Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Days 120 - 121: Pre-Latitude planning

Today's soundtrack: Various Artists - 12"/80s/2

Final 'merged' post, I promise - and a quick one, as there are some full-length daily Latitude reports to come shortly for your entertainment.

Monday started with a bit of a shock - a call from my mate in Southampton, Simon. Simon's coming to Latitude with me and my first reaction to his obviously subdued tone was that he wouldn't be able to make the festival. If only that had been the reason for the call. Unfortunately he was calling to let me know that he was being 'let go' by the firm along with around 30 other partners. Yet more fall-out from the economic environment. Latitude might just have come at the perfect time for him then - a chance to get away, drink, be distracted by some quality music and 'chill'. Here's hoping.

Following that bombshell, it was off to the hairdressers for a light trim. Alison rather than Debra today, which has its plusses and minuses. Alison probably gives me a better haircut than Debra - but at the end of the day it's about more than just the haircut, isn't it? No? Oh. Anyway, we had a good old chat about festival experiences (Alison's not long back from Download - rather her than me) and, with a head massage and coffee thrown in as well, it's a nice way to spend half an hour or so. I should go more often.

Out of the hairdressers, and into the butchers, for pies. Pie, chips, beans and gravy for tea. Doesn't get better etc...

Thence to Tesco's, for last minute festival provisions. Given my poor experience at Glastonbury, the own brand Red Bull stayed firmly on the shelf, to be replaced by a gallon of Lucozade. And some cider. And white wine. Not, I should stress, to be drunk simultaneously. I also got some tomato juice and cranberry juice, to keep my vitamin C levels up. And to mix with the vodka, of course.

So to Tuesday. Off early doors to my parents, who had cards and gifts for Son No 1 and Wife No 1, who I was seeing the following day (more details to come above shortly!) And then to Warrington to sign on - and to make my excuses for my 13 week pep talk, which had been arranged on my behalf for the Thursday I was away down south. This is the one where they tell you to start spreading the job net a bit wider, and accepting that you ain't going to earn what you want to earn, I think. I've also got to provide evidence that I've been actively looking for work, and not wasting my time sat in front of a computer screen typing pages of rubbish. Hmmmm.

Then back home, for my farewell meal of yet more homemade pizza before leaving Mrs W to her own devices for five days.

Did I mention yet that I am SO the daddy of homemade pizza? That I absolutely OWN this particular dish? Oh yes.

Today's soundtrack - before we start getting all Latitude-specific - is from a 3-disc compilation of '80's hits released on 12" vinyl. It is the second of two such compilations, which I hope explains the somewhat obscure title of the compilation. Anyway, it's got some good stuff on it, including the Associates, Human League, Heaven 17 and Lloyd Cole, amongst others. It's also got a track by Belouis Some, but we'll gloss over that one, shall we?

So in tribute to the great Billy MacKenzie, here are The Associates performng 'Party Fears Two'. Excellent beret sir!

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