9/7/2023 Back in Hornsey yet again.

A day of quality live music in London doesn't have to be expensive. In fact it can be virtually free - a possible charity donation if you want, but no pressure. Plus whatever you choose to spend on food and drink - either in the adjacent pub, or you are free to bring your own. You never know - the sun may even come out too! 😎 If your musical tastes include blues/rock/soul then these free events in North London might be for you.

It's always a really relaxed and friendly atmosphere here.

A totally unique setting with an interesting history There is plenty to see if you choose to wander around the churchyard and surrounding area between the musical acts.

And you can also visit the adjacent pub for a break and some refreshment. The pub is happy to let visitors to music events over the road use their toilets as well - just as well as there are no facilities in the church grounds.

The Great Northern Railway Tavern is quite welcoming and has an excellent range of ales! If I need to pop in to use the toilet I think it's only polite to buy a drink to show my appreciation. Well that's my excuse anyway - do the right thing. 😉🍺

The pub has some interesting features and is largely unspoilt - something that is rare these days. And back to the music...

And back to the pub - this stuff is nice!

And more music....

...Back to the pub...

Nice relaxing surroundings in an old pub that has managed to retain some of it's character.

These summer events at the St Mary's Clock Tower are a tribute to local blues musician Jimmy C. His band the Blues Dragons play here with a variety of special guests to perform some blues and rock standards, along with some of Jimmy's original songs. Probably the most interesting and moving of these has a strong local connection - it's about two people who are actually buried in this churchyard.

Jimmy's song 'Jacob Walker' tells a fascinating and touching true story concerning a grave that can be found only a few yards away from the spot the song is being performed.

There are information boards around the churchyard telling the story of the old church of which only the clock tower remains - and also some of the graves to be found nearby - including the story of Jacob Walker as told in the song...

Another interesting and enjoyable afternoon spent in Hornsey. Back to the pub to use their 'facilities' and 'one for the road'. Well one for the rails actually as Hornsey station on the Great Northern main line is almost next door. Will I be able to resist popping into the pub within sight of New Barnet station when I get off the train? 🚆🍺

2/7/2023 A day out in the country - air display at Old Warden

A nice summer's day - well it would have been if the sun came out! Well at least it's not cold or raining which it often is in an English summer. Anyway, it's still a pleasant enough day to be out and about on the bike so here I am in deepest Bedfordshire. Old Warden is always an interesting place to visit and there is plenty to see even if there isn't an air display taking place - the Shuttleworth Collection has plenty of other things to see apart from old aircraft, but they are the reason I like to visit here. My father first brought me here when I was I kid and I have been back many times since.

The various flying displays that take place here each year have different themes, but don't expect to see anything too modern - particularly jets.

Some genuine WW1 and even earlier aircraft are based here and maintained in airworthy condition, but today most the planes flying are from the 1930s and 1940s. There are other weird and wonderful things to be seen as well - what's this?

It called a Hucks Starter and it uses it's motor to spin the propeller of early aircraft to start them. Crude but effective! It's based on a Ford Model-T chassis.

Training aircraft are one of today's themes - this is a Miles Magister as used by the RAF in the 1930s and during WW2.

From the other side of the pond this is a Ryan trainer of a similar vintage.

A scene almost from the 1930s - from left to right: Westland Lysander, Gloster Gladiator, Supermarine Spitfire, de Havilland Comet, a Russian Po-2, and in the air top right a Hawker Hurricane.

Seeing the record breaking 1934 air racer Comet in the air is pretty special - it's one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built. It would be even better if it was in focus...

A not so rare MkIX Spitfire.

One of the great things about the Shuttleworth Collection is virtually all it's aircraft are not just dusty museum pieces - they are alive!

This Avro Lancaster is too big to land or take off from this small grass airfield and just put in a quick flypast on it's way home from another event.

A couple of more recent aircraft: An ex-Yugoslav air force Kraguj. Horrible noisy thing!

A North American Navion. It's a quite sophisticated 1950s design, and although it looks like a civil aircraft it's US military paint scheme is quite authentic.

As well as vintage aircraft there are always interesting vehicles to be found here, from steam powered traction engines, cars, and this old Italian military motorcycle which caught my eye.

I couldn't help but compare it to my own means of transport for today.

Much more enjoyable than traveling home by car, although not as fast as my Triumph 955i Daytona I rode on my last visit to Old Warden. This one is better suited to riding on the grass and gravel tracks here though.

1/7/2023 Dirty Strangers & Electrics @ The Fiddler

My first visit to a new venue - in fact my first visit to Kilburn for quite a while. This is The Fiddler - the latest venture of well known promoter and music venue owner Vince Power. Rather downsized from the sort of venues Vince is known for like the Mean Fiddler and Town & Country Club. I think he went bankrupt some time ago and is now starting again from the bottom in his old stamping grounds. This is basically a small pub venue, but has potential...

I have travelled over to Country Kilburn to see a couple of bands who I know will be entertaining. First up are 🗲Electrics🗲.

With their New York influence and snotty attitude they are always fun!

This is virtually a home gig for this West London based band, although they are more usually to be found in the Portobello Road area at places like Mau Mau Bar.

The standard of musicianship is excellent, and they have some catchy and memorable songs too - 'No Shit' with it's punk attitude being a good example.

I made up the term 'Jagged rock 'n' roll'© to describe this band when I first saw them at the Dublin Castle - and it seems to have stuck. 😉

While I am watching the band someone takes a seat just behind me. I take no notice at the time as he doesn't look familiar, but I find out later that it was actually the legendary Vince Power himself.

Dirty Strangers have been around quite a lot longer than 🗲Electrics🗲, although I first saw the two bands playing on the same bill at the Dublin Castle. It's turns out that Alan Blizzard frontman of the former and Alan Clayton of the latter band go back many years as mates, so it's not surprising that they often pop up on the same bills together.

In fact, Dirty Strangers have been around long enough to be associated with the Rolling Stones - Keith Richards in particular as he and Alan wrote a song together - a story Al likes to drop in at nearly every gig the band play - well who wouldn't? There is certainly a definite Rolling Stones feel to a lot of the band's songs.

This video is one of the band's earlier favourites and very catchy!

Dirty Strangers are very much a London band, and to emphasise that fact they have half inched a well known classic from the USA and changed it into 'Shepherds Bush City Limits'! And instead of having car songs about Cadillacs or Mercurys they sing about the joys of having a 'Gold Cortina'! That's an old song of theirs that just been rerecorded for their new album 'Hunter's Moon'. Another song from their new album is 'Pirates Don't Get Pensions' - an ode to the financial perils of being a struggling artist and living outside of 'the system' - rebelling against society and paying the price in later life...

It's been a top night of entertainment from two great rock 'n' roll bands at a new venue I look forward to visiting again in the future...