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Today's update courtesy of the letter B
Sunday, January 24th, 2010 03:50 pmI am strangely pleased to report that an (almost) old-fashioned sweet shop has opened in Barnet. It is not quite the way they should be: it is uncluttered, bright and airy and it is run by two women, one in her twenties, the other a few years older. Nonetheless, it is a start. Everyone knows that in an ideal world that the shop should be dark, with lots of polished wood and that everything should be arranged so that it is far above you and out of reach; the names on the jars in exciting copper-plate, Gothic or otherwise impressively dark fonts. There should be a pervasive smell of fudge and the place should be run by a commanding, but kindly octogenarian grannie, who throws in the occasional gob-stopper for free.
Nonetheless, it is a start. It has a wide selection of boiled sweets, chewy sweets, chocolates, toffees and gums. With the exception of those dainties of fond memory such as spangles, that have long since gone to candy heaven, they have pretty much every and anything you can imagine. For the first time in many years, I had a bag (sadly measured in grammes, not quarter pounds) of chocolate limes. I was extra happy to find that only I like these in The Carpathia.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ellefurtle had a bag of milk bottles and another of jazzies.
It is all far, far better than the much-missed Woolworth's pick 'n' mix.
I have just finished watching a VHS tape of a BBC4 programme lent to me by my boss. It was a documentary about Robert Wyatt. Very interesting indeed, though I can't say that I like 90% of his music. I briefly flirted with the Soft Machine in my twenties, but I never listen to them now. Similarly, I bought a couple of Matching Mole elpees that had a few plays before being catalogued. About fifteen years ago, I bought them on CD, but it turns out that if my tastes have developed, they have not done so in that direction. I still roll them out every couple of years to confirm this. Nonetheless, I do like Shipbuilding, though it turns out that it was written by Elvis Costello and Clive Langer (ex Deaf School), not Wyatt.
I don't know what it is about BBC music documentaries. They are almost invariably interesting even when the cover a musical style that you don't like. You may even find yourself enjoying the performances, or part-performances they feature, yet you know that you could never buy the music. I guess it's a little like going to a gig by a band you don't usually listen to. It can be hugely enjoyable because the music is only part of the experience, but on a CD, that's all there is, so you have to like it.
In the meantime, I am enjoying playing Echo-Bazaar, though I do get frustrated at how low it can be to recharge.
Nonetheless, it is a start. It has a wide selection of boiled sweets, chewy sweets, chocolates, toffees and gums. With the exception of those dainties of fond memory such as spangles, that have long since gone to candy heaven, they have pretty much every and anything you can imagine. For the first time in many years, I had a bag (sadly measured in grammes, not quarter pounds) of chocolate limes. I was extra happy to find that only I like these in The Carpathia.
ellefurtle had a bag of milk bottles and another of jazzies. It is all far, far better than the much-missed Woolworth's pick 'n' mix.
I have just finished watching a VHS tape of a BBC4 programme lent to me by my boss. It was a documentary about Robert Wyatt. Very interesting indeed, though I can't say that I like 90% of his music. I briefly flirted with the Soft Machine in my twenties, but I never listen to them now. Similarly, I bought a couple of Matching Mole elpees that had a few plays before being catalogued. About fifteen years ago, I bought them on CD, but it turns out that if my tastes have developed, they have not done so in that direction. I still roll them out every couple of years to confirm this. Nonetheless, I do like Shipbuilding, though it turns out that it was written by Elvis Costello and Clive Langer (ex Deaf School), not Wyatt.
I don't know what it is about BBC music documentaries. They are almost invariably interesting even when the cover a musical style that you don't like. You may even find yourself enjoying the performances, or part-performances they feature, yet you know that you could never buy the music. I guess it's a little like going to a gig by a band you don't usually listen to. It can be hugely enjoyable because the music is only part of the experience, but on a CD, that's all there is, so you have to like it.
In the meantime, I am enjoying playing Echo-Bazaar, though I do get frustrated at how low it can be to recharge.
