I have been revisiting this set of posts, most of which were written 5 years ago and I am really pleased with them. Their mix of political, social, cultural and personal history is really good, though I say so myself! As I went through them, tidying up the odd thing, I realised that I hadn’t bought the music together under one roof as it were! So, I have put together a Spotify playlist for myself and anyone who might be interested. It’s well over 100 tracks and when I add the Christmas tracks to the end it might be nearer to 150!! If you read, and enjoy, the 9th entry, you can find the rest in the section Musical History. Happy reading. Here’s the playlist.
New broom, the same mess to sweep up Despite the wave of optimism that greeted the election of the Conservative party under Margaret Thatcher the previous year, it turned out to be a very grim year for the UK economy. Inflation reached almost 20% by the end of the year whilst unemployment was rising inexorably […]
My Musical History Part 9
What’s a cultural tradition from another country that you wish existed in yours?
If you travel to and, most importantly, live in other countries you will encounter many traditions that you appreciate more than those in your country. In most cases it’s very easy to transplant those traditions to your own home. For example, the idea of never wearing outside shoes in the house was something that I first experienced in Japan. When we got back to the UK we simply introduced that in our house. A few people complained but most shrugged their shoulders, removed their shoes and just thought we were strange 😂. However there was one tradition that was impossible to transfer as it requires the buy in of the whole of society.
From nursery school onwards, Japanese children are to be found clearing up their schools at the end of every day. This is not to save money on employing cleaners, although it obviously has this result, it is to teach them respect for their surroundings, their environment and each other. Every so often the Internet is full of pictures of Japanese fans clearing up their areas of a stadium or their players leaving their dressing rooms spotless. I don’t often share these because it’s not strange behaviour to me. The Japanese wouldn’t dream of leaving someone else to clear up their mess. I look around the UK and see the complete opposite everywhere I go. Every street, every building, every school, every park, full of rubbish left by thoughtless people with no respect for anyone or anything around them because they weren’t taught to have this respect at a very early age. Japan is a country that has a number of traditions I appreciated and some I didn’t, but if people in the UK could somehow have a complete culture change and actually respect their surroundings enough to clear up after themselves I would be all for it.
What are the biggest mistakes people make when visiting your country?
I thought about this and decided a Top 10 list was in order! So, here are my top tips for a UK trip that really makes the most of your time.
- Don’t spend all your time in London. It’s good city to visit, but York and Edinburgh are even better.
- When you are in London, avoid the tube as much as possible. It’s crowded and you never see the real city. When you walk you find places the guide books don’t mention.
- The centre of London is an incredibly expensive place but nearly all the museums are free so explore them to your heart’s content.
- The parks in London are the jewels of the city. Spend as much time as you can in them.
- Within two hours of London are marvellous buildings, green hills and sandy beaches. Head for the train station and go to Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire or Oxfordshire. The air is different out there.
- Food is expensive so try to eat only one meal a day out.
- Don’t spend your time following all the other tourists. Look for side streets and explore those, but only in the daytime!
- If you hire a car try to get on the road early because our traffic is awful!
- If you know someone in a city you are visiting employ them as your tour guide. If you don’t join a walking tour not a bus tour.
- Make sure you put your money and your phone in your front pocket as the pickpockets find it almost impossible to get at them.
Safe travels!
A reflection on a staple of Primary School for many decades, the marvellous Singing Together.
Memories of Singing Together
This is my most popular post ever. It has 1200 views and counting. It was published three years ago today. If you haven’t read it, it’s a heartfelt tribute to a marvellous programme and a tour through the many downs and ups of Primary school life for me in the early to mid 1970s.
What’s a song that always puts you in a good mood?
As I have mentioned in a number of my posts I have always been a huge fan of music. Actually, that’s underplaying it. Music has always been central to my life. Prompts like this are usually a real problem because I have so many songs that I can think of. However, in this case one song came into my head as soon as I read the prompt and it was instantly perfect.
In the summer of 1974, a song came on the radio that was unlike any other in the effect it had on me. From the introduction with it’s slow build to the brass section coming in is just a few seconds but it was enough to hook me instantly. The tune was, in an indefinable way, every bright summer day you have ever had set to music. The lyrics were a story of love, beaches and loss. All life was here and even though at the age of 9 I had experienced very little of life, I instinctively understood every word and every beat. Every note was perfect to me then and remains so now. Whenever I hear this song I get the same feeling of joy and excitement as I did over 50 years ago. My childhood self calls to me whenever I hear it and tells me it’s still there.
Here is First Class with Beach Baby. Take a listen and let me know if it gives you the same feeling of joy. ⛱️
