The joy of music

Y'know when you hear a song performed so amazingly that it's like discovering music all over again? I love that feeling.

My latest moment like that was in the car the other night listening to Radio 2. They played a live version of Stop by Joe Bonamassa and I sat in the dark in the driveway until the whole song had finished.



I've had the pleasure of seeing Joe and his band perform live. Bizarrely it was on a night in Morecambe when the whole sky seemed to empty itself upon our heads as we walked from the hotel to the gig venue. We arrived like wet rats, dropped as much dripping wet clothing to the floor as was considered appropriate and gloried at the beautiful music gliding through the darkened venue. ...and at the end Heather and I scrambled towards the front to get a view of the incredibly talented and yummy drummer cos we're like that.

Highly recommended.

Richard Becknsale

Richard understandably being pounced upon in The Lovers film.

Thanks to the demise of geocities I have lost many of my ancient websites. Seeing as so many people were using the Richard Beckinsale one for reference I've re-launched it here. No fancy bits, just lots of the info I've collected together on his career in film, television and the theatre, a bit of his poetry... and some lovely photos.

So the question now is... are these photos a way to entice you into the website or is the website just an excuse for me to post some gratuitous Beckinsale pics?

Richard on the stage in Funny Peculiar. Yes, some lucky so and sos got to seem him live on stage draped precariously in a dressing gown.

A still from the film Rentadick. No, it's not like that despite the name and the image. Nor is the TV series or film of The Lovers. Richard's a very serious actor I'll have you know.

...well, okay, maybe not that serious.

Anyway, for those of you who've managed to miss Richard all together (this being all the non-Brits I imagine. In the UK we're all raised on Richard's comedy TV shows), he's the late great father of kate Beckinsale who sadly died very young in the midst of a most promising career.

For more info... check out the website. It's very basic as it was one of my first creations, but it's informative.

Rock Couture vs Juicy Couture

This review of the newest Juicy perfume is just too funny, words and video:
Juicy Couture Couture Couture

I have realised that maybe I have to cut JC a teensy bit of slack in that it's not designed for me, it's designed for spoilt squealing American teenage girls. Smashing Grandpa is for me. It's designed for for spoilt shrieking rock'n'roll women of decadent tendancies. Juicy is for the teens who don't have an edge yet and I pray that they will grow up and discover true rock'n'roll and also learn that drawing graffiti on portraits of Queen Elizabeth I is just plain WRONG!

Alas Smashing Grandpa is worn by "Posh Spice" who I have always been growly about for not actually being the slightest bit posh. And I'm still mourning their loss of Leslie Gardner and searching in vain for an alternative "slogan tee" outlet.

Gardner's new stuff for One World still has the beautiful shapes but the edge and wit has gone to be replaced by mumsy floweriness. Nauseated. :( I suppose she's just grown up. I refuse to grow up and still want clothes designed by the Westwood adoring designer for New York's glam rock scene who read Miss Pamela's groupie memoir and moved to California "to meet bands" and started the Smashing Grandpa line while she was there. Alas One World Apparel just pales into insignificance.

And yes, I've already tried the JCDC tees with the cute drumkit logo on the back... and I'm bored already. Smashing Granpa did wit, beauty, decadent elegance and rock'n'roll ege all in one. And the shirts often had puffed sleeves, and subtle naughtiness that I could wear in front of my dad without him noticing. I mourn them heavily.

The stupid fur wearing Olsen Twins have moved seamlessly from Smashing Grandpa to Juicy Couture, growing out of edge and into fluff. Surely that's backwards. Are they getting younger as they get older?

I wonder if I'm one of Smashing Grandpa's most devoted followers? Anyone who's seen into my vast t-shirt drawer would certainly testify that I'm a contender. For those who haven't, here's a bit of an idea.

Here I am with the lovely Chloe (lead singer of The Handcuffs, check them out, they ROCK) in one of my many Smashing Grandpa jackets. They're uber comfy, have puffed sleeves, are flatteringly corset shaped for girlies like myself who have curves (how difficult is it to design clothing for women with a waistline vastly smaller than their hips, bum and chest, I mean really?! Come on fashion designers, get with it!) and they have fab things on the back of them. My two pink ones (yes, two) have butterflies on the back. They're not the same. One butterfly is blue, the other is black. Trust me, I needed both. I wear them a lot. One day I will have worn them all out and I shall cry. I also have them in black, olive, green, purple and possibly some other colours that I've forgotten about. The others have art nouveau godesses or rock'n'roll crests on the back. They're lovely. I even used to wear the appropriately coloured ones when working for the National Trust so that I could look lovely in the middle of the woods. Everyone else looked appropriate for being in the middle of the woods. I had pink walking boots, skinny fit jeans and a corset shaped jacket with a goddess on the back of it... and crazy pink eye-make-up. Who says the National Trust is old fashioned?! Ha!

My fellow groupie soul sisters in The BBAs all wear Smashing Grandpa, and Penny raided my stuff when she came to visit so here she is in a few more of mine:

As a side note she also looked totally gorgeous in some of my Dollyrockers collection:
The lace dress looked so stunning on her that I sent her home with it.

BBAs obviously favour the line Leslie Gardner launched inspired by Miss Pamela, so here's just a teeny tiny few of those from my collection:

Admittedly, it looks sooo much better on John Taylor, but then it would. ;) He's also cheating by accessorising with a Miss Pamela. And fnally a rare one.. of me and my daddy. I'm wearing the fab "Dancing with tears in my eyes" shirt which is probably my most worn Smashing Grandpa shirt.

Mother took the picture. She went to sit comfortably in one of the carriages while we jumped in the front to got over excited about all the controls and the fire and everything, breathing in vast lungfulls of joyous sooty, oily smoke. Dad and I like steam trains. Deal with it.

Daddy has also built himself a miniature steam engine. It works and everything, I'm so proud. I did paint a picture of him with his steam engine but he took it home before I could take a photo of it. At least he likes it I guess. Anyway, he's almost finished with his scary miniature steam lorry and the matching trailer, so I live in anticipation of more pics of his finished work.