the Pole of Polls!

Frank Lampard asked Didier Drogba not to come to his mother's funeral the other week............Apparantly he feared he might dive in the box !

1971.The day Halifax Town beat Manchester United (Law;Best;Charlton;et al) 2-1...............I was living in the old choirboys school (turned into Carter Lane Youth Hostel) opposite St. Paul's Cathedral at the time.Hippy-me listening to Neil Young "After The Goldrush".........The London Evening Standard's Late Edition that night had a banner headline on the front page.........it read "HALIFAX BEAT UNITED!".I bought a copy.Scratched my head........it must have been all the drugs I thought ..........
R.I.P. Halifax Town I cant say i was a big fan, but i know plenty who are.They do & always have ..deserved better.....................My Rochdale readers might know that Chunky Played for Town Reserves in the early 1960's.
Damn it! I never have my camera when i need it! Hello To The WebMeister of this blog .We bumped into each other while shopping in Todmorden.Who needs The Information Highway when you have Lidl Supermarkets!.Yes! We should a joint-venture regarding Boris!
here are some photos from last night's Meal for Rochdale Tony's 50th Birthday.Tony is 50 next week & flys with his Mrs to Vegas for 11 days. (as is now the tradition)i handed photo duties over to John for the evening.
It's not that long until i go to Spain for Grant's Stag-Weekend.I will have to order my costumn soon.As i told you, 24 of us are going dressed as Village People.Now I know i wanted to go as The Indian.but Steve pointed out last night that it might get a tad warm under a big Feather Hat!So Steve suggests i let you decide! So Folks ., please vote! For one weekend, i will become a Ken-Doll you can dress yourself! Please Vote!!!!!


You can vote in the top right hand corner.I will buy the threads you decide! Democracy is a wonderful thing...........(i think)
p.s. Thanks To Jim for the Corteeners;James& Kooks cd's.

but first, a word from our sponsor.............

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Thursday's is my usual day off.& so it is today.Lovely weather here in England.
I havnt been here much the last few days.No Doubt i will catch up on other peoples blogs through the day..at the moment,I,m just off to get my haircut in Hebden Bridge.
This Image Is From The very good blog that goes by the name of Innings

..when your trying to be so good........

Another Good Side-effect of my recent illness is the fact that (Finally Lord!) My voice seems to have broken! Compare with this earlier video made by Chris in December..And, (just to confirm this is all part of Chris's Warped Imagination)......... here is what i really sound like!


Due to my sickness over the last few weeks i got together my focus groups & spin doctors this morning & we decided we would have a media-blitz today.!
My Aim is to Reassure the World that Im still here +fully in control of things .I am am still shaping events rather than being shaped by them.........(dont i look thin in this photo!)
The Polak's Not For Turning!!!!




I,m Not There should be out anytime soon on DVD!

And here is Bowie...........for no other reason than it's a great song + I never saw this video before.

Somewhere here (although I,m damned if i can find them!) are some photos of Me & Mark when we went to Prague a few years back to see Bowie on a Eurpoean Tour.It actually worked out cheaper to fly/hotel& book tickets to see him there rather than,say,London.However....he got poorly & left the stage after 45 minutes! A long way to go for half-a-show!

things can only get better................

"...................Albert Hofmann's discovery remains, I believe, of the greatest significance; and there are few mature adults – particular ones whose minds are limited by the environment in which they habitually exist – who would not benefit greatly from its prescription.
Gordon Brown would be a prime contender, I think. His dour materialism would disappear overnight. Boris Johnson has clearly had some already slipped to him in a cup of tea some time or other. But apart from him, the entire Tory and Labour front benches could do with at least one medically administered shot of acid. ........."
Tim Lott
more>>>

Police in southern China have discovered a factory manufacturing Free Tibet flags, media reports say.

The factory in Guangdong had been completing overseas orders for the flag of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

Workers said they thought they were just making colourful flags and did not realise their meaning..................... Read More>>>>>

{via:}






b3ta







jansenmann


I did not Vote yesterday.I have always voted Labour in the past..but given the 10p thing & Iraq.i didnt today.No Doubt i will vote Labour in the General Election.if only to avoid the Tory's getting into Government...............But Frankly, Labour pisses me off no end..................... They have taken core -voters for granted for a decade, & got a good kicking as a result today.Please take note "New" Labour...........Oh, by the way................
Bob Piper asks, how come when they do well they are "New Labour".When they do badly, they are "The Labour Party".......... ..




Don, I saw on telly that the new Tory Dame was in Bury today.I hope he didnt scare the horses?Thanks for the book you gave me to look at.I have begun reading.......looks mighty Fine.Hey! as i type Pentangle are playing Live on Joolz!........
Anyway.............:) I thought it was just a borrow, then i saw the inscription! Is It Mine Now??!!!! Like, to KEEP???? Be it a loan or a Keep.Thank You Sir!
I saw Bob in Todmorden tonight.We talked about UnCon 2008.The date of it has been announced as 1-2 November. at The University of Westminster. 309 Regent Street , London.It has a Bar! here are the photos i took at UnCon 2006.
You know.I am still not 100% I phoned in Sick This morning.......which does not happen that often.I am off until Tuesday (Bank Holiday on Monday). I hope Im better then.this "thing" has knocked the stuffing out of me.............

"welcome to hebden bridge .a place for alcoholic children"

I took this photo on Monday night.Its the Bus Stop Outside Hebden Bridge Park........maybe 50 yards from Hebden Bridge Picture House were we went to see The Orphanage
For the last couple years (maybe longer) the Park has become a haven for Youths With Booze.Pretty Low-level Sleaze But not pleasant to see or walk through.
So, It was nice to see this bit of Bankskyesqueness!.............It was ironic that the Council came the next morning to clean away the sign.(Yet, never, seems to address the young boozers.............! )
Its seemed apt that it should be on display the night "The Orphanage" should be on screen here.......We seem so afraid of the Imperfections of our Children........ ?
So.was the bus stop art an "OMEN"? (semi-cinematic-pun).Are Our children destined to live out the Karma of,us, the parents?
Which (i think) was one of the many themes of this film.
It really is a very good .It will make you Jump.It will Make you Cry.It will make you think a lot.................
An excellent narcotic quality to the whole affair.
Oh, by the by, I posted about this in the local community website http://www.hebdenbridgenews.com/ it will be interesting to see what other locals think...............
Today (Thursday) I include a trailer for the film here

This is almost a zeitgeist of our age. Last Night they showed on itv a 2 hour doc about The disappearance of Madeline Macainne.Its 12 months now since she went missing.I (like most of Britain) are hypnotized by the parents............Part of me feels pity....part of me dislike...........how strange that the situation they are in evokes this?...................here were 2 texted recieved on my phone last night.........................



"Just when you thought Madeline Mcann won the europeann championship of hide&seek.........the Austrians rip it out of the bag with 24 years....................... "

and.........
"An old Austrian proverb .Women are like a good wine.Best left to mature in a cellar"

We Are All Lost Children in some form or other i guess..............?


{more photos & Interview:} {via:}


LSD — My Problem Child
Albert Hofmann {via: }

R.I.P. Albert Hofmann:Guardian Obituary

Eastern Wobbles...............

Why This Photo You Ask? Dunno..It's My Blog & I Like it! No doubt, some pun or other could be made around "Bad Habits"? {from: vintagephotos}





I just read this in a flyer in the Chip Shop.....................................


JAH WOOBLE CHINESE DUB

"Chinese Dub supported by The Liverpool Culture Company Limited as part of the 2008 European Capital of Culture programme The performance will be a fusion of dub music and Chinese melodies and instrumentation. The instrumentation will be: bass, drums, guzheng, bamboo flute, the famous gourd pipe of Yunnan province. Jah Wobble is going to utilise the talented voices of Wang Jingqi, a singer from the Mao ethnic minority of China (part of Yunnan province) and Gu Ying Ji, a Tibetan singer (her father is Tibetan, and mother Mongolian). During the performance, there will be displays of various Chinese arts forms (dance and Sichuan opera’s specialty: ‘The Mask Change’). Jah Wobble is coming to the Trades Club as one of only two clubs on his national Arts Centre tour. A unique opportunity.........."

The Hebden Bridge Trades Club july 10th.ummm tasty! read more.

we also go to The Picture House in Hebden Bridge tommorrow night to see The Orphanage which ,by all accounts is a good Spanish-Hitchcockian-Affair........

Which Is all a bit problematic as I still have my Man~Plague i really must stop smoking.its gone big-time to my chest.I will sleep on it............ I am due back at work tommorrow............

the day i shot a lion in the middle of Manchester!

(update:Saturday 26th April) I still have my Flu..shivery........etc.However..I have found this, & these which have soothed my fevered brow.....................

I,m full of Cold! We went to Manchester yesterday just in my T-Shirt & i got caught in heavy cold rain.had to walk 2 miles back to Victoria Station getting soaked..........Don I will bring Jessie James;John Cale & 17 Hippies to the Hamam this afternoon.By the way Don, check out Kimberleys blog a photo of her playing golf in Death Valley!
here are the photos i took. yesterday..........
I took the lion photo in Manchester Art Gallery.Click for biggery to see me in the neck of the Lion! We also saw these people posing with the animal near Primark.Dozens of folk waited to have themselves snapped.Quite a good idea.Very "green" etc.Although i wonder how engaged they really were with the topic?I mean,had the sign said something else.(eg ="LETS BOMB IRAN") i bet the same people would have happily stood next to it?hey-Hoy

Another Blog I want to share with you.Bitter Old Balls Is the cleverest;funnest: Dirtiest blog in Town.Dont View At Work! Old Knudski is A Polish Immigrant currently living in Mytholmroyd.He's as funny as ferk! Enjoy!
Don, I hope you enjoy the John Cale cd.Thanks for the Book.I hope United do well tommorrow & on Tuesday.West Ham Rejects Rule!Here are a couple of John Cale Youtubes..................

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cale

what a long strange trip its been...........

A foliage sculpture of Beatle Ringo Starr in the band's home city has been beheaded by vandals.

The topiary feature, which took 18 months to cultivate into the fab four, was unveiled at the city south Parkways Transport Exchange last month.

Starr's head was chopped off, but the rest of the Beatles were untouched....................................... BBCvia:grow-a-brain

Did I Ever Tell You I Love Jah Wobble's Music ?
Did I ever tell you I have taken some rather good photos of him live?
I have....(*blushes*) ? Oh, that's ok then.....................

I am off work all this week.I needed to take this time off as its Annual Leave left over from last year.& ,needs to be used before June or else i lose it.


I was going to use this time to go to Italy + investigate houses etc.


But...........I have done nothing about booking flights etc.i kinda chickened out! However , i also have a week off next month........maybe i will begin my investigations then? It just seems such a big (final?)step.I felt much the same as when Cherry invited me over to Beijing a couple of years ago (albiet just for a few weeks)..............cautious i guess.Anyway,I might use this week to do some more "research" (aka stalling!)& create a few contacts (aka " sitting in the sauna talking about it with Mick"!).


Anyhow! Here ,today,is another excellent Blog.


Paddy Devine's Journal.Old readers will remember a previous mention of Tommy here .I love his Style.He Tells his life & times in a very Brave & Honest way.please check him out.
He has another good post today. It's about Ken Kesey;Merry Pranksters:Greatful Dead;The Acid Trips;etc...........a little background reading on the Merry Pranksters can be found here
.Also check out the comment section where one of the original Pranksters leaves a long comment.Happy Trails...........................


Talking of long strange trips........i got a phonecall from Bob last night.It seems another Fortean UnConvention is to be held in London in November.
here are some photos i took of our last visit.

21 Hippies (at least!)

sheepfilms

read here for the latest on the 10p tax row.I vote Labour for this?

NEW LABOUR:NEW LOGO.taxing the poor.........


A Guy I sometimes/infrequently work with now has a Blog! I was always running into him at Halifax Tescos + he would be telling me what i had been doing.cos he had read it in my blog!
Dont you find its difficult remembering what you tell someone face-to-face and what you actually wrote in your blog!?
Anyway.he now has his own blog (i inspired him?!)It has the great name of The Fabulous Death Of Me I know he would be chuffed as mintballs if you left him a comment !
He's off to London soon
And.............................................
................We Are Back!
A Good Time Was Had!
here are my photos.Actually,nothing brilliant.........just a wee record of the visit...
I booked 4 tickets today to go see 17 hippies at Bury Met August 31st.

b3ta is doing a rather good Beatles Challenge at the moment...............

Live from Camden,London

Have You Ever seen The David Cronenberg Film EASTERN PROMISES? it has a Really Brutal Fight scene in the Turkish Baths? Well I went to that Baths at Ironmonger Road, Islington, today!Very Good Place.Nice feeling.No hassle......friendly.....deep ice-cold pool.cracking steam room.........The Hottest TOP-ROOM I have ever been in! {& that includes any place in Istanbul...........!!!.}£12.which,for London,is good value.









Issac took us to his Local tonight.Rather Heavy.11pm & 5 bouncers (2 big Black block 6ft 8inches i swear!)Metal detectors at the entrance& heavy- Frisk &(took over 5 minutes) all sorts of ID problems just to get in (it was established i was over 18!).And that was just a bogstandard Pub.............We saw Stacy From East Enders inside?

A Good Day today.Hey! Sorry.........no time to visit&comment with you all this weekend,...I saw George Galloway ontop of a Bus near Euston!!!!!!Sadly, i didnt have my camera!I went to see the Life Before Death photo exhibition.Very Moving.
Tommorrow Chris & Issac go up West during the day.while I head East.



We Arrived!I'm not sure how much blogging I will do? West Ham & Camden Crawl are both fully booked -up........... Change of Plan............will post tommorrow I hope...........! Issac is Well.......I,v Been Drinking Too Much!

achilles eels

Thanks To Kimberly for the San Antonio Photos X



Welcome To Mark! He is now online!


Mark you can see The Rochdale Turkish Bath Photos by clicking (here)


Me&Chris go down to London on Thursday morning by train.we stay in Hampstead Heath.& visit Chris's mate Issac who has recently moved down to a Music College in Camden .
As well as being shown the local sights&sounds by Issac ,I plan some trips of my own.For example , i want to see this.
I also fancy a trip to The East End (where I lived & worked 1979-1982).+Maybe catch West Ham home To Derby County!!!!
I remember when i lived in East Ham,Plaistow+Stratford (i moved around a lot!) East Ham High Street used to have an eel-seller parked on a pavement............He had a giant 6ft tall water tank which had live eels in it.dredged-up from the mucky Thames!!!!.You could pick your own live eel & take it home to cook! I bet such things are now long gone.I'm sure you've more chance these days of buying a Live Kebab!
The East End also had loads of "Pie&Mash Shops".now, pie+mash+liquor is a different animal from the type of Pies you get in the rest of England.I cant explain the difference, but trust me it is a very unique taste..........+like the eel sellers, these shops are mostly gone these days.but i found online this one which i might go visit.
Plus! I hope to try The Turkish Baths at Ironmongers Row.East Ends Baths that have recently been tarted up.
I,m taking my camera&Laptop so expect post while Im in The Big Bad City!