May042009
Gerroff my land!
Filed under Music, RANT ALERT, TV by morrolesssocks at 2:46 pm on May 04 2009
Do you ever see a face in the crowd that takes you aback cos it looks likes someone you once knew, and that you’d rather forget? Usually there is a sigh of relief because it’s not them…well, I didn’t get that relief this weekend, but, rather than depress you right away I’ll tell you about that later.
This weekend was the 29th Shetland Folk Festival – four days of unadulterated listening pleasure! On Thursday Jam and I went to the Legion in Lerwick; there were a couple of Shetland bands and visiting artistes were The New Rope String Band, The Emily Smith Band and a Scandinavian tour-de-force called Frigg (which is also my favourite word as a substitute for the other F word) – all were brilliant.
We’ve seen the Rope String Band before, when they were the Old Rope String Band; sadly they lost a member, but sally forth in his memory – they even do a very amusing musical tribute to him. If I can fathom out how to add a video amid blog, if indeed i can, i will try my best to bring their jollity to you.
Friday was a nice sunny, but windy day and i went to the Clickimin centre with Jam and the kids for the kids concert where we saw the New Rope String Band again (the kids loved them)and Glasgow trad folk band Anarkali (named after an Indian restaurant!) who had the kids up dancing before they even started playing!
After a trip to Debenhams, who were up visiting at Clickimin, it was off to the festival club with me and a couple hours chilling to some fine local music, but no rest for the wicked as i was off to meet Jam again and go to the Legion for another night of tunes.
Friday night at the legion had a good line up including Orkney band Saltfishforty, Danish band Zar and Asturian band Felpeyu. All were great, but i was particularly taken by Zar, the singer had such a beautiful voice that it didn’t matter that i couldn’t understand her language.
We went to the festival club after that to see who we could see – once the evenings concerts are finished at the different venues then the acts have sessions at the club. Shooglenifty were to be playing there as well as the others that we had seen. Unfortunately i got a bit claustrophobic and we had to move out of the session room and we decided to go home shortly thereafter – it’s a horrible feeling claustrophobia – feels like you’re drowning.
On Saturday Jam and I went to the Legion again and this time I took my eldest niece who loves music. Unfortunately she was starting with the cold (as was i) and didn’t enjoy it as much as she would have. Highlights from Saturday were the Jani Lang Band and Madviolet. Madviolet are like the Dixie Chicks more mature Canadian cousins – we bought CDs!
However just as came back from the merchandise table i saw that face in the crowd – the one face i could, cheerfully, never see again.
For over three years i have been pursued by a person who has told me that they believed themselves to be in a relationship with me; this is a woman who was an acquaintance. To cut a dreadful and long story short, she told me that i was lying when i said i was not gay, that i was in denial about the whole thing. Needless to say i cut all ties with this person but she plagued me with calls, letters, parked outside my house, came to my job etc etc the full enchilada. I threatened her with the police and the situation got better but she never really went away…so whose face do you think i saw through the crowd?!
Jam recognised her too and asked me if i wanted to leave – I decided that unless she approached me and caused a fuss, like she usually does (screaming “why aren’t you talking to me, what have i done?”) I would uphold the vow i made to myself three years ago and not acknowledge her or talk to her. But if she did approach me i also made a vow that I’d tear her up for arse paper, a lot of my depression is her doing and part of the reason i moved. I won’t be intimidated on my patch GERROFF MY LAND!
Except…she’s the kind of person that likes ANY attention, so even this would feed her sick infatuation! To be honest I’d much rather push her off the end of the pier and gladly hand myself over to the cops!
Determined this individual wasn’t going to spoil my weekend we hastened to the club, but the freak of nature was there too! This time she clocked me, but saw I was with my Jammy bodyguard and scarpered (She, quite correctly, thinks all my friends are gunning for her).
When i woke up on Sunday morning with full-throttle cold and knowing it all wasn’t a bad dream i was glad it was the last day of the festival and that i wasn’t planning on partying into the night, which is a staple on final night of the festival. We went to the afternoon concert though which was Aussie bluesman Hat Fitz, Emily Smith and Cara Dillon. All were great again, the standard was so high this year, but again it was marred by the appearance of that awful person who stood in my eye line as a means to intimidate me. As i wasn’t giving in, it appeared to slump down on to the floor – i felt triumphant at this, like the young boy who slew the jabberwocky, but, as always, i fear that’s not the end of this saga!
And so it was home to my sick bed to sweat out the fever and get an early night – a good weekend, but the memories off it will be slightly tarnished.
This morning i came to work and we watched Martin Clunes Islands of Britain on my computer - what a gyp! First of all he went to Muckle Flugga, then to Unst, omitting to say that you have to go to Unst first to get to Muckle Flugga – and, for the record, Out Stack is the most Northerly British Isle, not Flugga and there is no such place as “THE Shetlands” it’s just SHETLAND!
I felt he and the programme makers totally parochialized us, ok, so we have no cinema (we do have a theatre Mr Clunes!) but we certainly don’t all wait the week-long for a community concert to liven up our poor remote lives, maybe fifty years ago i grant you.
And as for featuring “Forvik” as an island of Shetland! “Forvik” is actually called Forewick Holm, it’s an uninhabited islet and for those of you who have heard of Stuart Hill you will know he’s a complete nutter who loves any publicity for his crown dependency cause.
Shetlanders despair of him and his publicity stunts. Recently he placed an advertisement in local press asking for an old vehicle and has subsequently parked, in a dangerous place, an old Land rover, complete with “Forvik” registration and license plates. He is also reported to have placed landmines around the island for trespassers! “GERROFF MY LAND”– So much for his motto “free Shetland” – of course he can’t physically stop people from going on the holm as it doesn’t actually belong to him – and even if he did there is the Right to Roam! Clunes made him out to be a bit of a hero. He should have done his research, I’m sure if he’d have bothered to he’d have found out we’ve lots of islands to visit and lots of sane people too – and he might have even discovered a wee place called Orkney, which must have completely dropped off Clunes’ map. Needless to say i shan’t be watching next week and I’ve completely gone off Clunesy – I was going to give his Reggie Perrin the benefit of the doubt, but think i shall forget it now!
Anyhow I shall not leave you completley depressed and ranted out – please visit the folk festival website and have a listen to some of the fantastic music I’ve heard this weekend.
Oh! And a certain teacosy is coming over the fence for a cheeky wee Earl Grey!
1 Barneyon 04 May 2009 at 3:39 pm
Oh no, NOT Early Grey! You seem to cope with your “stalker” pretty well, but what a chore when you just want to enjoy yourself! If you want a great gitar combo for a gig or two, try the Corsican Swing band, their address is “The Kissing Pigs”, Bonifacio. They will burn the place down with hot swing!
2 thelandladyon 04 May 2009 at 3:55 pm
Agrhhh, a gay stalker?? wow, that’s tricky!! Good for you for not being intimidated into going home.
I watched a wee bit of the Clunes thing on my laptop today- sycophantic twerp. I agree about the Perrin thing too, for what it’s worth, I feel it misses the point somewhat…he’s nowhere near mad or alienated enough, as Leonard Rossiter was in it!
3 Leson 04 May 2009 at 4:54 pm
I feel a little sorry for Martin Clunes getting all the flack (although I agree with all you say - see View From The Helm) as I feel he was just a ‘face’ and was fed all the words by whoever conceived the program. Having said that, I know that if I was asked to present or promote something then I’d either make sure I knew what I was talking about or refuse to do it. Ah, but I forgot the money, the money!
4 mirlnlasson 04 May 2009 at 6:30 pm
I can’t believe she was there! Glad you had Jam with you. Wish I could have gone but no way would’ve managed all that (done quota for the next week or two) Definitely be there next festival.
I’m sure Teacosy will enjoy it’s trip to you.
5 Flying Caton 04 May 2009 at 7:58 pm
Purrobably better for you that you didn’t tear her up for arse paper…but its such a brilliant expression, I hope you don’t mind if we borrow it.
What does that Barney mean “Oh no not Earl Grey”? Better than that black-as-tar brew beloved of sea goons…
I hope we’re going to see what the Teacosy’s been up to. I’m all aquiver with anticipation
6 Plaidon 05 May 2009 at 3:41 am
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!
It’s a pity you didn’t sneeze all over her and give her the cold, in the hope of course, that it would turn into full scale flu. [sorry, if that sounds nasty, but she seems a nasty, if not demented!].
Earl Grey!!! Oh, how the tea cosy is going up the in the world! You have bone china teacups?
7 morrolesssockson 05 May 2009 at 9:34 am
yes plaid - demented!
Actually i ended up with a lemon and Ginger reviving tea (in my bone china mug) - for I am Lurgified (oink!) - and i took tea outside hoping that the sea air would do my constitution a bit of good - but it rained lol - my luck indeed! Photos will follow.
Yes Les, Clunesy is the face, but as you say, if it were me, i’d have done my research - if fact if it were me i’d be doing my isles a big disservice lol.
8 x333xxxon 05 May 2009 at 6:54 pm
Ironically only yesterday I was watching a DVD I received from Visit Shetland to remind me why I just have to be around for midsummer’s day next month, and the Shetland Folk Festival got a good plug.
Martin Clunes is, in real life, a very nice and down to earth individual. He is a native of, and still lives in, the village of Powerstock in Dorset, about three miles from the Kingcombe Centre that I often refer to in my own blog.
I suspect that he did say ‘The ShetlandS’ but the soft Dorset accent pronounciation probably made it sound singular rather than plural.
Those of us ‘in the know’ refer to Orkney and Shetland and make allowances for others who pluralise or prefix, provided that - when corrected - the pluralisation or prefixing is omitted. If not, then we have the right to demonise to our hearts’ content I feel!
I was extremely fearful of watching a rehash of Reginald Perrin. But I have to say it is absolutely brilliant. It doesn’t despoil the happy memories of Leonard Rossiter’s inspired execution, and I love the way it has been brought bang up to date without spoiling the original basic storyline. Last week’s ‘Would you like full or continental?’ had me in fits of laughter! Do give it a go!
9 Barneyon 05 May 2009 at 8:49 pm
What Barney means about Early Grey is that it is a horrible, horrible cup of something-that-is-undrinkable. Childhood trauma perhaps - me mum used to drink it all the time, weaker than dishwater. Uuuuuggh!
10 Harryd(Canada)on 05 May 2009 at 9:48 pm
Thats a real horror story hen. I hope the strange one stays out of your way. You don’t need that going on,
life’s tough enough without deranged stalkers.
Martin Clunes did a documentary on the Australian Dingo
and it was really interesting. It’s the only one I’ve seen here so far. I’m afraid that I am not up to scratch with History of the Orkney’s or Shetland so I will look forward to see what he says now with some doubt as to it’s validity.
11 morrolesssockson 06 May 2009 at 11:12 am
haha Harryd there is no such place as the Orkneys either lol - Thanks Four-ex, i meant to say Shetlands, but in my rantification i ommitted the S.
About 15 years ago there was something in the news that the Post office was going to stop recognising Shetlands and Orkneys as place names - much as they did with Zetland.
I think its a bastardisation of Shetland Islands, and pure lazy - you don’t hear of the Westerns (or are you plagued with it too?) or even Britains or the Scotlands, the irelands or the New Zealands. If it’s a pluralisation then it’s defo wrong as if the land area of the main island is greater than the total land area of the smaller islands then its the singular - which is why the Scillies is correct…so i’m not being pedantic unnecessarily lol.
I have a wondeful french friend who insists on pluralising after correction - i demonise away!
its sunny and windy here in Shetland, but i hope its nice and warm with you
12 Flying Caton 06 May 2009 at 11:25 am
One of our Señior Commenters slashed her red pen through the solecism ‘The Orkneys’ whilst proof-reading a Spanish dictionary. So now, in the typographical corner of one foreign field, it is forever Orkney. Hoorah!
My Earl Grey is much stronger than mpu’s dishwater!
13 Harryd(Canada)on 06 May 2009 at 2:47 pm
Thanks morrolesssocks, Orkney it is
You are good for me as you made me Google Orkney and I will know more about the area. I would imagine there is probably wind most of the time in Orkney and Shetland Hows that for spelling. We are wearing shorts now and will soon be complaining of the heat and if walking in the woods, mosquitos. I hear that Blackflies are worse?
I like your picture at the top of the page. Very original
14 Leson 06 May 2009 at 3:15 pm
Wind? On a Scottish island? Surely that cannot be?
15 stromnessdragonon 06 May 2009 at 3:32 pm
Just a blip, Les. Just a blip.
16 Flying Caton 06 May 2009 at 5:01 pm
Yes. And what a jolly blip it is going to be, whilst the parental units lie heaving in a boat to Aberdeen. Or purrhaps that should be in a heaving boat…
17 Harryd(Canada)on 06 May 2009 at 5:40 pm
I take it , I should have wrote Gales maybe?.
I knew you had winds, just not the speed or extent
Remember I have never been there.
18 x333xxxon 06 May 2009 at 5:53 pm
HarryD, your empirical motherland needs you in 2009. It’s the year of homecoming after all. ‘The Westerns’, ‘The Shetlands’, ‘The Orknies’ and ‘The Britishes’ (as in British Isles) need your C$ …
Come on over, the wind is lovely!
19 Harryd(Canada)on 06 May 2009 at 10:00 pm
FX,theres a recession depression on and I can’t get a ticket for the Edinburgh Tattoo. No comments on skin tattoos please