Dad
Me and my much loved dad – who died earlier this morning.
For those of us that remain the world’s not going to be the same without him.
Bye dad x.
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Enjoy Yourself
If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch Marvellous, “the inspirational and incredible true story of Neil Baldwin”, I’d suggest you head over to the BBC’s iPlayer sharpish, because you’re unlikely to be anything other than delighted by it.
The following exchange, that happens about two thirds of the way through the film, that sees Lou Macari (not the Lou Macari, but the actor Tony Curran, (although the Lou Macari does also turn up at one point, which must have been a little confusing on set) quizzing Neil (also known as Nello, and in this instance played by the mighty Toby Jones) on how he remains so upbeat is particularly affecting and something I need reminding of on a disappointingly regular basis.
| Lou | How do you do it Nello? How do you stay so positive? |
| Nello | I’ve always wanted to be happy, so I decided to be. |
| Lou | Brilliant. I’m going to write some of this stuff down. |
| Nello | If bad things happen you think about good things. |
| Lou | Like what? |
| Nello | Like, the best signing you ever made. |
| Lou | Well I wouldn’t know where to start. |
| Nello | With the shorts. The cleaner the shorts the better the player. It means they’ve stayed on their feet longer. |
| Lou | If you don’t mind me saying that’s very much a kitman’s point of view. |
| Nello | Cloughie thought it too. |
So today I’m reminding myself of this, whether it’ll work or not remains to be seen, but whilst happiness holds host momentarily as the word of the day it would seem apposite to wish you all a very happy new year.
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Tags: #BrianClough, #LouMacari, #Marvellous, #NeilBaldwin, #Nello, #TobyJones, #TonyCurran
Signs Of The Times
It’s probably not everyone who’s on the search for publications produced by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office for the Ministry of Transport (Scottish Development Department) on ‘Informatory Signs for use on all-purpose Roads’, which to be honest is just as well, as otherwise I wouldn’t have picked up a copy for next to nothing last week on a popular auction based website. To be honest I wasn’t actually aware of this specific pamphlet from 1964, however having seen Mr Phil Baines mention that he’d been able to secure a copy of it it rapidly became something that I was keen to add to the Weir collection.
Dating from just after the final report from the Traffic Signs Committee in 1963 this appears to be an interim document, a fabulously detailed one mind, dealing with “all directional signs and with other signs which give road users information of use and interest on all-purpose roads”. And as a (temporary) style guide it’s a delight, being both fabulously detailed – “The sign should be used sparingly. In urban areas it will be seldom required: in rural areas it can be used to indicate the distance to the nearest telephone where the telephone itself is in an inconspicuous position and would not normally be seen by road users.” – and beautifully illustrated.
Perhaps not everyone’s ideal Christmas gift but it works for me.
Filed under: Design, Roads | 2 Comments
I always have good intentions to put pen to paper (as it were) upon returning from our travels, however life tends to place greater importance on completing more mundane, but arguably more important, activities. So it’s been a few weeks now since Mrs Weir and I travelled North in search of a week of indolence whilst nestled in the shadows of the Howardian Hills.
Highlights of our time in “the only area of Jurassic limestone landscape in the north of England” were many and included, taking in the “finest view in England” over at Sutton Bank, standing all alone on the South Beach at Scarborough (with the exception of the exceptional Mrs Weir), visiting one of Britain’s least inspiring historic houses (sorry Temple Newsam) in order to see Grayson Perry’s ‘The Vanity of Small Differences’ exhibition (which was great albeit hideously lit), celebrating my birthday in the company of Mr & Mrs Weir snr, traversing the mighty mighty Humber Bridge and stumbling upon Giant Bradley in the village of Market Weighton, on the way home through Lincolnshire.
All of which went some way to raise my spirits after the heartbreaking news about the model railway.
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Tags: Finest View in England, Giant Bradley, Grayson Perry, Howardian Hills, Market Weighton, Scarborough, Sutton Bank, Temple Newsam, The Humber Bridge, the North, The Vanity of Small Differences
The Dark North (Slight Return)
A year ago today I posted the text below along with a couple of pictures of Dunstanburgh Castle (including the one above). The view of the castle across Embleton Bay is one which I’ve had the chance to enjoy many times over the years, and as panoramas go I think it’s one that’s going to be difficult to better.
Well if the handsome coast at Embleton Bay in Northumberland was good enough for Mr Joseph Mallord William Turner then it’s good enough for Mrs Weir and I.
To be frank there aren’t many places I’d up sticks from dear old Norfolk for but in another life I’d be happy to trade my time on the edge of the flatlands for the dark skies of Britain’s most northerly county.
So I was enormously pleased to stumble upon ‘The Castle: A Portrait in Sound’ yesterday over on BBC Radio 4 Extra, which sees the brilliant wildlife audio recordist Chris Watson capturing the sound of the ruins being slowly reclaimed by nature. It’s a extremely fine thirty minutes of radio which I recommend to you, and one which has reminded me to begin planning my return to Nothumberland much sooner than later.
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Tags: Chris Watson, Dunstanburgh Castle, Embleton Bay, Northumberland, The Castle: A Portrait in Sound, Turner
(Not) Black Friday
Given that today is (not) Black Friday, what better way to celebrate one of the most depressingly avaricious days of the year by purchasing a copy of Asbury & Asbury’s wonderful Perpetual Disappointments Diary, where every day is a Blue Monday.
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Tags: Asbury & Asbury, Black Friday, Blue Monday, Perpetual Disappointments Diary
