Lilliput Lane

The wet week and the continuation of past trends that started while Mom was very much alive but got paused in the focus free world of the Grump where things just went including things that were promised by her to me some just cos he wanted the space for something of his.

There were figurines and a lot of glassware which to be candid isn't really my thing but you might say that was one of her special interests in later life.

The other thing were resin cast historic building such as farms, houses and schools which were things I rather liked too apart from cute resin Beatrix Potter characters I started buying in the 1980's.

Lilliput Lane was founded in 1982 by David Tate. The company was known for its extensive range of realistic miniature handmade models of real English and Welsh cottages and scenes.

Formerly based in Workington, and Penrith in Cumberland the company moved to Langholm in 2009 but stopped operations in 2016.

David died from cancer a year later.

A couple of these kind of "went" in 2023.

Recently I had the opportunity to acquire in it's full boxed edition the Borrowdale School in the Snow Cottages series they had made complete with the replica deeds 

As befits the Victorian era, the school itself is in an imitation stone look, rugged with large windows a must given gas lighting even took a long while to get established even in urban settings, to make the most of natural light.

It's now homed well out of a certain paws way, filling some of the void.

Teenbeat: One more night...

One before the Bank Holiday and the body recovers from the recent heat we return to things that spin and the period where I was very much listening to tapes having a "Walkman" and rather expensive cassette deck to the point not a few things were bought on pre-recorded tapes whatever my thoughts on "dolby" happen to  be.

I did pick up Phil Collin's first two albums on vinyl a while back when they were re-released by Analogue Productions in association with Atlantic Records in the United States as part of the series marking that labels 75th anniversary.

They came in deluxe gatefold sleeves and were cut at 45 rpm for better sound so effectively they became doubles but given the first album run for rather a long time that was a big gain in dynamics and tight clean bass.

One they didn't do was his third album No Jacket Required coming in between two Genesis albums while he plays drums and usually lead vocals - Genesis and Invisible Touch - 

It's quite likely you have this album - it was a massive seller in the UK, Canada, the U.S. and much of Europe and even if you don't you'll know the singles from it such as Sussudio, Take Me Home and One More Night which President Reagan that year said was a song he really liked.

Whatever you might think of his politics he was right,  it is a great song looking at the feelings you have for another who you love deeply, delivered sensitively. 

When it came to the album licensing this differed as in the UK and the Republic of Ireland he (and Genesis) were signed to Virgin Records whereas in other territories it was with Atlantic part of the then mighty WEA (Warner Bros, Elektra/Asylum and Atlantic) group.

That's why we get this clear vinyl remastered edition that does tame so of the very 80's production to improve the focus on Phil's vocals without losing any detail and that while this is intended for North America, it's pressed by Gz in the Czech Republic where originals were cut and pressed in the territory such as the United States or Germany. 

Personally a few decades on I am glad to have a fine vinyl version of this classic album for the collection where it will be loved.

Childhood pasts

Not the greatest of weeks with the heat and that but thoughts were running backwards this week  so here's a few thoughts from the past.

Despite learning to ape stereotypical "Ugh! you expect ME to like that?" comments complete with actions actually i loved cute stuffies and frilly linen on beds and tables

In era when saying that was likely to see you ostrasized if not assaulted, you learned not merely to keep your mouth shut  but even not show any physical expression of interest never mind actually liking them.

We did play games even if for some of time you were on the "wrong" side of the playground and even if games were mixed you preferred to play the girls role.

Kiss chase is a traditional playground game similar to tag we played. One player or group is "it" and chases participants of the opposite sex. When a player is caught, they receive a kiss. The caught person then becomes the chaser.

How to Play. Choose Who is "It": One group (traditionally boys or girls) counts to ten while the other group runs away.The Chase: The chasers run to catch a member of the opposing group.

The Catch: Tagging someone requires a quick kiss (usually on the cheek) upon capture.Switching Roles: The person who got caught and kissed now joins the chasing team, or roles swap entirely after everyone is caught

We also played Kiss, cuddle or torture This was simply a game of chases involving boys and girls, usually in the school playground. When caught, the boy would offer the girl a choice: kiss, cuddle or torture. 

Boys frequently played war games that involved torture sometimes getting close to seeing the Headmaster given the intensity of them. Actual military nterrogation would of only been marginally worse. 

I totally hated it.

This sort of more romance based play was more my thing.

Life was simpler then.

August round up

 

It's been a bit of move around and change kind of a week as I rest the mantelpiece following the acquiring of a Kensington Giftware resin set of a family of really really cute bears in pink dresses where one of Mom's porcelain wheelbarrows with flowers on it replaced a round brass pot with a grid on that I wasn't too keen on to be honest. 

I had to clean the contacts in a old "Bridge" camera as the batteries had leaked although technically they expired in March and I'd forgotten all about it with all the usual domestic mither I get in the course of a week but at least it's working which did concern me initially.

I put a note in the flap where the lens hood goes to remind of when the batteries were fitted and expiry date which might help looking into the long term.

The taking ages David Gilmour About Face album arrived while away so it got cleaned, sleeved as the original was one of those card ones that foxes, leaching onto the disc adding noise and with any luck the first Olivia Dean album, Messy from 2023 should be with me soon for a fair bit less than the usual price.

I've been enjoying the comedy drama series Ann Droid with Sue Johnston in a lot over the last few weeks on the BBC as to be honest I'm more of a radio kind of a girl.

Anyway round up is over and now back to tea!

Summer Camp 2026

Pmac 2026 style started last Friday with a detour by Miss Green enroute despite a silly motorist causing issues outside the house just as the car was being loaded and I was trying to get in the car all ladylike in my black skirt and white long socks as we took a series of A Roads to beat the traffic that causes delays using the motorway to get to our destination for six days of fun.

We stopped off a few times for a break and stretch the legs before arriving and unloading in our respective rooms with me way up in the Gods in the attic room requiring two stairways to climb.

Given some business that by co-incidence was moving to a final determination just as I was away I really needed a break beyond just having more child-like totally innocent fun.

The overall theme of the get together was Movies and that was well weaved into things by Alice and out with individual event organizers. 

We did some arts drawing or painting miniatures based upon favourite children's movies we loved so I went for the St. Trinian's Great Train Robbery  where the girls made their way up the railway line.

There was decorating so inspired by a light I used pink icing and aniseed sprinkles to cover the sweer wafer carefully spreading the icing all over. 

I'll be honest and say cookery isn't my strong point but that worked out just fine actually.

Then in crafts we made paper airplanes from card, decorating  where they were judged for travel that was tested in the grounds, decoration and originality

A few jigsaws were made such as this Mr Men one  on a table by several of us.

There was a movie themed Treasure Hunt with clues and some singing of songs from The Sound of Music.

Miss Green organized some games with movie themes as did Alice a day later which I didn't do too badly at given my wobbly lower paws and damaged upper paws.

The All Purr-Puss Nekimimi Music Quiz was run by the resident catgurl which went well given the mice ate the wifi so unlike previous years this all had to done by pen rather print outs with some film related questions.

Jillian run a general knowledge quiz also with links to movies that went well while over three nights storytime happened which was super cool.

A variety of meals were prepared by the assembled although on days where there wasn't any organized activities people fixed their own on the Tuesday we went to a hotel that does meals open to non residents where I really enjoyed the Turkey and Leek pie  with chips and veg.

The cooking standard was one of the finest I've ever experienced.

Thanks to everyone who did something such as organize an event, prepare food, clean up and generally help out as it doesn't happen without everyone mucking in.

Soulling or not?

 

It was announced that the much talked about demixed from the four track master tapes and remixed Rubber Soul seven extracts of which were presented in the expanded late 2023 1962-1966 "RED" compilation would emerged come October 2nd on Parlophone records.

Demixing is when using some really complex computer software you can isolate and then alter spacial position and balance elements in the mix that due to the primitive recording technology used in the mid 1960's had never been possible previously.

This was done to overall great effect in 2022 with their 1966 classic album Revolver which had a shedload of issues with the original stereo mix that might not bug the casual fan but for seasoned listeners and audio fans stuck out like a sore thumb.

It will be available in a variety of forms from stand alone single lp or cd reissues, two record or cd sets with the We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper single and some demo versions of songs on a second disc, a Dolby Atmos bluray with surround sound mixes and four cd and five lp box sets with 88 page booklets and the original U.S. Rubber Soul with original mixes featuring different track line up.

Obviously the bigger sets cost more so you need to weigh up what you do need and I have a number of copies as it is.

I have the original stereo and mono mixes on lp and cd, the 1986 remix on cd and the 2009 remaster of that on cd so I might only get on cd the two cd full album and bonus highlights rather like I did back in 2022 for Revolver.

Blinded By Science

 We've had yet another hot week here, not as bad as the first heatwave of the summer but certainly hot enough for double windows open, blinds down and fans running for much of the day so we've not been wearing much.

One thing I did was play a unusual record that I own  from 1983.

It's what was called a Mini LP, a new format that Capitol-Emi tried in North America of a record longer than a twelve inch single but with full album art and a proper jacket with spine.

This comprised of two UK twelve inch singles and an extra track that run for just over twenty-nine minutes for a low price.

She Blinded Me With Science with vocal contributions from Dr Magnus Pyke was also released as a edited seven inch single peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

This was a big seller in the spring and summer of 1983 and something I liked for compositions such as Windpower.