Bénch

Saturday, August 31, 2024

18 years ago

18 years ago in Manchester.

All i remember about this day is having toothache and a hangover.

This was in the days when Blogging was as Cutting-Edge as Podcasting is now.

Thursday, August 29, 2024

I just came across this video on twitter just now. Probably of no great interest to anybody else , but anyway, I post it to preserve it . It's The Ruskin Arms in East Ham London . Now sadly ( like so many other pubs) boarded up .

When I lived in East London back in the 70's it was my Local ( i lived the next street down). n.b. i bought my Operation Julie supplies there.......

The Landlord then was the father of one of The Small Faces and, in the 60's , the band played their first gigs there .

Monday, August 26, 2024

Instagram

Visit my Instagram page of old photos here

This was taken in The Highlands of Scotland near John O'Groats. Aged 17 and with a head full of Van Morrison & The Incredible String Band!

Sunday, August 11, 2024

facebook

visit my facebook page

My facebook page tonight. For more raw images of the day click here

Thanks for your email today Don ( 6 weeks in the USA!) .I will reply during the week ( too pissed atm!)

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Champion Jack Dupree

I shared my 72nd Birthday today at Dean Clough Art Gallery with the ghost of Halifax's Blues legend Champion Jack Dupree.

Jack's Bio

Jack's Biography = born in New Orleons ( to a part African American and Cherokee mother & father from the Congo .) died in Germany:parent's murdered by KKK when he was 2.: he then lived in the same orphanage as Louis Armstrong : WW2 a Japanese POW for 2 years : smoking dope with Eric Clapton on Ovenden Way Halifax :earlier was a US boxing champion (hence his nickname)etc etc An amazing life. Reading Jack's Biography above, what it doesn't tell you is that while Jack lived in Halifax his Postman was my late friend Phil Davidson who died a few months ago !

Sunday, July 21, 2024

Sauna in Mytholmroyd

Thursday, June 27, 2024

Final Farewell Tour

We met up in Rochdale this afternoon for what I had billed as " Hydn's Last Drink" .

But it went so well that we will probably be having another ( in Manchester) in the coming weeks!

A bit like one of those aging Rock Bands who do a " Final Farewell Tour" only to reappear soon afterwards to do another one!

Anyway ,Hydn was on fine form : a pleasure to be with. He even joked that he was a bit upset about just having to buy a new freezer, knowing that he won’t get full use of it.