Edinburgh and pictures!

Well, as promised here are some pics of various events over the last few weeks - my 21st, and Edinburgh, which i returned from late last night. Had an absolutely fantastic time, saw some great drama and comedy...some not so great but hey, the whole point is you try new things, and are spontaneous. One comedian in particular, Reg D.Hunter was really gripping. Saw a couple of shows that Dan, Alec and i felt were something Strange Creation could attempt...or at least were productions we might have done! Thanks to uni mate Dave for taking us all in for 5 days, much appreciated mate.

Edinburgh itself is a great, beautiful and lively city - one of those places where within a few hours of arriving you think to yourself "yea i could live here, one day"...Maybe! Definitely going to go back next year...if it's something you're into, it's worth the money. Don't think i can really describe it fully, all i can say is - go yourself!

Slight change of subject, but i watched a documentary that was on a few nights ago about Goering, Hitler's second-in-command and the Head of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force), and his incarceration during the 1945-6 Nuremberg Trials. Now, Nazism and WWII is something most people have studied countless, probably too many, times (there are other historical periods!!), but it's something that has, it's sometimes forgotten, changed our modern day world more than anything else in the C20th. De-Nazification was a long, drawn-out process. This documentary sought to convey just how manipulative and scheming the man was, even though his fate was clear. He (allegedly) befriended an American GI, who supplied him with the potassium cyanide capsule (think that's right) which he used to escape the gallows just hours before he was due to be executed. It is reported that many, even high-ranking, Nazi officials upon seeing the Final Solution in action were sick and repulsed by it. Even Himmler, one of the most vehement anti-Semites of them all. Goering...hmm not so sure. I don't know if he ever felt guilty about anything.

Interestingly enough, not one Italian or Russian was EVER tried for crimes against humanity, despite the fact that Rome had planned for years the revision of European borders, despite the fact that Russia and Germany had signed a secret clause in the Nazi-Soviet Pact that they would carve up and share Poland, a move that LED TO WAR. The reason? Moscow joined the Allies after Hitler invaded Russia in June 1941, as did the Italians under Badoglio in September 1943. It's important to look at history. People say "what's the point? It's all in the past". Well, they're ignorant...History led us to where we are today, telling us about past mistakes, what to learn from...and it gives us a sense of social and political identity. Historians have a responsibility to tell the truth, or as close as they can get to it, to make sure people like David Irving stay on the fringes. The Nuremberg Trials led to the establishment of the UN and the Geneva Convention on Human Rights - kinda important...The troubles in the Middle East? Look at history. Maybe it will offer a solution.

Anyway, after this exceptionally long blog i'll leave you with some more pics - enjoy!
J x

Recording

Hi all

Today should be kinda fun - am heading over to Geth's in a few hours to do some recording...for something i've talked about before...Won't say anymore! And don't worry i'm not quite ready to make an album just yet - guitaring goes on, slowly but surely. Will let you know how the recording goes!

I'm thinking I want to have a night out in Stroud tonight (not sure if that's a contradiction in terms?!) - want to make the most of it as i'm working the next four nights at the Ormonds then heading up to Edinburgh. Jees i need to start thinking about that!

J x

Hey

Jees i'm already getting lazy at writing this thing! Suppose it's only there for if and when i want to say something though.

Well had my birthday party on Saturday night, was good fun, and great to see people from the various areas of my life - home, uni, work, even primary school! Was kinda overwhelming at times. Thanks to all that came, hope you all had fun. Actual birthday is tomorrow (Tues 15th), and i guess i'll have a meal with the family. Got an interesting clock from Ali which i plan to put in my Birmingham living room - it's a clock on 3 stands like a tripod, so it faces vertically! I hope it'll stop Guy being late in the mornings! Eli smuggled in a load of Belgian beer for me...that'll have gone by the end of the week!! Geth, who knows me perhaps too well, also got me some beer and a shirt about Mrs Hand and her Five Daughters...i don't need to explain! The Strange Creation guys got me a copy of Terry Pratchett's Men At Arms - i suppose home friends will have heard by now that we're talking about adapting the book ourselves for a BIG production next Summer...see how forward-planning we are?! Looking forward to reading that.

Working pretty regularly still in the Ormonds, in fact pretty much every day until Weds 23rd, my final day before setting off to Edinburgh Festival on the Thurs...driving up with Alec. Should be great fun. And then Brumward bound following that, although aside from sending off a CV to the Alexandra Theatre for position of Deputy Front of House Manager (hope to hear from them soon!), i've done extraordinarily little to prepare for my return!

Afraid i'm no more cheerful than since my last blog - guess it's just one of those phases we all go through, but there's some other stuff too which i feel it would be inappropriate to talk about in such a public place. There's an old Serenity Prayer, written by Reinhold Niebuhr:

Great Spirit,
Grant me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change
The courage to change the things i can
And the wisdom to know the difference.

I wish i could follow its advice.

Song of the week: Hmm tricky one. Still listening to Zucchero, but also started exploring the Walter Trout Band (pretty damn cool!!) and some Stevie Wonder. Can't pick an individual song i'm afraid! Anyone got some good suggestions?

I'll try and write soon folks,
j xx

Feelin' Blue

Hey readers!

Hmm it's been a rather reflective week. Have spent a lot of time withdrawn in my own mind and thoughts...probably a silly thing to do, when you're thinking you have time to dredge up all the crap. Despite the fact i've working full-time effectively in the Ormonds my mind gets to thinking. Some old demons coming back to haunt me. I suppose even when you're surrounded by people in a sociable environment, it's easy to feel very alone, isolated and unloved.

I think, though, that sad songs are a very good thing to listen to, state of mind depending!! On the one hand yes, they can make you feel low, but conversely, as has been particularly true for me, they make you realise that someone has gone through the same shit as you. It's not exactly schadenfreude, because you're not taking pleasure in someone else's pain, only comfort. More to the point, if the composer got out of it and is doing ok, you can too.

Enough of this...Went out for a meal on Wednesday night in Bisley for Lara's 21st, very nice food in a charming pub. Heading out to Cheltenham tonight for her bash, dressing up as gangsters and bunnies. Still haven't decided which i'm going as ;-) Should be a lot of fun! Need to take my camera. Gonna hit a few bars and clubs i think. Speaking of bunnies, had a chance on Weds to see her 3-week old rabbits - they were sooo tiny and cute, fitting neatly into the palm of my hand. Very energetic too, and curious about their new world. Says she's gonna keep one, and i would if i could!

Gonna sign off for now, until next time guys...
A melancholy jack x