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