In memory of the man (who died today, aged 88) watch this;
As I listen to him- his appreciation of the history of working people in their struggle against the power and wealth of the few, his hate of war and injustice, his passion, grace and good humour, I pray that there will be those who will take up the same issues for the next generation.
I am sad to say that I am not sure who these people are, and where they will come from.
Ask any of my friends and they will confirm that I am not a morning person. I do not like to communicate before mid morning, and sometimes then reluctantly.
At present, however, I am doing some work in Paisley, which involves getting up very early and being on the 7AM ferry, this being the only way to avoid sitting in the M8 car park of the rush hour. I get into work just after 8 and have a while before anyone else is there to practice sociability so it is not so bad.
This morning it was not bad at all. A beautiful sunrise, porpoises rolling in the calm water, even the traffic was relatively light this morning.
Unusually, I had my camera…
The day was all hollowed out;
a cadaver
slacked from unpumped blood
waiting for worms.
.
Was there only one
Lazarus?
.
I am shrouded
in ordinary.
I have just had one of those encounters with mass consumerdom that leaves us angry, frustrated and dissatisfied. To be honest, most such encounters have this effect on me these days, but this one more so than most.
Michaela bought a budget netbook last week as she had broken the screen on her old laptop, and it was simply not worth repairing due to it’s age and general decrepitude. When she got the new netbook home, it was simply dreadful. If she tries to operate two programmes at once (say e-mail and the internet) one of them freezes up.
After listening to her cries of irritation I said I would take it back (to PC World) and upgrade it to a better model. It was an hour and a half of my life I will never get back. Suffice it to say that we still have the same netbook. PC world are happy to recommend and sell goods that are crap, but only willing to exchange them if the crap has been squashed or flushed in some way.
I should not be surprised at the rude and unhelpful encounters I had in the process of trying to sort all this out. Think of the huge industry that has evolved to stoke our obsession with shopping; all those on-line reviews (which we should perhaps have read,) consumer advice websites, comparing Meer cats etc..
We live in a world characterised by the interface between huge companies whose bottom line depends on screwing us out of every last fraction of a penny, and the consumer (me) standing haughtily on my ‘rights’.
The devaluing of the ‘rights’ of man from ideas of freedom from oppression to whether or not our gadgets work in the manner to which we expect – or our holidays entertain us as we hope they will -depresses the hell out of me.
Which is why I came out of PC world miserable. It was less about the money, and the sense of being chewed up by the machine, and more the fact that I had somehow debased myself by conforming to that which I despise.
Thomas Paine must be turning in his grave;
“When it can be said by any country in the world, my poor are happy, neither ignorance nor distress is to be found among them, my jails are empty of prisoners, my streets of beggars, the aged are not in want, the taxes are not oppressive, the rational world is my friend because I am the friend of happiness. When these things can be said, then may that country boast its constitution and government. Independence is my happiness, the world is my country and my religion is to do good.”
Thomas Paine, Rights of Man
Having said all that- I am writing this on my laptop, not Michaela’s.
How blessed we are to have the means to own two laptops anyway…
It is true you know.
I was thinking about the impact of creative gentle songs, crafted and honed, sung simply and tenderly- just like those Yvonne and David Lyon treated us to last night. We are left physically, spiritually and emotionally changed.
So I am grateful.
Grateful to Yvonne, and also to all those other people whose music becomes the means that life can travel.
The turn of words and tune that wrap up memories in beautiful blankets.
Time capsules of grace.
What are you doing with your Saturday night (tomorrow.) Nothing special?
If you live within striking distance of Dunoon, there are still a few tickets left to come and hear Yvonne Lyon sing in our house. A tenner each for a beautiful music in an intimate and relaxed setting.
If you have not come across Yvonne’s music before (why ever not?!) then you are in an increasing minority. This is what some others have to say about it;
‘just stunning music’
– Bob Harris, Radio 2
‘listening to Yvonne is a life affirming experience. She is the bees-knees!’
– Iain Anderson, BBC Radio Scotland
‘a fine voice…a fine album and one that is refreshingly positive’
– The Telegraph
‘this is an awesome level of talent that I cannot compare’
– Maverick Magazine – 5 stars
‘Yvonne Lyon’s continually developing songwriting sets her right at the top of the tree‘
– R2 Magazine
‘Yvonne Lyon is a wonderful talent, and name I urge you, no make that command you, to jot down in your diary. Be sure to check her out because here is a lady with class.
– Americana UK
Yvonne is about to support Eddi Reader on her UK tour, so is used to big venues- however, hearing this intimate delicate and poetic music close up is something else- in Dunoon of all places.
Here is Yvonne and her husband David, as a taster, singing a song that has reduced me to tears;
Despite all the uncertainties in relation to our house (which will go on the market in the next couple of weeks) we have committed ourselves to being part of the wonderful Cowal Open Studios event again in September this year. It feels ever more important to hold on to the vision of making life through simple creative means…
Our page on the website is here.
Taking photos of the things we make always proves something of a challenge. I ended up making another collage of a variety of things made by Michaela, myself and our friend Pauline Beautyman (with whom Michaela runs workshops.) I quite like the result.
Talking of workshops, Michaela and Pauline are running a ‘Hand Made Craft Fair’ in Dunoon on the 22nd of March. It will also be a chance to do some hands on things too- they will be running sessions of various crafts throughout the day. I will share some more details later…
Here is one of my Clyde Puffers, made from bits of driftwood and the odd bit of copper heating pipe;
It is written that Our Lord spent the night in a garden
Praying
Pleading for life
Asking God the Father to find some other way;
‘Take this cup’ he said.
It is also written that Our Lord gathered with his friends
In an upper room
To eat
Drink
And share life;
‘Take this cup’ he said.
Who says students learn nothing?
My nephew Ben is studying music performance and production at Leeds college of music, and posted a clip of him doing some stuff at a local music thing @ Holy Trinity Church.
Here he is doing a song I really like- I think he does a really good job. Seriously, if you know the song, you will like this version. The boy will go far…
Well done Ben!
Yesterday we had our lovely Aoradh Sunday- we gather for worship, then we eat together.
The first thing we do (this being the UK) is share a cup of tea. For people in our culture, drinking tea together is more than just refreshment; it is a symbol of friendship, a symbol of simple community and hospitality. As a friend of mine recently said ‘there are not many problems that can not be sorted out over a cup of tea’.
Yesterday we were drinking a brand of tea that has a long history- a company called Tetley who are the second largest manufacturer and distributor of tea (after Unilever.) We normally try to buy fair trade tea, but someone else had recently given us a large bag of the Tetley stuff, which tastes good.
Or it did until we watched this;
It is a simple thing to do.
Buy tea with a Fair Trade label.
Drink with a wider community in mind.
this fragile tent 