The Bizzo

It's that time of year again when Pudsey Bear and all his friends are out begging for money for Children in Need in Britain.
If you have not experienced the sensation, be grateful as it is on TV for days and weeks.
Of course all the money goes to a very good cause, Children In Need, but I find it very wearing that they wheel out all the has-beens and wanna-be's to ask for money.
This clip is a better way to get people to pledge money.
Peter Kaye and Matt Lucas,British Comedians, singing with The Proclaimers. 500 Miles.
If you listen very hard you may just detect the hint of a Scottish accent when The Proclaimers sing.
[URL=]500 miles

The picture above was taken in 1946 and is of Nuthampstead Airbase. During WW II it was the home of 55th Fighter Group and 398th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the USAAF. I am lucky enough to be able to patrol what is left of it and there are still some of the old hangers there. There is also a light aircraft hanger which is used by private pilots.

Last Wednesday while I was at work, we got a job near there, and after, we decided to go take a look again.As I drove towards the private hangers I saw there was an older man opening the large hanger door. I saw him push a light aircraft out and as it ran down the slight incline, he grabbed the wing and spun the plane round.

I got out of our car and went to speak to him. He was climbing all over the wings and checking the equipment, in and out of the cockpit and went to the front and grabbed the propeller. I said hello, and estimated his age at about 63. He then told me he was the oldest pilot in the area and that he was 88years old. As I stood watching he turned the prop a few times and told me he had to do 5 compressions.

As he walked back towards the cockpit, I said, “You were 18 when the war started then”?
He replied, “And I have been flying all of my life. I will keep doing it till they stop me.”
“Can I ask Sir, did you fly during the war”?
“Yes, Spitfires. I was lucky, I was at The Battle of Britain, but lots of my friends didn’t come back”.

At that he swung into the cockpit, put on his harness and with the customary thumbs up shouted “Contact” as the plane bust into life. He taxied away and in a moment he was airborne and gone.

For a fleeting second I was transported back through time to when he was young and vibrant, with all the enthusiasm of a young airman. He had not changed much.
I reckon that when he is in that plane he is ageless.
Where would we be now without these brave lads?

This song dates back to 1978, before Joe Walsh started with the Eagles and is a parody of life as a rock star.
Takes me back to my days in the Queens Hotel Bar, Dundee.
Live music three times a week, 'Disco' the other nights, and a combination of live and disco on Sunday nights in the hotel ballroom.
All that and what more could you ask for.
Well it was all washed down with many pints of McEwans Export beer.
And the odd Glen Morangie, of course.


This song is quite long, but worth a full listen.
[URL=]Lifes been good

Way back in the Mesolithic period I was in an organisation, connected to the church, called ‘The Boys Brigade’. This was a Christian organisation for 12-18 year olds.
The junior section, was called ‘The Life Boys’ when I was in it, and at 12 you progressed to the Boys Brigade.

My main interest in The BB, as it was colloquially known, was being a drummer in the Pipe Band, and as you may expect, me being Scottish, this was a Bagpipe Band.
I appeared to have a sort of talent for it, as I picked up the rudiments fairly quickly, but I was very small and could not get a strap long enough so I could carry the side snare drum.
When I got a bit bigger, I managed to get the strap and THE DRUM, most important, and was able to march and play at the same time. (Who says only women can multi-task).

This picture is an illustration only.It's not me.Honest

M y role was as ‘Second Tip’ which meant I had to follow the leading drummer and when he had finished playing, I joined in and we played the same section again. I would then stop, the leading tip would play and I would follow again. All this of course was to Scottish marching tunes played on the pipes, like The Barren Rocks of Aden and The Black Bear, etc.
About 1969 I was selected to play at a very large ‘display’ at Dundee Ice Rink which held about 2000 spectators.
I made all my preparations and on the night was beat perfect. The format was that we would march on to the arena in three ranks, form a single line and make a large circle facing inwards.
We marched on and I was concentrating hard on what I was playing and forgot about the crowd. The noise of the pipes with their drones blaring was huge and the drums were in great tune. We formed a single line and formed the circle and at a particular beat we were all meant to turn in towards the centre of the circle.
That particular queue loomed and on that beat we all turned.
Oh Sh*t, I turned the wrong way and was looking at the crowd, face bright red.
I eventually managed to shuffle round to see the pipers, between breaths, with large grins on their faces.

Years later I met a fellow drummer in the Queens Hotel Bar in Dundee, one Saturday, lunch time. He of course reminded me of this incident, saying,” You should have seen your face, it was a picture”.
Yeh thanks Tam.
After many pints of McEwen’s Beer and about the same Glenmorangie we walked along to a large music instrument shop in the city centre.
Tam said,” Will we go and have a play wi the drum kits, it’ll be a hoot?”. Well it would be for him because he was a drummer with a fairly well known band in town and he had even been on TV. In my semi-sober state I agreed. There were two Premier Kits set up side by side. I got behind one Tam behind the other. Just like Phil Collins and Chester Thompson, I thought. With no music or any other accompaniment we tried to play the synchronised part of Genesis, Los Endos. What a racket, all out of time, and the session had gone to ratsh*t.
Just then the store manager came over,” STOP” he shouted. “You two drunken fools can get out, or I’ll call the Police”.
Tam says," Hey keep yir hair on pal, we widnay soil oor hands on these cheap kits, I hope you know who we are?”.
“ No". Who are you?”
Tam, “Well he’s Gene Krupa and I’m Ginger Baker”
“More like ‘Mary Baker’ with that hair”, said the manager.
And on that insult we left.

If you think the drummer is only there to keep time, you need to think again. Playing a drum kit is extremely difficult. One hand is doing one thing, the other something else at a different tempo. Your bass foot is playing at something different and if you have a High Hat that is worked by the other foot.
Try rubbing your stomach and patting your head. Can’t do it? Most drummers can easily.
Why? Their coordination is fantastic.
I only had to march and play. Playing a kit is much more coordinated.
But there are not many that can play side drum like my hero Alex Duthart.
You watch the master.
[URL=]Alex Duthart. Drum Salute

This is a nice quiet track (Not)from the 'Trick of the Tail' and 'Seconds Out' Album.
About a small furry animal called 'Squonk'.
Another of my very favorite tracks.

[URL=]Squonk

Try it full volume. It will blow your socks off.