Wednesday 5 February 2014

A second B in the middle of the first T of the year (12 or thereabout)


republic of the moon


It says in the newspaper that January was the wettest month since records began.

In England.

Because in some parts the polar is vortexing.

I’m in England.

It's raining.

Actually, that isn’t true. It WAS raining last night when I thought about writing this, and it HAD been raining ever since Paris but today the sky is blue and the sun – at least through this window and into this jumper – is hot.

So I’d better go out.

It’s good that it’s not raining because I hate this city when it’s raining.

I hate parts of the city when it’s NOT raining, but the other parts I like and that’s where I’m going.

Which is a gallery.

In an old back bit that no one notices, of an old soup stock factory.

There’s a leaflet on the desk where you walk in and don’t pay – it’s a free gallery – about imaging the city in another way.

It talks about the grey middle not being there.

It’s the grey middle that I hate.

And the corporate middle.   

And the grim outside.

It’s the rusty, forgotten old back bits that I love.

I have spent the last two days in the rusty back bits, with the rusty back bit people.

“Ephemera is my thing.” Said one of them.

This was a little hard to believe when we were haggling over the price of a coffee stained Mad magazine, a crumpled and torn 1953 edition of Picture Illustrated and a book that seemed to be about mess and had the inscription ‘to all the people all over the world who         things’.
                  drop

“I’ll give you 2 pound”.

“Ephemera’s my thing, it has to be 3 pounds.”

“ Don't you mean ephemeron? 2 pounds 50”

“Give him 3 pounds”.

opposite haggling spot
Suddenly I am haggling with my wife as well!

My phone rings.

It’s my sister.    

“Give him 3 pounds.”

I gave him 3 pounds.

What is it with families?

I went to see Van Morrison in concert in Bristol.

At the theatre entrance there was a big notice.

‘Show starts at 8. Finishes at 9.45. No support act. No drinking in the auditorium. No filming. Bar will be shut whilst Mr Morrison plays.’

At 8 nothing happened.

At 8.10 neither.

By now I was REALLY thirsty and had a strong need for Guinness.

At 8.15 someone ambled onto the stage with the band.

It wasn’t Van.

Three songs later she introduced herself and if you were up to date you would recognise her to be Van’s daughter.

She sang a forth song.

Clearly not a support act then.

Suspecting that his brother would come out next, or his uncle’s cousin I wandered out to the bar.

Van was sitting there drinking.

He offered me a sip.

We chatted about old times and some of the old songs and I asked him what he intended to do in the finale.

“One off the new album, it’ll be the first time that me and the rest of the band kick up a real jam and then I’ll exit in mid-riff leaving them to riff on for several and several bars until I’m well on the bus heading home.”

I said  -“you won’t have much chance selling these posters that are dated and venue specific for 15 pounds after tonight will you? So. I’ll give you a fiver.”
only some of this stuff made up

“Sorry, I can’t do that” he mumbled in his lilting Irish lilt.

"It's my birthday." 

“Ask my nephew, he’s running the concessions”





12 comments:

Mary said...

Sounds like you are having a lovely trip. My regards to all.

Must save the Moon. Where would be without our closest and most loyal cosmic friend? No one to say goodnight to.

Rain and grey skies sounds pretty good to me. It's minus 14 degrees and heading lower tonight. Also, after a month or two of snow, ice, blackouts, freezing temps and at times, no heat, we are now undergoing another massive snowstorm in Toronto and the entire middle, north, eastern parts of around here. Tons of the white stuff to shovel and treacherous drive to work. Yes -- work never stops here -- client/customers must have their assignments completed. Uh-hum.

Wish I had a river, I could skate away on.

Have some fun for me.

Mx

popps said...

keep those spirits up, spring is on its way!
look, there's a new moon too!

Anonymous said...

Spirits are up and at'em.

And Spring - what is this thing you call 'Spring'? You mean Winter-lite?

Wanted to say that I attended a Van Morrison concert many years ago. I love his voice and his music but I wouldn't have called him Mr. Personality. Never addressed the audience with an hello, good-bye or thank you. He pulled the same thing here -- start time, end time, no encore. A bit [lot] distant to the point of being cold really. Perhaps he's just shy. Life on the road must also be a tough thing. So now I enjoy him on CD only.

Mx

popps said...

Mr Grumpy.
He even managed to put in three songs he hadn't even written!

Mary said...

What were the 3 songs? Yesterday, Satisfaction, and Turn, Turn, Turn? Pshaw!

Anyway, will stay for another 2 hours at the most. Weather warning has been issued promising 'commuter chaos'. I'd like to point my car south and drive out of this, but they are also warning of road closures.

It's like a Dr. Who episode. Caught here on the dark side of the moon.

Mx

popps said...

No..
That old black magic called love (bof)
a cab calloway number that cab calloway did so much better
and something i've forgotten

just a shame three of his own beautiful songs weren't there instead.

i was thinking about what you said and travelling
the difference here and there
is that if u drive 3 hours south you are probably still in canada
if i drive 3 hours south i'm in a different country!
and it's spanish!
hmm
think i might just....

Mary said...

Canada is as they say a BIG country. 2nd biggest, in fact. I'd have to drive about 30 hours to get out of this to South Florida where I would find a considerable amount of Spanish being spoken. It's only a couple of hours to the border but with this weather it would take about 5 or 6. We are 'blanketed' by El Nino Pacific Ocean influences, driven east then blown south by Arctic air. It's a hell of a mess here. Makes you feel like you are so alive that you are just about to not be so alive.

Must plan my escape. TARDIS?

Mx

popps said...

and the local groundhog?

Anonymous said...

.. was a kill-joy as usual ;-)

Anne Hodgson said...

Wow. They do say he's quite a grump. And did he do what he said he would? What was his best song?
What was the first B? I don't seem to be concentrating properly here.

Anne Hodgson said...

Oh. Now I saw the byline. I *said* I wasn't paying attention properly. Planning to leave at approximately 21:45 is unbelievably grumpy.

popps said...

I'm not sure what or where the byline is but the first B was the first birthday - reported in this blog on, inappropriately, the 14th jan.
available in a past post near you.