Saturday, March 23, 2024

A Changed World

Four years ago today, the Prime Minister announced that we would commence lockdowns here in England. That was Monday evening, and by Thursday we were working from home.

I recall the Tuesday morning, where we met in the office and made plans for relocating. We had known this would likely be coming so much preparation had been done in advance, but now we were organising equipment, stationery and other needs.  It all had a sense of gravity, of seriousness and urgency. 

For some reason, we were under the impression this would be around six weeks, that it was quite temporary, and before long we'd be back in the office. Certainly, at that time, we didn't realise it would be at least 18 months, and that would not be full time in the office. In fact, in our case, we would never return full time to the workplace. 

Not only working practices have changed since those days.  The world has changed too - noticeably in many cases, much more subtly in others. People have changed, our behaviours have changed, relationships have changed. And I think the full effects of all this will not be recognised for many, many years.

I know I've changed - perhaps for the better in some ways. Certainly these lockdowns and changed work practices have affected me and those around me.

There were, of course, some lovely aspects to these lockdowns. It was a beautiful clear spring, with no traffic, little noise, clear skies and lots of insects and birds. Would that spring have been beautiful anyway, or was it the result of less pollution from cars and industry?

Not that I would want it to happen again, but I did quite enjoy the peace, the walks each day during set times, and the sense of "all in this together" and "doing it for the community".

I've recently read, over in tin-foil hat land, that there could be an event in March or April which could cause something similar to happen again. I don't think I place much credence in these wild theories, but just in case it happens and you aren't of a conspiracy mind, you read it here first! 

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Live Music. Again.

It has been a long while since I went to see some live music. I think the last concert I attended was in London, about a year ago. I regularly check to see who is coming to Lincoln, just in case, but for the past couple of years, pickings have been slim.

Partly this is due to the size of Lincoln. We are a small city, with a small population, well off the beaten path. The venues we have in town are also small. The main one was in financial trouble, and was having problems attracting artists. as such, it promoted a lot of comedy nights and the like. The other, probably understanding what sells, seemed to focus on tribute act - something I've never been too fond of.

But there has been a turn around, The main one was taken over, remodelled, and has started attracting performers of note - or at least artists I'm interested in seeing. 

Recently, in a matter of days, I went to see live music at both these venues.  And I loved every second of it.

First up was Something About George, a tribute to George Harrison.  I hesitated for the longest time, but then read some reviews. It wasn't a tribute act, but a band paying tribute. The frontman talked between (and sometimes during) songs, telling George's life story, and the relevance of the songs being played. And it was good fun. Really good fun.

The second was Fairport Convention.  Someone I know told me they'd seen them in the early 70s, and figured none of those originals would be there. Of the five he saw in those days, three were still part of the band. And they were wonderful.  I have seen this lineup before, but Dave Mattacks didn't play with them last year, so it was great to see him back on drums.  And, being the lovely chap he is, he signed a couple of XTC and George Harrison albums for me.  Bonus!

Oh, and a huge shout out to Plumhall.  This wife and husband pairing were the support act, and they were fabulous. I became an instant fan.

And so I am going to go and see more live music. I've been exploring British folk music since I was a teenager, and I am aware there is a healthy live folk music scene here in Lincoln. I have thought about attending some of these events for some time, but they generally clashed with other regular activities I undertook. That has all changed, and so from this month I plan to see more live music.

And that's the way it should be!

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Passing Patrons.

It's been almost eight years since I moved back to the UK. And where I live is quite different to where I lived in Australia. It's certainly quieter, slower and more laid back. I love the little village in which I live, and the city is quite beautiful.

People often ask me whether I miss Australia. I have moments, of course, but what I do miss most are my family and friends.

I have plenty of friends in the UK, and people I am friendly with, but I haven't really made any mates. Those who will drop over for a pint, or to watch the footy, or just to hurl abuse and mock you. As you get older, it gets harder to make new close friends.  I think this level of friendship occurs due to shared interests, experiences or through the mutual looking for friends. By my age, most people already have their friendship circle and don't need any more. I suppose it doesn't help that most of my interests seem not to be shared by anyone around me.

On the weekend, I was in another city for a conference. A splendid time was had, and during the dinner break I headed out to find some food. I ended up in a small Indian restaurant, and shared a table with another patron, someone not attending the conference.  I really enjoyed his company, and we seemed to have so much in common. We chatted about music (similar tastes), laughed, and generally had a good time. And then I had to leave.

I said bye, and headed out. A minute or so later, I considered returning to ask if we could connect on social media, but I figured that might be weird. It's unlikely we'd ever get to hang out due to the distance between our cities, and that's what I would have really enjoyed.

Maybe I should have. You never know. We might have ended up hanging out, somehow, somewhere. But if it's meant to happen, it'll happen. So Mark, if you're out there and somehow reading this, get in touch. 

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Weird, Weird, Weird Year

It's been a weird start to the year. 

I know the past few years have been weird anyway, but I had expected that to have ended by now. On top of that, there have been a few events and circumstances which have created a weird vibe.

I have had a few moments where I have seen through the veil, seen a few things for what they are, and unburdened myself of a few things.  And that has been healthy. I've also taken on a few healthier aspects, made some decisions, and changed directions with some stuff. And don't read too much into any of this. None of this is huge, life-changing stuff, just a few minor things which have eased my mind.

I am awaiting some news, hopefully good news, which I will share when I can. Something which will feel good and validate some work I've done and decisions I've made. And even if the news isn't what I hope, that's fine. Disappointing, but understandable.

Ah yes, a completely cryptic post in which I haven't really said anything. And I know if I read this in a couple of years time, I'll have absolutely no idea about what I am referring to.

Oh dear. At least it will be a mystery to keep me entertained.

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Reputations.

I've been thinking about reputations recently. People, places, companies - many have reputations for this or that.  For being friendly, funny, charming, authentic, honest. And sometimes they are, but sometimes they're not.

I recently visited a market town which has a reputation for being a place which delights foodies. It also has a reputation, and promotes itself as being charming, old fashioned, and some culture. I was rather surprised to visit and see none of that. It was rather disappointing, particularly as we had driven some distance out of our way to have a look.

Of course I recognise that we all have different perceptions, we all see things in different light. But apart from a small deli and a farmers market on the way out of town, there was no indication that this village had any culinary delights to offer. In fact I really only saw chain bakeries and supermarkets. Perhaps it is a hidden gem, which they only show to special visitors.

Over the years I've been invited to meet people with a reputation. One in particular was described to me (by several people) as being "very creative and imaginative."  We met, we talked, we exchanged ideas.  Their ideas were no more creative than those of the Year 8 students I was teaching at the time.  Looking back, I now recognise that the people who had described them as such were in a world which wasn't particularly creative.  I can say how comparatively, they might have believed this person was. The problem was, I think, that this person wanted to build this reputation, and to use it to get out of doing work.  When the team was doing all the hard work, they wouldn't go, and simply said, "I'm the ideas person."

More recently I was introduced to two people at the same time. The first used a term to describe themselves which is usually only used in newspaper articles, biographies and history books.  No one would ever use it to describe themselves. In the following discussion, they then use a word and said, "But you probably don't know what that means," and then went on to explain it. (I did know, but I didn't have a chance to say so!) Not to be outdone, the second person used another term to describe themself, and then out how clever and intelligent other people thought they were. 

We conversed for around thirty minutes on a subject in which both claimed to be specialists, but neither were particularly insightful, and indeed one was completely wrong on several counts. So much for a reputation created by and for yourself.

Many times I have taught students who had a reputation for being trouble and causing problems. I would always let them know at the start of the year that I didn't care what their reputation was, I would accept them based on how they behaved with me.  I can honestly say that with only a couple of exceptions, these kids were fine with me and caused little trouble.

Reputations are there to be tested. I don't ignore reputations, but I try to not believe them and discern what people are really like.

Sometimes, with a bad reputation, all we really want is to be proven wrong.

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Farewell, 2023.

This is the time of year where we traditionally reflect and review the past twelve months and anticipate and plan for the coming year.

 I'm not going to pretend it's been an easy year. There have been some disappointments, some stressors, some difficulties. I'll be glad to see the end of 2023. But in among all that, there have also been some amazing moments.

My brother and my sister-in-law came to visit from Australia, as did some old friends. It was wonderful to catch up with them. And to hear all the news from my other home.

I've found a new community, and started making new friends there. Unfortunately, due to distances, it's difficult to see them in person. And so it remains mostly online. 

I've heard a new Beatles record, discovered some new authors, read a lot of books. I've also written a lot of words - not fiction, and no one will ever see these, but it has been valuable. And will remain so.

And next year?  My only aim is to make it better than this year.

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Just Like Old Times.

I did something last week I haven't done for a long time.  I sent a story out into the wilderness.

In the past few years, I haven't done much fiction writing. A number of reasons, including undertaking my Masters online and the whole Covid thing, meant I just didn't have the time. Or the desire. And then once you lose that momentum, it's hard to get back.

But I did a quick polish on a story and sent it off. I was also quite pleased to receive an acknowledgement within a few hours. A lovely one to boot.

I sent out a story about 11 years ago and never received anything at all. I queried a few times, and still nothing. Technically, I suppose it's still with them.  They did have a submission policy which stated I couldn't submit a piece to more than one place at a time, so please don't let them know I've since sold it. They might not be happy with me.

It was great to get another story out, and to have that anticipation.  Will they? Won't they?  You never know. I might even send out another one.