tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36041476019730133592024-03-14T00:26:51.516+00:00Moose MusingsJust the random musings of andymooseman.Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.comBlogger590125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-23334379947685452102016-01-02T19:31:00.001+00:002016-01-02T19:31:32.382+00:00An Interesting YearHappy New Year.<br />
I thought I'd share this video I made a couple of days ago. In it I talk about my 2015, which as the title suggests has been an interesting one to say the least.<br />
I hope your own 2015 has been a little less hectic and eventful, unless that was for all the right reasons of course.<br />
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The blog post I mentioned can be found here: <a href="http://andymooseman.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/another-year-over.html">http://andymooseman.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/another-year-over.html</a><br />
Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-77265902561731685402015-09-22T15:55:00.000+01:002015-09-22T15:58:21.235+01:00You've Got A FriendAs I've mentioned here before, I have a couple of notebooks, of different sizes, that I tend to carry around with me. They’re very useful for scribbling down thoughts, ideas, quotes and overheard comments etc.<br />
<br />
In one of those I wrote down the following thought, “Music is like a life-raft on the turbulent seas of life”.<br />
I know why I wrote those words at that time, although I’m not going to share that here. <br />
The point being that there are times in all of our lives when we need a bit of comfort, and for many of us at least a part of that comfort comes via music. You only have to listen to the lyrics of many songs to realise that this is nothing new.<br />
<br />
Sometimes we need music to raise our spirits, to reassure us, to cry along to, to escape into, or to motivate us. There is music and a song for every occasion, emotion, mood, mindset and situation, and if you have an open mind, musically, there will always be something out there that can work wonders in one of those aforementioned situations. <br />
I expect we’ve all been there at one time or another during our lives? In fact I’d suspect that you’re lying if you say that wasn’t the case.<br />
<br />
I’ve been a passionate music lover for as long as I can remember. I’ve played the drums in local bands, been a DJ on local radio and with mobile disco’s, I’ve written about music in various publications and on websites. <br />
Music has been a constant and huge part of my life and I’m very grateful for that. I find it hard to see how it can be any other way for anybody and consequently the people that I tend to mix with and choose to be friends with, usually share that passion, albeit to varying degrees.<br />
But over recent years music seems to have increased in importance to me and I’ve found myself turning to it more and more often, and not just because of a personal situation either, but often just because I’ve felt the urge to listen to music.<br />
<br />
I realise that music is now more accessible than it’s ever been. It seems to be everywhere, inescapable even, in this Internet age. We can find it at the click of a mouse, or the tap on a smartphone. Whether that is a good thing, or not, is a topic for another day....<br />
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I’m not sure if I’m alone, or unusual, in feeling this way, but I suspect I’m not. The more I talk to people of my age, this seems to be a common theme. Yes, as I’ve mentioned, the people I mix with are musically minded people, but even so.....<br />
<br />
As we grow older the amount of music that we become familiar with and hear, especially if you’re open minded to it, naturally increases. Using myself as an example, I was born in the late 1950’s and since the mid ’60’s have been absorbing music of varying genre’s. Some of that is bound to sink in, like a form of osmosis, regardless of how you feel about the music itself.<br />
I’m sure we can all recite the lyrics and sing along to songs that we’d forgotten all about, or to songs we’d rather we didn’t remember! Why can I always sing along to songs that I dislike?<br />
<br />
Music is also something that continues to deliver, often because no matter how many times we listen to a particular song, or piece of music, there always seems to be something new to discover within it. <br />
I have often found myself listening to a song for the umpteenth time, and suddenly hearing the lyrics, as if for the first time, and finding that they really resonate with a particular time in your life, a situation you’ve been in, or are going through. <br />
Funnily enough, I was having a conversation with a friend about this topic just last week. A conversation during which we both mentioned exactly the same number one song from the 1980‘s. We had both heard the song recently and we’d both been suddenly struck by the relevance of the lyrics, even though we’d both listened to the song countless times over the years.<br />
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The musical library in my head is expanding everyday. More songs are being added and old songs from the distant past, are being dredged up and remembered, often like old friends. A snippet of a song on the radio, in a film, or even on a TV commercial, can transport you back decades to another time, and another place. Music, just like the sense of smell, has the power to do that.<br />
<br />
Music can be like that life-raft, something we can cling onto in times of need. But it can also be a time-machine, transporting us back a day, a year, or even decades, to times past.<br />
Maybe that’s the ultimate beauty of music? It can mean many different things to many different people, and we can all use it for our own ends, and needs, whatever they may be. <br />
What else can provide such a ubiquitous and enjoyable service?<br />
<br />
PS: Since writing this I’ve come across another note I’d written, this time on my phone. Who needs a notebook these days eh?<br />
It was ‘scribbled down’ some months ago now: “Music is a refuge, a safe haven and a loyal friend. One that you can rely on in times of trouble”.<br />
<br />
Music is a loyal friend that doesn’t answer back, or question you or your actions. A friend that always says exactly the right thing, at just the right time.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/trEwDejTKRY" width="560"></iframe>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-65084786454408272632015-01-25T18:41:00.000+00:002015-01-25T18:46:19.229+00:00Ladybird By Design"The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there"<br />
<br />
That quote is actually the opening line to L.P Hartley's classic 1953 novel, 'The Go-Between'. If that statement was true back then, it is still equally as relevant today, if not more so.<br />
<br />
This was brought home to me on Friday when I was lucky enough to attend a preview for the <a href="http://www.dlwp.com/event/ladybird-by-design" target="_blank">'Ladybird By Design'</a> exhibition at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_La_Warr_Pavilion" target="_blank">De La Warr Pavilion</a> in Bexhill. The exhibition, which started yesterday and runs until 10th May, is a celebration of 100 years of Ladybird books.<br />
<br />
For anyone of a certain age, the mere mention of Ladybird books will usually transport you back to your childhood. If you were a child, or even a parent, between the late 1950's and the early 1980's you will probably have vivid memories of reading at least some of the 600+ titles that have been produced by Ladybird during their 100 years. These books have been read and treasured throughout those 100 years, but those years mentioned above were certainly their heyday.<br />
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While the books themselves will bring back childhood memories, it is the artwork and illustrations, that were specially commissioned for the books, that will really take you back to that bygone age.<br />
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Whichever series of Ladybird books those illustrations come from, be it People At Work, Shopping With Mother, Aventures From History, How It Works etc etc, the sheer quality and attention to detail of the artwork springs out at you from the page.<br />
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The exhibition itself houses over 200 examples of the original artwork that graced those books. These are the actual illustrations that went into the finished books and they come complete with the artists annotations and notes. This is the first time that such an extensive collection of these artworks has ever been collected and displayed together.<br />
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For more about the history of Ladybird books and to see many of the images used in the exhibition, it is well worth watching this offiical video. Included in this video is Lawrence Zeegan, who has written the 'Ladybird By Design' book which accompanies this exhibition.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/117561947" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/117561947">Ladybird By Design</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/dlwp">De La Warr Pavilion</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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I was fortunate enough to be able to walk around the complete exhibition alone and while doing so I found myself scribbling down notes about certain aspects that jumped out at me, or struck me at the time. I'll share some of those here:<br />
<br />
These Ladybird books are a time capsule that show a bygone age, albeit a sanitised version.<br />
Since the late 1950's the world has gone through some huge changes, especially with regard to technology, work, class and social order.<br />
We live in a completely different world today, but at least we have a record of those days. These books and their illustrations provide us with what is almost a mini social history of Britain. The vibrancy of the colours and the attention to detail in the artworks really bring that home.<br />
<br />
This is a world where the family shop on the high street is still king, before the rise of big supermarkets. A pre Internet, mysterious world, where international travel was a dream, or an aspiration, rather than an regular occurrence and the British Empire is still clinging on in some far flung corners of the globe.<br />
A fast changing, but exciting, world where space travel and nuclear power are the future and computers still fill a whole room. An innocent world, where families left their front doors unlocked and where babies were left in prams outside of those small shops.<br />
A non PC world, where everybody knew their place.<br />
It is also a disappearing world. Many of the trades and jobs portrayed no longer exist and have been replaced by technology, or have been 'outsourced'.<br />
<br />
I suppose the question many who lived through those past decades may inevitably ask themselves, especially after walking around these galleries, is "was the world a better place then?"<br />
I've no doubt that some of the grandparents taking their own grandchildren to Ladybird By Design may well think so, but I'm not so sure. After all, this is a view of the world through rose tinted eyes, with not a hair out of place.<br />
<br />
The past is indeed a foreign country and they do do things a bit differently there. But like even the best holiday, it is nice to return home afterwards to what is familiar to you.<br />
<br />
But don't take my word for it, go and see Ladybird By Design for yourself, you won't regret it.<br />
<br />Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-53869649862940303202015-01-12T15:41:00.000+00:002015-01-12T20:21:01.024+00:00Did You Ever....?Did you ever have one of those opportunities that came completely out of the blue?<br />
So much so that at first you didn't even realise it was there and the people you were working with probably didn't either.<br />
Like a fire, it starts with a spark from an unforseen source and spreads from there. <br />
<br />
Then, over the course of a few months and after many discussions and meetings, there is a creeping realisation that you may well be onto something big, something with real potential, something you had not even considered a short period before, something you weren't looking to do and something you had certainly never tried before.<br />
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But then the brick wall that has been lurking on the horizon the whole time, comes racing up to meet you. The brick wall that you knew was there, but didn't want to confront for fear of scuppering the whole project. The brick wall that you forlornly thought you may be able to circumvent, but in reality could only break through by creating big problems elsewhere. Problems you thought you could somehow overcome, but you now realise that that was a bit of a pie in the sky dream.<br />
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So with a heavy heart you collectively decide to abandon the project, before it gets too far advanced, and aim to go for something more realistic, hoping that the spirit will remain intact and that the time spent on it will not have been in vain.<br />
<br />
After much reflection you now look back on the time, thought, work and emotion you put into the project with fond memories. The topsy turvy life you lived throughout that period will slowly return to normal and you know that the decision made to abandon the project was, most probably, the correct one to make.<br />
That doesn't make that decision any easier to bear, but.... <br />
<br />
Now, naturally, you can't help but think of what might have been:<br />
- Would the project have fully realised the potential you imagined?<br />
- What might it have led to?<br />
- Could you have done anything differently to help it succeed? <br />
- What if circumstances had been different? <br />
<br />
Whatever the answer to those questions, which in all likelihood will never be answered, nothing can take away the high hopes, good times and fun you had along the way.<br />
<br />
Sometimes a journey can be as rewarding as reaching the final destination.<br />
Maybe this was one of those occasions?<br />
Only time will tell I guess?<br />
<br />
Well? Did you ever?Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-54002537295846536082015-01-01T12:39:00.000+00:002015-01-01T19:01:59.129+00:00Another Year Over............ And a new one just begun.<br />
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I've written about, or at least referenced, New Year resolutions quite enough over the past few days. But there's always room for at least one new angle on a particular topic and this is one I personally think is very relevant to most, if not all, of us.<br />
It concerns a <a href="http://bronnieware.com/regrets-of-the-dying/" target="_blank">blog post</a> that I became aware of a few months ago and I know it's one that has generated quite a lot of publicity since it was first written back in 2009.<br />
That blog post was written by an Australian ex palliative care nurse, <a href="http://bronnieware.com/" target="_blank">Bronnie Ware</a>, and is called "Regrets Of The Dying".<br />
<br />
When I first discovered it I shared it via social media, but at that time I only saw the headline list of those regrets. Those being:<br />
1 - <b>I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me</b>.<br />
2 -<b> I wish I didn't work so hard</b>.<br />
3 - <b>I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings</b>.<br />
4 - <b>I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends</b>.<br />
5 - <b>I wish that I had let myself be happier</b>.<br />
<br />
Although that list stayed with me, it wasn't until recently that I actually read the complete post which expands on those five main points and explains more about the reasons for the regrets of those patients in Bronnie Ware's care.<br />
As she writes in that original post "<i>For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who
had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was
with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives..... When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again</i>." Hence that list above.<br />
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If you've not read the full post, I suggest you do.<br />
When you have, I've no doubt that at least some of those five regrets will jump out at you and make you ponder, they certainly did for me.<br />
I consider myself to be very lucky in that I have done quite a lot in my life that I am proud of, and have done things that many others haven't. But that doesn't mean that I don't have much that I still want to achieve, or at least try to do, in the future.<br />
I also know that there is one point on that list that requires attention.....<br />
<br />
I think it's probably unrealistic for anyone to do everything they want to do with their life, however hard we try, for a variety of reasons. But if you at least have the courage to try, even if you fail, those ultimate regrets will be fewer in number.<br />
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None of us can change our past, as much as we may want to. But we do have an opportunity to change our future, so why not do it and what better time to start than now? It is a new year after all.<br />
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Bronnie Ware's post ends with these words, "<i>Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness</i>."<br />
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What are you waiting for? <br />
<br />
PS: Bronnie Ware has since expanded on that original blog post and written a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Top-Five-Regrets-Dying/dp/1848509995/" target="_blank">The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.</a> Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-87138155822677003112014-12-31T20:29:00.000+00:002015-01-25T19:12:04.170+00:00Walking The WalkI'm not one for making New Year resolutions, something I've talked about <a href="http://andymooseman.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/new-year-resolutions-why.html" target="_blank">here</a> before and which I'm intending to write a new post about soon by the way. But, if I was, one thing that would feature would be getting out into the great British countryside and doing some walking.<br />
Walking is something I started to do some years ago now, mainly as an alternative to <a href="http://andymooseman.blogspot.co.uk/2010/01/running-free-jog-blog.html" target="_blank">running</a> as my <a href="http://andymooseman.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/jog-blog-no2.html" target="_blank">knees</a> were starting to grumble about that.<br />
But, due to seeming to have less time over the past two years, for the right reasons I might add and also because you just get out of the habit of doing something, I've not done any 'proper' walking during that period.<br />
So yesterday I decided that now was the time to try and get back into that habit, but where to go?<br />
<br />
One of the great things about walking is that it can take you to new, interesting and sometimes spectacular places, places that you would probably never visit and see otherwise. That's usually because they are a bit out of the way, which is what I prefer anyway.<br />
Of course walking can be done just about anywhere, but I've always preferred to go to places that allow you to be in relative solitude.<br />
Going for a walk with a large group of people, who spend their whole time talking, seems to defeat part of the object of going to these places in the first place. That's not to say that I don't enjoy company when walking, even though I find myself walking alone more often than not.<br />
The shared experience of a nice walk, in scenic surroundings and with good company, is something not to be sniffed at. But personally I'd draw the line at a maximum of four people and to be perfectly honest would probably prefer it to be less than that.<br />
That's one reason why I tend to walk during the week and not at weekends. There are less people around to disturb you and you often have the whole area to yourself, which can be a pretty special experience. <br />
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When faced with a choice we often choose the familiar, which is why I ended up in one of my favourite spots in the East Sussex countryside yesterday, the area around the Long Man of Wilmington.<br />
It's an area I've walked around many times before. Wilmington is only a 40 minute drive from my home and the area contains all the elements that make a great walk. Stunning scenery, history, wildlife and the challenge of some fairly tough walking conditions, with some steep climbs, as the photo above suggests.<br />
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Yesterday had the added bonus of frost as thick as snow and natural light that was simply amazing to behold. These two videos shot from part way up and at the top of the hill, in the photo above, will hopefully show all of that?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/n1GFU_ee9lk" width="570"></iframe><br />
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As this was pretty much an unplanned walk, I had no idea where I was going to walk after I got to the top of Windover Hill. After much indecision, I did a circular walk which brought me back to the Long Man via Alfriston, a pretty village now rather spoiled by traffic. A victim of its location and beauty perhaps?<br />
Alfriston does host the first property ever bought by the National Trust though, namely <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/alfriston-clergy-house/" target="_blank">Clergy House</a> and a church sometimes called "The Cathedral of The Downs".<br />
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What Alfriston doesn't have though is any mobile phone coverage, at least not on my network anyway. I know this isn't something that should concern you when you're enjoying a walk to supposedly get away from it all. But if you compare that to the top of Windover Hill, in the prescence of ancient burial mounds and mystical hill figures, which has perfect 4G coverage, it does make you wonder.<br />
From Alfriston, in the Cuckmere valley, it's a steep climb back to the top and a final chance to pause and take in the view, before the descent back down to the village of Wilmington.<br />
Although it's only an estimate, I think I walked a total of around seven miles. Like a fool I forgot to take my pedometer with me, next time...<br />
Nevertheless the crisp, fresh air and exercise were what I came here for, not to worry about the amount of miles I'd covered in the process.<br />
<br />
For the vast majority of this walk I was alone, with not another soul in sight, but one nice aspect of walking in areas such as this, is that everybody you do meet says "Hello" or "Good Morning" to you. Maybe it's a recognition that you are a like minded soul, someone who appreciates where they are and the effort that it took to get there?<br />
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It doesn't matter how many times I walk around this area, there is always something new to see and discover. That's as good a reason as any to keep returning.<br />
The photo above is of something very familiar to me though. This tree, once again on the top of Windover Hill, can be seen from the railway line mentioned in one of those earlier videos.<br />
I've travelled on that line hundreds, if not thousands, of times and on just about every occasion I have looked across, through the train window, and seen that tree standing there.<br />
Over the years, from before I'd ever climbed this hill, this tree has become a favourite landmark of mine. As you can see, Windover Hill is aptly named and I suspect that one day the wind will take its toll, but I hope that that day is well into the future.<br />
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To prove that you never quite know what you're going to find, or see, when you venture out into the countryside. Just as I was approaching Wilmington at the end of my walk, I came across a man walking his dog and 'flying' his pet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris%27s_hawk" target="_blank">Harris's hawk</a>. A beautiful bird, and one I'd never seen before, but not something you expect to see sitting on a hedgerow when you come round a corner on a public footpath!<br />
A surprising, but very welcome, end to a lovely stroll and a reminder, as if one were needed, of why I really should do this more often.<br />
The 'plan' is that I will do just that.<br />
Watch this space, as this is a topic I may well be returning to in the future.<br />
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PS: All video and photo's were taken by myself using my iPhone. Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-27519110937214436312014-12-28T17:50:00.000+00:002014-12-28T17:51:26.495+00:00They Just Don't Make Them Like That Anymore.Over these past few days I have had the sudden urge to watch a few classic black and white films, all from the 1940's as it happens.<br />
I don't really know why that is, but after watching the first, "It's a Wonderful Life" (well it was Christmas Eve), I've found myself watching a couple more. Yesterday it was "Casablanca" and today "The Third Man".<br />
If you know any of those films, and if you don't I suggest you rectify that straight away, you'd probably agree with me that films don't come a lot better than that.<br />
I've seen these films many times before, but as I said to someone yesterday, not having watched any of them for a few years, it was like being reunited with an old friend.<br />
I must admit that I don't consider myself to be that much of a film buff. As much as I appreciate the artform and the entertainment provided by films, personally I'd much rather listen to music. But there does come a time when I have that sudden urge to watch a film, or two, or three. In fact, I remember thinking to myself a while ago now, that if I ever had the time to spare I'd like to watch a film a day. I don't expect that to ever happen, except over short periods, so maybe I appreciate films more than I think?<br />
Having said that, the last thing I'd want to do nowadays is to watch a film in a cinema, those days are almost certainly gone. The thought of sitting listening to people eating, slurping drinks, talking on and fiddling with their mobile phones, while trying to concentrate on that film and having to pay for the privilege fills me with dread.<br />
I'd much rather sit in the relative comfort of my own home and watch a film of my choice, at my leisure and with who I want, or even alone if the fancy takes me.<br />
Anyway, back to my original point....<br />
After posting a Facebook update yesterday about having just watched "Casablanca", I became involved in a discussion about these classic black and white films and why they still have so much appeal.<br />
For me one of the main reasons is that, generally, films from that golden era are around 90 minutes long and never seem to outstay their welcome. Everything that needs to be said is crammed into those 90 minutes, with not a minute of film wasted. Many films today don't do that and quite often go on for far longer than necessary, usually well over 2 hours, a point often made by reviewers.<br />
Then there is that aspect of those films being like old friends that you can return to again and again and never be let down. We all like to be entertained, or maybe even challenged by the new, but there's something about the familiar that is comforting and reassuring. Most of us will reach for the familiar if we want to chill out and relax.<br />
During that Facebook conversation I made the comparison between those 1940's films and the classic three minute Pop song. That may seem like a bit of leap of the imagination, but neither outstay their welcome, they just get stuck in, do what they have to do and get out again, before anyone starts to shuffle uncomfortably in their seat.<br />
Maybe I should start thinking about that when writing blog posts? Hmm........ <br />
<br />Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-57590911516473522452014-12-07T21:33:00.001+00:002014-12-07T22:03:04.080+00:00A Man Is Not A Man.....Well, I've been looking through some of those old note books, mentioned in my last post.<br />
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They certainly make fascinating reading, as they go back quite a few years. I can see some themes among the many jottings and notes within the pages and some very interesting thoughts and ideas too. I've no doubt I'll be using at least some of them here, over time.<br />
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There was one note that jumped out at me though and it was one that I'd completely forgotten about too. It was a comment on an old YouTube video of mine, which I'd made a note of. I have no idea which video it was, but the comment said, "A man is not a man until his father dies".<br />
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I've just Googled that quote to see if it may have been an old saying, but I can't find any suggestion of it being so. It does sound like an old quotation doesn't it and the kind of thing you'd find in a book?<br />
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I'm guessing that the comment was on a video I may have made when my own father died, back in January 2010. I may just have to go back and check.<br />
I'm not sure that I would agree with the comment particularly, but I can certainly understand the meaning behind it.<br />
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I was already in my early 50's when my father died, when he was 92, so whether his death had any major impact on my life I'm not that sure, that's apart from the obvious grief and emotional impact that is.<br />
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One thing I would say though, is that that event was just the start of a pretty momentous year for me and one that has changed and influenced my life ever since. The whole year was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.<br />
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As mentioned my father died in January 2010. My mother-in-law then died suddenly, just over a month later. My father's death was not a shock, due to his age and the fact that he'd not been well for a while. But my mother-in-laws death certainly was, so you can probably imagine the impact that had on the extended family, especially the grandchildren, to whom she was very close.<br />
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One aside from this is that, at my fathers funeral service, I gave a speech about his life and one that was very well received as it happens. Strangely enough, I didn't find that anywhere near as hard as I thought I would.<br />
This was one area where my past experience of vlogging and talking into a video camera was a help. I treated the speech as a kind of vlog and, in an ironic twist of fate, the person I concentrated on most of the time during that speech was my mother-in-law. I have no idea why, but her's was the face that I found myself using as a form of video camera lens (I hope that makes some kind of sense?)<br />
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Part three of my annus horribilis was losing my job and being made redundant in June of 2010. Once again this was a shock, as although I knew changes were afoot, nobody expected staff members to lose their jobs, least of all me. I wasn't the only one by the way.<br />
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Naturally, this had a huge impact on my life both then and since. I was lucky in that I came out the other side in a fairly good state and am happier doing what I do now, than I ever was at work back then.<br />
I was also lucky in that I had other interests and potential projects to fall back on, some of which were in the pages of those old note books.<br />
So, in many ways, I am better off now than then, although not financially. But, I have learned that money isn't everything.<br />
One possible regret though, is that I've never had the chance to go back and thank them for getting rid of me.<br />
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In September of 2010 my younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully that was detected early and the subsequent treatment has meant that she is now back to full health. But, once again, this was another of those episodes that makes you stop and think about life, the universe and everything.<br />
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Since that year, my life has changed in many ways and it has also been a lot less traumatic too, thankfully. But it has changed my whole outlook on life, work, pleasure and passions. I've made many changes and I suspect there will be more to come.<br />
I'm looking forward to it.<br />
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Change may not always come in the ways that you want it to, or would like it to. It can creep up on you when you least expect it and often there's nothing you can do about it.<br />
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Sometimes, it's not the changes themselves that affect your life, it's how you react to them. I've always tried to have a 'glass half full' mentality and I think that helped me through that year and beyond.<br />
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So, although I'm not sure that the death of my father was quite the event that made me a man, that whole year may well have been, at least, part of the reason that I am now the man I am?<br />
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PS: I've checked and I made a whole series of videos about my father's illness and subsequent death.<br />This is the first one: <a href="http://youtu.be/y2LI_aVS3Mg" target="_blank">A Matter of Life and Death</a> the 2nd is: <a href="http://youtu.be/WozprgfTZ5Q" target="_blank">Life is a Rollercoaster</a> and then are a few more on the Rollercoaster theme, if you're interested. As to why I made and shared those videos? Well, maybe that's a topic for another post? Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-28633056528627630482014-12-04T20:56:00.000+00:002014-12-04T20:56:04.786+00:00Write It DownI mentioned in my last post about constantly having ideas, which if I'm not careful quickly dissapear without trace into the void that is my brain.<br />
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For that very reason, I usually carry some kind of notebook and a pen around with me. The size of which depends on what I'm doing and where I'm going.<br />
Of course, these days a mobile phone can be very useful for the same purpose. So I also find myself jotting down 'notes', or recording voice memo's into the phone. The wonders of modern technology eh?<br />
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I've been doing this for a few years now and it's amazing how much 'stuff' you can commit to paper, or phone, over time. I am currently well into my second bigger notebook, as well as still using my smaller version too.<br />
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After all, you never know when inspiration may strike and, as often happens, it can hit at the most unlikely and inappropriate moments. So having a means of making a note about that great world changing idea, or thought, is very useful<br />
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I sometimes find that, when making those notes, they can almost turn into a kind of blog post as the idea grows and expands before your eyes and your pen is frantically trying to keep up with your thought process. In fact I've been known to fill up a whole sheet of A4 paper with scribbling, before transferring the salient points to the 'proper' notebook.<br />
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(I've just noticed that I actually have another four notebooks, with loads of video ideas in them, sitting just to the side of me on my computer desk. I'd forgotten all about them, as they are several years old now and are a bit of a leftover from the days when I used to make several YouTube videos a week. I know what I'm going to be doing after finishing writing this post....)<br />
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Looking back through those books can make very interesting reading (see above).<br />
I have notes about ideas for long abandoned schemes, websites, and apps, quotes I've heard, or read, titles of books to be read, or music to be listened to and much more.<br />
The original ideas for both the Pierless Music website/service and The Stinger magazine can be found within those pages for example.<br />
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Keeping those old notebooks for future reference can be very rewarding too, as you never know when one of those abandoned ideas may be resurrected. Sometimes ideas are written down that you know you don't have the time for, or can commit the effort to, at that moment. So the books become a kind of storage area, ready to be accessed when the time is right.<br />
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In fact, that exact thing happened to me yesterday.<br />
I had a meeting with somebody and during the course of the discussion I mentioned an idea I'd had a year or so ago. The idea was favourably received and the upshot of this is that I'm now going to look again into the possibilities of getting that idea off the ground, literally.<br />
When I originally jotted that idea down, I didn't really think it was viable, rather more of a pie in the sky scheme. I did some intial research and then turned the page and went onto something else.<br />
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I was reminded of another, partly forgotten, scheme recently as well. It's one of those that I don't have the time to take any further right now, but at least all the notes and original thoughts are still there, waiting to be acted upon at some time, maybe.<br />
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So you never know. And if there's a lesson to be learned here it's that jotting those ideas, schemes and thoughts down may seem like a waste of time, and a bit of hassle, but you just never know when they may come in handy. And if you don't write them down, you can be sure that you'd never remember them again.<br />
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I know I'm very pleased that I've taken the time and made the effort to do just that over the years.<br />
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How about you?Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-90466966155270793472014-12-03T21:01:00.004+00:002014-12-04T21:12:20.921+00:00I'm Still Alive.So here I am over a year since my last post on this particular site and if you happen to care about these things you're probably wondering where the hell I've been?<br />
As it happens I've been busier than ever, but on other sites and with different projects.<br />
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My main focus has been with The Stinger magazine, a free independent local music magazine for the Hastings area. I'm the editor of the magazine and we're now building up to publishing our 6th issue in January. Here's a link to our website: <a href="http://www.thestinger.org.uk/" target="_blank">The Stinger</a><br />
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I've also been busy with other projects, including my own local music website Pierless Music. You can find that here: <a href="http://pierlessmusic.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pierless Music</a><br />
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So, if I'm that busy why come back here? Good question and I'm glad you've asked it.<br />
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I guess the answer to that is that I feel inspired to do so. As to what has inspired me to start posting here again.... well that will have to wait for a future post, possibly.<br />
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All I will say is that inspiration comes from the most unlikely sources and at the most unexpected times. <br />
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I've recently found myself writing more frequent posts for the Pierless Music site and scribbling down ideas for other posts as well. All this has got me back into the habit of writing, something that I've had to do over the past year due to my involvement with The Stinger.<br />
Being the editor of the magazine has naturally meant that I've been writing more anyway.<br />
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All that other writing has obviously been very music based and generally covering very local content too. Another aspect of this is that when writing for both The Stinger and Pierless Music, I'm not always writing for myself, more for the particular publication or website. Some of these posts are of a personal nature, but not probably the sort of thing I'd think to post here. And anyway, if you wanted to read those posts, you now have the web links to go and do so.<br />
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I've no doubt, in fact I know, that some of the posts I publish on here will be at least partly music based. That comes with the territory with me I'm afraid. But I do also intend these posts to be more personal.<br />
I even started a personal Tumblr account some time ago, with the view to writing far more personal blog posts. That never came to anything, which in hindsight may well have been a good thing.<br />
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What I'm also hoping to do is to write in a far more 'stream of consciousnes's fashion. In other words, not to think about what I'm writing too much and just let the fingers do the talking and typing. In my experience, that usually leads to a more personal outcome anyway.<br />
My plan is not to re-read, or edit things, too much. When writing for Pierless Music, or The Stinger, I frequently go back over the posts before pressing 'send'. There's a very good reason for that of course, but those reasons don't apply here.<br />
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For those who may know me from YouTube, that's something that I used to do there when making vlogs, but I seem to have got out of the habit of doing that, once again.<br />
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I do tend to find that both writing and making vlogs becomes a habit, which also means that it's a habit you can quite easily get out of. That's what has happened with my video making. Because I'm now having to write more, rather than record vlogs, that's the way my 'output' has gone.<br />
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My stream of ideas for either vlogs, or blog posts, has never dried up. One thing I'm never short of is ideas and topics to talk about. I forget far more ideas than I ever commit to print, or video.<br />
For instance, I had a great idea for a post this morning, the inspiration for which came from something on my Twitter feed.<br />
I promptly forgot what that idea was and only remembered it while walking around my local supermarket, as you do, which meant fumbling for my phone and making a note of what that original idea was.<br />
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So, let's see where this takes me this time. As always it's a case of wait and see. This may take off and develop into the kind of personal blog I've been meaning to commit to for a while now, or it could fall flat on its face, once again.<br />
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Ultimately though, it doesn't matter. After all it's a personal blog that answers to nobody but me. I just hope I don't disappoint myself along the way.<br />
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Thanks for getting this far.<br />
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I hope to 'see' you again shortly.<br />
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PS: I apologise in advance for any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.<br />
<br />Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-73783153075481736052013-11-13T21:04:00.000+00:002013-11-13T21:04:50.492+00:00The Making Of....I suddenly realised the other day that I haven't posted all of my more recent You Tube videos within this blog.<br />
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So, here is a follow up to my video about my appearence on the BBC in July of this year.<br />
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This video tells the story of how that tv appearence came to be and what happened during the making of that piece.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KFOHI57zOqg" width="420"></iframe>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-247230041275186942013-10-17T10:52:00.001+01:002013-10-17T10:52:53.092+01:00A Social Media PolicySome months ago I wrote a blog post for the <a href="http://pierlessmusic.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pierless Music</a> site which I run called ‘A Social Media Policy’. The idea was to give bands and musicians some guidance on the potentials pitfalls of their own use of social media, based on my own experiences.<br />
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That post was well received and I was recently asked to update the post for use on the Epik Music Videos website.<br />
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They have changed the title to ‘The 10 Commandments of Social Media’, even though there are actually 16 'Commandments'. But the title does have a nice ring to it doesn’t it?<br />
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Don't worry if you're not a musician, or in a band as I think you'll find that most, if not all, of the 'Commandments' can be used for an individual too.<br />
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Here's the post: <a href="http://www.epikmusicvideos.com/blog/84-social-media-policy-how-to-avoid-mistakes.html" target="_blank">A Social Media Policy</a><br />
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Let me know what you think.Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-7382349769630315472013-08-22T14:14:00.000+01:002013-08-22T14:14:32.326+01:00Radio, Video and Local MusicI've been on the radio again. This time it was for Carnival FM where I was presenting a series of Local Music Shows.<br />
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Here's a new YouTube video about it all and some things that have come out of it all.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xhA0NEOgOYM" width="420"></iframe>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-36292973957328262902013-08-21T20:35:00.000+01:002013-08-21T20:35:58.354+01:00Hastings Pier Rises Again.I recently wrote a blog post for the <a href="http://pierlessmusic.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pierless Music</a> website that I help to run and I thought I'd share it with you here.<br />
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It's all about Hastings Pier, a favourite topic of mine and it contains some good news at last.<br />
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Here's a link to that post. Please let me know your own thoughts on this, even if you live away from Hastings itself.<br />
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<a href="http://pierlessmusic.co.uk/hastings-pier-rises-again/" target="_blank">Hastings Pier Rises Again</a>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-87664830655229604272013-07-15T20:11:00.000+01:002013-07-15T20:11:07.112+01:00Another Slice Of My 15 Minutes Is Up.This is a recording of a report on BBC South East Today in which I appeared. It originally went out last Friday evening, 12th July.<br />
It's all about the making of the video for David Bowie's song 'Ashes to Ashes', part of which was filmed near Hastings.<br />
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I shall be recording a video all about the experience in due course and explaining the lengths myself and the reporter went to to reach the video location!<br />
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As with all these things, most of what was recorded wasn't used in the final piece. I actually think this was the worst bit that I did.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-BkXlzBU2Dc" width="560"></iframe>
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Thanks to Paul for sorting out the video.Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-52324025043349122952013-07-10T21:11:00.002+01:002013-07-10T21:11:45.217+01:00Rich Comes To HastingsA YouTube friend of mine, Rich, is over in the UK from Los Angeles at the moment. He took time out and came down to Hastings for a visit.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OlgVgXulbts" width="560"></iframe>
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We didn't even get around to mentioning the book that Rich has just released "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain"<br />
Find it on Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Life-Bottom-Food-Chain/dp/0989188019/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373481011&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Life-Bottom-Food-Chain/dp/0989188019/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373481011&sr=1-1</a><br />
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You can find Rich here:<br />
YouTube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/worldaccordingtorich">http://www.youtube.com/worldaccordingtorich</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/rickflix">https://twitter.com/rickflix</a>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-62110891233929586662013-07-09T11:28:00.000+01:002013-07-09T11:28:02.457+01:00The Re-Invention of AndyNew YouTube video talking about and reflecting on 3 years of change, new ventures and recent tough decisions.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VHPZBBSKz_Y" width="560"></iframe>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-44043320998055266052013-07-04T13:55:00.001+01:002013-07-04T13:57:01.971+01:00Another Radio Show To Listen To.As you may have seen already, I have posted my Local Music Shows for the 2013 Hastings Rock broadcast onto the radio stations own Mixcloud site and may well end up posting them on my own Mixcloud site as well.<br />
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But, I have now also decided to post a couple of my 'normal' Hastings Rock shows onto my personal Mixcloud site.<br />
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This is the first one and it was originally broadcast on Monday 27th May between midday and 3pm.<br />
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I hope you enjoy the show and I will post another one in due course. <br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.mixcloud.com/widget/iframe/?feed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mixcloud.com%2FAndyGunton%2Fhastings-rock-2013-27th-may-2013-12-3pm%2F&embed_uuid=0f0f051d-65ab-431b-ae82-c866e04c34e8&stylecolor=&embed_type=widget_standard" width="360"></iframe><br />
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Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-14168546322447800562013-06-19T13:40:00.000+01:002013-06-19T13:40:05.626+01:00You Don't Know What You're Missing.Talking about the failed bid by Hastings and Bexhill to be shortlisted for the 2017 UK City of Culture.
it's their loss.
<div class="ab-player" data-boourl="http://audioboo.fm/boos/1459142-you-don-t-know-what-you-re-missing/embed"><a href="http://audioboo.fm/boos/1459142-you-don-t-know-what-you-re-missing">listen to ‘You Don't Know What You're Missing.’ on Audioboo</a></div><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var po = document.createElement("script"); po.type = "text/javascript"; po.async = true; po.src = "http://d15mj6e6qmt1na.cloudfront.net/assets/embed.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })();</script>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-27656925335715154622013-06-18T11:44:00.003+01:002013-06-18T12:02:37.313+01:00Pop! Goes the Street Art.Anyone who reads these blog posts, views my photo's or even watches my videos will know that I'm a big fan of street art. And by that I don't mean the kind of mindless tagging that turns up on walls etc across the world. I consider that to be graffiti.<br />
No, I'm referring to the kind of art that actually enhances the walls etc that it is painted, sprayed, or stuck onto.<br />
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In the Hastings and St Leonards area we are very lucky to have many examples of great and original street art. Apart from our very own Banksy, we have several works by Ben Eine, animal stencils by Stewy and of course the Scrabbleman pieces, as well as countless other examples dotted around the town.<br />
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I'm also lucky to live in an area that I've called 'Street Art Central' before. I called it that because of the numerous examples that have appeared in the area over recent years. One such place is in an alleyway off of Norman Road, in St Leonards.<br />
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The first artwork to appear there was a stencil, by Stewy, of a full size white horse:<br />
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It didn't take long before that was followed by one of the first Scrabbleman pieces, as well as a colourful rectangle:<br />
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A few months later they were joined by this:<br />
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Of course, all of this art suddenly appearing does raise the question about whether it should be there in the first place. This is especially relevant if it happens to be your wall that all the street art is painted onto.<br />
I know that Stewy always asks permission before doing a stencil, but how many other artists do the same?<br />
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That very question was brought home to me today when I spotted this new addition to the wall:<br />
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The balloon explosion actually happened a few days ago, but the 'Pop!' appeared overnight.<br />
After spotting it this morning, I went home, grabbed my camera and took this photo.<br />
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Whilst there taking my photo's, the occupants of the two houses either side of this alleyway appeared. On seeing the new 'Pop!' addition, it was firstly obvious that it was brand new and secondly that they weren't very happy about it. I was even questioned as to whether it me that had done it.<br />
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I explained that i wasn't responsible and that I was simply taking some photo's, as I really liked it.<br />
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Some may see the 'Pop!' and also the 'balloon explosion' before as some kind of desecration of the original piece. But, for me that's just a part of what street art is all about. It's temporary, for many reasons and I also feel that although the original piece has been altered, it has also been added to and possibly even enhanced.<br />
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My opinion was altered a little when it was explained to me that when the 'balloon explosion' took place, the 'artist' splattered paint not just on the wall, as seen above, but also onto the pavement, road and even onto cars that were parked nearby!<br />
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Now, that's something I couldn't defend.<br />
It's one thing to have street art appear on the wall of your property, but quite another when it actually damages, or affects your property in some way.<br />
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I'd hate to see street art such as this be removed, or painted over because of the unthinking actions of, probably, one person.<br />
As I've suggested, I think street art of this quality really does enhance the area that it is in and it can even become a sort of tourist attraction, as these pieces have.<br />
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So, if you're a street artist please spare a thought for those who's property you may be using as a canvas for your work. And maybe do as 'Stewy' does, ask permission first.<br />
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By the way, I'd love to have a piece on my garden wall. <br />
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PS: Just in case you've not seen it before, here's a link to my blog post all about 'The Scrabbleman Trail':<br />
<a href="http://andymooseman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/scrabbleman-trail.html" target="_blank">The Scrabbleman Trail</a>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-91138849106389646782013-06-11T14:08:00.000+01:002013-06-11T14:08:28.895+01:00Hastings Rock on MixcloudI know that I may well have mentioned this before, but Hastings Rock radio station now has it's very own Mixcloud account and we've now started to upload some programmes to the site.<br />
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So far, we've only uploaded the four Local Music Shows that I presented during this years broadcast, two shows from the final night of the broadcast and also one of the Progressive Rock shows presented by Tony Bell. But, more may well follow.<br />
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You can find the Hastings Rock Mixcloud site here: <a href="http://www.mixcloud.com/HastingsRock" target="_blank">Hastings Rock on Mixcloud</a><br />
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We chose to use Mixcloud, as opposed to another site such as Soundcloud, because Mixcloud pay PRS royalties. Therefore you can upload copyrighted music, knowing that you are doing so legally and that the artists will get royalties because of it.<br />
The service is also free and has no upload limit.<br />
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Happy listening.<br />
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<br />Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-13974812534403438332013-06-10T20:10:00.000+01:002013-06-10T20:10:21.985+01:00It's Not As Easy As It LooksNew YouTube video and my first one for 6 months!<br />
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Talking about another month of Hastings Rock radio and how so many people just don't realise just what happens behind the scenes to get the station on the air and then keep it there for 28 days.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fY1XN9HJdhA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-63109706900281412082013-03-30T16:16:00.000+00:002013-03-30T16:18:04.562+00:00A Word In Your EarI keep forgetting to share posts here that I've written for Pierless Music, a local music project that I set up with a friend last year.<br />
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This is my latest post for that website. It's called 'A Word In Your Ear' and concerns potential hearing loss and damage that can be caused by exposure to loud music, especially at gigs.<br />
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You can find it here: <a href="http://pierlessmusic.co.uk/a-word-in-your-ear/" target="_blank">A Word In Your Ear</a><br />
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You can find the Pierless Music website here: <a href="http://pierlessmusic.co.uk/" target="_blank">Pierless Music</a>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-74835204264144304212013-01-03T12:28:00.002+00:002013-01-03T12:28:45.107+00:00Cruel To Be Kind?<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/44Rd7kWC_CY" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Is it best to actually discourage some people from persuing their dreams?<br /><br />David Hepworth blog post: <br /><a href="http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/sometimes-kindest-thing-you-can-do-is.html">http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/sometimes-kindest-thing-you-can-do-is.html</a>Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3604147601973013359.post-63460638641094601902013-01-01T17:37:00.000+00:002013-01-01T17:38:41.796+00:00Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards.<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hdiQynujfZ8?rel=0" width="480"></iframe><br />
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I had a good 2012, so i thought i'd relay some of it for you. Hopefully, 2013 will be equally as good.<br />
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Spain Video Playlist: <br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEBC37CDECFD54624&feature=mh_lolz">http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEBC37CDECFD54624&feature=mh_lolz</a><br />
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Pierless Music: <a href="http://pierlessmusic.co.uk/">http://pierlessmusic.co.uk/</a><br />
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Moose Musings eBook: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moose-Musings-ebook/dp/B006RXBRTC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357053904&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moose-Musings-ebook/dp/B006RXBRTC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357053904&sr=8-1</a><br />
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Moose Musings Video: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC5uQzuE9wE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC5uQzuE9wE</a><br />
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Olympic Torch Video: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro5Po5caIXc">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro5Po5caIXc</a><br />
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The 'scrabbleman' Trail: <br />
<a href="http://andymooseman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/scrabbleman-trail.html">http://andymooseman.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/scrabbleman-trail.html</a><br />
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As expected, i did forget a couple of things. Beatles Day & doing some radio shows for the local University radio station were missed. Phew.Andy Guntonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00402607157584209849noreply@blogger.com0