Hinge and Bracket

The UK is known for its eccentricities, and amongst our 'musical' offerings were the duo 'Hinge & Bracket'.

Born from the same mould as Flanders & Swann (two men, one piano), the singing duo of Hinge & Bracket were 'National Treasures'.

Dr Evadne Hinge (George Logan), and Dame Hilda Bracket (Patrick Fyffe), performed songs from a previous, more sedate era, wearing their Victorian/Edwardian dresses, and singing in quasi-Soprano voices. They were essentially a Music Hall act, who also found fame on TV.

The song 'This is my Lovely Day', originally by Lizbeth Webb, is from the 1947 West End musical 'Bless the Bride'. A classic for H & B, that demonstrates their style and appeal perfectly.

Fyffe died in 2002, and Logan in 2023. RIP both.

 

University Challenge ?

Most devotees of University Challenge would have enjoyed this edition, and I'm sure they will enjoy it again.

'University Challenge' is a BBC TV inter-University Quiz Competition. Highly contested by all our major Universities.

Just in case you didn't know, the Scumbag College contestants are all from 'The Young Ones' TV programme, and The Footlights team are a group of other well-known UK comedians.

Griff Rhys-Jones plays the part of question-master 'Bambi' (Bamber Gascoigne).

A classic sketch of its era!

 

Victorian Tiled Steps

These lovely old tiled front doorsteps are from a terrace opposite the church; just down the road from where I live. Several of the houses have exactly the same pattern

As you can probably see from the photo below, some are in a pretty poor state of repair (this isn't the worst). 

One of them was really falling to bits, and I was very pleased to see recently, that a man was totally re-tiling it. I stopped for a chat, and told him how impressed I was with his workmanship. He had re-tiled the entire flight of steps; top to bottom.

Each small black and white square is individual; these are not interlocking bigger tiles all put together. The time and effort in creating the finished effect is extraordinary.

And here, below, is the finished job. Real craftsmanship. 

I was about to photograph it, and he told me to come back in an hour, as he was about to grout it. He wanted me to see it in it's full finished splendour! And here it is....

You really would think they were the original Victorian steps; nice job!

Rap 'music'

As news comes of yet another 'Rap Singer' (named Offset?) being shot, in a US casino, one has to wonder why these people are so aggressive towards one another. One has to presume that such aggression is all part of their identity and raison d'etre.

You don't hear of people like Cliff Richard shooting at Elton John, or Vera Lynn shooting at Doris Day, so why do these people, usually with very silly names, all seem to hate each other? Maybe it's to do with alternative 'business matters', rather than the 'music'.

If (like me) you don't know much about Rap 'music', here is a standard example (above) from S London. I think it's much the same the world over.

The clothes are always the same, the 'songs' always equally vacuous and tune-free, the message always aggressive, and the overall ambiance one of anti-society, and lawlessness. 

Smoking Ganga is obligatory, and XL Bullies are optional. This is what certain communities listen to, imitate, and admire! When you see those masked men on their E Bikes whizzing around with earphones on; this is probably what they're listening to.

It certainly ain't Val Doonican.

Sprung

Spring certainly has sprung, UK style. A good mix of 'pleasantly changeable' weather has now greeted us before Summer arrives. Plenty of warm sunshine (16 C yesterday, 19 C today), mowed lawns, and leaves appearing on the trees, all are signs of a welcome change.

Our communal lawns (above) and our private garden (hidden) have been tidied, and a noisy 'dawn chorus' greets us in the early hours. And on sunny days there are plenty of sun-worshippers in the churchyard, bearing their chests (the men, that is).

Our Gardeners, both here and in France, have been busy, and both gardens are neat and tidy. The fruit trees are all filled with flowers, and no doubt 'Summer Dresses' will soon be dusted-down and worn again. In France the front of the house is swathed in Wisteria flowers (below). Sadly we don't get to see the flowers in Spring, but it does flower again in Summer.

There are, of course, new born Lambs in the fields as well. What a wonderful time of year.

 

Product Test

Kimbo had mentioned that he'd bought some frozen Lamb Shanks from Lidl (I think), and that they'd been delicious.

Then, I just happened to notice that they had some in Sainsbury's; so I invested.

Inside the pack were two separate, frozen, vacuum packed, Lamb Shanks in a deep rich gravy.

They needed about 45 mins in the oven, so in went some spuds to roast, then 15 mins later in went the emptied packs of lamb; making sure to keep all the sauce. When the hour was up; they were all perfectly cooked.

We were both very pleasantly surprised. In fact I shall visit Lidl this week to see if they have some; if not I'll buy them again from Sainsbury's. A pack of these in the freezer is an excellent back-up; as it was for me on Easter Day.

The finished dish was impressive looking, very tender and tasty, and no work! If I had one tiny criticism, it would be that the sauce had a slightly artificial mint flavour; but nothing to worry about.

Verdict: 9/10 I shall now keep a pack of these in the freezer at all times.

 

Alaska: Homestead Rescue.

 

Here in the UK there are some minor TV channels that probably have only ONE VIEWER. One such is DMAX; and I think the only viewer is ME!

Some while ago I discovered a programme called 'Alaska: Homestead Rescue'. It's vaguely similar to the UK's DIY SOS, but instead of ordinary householders in need of help, the ones requiring assistance are failing US 'Homesteaders' whose ramshackle woodland cabins are usually no more than falling-down garden sheds, and their 'Homesteads' are more like Junkyards than Farmyards. So, along comes a trio of 'caped-crusaders', who, just like in DIY SOS, promise to make things better in just 7 days.

It has to be said that the majority of 'Homesteaders' around the world, are well organised and successful. But this programme searches-out the most hapless amongst them, for the sake of making 'interesting' viewing.  

I've only seen a few of these programmes, but the lives and lifestyles of these particular featured Homesteaders is rudimentary to say the least. They tend to live off almost nothing, have a few hens, and scatter their collection of scruffy junk and belongings over a wide area. No effort is ever made to create an enclosed Farmyard, where all their barns, animals, and growing areas are protected from the wildlife that lives around them. The very idea of 'Landscaping' seems totally alien to them. When you live in an area that is full of Bears, Cayotes, Wolves, Poisonous Snakes, etc, the first thing anyone would usually do is to create a safe enclosure for themselves, their crops, and their animals. But no......

In many ways I do approve of these people's choice of lifestyle, but NOT of how they go about it. It costs nothing to be tidy, or make your exterior environment as attractive as possible. It might cost a bit to bring-in water, or solar power, or fix the roof, but to live amongst a mess is not the route to a decent standard of living. So they write to Mr Fix-It (Marty Raney, his daughter Misty, and son Matt, above) and they come to help; and, of course, to make a TV programme about themselves.

Frankly, by the time they leave, these Homesteads don't look very different to how they were the week before. They may have a new precarious source of water, a veg' patch, and a few solar panels, but life rarely seems to improve for the residents. In fact the whole TV programme is more of a back-slapping exercise for the Raney family themselves, than for improving the lives of these Homesteaders.

In DIY SOS, the families end-up, after a week, with a completely new, fully-fitted, re-designed, luxury home; but, of course, they do have about 100 volunteer workers.  I think Mr Raney should take a look at a few of their episodes!

A bunch of old hippies with big beards, and a desire to live off the land, is de rigueur in this TV programme. If that 'Lights your Fire' then AHR could be for you! I must say; there's something really nice about seeing people happy to live in tumble-down shacks, even though they're desperate for some running water and a useable loo.

Does 'Homestead' always have to mean 'Ramshackle'?..... I don't see why it should!

Verdict: 3/10 Good for a rainy (Raney?) afternoon siesta.