Desert Island Discs in Yorkshire

Yes I know, posting your desert island discs is frivolous and shallow, but hey, I'm on holiday.  In Yorkshire, since you ask, for the walking, to help mend my leg. It's so cold for August I've had to buy warm clothes, even though I knew the summer clothes I would wear in Alsace would not do in Leeds. The tracks are in no particular order.

1. The Moody Blues, 'Nights in White Satin''. Tune of my teenage years, and I have never tired of it. One of the great swooning ballads of all time.

2. The Rolling Stones, 'Paint It Black'. It's not the greatest thing they have ever done, but I think it is the clearest and the most powerful. Most pop songs, rock anthems etc are not about death, or not entirely, even the girl-group tragedy ones (see below), but this one is.

3. The Hollies, 'Bus Stop'. A near-perfect pop song, with the then-great voice of Graham Nash.

4. The Shangri-Las, 'Remember'. The best of the girl groups. 'Rock Dreams', back in the day, called them "three schoolgirls in black leather". I love the pauses in this. I will never get tired of it as long as I live.

And now, moving a little nearer the present day:

5. Stromae, "Formidable". He sings only in French. The most famous Belgian. All human life is there. And every line is simple, as Brel was. "Tu etais formidable, j'etais fort minable".

Back again to the past:

6. Jacques Brel, "Amsterdam". A dead famous Belgian. He of course also sang only in French, but nobody asked about that then. A perfect chanson. "Comme des oriflammes, le long des berges mornes."

7. The Beatles, "Strawberry Fields For Ever". For the nonsense of it, though I suspect John Lennon took the words a little more seriously than I do.

8. Tom Lehrer, "The Periodic Table". Just because. No one else could.

A bit old, all these. And yet I like a lot of today's modern beat combos. I'm sure these favourites will change over time, but that is what I would take if I had to go today.

Book? To Kill A Mockingbird. (Tussle between that and Wuthering Heights, but the latter has too much property in it, which wouldn't really do on a desert island.)

Luxury item: Tussle between a supply of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream and pen and notebook to write with. The latter wins, by a whisker.

The one record I'd choose of them all? Difficult, but it's the Brel.

Just a bit of fun. You? Love to hear it.

alphabet meme

just for fun, thanks Lady Jennie

A. Attached or Single?  Attached. Oh yes. For a long time now. Married since 1999. Second marriage for me, first for him. 

B. Best Friend?  See above.

C. Cake or pie?  Cake. Almost all kinds. Only not fruit cake.

D. Day of choice?  Saturdays. Always the best day of the week.

Essential item?  iPhone. Sad but true.

F. Favorite color? Every shade of green. Although favourite colours are a bit meaningless really, it's what a colour is next to that counts.

G. Gummy bears or worms? Gummy bears. Probably.

H. Hometown? London. Leighton Buzzard. Reading. Strasbourg. I'm a Londoner born and Bedfordshire raised. But Reading is still the place I've lived the longest.

I. Favorite Indulgence?  Reading in the morning.

J. January or July? July.

K. Kids? One daughter, now 36 (how did that happen?) a talented artist, organiser and mother to my two granddaughters, who are the light of my life. One son, a talented actor who has always known what he wants. I'm hugely proud of both of them.

L. Life isn’t complete without? Family.

M. Marriage date? 11th September (how were we to know?) 1999.

N. Number of brothers/sisters? One brother, one sister, both younger than me. I bear the burden of the firstborn.

O. Oranges or Apples. Apples. I don't like any citrus fruit.

P. Phobias? Spiders and heights.

Q. Quotes? "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." And a lot else the wonderful Oscar said.

R. Reasons to smile?  I can do most things I decide to do, and I've shown it. So there.

S. Season of choice? Spring. Everything new.

T. Tag 5 People. No. Seems a bit like stalking to me.

U. Unknown fact about me? I've probably said it all at some time or other. But I have a weakness for Oriental men. That golden skin...

V. Vegetable? Like my favorite? Potato. In all its forms. Must be my Celtic blood.

W. Worst habit? That's for others to say.

X. Xray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound. Works better.

Y. My favorite food? A lot of competition there. The best onion soup. Meringues. Rosti. Beef wellington. Coffee ice cream.

Z. Zodiac sign? Aries. Oh yes, I am a ram, and I batter my way to the future.