Chillies finally en-route!

Jordan & Dubai 2013

The tour of Jordan & Dubai is finally getting closer and as always, looking forward to actually seeing a big yellow sphere surrounded by blue skies…..The grey skies here in the UK is more common over the last few years and will welcome a more consistent heat…42c is a little excessive yet, who’s complaining!

Mr Rock, Ski Lift Bites Back & OMG/AMG

It has been a while again since my last entry in September 2012! Oh well! let’s try make some sense of the last 12 months of my life. At times rewarding, and at it’s worst, bizarre to say the least! Whilst in South Africa in 2011 the death of Gill’s mother Betty was announced so this was pretty difficult to take on board so far away from the UK! I was so glad to be able to attend the funeral on my return! Very sad for both Gill and myself! Shortly after the funeral, it was almost time to pack for Hong Kong with work schedules pending for October through to December 2011. Always really look so forward to HK and will always be one of my favourite  places to stay and visit! Staying at the Hotel Panorama in Tsim Sha Tsui was a real treat! I remember saying to one of the staff, this hotel is pretty expensive so must have a good view..the good man answered, yes Mr Rock  (Lock…you know what I mean) you have good view! He really wasn’t kidding…the view over Victoria Harbour was superb! So this was my new home for six weeks and really was going to enjoy working again in HK! Luckily, some of my colleagues were with me at the Hotel and found them great company…of an evening, The Hair of The Dog became the make shift office to plan our Rock Pop strategies for the following day/week..That reminds me, when I first arrived in HK the jet lag is always problematic for myself and cannot sleep for the life of me! However, the ‘Hair of The Dog’ was open until 3am….could have always gone there for a chat instead of looking at the ceiling for endless hours on end!! I really enjoyed working in various districts in HK such as Diamond Hill, Quarry Hill and  Whampoa. To meet good people is fantastic! The food is always so,so good! I managed to find a place called Traditional Noodle which seems to specialize in serving some blistering hot noodles…These were a killer but well worth the challenge! The waiter always has the same line, you want Medium, Hot or Super Hot! you will have to take it from me…Hot is the new Hot!!!! Super Hot…they were really having fun! I  miss my good friends in HK..Christmas was not the best time in 2011 for various reasons however, 2012 brought the promise of a Ski vacation! Courcheval in France is always fantastic and the Chalet was just great however, at the end of a superb Ski I managed to fall of the chair lift and pull a ligament in my knee! ‘@&%$£+&…That’s how painful the feeling was when it happened! I managed to get back to the bottom of the mountain fine yet, next day….leg would not move! Agony to say the least! Typical!!! The knee after many sessions with a Private Trainer is now almost back to normality!! Whatever that may be!

A trip to Malaysia & Indonesia was completed in May 2012…This trip was very busy with lots of music seminars as well as Rock & Pop adjudications however, this was  a fantastic trip! Jakarta, Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Alor Setar, Penang and Brunai! This was such an interesting trip!  Almost up to date with a trip in September 2012 to South Africa which included Eastern and Western Cape...The scenery was fantastic. however, always good to keep one eye on the great coastline and one in the trees…Baboons can be fearless and with those teeth…who wants to argue!! The trip also to Jacobsbaai was excellent…very remote yet after travelling along the R27 north of Capetown it was worth the wait…Situated along the West Coast of Africa with wonderful white houses and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean…Very little in the way of company I have to add! The guesthouse owner was a great host but saw very little of him only in the way of conversation at breakfast…In between work commitments it was a fantastic sight walking along the rugged coastline of the Atlantic with some company of a lone dog hat would enjoy the stroll at times and oddly, a very long legged bird (Feathered) used to join in for the walk also..Proves a point really, so quiet in Jacobsbaai the bird found it a novelty that someone was actually brave enough to walk without the usual  fear of who you may come across…never did know what family of bird that enjoyed the stroll…Gull in looks with Stretch Armstrong type legs if that makes sense…use your imagination! Always odd for someone like myself to have very little people  contact especially with very little  actually walking…The TV was mostly in Afrikaans  and very lucky to get any internet connection at times so I guess this has to be a time where you actually had time to reflect on all the things that possibly wouldn’t want to or have time to recollect….The sunsets were staggering…Stuff of some of the finest postcards..Following a fantastic time in South Africa I flew back to Malaysia with more Rock and Pop examinations which took me to different parts of the country..Kuala Lumpur was part of the trip however, Johor, Melaka, Port Dixon were also included on the mainland….Melaka for food is superb! Travelling at a later stage to Kuching (White Cat) in Eastern Malaysia…(flight from KLA to Kuching was around an hour! Again, a fantastic welcome with the usual superb food…wonderful!! Formerly Borneo now Sarawak this was such a great place to visit…..as always, usually too busy to fully have time to travel within…However, a trip to  Batu Ferringhi  in Penang to see the Jazz Festival was very welcoming…The line up was very good with Martin Taylor headlining on the Sunday evening! What a great weekend! More to follow to complete the tour with Taiwan! The OMG/AMG reference will be a good read when continued…This is more connected to leaving the UK driving a Sports MX-5 and returning to find the car was written off! Enter  Mercedes!!!!…You tell me!!! Jet lag didn’t help!

Yul Brynner, Vidal Sassoon & Sound & Vision!

It has come around again, time for another haircut!!  I really shouldn’t complain, my hair is as strong and plentiful as it was in my teens! Hard to understand really as I think I must have used some horrendous shampoo’s in the past and still nothing affects the amount of hair! I will go to one of my favorite top hairdressers(Who needs Vidal Sassoon) shortly who always manages to make me look  fairly human! If, at all possible!! Surprising how much a person is willing to pay for a good mop! I have to say that Wayne Rooney does look a little odd with his new hair implants! Anyway, did it bother Yul Brynner!! Who knows and who really cares! I have spent the last few days after returning from South Africa in my studio! I really need a bigger house as the music equipment has finally taken over the house! The Ipad2 is very easy to leave  in the lounge, however, the 27″ iMac with a 42″ additional screen for film editing plus digital mixers has left very little room! Not to mention my beloved collection of guitars, amplifiers DAW  systems. I really did miss listening to quality music with quality equipment when away in South Africa! Mackie HR824 speakers! I have rarely heard a speaker with such a good response! In the ’70s I had the pleasure to record at Rockfield Studio http://www.rockfieldmusicgroup.com/  after winning a  major music magazine talent competition! It’s worth looking at the past history of musicians and groups who have passed through Rockfield! Whilst we were recording, Queen were recording the vocals for Bohemian Rhapsody! I rest my case!! Anyway, The quality of my Mackie HR824 still remind me of the quality of sound at Rockfield! Wonderful!  Luckily, I still have very good ears yet slightly less than the full 20,000 Hz  for the majority of us all blessed with at birth! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nUkNvl8mQw  After 48 seconds I’m afraid I no longer hear! What about you!!! Hardly surprising for me! Years of playing  Rock, Pop Blues and Jazz! In reality, it’s more to with the acoustics of the room not only the speakers. Luckily, having an acoustically treated room enhances the music experience! Can’t guarantee the same results in my 60s as most people don’t get that hearing pleasure! Anyway, we sometimes only here what we want to hear anyway!

Robots, Circles, Red Neck’s & I’m sure that’s a car coming towards us!!

It seems such a while since I sat in front of a blank WordPress new post. That doesn’t mean to say that things have been uneventful in fact, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. With the recent discontinuation of  a part time Music Technology post way in the distance I find myself as busy as ever musically on all fronts! Arriving in Johannesburg recently, It was quite a lot to take on board seeing so much Corporate Wealth and Townships side by side! I have seen poverty, but not at this level. My stay in Johannesburg was brief with only one evening of rest before the journey to Mafikeng. I was met by my representative for Mafikeng who kindly gave me a guided tour on the long  journey!  An hour into the Journey,we took a sharp right and followed a track that led to a disused Diamond Mine which still had security in place. Obviously not happy bunnies with me  being trigger happy with my camera. To the left of the Diamond Mine track was a farm run by Koos Oliverios who quickly identified me as a UK resident! Apparently, we seem to develop only a red neck with little suntan to compliment…I thought that was very good and funny! Koos was very hospitable with offerings of specially picked Honey Tea from the farm and a type of  oats made like a porridge and very tasty! A few days of work in Mafikeng with very little time for sightseeing however, a brief look into the museum before heading to Botswana.We drove through the Gaborone Border Control with a small amount of kerfuffle, however, it was really good to rest at The Gaborone Sun Hotel before a busy schedule the next day! Whilst driving, my representative made me very aware of Robot’s and Circles! I think that’s a much better name for the traffic lights and roundabout’s we have back in the UK. As we returned back to the hotel after a day of musicality, it was early evening and in darkness! Surprisingly, there were no street lights (Are they called Tall Robot’s) anyway, due to the darkness my representative (Salome) was hopelessly lost in the darkness of Gaborone.  In her defense, it was so dark, I could see very little also. At one point, we were driving into oncoming traffic! Was I scared!!! What do you think! Finally, the hand of God offered us a safe passage back to the Hotel! Tom Tom, I have never missed you so much! The people I have met in this vast country of  South Africa have been warm, friendly and  fantastically welcoming! As a Welshman, I have almost and I mean almost, forgiven you for beating us by one point in the World Cup!! Just lucky this time, that’s all!

Apples, Jacaranda City, Gis a Job Yosser & Dead Transformers!

There was always a need to travel as light as possible when engaged with overseas commitments. Part of a solution has been a recent purchase of an iPad2  This has been very welcome. Very lightweight, small, and with a  powerful A5 processor gives this a distinct advantage over the cumbersome laptop and case. In use, it has been great for lounging around mindlessly on the sofa and for more practical applications it has been excellent! A “born again” (Apple Head) perhaps. To confirm this must be true, a 27″ iMac is also making it’s way into my studio. Beyond help I’m afraid!

Oh Well! This is the last week at the University where I was was initially employed as a part-time Lecturer in Music Technology. The post soon developed into a full-time position which was not beneficial for me as commercial work still played an important part in the bigger picture. So it was decided to keep some hours at the University, my duties were to be split into some Technical Demonstrator duties and lecturing commitments. The BSc and BA courses have now been discontinued so now it’s time to go! Perfect timing!! I will now travel to South Africa with examination commitments in September which will be I’m sure, an interesting experience. Pretoria (Jacaranda City) is the first port of call! Mafeking  and Johannesburg will also be visited.  Anyway, time to work. Oh yes! almost forgot, my lovely Marshall Amplifier has been repaired. Small fortune however, sounds great!

Darque it wasn’t, Definately, no need to Braga! Fine glass of Porto!

Since returning to Cardiff after  a recent tour it has given me some time to reflect on the beautiful areas of Portugal! Lisbon was the first call and being the capitol city of Portugal was of course, very busy and very hot! I forgot what fun it was when collecting the hire car from the airport and then driving on the other side of the road in rush hour! Fear soon sharpens your responses  lol! The areas of Alcochete (Best Chocolate Mousse ever) Oeiras, Mem Martins were such good places to have visited with the pleasure of great company en route!

Portalegre is to the west of Portugal and very near the Spanish border! The Convento da Provenca was such an amazing stay with incredible views! http://www.provenca.pt/acasa_e.htm

The restaurant was within 1km of the hotel and easily walkable. However, within 200yds of having a hearty meal, a totally bonkers dog ran out of a very old rural property and decided that biting my legs seemed a good idea!  After driving for approximately two hours to reach Portalegre, no dog, big or small was going to  prevent a quality meal being served! Unbeknown to the dog, decisions were being made relating to which part of it’s body my size 10 boot would land! I used to like wearing Winkle Pickers and these would have made a  great choice!

The waving of arms and shouting did work. Luckily, for the dog, the second option was not implemented! Portalegre, where they say, Time is Time and Space is Space! How very true!

Moving northwards to Viana do Castelo took around a three hour drive through some great landscapes! On arrival, the Hotel Parque gave some lovely views of the Estuary and Marina’s. Open Markets with a very good choice of Wine making equipment, clothing, shoes and quality pottery. Just out of interest, the receptionist an the Hotel Parque was a great fan of Progressive  Music! You were good company Maria! I really enjoyed our chat about Gentle Giant! Wine was good too!

Viana Do Castelo and Darque were very beautiful parts of Portugal with wonderful views across the estuary and superb architecture. Reasonable prices for very good Portuguese cuisine and of course a fine glass of  wine!

After a few days, an enjoyable drive to Braga!  Very beautiful with more than it’s share of historic buildings to compliment. The Bragatruthotel  made me very welcome. Look forward to seeing you guys again! Unfortunately, on the day of leaving I was to miss the yearly event of Romana Braga. Was good to see everyone in Roman costume.

Sao Joao Madeira  was such a short stay however, did manage to meet some lovely people. Thank you for my hat Vitor my friend!! Looks well cool! I will look forward to sampling some of your lovely Wine!

Porto was the next stop. The hotel was situated around two kilometres from the centre which was good for exercise and a welcome choice from driving. Porto located along the Douro  river in Northern Portugal. I love a City and always enjoy the vibrant feel! Again, I met some really lovely people who made my stay in Porto superb!  I’m sure someone mentioned that there was an interest in football here! Lol! Such a pleasure to take a look around the Porto Football ground. The centre was lively with fantastic looking historic buildings with a great selection of Café Bars at hand. I couldn’t resist an open top Citysightseeing Tour! Ha! Never dream of it in the UK! Anyway, great way to see the best tourist views in a 2hr ride on the bus!  Very enjoyable with superb views across the Douro River.

The final stop before heading to Lisbon was the Venice of the North in Portugal! Aveiro was a really lovely looking City surrounded by canals. Within a short distance from Aveiro centre is a wonderful coastline called Praia Barra! Some of the finest beaches you will ever have the pleasure of visiting. We often think of the Algarve as a destination for us sun starved Brits in Portugal however, the North of Portugal has really taken me by surprise. Beautiful!! Would I visit again!…… What do you think!

Seconds From Disaster, Skinny Wheels & Portugal!

In a recent post, I wrote about my mid life crisis (Sports Car) having problems with the battery not charging! The alternator was fairly costly which was somehow expected. Anyway, I did quote that at least the alternator on the aircraft would be fine! Well, would you believe it!!! The battery on the aircraft was flat just prior to take off! The battery needed to be charged for the engines to function! At this point, my imagination started to run a little wild! I tried to recall some of the recent series of Seconds From Disaster to determine if there had been any disasters that had included any flat batteries prior to take off! I must stop watching this series!! Anyway, the flight arrived in Portugal without a problem.

Portugal is a really lovely place with friendly people, beautiful architecture and of course the weather! However, there have been some very good thunderstorms over the last few days. I have had the pleasure to tour a lot of places at present including Lisbon, Oieras, Mem Martins, Portalegre and now Viana do Castelo! This was an experience especially collecting the hire car from Lisbon Airport and driving a left hand drive through Peak Time traffic to the hotel destination! After surviving to tell the tale I am enjoying the travel through Portugal! I really would like to have a wider set of tyres to travel though! The Mitsubishi Colt if fine but, turning corners, feels like a jelly on wheels! Good laugh though! I really am missing the stability and feel of a Sports Coupe! Nos Da to you all and hope you can spare the time to have a read!  Please feel free to comment!

Fine Voice, Virus & Portugal!

Just recently had a great concert with a good friend of mine! His 50th was celebrated with him singing the great songs from Deep Purple and Toto! These were great fun to play on guitar and always good to thrash some classic guitar licks! Unfortunately, I have the affliction of the common cold which has literally left me speechless! No voice whatsoever! Great relief for all friends who know me! Not very often I am without an opinion or screaming at someone! In a nice way of course!

Quite looking forward to a forthcoming tour of Portugal! Lisbon, Porto, Viana do Castelo with Braga to name a few of the visits. The lovely climate of Portugal will surely help my voice and generally assist with better health. Wonderful wines with healthy cuisine throughout these regions will be more than welcome. I will now retire to my bed as I feel ghastly with this virus! The weekend was eventful with trying to contain my great patch of vegetables and Chillie collection before I start my Western Europe tour! Nos Da and Iechydd Dda for all those who have the time to read  my entries!

Chillies, Garden of Eden,Tintern Abbey & Broken Amplifiers!

Finally, my collection of Chilli Peppers are complete! Ring Of Fire, Zimbabwe Bird, Red Habanero to name a few!  Theses plants will develop into 2ft bushes with plentiful fruit. These little beauties will assist with the yearly Curry event for friends and colleagues. Whilst working as a Music Columnist for the Guitarist magazine in the the late 80’s I had the pleasure of joining The Curry Club based in Covent Garden, London. This was great fun and over the years I have managed to develop my skills to a more professional level! I should have kept quiet on a recent holiday to the Algarve when mentioning that I was skilled with Indian Cuisine, I assumed I was entertaining the proprietors of the Hotel, however, I was shocked and flattered to learn that I was the Chef for all of the guests of the Hotel! 40 in total! Great evening!

At last, my vegetables are growing very well, however I need to get a babysitter to look after them whilst away overseas on business! Potato, Carrots, Peas, Beetroot, Runner Beans, Strawberries and at least fifty bags of Jersey Royals growing beautifully!  Having such a strip of land is wonderful to grow so much produce and very rewarding! July and August will provide wonderfully fresh produce!

The weather throughout late April has been fantastic and a great opportunity to take the roof down on the Sports Car and go for a spirited drive through the wonderful scenery of Monmouth, Wales! Through the  fast,  winding country roads of Usk and onwards to Chepstow then finally Tintern. The Cistercian abbey of Tintern is one of the greatest monastic ruins of Wales although, needing so much essential finance to restore. A fantastic day after two busy days of wedding concerts and hosting guitar sessions.

The only downside to all the positivity  is my lovely  Marshall amp has decided not to work anymore! Oh well! Everything is fixable! At a price!!