Desperate Dan is sat by his fire on the range singing folk songs with his horse.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Xmas 2007
Desperate Dan is sat by his fire on the range singing folk songs with his horse.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Sibling Xmas
I think most of us had dress up sets such as Cowboy and Indian sets, Nurses and so on but as ever he just had to go that bit better so had something a bit like this.
Well back then things were quite so realistic so we didn't have the backpack but it was white apart from the silver trim around the neck and the chin area of the helmet with a thick acrylic visor.
I think he wore for a good couple of years if my a patchy memory is anything to go by when he played in the house as think he fancied himself as an Astronaut, following the reports on space missions and space Sci-Fi series such as Space 1999, Blacks 7 and so on.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Chores for Middles and littles
Own area
Making own bed
Getting clothes out for the next day
Hanging up own clothes neatly after wearing/washing
Making sure worn clothes are available for washing
Keeping own spaces tidy
Helping in the home
Fixing own breakfast
Setting tables with cutlery, mats, glasses and cold refreshing drink
Clearing away and washing up afterward
Tidying away in other spaces after you
Helping with vacuuming
Feeding pets
Sometimes it can be easy to drift into a pattern where other people may not expect you to do (or be able to do) these things which doesn't help you either with trying be more responsible and independent and may in a low key nagging way begin to undermine a relationship.
It also is the case that within reason, people shouldn't try to do that too, even if you as a little or middle have a disability or two regardless of like a number of folk you may not of had to do much if any of these things in past yourself.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Reminiscing of Christmas past
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Baseball
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Spirited Away
The story is centred on Chihiro, a headstrong 10 year old girl who is very unhappy that her family are relocating and so she'd have new friends.
Making their way toward the new home, her father takes a detour to explore a mysterious tunnel in the woods while on what is the other side there appears to be a deserted theme park but is actually a ghostly town.
Without realizing it they have strayed into the Land of the Spirits, a world of dreamy scenery that is inhabited by ancient gods and magical beings ruled over by the sorceress, Yubaba.
Chihiro's parents are held hostage and with Yubaba set on enslaving them forever, she must use all her energy to survive in her new strange environment.
Aided by Haku, a young brave spirit, she is forced to overcome her fears joining an epic battle for her family's freedom.
I hugely enjoyed watching this which won the 2003 Oscar for the best animated film which in the opinion of many has set a new benchmark in animation.
Tag altered in 2017 for blu ray version.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Satchels
One thing I remember very much from Junior school was having a traditional leather satchel with a pocket at the front to put your name and class on. We used to it carry anything such as books we needed for class in as we had a separate bag for our PE and Swimming stuff.
Rather like with the wooden pencil case I had I felt really proud of it, taking care to keep it in good condition.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Choo choo's Pt.2
I'm sure the engine we went on was called Owen Glendwr who I think was something of a hero to the Welsh fighting English occupation of their Country.
The countryside in that part of Wales is very mountainous and really beautiful.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
B is for berries
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Hits!
Both CBS and Warner (WEA) had contributed tracks to the Now series but generally they didn't not include US acts possibly for contractual reasons and sought to capitalize on the UK markets fascination with compilations of chart hits by establishing their own series.
My brother bought a few of the earlier ones that I taped and to which the recordings have long gone and I bought Hits 8 and 9 myself at the time as there was very little overlap between them and the NOW series.The cassettes of the first three versions had the main artwork on a double case to the left and a list of artists feature toward the right as the lps used pictures that would not of worked scaled down.
What I am doing is slowly restoring some of those HITS albums I had on tape aiming to complete the series to HITS 9 making entries about each volume on this page as I go along.
HITS1. In part a Greatest Hits of 1984 but with other songs added like Alphaville's Big In Japan.
HITS2 . This two disc set is in some respects a Now4B as a number of tracks that came out on the Now Dance album at the same time in 12" versions appear here in their standard mixes with all the main chart hits added such as Close (To The Edit), I Want To Know What Love is, 1999, A New England and Since Yesterday amongst others.
HITS3 Hits from the tail end of 1985 including several number ones this always was one of the strongest ones in the series
HITS4 A selection of hits from early 1986 from the likes of the Bangles, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys (single mix of West End Girls) and The Damned
HITS5: Taking in the later half of '86 we're treated to such gems as You Can Call Me Al, Walk Like An Egyptian, Thorn In My Side, Anotherloverholeinyohead, Rage Hard and Julian Cope's classic World Shut Your Mouth
HITS6 Hits from spring of 1987 which I own the cd version of notable for the only cd with the single remix of Madonna's Isla Bonita and added the double lp.
HITS7 Less hit laden but with a good number of memorable songs like You Win Again, the counter part to NOW 10 and both were double cd issues.
This one covered chart hits in the second half of 1987 by Prince and Fleetwood Mac as well as being the first to come out on double compact disc which is what my brother bought and I later picked up a used copy.
HITS8 A selection of hits from the Summer of '88 when Acid House was all the rave which I own the cd version of
HITS9 Hits from the second half of 1988 and a counterfoil to NOW 13 with more big hits and also runs like Bros's Cat Among the Pigeons and A-ha's You Are The One which originally I bought on lp but now have the cd version.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Little Moreton Hall
It's one of the finest Tudor black and white houses in the whole of England. The first photographs I have of it were done on a Kodak Disc camera but they weren't too good having heaps of graininess.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Late vacation
While I was away, Mommy took me on the train to the top of the Great Orme.
I visited a record store and bought myself some new lps and a few used cds for my collection.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Gender stereotyping
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Charlie Brown
I've had this from the mid 1970's, actually it's a new 1974 edition, well thumbed through and with that tan coloration you get on older books especially on less expensive paper probably because reading this as a child made me so happy.
I have a few more books of Charles M Schultz's Peanuts cartoon strip series as I loved the tv animated series and it's characters.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Photography and this blog: The connection
There would never be a blog if it were not for my my interest in photography as much as the original blog host had very limited image support which was why it was I explored other hosts and moved to blogger.
After using childhood 127 film cameras, a 120 Twin Lens Reflex and brief period with a Zenith E, I settled on using a Olympus film gear that included a OM 4 advanced single lens reflex camera with marque lens, dedicated auto through the lens/manual exposure flash and Winder 2 for remote or highly rapid picture taking that bolts on the underside improving grip and taking over from the manual film advance.
Its greatest feature was a combination of multi spot metering to set exposure better in difficult circumstances and the ability to store and adjust aperture and shutter speed settings to balance that exposure to match the way you wish to present the subject.
Currently I'm reliant on having slide or negative films processed and scanned to disc when developed which I then import to my ageing desktop computer to upload here while I look at how the digital camera market develops and what may work best for blogging which is where a digital camera would help cutting out the delays between going somewhere, finishing off the film roll and getting the processed film back.
That in its own way is why press photography moved rapidly to digital as speed makes big difference between getting copy out when it's of interest or not.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
You're Always A Girl
This scares the living daylights out of a significant number of people who hold on to notions of age appropriate behaviour not least because some forms may impact on your ability to function in the world of employment.
To me this could only be true if you were functioning at an infant level - think oversized baby - needing total attention and supervision but this isn't what I'm talking about.
I think most are familiar with the idea of the 'inner child' who many psychologists say lives on in everyone.
To put things into context I've held political office representing an authority, contributed to and accepted responsibility for setting budgets and programs whilst being a 'little girl' because I can choose when to present the little girl physically and when I can use that to the advantage of society having an immediate empathy with children to help them grow up to be well rounded individuals though my work with various bodies.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Three terms at Uplands
I don't know about you but there always was one child in the form who it always seemed to be the one who in trouble, not that I was angelic, and this book is about a girl, Claire Johnstone, who is although as in my experience too there is real trouble-maker behind it all, in this case Ethel, who just leaves poor old Claire to take the blame.
Claire is fortunate to get a scholarship to Uplands, a large boarding school who sees this a chance to start anew with a clean slate until she finds there is a another new girl -Ethel!
It isn't long before Claire is back in trouble again all because Ethel thinks the Juniors are getting a raw deal from the Prefects.
We had Head Girls and Boys but basically you had certain amount power over your fellow pupils as Prefect and extra duties which didn't always go down so well with folk.
Anyway, Ethel wants Pupil Power and the Juniors soon find themselves members of Ethel's Students Union, an action anywhere in a school I went of putting you on the wrong side of Adult Authority, rebelling.
Monday, July 16, 2007
At 14
It took me me a bit of time to learn about how to lay out an entry using the tools blogger provides,captioning my entries as well as the discipline of making the entries on something like regular basis.
This is an slightly older 'Joanne' looking just about 14 very much as I recall it, older bit still very much a girl with with pink colour scheme and cute effects on the shelf.
At 14 We started studying for our 16+ exams having decided with our teachers and parents what options for study subjects we were going to be taking although within reason they could be changed afterward.
I majored on the Humanities, studying Religious Education, Geography, History as well of English language, English Literature, Math, Government and Politics and combined Science.I also took as a study only subject Geometric and Engineering Drawing, learning to draw in three dimensions as well as Craftwork, where I learned about enamelling, basic woodwork and made craft items from fabrics, card and glue.
Naturally being my school we still continued to play team games such as Rounders as well as taking swimming lessons. In my head I still felt 12 however even though perhaps compared to today's youngsters we were less overtly grown up for not having the same push on branded fashion and sexuality.
As far as dress went the uniform was as shown, still very much sweater, blouse and neatly pleated skirts but some girls wore tights rather than white knee socks.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Life (and why this blog is as it is)
I am somewhat more visual but in may respects this illustration sums a whole chunk of it up really well.
The first thing is we all dressed differently, showing that how we feel expressing our inner sense of being is different, I veer more toward the girl on the far left, others in this context might choose a party dress. It's all good!
We are all having fun, sharing chit-chat, sucking our Pop through straws. That sharing is what we do when at meets playing with each other and letting each other play individually with our dolls, stuffies and other toys. I am grateful my little/middle friends let me share things as it means a lot allowing us to build our friendships.
There is music playing that we are sharing. It may be my home stereo component system is more technically 'better' than their phonograph, which I had a similar model when I was in my tweens but it is being used to share music, to enjoy it's playing so we have our records out.
That's the function of music in my life and there are 'places' I share it; it's not about the 'hifi', it's about the joy of listening to it which is why on this blog I do write about it, tossed in with the dolls, stuffies and other cute stuff.
There is also grown up supervision about keeping everything safe and ensuring we behave because it's easy for things to get out of hand and you mightn't see it.
The biggest thing in all of this is just innocuous fun!
Monday, July 2, 2007
A Princess at the School & Manor House School
These are editions from1970 although they were reprinted by Armada across that decade as I read them at boarding school during that era.
The Manor House School is about a Eleven and Twelve year old girls Cicely and Lindsay who arrive in the Summer Term who find a secret room, hear some voices which leads to a mystery involving a missing fortune which leads them to discover the mystery of Winterburn Manor.
The Princess at the School (originally of the school), written in 1920, is a story of Ingleton children who having been orphaned and their home, Cheverley Chase, has been left to a young cousin who nobody seems to have been met.
Upon meeting cousin Carmel, the children make it plain she isn't welcome but her friendly nature eventually wins them over so while they lost their original home it seems they've found a new friend.
Stories like that always were a part of my life I enjoyed and while having kept them, I do enjoy revisiting them from time to time.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Conway
Conway is one of my favourite places to spend time relaxing. It is situated on the North Wales coast, United Kingdom and has a Castle which was built on the orders of King Edward I of England during one of his periodic attempts to take control of the entire British Isles.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Princess Mononoke
Made in 1997, it depicts the clash between the natural world and its old gods and the rise of humans with the beginning of of modern civilization, showing three elements of the Japanese psyche warring for supremacy in the form of an ecological fable
Updated 2017 for blu ray image and tag
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Alternative endings
I'd almost certainly would have to learn some Japanese to get by as Japan is a country that very much expects you to integrate into its way of life and isn't bi-lingual although many do speak some English and other principal languages.
I might well had spent time in a school so I suspect I'd of worn a sailor suit uniform a bit like that one not that I'd of minded as actually I quite like it so being put into one wouldn't be an issue, wearing it with pride and the very structured school system would of probably suited me right to the ground.
We'd of played Baseball that's a certainty and maybe soccer.
It sure would of been an adventure for me!
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Disability and getting on
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
The Cat Returns
The story revolves around Haru, who is a free spirited young girl, who along the way home from school spots a cat trying to cross and busy street, rushes out to save it using her racquet just as it was about to be crushed by a large truck.
She discovers the cat she rescued is the Cat Kings son, Prince Lune and soon she receives an invitation to visit the Kingdom of Cats from the King himself as thanks.
It is not before long that she realizes there is a catch in accepting the offer, namely the King wishes her to marry Lune and so she has to decide if it is she wishes to stay within the Kingdom of Cats, being a Nekimimi (catgirl) or return to her own world.
She is helped by the Baron, first seen in Whisper of the heart, and his friends in making the decisions she wishes.
The animation is first class holding your attention as you are dragged into the story while delivering an important message about being true to yourself.
Pix and tag edit 2017 for blu ray edition
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Seaside arts and crafts
One of my favourite activities as a child was collecting Seashells, you could either find them yourself or buy ready made collections of whcih I had a number at the time.
They also when you hold them to your ear have the most calming sound.
Stockists
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Rest day edition
I'm a bit late getting this blog entry started not least with being poorly for quite a bit of the week and then busy with other things like planning a trip out which isn't a strong point but I do really need to work on it if I'm to be more independent.
It's a time a time of year associated with last minute return to school purchases such as pens and geometry sets through to school uniform which visiting BHS stores in the UK reminds me of as that was the first store where the whole pull toward buying actual items of uniform for me came from and it has to be said the quality of their stuff was very good.
I can remember buying lots of stuff around this time not least long socks and it would survive pretty much the heavy washing routines at home well
I am doing some tidying up tm stuff at various sites altering layouts, changing the odd avatar to spruce it up and help make using it for me a fun thing as with lots of sites you really have pick just a few you can be active on and given the changes that have occurred over the last year that's one thing I'd like to resume in a measured way.
I like to stay in touch with people who care about me more rather than feeling everything's been dropped for those that are really keeping me just for themselves cos surprisingly enough I'm a social creature.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Rounders
One of my abiding memories of school and very much a passion of mine is the game of Rounders which I played with the girls who wore t shirts and pleated games skirts as we tread to make it to the forth base.
It sure was fun although today sports like this a facing a hard time between those who dislike competition and others who think Games really should be just keep fit.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Twelve
Twelve is a pinnacle age with me an age where I had just transferred to secondary school but in lots of ways your still quite young.
For me if I were the 2000's 'twelve' one big change with me would of been the ability not so much to make telephone calls which I could but they were restrict to areas where people would see and hear them.
As that twelve year old girl, I know have the means of making phone calls on the go and sending messages so even if I have it out you would not hear me which would be something we'd never had before.
I might be lucky and have the newer generation of cellphone called "Smartphones that have a built in camera so I'd be able to send pictures in real time to my school friends and so in some ways I'd be less deskbound to the sort of computer that was creeping into schools or indeed where as an adult I worked in this period.
One thing that would not of changed is I would be wearing blazer and skirt, rather like the girl above because to be honest I liked the way in which they make me look very much a junior unlikely to be considered an grown woman which was the case in my actual childhood at this age.
I often wore them by choice and certainly on school vacations where some of my peers would of held out for even jeans and a t shirt.
Where I had a old fashioned wooden wardrobe, in this era I'd of had a walk-in one with a lot draws to keep socks underwear etc in which didn't really have being given just what I needed for that day.
Twelve too was when I started to realize I was still very much that child compared to my peers who always appeared to be the 'older' girls to me even though we were the same age because they had matured in away as that girl I hadn't even though this was just before the major developmental changes.
I don't think you can have a successful new future unless you feel comfortable with your own past.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Oh boy!
These magazines were shared every week between us, having features on pop stars, usually hunky boys and well as stars of tv and the movie theatre.
The members of Duran Duran were something we sure discussed back then, I can assure you!
We also liked Sting
They also had features on fashion, making out and boys! In the pre-internet age apart from siblings it was the best place to find out stuff from.
Photo romance stories also featured and we talked about the issues they raised between each other.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Zanadu
It has a good recreation of a 40's big band which something I grew up listening to on record.
Although panned by critics I loved it for the skating songs and feel good factor as it lodged in my head as part of the soundtrack of summer vacation in 1980 so here's an image from it:
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Choo choos
Pop you see was something of a Railway Enthusiast, insisting on dragging us everywhere in pursuit of his interests when all I wanted to do was sit out in the sun having a picnic with teddy, which if you ever been there you'll understand as the scenery is lovely. This period of my life wasn't so nice as he'd get mad if he didn't get his ways although I have now started to be to separate an understanding of the engines and appreciation of the engineering from all that.
This was a famous train that at the time run at the rail centre which I think was covered on the BBC TV children's program Blue Peter in 1971.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Candyfloss
Floss's parents are divorced, and she divides up her week, spending five days with her mum, her new stepdad and her baby half-brother. The other two days Floss spends with her dad, helping him to run his greasy spoon cafe. But their simple arrangement is thrown into disarray when Floss's mum decides to move to Australia.
Making the difficult decision to stay at home, Floss moves in permanently with her dad and they muddle along happily together, surviving on chip butties and enjoying visits to the local funfair. But disaster strikes - Dad's money troubles catch up with him and they have to move out of the cafe. They're homeless - but can their new fairground friends help out?
This is what the story explores.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Team games II
Run, Run, Run to get the round all the posts!
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Out with the old
At long long last I have been replacing a good many of my VHS tapes of movies with DVD versions since updating my DVD player a short while back.
I replaced recently the following:
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Wiz
Flash Gordon
ET
Staying Alive
Two Of A Kind
Streets Of Fire
Top Gun
Labyrinth
Cocktail
Days Of Thunder
The improvement over the tapes is hard to describe but they are sharper with better colour rendition
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Comics of my youth
Here's another long gone we read:
That one's more of a boys comic but it didn't matter that much when you couldn't play out back then.