Toasted Town

I know I have commented on the blogger spell check before, but on my last post it wanted to change Croydon to crouton!

For any of you who don't know Croydon it is a south eastern suburb of London, however with a population of over 200,000 it qualifies as the UK's tenth largest town. A couple of time Croydon has tried to become a City, but keeps losing out to more high profile towns like Brighton

Too many tubas?

Well on Sunday I was in the worship band at Church ( www.anerleyteamministry.org.uk ) and I had to decide which tuba to use. Now this is the first time that has been a problem since I have always used the EEb, but this time I really wanted to play with my new toy. Well I had a quick toot and had to admit to myself that I was not yet up to standard, and that sight reading would be a problem, so the CC stayed at home and the EEb came down from exile in the attic.

Just as well really since we had the usual with singers wanting to change key, no way could I have transposed into E on sight.

Next week I will be playing three different instruments on Wednesday the Croydon Symphonic Band ( http://csb.watchfresh.com/content.html ) starts rehearsals for the autumn term so I shall have the CC out for that, on Thursday the All Souls Orchestra ( http://www.allsoulsorchestra.org/ ) have a rehearsal for our trip to Llandudno next weekend, when I shall be on Bass Trombone. And then at the weekend I will be playing with the Croydon Brass Band again so Mrs T gets yet another outing.

I just hope that I don't fry my brain in the process of trying to remember which one is which and which fingers to put down.

Mrs T out in Public

On Sunday, we had an outing! we played with the Croydon Brass Band http://croydonband.co.uk/ at Canbury Gardens in Kingston upon Thames. This is one of my favorite venues in London, the bandstand is nothing that special, but the park runs along the bank of the Thames, and lots of people come out on a Sunday afternoon, stop and listen to the band. And when all is said and done it is the audience that actually makes the concert.

The photo above is a library picture of the bandstand not of the Croydon Brass Band, but it does show what a nice venue this is.

Playing with the Brass band is just about the only time Mrs T comes out these days, although she is the tuba I have had longest, and have the most emotional attachment to, the EEb and now the CC are just more generally useful. They have a wider register and more dynamic range, yet somehow, the Hawkes BBb still has a special place in my heart

Singers

Those of you with eagle eyes, and nothing better to do with your time will note that I have made a change to my profile. Under interests I have added Singer Cars. It is a sadness to me that many people have simply not even heard of the name Singer in this connection, yet before the last war they were one of the major UK motor manufacturers, later becoming part of the Rootes group ending up as sort of up-market Hillmans. - If you havn't heard of Hillmans either then you have probably stopped reading already!

So far I have owned at least three Singers (since I was a car dealer for a while I can be a little sketchy at times) my second car was a 1963 Singer Vogue series I, many years later I had a fantastic little Singer Chamois coupe, but these were just old bangers, quite recently I was quite distraught when I had top sell my beloved "Jade" a 1966 Singer Vogue series IV Estate

It doesn't show in this photo but she had git to the point where work was needed, that I could not undertake myself (lake of time and ability) and could not afford to have done professionally. It was time for her to go to another who could give her the attention she needed. Although that was now a few years ago I still miss her, and the whole classic car scene. I still hope to have another classic, preferably a Singer, but must wait until time and finance are a little more available.

A little Trip

Well, I have just got back from a little trip, my Daughter is away for a few days at Soul Survivor, so my wife and I thought we would have a little trip of our own.

Just a couple of days and the one night away, we spent the night at Chichester, a charming and friendly little Cathedral City on the South Coast of Sussex. On Saturday morning we went and had a look around the Cathedral and were rather surprised to find a flag stone commemorating Gustav Holst. Now Holst is one of my favorite composers so I was rather surprised that there was no more information about the man, or the commemorative stone on display, especially when there was a lot of "bumf" on other "notables" whose achievements seemed to me to be of a much lesser status. I think I would have expected something on the great man's compositions and his connections with the City and Cathedral. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Holst gives a good little potted history Holst's life and career, but again nothing really on his connections with Chichister, so any info on this please let me know.

Interestingly - for me anyway - the blogger spell check does not recognise Chichester, but suggests Rochester as an alternative. Since Rochester and Chichester cathedrals are quite similar in Character does this suggest that those nice programmers at blogger are fans of ecclesiastical architecture? Anyway we have Chichester on the right and Rochester below.

In the mean time I am anxious to get back to my new toy and get on with learning CC fingerings. Ironically my next outing with a tuba will be next Sunday with Croydon Brass Band, playing BBb at Canbury Gardens in Kingston upon Thames, so once again it will be me and Mrs T. Of the Orchestral playing I have booked at the moment it is all on Trombone until May so that should give me plenty of time to find my way all around the new toy!

New Toy

I am very excited, my new toy has arrived!!! This is the birthday I promised myself last year (it was the big one,, 50) and I have now managed to get it, even it is nearly 11 months late.

The new toy is of course a new tuba. I have wanted a European style tuba for years now and have even tried buying a couple of cheap ones on e-bay but they haven't worked out. I now have a brand new (well a few years since made but never played) Conn International CC four rota.

I have had a play and it works well nice big sound and true intonation throughout the register, now I have to get down to work and learn the fingering before everything starts again in September.

More on the new toy and some pictures later, must now go to work and try to pay for it!

Who am I

I have just been reading http://www.madnessandbeauty.com/ in particular her piece "Um Canada", on the vagaries of nationality. This is something that has crossed my mind even though I rarely leave the UK and never yet Europe. Being very PC many of my employers over the years have had questionnaires asking for such useful data as ethnic origins. Fearing accusations of racial stereotyping - or worse - we get such riders as " we are not asking for your race or country of birth, but the cultural group to which you feel most akin" to this I always tick the box for other and then add "Londoner"

My rational is simple I feel more culturally akin to a Black West Indian Londoner than I do to a white European Scouser or Brummie.

However the over all point is not so simple, what is it that makes up our identity, I would hate to be classified by my occupation, I am not what I do any more than I am where I come from, so who am I.

Well certainly I am my father son, and my wife's husband, but more than that I am the total of my experiences, but when asked where I'm from what's the point of saying Anerley when no one has heard of it? after all it is only a place between other places for putting houses.

At least as a Canadian there is a strong identity - at least to Europeans - as a "Brit" I'm no longer sure what our identity is. Plucky underdogs, arrogant colonists, industrial urchins, victims or oppressors, maybe we have too much history and can no longer create a single identity from it, I know I have Saxon, Bavarian, maybe Spanish blood, when it is boiled down maybe I'm just the bloke who plays Mrs T.........

If you have been thank you for reading, it wouol dbe nice to know if you are.......................

Cartoon

Way back, many moons ago I wrote about a couple of on-line cartoons I was following, looking back on it I see that there is one that I didn't mention. "Narbonic" is a totally awesome cartoon, almost graphic novel - but funny - on the mad evil scientist theme. The link should get you to the introduction page page then just dive in at the top.

The whole thing is quite long, and like all these things is a major way of wasting time, may be one of the reason I havn't been posting much recently.

Anyway today is the 1st of the month and a Saturday, so I shall be cleaning out the van, fitting a new aerial, going to the dump, cleaning out the inside of the car and washing it, and that's before I start to think about housework, and all that before we all go to the cinema to watch "G Force"

If you have been - thank you for reading

New Toy

I am very excited, I have just committed to buy myself a birthday present. I should have had this last year when it was a big birthday, but finances at the time just didn't allow.

I am adding to my "stable" of tubas - what is the collective noun for tubas, suggestions please - next week I should be recieving a shinny new CC four rota beasty, I just hope I can get my brain round the fingering.

Smiths Square

I can't believe how long it is since I last posted, well now it is just a few lines as I'm very tiered and just a little "relaxed" my band Croydon Symphonic Band have just played at the St John's Smith Square, a really great venue and my first thoughts are that we didn't do too badly!

Personally I played like a drain!!

I have been working so hard and so long on gardens that I haven't done any practise for months, - and it shows - I will be playing with the Croydon Brass Band at the weekend on BBb bass so I hope that goes well, the music should be less technically challenging so I might get away with it!

By the by BBb totally confused the blogger spellcheck

About Time

About Time I made a post, I spoke to Alec last night and got told off for not keeping up to date. I must say that when I started this I had no idea just how time consuming it would be possible for a blog to be.

Well I have been up to quite a lot but not a lot of it has been very interesting, the weather has been generally very good so I have been hard at it in the gardens, laying turf, creosoting fences as well as all the other work that needs to be kept on top of at this time of year. Pond are still my bette noire but more of that another day.

Very little on the music front, I have had a couple of orchestral services at All Souls Langham Place, and am looking forward to a park concert at Greenwich Park on Sunday. Greenwich is one of my favorite parks and we will take along a picnic and enjoy a good old fashioned family day out, now back to the lawn mower, it is probably sulking because I havn't been out working yet today

More soon

Cartoon Time

While I have been pleading that I am very busy at the moment - maybe it's just an excuse for not posting more frequently - I have had the time to start following a couple of new (to me) web comics. So rest assured that this is nothing to do with Rolf Harris.

I have been enjoying Skin Horsefor some time now, to say the least this strip is a little offthe wall! I just love the characters, reading the comments it sounds as though there are a lot of references to other fantasy type thingies, cartoons, games, books etc. which I don't get, but that does not hinder my enjoyment any. The link takes you straight to the contents / index page, if you have the time it is great fun to start at the beginning and work your way through, if you just jump in on today's post it will be more than a little confusing.

http://www.webcomicsnation.com/shaenongarrity/skinhorse/toc.php

I have just discovered http://comics.com/9_chickweed_lane/ and http://www.girlamatic.com/comics/mell.php?view=toc and like both of these. There is more stuff on the net than I can contemplate and much of it is well worth avoiding but I can recommend these - especially if you enjoy the odd!.

The picture is of Unity one of my favorite charicters from Skin Horse

Long time - no post

Just realised that I have missed a whole month. I think this is a reflection of how busy I have been and what good weather we have been having.

All the sun shine means that I have been out working in gardens as much as possible and when I get home too tiered to be bothered - with almost anything. That added to a number of vehicle breakdowns have meant that my mind has been elsewhere, however I do promise to post more tonight in the mean time here's a nice picture

This is a sculpture at the RHS Wisley gardens seen in September last year - sorry I don't know the artist

Gone Racing

Hi!

Well either the weather has been very good, or I have just been busy. I hadn't realised just how long it has been since I last put up a post. I know self discipline has never been one of my strong points but I did think I would manage better than this.

Any way- today has been largely taken up with motor racing, and not just grand prix on the telly! No today the Goodwin family went to Brand Hatch to watch truck racing. These are the most powerful racing machines with great track presence and lots of overtaking, for more checkout http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/brands-hatch/news/article.asp?NewsID=4547

For the last couple of seasons the trucks have been the first and last meetings of the season at Brands, their races are mixed up with National Championship races for Pick up trucks, and Legends. The Pickups are identical purpose built racing vehicles with 2 litre Ford or Vauxhall engines, Legends are five eighths scale replicas of 1930's American sedans and coupes with 1200cc bike engines, both give lots of good quality close racing with lots of overtaking.

Normally I would say unlike Formula 1, however I have just watched the highlights of the Australian GP on TV and what I saw looked like an excellent race - I may be biased having been a Button fan for ages, and hope that he will now live up to his early promise. with a name like Jenson he has to be fast!

The Jensen Interceptor was a great car and one of my person favorites ever since I got my first Dinky model of one around 40 years ago! To find out what I'm talking about have a look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jensen_Interceptor

Well, sorry it's been a while since my last post, I think this goes to show that I have a lot more time when the weather is bad. Over the last week I have been pretty busy on all fronts, work, music, watching rugby, and even some time with the family.


On Saturday I played a concert with a local orchestra, and was reasonably pleased, there were quite few mistakes but I think most of these were down to a combination of lack of concentration and nerves. Any way the program went reasonably well and the audience were either very polite or enjoyed the evening.

Personally the most interesting part of the concert was the Weber Konzerstuck (literally Concert Piece) for Orchestra and Piano. This is basically a concerto, only with no breaks between movements, the interest for me came from the orchestration only one trombone is used, and it's the bass. Now for a any trombone it is very unusual to be the only one but for a bass trombone this is unheard of - anyway although it felt a bit bazaar the orchestration really worked, and I think we all enjoyed this piece. We also played the Beethoven "consecration of the House" and Brahms second symphony.

Although I have nothing in the diary at the moment I hope to do a lot more orchestra playing this year, both on Tuba and Bass Trombone - so come fixers make that call.............

Tuba!

I just had a look at how many members of "Blogger" list Tuba as one of their interests - 388 - now that seems like quite a lot for what is a pretty esoteric sort of interest, but then there are a lot of people out there in cyber land, and if there are 388 members of blogger interested in all things tuba then I hope some of them are reading this - let me know if you are

I copied this picture ages ago and can't remember the story behind it, but the instrument looks truly awesome if you know anything about it let me know - please.

Apologies

First things first I owe Jim an apology I put him in the wrong regiment, and of course the Grenadiers are a very different outfit from the Coldstream. Sorry Jim!

When I started this blog I thought I would record my journey in music, but looking at what I have written so far I seem to write about just about anything but. Maybe this is just a reflection of what is really on my mind, or how I actually spend my time. Certainly now that my main income comes from Gardening rather than playing music things like weather play a much bigger part in my life. The other side of it is that at the moment there is not a lot actually happening with my music.

Of the two orchestras I am a regular player with one, the London Charity Orchestra ( http://www.londoncharityorchestra.co.uk/ ) have decided that this spring the concert will be classical music - Mozart and Schumann - so no need for Trombones and Tuba, this is a shame for me since I enjoy this orchestra so much I always play Bass Trombone with them since they seem to have loads of good tuba players but struggle to find mediocre Bass Trombones!

The picture shows the LCO in a concert we played at LSO St Luke's a while back, this was a big orchestra since we had the Planets on the program.

The All Souls Orchestra ( http://www.allsoulsorchestra.org/ ) are a christian orchestra based on All Souls Church Langham Place - next to the BBC - and call on players from across London and the South East, for the first part of this year they have decided to use younger players and since there is only ever one Tuba or Bass Trombone this leaves some of us older guys out of it.

This is of course an admirable idea and in theory I absolutely applaud it. However in practise it has left me with a few issues to deal with, there is a definite feeling of rejection, as well as disappointment at not playing at some events that I really enjoy. Maybe this means that I have been thinking playing with ASO too much as simple music performance rather than worship, and putting myself at the centre rather than putting God at the centre.

Still I do have a few things coming up other the next few weeks, including a concert with a local orchestra I haven't played with for about 20 years, so in effect new ground. So plenty to look forward to.

Yesterday

Well yesterday didn't go quite to plan, I am in the middle of re-mortgaging with the good old RBS, I know that as self employed with out accounts I could be said to fall into the "sub prime" area, but really the amount of trouble this is causing you think that I was related to Sir Fred!

Anyway after escaping from the black hole of banking I managed a couple of jobs I have been meaning to get stuck into for ages, including trimming a hedge. I don't think that hedge had been touched properly for a couple of years, so it was just as well that I had the chain saw with me as well as the hedge trimmer! Today I hope to do my first bit of grass cutting this year so lets hope the weather holds.

I know some of you would like to comment on some of my posts so just to clarify, at the end of each post there is a small pink bit which says "links to this post comments" click on comments and this takes you to a new page and a comments form, just type up what you want to say.

If you have been thanks for reading

Lent

Well we are now a few days into lent, and the old self denial is beginning to hit home. I have decided to give up booze for lent, and have to admit that it is not easy.
But then that is part of the point isn't it? The reason for giving something up is at least in part about sacrifice, therefore that sacrifice needs to be costly in some way. If it were easy to give up then there would be no sacrifice.
This is just a quick post beforfe going off to work - I CAN the sun is out - more later

Stuck at home

I've been getting a bit frustrated this week, my daughter has been struck down with the dreaded lirgy, and since my wife can't take time off work I have stayed in with the young one. Having planned a full week out in gardens not only am I getting a bit stir crazy but also I'll be missing the money that I would have been earning.

On a better note (pedal C that's one of my favorite notes) I have been out to a rehearsal with a band I play with occasionally. The Surrey Yeomanry Band http://www.surreyyeomanry.com/ used to be the regimental band, but have now survived the Regiment but quite a few years. Not so long ago this band was struggling both with lack of players, and lack of ability. A new conductor and a few new recruits has transformed the ability and sound of this Band. They are now playing some challenging music, but more impressive to me they have a "sound". The sound they have is in the model of a Guards band with a wall of sound, big warm and mellow. This is not so surprising really since the conductor was trained in the Irish Guards, and quite a few of the players are ex-guards as well.

Just to add to my fun it was a real treat in an amateur band to sit next to a totally competent tuba player, again since the guy in question is currently with the Coldstream Guards again his playing was not a surprise, but finding players of that quality in a local amateur is a treat indeed.

Tonight I will be with my own band, Croydon Symphonic, http://csb.watchfresh.com/content.html This will be the first rehearsal after our last concert, so it will be interesting to see what music we will have out for the next concert which will be in Greenwich Park, then a more formal one in St John's Smith Square.

The photo on the right is from our Christmas concert last year, we played to raise money for a locally based charity Five Talents UK. www.fivetalents.org.uk

If you have been thank you for reading - I will post more tomorow

Bysantium

The other day I went to the excellent Byzantium exhibition at the Royal Academy. http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ There was some truly beautiful stuff on display, and the whole thing was very interesting. Certainly as well as enjoying some lovely works of arts I learnt much about the Eastern Empire, and the development of art, especially Christian art.

In particular the whole thing with icons made me think, about how we represent historical religious figures, how we use images in our worship, how figurative art is uniquely Christian within the Abrahamic religions. While on a purely visual level I enjoyed the pictures I did find it disturbing to find that the images themselves were acknowledged as having religious significance, indeed many were accredited with having miraculous powers. This seems to me to be an obvious case of setting up Idols, directly against the second commandment.

4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:4-6 NIV)

Because God has no physical form, any Idol intended to resemble Him would be a sinful misrepresentation of Him. Since other gods are not to be worshiped (the first commandment!) making Idols of them would be equally sinful. Clearly then the veneration of images is just a big no no, but how about some of the wonderful Christian art that has been used to illustrate the Bible, Michelangelo's David, any number of "Madonna and Child" paintings and statues, pictures of Jesus, these are representations of God when He was in physical form, so can they in themselves be sinful - I think I am coming to the conclusion that it is the attitude of the viewer as much as that of the artist that is important in this. Therefore we should ensure that we only worship God, in all His glory, not any images, not crosses, not alters, not stained glass windows, not TV or bloggers. All these things and others can remind us of God's glory, like books they can help us, but they should not in themselves be worshiped.
Don't get me wrong I love art in all (well most) of it's many forms, and I would deplore the idea of anything like the destruction of religious art that followed the reformation in England, I just found the the whole Iconoclast / Iconaclist thing rather challenging.
All bit heavy for a rainy Monday morning, but if you have been - thank you for reading and please do comment.
Paul

Love

We can now safely put Valentine's Day behind us for another year, the price of flowers can go back to normal and tables will be available at restaurants again. But it has made me think about love, what is it? how do I express it? who do I show or give it to?

In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul says quite a lot about love,

"Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and it's faith, hope and patience never fail."

That gives us quite a lot to live up to when we tell someone we love them. If I was to put me name in the place of of the word love it would read "Paul is patient and kind; he is not jealous or conceited or proud; Paul is not ill mannered or selfish or irritable etc. etc." well I can only pray that one day this may be true, but for now I think I, and most of us, fall well short. Can this be because I don't really love? Well last night I certainly told my wife that I do love her so what does that mean?

One thing I am sure of is that love is not a feeling, no that slushy warm feeling that we sometimes confuse with love is sentiment. Love is about decisions, and actions. Love is a choice we make to put the considerations of another before our own. If we rely on sentiment alone to build our relationships, they cannot last maybe this is one of the reasons why so many relationships end early, certainly any marriage that ends before the death of one of the partners ends early. I mean sometimes we have to chose to love whether we feel like it or not, and maybe those are the times when we truly show the greatest love.

Sorry if all this is a little confused and not fully thought through, but then that could a description of it's author - if you have been, thank you for reading

Work

Well the weather here in South London has been cold and wet with far too much snow. I understand that the snow we have is much wetter than in colder climates, my Icelandic friend tells me that although the temperature is higher in London than at home it feels colder because it is wetter - I don't understand either, but I do believe it.

The point is that we have finally had a couple of dry days so I have been able to get out and start catching up on some work. Although snow is very pretty and great fun for the children, it is no fun at all for gardeners. So it is something of a relieve to be able get on with some meaningful - gainful - work. The only trouble is that I have been far to weary to make any posts.

Hopefully I shall get something a bit more substantial than this later, until then - if you have been - thank you for reading

Rugby and stuff

At the moment a lot of men and women in Europe are obsessed with Rugby. On Saturday the six nations championship got underway, and over the weekend we had three matches of very different standards. Now I am a Rugby enthusiast, I played the game for all the years I could until injury and age caught up with me, so I was glued to the screen for all three games.

It always used to be that most of the people following Rugby, either club or international were current or ex players and their families. Now we have a lot of nationalism creeping in. I don't mean the political far right neo fascist type, just those who want to watch one of their country's team win a game. This leads to support for the team being more important than support for the game. I watched one really poor game and two really good ones, and will admit to being nationalistically pleased at the results of two of them. (Since it is a bit early to start alienating people yet I won't say which ones!) but shouldn't I be more pleased with the quality of the good matches and disappointed with the poor one.

Now my country's team (England) did win, but played badly - I think it is a sign of growing maturity that this didn't either make or ruin my weekend. But there are many Italian, French and Scots men who are really upset this week - about a game.

On a different level I just came across this blog a T Revival: Just When You Think You Have It Bad III: Military Suicide no comment I make can add to this, just to say be open minded about the writer. She is writing from a trans gender perspecive but I think that the truths she is bringing out are universal.

Finally Started

Well this is it, after thinking about it for around a couple of years I have finally got around to starting my Blog. I'm not at all sure why I should have the arrogance to assume that anyone else would be interested in my musings or activities, but here we go anyway.

I suppose as good a place as any to start is to explain my title, at least the who is "Me" and who is "Mrs T"

"Me" is a keen amateur tuba and trombone player running my own business as a maintenance gardener, and waste consultant specialising in recycling - well that is enough for anyone who knows me to identify me!

"Mrs T" is definitely not the Mrs T that will come to mind of most Britons over a certain age! No not Mrs Thatcher but a rather grand BBb contra bass tuba, to be specific a Hawkes and Sons Emperor Sonorous Superior cavalry model. Yep that's her in the photo!

Why "Mrs T" well after working with one of the UKs premier German Bands for a Canadian Company in Seville at Expo 92 it was time to fly home. Having got a lift out to Seville with a drummer the journey home was my first flight with a Tuba. A seat was duly booked and ticket issued, however to actually get on the plane a boarding card is needed, to get a boarding card a name is needed, so I just gave the name Tuba, then they needed a title so I settled on Mrs, somehow "Mrs Tuba" stuck and then got contracted to Mrs T. The flight staff had much experience of cello's but this was also their first Tuba, in end she ended up occupying a full row of three seats, the one thing that still rather rankles after all this time, is that I never did get the complementary drink for her seats!

Although Mrs T is no longer my prime instrument she still has a special place in my life. So a nice catchy title for my blog, although Mrs T may not feature too often I hope to tell of my musical exploits as well as observations on gardens, people and life in general.