Snookered

I am rather short on blog-posts this week. I am totally absorbed in watching the World Snooker Championship on BBC TV. Today saw the start of the semi-finals, 33 frames in each of two matches. Each semi is split into up to four sessions, all played on just one table at the Crucible Centre in Sheffield. (I would love to be there, maybe next year).

The first session of the first semi-final saw Sean Murphy head Barry Hawkins by 6 frames to 2. In the second my favourite, Stuart Bingham, heads odds-on favourite Judd Trump, by 5 frames to 3. It's all compelling viewing and coverage will begin again tomorrow at 1:00pm.

Time to get some more beers in....

The Doll's House

The Doll's House by M.J. Arlidge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

M.J. Arlidge pulls it off again. Fast paced and exciting, The Doll’s House is book three in the Detective Inspector Helen Grace series. Eeny Meeny and Pop Goes The Weasel are the first two and you should read these first as there are threads that start in book one and continue through The Doll’s House. Short chapters add to the relentless pace - 434 pages contain no less than 142 of them and Arlidge uses this pacy rhythm to rack up the tension. The office politics and backstabbing continues and there is one very satisfactory conclusion that got a ‘hooray’ from me (no spoiler though). Helen Grace is a determined, tough but damaged character - events that hark back to her childhood. For all that it makes her plausible and human. Her antagonist is really scary, but then they all have been. As soon as the first body is found, fasten your seatbelt and be ready for a roller-coaster ride. I loved it.

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The story of the Wee Lowden

I am interested in acquiring a travel size guitar. The smaller body would I believe suit me better as my Yamaha is rather large - full size in fact. George Lowden manufactures guitars in Northern Ireland and is now producing the Wee Lowden. Well, I can dream I suppose; this is well beyond my budget!



Take a look:



The story of the Wee Lowden

Sleep Tight

Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! Hold tight to your hat as you ride the helter-skelter of Sleep Tight into Olivia's world, full of menace and heart-stopping moments that often left me breathless and unable to turn pages quickly enough. More twists and turns than Hampton Court maze - think you've figured it out - wrong again! No plot spoilers here, just buy a copy and look forward to restless nights of nail-biting tension. Rachel Abbott certainly knows how to master plot and characterisation. This is an absolute corker!

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My Favourite Eatery

You probably already know of my love for Bellota's Bar y Tapas in Brighton. Well, I was there again yesterday with my brother Dave and friends Graeme and Lesley. We kicked of the day with a couple of beers at The Evening Star pub in Surrey Street before making our way to Bellota's.

Me (on the right) and brother Dave enjoying a pint of Estrella beer at Bellota's

Three tapas from the lunchtime menu is seriously as much as one can eat and a snip at just £9.95. And the house red at £17.25 a bottle is good value for an excellent tempranillo. 

All in all this was another very enjoyable day with great company.

The Yamaha FG700MS Acoustic Guitar

This is my new acoustic guitar, and it's a peach! The FG700MS combines premium specification including solid Sitka spruce top, Nato back and sides, 90 degree non-scalloped bracing, inspired by the flagship L-series, and Yamaha's trademark set-up with an ultra-thin natural satin finish to create an instrument with a rich, natural sound. Damn, it's good and all the more so after the set-up conducted by the engineers at Sheehan's Music perfect action and a beautiful tone.

Now, it's up to me. My fingers aren't as supple as they used to be and I haven't played guitar for around 30 years! But now I'm retired I have plenty of time to practice, witness the indents on the fingers of my left hand, already. (At least I can manage the D, A and E chords without too much delay in switching between chords!). The challenge now is to practice every day for at least 15 minutes, following the online tuition of Justin Sandercoe I am determined to improve beyond where I was 30 years ago.

My ultimate goal is to be able to play the acoustic passages from 'Stairway to Heaven' by the ultimate rock-band, Led Zeppelin. 

Yeah, right. I might get back to you on this in 6 months or so......

Guitar: Ax to Grind

Guitar: Ax To Grind; Beginners Guitar Lessons, Learn Guitar Faster Guaranteed! by Thomas Reed
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect with a 25 page book that calls itself 'Beginners Guitar Lessons'. Maybe I was expecting too much in such a short publication. But this is more about mathematics than music and more about notation than actual guitar playing. Rather disappointing.

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Yamaha FG700MS

And this is the beautiful Yamaha FG700MS. Look forward to get my fingers picking on this...

My Personal Target

My Yamaha guitar will be delivered on Monday. Sheehan's Guitars have completed the set up process so the 'action' should be just fine. I am coming back to the guitar after more than 30 years and I have set myself a personal target. To learn to play at least the first sixteen bars of 'Stairway to Heaven' on acoustic guitar. This includes the chords and finger picking. This will take weeks, even months, of dedicated practice. I have watched more videos of this on YouTube than you can shake a stick at. It looks, no, it is difficult - but then I am much the same age as Jimmy Page...

Mind you, he has something of a head start on me....

Retired to the Guitar

I haven't touched a guitar for more than 30 years. When I lived in the Netherlands I took lessons from Peter van Dorst, who still features in the top echelon of guitarists in that country. Circumstances dictated that my lessons were interrupted; I had to move back to the UK. For many reasons I gave up trying to play the guitar, something that I regret a great deal. I am retired now. I have tried to get to grips with playing the harmonica and find it really difficult to 'bend' a note, which doesn't help if you want to play "The Blues"!

And so, at this tender age of 69, I have decided to take up the guitar again. That's right. After more than 30 years, with fingers considerably less supple than they were, I want to play the guitar. Nothing fancy. Start with the chords I remember (I think!) And for no other reason than personal pleasure. Something to practice in a fixed routine. Daily. That's the plan. So, I have invested in a Yamaha FG700MS Acoustic supplied by Sheehans Music. These guys are experts in guitars.  And this is the guitar I have ordered.

http://www.sheehans.com/product/yamaha-fg700ms-acoustic-guitar/fg700ms?TRE00003

Sheehan's experienced technicians will complete a free set up before shipping the guitar. This is particularly important to get the perfect 'action' (something I remember all too well) so that the strings are situated at the optimum distance above the fret board. (ie. minimum finger pressure required in front of a fret to achieve the required sound).

In the meantime I have started to do finger exercises to improve (hopefully!) dexterity. Helped with doses of Glucosamine and Celadrin! When the guitar arrives I am determined to set aside one hour a day to practice and perhaps 20 minutes for 'noodling' (look it up!)

Time to dream...

To sleep, perchance to dream... Do cats dream? It is said that when their paws twitch during sleep cats are "chasing rabbits". How do we know though? Riley does it. He is asleep now in what we call the Banana rest. It is made from dried banana leaves apparently.

Riley has lived with us now for almost six months. He is adorable, a wonderful, gentle natured animal. Rescued from a lonely existence to a home full of love. He is so worth it...

Sailing The Swale Estuary

The love of sailing has never left me. Memories of wonderful days in the 80s when my friend Graeme and I were members of the Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club. At the time I owned a Merlin Rocket, which was a beast to handle with a rating of 106 on the Portsmouth yardstick. It sailed like a - well - like a rocket!

Our friends Roger and Kathy had a beautifully restored yacht moored at Harty Ferry on the Swale. It was a joy to sail; very responsive. Here are some scanned photos of such a day, with me at the helm.

I keep promising myself to get another boat, particularly as Graeme has bought his cruiser, moored at Twyford Bridge Marina. Persuading my wife that this is a good idea however, is another matter....

Not Quite Nice

Not Quite Nice by Celia Imrie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not Quite Nice? What’s not to like about this charming romp along the Côte d’Azur as the author Celia Imrie navigates a fine line between farce and drama. The intricacies of plot are spot on as Theresa, sick of her spoilt daughter and equally spoilt grandchildren, is in dire need of a change of scenery. When she loses her job she heads off to the south of France to contemplate her future. Throw in a melee of ex-pats, financial worries, men who are not quite what they seem, plenty of laughter and mystery and you have a fine debut novel. Fans of Katie Fforde and Peter Mayle will love this, as I did. Rather made me want to beetle off to the sunny South of France and chill out in Bellevue-Sur-Mer....

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Messing About In Boats

Twyford Bridge Marina in Kent is located on the River Medway and is the perfect spot for messing about in boats. My good friend Graeme has purchased a 22' cruiser moored here. So, we did a bloke thing and went yesterday to mess about on it. Having been laid up for the winter would the batteries have any life left, would the engine start? Happily enough it was Yes to both.

Bit of a squeeze getting it out of here!

The location is wonderful, located as it is on the River Medway, which boasts a footpath that runs from Yalding (where the marina is located) to Tonbridge. A beautiful walk.

This beautiful converted Oast house is located along the river heading towards Tonbridge.

The marina is perfect for those of a particular inclination.....

The scenery is spectacular. Here is a view along the river looking back towards Yalding.

The marina is well served by the Teapot Café, which boasts the largest collection of teapots in the world (don't know if that has been verified!). We enjoyed lunch here.

That's it. Just two blokes enjoying each other's company, messing about in boats, messing about on the river, not a care in the world.

And not a mention of the forthcoming General Election.....