a long hot summer just passed me by...

...shooby dooby
dooby do aaaaah .

Another selection of some of Neave's handy work with the camera..

Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with? I have on far too many occasions and it's just happened again, unfortunately it's not a girl this time, it's quite sad really because it's Apple computers, for about two hours today I just sat watching quick time movies about the features of the new MacBook and the iLife software it comes with , I have even been watching presentations about the operating system. I have fallen head over heels with it all, if it works as good as it looks like it does in those clips I can see myself converting.

I had a little go on one of the white MacBooks in PC World the other day and thought it was quite magical (it is a computer I'm talking about isn't it?), the buttons on the keyboard were enough for me to want one all rubbery and squishy like Christopher Scotts' old ZX Spectrum, and now that I know all the stuff that it can do and what comes as standard, I want one now. I have ignored them for so long and I just wonder how long they have been this good. There are a few rumours on some of the Music Tech forums I frequent that Apple may update them with better processors just in time for Christmas so I might hang onto until then.

I installed iTunes today aswell, all part of my new Apple infatuation. It took ages for it to organise the library thats on my external USB drive. I love the way it displays the record covers. Today I also purchased my first song from the iTunes store . White Town - "A New Surprise". It was just what the doctor ordered lifting my spirits sky high. It seems such a long time since I heard a new song by White Town I didn't really know what to expect. It certainly wasn't this groovy upbeat handclapping little number. I wish I could get up and dance , but for now though I'll satisfy myself with some serious head nodding and a bit shoulder shimmying. A song I think about loving life , the Jetsons and not golfing on the moon. It makes me smile and laugh and I know it's the song I will want to hear when I first get up tomorrow morning. It doesn't take that much to make me smile just 79p for a download on iTunes. . . . .try it here. Once you hear it you'll want to buy the new 7" vinyl e.p. on the Swedish label Heavenly Pop Hits which it includes "A new surprise" and 3 other tunes.

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I do try and do a little bit for the enviroment, but probably like most people not nearly enough. We have got the green recycle bins that the council come and empty every fortnight. This is just for paper, tins and glass. I also collect all my cardboard from packaging, cereal packets, ready meals (well I do live on my own and sometimes just can't be arsed to cook) and when I've got a decent amount, enough to fill the back of my car I tottle off to the local council recyle depot and deposit in the right skip, they seem to be well organised, and have skips for most things that can be recycled . They also have what looks like a stall for selling stuff that other people have thrown away, I always check to see if there is any analogue synths dumped but there never is.

The council also come and collect all our garden waste, grass cuttings etc which goes to some big compost pile and they sell it back to us at the recycle centre. I bought some for my little organic veggie patch that I used to have at my old house. I managed to grow some potatoes, carrots, radishes (anyone can grow them, so my old next door neighbour Dave told me as I pulled my first one up, I was over the moon I'd grown something I could eat!) turnips (they were called red top milans, if my memory serves me well) my faourites were peas (karina) they were beauties. I've really missed not growing any this year, once I get myself sorted out I'm hopefully going to dig up a little bit in my new garden and grow some veg again for next year.


I bought a book from Amazon called Save Cash and Save The Planet and I keep delving into it every now again and try and put some of it's advice into practice, nearly every lightbulb in my house is an energy efficient one,I'm looking into getting it cavity wall insulated, I thought a house built in 1983 would have already been insulated but no such luck. As you can tell I've got a long way to go before I save the planet. The Guardian on Saturday had a free Green Living Guide with it and made interesting reading . In it's top 10 recommendations of what we can do now was sign up for an organic vegetable box from a local farm. Well the nearest farm that I could find that delivered here was in Richmond but I thought I'd give it a go and ordered a mini veg bag, a mini fruit bag, some organic butter and 1/2 dozen organic eggs. It all arrived this morning left outside the back door while I still in the land of nod. Thats my organic fruit bowl on the right, I also got some lovely plums aswell. So far I've only tried the eggs, I had a fried egg sandwich for my dinner and it was very nice, it always reminds me of Quadrophenia when I have a fried egg sandwich. I must add that to my DVD wish list. I can see me spending a fortune while I'm off on the sick for the next few weeks. I've already ordered 5 while I've been off...... Ripping Yarns, which I never watched when it was originally broadcast, so need to catch up . Mr Benn which I did watch but I'm buying for Neave, (really!) I'm sure she'll enjoy it. Planet of the Apes the 6 DVD box set of the films, I remember I was a big fan of the TV series when it was on but never paid much attention to films , so now I am. Blakes 7 series 3, the best Sci-Fi show ever as far as I'm concerned. The Complete Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, it always used to make me piss my back off and I'm not sure I've seen them all. I do have a terrible habit of buying DVD's and never watching them, I guess it's a nostalgia thing, it's usually stuff that I remember watching when I was younger. 70's police shows strangely enough, Starsky and Hutch, Kojak, The Sweeney. Some some sci-fi too, Blakes 7 , Tomorrow People, Moonbase. Comedy aswell . . . . Citizen Smith, Scully, Solo. I tend to start watching a couple of episodes then I go and buy something else and start watching that then go and buy something else and it just goes on.

Back to the first reason I started this entry, the enviroment. Included with my organic veg bags was a newsletter and I think the best thing to do is just quote it direct, it makes a nice change to have something important here rather than from me ranting about myself or Paul Weller.

"Dr Bruce Pearce, a customer and Head of Research at Elm Farm Organic Research Centre has made me aware of worrying and imminent government plans to legislate with abandonment the production of GM crops. There is a consultation which ends on the 20th October 2006 and he feels that it is imperative that ordinary people and not just the scientists let their views be known - for perhaps the last time ! He writes to you :

“The Government slipped out a consultation in July on the coexistence between GM and non-GM crops. The coexistence regime recommended for England will allow routine GM contamination – “pollution” – of our food, crops and the countryside. What was understood to be the basic premise that everything should be done to minimise cross contamination has been ignored and will have particular impact on organic food and farming. This is despite Government assurance to the organic sector that everything would be done to ensure that any introduction of GM crops did not compromise the viability of UK organic agriculture. The government are proposing minimal separation distances ( even less than the GM industry body recommended ), inadequate notification to neighbours, a weak liability and compensation system and they do not want a register of GM crops/land. To make matters worse they have made it personal to everyone by saying that gardeners and allotment holders have no right to notification or compensation if their own grown food is contaminated.

The consultation runs until 20th October 2006 and it is important that we have our say. The consultation web site can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/gmnongm-coexist/index.htm

Friends of the Earth also provides information at www.stopgmcontamination.org and Elm Farm Organic Research Centre at www.efrc.com “.

If we all spare a few minutes to make our protest heard, it could really make a difference. Once GM crops are established in our environment there can be no recall and the potential impact could be severe."

It's three weeks now since my hernia operation, the wound is healing nicely, still in a bit of pain but I've almost given up the pain killers, I don't like putting chemicals in my body, I would never have made a rock 'n roll star, I used to love the image but whenever I was offered anything I've almost always said no, (twice I've tried something but neither seemed to have any effect at all, just like the painkillers for my hernia op.) at the time feeling like a square but I felt better for it the next day and even better now.

I spent the first six days of recovery at my Mam and Dad's, I couldn't really do anything for myself, I just stayed in bed nearly all day the first day, only venturing out to go to the toilet. I didn't feel like eating but the nurses told me had I had to eat lots of fruit and veg and fibre and water , but what I really fancied was a Big Mac, sorry but true. The first morning Neave came up to see me and said "Daddy why are you still in bed?" then she just climbed in and laid next to me for ages, which really cheered me up. She was over the moon the next day she came and I was sat downstairs, "Daddy your up , is your tummy better? Are you going to play with me now?" Sadly, not just yet.

While I was at my Mam and Dad's house I watched allsorts of TV that I wouldn't look twice at like Lovejoy and Poirrot and NCIS, don't ask me why I just sat there like a sponge taking it all in. Just couldn't be arsed to switch channels on the remote control. When I did manage to drag myself away I managed to read a book for the first time this year, a terrible confession but I've just never managed to sit down long enough to get engrossed in one. I've started a few but never finished one, not until Margrave of the Marshes by John Peel and Sheila Ravenscroft. It was one of last years Christmas presents , it was so sad to read, my eyes filled up on a fair few occassions.

Like most people "into music"I used to listen to Peel in my younger days, taping sessions and whole shows , I would listen back to them fast forwarding any songs that I wasn't keen on and then dub the good ones onto another tape, I've still got a couple of compilation tapes with sessions and odd songs on. Off the top of my head I know there is songs by Double D and Steinski, Men They Couldn't Hang, Sensible Jerseys, the stranger the name the better I used to think. I like the fact that there are quite a few blogs and web sites dedicated the shows and sessions. The first time I heard lots of songs was on Peel. Reading this book brought back all sorts of strange memories, I suppose I should have been out enjoying myself when I was so young instead of listening to the radio, just like I should be out now instead of writing this.. Sometimes I would fall asleep with my headphones on and I'd wake to the sound of his (cowboy-ish) theme tune playing, then the pips for the news and if I remember correctly Radio 1 would become Radio 2 until the breakfast show. Before he died I would only occassionally listen to him, usually in the car on the way home, he still played some good tracks, the electronic stuff was the perfect soundtrack to drives home from Geoff's house on those foggy nights after we'd been practising. Reading the book made me want to listen to the radio again and not just Radio 2 while I'm at work.

Well it looks like I have survived my first operation. A week ago tomorrow I finally had my hernia operation. I've no real idea how I got my hernia , I'm guessing that it was when I moved house on my own and had to put all my worldly goods including my very heavy crates of vinyl into storage. I noticed a lump , went to the doctors, he told me I would have to have an operation and I've been shitting myself for months ever since.

It's a long time since I'd had a good nights sleep, just worrying about all the things that could go wrong while I was in surgery, I won't dwell on them now because I still come out in a hot sweat. I got up last Wednesday morning at half six,I could see it was going to be a lovely day, hopefully if everything goes to plan and I'm one of the first in I should be out by dinnertime, or so I thought. Rachel was taking me to hospital so I could say bye to Neave, I sat in the back with her and held her hand all the way there.. Me Dad was going to stay at the hospital with me. Got there at 8.30, went in to see the nurse for pre-op blood pressure tests etc (100/50) she said it was very good. She said she wouldn't get me to put my gown on yet as there were two more people having the same operation before me. So we sat and waited and waited, watching all sorts of shite TV that really shouldn't be on air, e.g. the Jeremy Kyle show, it was so appalling it almost took my mind of the operation, I would much have preferred some nice calm relaxing music music to listen to while I was waiting , Radio 2 would have been ideal. I wish I'd thought to take my MP3 player. It did cross my mind on a few occassions to just get up leave me Dad sitting and walk out the hospital and try and live with the pain of the hernia but I resisted those urges.

The time came for me to go and get my gown on , they aren't the easiest things to get on by yourself, all that fastening of ties behind your back, I finally managed to get it on and then it was time to wait and wait some more. More crap TV to watch, and my Dad telling me to try and stop shaking like a leaf, easier said than done. It was 10 past eleven and a nurse from surgery came and took me down to room 5 "just here on the right", now I was papping my pants, they got me to sign my life away , well it could have been, I wasn't paying any attention now I could see the table I would soon be lying on. The surgeon came and shook my sweaty palm and then I had to lay down on the bed while they tried to get a vein so they could inject me with the general anaesthetic, I could feel my whole body just shaking it was like when I go to the dentist only a hundred times worse. The surgeon said "Your shaking all over" (no it wasn't Johnny Kidd a his Pirates doing the op!) "are you cold?" , "No" I replied "I'm fucking scared shitless , I've changed my mind, can I go home?" well thats what I might have said, but instead I quivered like a little child " um...I... I... I... I... I'm just a little nervous, thats all" . "Nothing to be nervous about just take some deep breaths into this mask", oh yes, that made me feel tons better. I managed to count to about ten breaths and that was it, out for the count.

The next I knew I was in recovery, the nurse was by my bed "Stephen, are you OK? Stephen", at first I said yes, fine, then I moved and said actually no I'm not, I was in pain. Which was unexpected because the nurse who did my pre-op said I should be OK if I agree to the pain relief that they stick up your bum, she told me it was very effective and got to work straight away and lasted up to 16 hours, well if i'd had one of those and they told me I had , it wasn't working. I couldn't move without a stinging pain that made me shout. I'm not 100% certain but I think she might have given me a couple of tablets to take round about now, but I was nodding off every now and again, so I can't really be sure. I did notice it was 10 past one though, and thought that it was strange I'd been out for the count so long. I just seemed to lie there for ages, every now and again the nurse would ask if I was OK and I would say "No I'm in a bit of pain, maybe I'm just soft", she never reassurred me, it would have been nice if she'd said, "Your bound to be in pain, everyone is after that operation". The surgeon came to see me and she told him I was in a bit of pain (A bit! A lot!) he told her to give me something which she did, no idea what, but she kept injecting it every now and again. Didn't seem to help at all, I couldn't move without moaning. Time was getting on , it was 10 to 3 and said to the nurse that I shouldn't still be in recovery should I? She just said everyone is different, and once she gave me the last bit of painkiller I could go back on the ward.

It was about 10 past 3 , when they wheeled me back on to the ward, the nurse who gave me my pre-op came to look after me then, she was really nice. I was still in pain but somehow felt better for being up there. I had some water and moaned some more. They brought me some tea and toast but then I just started to feel dreadful, a sick bucket was required, thankfully I didn't have to use it. Geraldine, my nurse asked if I wanted an injection that would stop me feeling sick, why not, I've got all sorts of other chemicals running through my veins, a few more aren't going to make any difference. It wasn't long after this that my blood pressure was checked, then checked again and again.... "There might be something wrong with the machine, test his blood pressure manually, it seems quite low." The student nurse checked it manually and confirmed that it was low. I asked what it was but they wouldn't say. Time to shit myself again. My dad came over to see me and said I looked fine, I didn't feel it. He was only allowed to stop five minutes, so that I could rest. Then I heard a phonecall ... " He's OK but not recovering that well, looking at him now I don't think he'll be home today" , couldn't be talking about me, my Dad just said I looked fine. Then I fell back to sleep.

When I next opened my eyes, I felt alright, no lightheadedness, didn't feel sick, just hungry and thirsty. They checked my blood pressure but it was still low. They brought me some tea and toast , which was the best tea and toast I'd ever had, I started to feel really great, still in pain but better in myself. "Thats better" said the nurse "You had us all worried there for a while, your arms are warming up now and you've got some colour back in your lips", my Dad said "You looked terrible an hour ago", eh? "didn't you say I looked fine?", even the sudent nurse said I was looking a whole lot better. All of that got me worrying again.

The nurses told me I would have to make the effort to get myself mobile or else I was going nowhere except ward 32. I had to be able to sit up, which I just about managed. Then I had to get up and walk to a chair, which was very painful, but I knew I had to or else I was going to have to have an overnight stay in hospital, and that was the last thing I wanted. Blood pressure time again, still low but on the up, a can of pop will help they said, so I chose a can of Lilt with it's totally tropical taste. My eyes lit up when the nurse walked towards me with my clothes and bag ,time to to dress myself, it took me a long time but I managed, even got my socks on! The final test was to go for a pee, this wasn't as painful as I expected, butI still can't stand up for one a week later.

That was it, time to go well one more blood pressure test, almost back to normal, the drip had to come out of my arm , which absolutely killed me, I made more noise from the nurse ripping the tape off my hairy arms than when I was in pain from the op, I think they had double insulated it with tape that was stronger than gaffer tape. It really really hurt. The nurse said I could go so I thanked them all very much and I was out of there. Now I'm just resting.

An Effervescing Elephant with tiny eyes and great big trunk

Sorry for all that Jam ranting below , I know there are lot more important things happening in the world at the moment but sometimes you have to get certain things off your chest. I forgot to mention a new blog I started that I am going to try and regularly update. It's all about songs that are my favourites and I never get bored of hearing, the ones on my mp3 player in the car that I never skip over , instead I turn the volume right up and sing along to. If you want to have a look it can be found here...stephen's favourite songs snappy title, eh? Also forgot to mention another great uplifting to the clouds kind of pop single out at the moment by a band called The Legendsthe song is "Lucky Star" and is 2.10 of the kind of synth pop greatness not heard around here since The Big Scientists or They Go Boom!! packed their synths away. Think unbelievably catchy. Have a listen here Lucky Star. Thanks to Tom at indie-mp3.com for that one.

The Syd quote at the start is there because I tried to get my daughter to listen to some Syd Barrett songs this afternoon but she was having none of it,not even Effervescing Elephant. Give her time though , she's not three yet.

Life is timeless, days are long when you're young
You used to fall in love with everyone

The Jam were the best band ever as far as I was concerned , between 1979 and 1982 all I really wanted to do was listen to the Jam, talk about the Jam and pretend I could be in a band like them. The first record I bought by them was Eton Rifles, it was a really shiny glossy cover, bought at Binns in Darlington. When I got home I just played it over and over again. I became a Mod, well I had a fake green Parka with Jam badges on it, I bought loads of button badges from a Darlo market stall nearly every Saturday. I joined the jam fan club that was run by Paul Weller's sister and mother.

I began to collect everything they ever released. Luckily after the success of Going Underground, they decided to re-release all of the 7" singles, so I managed to get them all. I still wasn't a l.p. buyer, they were for grown up's and old fogeys! I finally succumbed when Sound Affects was released , it was the first l.p. I bought, I can still remember buying it from Woolworths down the town, going into the recreation centre to have a few goes on the Space Invaders which I was shit at , my dad walked past the window of the recreation centre and told me to "get home and stop wasting money on those machines". Which I did and I listened all night to songs that are still favourites and no song will ever make me feel like those songs did on a cold possibly november night back in 1980.

I was in love. It was time to start collect all their l.p.'s. Foolishly buying the first two on a cassette from Dowsons in Shildon, which was also the shop that I bought Start! from, I remember it was a sunny day and the shop was quite a hike from my Grandma's, but on the off chance that they had it I was going to risk the long walk. I can remember a lot of the days that I bought my Jam records, Going Underground was one Saturday morning, me Peter McIver (my best friend at the time and whom I formed my first band with, we called ourselves Top Brass, we only recorded one song , the classic "Janice Pearson is a piss pot" (sorry Janice but you did two time us!) strangely enough Peter's sister Marie lives next door to my ex-wife,I should add that Peter's favourite band were Blondie,I'm sure he'd want you to know that). Back to Going Underground, me Peter, Michael Farncombe and John McGlade were off to the baths and I called into Rumbelows to see if thay had it, they did but only the single 7" version, (it was also releasd as a limited edition double 7" with a live e.p.) I still bought it but then proceeded to try and sell it on the way home after we'd been swimming to Donna Mawson, but she wasn't interested.Absolute Beginners was a rainy night after school , I shot down the town on my little sisters Raleigh Strika to get it with the limited insert, from Woolworths again. The Bitterest Pill was bought one morning after I had been to the dentist, it cheered me up after the filling but then I had to go back to school on the afternoon. I don't remember the day I bought Beat Surrender , I was probably too upset with them for splitting up, I do remember listening to all those songs and lving them all, Lesley Watson the mod girl next door who had a real proper parka, could never understand why I loved the jazz tinged "Shopping" the best.

The split up of the Jam also caused me to commit my one and only act of vandalism, it was after the last school disco I ever went to, there was quite a lot of Jam fans at school and on the way home we ran from our school through Hallington Head and up to Fewston Close, calling in at Stocks Green, shaking all the lamposts until they went out and singing "Move on up towards your destination You may find from time to time complications ". we were pissed off but glad that the police never caught us. So why am I writing what must be my longest blog yet? Last Friday I went to see the Gift at the Cumby Arms in Hieghington , which is no more than a 10 minute drive from where I live. The name of the drummer with the Gift is Rick Buckler and his new band so far just do Jam songs, I couldn't believe I was less than a 100 feet from the man who was one third of my favouite band. It annoys me when wankers like Paulo Hewitt go on about Paul Weller being the Jam, as far as I remember there was always three people in the Jam, Weller didn't write the drum parts or all the bass parts, Bruce Foxton and Rick made them what they were as much as Weller did, but the people who write the history of the Jam and Weller whitewash over that. I have nothing against Paul Weller , I really did love the Style Council aswell, they were the first band I ever saw live and I like some of his solo stuff too. Now what gets on my tits is Weller and those who lick his boots saying it dreadful that Rick is going around playing Jam songs in a covers band, how is it a covers band? He was in the Jam who originally wrote the songs! Is Weller a cover artist everytime he plays a Jam song at one of his gigs? Is this a valid argument? I don't know , I enjoyed myself last Friday night and I thought they were brilliant, and it's the nearest I will ever get to seeing the Jam live.The Jam are the only band I ever wanted to see get back together but it will never happen. Mind I was expecting to see a couple more Newton Aycliffe Jam diciples in the audience like Jonathan Hogan and Mark Morgan , who I was in a band with for one summer afternoon, (they were called The Solution) only because I had a guitar and amp, I couldn't play, I'm still not that good. We used to test each other at school reciting Jam lyrics to see who knew the most, I wonder if the kids at school today do that with songs by ........... insert the name a popular beat combo of 2006, I don't know any.

The only new band I can think of that I like at the moment are the Pipettes, I'm old fart who listens to radio 2 most of the day at work, and everytime I hear the start of "Pull Shapes", it lifts my spirits like no other song can at the minute. I'm contemplating buying the LP/CD but then the 14 year old in me jumps up and says just buy the single, but it's probably only available on CD single and that will be £3.99 so I might aswell buy the LP/CD, aaarrrgghhh. Sometimes I do wish the 7" was the only format you were ever allowed to release songs on.

I finally finished a couple of Northern_Electrix songs, and have inflicted or rather sent out copies to friends and labels for possible
comments and criticism. So apologies to all of you who have no doubt recieved it by now without even a slight warning it was coming your way. The cover was my attempt at trying to do something like Cornelius did on the back of his Fantasma record, playing all the instruments himself and looking rather cool too, but it didn't really work for me, as you can see by the picture on the left.

Needed to write something about what is at the moment my favourite song of the year even though it may have been released last year, it's by a band I used to love years ago The Bats, looks like they got back together to record another l.p. and it's like they've never been away. The first song on it "Western Isles"is enough for me, it just breezes in through the window, cooling me down on this lazy hot summer night, ( it's like 1976 all over again). Studio banter in songs always score top marks with me, as do gorgeous acoustic guitars, That never faltering voice of Robert Scott's is great to hear again and there are just not enough of those occassional bo-bo-boo's supplied by Kaye Woodward , they really really are dreamy. This album has more that it's fair share of magnificent moments on it ,I don't really want to spoil the surprise, I urge you to buy "At the National Grid" from Egg Records of Glasgow, Scotland. Now! Apart from falling in love with this album , I finally got around to sending Jyoti and Marc a DVD of our knock out performance in Nottingham back in 1992. Jyoti wore a suit , Marc wore a big hat and I kept my back to the audience. Once I figure out how to cut the gig into song segments I'll post them up on You Tube .You never know someone might want to watch them.

Just found out that Grant Mclennan died yesterday aged 48 and I feel totally gutted. He wrote some of my favourite ever songs. Bye Bye Pride was the first record I bought by the Go-Betweens, it was to be the start of a enjoyable journey of discovery, all those old singles and lp's that I instantly fell in love with. It's gong to be so strange listening to them now.

Neave stayed at mine last night and after we'd been to the shop for a paper for me and Fimbles magazine for her we went for a game of football in my back garden and I was taking some photos of Neave and let her take a few herself you can see the results at flickr. Not bad for a first attempt.

Well Dell finally got there act together and fixed the video card on my computer so I can look at the screen now without thinking that I might have a fit. I'm once again going to try and keep the blog up to date. I joined last FM this week , so it's time now to get embarrassed about my taste in music. I'm also starting once again to MP3 all my CD's and hopefully I will also get around to digitizing all my vinyl aswell.

2005 hasn't been one of my best years infact it's probably my worst, first my Grandma was diagnosed with dementia, then my Mam had a heart attack, then my Dad was diagnosed with cancer and to top it all off I've split up with my wife. I'm trying to look on the bright side as hard as it is . I just think to myself well my Mam has survived her heart attack , my Dad was given the all clear two weeks ago , I just wish I still lived full time with my beautiful daughter , I hate not being able to go into her room and kiss her goodnight everyday. I also really wish I could have a proper two way conversation with my Gran.

I'm going to have plenty of time on my hands, so I'm sure I'll be making frequent visits to my blog. I'll try and be a bit more cheery and upbeat next time.

Played the Pipettes single 10 times in a row tonight, both sides had me and Neave jumping around the room , maybe she is their youngest fan 17 months old today? I feel guilty because it's been sat on the kitchen bench since Monday and I delayed listening to it until tonight because I didn't want to be dissapointed, Alistair had really built them up into something big , so I was really pleased that they lived up to his 'hype'. I should have known everything would be alright.



The sleeve was almost enough to convince me , I'm a sucker for band names written in sand. I love that feeling of taking out a 7" single from it's sleeve for the very first time, it kind of clings to the sides as if it doesn't want to come out then when it does and you play it and this sound explodes around the room for what seems like little more than a minute , you have to dash back to the stereo and play it again and again.

My favourite is 'it hurts to see you dance so well' it's one of those songs that would have appeared at the end of those compilation tapes that I used to do for people when nothing else would fit on, just as an alternative to the Dentists "The Turquoise Castle" .

The best record so far on unpopular, buy it now before they are all gone .....unpopular records only 500 copies.

Just uploaded some new photos to my flickr account, they are of newton aycliffe, I took them while I was out walking with Neave a couple of weekends ago. I'm going to try and remember to take my camera everytime we go for a walk and take different shots of the town and build up some sort of archive.


the boating lake

Geoff came over last night , first time I've seen him in 6 months, he's been doing stuff with Robbo, Nev and his drummer mate next door, on his digital multitrack. I'm just going to concentrate on my electronic stuff on my laptop. I really should get in touch with Marc and see if he is up for doing some recording sometime this year.

Been listening to a lot of Field Mice lately, bought all 3 of the LTM releases and I am rediscovering one of my favourite bands.

Really dissapointed that 6 music has demoted Andrew Collins to weekends and replaced him with Steve Lamaq one of my least favoutite dj's. Now what am I going to listen to while Neave is having her milk? Stuart Maconie's show on a sunday afternoon Freak Zone is becoming essential listening.

Once again it has been an age since I wrote anything here, this time I really have been busy, well I have been doing something worthwhile for a change. It must be over 22 years since I last did a paper round, I never thought I'd have do it again, but the goverment and their privatisation of council houses policy is forcing me to walk the streets again . I work for Sedgefield Borough Council who are currently trying to sell off their housing stock to a private housing association. They are spending a fortune on trying to get tenants to vote yes to transfer and I have been helping distribute a newsletter trying to persuad tenants to say no. You can have a read of the newsletter here SedgefieldBroadsheetFeb2005 .


There is about 10,000 council houses in the borough and we are slowly but surely getting to all of them. Through snow, wind and attacks by dogs. I'd forgotten how much a shock to the system it was when a dog starts barking at you and you are locked in a garden with it, it makes your heart jump out of chest! The worst injury I've had so far though is a paper cut, which is better than being ravaged by an alsation.

Neave is 16 months old today. My Grandma was 90 last Thursday.

Haven't had much chance to write anything in my blog for a couple of weeks , been a bit depressing lately what with John Peel dying and Bush getting back in I haven't really been inspired to write anything. I should be really happy aswell, I have just had a record released on the i wish I was unpopular record label it's a 3" cdr of two tracks under the name northern_electrix . You can hear a sample of one of the songs here ... kiss me slowly kiss me fast.mp3. If you like it you can buy it here iwishiwasunpopular , 3" cdr's have to be the cutest records ever.

I'm definately getting old all I seem to be buying lately is compilations and best of cd's, and last night I was moaning about the fireworks going off, I can't believe how loud they are, a sure sign of old age, moaning about noise! They did wake Neave up though, frightened the life out of her. I've got to be thankfull we are not living in Iraq they have to put up with that every day and hope that they are not hit by a bomb, I guess it's time for me to stop moaning about loud fireworks and getting old.

Marc phoned me last night, it was great to hear from him. I refrained from saying my usual... I was going to phone you, even though I had been thinking about him earlier in the day , when I saw a (recent)photo of John Taylor and thought to myself he looks a little bit like Marc. Why don't I try a bit harder to keep in touch with my friends? The new rough trade compilation Indiepop 1 CD collection had reminded him about this almighty pop so he thought he'd give me a ring. We both agreed that the tracklisting wasn't as good as it could have been which is a shame, maybe if/when they do volume two it will be better. I wouldn't have put any of those new bands on it though, I'd probably have filled it with songs by dolphin 7 bands and bulldozer crash. Talking of whom they might be a slight reunion at the beginning of the new year, well we have made some tentative plans for a weekend recording session. I did neglect to tell him that the majority of my recording gear is in the loft and I'm virtually virtual now, just me and my laptop. I guess I've got 3 months to get myself up in the loft and blow off all the dust.
Neave climbed all the way up the stairs on her own today, she'll be walking before we know it and then the fun will be begin, so everyone keeps telling us.

wishing i was(n't) skinny

I've been off work for a week now, I injured my back trying to pull a washing machine from under a worktop with one hand. Not the brightest of things to do when your a skinny get like me. It sent my back into a spasm and gave me more pain than the whiplash did last Christmas. I've been on all sorts of drugs to get it out of the spasm and to ease the pain, diazepam,ibrufren, co-codamol, codiene phosphate and diclofenac.

If I could jump up and down I'm sure my tummy would rattle. Costing me a fortune in prescriptions aswell! It is getting better but I still can't get comfortable on a night and I can't pick Neave up which is the worst part.

Just opened an acount at Flickr and thought I would test it out with this image of a pocket calculator.

I think thats it's about time i took some nice photos for this blog, it's looking a tad boring with just text. What I'd really like to do is go and take some photos of the town centre early on a morning before it's too late, it's not as if I'm still in bed at 6.30 on a Saturday morning anymore.
Been listening to John Denver on the way home from work today, I know he's not very fashionable but as he ever been? "Rocky mountain high" and Leaving on a jet plane" to my ears are simply beautiful sounding songs.

I can't believe it ...Alistair from Tangents wants to release a Northern Electrix 3" CDR on his "I wish i was unpopular" label, I am over the moon about this, I wasn't expecting that to happen, it's going to be a two track affair with "kiss me slowly kiss me fast" and "i love you baby" I'll be label mates with Shade Tree and the Metric Mile two of my favourite bands of the year.
Went to see me Grandma again, she didn't look aswell as last time but only said one dodgy thing this week about going on a train, good news is she's going to a home in Shildon, hopefully she'll be happy about that.
Rachel is 35 today, going out for a meal on saturday with Esther and Tony.
Just fitted a stairgate , Neave managed to crawl half way up the stairs today.
Ordered a 40gb hard drive for my laptop from dell yesterday, not very big but it might enable me to convert all those camcorder tapes onto DVD and finally finish the bulldozer crash one so I can send it to Jyoti and Marc. Might even try and make one for the NE song on IWIWU. Must remember to send Alistair a CDR of "i love you baby" tomorrow.

Finally got around to sending off the CD's to, Computer Music, Future Music, Unpopular records and 9th Wave records, not sure if anyone will like the song but fingers crossed, one of them might. Went to see me Grandma at the home in Chester-le-street last night with my Mam, she seemed a lot better than last week, didn't seem to wander off on much , infact only once, kept calling me Matty but she would sometimes do that anyway. I came away a lot happier, now we just have to get her nearer to home.

It's ages since I've wrote anything in my Blog and so I thought I should maybe try and start to keep it up to date again. Lots has probably happened since I last wrote anything here but I'll just write about what's happened this weekend. Yesterday Rachel took Neave to her Auntie Irenes' so I had a bit of time to try and make some music. I finally mixed a version of "Kiss me slowly kiss me fast" I am happy with, I guess I could keep on trying different mixes every week, but then I will never get it sent off anywhere, so I've decided that this is the best I can do, well at least for now. I'm going to send a copy to 9th Wave Records in Washington, I hope they are still going because their website hasn't been updated since May, I'm also going to send a copy to Alistair Fitchetts Unpopular/I wish I was unpopular record label, probably not his cup of tea, but you never know. I'm also going to send copies to Computer Music and Future Music, who I guess are partly to blame for me making this kind of music, so they will probably hate it.

Everytime I visit Alistair Fitchetts' site Tangents I get inspired, I really want to sit down and write about music that is mattering to me at that moment, problem is I never seem to get around to it. I'm trying my hardest to keep up with Alistairs' record labels Unpopular and I wish I was unpopular. The first is a vinyl label while the second is a cd-r label, both are as good as each other. I knew that if he ever started a label then it would be this good.

Went back to work this week, wasn't too bad, painful the first day, couldn't do much with right arm, but it's gradually got better. Even stopped back a couple of nights and did some overtime, well I'll be taking time off in lieu. worst bit was only having an hour so with Neave before she goes to bed, I've been spoilt while I've been off on the sick, but the weekend is here so have got all day Saturday and Sunday to spend with her.

Neck and wrists are still aching but going back to work on Monday, me and Rachel are getting on each others nerves so it's pehaps for the best. Not looking forward to it, really going to miss being with Neave, but until I have my number one record or I win the lottery I guess I'm going to have to go to work. I got in touch with the editor of Computer Music to see what he thought of my synthetic treasure sample cd, but he hasn't had time to listen to it yet, which is a shame, I guess I'm not going to make any extra money at that. This time last year I was writing about starting my own graphic design and web site design company but still haven't managed to start it. I'm just full of shit, I wish I could come up with some great business idea, I think i've been wishing that for the 20 years I've been at the council, either that or wishing I was a popstar, i guess at 36 I must finally realise that it isn't ever going to happen, so now it's time to really just make music for fun, either on my own or with other people, be it Geoff or maybe Michael Robson. I did suggest this to Michael in an e-mail but he conveniently managed to ignore the proposition, even though he is really quite musical, maybe it's just me he doesn't want to make music with, I really wish we had done something togther when we younger instead of just record collecting and writing fanzines. I have just burned him a compilation CD which I am hoping to send to him next week.

Rachel is going to the Metro tomorrow with Esther who has got the istupid dea of going on sunbeds for her holidays back in her head again, I want to talk her out of it but I'm not sure how ? Why doesn't bloody Tony stop her? Surely he loves her more than I do and wouldn't want her to risk anything happening to her.
Bought David Nichols biog of the Go-Betweens from Amazon this week, have started reading it and I am well impressed, I've already been transported back to Brisbane in the late 70's and Glagow in 1980, so far a great book, I just wish all my Go-Betweens records weren't up in the loft. I,I,I,I,I love Lee Remick, she's a darling, darling.

Had a bit of time the other day to record some vocals for Spaceage Superstar (funky song) they don't sound as good as the original ones so will have to practice a bit more and re-record them, when I get chance.

Just been watching Sex in the city and Carrie was writing her blog and it reminded me that I hadn't bothered with mine since the accident. Nothing much to write about really, haven't been anywhere. My car was a write-off, Norwich Union are sending a cheque next week for £750. Then going to go out with Trevor to look for a new one , I'd like a Golf but they are too expensive unfortunately, not really sure what we will go for in the end. I am loads better than I was, still aching whenever I do something but the pain is nothing at all as bad as it was. I'll never be able to watch a car accident on the TV again without wincing. Derek phoned yesterday to tell me there was a job going in the garage at work that was right up my street as a crash test dummie.

Neave is doing great, has slept right through the night 3 weeks on the trot. I'm really going to miss her when I go back to work, I've even stupidly started putting on the lottery in the hope of winning just enough so that I don't have to. Rachel has gone out with Esther and Heidi through Bishop tonight, her first real night out on the drink. Paula, Jeanette and Minne Magoo cancelled so she wasn't in the greatest of moods.

Have bought more software synths, I'm becoming a bit of an addict, Dash Synthesis had an offer on for all there synths ...only $129, how could I resist? Eve is brilliant with somefantastic, sounds, Engalis is probably my favourite because the sitar sounds so cool. Also bought Oberhiem's Auto Tune for my vocals, not sure if it will do the trick but have worked out how to do the Cher effect. Haven't done anything musically, just been messing about with odd loops and stuff , will try and get a couple of hours in the back room tomorrow and do some work on "Spaceage Superstar"(funky song). Haven't heard from Geoff since well before Christmas, will have to phone him soon.

Have been watching some of my Christmas DVD's while I've been off work, the first series box set of the Tomorrow People has now been watched and enjoyed, also started watching odd episodes of Citizen Smith, Power to the People, I am definately on a reminising trip at the moment. Have even been watching Man about the house, George and Mildred and Robin's nest on Paramount, is that sad? I'm not sure. I do know Robin's Nest has the coolest theme tune ever though, Denim did a great version of it. My favourite songs of the moment are from the new Belle and Sebastian l.p. "I'm a cuckoo" and track 12 but I'm not sure what that ones called, an excellent l.p. have been singing along to it loads while in the kitchen.

Watched a really sad program last night, "For the benefit of Mr Parris" , 20 years ago up and coming Tory MP Matthew Parris spent a week ion the Scotswood Estate in Newcastle to see if he could last on the dole, he didn't. To follow up that program last year he went back and tried again, this time he just about managed it. He met some really unfortunate people. I know that 20 years ago I would have hated the man and everything he stood for but this time he seemed to have more compassion and I started to like him although he still wouldn't blame Thatcher for the situation some of those people found themselves in. I went to sleep feeling really guilty about where I now live, I know I was only 16 when that first programme went out but I'm sure I was a nicer person then, I cared more about other people and the predicaments they found themselves in, now though I think I just have have a fear that one day I might end up like them, In a tiny little flat somewhere, depressed and hooked on prozac, it just seems so easy to fall into it, lose your job, lose house, lose your wife a never ending downward spiral.. I remember that claustrophobic feeling from my flat in Bishop, Lambton Street suddenly felt like a mansion when I moved in there, all that space to walk around in, it was like winning the lottery!

Have finally started to read a book, I got it off Norman last year for Christmas , Tom Courtney's "Dear Tom", it's all the letters that his mother wrote to him years ago while he was just a fledgling actor, only just started it but so far so good, I am going to try and read a book a month at least.

Rachel phoned in sick for me today, probably have the whole week off, couldn't possibly do any painting with this pain. They came to pick up fiesta today, the guy said it was most definately a write-off, so I had to empty all my gear out of boot which really knacked my neck. Alan Reid phoned later and told us the same , so we are just waiting for Norwich Union to get in touch to see what they offer us for the car.

Chatted to Kat from Maladjusted , she said the Bulldozer Crash CD-R was on the way soon, but didn't mention the Kosmonaut 7", I guess there is no rush for that coming out, it's not as if we can promote it at the moment.

Rachel posted my sample CD to Computer Music today so I'm just hoping they like it, will e-mail them Wednesday night, see if they got it OK.

Rachel and Neave have gone to Auntie Grace and Uncle Arthurs' with Norm, Esther, Tony and Naomi. I'm going to stay at home, I'm aching still but I can tell it's getting better. Been doing my exercises and the worst one is trying to touch my ear on my shoulder it's a killer. No pain, no gain!

Sorted out CD of Synthetic Treasure to send to Computer Music, so fingers crossed they might want to use some of my samples. That would be nice if I could carve out a side career in sample creating. I guess we'll just have to see what Ronan Macdonald the editor of CM makes of the CD. Also parceled up the kosmonaut CD for Peter of Linplug in return of the RM1V manual that he sent me. Hopefully Rachel will send them for me tomorrow.

Currently downloading FL Studio 4.5, not actually sure what new and exciting features it has but I'm sure in amongst it's 30mb download there is something new that I will like.

Uploaded some photos to Bonusprint last night , so hopefully they will come sometime this week.

Feeling much better today, only had two of my painkillers so far and it's quarter past three. Marc sent me a copy of his CD today the liberty ship Tide, mastered by ahem stephen maughan at porterfield 73. I would say it's probably my favourite l.p. of the year!

Esther popped around at about dinnertime to bring back Neave's changing mat, Naomi isn't very well, was sick in tesco's yesterday and has been sick about 4 times today, poor bairn! Neave had a good night slept from 9 last night until 5 this morning.
Catch up from yesterday ............Rachel went to Alan Reid's to pick up a courtesy car, a Ford Ka, which she says is quite nice. Me Mam and Dad came down with presents from Lanzarote, a camel and a punky haired duck for Neave, some rock for me and a spoon for Rachel.

Too much pain to type today, if feeling better will catch up tomorrow.

HAPPY NEW YEAR. I know I always start the year off with the good intention of keeping a diary for the whole year but never ever actually do, I might manage the first few days days I think when I used to write in my electronic journal, I managed at least 3 weeks without missing a day. I will try but i know I'll fail. I'm writing this in a a little discomfort as I'm am currently suffering from whiplash, a bad back and sore wrists and arms, the result of the car crash on Tuesday. Me and Neave were in the Fiesta and Rachel was following in the Polo , we were taking the Polo to Mill Garage to have a look at it because the airbag light was staying illuminated when you drove it. As I left the motorway and slowed down at the Faverdale roundabout to see if anything was coming the sun was blinding me so I stopped , unfortunately Rachel was behind me and the sun was blinding her and she thought that I was still moving and ploughed into the back of me. I didn't know what was happening all I remember was my glasses flying off , scouring about on the floor looking for them and diving into the back of the car to see if Neave was OK, she seemed to be, I looked out the rear window and Polo was all squashed up at the front and at first glance it looked almost on top of the fiesta, Rachel was fine though, apart from nearly getting knocked over as she jumped out of the car to see if we were OK. We were in a bit of a state and didn't know what to do, loads of people went passed but nobody stopped until I went and tried to push Rachel's car off the road, I almost managed it on my own, then a lorry driver and a couple of young lads stopped and gave me a hand. We phoned Esther and Tony who came and took us hospital, Neave was OK , she was checked out by a couple of doctors and given the all clear. One of them had a look at me, testing my reflexes and stuff, said I had whiplash and to be prepared for it to get worse over the next few days, going off the pain today he was right. We managed to get home in the fiesta, but only just.

We went to Esther and Tony's for New Years Eve, I wasn't going to drink just stick to my tablets but decided not to be a party pooper and had a few Reefs to ease the pain, didn't seem to work, I did manage to spill half my WKD on Esthers' newly cleaned carpet, clumsy tit. Neave was a bit unsettled as if she knew she was somewhere else. We stopped up till about 12.30 then went to bed, Neave only woke up once. We got up about 8-ish I think, Esther made a great breakfast of bacon sarnies and teacake and plenty cups of tea.

Had a right lazy day once we got back, well I am in a bit of pain, phoned me Mam and Dad who have had a nice time in Lanzarote, they are going to walk over to see us tomorrow, we might be getting a courtesy car from Alan Reid's tomorrow aswell if the Polo isn't a write-off that is. I don't think it will be. Rachel did all the housework she must be knackered running after me, feeding Neave and everything else.

Started to sort out Synthetic Treasure Sample CD for Computer Music magazine and see if they are interested in buying them for use in the magazine.

Neave was born yesterday at 12.45, weighing 7,11 and a half and she is absolutley gorgeous. poor Rachel had a hard time of it 19 hours of labour and then she still had to have a section. It was unbelievable ,that moment when Mary the midwife handed Neave to me for the first time, covered in blood trying so hard to open those lovely eyes, Rachel reckons her nose is from me, her lips are definatley Rachels's, her hair at the moment is fair, she's got really skinny legs and feet like her Aunty Esther. Esther and Tony, Norman and me Mam and Dad came in to hospital last night to see her and they all loved her, Esther as expected was the most excitable. took plenty of photos, so she didn't grew up and wonder what she looked like when she was a baby, me Mam reckons she looks just like me when I was born, shame there are no photos to compare with..She didn't have anything to eat yesterday but has started to latch on a little bit today. Norman came in this afternoon to see her so did Hiedi and her mam Yvonne who bought allsorts for Neave, toys, clothes and a feeding plate and they are all lovely. Only Esther came to see her tonight so it was a much quiter night. I hate not being able to be with them all day can't wait for them to both come home.

Rachel went to hospital for her 38 week check at the hospital yesterday and she had high blood pressure, they thought the baby wasn't growing enough and that the placenta wasn't working properly. They were wrong about the last 2 but she still had a scan and the midwife was 100% certain that it was a girl, so we can forget about boys name now and just concentrate on girls names! Esther had Naomi saying Grace, Neve, Hope and Banana (Rhianna) on the phone tonight and they all sounded spot on apart from Banana! Rachel is going to have her blood pressure checked tomorrow, if it's still high she might have to go to hospital and they may induce her.

Two weeks to go and if the dates are correct there could be a little baby in the house. Names decided so far for a boy are Nathan, Nathaniel, Isaac and Aaron. If it's a girl we have got Fay, Neve, Grace, Rhianna and Hope.

love's going out of fashion

Lots of new stuff i want to write about but first need to mention Waterbomb! the Biff!Bang!Pow! compilation CD that has just been released on Rev-Ola. BBP were a band I came across by accident, well almost by accident, I knew Alan McGee was the manager of the Mary Chain and I'd seen the 7" of Love's Going Out Of Fashion in Volume in Newcastle one Saturday morning and really like the cover so I went and bought it blind, when I got home and played it and that 12 string lead guitar came out my speakers I was hooked, it was another one of those songs that I would get angry about , I was so naive not being able to comprehend why songs this good were' not treasured by everyone.

riding along on your push bike honey

The hottest day ever and me and my sister-in-law decided to go for a bike ride after work, our best so far, no great distance but nice all the same. After I went and picked her up we came straight back the way I had just rode down to her house, then we came past what used to be the burmah garage but has recently been taken over by total, we joined the cycle path past the roundabout and headed towards the railway station, Esther suggested we have a ride along the the tracks up to Shildon, so we found our way onto a gravel path which we thought was the path running along the railway lines but turns out to be a path leading to some sort of quarry type thing, so we had to jump over a ravine chuck the bikes over a fence and jump over it so that we ended up on the path we originally wanted to be on, we rode for a while it was nice and peaceful. the scenery to the right was really nice , the fields of wheat were golden and I know it would spoil them but they really needed someone to run through them just for the fun of it. i'm going to take my digital camera next time and take some snaps. We reached tanias bridge, which we thought might be the one near Middridge and as time was getting on and we'd both said we wouldn't be out more than a hour we decided to save going all the way to Shildon until next time,we took a detour at the bridge, rode down the lane past the farms, no dogs attacked us. Said hello to Norman and dashed back to Aycliffe, apparently I got a puncture and thats why we were later than we said we would be.