Yesterday the sky was filled with dark grey clouds and it looked very unlikely that I should get to see the annular eclipse. If we were lucky, people across the UK would be treated to views of a crescent sun as the moon appeared to partially block out the sun. In other parts of the world the “ring of fire” would be visible from places such as Canada, Greenland and northern Russia.
I was kitted out with polarised lenses for my glasses, and with my trusty camera. The only problem was that although I can look directly towards the sun with my lenses attached I cannot then see the screen of my camera so it was a case of lenses on, look at the sun, lenses off, look at the camera – repeat ad infinitum. I do not have a tripod – a lack I will have to address!
Here are the results: (My camera time is one hour behind)
There’s a sun there somewhere!
Honestly – there is!
Maybe the clouds are clearing!
Focus….damn you!
Yes – may be in luck
Well, hello there!
Go away clouds!
Sun and a bit of blue!
and back to cloud cover
Daisy, who had been warned not to look at the sun, kept her eyes firmly closed
Glossop is a market town in the High Peak, Derbyshire, England, 15 miles (24 km) east of Manchester, 24 miles (39 km) northwest of Sheffield and 32 miles (51 km) north of the county town, Matlock, near Derbyshire’s borders with Cheshire, Greater Manchester, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. It is between 150 and 300 metres (492 and 984 ft) above mean sea level, and lies just outside the Peak District National Park. It probably dates from the 7th century.
Architecturally, the area is dominated by buildings constructed of the local sandstone. There remain two significant former cotton mills and the Dinting railway viaduct. Glossop has transport links to Manchester, making the area popular for commuters.
*‘The Gnat Hole Wood, Glossop, is very pleasant in the Summer time when there are no gnats about. The small stream of water that runs through the wood at one place forms a small pool; this was known as Old Nat Nutter’s Porridge Kettle. She had the reputation of being a witch and fortune teller and used this pool for unholy practices and incantations. She was a bogey to children.’ [Glossop Advertiser, 1913]*
Thanks again to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs. This week he’s asked us to share Duets.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
What I’m sharing with you this week is SEX!
Every time I see this couple singing together it’s almost as though they are making love on the stage. OK, they don’t really make love, but their body language, their eye contact, their mannerisms, all make me imagine lascivious speech bubbles and thoughts drifting between them.
The couple that I’m describing are Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and it’s only natural that they should have a very close bond because they attended the same school, but a year apart. They started a relationship in 1966, and moved to Los Angeles in 1971. They recorded an album together before joining Fleetwood Mac in 1975 after Mick Fleetwood called Buckingham, inviting him to join the band. Buckingham refused, insisting that Nicks and he were “a package deal” and he would not join without her. The group decided that incorporating the pair would improve Fleetwood Mac, making the British band into an Anglo-American one. The first rehearsals confirmed this feeling, with the harmonies of the newcomers adding a pop accessibility to the hard rock. Their intimate relationship had broken down by 1977. The break up was chronicled in a number of songs written by the two, such as “Silver Springs” and “Dreams” by Nicks and “Go Your Own Way” and “Second Hand News” by Buckingham.
I suppose that most of their work together does not constitute a duet as they are singing accompanied by other band members, however, the first offering is definitely a duet, and shows off Lindsey’s consummate skills as a guitarist. He is one of my favourites.
This week I am kicking against the traces and am not giving you any lyrics. I am, instead, offering you a few choices of fantastic singing, with SEX!
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Never Going Back Again
Bleed to love her
Landslide
I could go on and on because I do so love these two singing together, but I’d better go and get some sleep!
Thank you to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
Of course, it’s only natural that the prompts are what they are, and there really is a lot to choose from for Christmas music. I’m not going to be giving you lots of detail about my choices this week because Christmas is all about joy, sharing, giving, children, love, and a little respite from the stress and strains of this cut and thrust life we all seem to be part of now.
I’d like to share a little bit of joy with you all, and to thank Jim, for hosting this weekly share of music for this year, Helen Vahdati who started this great weekly event, and all of the participants and readers who are part of it all. May you all have a blessed Christmas and a Happy and healthy New Year ahead.
Firstly with the magic of Christmas Eve for a little girl. Will she get back before her mother catches her?
There’s SNOW AND KITTENS!
and secondly, if you must have lyrics, then here we have Christmas Canon. You’re watching the official music video for Trans-Siberian Orchestra – “Christmas Canon” from the album ‘The Christmas Attic’ (1998). “Christmas Canon” is set to the tune of Pachelbel’s “Canon in D”.
and an alternative recording with lyrics on screen:
Thank you to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs.
If you fancy sharing one of your favourite songs you can find out how to participate, and also listen to all the great entries, here.
The theme for this week includes Magic. Anyone who has been following the Brexit news for the past 3 and a bit years will have seen the bus that Boris took great delight in, claiming that the money saved by leaving the EU would be able to fund the NHS to the tune of £350 million per week.
Of course, that particular bus was a Magic Bus, and that is the song we’re sharing this week!
The song is usually performed as a duet, where the “Rider”, usually singer Roger Daltrey when live, is riding on the bus every day to see his girl. In the song he asks the “Driver”, usually Townshend, if he can buy the bus from him, with the driver’s initial answer being no. After haggling for a while, the driver finally lets him have it and he vows to drive it to his girlfriend’s house every day!
Looking at the lyrics now, makes me wonder if any other magic was involved in the writing. Magic Mushrooms perhaps?
Every day I get in the queue (Too much, Magic Bus) To get on the bus that takes me to you (Too much, Magic Bus) I’m so nervous, I just sit and smile (Too much, Magic Bus) You house is only another mile (Too much, Magic Bus)
Thank you, driver, for getting me here (Too much, Magic Bus) You’ll be an inspector, have no fear (Too much, Magic Bus) I don’t want to cause no fuss (Too much, Magic Bus) But can I buy your Magic Bus? (Too much, Magic Bus)
Nooooooooo!
I don’t care how much I pay (Too much, Magic Bus) I wanna drive my bus to my baby each day (Too much, Magic Bus)
I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it … (You can’t have it!)
Thruppence and sixpence every day Just to drive to my baby Thruppence and sixpence each day ‘Cause I drive my baby every way
Magic Bus, Magic Bus, Magic Bus …
I said, now I’ve got my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus) I said, now I’ve got my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus) I drive my baby every way (Too much, Magic Bus) Each time I go a different way (Too much, Magic Bus)
I want it, i want it, I want it, I want it …
Every day you’ll see the dust (Too much, Magic Bus) As I drive my baby in my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus)
"If only half of the history that has happened in Nottingham had happened in some other place, that place would be famous; but because it did happen here no one knows".
Thanks again to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs. This week he’s asked us to share Duets.
