Lapping lakes like leary loons...
So, here it is. The final week of college.. So weird. I've been at Blue Coat now for 7 years.
Back on one of my first posts on this blog last September I wrote:
"Today was the first day back at The Blue Coat School Oldham, if I told you that I was excited to be returning to the familiar cluster of buildings that is BC I would be lying. In fact, most of you are aware that I've been consistently trying to escape from the place for the past 4 years. "
I'm not going to take what I said back.. I have been waiting to leave Blue Coat for 5 of the 7 years I've been there, but I am going to be sad to leave. I've given Blue Coat the best and worst of myself, its institution, staff and pupils have shaped who I am, given me a good education (might take this back at a later date depending on exam results) and provided me with a fine set of friends.
I can't remember my first day of seccondary school particulally well... I remember I only lasted a week before calling a teacher "mum" (Miss Edwards P.E) I pretended I was interested in horses to make friends (Jess Verbrugan..) and clung, for the life of me on to the two girls who came from primary school to Blue Coat with me (Lucinda Johnson and Holly Espie.) My form tutor was Miss Sidebothem (now known as Mrs Greenhalgh, after she married the short ginger man) and me and Samson used to fight over who gave her the pen to do register with.
It's weird, things changed loads. The last teacher I called mum was my year 11 maths teacher, the last time I pretended to be interested in something was probably war literature when doing my A2 English Lit coursework this year, I haven't seen the two girls I clung to in year seven in the flesh for at least over 6 months (though, i wish them both the very best.) My last form tutor at Blue Coat was/is - for these last 3 days - Dr Sarah Hall, of The Sarah Hall Show, and me and Samson still fight, but over probably more trival matters than who gets to give SRH the pen to do the register with,.
So much, and yet so little has changed over the last 7 years, and, glad as I am it's over. I'm going to miss the security of knowing everyone, of liking everyone, of being liked. I'm terrified to be outside of that... its been good.
I'm feeling excited.
Probs one of the worse teacher performances we've experienced, but classic Ford.
24.5.11
19.5.11
Dr Greg House on the New Orleans Scene.
I assure you, my friends, that I am no Blue's expert.. Give me a bit of Jazz and I might be able to get somewhere, but Blues has never really been my thing. I'm not sure I've ever found the right time to get into it and maybe this is the time...
“I’ve never eaten grits, cropped a share, or ridden a boxcar. No gypsy woman said anything to my mother when I was born and there’s no hellhound on my trail, as far as I can judge. Let this record show that I am a white, middle-class Englishman, openly trespassing on the music and myth of the American south.” - Laurie, in the sleeve of his album.
With my little knowledge of Blues, I found myself enjoying, singing and even dancing a little to the adapted voice of Hugh Laurie and his new album "Let Them Talk". The album, whether you its you're thing or not, definitely deserves a bit of praise. Generally I think actors and musicians should stick to their thing, unless its for a musical and even then they're allowed a bit of leeway on the acting side if they make up with it in music, so without a doubt this album is defiantly impressive. there is no doubting that Hugh Laurie is a very talented musician and singer as we know from "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" and the one issue with his singing is the clear accent change.
House has nailed his american accent from his time on House and his acting is spot on throughout every season, but so much of me feels like if he was going to release an album it should have been in his real accent throughout, rather than slipping into a Greg House act. Either way, he manages to pull off the "New Orleans" feel throughout the album, its very well produced, catchy, instrumentally very well organised and pracctice, features Irma Thomas, Tom Jones and Dr John and it is a nice escape from the usual key 103 that dad's got playing in his car.
I really like the album, there are very few tracks that I'd skip over - it's definitely worth a listen, but if you don't think it might be you're thing, you should give a couple of tracks a listen first... I find youtubes good because I can watch his beautiful face too.
I'd give it a star rating but with a distinctive lack of blues on my iTunes, I really can't call it... as a Jazz fan I do really like it.
Recommended listening: They're Red Hot, St James Infirmary, Battle of Jericho
God Bless and Happy Listening, L, xoxo
17.5.11
I'm writing introspectively now...
Today I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out who the hell Jess Baxter is; quizzing her for hours on what films she likes, what music she listens to (though, we all know she loves the script) what her interests, hobbies, talents, religious views are, ect... needless to say (for those that know Baxter) she doesn't give much away, none the less, she's a hero and I enjoyed myself.
- anyway, the point of this is that I started thinking about myself, all of the stuff I was asking her I was answering myself. At points I held back, but a lot of the time I found that when Jess gave me her vague mysterious answers I ended up rambling about mine (I'm sure to Jess' dissaproval, as she is such a theology trooper) ...except for when it came to the bigger stuff, like friends.
Now, it's been a long 7 years at Blue Coat and well, we've had our ups and downs. I've seen friendships come and go both inside and outside of school. I'm not in contact properly with anyone from my year at primary school, the people that left Blue Coat at the end of year 11 I've tried, and failed to keep in touch with, and there are very few friendships that I can call "close" that I have managed to keep constant since I started at Blue Coat.
I think friendship wise, it was this year that has shown me the most. In the past twelve months I've been able to establish where I stand with people - and more dauntingly, where I want people to stand with me. Firstly, to anyone reading this that think what I'm writing is about them - I wouldn't worry, chances are its not, and if it is, this does not at all mean I care any less about you. In fact, I rarely come across a person that I don't feel a sense of empathy and genuinely want the best for, as much as I wouldn't want too. Secondly, this doesn't apply to one specific area such as Blue Coat, or Saddleworth, or Manchester.. but covers the whole of the UK and Europe. (Sadly, my world wide friendship tree doesn't seem to branch further than Europe discounting my brother, his girlfriend, and Michael Pearson.) Finally, if this does apply to you, keep in mind that my introspective writings are only introspective when I'm writing them.. I might look back at this tomorrow and entirely disagree with what I have written.
I don't think any friendship I've had over the last 7 years has been a waste of time. The friendships that have not worked out I've learnt from, the friendships that ceased to exist with time I've understood and the friendships which I have salvaged, worked on, built up and kept going were all entirely worth it.
A friend of mine - lets call them Lachance - told me a while back that they; in observing me, found that I needed to be around people all the time, it's why I invite people over a lot, seek relationships and attention in the opposite sex a lot, and that I always want to record photo's of me with people in my journal rather than using it what I originally got it for - my writing. At the time I was furious, I loved spending time alone, reading, writing, playing music, listening to music, watching films and TV.. I like alone time - but in the long run, Lachance was absolutely right. I need to be surrounded by friends, its why my house is so open to people, its why I have to talk and make myself heard all the time, i need the attention, and not because im an attention seeker (though, im sure some of you readers may disagree) but because I'm scared of fading out and being alone.
It's why I let people take me for granted, why I can't just stop being friends with people I can't handle being near and partially why I hold on to friends I've lost - even if its through things close to hate.
I love my friends, each of them, for the way they hold their opinions, the way that they prioritise things, they way they speak, the way that most of my friends aren't arsed, and often the way that certain things get them really arsed. But a lot of the time these are things I dislike about them too, some opinions are SO different to mine, they prioritise themselves, they speak in a way that makes me clench my fists, they aren't arsed about things I am - visa versa.
Some things in the past year have broken me, people being far away, emotionally and physically (cringe...) and people disregarding my friendship as nothing. Watching people I was friends with falling down a path that they chose that anyone else can see is, in the long run, harmful to them. Seeing friends change for the people around them, and other friends being unable to stop it from happening because they don't want to ruin anything. Every little action in friendship has an effect and I've felt so broken.
I keep seeing my friends, speaking to them, whether in person or through any other means of communication and, I have come to treasure some of them in the last year. The people that argued with me when I've been wrong, the people that haven't changed to be around me, the people that don't expect me to change to be around them, the people who even though we are so different, I still enjoy talking to. The ones I can sit up till the early hours of the morning and talk to. The ones that live outside of Manchester and ring me, email me, skype me and bother with me. The new friends I've made this year that have supported me in things that the others couldn't have, and the old friends that have supported me in ways the new ones couldn't.
This year, I've learnt a lot about friendship, I've learnt who still cares about it, who's worth it, who's not worth it, and who's gonna stick around and who I'm gonna want to stick around. Gonna be sad to lose my school pal's next friday, some of them have been my friends for over 4 years. Gonna be happy to see some go though too, the one's that have hurt me, and irritated me, and said mean things about me, I still wish them all the best and hope they find better friendship in someone else, most of the time, I find people genuinely mean well in their own eyes, for their own reasons..
I don't know what I was trying to establish by writing all of this... maybe some sort of closure for myself.. I'm not sure. Originally, I was gonna describe some people.. some true and false friends, but I thought the better of it.
Basically, I wish all the people that I've been friends with until now - even if the end results been messy and we're no longer friends, or I no longer want to be your friend, visa versa - I wish you all the best. And the friends that I'm still friends with and those I want to continue being friends with, lets keep that up.
God Bless, and lots of rambellings... L x
- anyway, the point of this is that I started thinking about myself, all of the stuff I was asking her I was answering myself. At points I held back, but a lot of the time I found that when Jess gave me her vague mysterious answers I ended up rambling about mine (I'm sure to Jess' dissaproval, as she is such a theology trooper) ...except for when it came to the bigger stuff, like friends.
Now, it's been a long 7 years at Blue Coat and well, we've had our ups and downs. I've seen friendships come and go both inside and outside of school. I'm not in contact properly with anyone from my year at primary school, the people that left Blue Coat at the end of year 11 I've tried, and failed to keep in touch with, and there are very few friendships that I can call "close" that I have managed to keep constant since I started at Blue Coat.
I think friendship wise, it was this year that has shown me the most. In the past twelve months I've been able to establish where I stand with people - and more dauntingly, where I want people to stand with me. Firstly, to anyone reading this that think what I'm writing is about them - I wouldn't worry, chances are its not, and if it is, this does not at all mean I care any less about you. In fact, I rarely come across a person that I don't feel a sense of empathy and genuinely want the best for, as much as I wouldn't want too. Secondly, this doesn't apply to one specific area such as Blue Coat, or Saddleworth, or Manchester.. but covers the whole of the UK and Europe. (Sadly, my world wide friendship tree doesn't seem to branch further than Europe discounting my brother, his girlfriend, and Michael Pearson.) Finally, if this does apply to you, keep in mind that my introspective writings are only introspective when I'm writing them.. I might look back at this tomorrow and entirely disagree with what I have written.
I don't think any friendship I've had over the last 7 years has been a waste of time. The friendships that have not worked out I've learnt from, the friendships that ceased to exist with time I've understood and the friendships which I have salvaged, worked on, built up and kept going were all entirely worth it.
A friend of mine - lets call them Lachance - told me a while back that they; in observing me, found that I needed to be around people all the time, it's why I invite people over a lot, seek relationships and attention in the opposite sex a lot, and that I always want to record photo's of me with people in my journal rather than using it what I originally got it for - my writing. At the time I was furious, I loved spending time alone, reading, writing, playing music, listening to music, watching films and TV.. I like alone time - but in the long run, Lachance was absolutely right. I need to be surrounded by friends, its why my house is so open to people, its why I have to talk and make myself heard all the time, i need the attention, and not because im an attention seeker (though, im sure some of you readers may disagree) but because I'm scared of fading out and being alone.
It's why I let people take me for granted, why I can't just stop being friends with people I can't handle being near and partially why I hold on to friends I've lost - even if its through things close to hate.
I love my friends, each of them, for the way they hold their opinions, the way that they prioritise things, they way they speak, the way that most of my friends aren't arsed, and often the way that certain things get them really arsed. But a lot of the time these are things I dislike about them too, some opinions are SO different to mine, they prioritise themselves, they speak in a way that makes me clench my fists, they aren't arsed about things I am - visa versa.
Some things in the past year have broken me, people being far away, emotionally and physically (cringe...) and people disregarding my friendship as nothing. Watching people I was friends with falling down a path that they chose that anyone else can see is, in the long run, harmful to them. Seeing friends change for the people around them, and other friends being unable to stop it from happening because they don't want to ruin anything. Every little action in friendship has an effect and I've felt so broken.
I keep seeing my friends, speaking to them, whether in person or through any other means of communication and, I have come to treasure some of them in the last year. The people that argued with me when I've been wrong, the people that haven't changed to be around me, the people that don't expect me to change to be around them, the people who even though we are so different, I still enjoy talking to. The ones I can sit up till the early hours of the morning and talk to. The ones that live outside of Manchester and ring me, email me, skype me and bother with me. The new friends I've made this year that have supported me in things that the others couldn't have, and the old friends that have supported me in ways the new ones couldn't.
This year, I've learnt a lot about friendship, I've learnt who still cares about it, who's worth it, who's not worth it, and who's gonna stick around and who I'm gonna want to stick around. Gonna be sad to lose my school pal's next friday, some of them have been my friends for over 4 years. Gonna be happy to see some go though too, the one's that have hurt me, and irritated me, and said mean things about me, I still wish them all the best and hope they find better friendship in someone else, most of the time, I find people genuinely mean well in their own eyes, for their own reasons..
I don't know what I was trying to establish by writing all of this... maybe some sort of closure for myself.. I'm not sure. Originally, I was gonna describe some people.. some true and false friends, but I thought the better of it.
Basically, I wish all the people that I've been friends with until now - even if the end results been messy and we're no longer friends, or I no longer want to be your friend, visa versa - I wish you all the best. And the friends that I'm still friends with and those I want to continue being friends with, lets keep that up.
God Bless, and lots of rambellings... L x
16.5.11
Ju-das Ju-da-ah-as!
I am currently sat in one of my dad's practice rooms - I think its the medical students room, but really I'm not to sure or bothered. After revising for my Synoptic Gospel Theology exam, which I'm sitting for the third (and hopefully final) time a week on thursday for three and a half hours I have decided to allow myself a brake.
It has come to my attention that Lady Gaga has infultratied my brain... maybe its just because I've written numerous pages int he last three hours on the Passion narrative but Judas will just not go away, nor will my anger to that of the inaccuracy that the lyrics hold (for a futher insight into my feelings on this, check out the songmeanings.net comment on the song, written by lucytrew.)
Either way, a hilarious video about the song has been brought to my attention (thanks to S.Bostock) and also, its reply video - by the same girl that did the original (thanks to S.Trueman.) Figure that this girls weird and kind'a hilarious enough to get blogged whilst I procrasinate from my revision... I genuinely don't know how to feel about these videos, or this poor unusal girl.
Original.
Reply.
Lots of love and God Bless, L x
It has come to my attention that Lady Gaga has infultratied my brain... maybe its just because I've written numerous pages int he last three hours on the Passion narrative but Judas will just not go away, nor will my anger to that of the inaccuracy that the lyrics hold (for a futher insight into my feelings on this, check out the songmeanings.net comment on the song, written by lucytrew.)
Either way, a hilarious video about the song has been brought to my attention (thanks to S.Bostock) and also, its reply video - by the same girl that did the original (thanks to S.Trueman.) Figure that this girls weird and kind'a hilarious enough to get blogged whilst I procrasinate from my revision... I genuinely don't know how to feel about these videos, or this poor unusal girl.
Original.
Reply.
Lots of love and God Bless, L x
10.5.11
Mixcast May
Hello Hello Hello,
My May mixcast is here and awaiting your download with a mixture of songs, I only have 8 tracks for you, but Let It Out is a mashup, so it's quite long.
Download: Savages!
God Bless, Happy Listening... xoxo
My May mixcast is here and awaiting your download with a mixture of songs, I only have 8 tracks for you, but Let It Out is a mashup, so it's quite long.
Download: Savages!
- Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Ben Gibbard
- Let It Out - Girl Talk
- Rad Pitt - Egyptian Hip Hop
- Winter - The Dodo's ft Magik Magik Orchestra
- We Aint Never Done - The King Blues
- The Police and The Private - Metric
- Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space - Spiritualized
- Tightrope - Janelle Monae ft Big Boi
God Bless, Happy Listening... xoxo
2.5.11
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