An arbitrary list of the things I enjoy:
Music : folk, rock, classical, country,
jazz
- scrap the categories, if it's good and I like it, then that's
all
that matters. However, particular favourites include: the
Beatles
(forever!), Richard Thompson, Lindisfarne, the Hothouse Flowers and the
Oyster Band, songwriters
from Pete Morton to Kirsty McGee, folk artists like Kate Rusby and
Eliza
Carthy, Celtic folk like Seelyhoo, Pigyn Clust and Malinky - and the
Afro Celt Sound System, skilled musicians like Martin
Simpson, real country like Gillian Welch, rock bands like Jethro
Tull and Pink Floyd - and the extremes of Tom Waits, Kate Bush,
Stackridge, Genesis and Les Mysteres Des
Voix Bulgares.
All time favourite albums are probably:
Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper
and Revolver by the Beatles
The Storm by Moving Hearts
Rise Up Like The Sun by the Albion Band,
Songs From The Wood
by Jethro Tull
Deserters by the Oyster Band
Unity by
John Tams
Songs From The Rain by the
Hothouse Flowers
Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush
Nine and Liege And Lief by Fairport
Convention
Third Light by Decameron
Nicely Out Of Tune by
Lindisfarne
The Mysteries by the Home
Service
Tir Na Nog by Tir Na Nog
All Things Must Pass by George
Harrison
Muswell Hillbillies by the
Kinks
Hand Of Kindness by Richard
Thompson
Grave New World by the Strawbs
Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink
Floyd
Trick Of The Tail by Genesis
and my favourite classical pieces are:
Vaughan Williams Variations
on a Theme of Thomas Tallis,
Lark Ascending and Dives and Lazarus
Eric Satie's
Gymnopedies and
Gnossiennes
Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto
Sibelius's Karelia Suite
and I love Bizet's Carmen
- but I'll change my mind tomorrow...
Art : I don't like to be told what is good, but I enjoy art, paintings, sculpture, photography, if it appeals to my eye. One of my favourite artists is Raoul Dufy. I quite like to paint too though I haven't for years (and believe it or not, I've sold 6 originals!) but I'll never be as good as Ailsa. I enjoy photography though and think I've got a good enough eye to be more than just a "snapper".
Countryside : I love the British countryside, especially the Yorkshire Dales, the Lakes, the Peak District, the North Yorkshire coast, Northumberland and what I've seen of Scotland (which is not enough!). I also have enjoyed time spent in Ireland, Brittany, Austria, Romania and the USA. But the burning desire is to see more of Scotland, the west coast and islands.
Sport : As my dad was of Liverpool stock, I was brought up
supporting
the Reds of Anfield and I spent many a home game watching from the Kop
between 1969 and 1972. However, bizarrely, I also took an
interest
in the fortunes of Wigan Athletic, and from about 1987 or so, I started
going to watch them whenever I could, home and away, particularly
during
1993 and 1994, and I still get to a few matches every now and then.
More
recently also managed to get to see Northwich Victoria.
As a youngster, I was also mad on cricket and followed the fortunes
of Lancashire (from Brian Statham onwards).
I did play both football and cricket but was never any good at either.
These days, when I get the chance, I love to play golf, usually at
Hartford, Northwich - and if could break 100, I'd be over-joyed!
Literature : Not a reader of classics, but I do enjoy a
well-written
story. I particularly remember enjoying Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, Birdsong and Charlotte Gray
by Sebastian Faulks and some of Roddy Doyle's, but I also like the
story-telling
of Desmond Bagley, Duncan Kyle and Joanne Harris, and the humour of
Nick Hornby,
Douglas
Adams and Terry Pratchett. I have also found biographies of Joan
Baez, Nick Drake, Ian Dury and various Beatles quite fascinating.
A recent recommendation is the fabulous "Curious Tale Of The Dog In The
Night Time" by Mark Haddon.
I also have quite a collection of books on the Beatles!
When I was a child, I read a book called Martin Rattler by RM
Ballantyne several times!
Favourite Movies : Casablanca (of course), but also Dances
With Wolves, Cry Freedom!, O Brother Where Art Thou?
and A Hard Day's Night. I don't like violent films, gun-
or
drug-culture films, but I do like a good story with three-dimensional
characters.
Inherit
The Wind was marvellous, as were To Have And Have Not, Brief Encounter and
more
recently Chocolat. I also really enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy. For
humour, the top three are The Full
Monty, Calendar Girls
and Life Of Brian.
Tv : I love a good drama on tv
but the really good ones are rare. All-time favourite is Edge Of Darkness, but I have also
enjoyed many eopisodes of Morse
and Foyle's War. Great
documentaries and factual stuff like Tales From The Green Valley and
many of the BBC's music output (Folk
Britannia, Prog Britannia
and biopics on people like Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday and Louis
Armstrong). The best comedy was probably Porridge, but Dad's Army isn't far behind.
... more to come