Almost a year on from last years epic 20th anniversary of the first Wonder Stuff album "The Eight Legged Groove Machine" we were back to the Shepherds Bush Empire for the 20th anniversary of the "Hup" album. The band was the same line up as last time. There are only 2 original members but the new line up manage to bring back to life all the classic hits.
Jill and I went to Pizza Express before the gig and who should walk in but Malc Treece (the Wonder Stuff guitar player for the benefit of those who wouldn't know). I didn't want to hassle him but after we'd finished our Pizza I went over and shook his hand and wished him well for the gig. He was very friendly and down to earth. Good man!.
The gig was fantastic. They raced through the Hup album using a new running order for the album that Miles explained was the way he'd always wanted the tracks to appear. The songs sounded great. The second half of the gig was loads of great songs from their back catalogue including such classics as "Here Comes Everyone", "Mission Drive", "Caught in my Shadow", "On the Ropes", "Unbearable" and many more. They played for a little under 2 hours. The atmosphere was great although I have to say that the gig the previous year was more electric. I think the people around us weren't getting into it with the same enthusiasm as Jill and I.
The only sour note for me was that someone stole my T-shirt. I bought a new T-Shirt at the gig and took off my T-Shirt that I'd bought at last years gig. By the end of the night when the lights went up my T-Shirt had vanished. How annoying. Anyway a great night and great to meet Malc Treece in person.
A little known place in Bourn just outside of Cambridge is the Wysing Arts Centre. For full details visit http://www.wysingartscentre.org/. It's a great place to visit and often puts on events to get people involved in art, be that appreciation of art, enjoyment of art or hands-on practical stuff. Today was no exception with the featured event being "Den building". The events are free and this particular one was perfectly suited for our children. Various materials were provided and you could head across to a lightly wooded area to build whatever kind of den you wanted. The kids spent a few enjoyable hours in beautiful sunshine building their den. We went with friends so there were a good few kids to get involved in the effort.
Hopefully this link to my Picasa Web album of our time Den building at Wysing will work: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/davidrjenkinson/WysingDenBuilding#
I'd recommend anyone to pay a visit to the place. It's a lovely setting and there is plenty of art on offer for you to enjoy.
Last night was another storming set from the mighty "James". Can you believe that they started out in 1981? I've been a fan since about 1987 and went to my first James gig back in December 1989. 2 years ago I went to see them again over in Norwich following their reformation and the release of the "Hey Ma" album. Another fantastic night. So when the chance came to see them in my home town of Cambridge there wasn't even a decision to be made. I'd been looking forward to the gig for months and was delighted that the night had finally come around.
As 9pm approached the tightly packed crowd stood in eager anticipation of James taking to the stage. A few short minutes after 9pm the lights went down and we knew the moment had arrived. Then quite unexpectedly a side door of the theatre, half way up the wall opened and a spotlight picked out Tim Booth holding his mic and launching into an acoustic version of Sit Down. As he cleared the door way and moved onto the suspended walkway that leads up to the seating section, Larry Gott walked through the door strumming away on his acoustic guitar. What a magical sight seeing the 2 old pro's knocking out such a beautiful stripped down version of perhaps their best known anthem. Tim delighted the seated fans by walking right up to their section and standing in front of them under the glow of a spotlight singing his heart out. He then returned to the suspended walkway to close out the song to the delight of the throng below.
The crowd were in fine voice as pretty much every song was known by everyone in the room. They played a few brand new songs from their soon to be released mini album. Luckily for me I'd been listening to them streamed from the James website so I knew every single song they sang. It was a perfect night. The encore brought such classics as "Tomorrow", "Sometimes" and the finale "Laid". What can I say? A truly memorable gig. James have still got the magic and the star quality in spades!
My folks are in a holiday club called "Diamond Resorts International" (previously known as Sunterra). One of the properties owned by Diamond is Thurnham Hall. When we go up to Blackburn to visit them we like to call in at Thurnham Hall for lunch. It's a lovely place and anyone is welcome to pop along for a spot of lunch. It is not "members only" contrary to popular opinion. Here's a brief description lifted from http://web.thurnhamhall.com/
"Thurnham Hall is a 12th century country house that stands proudly in a stunning estate of nearly 30 acres. Boasting an elegant Jacobean Great Hall, the resort combines the very best of old and new.The Hall is located in the tiny hamlet of Thurnham, situated just five miles south of Lancaster, England"
The food is great, the service is excellent, the setting is idyllic and the restaurant is bright, warm and inviting. I would recommend a visit if you find yourself wanting to dine in a beautiful setting in close proximity to Lancaster.
Our visit today was no exception to previous experience. A lovely pint of draught Black Sheep Ale and a lovely piece of fish with chunky chips and mushy peas. There is a good amount of choice on the menu but I tend to fall back to old favourites. I can't help myself! It's the kind of menu that's not stupidly long but does feature some great dishes that leave you torn between 3 or 4 starters and 3 or 4 mains.
