Reasons For Living

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



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