THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS AT BLOGGER.COM, AND THE RESULT HAS BEEN THAT EVERYTHING I HAVE POSTED TO MY BLOGS SINCE WEDNESDAY HAS BEEN LOST.

I WILL NOW PUT THEM BACK ON

[thanks to - http://public-domain-images.blogspot.com - ]

No, your eyes are not deceiving you!

This is a fence decorated with women’s bras.

It all started at Christmas 1999 when four bras were found on the wire fence at Cardrona in Central Otago, New Zealand. Within a few days more were added and soon the idea had caught on; by October of 2000 there were around 200 bras hanging on the fence.

In 2006 the number was estimated to be 800 and the local authorities, declaring the display to be a traffic hazard, had the fence removed.

Spoilsports!!!

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Elsewhere in this blog I’ve made many references to my keen interest in all kinds of music, and of the great enjoyment I had performing semi-professionally.

When I was a boy my favourite radio programmes were dance bands and cinema organists. It was quite a thrill for me when I was given the opportunity of practising on the church organ and I thought how wonderful it would be to play in a cinema.

Some time later I decided to find out about cinema organ lessons. It surprises me now to think that I was brave enough to go in to the Odeon in Glasgow and ask to see the organist, Lyndon Laird. He came to the vestibule and explained that, because of wartime restrictions on the use of electricity, the times when the organ could be used were severely limited. However he took me in to a seat in the back stalls, gave me a cigarette and left me to enjoy a free show. I visited him there a number of times and we would sit at the back of the cinema discussing music in whispers.

There was just the one occasion when I had a "go" on a cinema organ. I had contacted Frank Olsen (about lessons) who played the Gaumont cinemas in Glasgow and he arranged to meet me in the New Savoy one Saturday morning.

The instrument, a 2 manual Christie, which probably dated from early in the century, had been in the Tivoli, Glasgow before coming to the New Savoy in 1935. I was surprised to find the keys yellow and worn with age, and disappointed to see that the console was fixed and didn’t come up from the depths!

The New Savoy organ console

What did I play? I can remember two of the pieces. The Giant Fugue by Bach (nicknamed Giant not because of its difficulty or its length, but just because the pedal part was said to resemble the wide strides of a giant) and a popular tune “Memories of You.”

In 1958 the New Savoy closed down and, as usually happened to unwanted organs, the instrument was broken up. I’ve no doubt parts went to augment organs in churches all over the country.

A few weeks after my meeting with Frank Olsen I got my calling up papers for National Service, and I didn’t pursue the idea any further.

However, more than 40 years later, after I retired from office work, I was given the opportunity to play the kind of music the cinema organists used to play. I found that all the local care homes for older folk had electronic organs, and I volunteered to visit them every week and entertain the residents. I played Sousa marches, Strauss waltzes, light classical pieces, songs from the shows, always finishing with a sing-along medley. I was in my element!!!

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This is a video of John Bowdler on the famous Wurlitzer at the Tower Ballroom, Blackpool. He plays “Pure Imagination” one of the songs from “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” The video uploaded by “RitaSueBob”

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Finally, some memories of entertaining old people.

I remember my first visit to a care home. When I sat down at the organ and smiled down to the audience, one VERY old lady pointed to me and announced to her neighbours "He was in my class at school."

At another home one of the residents had been a sax player in a dance band. Sometimes I noticed him wiping away tears, as I played an old sentimental number.

Often I would play requests. One old lady asked for the same song every week "I'll SeeYou in my Dreams," and eventually I always concluded my programme with it.

The residents knew when I was due to appear and they would all be seated in the lounge waiting. At one home however, a certain lady would get up as soon as I arrived, walk out the room and return only when I had finished. Someone suggested that she was a music lover!!!

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Apologies!

For various reasons I haven't been able to compile anything for 80 plus this week.

Perhaps you'd be interested to see last month's viewing figures for my blogs

John's Gallery - 881
The Pre-Raphaelites - 757
Wise Men Say - 539
Quiet Corner - 320
Touch of Culture - 275
80 plus - 187
Come Surf the Net - 109
Let's Hear That Song Again - not yet available
That Was Another Good Read - not yet available

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While I was preparing my “Come Surf the Net” blog, I found many unusual videos. I’ve chosen five very short ones to share with you, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy them.

The first one is the song "Volare," played by the Japanese quartet Vanilla Mood. Uploaded by "winrysdarkside"

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This is a 4 year old tackling “The Entertainer.” Uploaded by “heikohoff”



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I don’t remember seeing this before. Uploaded by “widjadidja”

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A demonstration of the Cakewalk. This dance was developed during the time of slavery in the southern states in America. Its popularity came to a peak in the 1890-1910 period. Uploaded by “2PlySwing”

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Finally, breakfast with Ginger. Uploaded by “sawith65”

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now online - “Let’s hear that song again” - this week featuring Lew Stone
http://letshearthatsongagain.blogspot.com

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I’m sure most people would prefer Easter to be celebrated on the same weekend every year.

Despite the fact that it’s a religious festival, the date is determined by the moon - Easter Sunday is always the Sunday which follows the first full moon after 21st March. Confusing?

To make things more complicated, Easter Sunday is not the same over Europe, because Western churches use the Gregorian calendar and Eastern churches the Julian calendar.

In pre-Christian times there was a pagan festival in March to celebrate the arrival of spring, and in particular Eostre who was the Goddess of Spring.

When I was a young boy, Easter wasn’t really important in Scottish life. Holy Week wasn’t observed and as for Good Friday - that was the day we got hot cross buns! Easter Monday was the Spring holiday in Glasgow, but in many other places the holiday was either the Monday before or the Monday after.

On Sunday of course we attended church. That was certainly an important occasion because, apart from the religious significance, Easter Sunday was the day when all the women and girls turned out in new hats, dresses, etc. And I’m sure there was quite a bit of rivalry between certain ladies!

It was just recently I learned that by the end of the 16th century it had become the fashion to wear new clothes at Easter. Much later, Poor Robin who was an 18th century almanac maker is recorded as saying -

At Easter let your clothes be new
Or else be sure you will it rue.

And new bonnets leads us to Easter Parades. This is an American cultural event which over the years has spread to other parts of the world. I was pleased to find this photograph of the 1900 New York parade on 5th Avenue.

Of course I just had to include Irving Berlin’s famous song, and I liked this cheery version.


Thanks to David of http://www.livevideo.com/Blueeagle48 for the video

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BLOG NEWS

Since more and more folk have been visiting JOHN’S GALLERY lately, I’ve decided to add more paintings to the site. This will begin on Saturday with 5 paintings by Sir Edwin Landseer. http://johnsgallery.blogspot.com

I’ve been planning 2 new blogs and the first of those starts on Tuesday next week - “Let’s hear that song again!” which features dance band music of the 1930s.
http://letshearthatsongagain.blogspot.com

And the other is “That was another good read!” which begins on Wednesday 4th May. I’ve subtitled it - Great moments from Classic Fiction.
http://thatwasanothergoodread.blogspot.com

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First you are young, then you are middle-aged, then you are old, then you are wonderful. (Lady Diana Cooper)

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An eighty-year old man had been to the doctor for a complete check-up. A few days later the doctor met him in the street with a gorgeous dolly-bird on his arm.

At the old fellow’s next visit to the surgery, the doctor told him, “You’re really doing great. Considering how old you are, your health is excellent.” The old man replied, “I’m just doing what you said - get a hot mamma and be cheerful!“

The doctor said, “No, no, I didn't say that. I said - you got a heart murmur; be careful!”

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Thought I'd let my doctor check me,

'Cause I didn't feel quite right. . .
All those aches and pains annoyed me
And I couldn't sleep at night.

He could find no real disorder
But he wouldn't let it rest.
What with Medicare and Blue Cross,
We would do a couple of tests.

To the hospital he sent me
Though I didn't feel that bad.
He arranged for them to give me
Every test that could be had.

I was fluoroscoped and cystoscoped,
My aging frame displayed.
Stripped, on an ice cold table,
While my gizzards were x-rayed.

I was checked for worms and parasites,
For fungus and the crud,
While they pierced me with long needles
Taking samples of my blood.

Doctors came to check me over,
Probed and pushed and poked around,
And to make sure I was living
They then wired me for sound.

They have finally concluded,
Their results have filled a page.
What I have will someday kill me;
My affliction is old age. (Anon)

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I am an old man and have known many troubles, but most of them never happened. (Mark Twain and others)

One of the good things about getting older is you find you're more interesting than most of the people you meet. (Lee Marvin)

In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. (Abraham Lincoln)

By the time you're eighty years old you've learned everything. You only have to remember it. (George Burns)

Old age is a lot of crossed-off names in your address book. (Ronald Blythe)

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A row of bottles on my shelf
Caused me to analyze myself.
One yellow pill I have to pop
Goes to my heart so it won't stop.

A little white one that I take
Goes to my hands so they won't shake.
The blue ones that I use a lot
Tell me I'm happy when I'm not.

The purple pill goes to my brain
And tells me that I have no pain.
The capsules tell me not to wheeze
Or cough or choke or even sneeze.

The red ones, smallest of them all
Go to my blood so I won't fall.
The orange ones, very big and bright
Prevent my leg cramps in the night.

Such an array of brilliant pills
Helping to cure all kinds of ills.
But what I'd really like to know
Is what tells each one where to go. (Anon)

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It's interesting to listen to two recordings of Glenn Miller's music, the first one by his original band in 1939, and the second in 2005 by the European Glenn Miller Orchestra led by Wil Salden. The latter, along with the UK Glenn Miller orchestra and the American Glenn Miller Orchestra, have been officially sanctioned by the Miller estate.

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