Putting together a guitar retrospective
I am not playing a lot of guitar anymore because of … the arthritis … (insert dramatic music, possibly groan of pain but that seems to have somewhat abated.
[aside] I can never think of the word ‘abate’ without recalling the story about McAuley’s first words. Apparently, he had not yet spoken much if at all until on one occasion a servant spilt hot tea on his legs. There was much fuss and when the hostess of the event conciliated with the toodler, saying – How fair thee wee chap, I hope you are starting to feel better? – , the fair bairn McAuley replied – Thank you Madam, the agony has somewhat abated
Brighton Bag Walk
In 2006 I was a visiting research fellow at Sussex Uni. We stayed in Brighton, in apartments on the Lewes Rd near to the old town.
Brighton is a tourist town and the sound of people wandering along the lanes, bag trundling over the cobbles behind them, was ever present.
Before leaving I made the journey from the train station to our flat, bag mic’d up. It took a few goes to get a recording as the vibrations of the bag kept turning the recorder off. Eventualy, recorder in pocket, wires trailing to the two mics that were attaced to the bag with alligator clips, bright red balls of windscreen on each, I had some success.
Later,I wondered what someone might have thought at the sight of a middle aged man wandering up and down, back and forth, dragging a bag with a couple of red balls on it, cables trailing into his jacket pocket. Not much I imagine, it’s an eccentric and accepting town.