of '77 right now being led
By Kraftwerk's Trans-Europe Express. I'll spy
That moving landscape, late April - can't wait!

3081 - Derby-erby-erby

I feel quite pumped up, work busy today
Just drinking coffee, guess I'll eat later
Might watch the FA Cup, but first I'll play
Guitar, then I'll tune in to Manchester
United v Cambridge (no-hopers!)
No contest, the Reds will win easily
In which case I'll switch and watch Big Brother
Later on still, sitcom, 'Catastrophe'
Looks worth a try, hope it will prove funny
Meanwhile, tomorrow, that is the big day
When me and Louis drive to Derby for
An FA Cup match (Rams / Chesterfield). We
Will drive there, like the old days. The UK
Was criss-crossed going to games.

3073 - Untitled cos I'm a lazy sod

This is yesterday, looks like I forgot
To write anything, maybe cos football
Was on in the evening, and was not hot
So I felt tired, cold, what with that withal
And with all that was not happening, I stalled
And could only think of heading for bed
In my head, so headed for my bed, falled
Onto my bedding, and soon was installed
Under the duvet, and there I was hot
Well, maybe not hot, but comfortable
In no time at all, I was so settled
That I slipped away where things are as not
As they are here but are better, unreal
Where wants and desires are all cheaply fed

About Wed 14 January

3070 - Time and a lit up cathedral

The time has gone, the moment has gone too
It's gone one, the night's gone, it's gone, that's it
Although I could say one, I could say two
And whatever I say, it don't mean shit
Could be the early nineties now, no, bit
Of that maybe, but who gives a shit, what
Does it matter, whether it is a hit
Or not, and I'd prefer if it is not
It's not the seventies, it's not that hot
So long ago, cathedral lit up to
Some spiritual ideal same time as lit
Up Yes and Genesis, Status Quo rocked
All over the world, The Jam said stuff too
How is it better now, it's not, it's shit

Sun 11 Jan 15

3067 - Play that funky music

Wow, just played 'Hell Raiser' - it was easy
No planning, no rehearsal, I just need
To know how the song sounds, and that for me
Is easy. Went into Woolworths and paid
For that single in '73, played
It rather a lot for a year or so
And the B-side too ('Burning') has it made
As a cool riff-based rock song. It would go
On the Dansette in the 70s, grow
Into my sponge-like brain which was still free
To absorb musical structure, would feed
On those singles I bought, like Status Quo
Sparks, Stylistics, Stevie Wonder, Roxy
I've practised and can now play them at speed

3061 - Dread in the flat

Listening to 'World War Three' by Mikey Dread
It's a bloody long time since I did that
The familiar old sounds play, green, gold, red
Reminds me of a jumper my Mum knit
Back round '79, three colours with
Broad horizontal stripes, JA stylee
Sadly for some reason, don't still have it
Old memories courtesy of old Mikey
And altho it's dated technology
Like all good stuff, to me it still sounds good
Or, dread, I should have said but just forgot
Will play guitar at end of 'World War Three'
Got some new tracks on MP3, instead
I could play along to Spotify, what?

3026 - Fave rave

Some fun posts on Twitter and Facebook, yeah
After writing this, I will play guitar
Then read my book of pop music, nearer
And nearer the eighties I get. Writer
Thinks the early eighties were the best years
Largely, I reckon, because of his age
I'm slightly older and my top era
Would be the late 70s, just a page
In time before his fave, when all the rage
Was post-punk, new wave, disco, whatever...
Wait! Reggae, two-tone, late era rock stars
It had it all. But there was good tuneage
Also in the early eighties, for sure
But since then it's gradually got poorer

3009 - Full leather jacket

A quick sonnet before I head off out
On the tram to West Didsbury, an old
Eighties stomping ground, it'll be a trout
(Sorry, treat) to revisit it, I'm told
(No, I'm doing the telling!) Not too cold
So I'll stick with the thin white coat, I won't
Change to the thick black one yet that was sold
To me last year, not had a great amount
Of wearing so far. When temperatures mount
(Sorry, plummet - when they go down the spout!)
As they tend to do when winter takes hold
I'll wear the black one, and also, all count
On seeing me quite soon out and about
In my new brown leather jacket. Clothes gold!