Half term and I'm off with the girlies, though its been a funny old week of bugs and sniffles, disturbed nights and general, I'm afraid, listlessness. I've been enjoying Adrian Henri and Roger McGough's late 60s poems performed to Andy Roberts' guitar on the lovely, lost Incredible New Liverpool Scene LP which I managed to get a vinyl rip of from teh internets, and I've been trying to remember all the card games my Mum taught me when I was ten years old - to pass on to the daughters. We've had a rough go at an approximation of Pontoon so far, and last night trialled Newmarket (thanks The Guardian), which I can remember absolutely loving as a kid. Playing for pennies, deeply thrilling. If the eldest ends up a sort of über-sharp, Victoria Coren-style international poker player I wouldn't be in the least surprised.
Sorry not to have been blogging much - some of that listlessness seems to have percolated even this.
The Liverpool Scene - 'Let Me Die A Young Man's Death' (1967)
Half term here too. Sniffles and bugs as well. Not so much listlessness but I did feel like I was falling into a black hole at the weekend. We've tried card games, including Chase The Ace - Isaac sticks or twists completely randomly and hasn't grasped the cocncept of keeping your card secret ('I've got a number 10!'), so suspect he won't be giving Victoria Cohen a run for her money
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ReplyDeleteReminds me of how I was once coerced into playing Old Maid with my nieces only to have one who was not supposed to be playing appear behind me and stage whisper 'Have You Still Got It?' so everyone could hear.
Sniffles and bugs all round, since before Christmas I reckon. I recommend this as a card game of sorts. Also we all went to coventry the other day to visit the cathedral and I'd really recommend that too - I reckon it's about as far on the train for you as it is for me (although the journey across London might make that less true) - it's a very very lovely place, even for heathen types.
ReplyDeleteGoing completely anti internet at the moment. I suspect that even if every site I visit suddenly put pictures of Christina Hendricks up I wouldn't get into it. Will pass, just the heebie jeebies about what's almost here for me!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite books ever is a copy of the Liverpool poets that I nicked from school. Love them.
You really don't want your daughter turning into Victoria Coren, god forbid!
ReplyDeleteComputer caught a virus yesterday, just clicking on Firefox and despite McAfee being up to date. After twenty minutes of what can only be described as terse conversation with helpless desk had to fork out sixty quid to get rid of said virus.
Then went to see over hyped mediocre next best thing!
Ere mate. Got any Scaffold?
ReplyDeleteHalf-term scratching around here too, boys. Usual rock n roll lifestyle c/w domestic nonsenses, like new fan belt for washing machine, leaking radiator bodge-up, and my utterly crucial pantry re-org. (Facing up and sell-by date checks are a mandatory bi-annual requirement. Spices in jars don't last forever, you know).
Did get out for a lovely walk by the old North Yorkhire Victorian reservoirs around the wonderfully named village of Blubberhouses. The Theakston's Best Bitter and Yorkshire pud were the only thing that kept the old bones together.
My young daughter used to hold court playing a card game called 'Go Fish'. Simple and effective pick up and put down affair which brought me hours of precious legs-up-book-and-a-drink-with-music time.
Splendid. I kid you not Dickie, earlier tonight I threw out a jar of Bart's Chinese Five Spice Paste - Best Before January 2002.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Coventry Cathedral Adam, but given how hard it's been getting the daughters to go to Richmond Park this week I'm not holding out much hope for that as a day trip.
listlessness is february's curse indeed poo to al the january miseries it's the mid febs that'll really get yous. a glass of something later might help. or a trip to see casablanca at the pictures. lord it was beautiful
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'We'll always have Blubberhouses'
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