Saturday, July 04, 2009

Days 107-111: The comedown

Today's soundtrack: Madness - The Liberty of Norton Folgate

Catch-up blog today - been busy busy since getting back from Glastonbury so there's only time for an overall catch up this week - normal service to be resumed shortly!

Back to earth with a bump on Tuesday - the delights of signing on marred by a particularly nasty fight breaking out between two "customers" (and yes, us doleys really are referred to as 'customers' by the staff - what exactly is it we are supposed to be buying?) Not sure what triggered it, but all of a sudden these two blokes start tearing chunks out of each other in the middle of the office. Security nowhere to be seen of course, although eventually sufficient uniforms arrived to tear the two of them apart. Ten minutes later every copper in Warrington had arrived, by which time at least one of the protagonists had scarpered. It might have livened up an otherwise mind-numbing experience, but could have done without it, really.

Spent the afternoon sorting out Glastonbury pictures, all of which can be found here.

Wednesday, drove over to Huddersfield to help Son No 2 move out of Halls and into his new lodgings for next year. Can't believe how much stuff he's accumulated over the past year - or perhaps I can! Two full carloads later, everything was crammed into his room in the house, which is a nice little terrace walking distance from the town centre. I say little - it's actually quite a decent size, and like all student houses, furnished with a strange mix of old furniture, some of which is quite decent. The kitchen looks ace, with a smashing new range cooker that I'm very jealous of - wasted on a bunch of students!

Spent most of Thursday getting the 'Glastonbury' element of the blog up to date. Also took Mrs W to Sainsbury's in the morning, demonstrating yet again that I know how to show a lass a good time. I even let her pay!

Since Glastonbury I've been absolutely shattered - I must be getting too old for all this! Permanently thirsty as well - I think a combination of the weather and the exercise effectively dehydrated me and it's taken all week to fully rehydrate my cells. It's all worth it though! I need to recover quickly though - got it all to do again at Latitude in a couple of weeks!

Whilst it would be easy to fall into the trap of branding Andy Murray as yet another British nearly man in the Henman mould, I think that would be unfair - both on Murray, who surely has a major in him sooner rather than later, and on Roddick, who I thought was magnificent all game. A Wimbledon semi is no disgrace for Murray and ultimately the experience should bring him back stronger and more determined next year.

Fascinated by the Michael Owen thing. I might be in a minority, but I think it's a cracking deal for United - no fee, wages heavily performance-based, and a player who is still scoring at the rate of at least one goal in three. The only disappointment is that I thought we'd get him and I think he'd have been an equally good purchase for us.

Madness on the soundtrack today - with their remarkably good new album. As previously reported, they were one of the successes at Glastonbury this year, even if I did only experience them from a distance, lounging round the campsite. The Liberty of Norton Folgate is, like much of their material, a love letter to London and even this provincial can sense the affection the band feel for their home town. Madness have matured over the years into far more than a novelty ska act, although they still do novelty ska better than just about anyone else when they want to.

Here they are on Jools, performing Dust Devil from the new album:

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