Neil's Slightly Random Wiblog

…after Claire last night saying how great MySpace was I thought I would try and set up an account…

Sorry! an unexpected error has occurred. This error has been forwarded to MySpace’s technical group.

…Is all I got everytime I tried to change any settings, so in the end I deleted my account. you can’t beat the Wiblogs in my opinion!

(Edited to add: I was also shocked at the sexual content in the banner adds at a site targeted and used by teenagers, I think I am better off without the site in my life!)

… I treated myself to a few sale CDs at the excellent Solo Music in Exeter, but I love confusing the staff by making totally different types of purchases, so that they have to run around all the sections out back looking for the CDs to put in the cases, so yesterday I had them looking for Boy Kill Boy and The Art of the Baroque Harpichord! Both CDs are really good by the way.

I also bought a new CD cabinet in Argos, and it took me less than an hour to build, I am proud of myself (but not sure it will fit in my car when I need to move house!)

…I am not nostalgic for many things, I don’t talk about the snow we used to get when I was a kid, or the endlessly hot summers, or how penny sweets used to be better than they are now, or how you could go to the cinema for 12p. I don’t talk about the good old days of suet pudding (we really did used to eat that, didn’t we?), with the invenion of DAB radio I don’t miss the crackly sounds of Radio Luxembourg floating in and out on MW. I don’t miss the one pound note, Gus Honeybun on the TV or the audio cassette.

But, just occasionally, just once in a while I have a pang of nostalga for the Mark and Lard show on Radio 1, now those were my halcyon days.

…Amazing gig last night, well worth the 6 hour round trip and getting back to Exeter at 2am.

Those Keane boys really know how to put on a show, the lights and visuals were amazing, they has an extending stage that came right out into the crowd, and they seem to have suddenly realised how big they are, as Tom had turned into a real showman, and when I saw them first about 3 or 4 years ago he was fixed behing the mic stand, now he uses every space and platform to his advantage! I liked the fact they just play their songs, and play them well, no silly cover versions, no random guest stars – Just the stuff we paid to see!

Disconcertingly he did use a guitar for 2 songs… now that is a big departure for the band.

…Went to see friends Andrew and Becky at a gig last night at the Picturehouse bar in Exeter, it was a good night and they sounded really good. Last weekend they did a session on the Bob Harris show on Radio 2, and have been gigging all week and seem to on the cusp (oooh, I love that word) of making it big, they already have a gig upporting the excellent Thea Gilmore (whio I saw back in November 2004) and working with the producer Mark Hill. I also hope to take some of Andrews money in a game of poker in the near futire…

Also met a top chap called Mervin, who works locally in promoting music and is involved in community radio, he is trying to put Sandford on the map… (Incidently Sandford was the name of the west Country village in Hot Fuzz!)

Rebeccas site is here

Becky on YouTube

Becky on MySpace

Bob Harris

Sandford, it’s already on the map!

On a slightly different scale, I am off to the NEC Birmingham to see Keane in concert later!

…Went to see Hot Fuzz last night, we were sat rather too close to the massive Screen 1 at Vue though, so it was all a bit manic to look at!

Great film though, really funny, very British, and just in a few places a little gruesome. Loved Stephen Merchants swan, and the shoot out in a Somerfield (including using trollys as battering rams). The village production of Romeo and Juliet was also a great moment. Well worth a watch if you are feeling a bit down (not that I am!)

… Had a last can of beer last night (not because I wanted it, but just because I could!) and now lent is upon us, so that is the last drink until my birthday! I also decided to do sometihing constructive, so I am going to go on at least 3 runs a week, good training for the Great west Run.

I am suprised how many people don’t know what lent is, or the purpose of it. Well there is something about it here. The spiritual aspects of it don’t bother me that much, but I think it is good self-disipline, and it feels good to be following a centuries old tradition, even if it is adapted for modern day life.

…Calling all men, Ivonne needs more men to do her survey for her PhD. You can find it here. I am afriad there are no prizes or anything, but your reward will be in heaven, or Devon, or something.

Just realised that the F1 season starts in less than a month, woohoo!

…Managed to fit a lot in this weekend, went to an old work friends birthday drinks on Friday night, unfortuantly she wanted to met in Hogshead, which is a nasty towny pub in the centre of Exeter, and she was late (by about an hour!) so didn’t get to see her much before rushing off to the more pleasant Old Fire House to meet Dennis and Lucia for a little poker and wine.

On Saturday we went for a drive down to the South Hams, but this being Devon the rain came and dampened things a bit, we still managed fo see a chip shop called “The Codfather”, and be one of two cars on the tiny Dartmouth ferry, and get a cream tea at Torcross.

That evening we went to Hotel Barecelona for drinks for one of Ivonnes friends birthday, talk about posh and out of place, some ofthe people in there reminded me of the short lived comedy Nathan Barley, so much self-concious cool!

Sunday I went with my dad on a birdwatching trip on the Exe estuary, it stayed dry but i am not sure that I have ever been so cold, was really good though and we saw all the main birds that are found on the estuary at this time of year, and one or two other things as well. We saw the famous avocet (which is what most people were hoping to see), but also flocks of canada gesse and my favourite Curlew! It was a bit misty for photos, but here is one of me, and one of part of the estuary.

Then back to my parents for a roast, and off the the Seven Stars for a pub quiz, in which we did not win, but did not disgrace ourselves too much…

(Just realised that Ivonne has covered the weekend here as well!)

…actually not romantic at all, but you can generate a web page linked random poem at this site. Here is the Random Wiblog poem (edited down, because it was long, and quite frankly made little sense…)

I have a public library,
They printed the shock
that someone else
is a demented mouse
at the slightly Random moments.

As Suetonius just has
a distraction from a clearer happier outlook
on less money,
but is well below bleak.
The staff in Exeter
are a woollen bobble hat,
and beer randomly discussed.

No maths involved,
they varied from Canonteign
and then to all wrong types of place.
Roman historians in a few amazing
shots of the weblog of the spot,
she should do so far, she will go far.