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Grand Mess

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Week from Monday 10th August 2026 - Now that my CYCLE-VIEWING is over for a couple of weeks (a disappointing conclusion to both the Tours I'd been following this week), I've been giving some attention to some BBC PROMS. When I reach that time of day when I can concentrate on some music, I'm less inclined to put on a CD these days, and more likely to strap on the headphones and activate the BBC SOUNDS I-Player doobry for a random selection from the prommy playlist. I'm ignoring any chronology and just picking out anything that looks interesting on paper (well, on screen anyway!). I've learnt from years of disappointment to stay clear of anything performed by the BBC's own orchestras, although I have (of course) listened to the BBCSO doing MAHLER's Sixth, which wasn't too bad! (I came for the KURTÀG and stayed for the MAHLER!) Of particular interest lately have been some of the "PROMS ACROSS THE UK" concerts that are not even at the Albert Hall...
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You Can't Go Wrong With JSB

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Week from Monday 27th July 2026 - That's it! I managed to get through three weeks of TOUR DE FRANCE highlights, without once having to listen to the scintillating dialogues of Rob Hatch and Sean Kelly! Of course, it was always going to be 'THE POGGY SHOW' (previously known as 'THE POGGY & VINGO SHOW', but THAT ended abruptly a week ago!). Mathieu van der Poel clinched the coveted CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES sprint (m'eh!), but now that the Montmartre climb is now a permanent(?) fixture, the whole 'finale' was spectacular. It was a fairly good Tour for the LiDL-TREK lads in the end. MADS PEDERSEN sealed the deal in the GREEN JERSEY competition. He now joins a select handful who have taken the Points in all three Grand Tours. JUAN AYUSO and MATTHIAS SKJELMOSE both figured in the GC top ten. LiDL-TREK took the overall TEAM PRIZE, although I'm still not sure how THAT gets calculated! QUINN SIMMONS also received some sort of Combative SUPER-BEST Team-Mate Award ...
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Heritage

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Week from Monday 13th July 2026 - 'MONDAY DOING MONDAY STUFF'... Got off to a start a bit late this morning, but my routine selection of RADIO PODCASTS was more condensed this week! "LE SHOW" and "NO SUCH THING AS A FISH" were business as usual, but... "STRONG MESSAGE HERE" is taking a summer break, so no episode at all this week... "FRIPP@80" on YouTube wasn't nearly as verbose as some of his previous 'episodes', so that didn't take very long... I gave this week's episode of "KEY CHANGES" a miss altogether, upon finding that it was entirely dedicated to the music of GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL. So that all saved me an hour or so, better spent catching up with yesterday's TOUR DE FRANCE highlights. #OnThisDay #FiftyYearsAgo 13/07/76, I saw GRYPHON play a terrific gig in CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL. They were at the peak of their powers and made full use of the amazing acoustics of the cathedral. I particularly rem...
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Jersey, Spuds

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Week from Monday 29th June 2026 - Whoops! here we go again! It's already Thursday and I haven't thought about anything to DIARISE about yet! It's hasn't been QUITE so haht 'round these parts (or 'round MY parts!) this week, but I've still endured a few hot'n'sticky sleepless nights, and I prefer to stay in the shade with the fan blowing during the day... However, I am obliged to step outside on FRIDAY, because I have another BLOOD TEST to undergo, plus I will be visiting the moneygrabbing DENTAL PRACTICE, in order to pay them a DEPOSIT, ahead of my six-monthly check-up in September ('cos I don't like to do that sort of thing over the phone!). My smile is stuck, so I have to go back to yr POUNDLAND as well... My VISA CARD expires this month, and I was starting to worry because they hadn't yet sent me a new one. While I was in town, I checked in with my bank to find out the score. The chap told me that the new one SHOULD be in the post....
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HAHT gassup redux

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Week from Monday 15th June 2026 - I finally got around to the happy task of turning CBQ's naughty recording of the SOFT MACHINE gig at The Green Hotel in Kinross into a SINGLE DISC LISTENING EXPERIENCE, and pretty atmospheric it is too. As is usual with latter day Softies, once you cut out the banter and dead air between numbers (and abbreviate the drum solo!), it NEARLY all fits on one seventy-nine minute disc anyway! In this case, I also needed to omit "Joy Of A Toy", which will go on a future "HOT TICKLES" compilation instead. Week from Monday 22nd June 2026 - I dipped in and out of the Sky Arts coverage of the ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL, but for the most part, none of it was for the likes of me! I did however stay up to watch Shelfy's favourite band THE CURE in all their glory. I don't think that the HIGH DEFINITION close-up cameras did them any favours though. Nobody needs to see geriatric goths squinting in the unaccustomed light through badly app...
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Expanded Edition

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Week from Monday 1st June 2026 - I did one of those L-O-N-G phone calls to the ELF CENTRE to organise my next rounds of pre-HORSEPICKLE blood tests. You have to wait until after eleven-thirty on a Wednesday before you can book an appointment these days, and then you have to listen to twenty minutes of terrible electronic Mozart before you can get through to a person to make your arrangements. But at least I shan't have to TAKE A GAMBLE the next time, going all the way to the general obstacle, only to find that I can't be seen to on a 'WALK-IN' basis... The LiDL-TREK ladies have been having a better time of it in their version of the GIRO D'ITALIA... ELISA BALSAMO sprinted three-for-three in the opening stages, thus wearing the PINK JERSEY. But she lost it by quite a few minutes in the Stage Four TIME TRIAL. However, she's still leading the RED JERSEY points competition by a comfortable margin and keeps winning everything that isn't too hilly, thanks to the...
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Not So Disappointed?

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Week from Monday 11th May 2026 - Meanwhile In Blooskyland, a couple of SOFT MACHINE recordings have exchanged hands... I posted a picture of the CD cover that I did for the recent SWISS WEBCAST, so naturally I had a few replies from the curious. It appears that the original broadcast is no longer there, so opportunities for 'acquisition' have now been lost (It hasn't yet appeared on the SUGARMEGS archives either, surprisingly - although there is ANOTHER recent show in Portugal that will no doubt need hearing at some point!). Luckily, I captured the "CONCERTO-JAZZ" broadcast on the night and I do have THE FILES! I sent a link to my Scottish chum "CBQ" and he in turn has sent me his own 'naughty' recording of the Softy gig in KINROSS, which I look forward to getting into. But I have a couple of other "PROJECTS" to do before I give it my FULL attention. I recently got sent some rather good soundboards from BRAND X's 1978 "M...
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