What?
Writing a holiday blog and then nothing at all seems to signify all sorts of things.  Mostly one or other of these:  Either “Nothing much of interest happens unless it’s on holiday” or “I’ve been busy at work”.  Only one of these is actually true.
So with that in mind this is a way of writing up a whole month.  But even then there are huge numbers of ways in which this recent past can be remembered.  But not by reference to nice pictures taken on the Nikon which seems to be only for holidays.  Nor from notes in a moleskin diary (these seem to be everywhere at the moment).  So maybe the camera on the phone is a good place to start.  The record here will only be of places where it seemed possible to take pictures and where there was time to do it – so it’ll be as partial and unreliable as anything else.  I’ll try and make it chronological.
Here we go:
BOTANY BAY


Just before term started and we forgot holiday things we went to Botany Bay on the annual jaunt down there with the usual gang.  Except Jack who was trialling for the new Valley Park Lions line up and couldn’t make it.  A good day – we had to leave early.  And there was a sit down rebellion which attempted to stop us taking Alice home.  That’s when I took the picture and several of the older contingent tried to hide their faces.
JOSH RITTER
Saw Josh Ritter with Drew at Water Rats – he had a spare ticket.  Last time I saw JR it was at Shepherds Bush (great, but a bit removed) so this time it was totally different – down the front in a tiny venue. Drew is a massive fan and that’s him taking a picture on the right hand side while I’m taking a picture on the phone.


What was it like?  Great but unforgivable that he didn’t play Monster Ballads.  His best song.  I reckon.

NORWICH AWAY
Went with Jack to his first C Pal away game.  He’s been nagging me for ages to go to one – we’ve been at every home game in the last four years or so – though we did travel to the Millenium Stadium for the Play Off final a few years ago. So the chance to met Pete F and family up in Norwich was too good to miss.  And we did. Great afternoon in every way aprt from the football and that sinkling feeling of being in the downward part of the rollercoaster that comes with supporting Palace (maybe the most relegated and promoted team in the league???
Several brief visits to the premiership in recent years.  Strange ground though – Carrow Road.  Delia Smith’s influence is obvious in the catering arrangements.  No Pukka pies and burgers– Roasted Mediterranean vegetable pies and Shiraz and Chardonnay available.  Not really what a football ground normally provides…
The score? The game? Very dull.  Norwich won 1 – 0 and Pete put some pictures up on Facebook afterwards of us all there in the series “Another Defeat”.

RESEARCH PROJECT
Some work took me back to Tower Hamlets to a great school there.  And I marvelled at two things.  The unchanged Whitechapel Market.
  And the very much changed “Idea Store” – this is what they call buildings they used to call libraries in TH.  Busy, full of life, books, café, people sitting there and using the free Internet etc
The research project?  Very interesting.

DOOR TROUBLE
Meanwhile there is door trouble in the iShed.  Just emailed a series of pics to Donna  – the frames of the doors have faded quite badly and it’s only a little over a year.  No word back yet.
Try and imagine this photo the right way round…

SOMERSET HOUSE BY NIGHT

Just noticed it in the rain walking along the Strand towards KC Union for a Euros Childs gig.  Wonderful place.  Still not seen the Courtauld pictures inside but looking in brings back memories of Lambchop playing there and the night near Christmas we went ice skating and Jack fell over and we had to get some jeans for him before the shops shut and that was that for ice skating for him (for the time being)…

EUROS CHILDS
Saw EC with Neil and Sophie. Neil got me a ticket while I was in Oz.  Thought of all the times I’d missed him and the Gorky’s gigs I’d seen but this was something else – great night.  Words I could use about this guy and his music?  Brilliant, smile-inducing, great singing, great playing, keyboards and guitar (which he plays like a keyboard player plays guitar – you know what I mean?  Kind of like me – but an awful lot better), great songs.  His music? Part Welsh language, folk, electronica, lo-fi, beaches, short stories, 70s, sunshine, horses etc.
MORE FOOTBALL
Not so much hit and hope as C Pal – much more pass and move – that’s Jack’s team.  Even though they went down 8 -1 in the opening game.  They’ve redeemed themselves in the Selkent B league with a fantastic 5 – 0 victory.  Their picture will be in the Kentish Times!

There are other things – some work worries and some work successes, home stuff but that’s up to date and will help me remember some things that I remembered to take a picture of in September 07.