Simply Red

I'm deciding whether to change the colour of the walls in my living room. They are currently white and have been for two years.  Increasingly I've been adding furniture that has moved away from the black and white theme I originally wanted.  I mocked up a couple of rough images on photoshop to see what it would look like.. Opinions?

At the Car-wash

Landscapes look different when something is taken out of them, a building knocked down or altered can effect your memory.

In the mid-90's I used to work in a pub in the centre of the city and every week all the staff would go out to a club after work. Tuesday night was "car-wash" night at Lexington Avenue (LA's), all the 70's classics were played, dancing competitions were held for the cheesiest dancers. I used to love going. We'd start off in Circus bar then end up in LA's. Anyone from Hull will know of or have been to LA's at some point.

I never used to drink, I'd go along to just enjoy the music, dance and laugh with my friends. I've never really felt able to do the "dance" thing that other people can do.. but in LA's, when everyone is drunk, I realised that no one would remember what I did or how I looked so I just went for it. I felt truly free.

There were a number of clubs in Hull at that time; Eclipse (my first clubbing experience) where all the kids went. Tower where all the "chavs" went.. although we called them "townies" then, LA's usually for 30 somethings and Waterfront for anyone older. Spiders for the goths and Silhouette for the indie crowd. This wasn't the strict code of conduct, and when Tower (for an hour) shut, the townies moved in on La's and Waterfront.

LA's was a brief moment and a great memory for me. We'd all tumble out of the club at 3 or 4am, ears ringing, and covered in sweat from dancing, stinking of smoke and cheap lager, and then stagger to the burger van then either home or to the taxi rank. I'd get home lay in bed listening to my ears still buzzing from the great night. 

Today I drove through town and noticed a space in the street and for a minute couldn't remember what used to be there. It was like someone had crept into my head and stolen those moments. A couple of minutes later I realised they'd knocked LA's down. The memory was gone.

Wanting to write a blog on the subject I searched online for some images and discovered there was a FaceBook group set up to remember LA's with loads of pictures of it (sadly I'm not on any) some of the images show the club in the cold light of day.. Strange how different a place looks with the lights on, without people and smoke to fill your memory.  However, check out this video it just about sums up student night in the 90's.

Out On The Tiles

Earlier on in the year I noticed a leak in my bathroom, as I detailed here. When I took out the old bathroom airing cupboard I noticed a leaking pipe so concluded the leak was from this. The pipe was fixed and my father and I rebuilt the cupboard, plastered the wall and ceiling. Later in the year there was a torrential downpour and the bathroom wall (inside the airing cupboard) was again drenched. There was a leak coming from the roof.  The picture (above left) looks like my roof.. but isn't.

Not really knowing who to contact I picked up the yellow pages and a guy came out from "Action Roofing and Felting, of Hull" He seemed genuine. He looked at the roof and said it would cost £360 to fix. Not being able to see the problem I left the judgement call to him and paid him to do the work. A few months later the leak was back. Thinking he'd not fixed the job properly I spoke to another builder who lived opposite me. He erected his ladder and looked at the job. Telling me that the previous bloke had ripped me off and he could fix the damage for £200! Not really knowing what the issue was and not wanting to pay out another £360!! I said ok

The leak persisted. In frustration I rang the first roofer back and complained. He said he'd come and sort it. He went up on the roof and told me someone else had been up there and disturbed all his work, therefore it would cost another £360 to put it right and repair the damage! I couldn't believe it, but again, not really knowing what the problem was I thought ok. I'll give him the benefit.

I'm sure you are reading this and thinking how stupid I must be to keep allowing them up there.

Last week I noticed the wall was again leaking, this time it had gotten really bad. A neighbour of my father’s was having some council work done on their house, so I managed to get hold of the builder (who was council approved) He came and had a look at the roof and said to fix it would cost between £200-£300. The builder told me he wouldn't take any money from me until it was proved the leak had stopped, also if I was not completely satisfied I was well within my rights to go to the council and complain. The council would then take the builder off their work list. He told me that 80% of his work comes from the council so it's imperative that he does a good job and doesn't ever rip anyone off. I was really impressed with this.

The builder is coming next Monday I'm really hoping the leak gets solved. Although it does open up a whole new can of worms. As the internal bathroom wall will need re-plastering.

To add to the never ending repair work on this house I've noticed an area of rising damp downstairs. When can I live here without having to pay out for something?

If you are looking for a builder and you live in the Hull area of the UK, DO NOT use Action Roofing.

Frozen Shoulder

With the thick frost and snow outside it's ironic that I woke up 2 days with a "frozen shoulder" (and I don't mean a lovely joint for Christmas Day!). My left shoulder and upper arm were in extreme pain. I usually sleep on my back or on my sides. I concluded that sleeping on my side must have caused it.  Reading up on the condition I'm unsure if I have the real thing or just some symptoms of it.. but I was unable to move my arm and I struggled to get dressed. I began to have real sympathy for those less fortunate than myself who are unable to dress themselves on a daily basis, as I cursed the design of a pair of woolly socks. Putting a t-shirt and pullover on was even more problematic as I'm unable to raise my arm above a certain angle. Yelping and wincing I managed to get dressed.

Eventually I took a couple of pain killers, like most men, I thought the pain would go away if I left it.. That night I didn't sleep at all.. Just lay in bed in acute agony. Simple things like gripping and applying pressure, or getting out of the bath, washing my hands provided near impossible without exclamations of pain or restricting my movement in hopes of containment.

The next day I purchased some Ibuprofen Gel and Paracetamol tablets. Thankfully my father helicoptered in some groceries. I didn't want to drive the car, my left arm feeling like a dead weight, I'd be unable to change gears. I slept a lot better last night, only waking up three times.

Rubbing the cream in 4 times a day and taking a painkiller has helped, and today - (day 3) the great thaw has started and the pain has eased. I'm really hoping that by tomorrow mobility in my shoulder will have returned to 100%.

My father telephoned this morning and proudly announced that everyday I’m getting more and more like him!

Going Snow Where

My little car has been surrounded by the recent snow fall.  I've not used it since it started snowing, I'm trying not to.  It looks rather bedraggled in this photo...

2000-2009 Personal Review

In an attempt to recap on the main moments of the last decade I thought I'd detail them here. I've not included all the details because I wanted to protect some people. I haven't mentioned names either.  It's been an eventful decade.

2000

• Moved back to Yorkshire from self-exile in Lancashire, before which I took a holiday and visited friends in Wales.

• Returned to full-time education, enrolled at Huddersfield Uni and studied for a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education. Made a lot of new friends through the course and had a much better social life than I had on my degree.

• Started painting again - close up images of a found object; scrap metal ring from an old washing machine which had a piece of string wrapped around it.

2001

• Graduated the course and offered a job at a private school teaching Art & Design. Loved the job, loved the kids. Sadly it was a short term contract.
• Held a big party in Hull for all the friends I'd made on the internet.
• Broke up with long term girl-friend. Dating someone else for 2 months - fizzled out.
• Started doing some supply teacher work, but hated every minute of it.

2002

• Decided to put all my energy into setting up as a freelance graphic designer. Managed to get a grant from the Princes Trust and also built up a small client base. At the end of the year found myself really struggling, with limited amount of clients and no work coming in.

• Dating again, another girl for a couple of months - seemed like "2 months" was becoming a bit of milestone!

• Moved on to painting vegetables, produced a triptych of close up tomato pictures - 3 foot square on canvas.

2003

• Struggled on designing the odd leaflet, until I really had to start supplementing my graphics work with something else, I decided to go back to supply teaching, signed up with a different agency. End of the year couldn't make the business pay. Limited work from agency forced me to sign on as unemployed. No jobs in Further Education.

• Started taking driving lessons.

• Dated another girl for 4 months! - new record!

• Produced two oil paintings of a close up of a slice of cucumber 6 foot by 3 foot, on canvas.

• Celebrated 5 Years being a Vegan.

• Passed my theory driving test.

• Had an argument with my father - We stopped speaking.

2004

• Job Interview at Grimsby College of FE. Didn't get it, however met a girl, we went out on several dates, got past the 2 and 4 month barrier.

• After 7 failed attempts I finally passed my driving test.

• Bought my first car - a ford fiesta.

• I was offered a job working for a vocational training company teaching basic skills to the unemployed.

• Applied for The Apprentice TV show and was interviewed in Manchester; didn't get selected.

• Went to Leeds/Reading festival. Saw Kaiser Chiefs, The Damned and Franz Ferdinand live.

• Went camping in London.

• Returned back to supply teaching with new agency. Worked at better schools this time and it seemed easier this time round.
• Continued painting string images, creating a pixelated version in oils on canvas 5 foot by 3 foot.

2005

• Enjoyed a Holiday in Glasgow and a camping trip to London.

• Moved in with girl. Together we started renovating her new house.

• Considered buying another property but rejected the idea because of job insecurities.

• My first car was smashed up. It was parked at the side of the road when a joyrider sped past, skidding into the back of it. No one was in the car, but it was written off.

• Went to the Virgin Music Festival stayed in a really dated looking hotel in Birmingham. Saw Morrissey and Oasis

• Continued supply teaching.

• Discovered my dad had an hereditary muscle wasting disease.

• Visited Cornwall and the Eden Project, 2 weeks after the Live 8 concert.

2006

• Bought a new car, Corsa

• Celebrated my 33rd birthday in Liverpool, visited all the Beatles places (I remember), and loved every minute of it.

• During the summer went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and saw loads of brilliant comedians including Ed Byrne and Bill Bailey.

• I was offered a job at a sixth form college, no students enrolled so the offer was rescinded.

• House began to take shape.

• Proposed to girlfriend, she accepted and wedding venues were looked at,

• Moved to my mum's to take stock and get some money together to buy a new house.

• Grandfather died.
• Discovered girlfriend was cheating on me! We broke up.
• Re-established relationship with my father.

2007

• Moved into new house on the 5th of January. The new place is around the corner from where I used to live as a child.

• Uncle (on mother’s side) died.

• Aunt (on father’s side) died.

• Started redecorating, front and back bedrooms.

• Dated a new girl, didn't get past a month!

• Still doing supply teacher work.

• Made a new deep friendship with someone who inspired and gave me a lot of confidence.

• Had my first car accident, was rammed into coming out of a street. Claimed on the insurance but incredibly managed to keep my no claims!
• Bought new monitor.
• Sold TV and sent back TV licence.

2008

• Still working as a supply teacher

• Spent the majority of the year decorating the house, doing DIY repairs, putting back original features of the bedrooms in my house.

• Bought new PC – Dell Inspiron 530

• Tripped at work and needed 4 stitches.

• Collaborated in an art project with an old friend. Art was exhibited at Leeds Uni, however the friendship broke down as a result of the collaboration.

• Inspired to self-publish a book which currently selling on Amazon.

• Had an operation on my big toe. In growing nail was removed, couldn't walk properly through-out the summer as nail healed.
• Cleared garden space of rubbish that was left behind by previous owners.
• Came out of two-year fixed mortgage deal, in a recession, was forced to pay off £13k from my mortgage in order to get a new deal with the bank! Borrowed cash to do it.
• House value dropped a staggering £24,000!
• Sister diagnosed with the same illness my father has.

2009

• February. finally paid off money I'd borrowed.
• Started this blog.

So this is Christmas...

I'm not religious. I don't have any faith or believe in a higher being, yet every year I see the customers stocking up for the holidays and wonder just how much more commercial Christmas can become? Last week I visited my local Asda (supermarket) and it was packed to the rafters with people buying everything, shopping trolleys overloaded with food, chocolates, drinks and gifts. The opening times clearly stated on a sandwich board outside. The store would be closed on Christmas Eve night until the 27th. There are 3 days that people cannot buy food, but to look at the trolleys you would be forgiving for thinking that people were stocking up for a nuclear winter.

When I was a child I don't remember it being like this. Sure my mum bought food, however much of the stuff we ate was made at home; cakes, buns, treats, Yorkshire puddings, the Christmas dinner, the Christmas pudding everything was handmade. My mum would be slaving away for months beforehand. There would be a freezer full of cakes and buns ready for the big day. My dad made wine and beer with his home brew kits. My sister and I made trimmings and crackers at school which decorated the tree and the house. It was a big event but one that was based at home, one that was made at home, not by Mr. Kipling, not by Aunt Bessie. I'm not saying we didn't buy anything in, of course we did... but it was a lot less than today.

It feels wrong to go to Asda and buy Christmas off the shelf. I crave those days when the excitement of Christmas didn't start in mid-October with shops announcing "Christmas Sales Now On", but started with the advent calendar and build up to a festive crescendo on Christmas day. I miss the days of home-made cakes, homemade wrapping paper, decorations and simple food. The days of MB board games, cards, 3 channels on the telly, Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music are a memory now. I really miss being a child and having that awe to look forward to on Christmas day morning. That feeling that kept you awake at night and opened your eyes bright the next day. I miss the feeling that something special was given to me, and I gave something back.

I'm not religious and I don't believe in a higher being. Seeing the swarms of people consuming goods doesn't encourage me.

"So this is Christmas - What have we done?" Sung John Lennon. What have we done?