The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Places I remember.

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I’m not sure how much traction this has but I’ve been reading the Dave Davies biography. As some of you know I have a link to Muswell Hill and when he mentions places there I can picture them. The John Baird pub (now called the Village Green ,wonder where they got the idea for the name from) The Clissold Arms, Les Aldrich music shop (don’t look for it, it closed after 78 years) and others. The girlfriend he got pregnant went to Henrietta Barnet school for girls, one of my first girlfriends went there despite me living in Yorkshire. His girlfriend lived on Dukes Avenue which is where my wife lived.

What I’m wondering is when reading a book if you don’t know a place do you picture a place you know? When you imagine say the Les Aldrich shop could be it be in your mind the guitar shop you bought your first guitar or albums from?

Reading the Norfolk thread I don’t know a lot of the places but I know what a pier looks like it may not be the correct pier for Cromer but I can make a guess as to what it looks like. I » Continue Reading.

Richard Thompson has had a fall.

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I’ve just read that Richard Thompson has had a ‘fall’ and broken three ribs. I was due to see him early next month so that’s not going to happen. Hoping for a speedy recovery.

But my post isn’t just about that as I was thinking only the other day at what age do you sustain a ‘fall’ instead of falling over? As a child you fall over, now we elderly have a fall.

I’ve had a few recently as my foot decides it doesn’t want to lift fully and down I go, luckily no harm done. I had to have a wristband with ‘Falls Risk’ on it when I was x-rayed.

Just a smidge in my fridge

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I was intrigued by @fentonsteve and his fridge fotografy so I thought I’d take one of ours. I intend to do some shopping today; will this aide memoire help?

We shall see.

There are theories that certain items chocolate etc shouldn’t be kept in the fridge, but rules are made to be broken.

Are there things lurking at the back of the fridge that have been there months? I once found a tub of beetroots lurking with so much mould on them they looked like alien planets from an early episode of Doctor Who.

I just thought I’d share this today before heading out.

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Help I’ve been mistaken today for Rod Stewart.

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Today while swimming in the local pool I was told by one of the regular ladies that swim there that “I looked more like Rod Stewart every day”.

I took this slight in good humour only shaking my fist at her and by doing so nearly sinking in the water. Two of the Afterworders have seen me recently and I’m sure they can vouch for my non rodstewartalikey looks. It appears my hair had been raised when I entered the pool as as it got damper it flattened, and I was then accused that I was trying my best to not look like Rod.

I’ve been mistaken for a few people in my time but I never expected being compared to Rod, though we did have someone years ago in the local Town who sported a Rod haircut years ago.

Is there a witty rejoinder I can offer the next time I see her, and not the most obvious Rod based answer.

Have you ever done something else to get out of something else?

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In a couple of weeks I’m heading up to Newcastle, I don’t really need to go but I was invited to an old primary/ junior school chums meet up and rather than say I didn’t want to go I said I had to go to Newcastle that day.

I bought myself a train ticket to Newcastle so that I wouldn’t be telling an untruth that I couldn’t make it.

I’m not a one for sitting in pubs at the best of times and I don’t want to reminisce about the ‘good old days’. We met up earlier this year and I don’t feel I need to do it again.

I know I could have just said I couldn’t go but it’s a day out and I do get to see Fenwick’s Christmas window which I’ve been told is excellent this year.

Is there a better way to get out of things you don’t want to do?

Another 25er list. Television programmes

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This took quite a while, certainly not as easy to make as records or films ones. Television seemed more ephemeral, watched one you’d never see it again. Now of course it’s ready available to rewatch even some of those programmes you’d missed years ago and thought you’d never see.

Honourable mention to Hiram Holliday the first programme I recall seeing, Hiram fighting a suit of armour with an umbrella.

Have I stirred any recollections?

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Another post about AI

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We’ve had lots of discussions recently about AI and what it means for the future.

Last night in Manchester I saw Laurie Anderson’s ARK, this isn’t a review as it was the first night tryout and some things went wrong, and it would take an age to explain it all.

During part of the show she contacted a professor at the University of Toronto and was able to speak directly into his supercomputer. The words spoken appeared as a surtitle and her words were directly interpreted as images. Faces on people didn’t quite work but it is early days. However referencing trump’s words particularly people massing on borders and eating and cooking pets the images shown reinforced the words, still needed some work on the images, but as I recall the still images at the start of AI images were quite shoddy but have advanced somewhat now. She showed an image of her ‘grandfather’ with his donkeycart which combined a cart and donkey.

I just thought the above system used by a ‘politician’ could reinforce his message in front of his adoring crowd, (a picture paints a thousand words) who may not be able to separate the images » Continue Reading.

Eno

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Venue:

Picture house Crouch End

Date: 15/07/2024

I thought about reviewing this film before I went as the film is different every time, in fact there are 52 quintillion variations of the film. So how do you review a film that no one else will see? You get what the program Brain One* decides there and then.

There were plenty of laughs on the screen (and from the audience) from a ‘serious’ person who doesn’t take himself.seriously. He spoke of the email for the commissioning of the Windows ident and how this long paragraph was full of adjectives for how it should sound,, and to finish it said it needed to be three and a half seconds long. I think to read the paragraph took .longer than that. Because the word ‘Enoesque’ was taken to be a dirty word for ambient music he turned down the opportunity to work with Joni Mitchell who had phoned Eno up requesting they made an ambient album together something he regrets. Lots of thoughts on the producing/creative process, oblique strategies, nature and a glimpse of our own Mark Ellen.

* Anag.

The audience:

A varied age group minus the two women who » Continue Reading.

Wilf Lunn

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Obituary

I have just found out that Wilf Lunn died last year in December. Inventor artist on BBC’s Vision On. I’ve checked on the BBC’s page and obituary is there none, well I can’t find one. I was lucky enough to meet him a few years ago when he had an exhibition and talk at a local print workshop. I bought one of his prints and his autobiography My Best Cellar.

‘Cheerful’ lyrics

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I found the opening lines to Trimdon Grange Explosion rattling in my head this morning. Maybe it’s the time of year, maybe it’s a feeling of doom and gloom, but can there be any more gloomy opening lines than these?

O let’s not think about tomorrow Lest we disappointed be For all our joys they may quickly turn to sorrow As we all may daily see. Today we’re strong and healthy Tomorrow there comes the change As we may see from the explosion That has been at Trimdon Grange.

Sorry to sound less cheery but November brings this feeling.

Anyone have any more examples?

Songs about plumbing

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For some reason on my previous plumbing thread it is impossible to add a comment. Most odd. Anyway do you have any great plumbing (the depths) songs?

This was an attempt to keep Garyswordiplythread updated as we are in danger of losing the most popular thread disappearing. https://theafterword.co.uk/garys-wordthingy-thread/

https://theafterword.co.uk/garys-wordthingy-thread/

Anachronism

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Watching ‘A Spy Among Friends’ last night Kim Philby excuses himself and says “must point Percy at the porcelain ” I thought that was not quite right. Of course it was a phrased coined in the seventies by Barry Humphries and used in the Barry Mackenzie strip in Private Eye (I did a check to make sure). It jarred in an otherwise excellent series, although the filming is set to colour washout and gloom. Do any of our Antipodean allies know if it was in use in the sixties and would Philby have known of its use?

Eurovision 2023

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Of course when it comes to Eurovision you only need this. https://youtu.be/-HuPP0BoVLA

As I’m in Kefalonia at the moment it doesn’t start here until 10 and really I’d only want to watch the voting which will be some unearthlyo’clockinthemorning. . Pity they don’t have the voting first then you could miss out the songs.

I used to enjoy it but now find it overlong and maybe only enjoy a couple of songs in the whole programme.

Anyone about to watch?

An Afterword Assemblage and a new Pencilsqueezer.

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Yesterday in the city of Chester there was a small but perfectly formed meetup of The Cheshire Cat, Retropath2, Pencilsqueezer and myself (and my dear lady). Much talking and drinking and eating was engaged in and a splendid time was had by all. @Pencilsqueezer gifted each one of us a painting each from a series of three called Dust Mote. Here is ours No 1. https://imgur.com/a/WSo2Ixo I’m placing it here too in case the box doesn’t work. The photo doesn’t do it justice, it is of course wonderful.

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Festering Season television recommendations.

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It’s that time between and recommendations for televisual catch ups are solicited. I’ve seen most of the main ones but Jack of Rotherhithe mentioned Schalken the Painter so I’ll give that a view. It’s not something I would search for. Anymore? My highlight this Christmas was shouting at Christmas University Challenge “Pangolin, of course it’s a f**king pangolin, it’s not a sodding hedgehog, good grief”

The Daily Mash takes a potshot

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I didn’t plan to start a new thread but I wasn’t sure which post I could add it to. Those instruments you love to hate, though no mention of crumhorns. Any more to add?

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-entertainment/six-bands-stoned-enough-to-use-flutes-and-other-horribly-pretentious-instruments-20221207228927?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1670407402