Re-introductions...

It's been neigh on four years since this blog was created by a young-ish chap from Middlesbrough. Many of the earlier posts covered my life as I taught English in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. A lot of what I posted was utter bollocks to be frank but it still garnished a following of sorts.

I then moved to South Korea and carried on teaching while still periodically writing rubbish, but still the readers came.

Paying the Penalty.

There are pivotal moments in ones life, where looking back one can see the crossroads behind them after they’ve taken the wrong turn.. One such time that sticks out in my mind was in September 1992 and involved this football match (excuse the quality)

The Glastonbury Tales 2009 - redux

I wrote this piece, separated into three parts to document my Glastonbury festival experiences from 2009. It was published on my former music review site but I’ve brought it back to life here and now.  

6am Wednesday, I have had two hours sleep maximum but the nervous energy is already kicking in as I wake myself up with both caffeine and an ice cold shower. I was drunk last night or should I say this morning and a day in bed would be the best option but instead I am off to do it all again several times over at the Glastonbury festival. 

Top ten terrible songs - Part II

It's took me all of three weeks to come up with another five songs and today it looks like this. There's 100s of songs that I dislike with a passion. In theory, a top 100 would suffice but I'm a lazy sod, so ten will have to do. 

Before we start, a big hello to the person who sent me an email calling me a c**t for listing Journey's 'Don't stop believing' in the top five. It's good to know one is revered.

 6) Joe Dolce - Shaddap You Face

This is the song that has gone down in legendary terms of utter awfulness. Not only did it knock John Lennon's 'Woman' of the no-1 spot but it also kept 'Vienna' by Ultravox off the top spot for three weeks too.  As I boy I was partial to the odd novelty song but this takes the biscuit. It's just plain bad and anyone who bought this record should still be hanging their heads in shame 30 years later.

James Gandolfini RIP

Every decade or so there comes along a fictional character that sets a tone and a mood that will live on perhaps forever. Don Vito Corleone (The Godfather) did just that in the 70s and Gordon Gekko (Wall Street) likewise in the 1980s. Both of these are anti heroes personified and to be honest quite unpleasant to boot.

Today we learned that James Gandolfini has passed away at the age of just 51. He played Tony Soprano, the lead character in The Sopranos, in case you didn't know.

Top ten terrible songs

I like music, it's been a social and emotional crutch in my life at times. I used to play original Beatles 45s on my parent's record player from an early age which has resulted in two things. One, I'm a lifelong Beatles obsessive and anorak. Two, I'm a total music snob.

Growing up in the 1980s was an interesting time for a host of socio-economic reasons, not least the music  scene. For the large part the 80s was bloody awful in terms of fashion and hairstyles. I recall men with perms and girls wearing chunks of plastic as jewellery as two fine examples.

Navy Larks

April 2002 saw one of my finest pranks and practical jokes. I don't say this loosely either, I love to wind people up and if there is a shocking, risqué side to it then even better.

I was serving in the Royal Navy and based at HMS Collingwood in Fareham, Hampshire. This weekend in particular was a big sporting one. Middlesbrough were playing Arsenal in the FA Cup Semi Final in Manchester and it was the London Marathon too.