Posts

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Podcast: “I am from Mars”

My first tune from my first album. Lots of samples that I really have got round to getting permission for, but it’s all part of life’s rich pageant.

If you’re interested in the samples and don’t recognise them, the ones I remember are from:

I can’t source the other samples but I remember playing the main guitar riffs, sequencing the bass and drums, and sweating over it a bit!

Credit is due to the providers of these lovely originals sounds we pilfer ….

Please subscribe to my podcasts using iTunes and get them all delivered to your MP3 player without me nagging you!

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Matthew – a short film


I treated the manic videoing of Phil’s family trip to our house a bit differently this year and have decided to edit it into little chunks of film. Matthew’s a good age now for co-operation when it comes to things like this, and he makes a good subject (and a lovely nephew!). Music is “Aquarius” by Boards of Canada’s timeless album – released ten years ago, “Music Has the Right to Children“

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On the road again

I’ve had to change my fitness strategy since leaving my old job and losing the cycle commute, and I’ve started to do a little bit of road racing on the bike again. I’ve been fairly encouraged by the results but not startled. It’s just nice to do something different than cyclocross or fell running. I love both of them, but road racing’s so different.

I’ve also realised that I’ve become more aggressive in my road racing as I get older. I can’t be bothered to mess about slip-streaming and saving my energy for the finale -I’d much rather give myself a good kicking. If I lose a few places in the finale as a result, then so be it, but it’s a lovely thought to hammer yourself in the breaks whenever possible just in case they pay off, which they sometimes just do!

The Bowland Road Race today (Google Earth KML file here) was surprisingly fast for a 3rd category race, 23.9 mph – albeit only over 42 miles. It was hilly and breezy, and fairly relentless. All worked out well though when my team mate Stuart Reid got in the break that worked, and won the race. I finished fifteenth or so. My legs cramped on the uphill finish and that was that. A great, hilly, fast workout though.

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A little present to brighten my day

Flower DrawingThe new job has meant that I’ve hardly had a chance to look up from the desk for two weeks. It’s very enjoyable – don’t get me wrong – but there’s plenty of learning to do and things aren’t quite intuitive yet. A warming advantage of working at home, though, is hearing a knock on the office door when a little person comes in from pre-school to bring you something like this, neatly folded up. Thanks Lils. xxx

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Fiona’s 40th birthday

My sister in law Fiona will be 40 years old on Tuesday, and she held a party yesterday to celebrate. Lamb. One drawback was that I forgot to take my camera, so you’ll have to makedo with a few snaps from my phone cam.

Great party, nice to catch up with people and dance until I very nearly dropped.

Most memorable bit of the weekend for me was having to help deliver a lamb whose mum was struggling a bit – with expert amateur midwifery from Sally and Simon, and a little bit of luck, we got there, and muumy and Lamb are doing fine. Lucy, still in control, aged 12, wearing her dressing gown, took it all in her stride. The rest of us were deeply moved by the whole experience!

Update: Some great Flickr piccies posted by Simon.

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Family photos from the Easter holidays

EasterJust got round to getting a few photos from Easter into the gallery (click on the image to view).

Phil (brother) and Anne and family came to stay at our place and we were treated to the best Easter weather I can ever remember. We also managed a couple of gentle bike rides, and lots of the usual ‘burning the candle at both ends’ mixture of children (day) and booze (evening).

Happy times.

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Podcast: “Throttle Back”

Another of my favourites. The strings in this track were a bit of a breakthrough for me. The operatic singing was just a spur of the moment sample direct from Radio 3 ! No idea who it is. I like the abrasive lead synth line in the chorus bit.

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Sent off in style

13042007143I had a great evening last night – being sent off in style by my now ex colleagues at Natural England (see separate post).

Great few pints in the Britons Protection beer garden then on to Akbars for a splendid curry and a final few in the Ox (I think it was called that – was getting a bit blurry). Click on the short, fat, hairy Gareth Lawler pictured left to see a few snaps from the evening.

Thanks to everyone for coming out and making it very special indeed for me – and thank you for letting me go without getting cross about it.

Good times call for oversized Naan breads.

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He’s leaving town…. (and countryside)

The DeskToday’s a very special day for me – probably the most significant day in my life for many years, really. After twelve and a half years – virtually my whole working life – I’m moving on today.

In 1994 I came to work for the Countryside Commission, earning £6,400 per annum (gross), and on a four month contract. Things became permanent, as these things sometimes can if you try to make it happen.

In 1999, a merger took us into the Countryside Agency, and in October of last year, another reorganisation of the rural side of government gave birth to Natural England.

There have been one or two changes over the years, aside from salary. In 1994, our offices in Cheltenham were state of the art, running some lovely old computers with Pentium 486 processors, which did amazing things like run Wordperfect and even Lotus 123 spreadsheets. We emailed each other (internal ones only – the outside world contact didn’t come until 1997) and by 1999, we had access to the internet!

Since 2002, I’ve been commuting into Manchester by bike, and according to my records have covered about 27,200 commuting miles in that time. I’m not sure what the carbon saving I’ve been making is, but it’s pretty reasonable. I’ve been going through chains, brake blocks, gears and tyres quite a bit though.

I’m off out for some beers and bites with all my friends here this evening. Very much looking forward to that bit !

I’ll be working from home from Monday for Reverse Delta. More of that to come soon…..

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Podcast: “Potato Glow”

Potato Glow is the first track on the 2000 album ‘Comfy’. It’s a very upbeat instrumental built up on layers of samples and a synth arpeggio I played almost by mistake. I still love it.