Paperboys, West End Centre, Aldershot

Went to see the Paperboys at the West End Centre with Bill, Val and Julie. Not many people there, I don't think it justified standing-only tickets. Most people weren't dancing anyway (although I did spot Val giving a little wiggle!) I was sat down as I was feeling a bit faint, having blagged a chair from the roadie.
I liked the Paperboys' crossover styles of Celtic, bluegrass, Cajun, Latin and more, all delivered with bags of energy. The flautist was the outstanding musician of the team, thought the (blonde) violinist was a bit run-of-the-mill, probably just in the band for sex appeal! Front-man and composer Tom signed my Molinos CD, and was happy to chat about his music and the aims of the band. All in all a very good night.

Rory McLeod, West End Centre, Aldershot

Ken and Other Val joined us on the candlelit table at the West End Centre for Rory McLeod's gig. Poor Rory seemed to give a hurried performance with a lot less chat and more songs than he did last time, perhaps he's got fed up of being told to 'hurry up' or 'get on with it' by hecklers in the crowd, or being 'hooked off' by venue staff anxious to get home! Personally I like his stories as much as the songs. Rory played a lot of my favourites such as No More Blood For Oil, Too Old For the Orphanage, London Kisses, What Would Jesus Do and some new ones to me, such as Emperor's New Clothes and the Miner's Picket Dance. His encore was a trombone tune which didn't work very well as it was 'out of tune'!!
Rory seems like a top guy, and likes to meet the people from the audience at break time. A group of young girls seemed pleased to talk to him - he seemed pleased as well! Married man, girls, I'm afraid!!

Curry Nite

Yesterday Ian the Minister came over to stay. I had trouble getting back in the evening due to a cancelled train - but got to Farnborough in time to meet Ian and Bill Badger leaving the Tumbledown Dick. The boys had been expecting to try Hogs Back beer, which was advertised in large letters outside the pub, only to be given halves of vinegar. At least they only ordered halves! Johnny P arrived at about the same time as me, then we all headed off to the Swan, where we had much nicer beer (Elgoods Black Dog Mild in superb form, also some very nice Pride of Pendle from Moorhouse).
We had to drag ourselves away at 9.15 for our curry appointment in the Gurkha Kitchen. The poppadoms were so good Ian ordered another round on top of the free ones you get whilst you wait. We went straight on to the main courses, Ian and Bill going for Chicken Tikka Massala, John for Hot Chicken and me for a medium Nepalese King Prawn curry

Evening Wedding Reception

Andy and Gill's evening doo was at the Alton Grange, which was a lot posher on the inside than on the outside. The CAMRA contingency didn't have places at tables, as we weren't at the lunch, so we commandeered the lounge bar (with much rearranging of pot plants and comfy chairs). Real ales were available from Triple fff and the buffet was very generous, so we were more than happy. Bob arrived in a suit, we remarked upon the unusualness of this sight! Val had changed into a lime green top and black trousers, Julie had a black outfit with purple 'party cardy'. Didn't see much of Andy, think the boys were buying him drink after drink! Gill was bopping away still in her beautiful wedding dress, having to hold up the train. She insisted that we dance with her, who were we to say no? The DJ played the usual dance selection of 60s, 70s, 80s stuff with a bit of modern pop, he finished far too soon though. Highlights were Jules and Val's lesbian slow dance to Robbie William's 'Angel', Val and Nick waltzing to Wham!, and Bill and me high-kicking to 'New York, New York'.
A good time was had by all!

Andy and Gill's Wedding

This afternoon we went to Andy and Gill's wedding in St James Church, Rowledge. The church was ever so cute, and it was a lovely service, with a good organist and choir as well. Both Andy and Gill looked great, very relaxed, and very much in love. Outside the Church it was sunny but a bit breezy - various people had to hold Gill's train and veil to stop them blowing around. There was a CAMRA Pals official photo, with Other Val, Matt, Julie, Nick, Hannah, Hannah's boyfriend, Bill and myself with the bride and groom in the porch of the church, I hope nobody blinked! I took a couple of photos on Bill's camera, they will appear in Valerie's Gallery at some point, when I can get the @&*$ing thing to work!!
Then Matt drove Other Val, Julie, Bill and myself to the Sandrock where we had a pint before heading back home for food and maybe a change of clothes, ahead of the evening doo. Then we get together with some other CAMRA-ites who have been pub-crawling all afternoon, that should be lively!

Election Fever

Bill and I cycled down to St Peter's Church to vote - yes the Liberals were still handing out sweeties. Saw the Tory incumbent for the first time as well, chatting amiably with the Liberal hopeful. No sign of the Labour guy, he has probably resigned himself to losing Farnborough South.
Was tempted to vote Monster Raving Loony as he the only one I'd 'talk to in a bar' (Billy Connolly's definition of an electable person) - he's the landlord of the 'Dog and Partridge' in Yately.
But in the end I did the right thing, I voted Liberal. Gordon Brown says the War in Iraq was fought for economic reasons and I believe him. Gordon Brown wants me to vote Liberal!! I don't want to belong to a country that pours out the blood of its soldiers, not to mention that of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians, for cheap oil. When Gordon Brown takes over Labour Party leadership, then I'll vote Labour again, like the good socialist I am.
That's not the only reason of course. Here are the 10 good reasons to vote Liberal from their website:

WE OPPOSE: Putting targets first
WE PROPOSE: Putting patients first
Faster diagnosis so your NHS treatment can start more quickly


WE OPPOSE: Tuition fees & top up fees
WE PROPOSE: Scrapping student fees
Further education affordable to every student


WE OPPOSE: Compulsory I.D. Cards
WE PROPOSE: Spending the money on 10,000 more police
Funded by scrapping compulsory I.D. cards


WE OPPOSE: Selling your home to pay for care
WE PROPOSE: Free personal care for the elderly
No one forced to sell their home to pay for care


WE OPPOSE: Ignoring climate change
WE PROPOSE: Cleaner transport & cleaner energy
Cleaner transport, cleaner energy and a cleaner environment


WE OPPOSE: £1.5 billion on the child trust fund
WE PROPOSE: £1.5 billion towards reducing class sizes
Spend the £1.5 billion Child Trust Fund when it matters most


WE OPPOSE: Means-testing pensioners
WE PROPOSE: £100 extra per month starting with the over 75s
A million pensioners off means-testing


WE OPPOSE: Hidden tax increases
WE PROPOSE: Only one tax increase - on income above £100,000 per year
Only one tax increase on income over £100,000


WE OPPOSE: Unfair council tax
WE PROPOSE: Local income tax, saving typical households £450 per year
Local Income Tax is both fair and affordable


WE OPPOSE: Bush & Blair on Iraq
WE PROPOSE: Never again
It's time to restore trust in government

I agree with all of these.
Shame there was no Green candidate, that would have been my second choice.
Vote Tory? Nevvah!!

Oxtale

Just a quick post tonight...we went walking today around Dunsfold (of the Seven Ponds) loosely based on a walk in 'Walker's Britain' - for more details see Bill Badger (my other half). It was a hot day, and Bill was very careful to take precautions against sunburn with sun cream and a hat. I was less bothered, being a brunette, but drank a lot more water. The heat and my heavy winter boots made it rather hard going (that's my excuse!) and we had to cut the walk short - but only by scrambling up a very steep hill.
We stopped off at Budgens in Ash Vale on the way back, and Bill spotted some oxtail reduced to £1 so he bought it for the evening meal (I fancied curry, but still). The cookbook advised casseroling it, so Bill baked it in a casserole dish with some mushrooms, no sauce. Boy was it tough to eat! I had to pick it up and gnaw the meat off the tailbones, my gums are still hurting now. It just tasted like scrag ends of beef, very fatty, not really worth the effort. I will only eat oxtail in soup from now on. Still, good story to shock my veggie friends with ;-)

Real Ale Wobble Around Alton

Phew! Have just got back from Alton, where Bill and I have been cycling on this lovely sunny day.
We loaded the bikes onto the back of the car and headed off for the Chawton Park Wood car park in Medtead and the start of the cycle ride. We had planned to do a 15-mile published ride along bridleways, but the first bridleway we came across was very muddy and slippery so we decided to modify our route to only use roads! Maybe with proper mountain tyres we could have coped, but not with semi-slicks.
First we took the minor road into Medstead, then northwards towards Bentworth. Time for a drinkee already, we visited both the Star (Ringwood Best in fine form) and the Sun (good half of Cheriton Pots from their wide selection of beers) at Bentworth, and ate our sandwiches beneath a tree. Then down a rather hilly single-track road to Alton, where we visited the French Horn, supped some lovely Hook Norton Best and gazed at the funfair opposite the pub on 'The Butts'.
We were still feeling fit, so we decided to extend our route via the Selbourne Arms in Selbourne, so we headed up the B3006. The road looked deceptively flat on the map but we were surprised with some relentless upward slopes! We were well deserving of our Itchen Valley Pure Gold when we arrived (the best beer of the day, in my opinion). It was also pure joy to sit out in the Selborne Arms' beer garden with the cherry-blossom and bluebells out, and the birds singing. We didn't want to leave.
The last stretch back to Medstead involved a hilly road up to Newton Valence, another steep hill on the other side of the A32 towards Four Marks (I pushed my bike up most of it) and a short stretch of the A31 before turning off down the wide residential road to the Chawton Park Wood carpark again.
It must have done me good because my legs were all wobbly when I got off the bike, and I had to sit down for a bit and recover! A lot of work needed I think before I can do the London to Cambridge in July!

Eleanor McEvoy, West End Centre, Aldershot

Bill and I had seen Eleanor McEvoy at Fareham and Gostport Folk Festival, so we knew we were in for a treat!
The support act was Tristan Seume a very talented guitarist, reminiscent of Paul Downes. However half an hour of acoustic guitar with no lyrics did send me off to sleep a bit. Perhaps he should ask Eleanor to write some lyrics for him.
At last Eleanor came on stage (despite rumours of fog in Dublin) and gave a stunning performance. She seems to me like a cross between early Sinead O'Connor and Thea Gilmore. She can play fiddle to a very high standard as well as acoustic and electric guitar, her songs are highly emotionally charged and uplifting. The stories behind the songs are always entertaining as well. Sone of my favourite songs were Whisper a Prayer to the Moon (sadly unavailable on album in the UK - WHY NOT!!??!), The Rain Falls Down (a song about being dumped by email), and the ironically-named You'll Hear Better Songs (Than This) - now out on single - buy it!! She also covered Chuck Berry's classic Memphis Tennessee - a wistful, slowed down version.
The audience at the West End Centre were very appreciative and there was a long queue for CD's - Eleanor kindly signed mine, and we had a little chat - agreeing the gig was a lot less fraught than at Fareham, also a very good one! I hope she tours round our way again soon.