And welcome to the 1980s. I say the 1980s, because I hear that the mix tape is back, and it just happened that I came across the first two tapes I made when I got my first car back in 1984. I'm now on the second one, and it pretty sums up what my taste in music was in that spring 26 years ago, and that it aint that bad. Really. OK, pop pickers, here is the tracklisting of tape 1 and judge for yourself.
Side 1
Teenage Kicks - The Undertones
Get Over You - The Undertones
Jimmy Jimmy - The Undertones
Here Comes the Summer - The Undertones
Wednesday Week - The Undertones
It's Going to Happen - The Undertones
Got to have You Back - The Undertones
Tommy Gun - The Clash
Shape of Things to Come - The Headboys
Good Technology - The Red Guitars
Coup - 23 Skidoo
Temptation - Popular Voice
Get Your Feet out of my Shoes - The Boothill Foottappers
Side 2
Temptation - New Order
We Live so fast - Heaven 17
The American - Simple Minds
Song to the Siren - This Mortal Coil
Sugar Hiccup - Cocteau Twins
From the Flagstones - Cocteau Twins
Never Stop (discotheque) - Echo and the Bunnymen
To Have and to have Not - Billy Bragg
New Rose - The Damned
Not bad, I think.
Anyway, it frightens the cats and keeps them out from under my feet demanding food and/or affection. Saying that we did get two more mice from Molly last night. Well, one and a bit. A whole one whilst listening to the radio before bed time and a liver on the bathroom floor for us this morning. Bless.
I am having a lazy day today, as I have chores to run tomorrow and then work on Friday. Work, although one day and then a weekend, but then 5 days of work next week and every day after that. How time will fly then!
So, I have been editing pictures I took yesterday, and photographing more pictures of my record and tape collection, to upload to Flickr and so torment the uncool!
So, at some point I will get my backside into gear and probably mow the lawn in the back garden, once tape 2 finishes of course. Seems like it's from 1987, and is full of Lone Justice, The Hoodoo Gurus, Gun and the such. Great stuff. Other than that, it's a grey and dull day and so better to edit pictures than take them, I guess.
Yesterday, however, was much better; a bright, sunny but windy day, perfect for pictures and travelling about with camera and friends. Or friend. Gary is someone who I have got to know through photography and Flickr, he joined our local club, but I won't hold that against him as I'm a member too. So, at eight we set off heading north the Thanet and sunny Broadstairs first.
Broadstairs would best to be renamed Dickensville or something similar, as Mr Charles Dickens lived in several houses and hotels in the town during the height of his powers setting Bleak House there and writing part of Nicholas Nickelby there too. There was a Dickens themed attraction there until last year, but that has sadly closed down now; it does boat a tiny cinema right down near the harbour, The Palace, although parking on the narrow twisty Harbour Street would be difficult.
So, we park up on the cliff and walk down a wonderful flight of steps I have snapped many times before, pausing to photograph the double decked set of beach huts built against the base of the cliff before walking on the sand towards the small flotilla of boats high on the sand in the lea of the short harbour wall. These were ripe for snapping, and I did.
We walked up a narrow twisty lane to Dickens's old house, now called Bleak House, and it towers over all others in the town and I guess offers prime views over the sea to France. If it could be seen from here, anyway.
And then back down the alleyway to the harbour, before making our way back up the cliff via Harbour Street, past the delivery men still unloading; looking at my watch I see it was yet to reach nine. And back then to the car and out of the town and heading north until we reach North Foreland, the twin of the lighthouse in our village, St Margaret's, this one marking the point where the north and east coasts of Kent meet.
And so, then east, to faded Margate.
Margate was once one of England's top seaside resorts; and then came package holidays to Spain and Florida, and people started not to visit the town. Drug addicts and the like moved in and the town began to crumble. It is beginning to recover; the Tate is building a contemporary gallery, and there is fresh paint on the town's promenade and shops.
I stop to take a picture of Britain's second smallest theatre, The Tom Thumb; it looks like it is what was once a garage, and big enough for only a couple of cars. anyway, we drive on.
My plan was to go through Margate and onto through Birchington to Minis Bay beyond, with it's wide mud flats and fine views along the coast to Reculver Towers and Herne Bay beyond. I had not looked at the tide tables, and so we arrived at high tide with the waves lapping at the sea wall, and the wind had whipped the sea into choppy waves. We got back in the car and headed on to Reculver, visible over the marshes to the west.
Reculver was once a Roman garrison and in the middle ages a village with a fine church. The sea had other ideas and eroded the cliffs so the two ruins are now on the cliff edge, and the towers of the church stand as landmarks for miles around and indeed for shipping.
We park up and walk under the tower's shadow; I snap away, and notice the cloud formation and think they might look good in a conversion to black and white, I take more just in case. The wind was making it hard to keep the camera level and get good shots, and so after we get our shots we climb back in the car and head inland.
It was getting near to lunchtime, and my thoughts turned to food, and for the first time in a few days actually felt the first pangs of hunger; pubs are open I said.
We drove back through the lanes and onto the main road before turning off to head to Sarre and then take the Canterbury road, before turning off and heading over the railway and river at Grove Ferry and over the Stour marshes, dotted as it is with villages with church spires visible over the tree tops.
My plan was to head to Wickhambreaux where there is a fine mill on the river as well as a splendid church and a certain village pub I wanted to try to beer from, and photograph for my project.
The Rose Inn over looks the mill, the Green and the church; it is whitewashed and inside it's wooden beams are decorated with dried hops, which seems to be the Kentish way.
However, before it was time to drink, we walk to the mill and photograph that, it was still sunny and the white clapperboard gleamed in the sunshine, and reflected wonderfully in the mill race.
We tried to get into the church, and was not surprised to find it locked, or so we thought. Anyway, it was midday and beer and food time. The landlord unlocked the door as we approached, and poured us two fine pints of Cornish ale and left us to look at the menu. I chose a ham ploughman's, and Gary had cheesy chips. It was warm enough in the sunshine to site outside on a picnic bench and watch village life go by; slowly.
The ploughman's was fine, with home cured ham and fine ciabatta bread, lots of pickles and salad. It was a fine lunch. The landlord told us the church should be open, but the door sometimes is tricky; we should go back.
After lunch, we crossed the road to the church, and sure enough the door opened and so we let ourselves into the porch and through into the main body of the building.
St Andrew's is a wide and friendly church, dominated by a stained glass window to the east; it was designed and made in New York in 1894, and is wonderful; the sunshine poured in through it, casting coloured shapes onto the tiled floor. The supports of the roof still had their mediaeval paintings on them, and above our heads the inside of the roof was deep blue with an abundance of stars painted upon it.
In a word it was a glorious place, and I took many shots, most of which are quite good, even if I say so myself.
Time then for us to head back to Dover, drop Gary off and then into town to drop the picture off at the framers; the one of the train I got on Saturday. It will look fine on the wall of of our living room, but being so big will cost a lot to frame properly, but if it's worth doing, etc. And then back home to prepare for Jools' return and our evening together.
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