Christmas. Or not...

Got all the cards and presents sorted out on Christmas Eve. Got up in the morning on Christmas Day and had a lighter breakfast than normal to leave room for Christmas dinner later. Before leaving for my sister's place for family times with people I hadn't seen since the summer and also the much anticipated Christmas dinner I took a Lateral Flow Test as a precaution as everybody else had taken one and tested negative. Guess what? Although I had woken up with the lightest of sore throats - not even sore, just ever so slightly rough and felt quite normal otherwise my test came up positive. Just my luck after having two Pfizer jabs and a Moderna booster as well as the flu jab - what perfect timing!

So for me at least, Christmas is cancelled. I have to stay at home on my own and isolate. Last year due to the Covid-19 restrictions I had to spend Christmas Day on my own for the first time in my life. Not great, but it was expected and I had time to prepare: A 'Socially Distanced' doorstep exchange of presents was arranged at my sister's house so at least everyone got their presents, and I bought in some seasonal provisions so that I could at least arrange a 'Christmas Dinner' of sorts for myself at home. Not great, but it could have been worse. This year it actually was worse  - no presents given or received as I couldn't leave home or meet anyone. And no Christmas dinner or food of any sort as I hadn't got any when I did my usual weekly shop the previous day as I was expecting Christmas Dinner at my sister's as usual. So no chocolate, cheese, and hardly any booze as I sit here on my own for at least a week. It doesn't feel much like Christmas at all.

Still, at least I should have some time now to work on some more backdated posts about gigs - I'm still over two years behind. Keep scrolling down past my other more recent rants...

15/12/2021 Warner E Hodges Band @ The Dublin Castle

 Although things are starting to pick up a little it's been a sparse year for live music - until just before Christmas and now this week there are gigs I want to go to four nights in a row! And this is during the week when I have to get up for work at stupid-o-clock every morning. This really is the worst possible time for all the gigs to come at once! So in one week I want to go to see the Warner E. Hodges Band, The Darkness & Massive Wagons, Ginger Wildheart & The Sinners, and Duncan Reid & The Big Heads. In normal times I would have attempted to go to all four gigs on consecutive nights. But these aren't normal times...

The Warner E. Hodges Band originally announced one London gig on their current UK tour - at the Hope & Anchor, but this sold out before I could get a ticket, and it also clashed with the Darkness + Massive Wagons show at Shepherds Bush Empire. Then another gig was added the previous night at the Dublin Castle - a venue I feel is less likely to have a Covid-laden atmosphere as it's not in a confined basement like the Hope & Anchor. So this was good news for me. More good news was that Dead Hombres have been added to the bill.

Ex-Gasoline Queens frontman Nigel has put this new band together, but they sound very different to his old outfit. Gone are the Les Paul and Marshal style sounds and now the sound harks back to the 1950's with Gretch guitars and Fender amps - and it sounds very good.

This is the most authentic sounding old school rock & roll combo I've heard in a long time.

And onto the headliners. Jason and the Scorchers guitarist Warner E. Hodges has taken a big chance in these perilous Covid times by coming over to Plague Island for a tour. Individual gigs and whole tours by other artists have been cancelled left right and centre in the UK this year. Things are made simpler by him having his own UK band when he tours here and in Europe, and they have formed a 'bubble' for this 5 date tour to keep themselves and their audience as safe as possible. It only takes one band or crew member to catch Covid and the whole tour is cancelled. With testing and good planning they seem to have pulled it off.

The Warner E. Hodges Band always provide a good night out, and tonight is no exception. Mr Hodges is in Christmas mode and sporting suitable headgear. Although he is perceived as a 'Country Rock' artist, with this band the emphasis is very much on the rock - after all, Warner's favourite band is AC/DC.

There are less covers in the set than normal - after all, Warner and the band do have a new(ish) studio album Just Feels Right to promote - it's very good - you should get it. We do as usual get 'Country Roads' (in more rockin' form than by other artists) and a single AC/DC tune in the form of 'Riff Raff'', but unfortunately not the hoped for 'War Pigs' which this band do a stunning version of - maybe they were saving it for tomorrow night's show at the nearby Hope & Anchor? Still, it was a great night at the Dublin Castle and a fun way to end what has been a less than busy year for live music.

Of the six indoor gigs I've been to in 2021 - every single one has been in Camden.

Oh, and what of the gigs on the following three nights? I didn't go to any of them in the end. I think the Ginger & The Sinners show would have been fun (but packed), and Massive Wagons (who I've already missed once this year) and The Darkness (who I've not seen for several years now) on the same bill would have been great fun night out. The Duncan Reid and the Big Heads show was cancelled due to Corona virus risks, and I thought better of going to the other two in the circumstances - with Christmas and family get togethers coming up I though going to gigs several nights in a row would greatly increase my chances of getting Covid-19 and potentially spreading it around....

17/11/2021 Jack J Hutchinson @ The Black Heart

 Another mid-week gig in Camden, and a quick livener or two in BrewDog first.

Then back down the street to The Black Heart - a tiny venue which has really managed to establish itself on the London rock scene in the past few years, although the quality/quantity of it's real ale has slipped as it's prices rocketed. And we won't even mention the awful unisex toilets which everyone hates. I'm only here for the music, and tonight it starts off with Firekind.

I think they were quite good, but to be honest I can't remember much - I blame BrewDog. I think I sneaked back there between bands as I no longer like drinking (or using the toilets) in The Black Heart.

It's taken me a while to discover Jack J. Hutchinson. Actually he had been following me on Twitter for some time but I hadn't really taken any notice as I had no idea who he was - I don't usually check out 'Followers' who I don't know as many only follow hoping (in vain) for a 'follow-back' and I assumed he was just another acoustic singer/songwriter trying to plug his own stuff - and acoustic stuff just doesn't float my boat. I realised later that I had also missed seeing him support (in solo acoustic mode) the lovely Gabriella Jones at her (full electric band) showcase gig at the Hope & Anchor two or three years ago as I didn't get there early enough to catch his set. Fast forward a couple of years and I'm listening to the much missed Feedback Radio and up pops Jack J. Hutchinson - not acoustic, but in full hard and heavy electric form. Now he has my attention. His own original blues rock songs - with the emphasis on rock, and one or two covers - including a rather good version of Sabbath's 'War Pigs' appear on the station. I also find out he has his own weekly show on Feedback Radio, and it's rather good. Now I am following him on Twitter.

Jack has previously been following the blues-rock path, and also venturing into the acoustic singer/songwriter area. However, he is now heading in a distinctively heavier direction. Zakk Wylde certainly appears to be an influence, not just sonically but also in choice of guitar.

The songs are still blues-rock based, but very much veering in the ROCK direction. The band maybe a simple stripped back 3 piece touring outfit, but the sound is thick and heavy.

Tonight's show is to promote Jack's new single Halo from his forthcoming album.

Although Wylde Audio guitars seem to be heavily featured I'm pleased to see a Les Paul does make as appearance as well even if I didn't get a picture of it. Jack has picked two excellent and very metal musicians to make up his rhythm section and the three of them together make a very tight and powerful band - well worth the trip down to Camden on a Wednesday night.

28/10/2021 Last Great Dreamers + The Vulz + Suicide Notes @ The Black Heart

Camden continues to slowly return to life and I find myself back at the Black Heart yet again - this time to see the full blown return of Last Great Dreamers. However, first band of the night is The Suicide Notes.

They seem  a bit of a throwback to the Camden sleaze rock scene of about 20 years ago - decent enough musicians and a good sound, but the vocals left a bit to be desired. Not bad, but I can't remember any of their songs.

Next up are The Vulz. This is more like my cup of tea - good tunes and punk attitude. I've seen these guys two or three times now and they are good fun.

 And so the the headliners. I saw Slyder's offshoot The Oblivion Kids a few months ago at this same venue. That band are effectively Last Great Dreamers without Marc who was having to take some time out for health reasons. However, I'm glad to say Marc is now back and in good form.

It's great to see the band restored to their full lineup and firing on all cylinders. This isn't a one-off gig either - the band are playing a full tour to promote the re-release of their 1994 debut album Retrosexual.

Needless to say, the album is heavily featured in tonight's set - in fact I think they play the whole thing.

The Oblivion Kids are a good band, but the don't have that special chemistry and charisma that Last Great Dreamers display tonight.

Shapes are thrown and great tunes are blasted out - I don't even think their best songs are on that first album...

...so as well as the good pop/rock/Glam songwriting showcased on 'Retrosexual' we also get some newer bangers like 'White Light (Black Heart)' - well they had to play that song at this venue didn't they?, 'Oblivion Kids' and 'Dope School' as well as a handful of other choice cuts. There is nothing not to like.

An excellent mid-week night out, and on my way out after the show I buy the re-released album on CD - and am pleased that unlike at the Dublin Castle the other night I don't find out later that I already have it at home.!

15/10/2021 Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons + The Electric Shakes @ The Dublin Castle

Camden seems to be slowing coming back to life. So I find my self again at The Dublin Castle to see Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons. But before the headliners I see a band who are new to me.

This is The Electric Shakes - and they are very good! They are what I call a proper rock 'n' roll band, and they even have a saxophone player - something you don't see very often these days.

How come I haven't discovered these guys until now? Pounding driving riffs, and actual tunes - this is the real deal.

The Electric Shakes are definitely a band I want to see again - this is the best new band I've seen in ages! OK, so I haven't seen many bands in the last year or so - especially new ones, but this is a band with a 100% rock 'n' roll attitude and there aren't many of them around now.

However, Pussycat & The Dirty Johnsons never fail to deliver the rock 'n' roll goods and are full of snotty attitude.

This band have more of a 50's throwback sound - apart from drummer Filfy Antz throwing in the odd disco beat to shake things up a bit. Dirty Jake on guitar keeps the rockabilly flame alive. Puss Johnson seems to have partly re-invented herself with a slightly more Glam Rock look compared to her earlier Catwoman channeling Tank Girl image, but she still spits and snarls with punky attitude.

After the show Puss is on the merch stall and I buy the band's third album as I already have the first two, but when I get home I find I've already got it - so I really should have bought the fourth one instead! I am an idiot. At least that £10 goes towards the band's fuel money for the trip from their home in Basingstoke.

26/9/2021 Mosquito Aircraft Museum

Two museum visits in three days - Full PPE for me today.

This museum is outside of London, although not far, and is very different but still (sort of) transport related. It's many years since I've been to the Mosquito Museum - or the de Havilland Aircraft Museum as it is now known. A lot has changed since my last visit, but all for the better. An extra hanger has been built and a lot more aircraft have been added to the collection, but sadly many of them have to be left outside - which isn't good for their long term prospects. However, even sitting outside exposed to the elements is better than having already been scrapped which is what would have almost certainly been their fate otherwise - and although their long term future may be at risk at least people can still see and enjoy them for the time being. The rare Comet jet airliner fuselage has at least now been brought inside and restored in part to it's former glory - it was an empty shell kept outside last time I was here. This groundbreaking aircraft (the world's first jet airliner) was designed and built at the nearby factory in Hatfield. Sadly the historic de Havilland factory and airfield at Hatfield have now been allowed to slip into history. At one point there was a plan to at least open a museum on the site, but that fell through for some reason.

In spite of this museum's change of name, the main attraction of the place is still the famous Mosquito aircraft that were designed here at Salisbury Hall - two of the first three Mosquitos ever built were actually built and made their first flights from here to nearby Hatfield. Last time I was here there were only two Mosquitos on display, with another in pieces with the wings off in the very early stages of restoration. The prototype was already restored and on display in an all yellow paint scheme, but has since been further refurbished and repainted in camouflage. Now there are three complete Mosquitos on show - something you will not find anywhere else in the World. They are all kept safe in a hanger for future generations to enjoy.

There are also some other aircraft kept indoors, including a replica of a 1934 Comet racer - a completely different aircraft to the later jet airliner that shares it's name. There are a few parts of a de Havilland Sea Hornet on show - a wooden twin engined post war carrier based aircraft based on similar technology to the Mosquito, but on a smaller scale. These are the only surviving parts known to exist anywhere. Also on site are two Vampires - a jet fighter designed here at Salisbury Hall and first flown at Hatfield in 1943. Training aircraft are represented by the famous Tiger Moth biplane and it's post-war monoplane replacement the Chipmunk - both of which were built nearby at Hatfield. De Havilland  continued into the jet age with the Venom - developed from the earlier Vampire. A far more advanced jet fighter on display is the mighty Sea Vixen also designed and built at Hatfield, although unfortunately this has to live outside at the mercy of the elements.

I'm afraid I didn't take any pictures of the aircraft indoors as it was late in the day and I was running out of time, but if you click on the links above they will take you to the museum's website where you can find pictures of all the aircraft on site (many more than I have mentioned) and also load of information about them. The museum staff are friendly and very knowledgeable - they are only too pleased to answer any questions you may have about the many and varied exhibits.

I can highly recommend a visit to this museum - there is much more to see than I have mentioned, both inside and out. Not just whole aircraft - some of which you can go inside, but also engines and other associated equipment. There is also an excellent shop on site and free parking.

24/9/2021 London Transport Museum Acton Depot

I was absolutely fascinated by the recent Secrets of the London Underground series on Yesterday TV. Some of it was filmed at London Transport's Acton Depot. I thought this looked a really interesting place - and wouldn't it be great if you could actually go there and have a look around?  Then I found out that actually you can. I put that on my list of places of interest to visit... A while later I discovered that the lovely presenter of the TV series Siddy Holloway was giving a talk at the Depot - so what better time to pay a visit?

It was very easy to get to on the tube - just one train direct from Cockfosters to Acton Town and the Depot is only a few minutes walk from the station. It's actually an outpost of the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden which holds larger items that can't fit in the smaller central London museum as well as storing a load of other stuff - much of which is accessible to the public. There are many buses and trains on display from all eras of public transport in London - some you can see in the process of restoration. But there is much more to be found here.

I loved the Yesterday TV series partly because it was so interesting, but also because it features many places which I have been to in the past - some of them quite regularly. But even the places I have been to many times are shown in a new light and some things are revealed about them that I knew nothing about. Holloway Road tube station is a place I have used countless times over the years and continue to do so. I was particularly fascinated by the first episode in the TV series as it featured Holloway Road station and revealed that the world's first and only spiral escalator was installed here! As far as I was aware there had never been an escalator at this station and access was only by the two lifts and the spiral staircase. I never knew that such a thing as a spiral escalator had ever even existed - let alone at Holloway Road! Sadly there is no trace of it to be seen at the station these days and the shaft that once housed it is now disused. It's story is told in the TV series, and the only surviving pieces of it were salvaged from the bottom of the shaft a few years ago - they can now be seen at the Depot.

It's probably of zero interest to almost everyone, but I was absolutely fascinated by this - it's my favourite thing that I saw on my visit!

Apparently although it did actually work it wasn't considered safe enough to be used by the general public so it was never put into service and eventually cut up for scrap - apart from this small part which was discovered at the bottom of the shaft many years later. You can find the full story in the TV series, but I loved being able to examine a piece of the actual thing and figure out how it worked.

I also enjoyed discovering other items from places that I know like this machine from the signal box at the now disused York Road Station on the Piccadilly Line.

I only know York Road Station from above ground and seeing the darkened disused platforms between Caledonian Road and Kings Cross as I pass through on the tube, but this station is also featured in the TV series. As well as the programme featuring Holloway Road, I also found the one about the disused Highgate Station particularly interesting.

There are many old station signs on display - some from stations I know well.

Something I found fascinating are some old signs showing the Underground network as it used to be many years ago.

It's very interesting to contrast these old Underground maps with the network as it is now.

I wasn't really bothered about all the old buses, although the chassis of an old petrol-electric bus was interesting - I didn't know such a thing ever existed. Much more of interest to me were all the old tube trains. There is also some passenger and goods rolling stock from the days of steam power. There is an old red train of the pre-war 1938 Stock which has been restored to working order and sometimes ventures out onto the modern tube network for special trips. I remember travelling in the 1938 stock on the Piccadilly and Northern lines towards the end of it's time in service. Also I found part of a set of 1930's Q Stock cars from the District Line under restoration. Two guys working on them were inviting people in to look around and see the work that was being carried out - I even got to go in the driver's cab for a look round! The guys were only too happy to explain about the work they were doing. I noticed that it seemed to be to a very high standard and some of the electric and pneumatic equipment looked like new - it turned out that some new items were being installed or upgraded, because this train is being restored to full working order and will be run on the current Underground network on special trips like the 1938 Stock has been.

There really is a great deal to see at the Depot on it's open weekends, and it's shop is very good too. However, there was another reason for my visit. I was only made aware of the Depot by the excellent Yesterday TV series Secrets of the London Underground. The series became a big hit on the station in 2021 - partly because of it's engaging and knowledgeable presenters Tim Dunn and Siddy Holloway - one of whom is giving a talk at the Depot this afternoon. Actually Siddy Holloway is giving two talks as this has proved very popular and the room they are being held in only holds 60 people. Seeing there is a huge queue for the limited capacity room an hour before the first talk is due I decide to explore the Depot instead as it looks likely I would queue for an hour and still not get in before the room was full. After enjoying looking round the Depot I manage to get in for Siddy's second talk without much trouble and luck into getting a seat in the second row from the front. The talk is aimed at fans of the TV series and tells much of the background about how it was made. We learn many things that weren't on TV, and how and why certain things could or couldn't be done. The illustrated talk is very good and it's speaker is engaging, informative, and very knowledgable with huge enthusiasm for her work. There is a Q&A session after the talk - Siddy answers most of our questions before we can even ask them. Of course the one question on everybody's lips is "Will there be another series?" Siddy certainly hopes so, and reveals that discussions with the TV company have already taken place due to the huge success of the programme. Nothing has been decided yet, and although Siddy can't confirm anything she says she thinks it is currently highly likely that there will be a second series.

It's great to end on such a positive note! I celebrate by going to a pub up the road - where I find some highly suitable ale before the long tube journey home.

A nice end to a really interesting day out - I will have to pay another visit to the Acton Depot at some point.

18/9/2021 Battle of Britain Air Display @ Duxford

So I'm back on the bike for my second ride up to Duxford this summer, and my third air display in Cambridgeshire this year - this is the sort of thing I really want a motorcycle for. Although it's pretty good for travelling to work as well when the weather is OK. This is one of the big air displays of the year - unlike the much smaller more informal event I attended at the beginning of August. So of course there are a lot more aircraft flying -  unfortunately not including the world's only airworthy Bristol Blenheim pictured here - a very rare aircraft in it's own right.

Going back further in time is this First World War SE5A.

Foward to 1940 and the Battle of France with this Curtis Warhawk.

However, the theme of today's display is the Battle of Britain - an event which this airfield played an important part in. This early Mk 1 Spitfire is particularly significant today for two reasons: The first RAF Squadron to ever be equipped with Spitfires was based here at Duxford, and this actual aircraft took part in the Battle of Britain. 

Naturally the Spitfire and Hurricane feature heavily in today's display.

Only a few years ago to see four airworthy Hurricanes lined up together would have been unbelievable.

Germany is also represented.

There is a wide variety of Spitfires present from the Mk 1...

...to the Mk V...

Later the addition of a twin stage supercharger produced the faster Mk IX...

...and this rather special 'Russian' Mk IX

I've been wanting to see this interesting and recently restored Spitfire. It's colour scheme is unusual but  authentic. This actual aircraft was supplied to the Russians during WW2, and naturally they painted over the RAF markings with red stars. It crashed on the Eastern Front and it's wreck remained there virtually undisturbed until recent years. It was recovered and brought back to the UK to be restored, and has only recently taken to the air again. Click here for more information and much better pictures of this rather special Spitfire.

Now the most famous Spitfire in the UK is this Mk X reconnaissance version - also known as 'The NHS Spitfire' and seen many times all over the country paying tribute to our health service as they have fought their own battle against Covid-19 - sometimes paying with their own lives. Thank you NHS.

The Mk X Spitfire was the fastest of the Merlin engined variants and is capable of well over 400 MPH.

The Spitfire was further developed when the larger Rolls Royce Griffon engine replaced the Merlin - giving the Spitfire over twice the power that the early marks had. Seen here in a Mk XIV.

This was the fastest wartime fighter variant, but was 

quite a handful both in the air and on the ground!

There are some atmospheric sights to be seen on the ground that hark back to the dark days of WW2, but aircraft in museums or parked on airfields can only convey so much...

It's when these aircraft are fired up that emotions really start to stir. Nothing matches the excitement of these machines being brought to life.

Individual aircraft, pairs, and small formations of aircraft including vintage helicopters perform displays throughout the afternoon, but the highlight of the big shows at Duxford tends to be the finale 'Balbo' formation. Normally I don't attempt any photography of anything actually flying with my tiny camera - who want's to see pictures of little dots in a big sky? But I did make an effort for this.

11 Spitfires and 4 Hurricanes flying together in formation isn't something you are likely to get a chance to see anywhere in the World.

After that unique formation things wind down for the day, but there are still things to see on the ground and in the museum hangers while waiting the the crowd to disperse and the ensuing exit traffic jams to die down. There were actually plenty more aircraft flying that I didn't feature here, like the vintage helicopters, and the B-17 and some other aircraft they I only saw from a distance as I was arriving - it wasn't all Spitfires and Hurricanes - they just happened to the the things which interested me most.

You can even take a pleasure flight over the airfield if you are feeling flush.

Although maybe not in the B17.

Or Catalina.

But you can get to see some of the aircraft that took part in the display from much closer as they are wheeled back from the flightline through the crowd area to their home in the hangers.

All in all a great day out, and the weather was almost perfect. A nice motorcycle ride home as the sun sets is a great way to end the day.