2006: The Best and the Worst

2006 has been a year of survival. Surviving a move of house, surviving the final year of my degree, surviving a year long placement and surviving and surviving on a lack of money. But it has also been a year of amazing things as well including music, books, games and writing. There are many but here is a stab at the best and the worst of 2006



THE BEST OF 2006

MUSIC
The year I saw Blind Guardian in Concert
Seeing Blind Guardian live at KoKo in London was an ambition fulfilled. It was their first tour to Britain and it was amazing. Valhala and The Bard's Song (In The Forest) stand out as memorable forever!

my Permalink


The year I bought some more Albums

• Blind Guardian's 'A Twist in the Myth' came out. Brilliant artwork, excellent songs, a nod to a more commercial offering but memorable anthems and they work well live.
• Mastodon - 'Blood Mountain', heavy, playable heavy, play it!
• Dragonforce - 'Inhuman Rampage' Not normally what I regularly listen to and not what I expected but I keep coming back to it. I love the speed and the flourishes of humour.
• My most played album this year was Blind Guardian's 'Live'. Coupled with the DVD, the hairs still stand out on the back of my neck.

The year I actually finished watching an opera on TV

• Mozart's 'Cosi Fan Tuti'. I actually watched all this and it was sooo funny!

BOOKS
The year I discovered JG Ballard
JG Ballard's 'Kingdom Come' is his latest book, the first I've read by him and the most excellent book I've read! Ever! Closely followed by 'The Drowned World', his nth book. Hauntingly good, and poignant for today's global worries. Both books work on your mind long after reading. I cannot praise Ballard enough! Check the website - The Ballardian.

The year I read Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams - 'The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy', 'Life, the universe and everything' and 'The Restaurant at the End of the Universe' all inspired me to get my writing off the ground earlier than I had planned.

The year I built a Rupert the Bear book collection
'You have to see Bestall's endpapers!'

• 'The life and works of Alfred Bestall illustrator of Rupert Bear' - Caroline G. Bott.
• A tatty 'A Bear's Life' - George Perry with Alfred bestall
• Rupert Annual 1961
• Rupert Annual 1969
• Rupert Facsimile Annuals 1955, 1957 & 1958
• Plus others...
  

Rupert The Bear shop


The year I discovered Rackham
'The French roleplaying company, not Arthur'

• Cadwallon The Free City - Player's Handbook
  

Rackham website



GAMES
The year I got into games

Nintendo DS Lite - cool piece of technology with great games

• New Super Mario Bros.
• Animal Crossing: Wild World
• Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
• Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

____________ (space where Nintendo Wii should be)

• The legend of Zelda - Twilight Princess - for Wii (no Wii yet though!)
• Metroid Prime 2 - Echoes for Gamecube (I'll play it on my Wii when I get one)

Game On exhibition. See my Permalink



COMICS
The year I got back into comics games

• Mnemovore - Vertigo [review]
• Army of Darkness - Dynamite Entertainment
• Wonderland - SLG Publishing Disney
• Fear Agent - Image
  

WRITING
The year I wrote a Short Story or three!

• The Old House
• Dead Manse
• Bedlam

And started a Novel

• Tales of Magistery and Confabulation

And wrote more Poems

• Dark Wonderland
• The Dark Tide
• Rust Hut
• The Mission

WEB
The year I developed the website and started a blog and found cool stuff

Wonderland- games related, has to be checked every day, cool, games-related stuff from around the world
Rackham- tabletop roleplaying from France, amazing graphics
Nintendo- the best
UK Gamespot, Pocket Gamer Blog, Eurogamer, British Gaming Blog, Joystiq, SPOnG - all for game news
Firefox - where would I be without it? Thanks Mozilla
THE GREEN ORCHARD, Tales of Magistery... and A Green Orchard (this blog!) ;-)



FILMS
'Cinema, DVD, TV etc.'

• Howl's Moving Castle - saw this at The Watershed in Bristol - Wow!
  
• Night Watch - Author - Book - Film - DVD: BBC review
• Doctor Who Up Close exhibition (for my birthday :-))
• Dracula & The Ruby in the Smoke - my permalink

PLACES
The year we discovered Dorset

• Lyme Regis - the best restaurants with a cool old bookshop
• Bridport - the best place with a cool old bookshop
• Dorchester - the best teashop and a cool old bookshop
• Castleton, Derbyshire - was great at Christmas and a cool old bookshop

THE WORST OF 2006

MOVING HOUSE
Had to be done but it was the most traumatic episode I ever had to go through!

DEGREE
Struggling through this final year of my BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing degree, working, being on placement, no money and having to write a dissertation made this DIFF-I-CULT beyond belief!

FINANCES
What finances?

Wii
Should have been the best thing of 2006 but didn't manage to get one! >>> best of 2007 :-)

WARS
Wars, all wars, no exceptions!


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Herge on Tintin on TV

Tintin and Me on BBC4 tonight
Really enjoyed this. There is always political controversy when Herge is mentioned but his body of iconic work speaks for itself - just really cool drawings...


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Christmas Hols...

An unexpected Christmas Holiday. My name, pulled rabbit-like from a hospital hat!
And I spent the time Oh, so wisely. I managed to get hold of a copy of Super Mario Advance 4 AKA Super Mario Bros. 3 for Gameboy Advance to play on my DS Lite :-)

rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Ruby and Dracula!

Ah, it's Christmas and TV has amazed me by being so good!

The Ruby in the Smoke - Philip Pullman's novel (from The Sally Lockhart quartet) adapted for TV turned out to be excellent. Billie Piper played a good part (better than in Doctor Who) in what was a Victorian drama that captured the period really well.

Dracula - Bram Stoker's novel adapted for TV was awsome! Oh, the Gothic...

Both BBC dramas showing they can still do stuff well...


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

It's Boxing Day

rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Thanks Santa, Thanks Nintendo

DS'd up!

Unpacking (10:00)

Charging (12:00)

Opening

Nearly there...

Open!

Loading

Up and Running!

A TARDIS and a DS Lite - what more could you ask for?

rustle

Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

It's Christmas Day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

The Tree

The Table

The Teapot


Look what landed!

Carols last night, wrapping presents until 02:30 in the morning and to top it all Santa does Nintendo!

rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.

All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

It's Christmas Eve!

It's Christmas Eve! I love Christmas Eve!

It was Robin of Sherwood day yesterday on ITV3! One of the greatest series ever created for television without a doubt and although it was all leafy green, longbows and swordplay, it made me feel really Chrismassy.

I managed to swap some DVD's for a copy of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow from Konami for my DS Lite I'm getting for Christmas, so I'm quite chuffed!

In the end, I managed to get the food and presents sorted out so all in all, I'm quite ready for Christmas. The only thing I saw that spoiled it for me today was certain large, retail chains emptying their windows of anything to do with Christmas, leaving empty shelves and spaces in the windows! Christmas is just starting, not finishing! The corporate, materialistic drive should at least stop for one day of the year surely? It can't dampen my spirit though and speaking of spirit, where's my brandy mince pie?

Merry Christmas, happy Christmas, peaceful Christmas - all.


rustle.



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A nightmare just before Christmas

Talk about a nightmare just before Christmas! I went to get a Nintendo DS Lite + New Super Mario Bros. from HMV, really good deal, you get the game for £5 - bargain! Only they didn't have New Super Mario Bros.!! I got them to put the console + Yoshi's Island 2 away until I could get back in - it was the last Yoshi's Island 2 in the shop!!! They did, only they didn't!!!! They put the console away but sold the game!!!!! Notice a crescendo of explaination marks!!!!!! There is a good ending to this story, I bought the console and got the deal and just have to wait for the next delivery of New Super Mario Bros. or Yoshi's Island 2!!!!!!! Talk about a nightmare just before Christmas!!!!!!!! I'm all pling'd out now.

As a sweetener, I did manage to get Zelda II on Gameboy Advance (backwardly compatible and a historical god in gaming) for £7.99 from Virgin :-)

After a lack of Wii, I now feel a little more in the Christmas spirit - I might even start thinking about other people's presents, season of goodwill an' all that ;-)

And talking about a nightmare just before Christmas, Morello & I watched Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas - the Christmas lights in the Christmas place are just the best evocation of Christmas ever...


rustle

Soundtrack of my day: Status Quo - Piledriver



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Wii? Non

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

|Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii |
|Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii |
| Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii|
|Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii |
|Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii |
|Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii Wii |
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

What's this space above?

It's the space where my Nintendo Wii game console should have been :-(
I pre-ordered at Currys - big mistake. Although they said in the store they only got 5000 units (mmm yes...) , it turns out they got none! I am not happy. In future? Only buy/pre-order from large games-specific companies.
My pre-order for Zelda from Woolworth did get fulfilled, I got the text message. Great, I have Zelda wrapped under the Christmas tree with nothing to play it on!

I'm going to get a DS Lite with New Super Mario Bros. I tried yesterday to get a good deal but most places had sold out of that as well! I will get one today, wish me luck. Philosophically, it might not be a bad thing. The more I see of the DS, the more I like, there are some brilliant games out there whereas the really great games (Zelda notwithstanding) for the Wii are still to be developed...

In summary

Wii? Non - none left!

rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

It's Game On

Went to the Game On exhibition at the Science Museum in London the other day - brilliant!
From the posters in the windows outside to the machines set in the walls of the exhibition it was heaven.

From the PDP-11 through to the Wii & Playstation 3 all are represented. I got to play Space Invaders, Xevious, Star Wars in a cabinet, TLOZ-Ocarina of Time, Rez, Guitar Hero. Rez on the PS2 was absolutely amazing!

There was a really cool design board for Grand Theft Auto & others and artwork for things like Tombraider (I would have loved the Dungeon Master original poster artwork). Loads of Pokemon stuff as well. Something for everyone! I didn't hang around to play on the Wii as mine hopefully arrives Friday (can't have it until Christmas though!)

Just loved it. Only wished there had been a booklet to take away - I just love all that history detail...

Got to run... rustle

Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Wii Wii Wii all the way home...

I pre-ordered my Nintendo Wii console the other day from Curry's in the town where I live.
I'm number 10 in the list so I should get one! :-)

Zelda!

Just got to pre-order Zelda now!


rustle

It's degenerating into roleplaying

Soundtrack of my day: Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Rainbow Rising

The four little words I didn't want to have to say!

Don't get me wrong, I love roleplaying - developing a character: Half Elf, Goblin, Paladin, Thief, +16 Strength, Special Abilities. Setting out into a world, developing experience, honing skills...

What I hate is when I have to go on a course, doesn't matter which one; large American Corporate Management or large British Public Sector Institution, either will do. You turn up after battling the traffic at some impossible hour, say 9:30 am, you know, just when the traffic has built to its optimum overload and you can't get anywhere! The building is claustophobically hot which leads to an explosion of perspiration after you have just speed marched from the car park that is conveniently miles away from any venue! And you very nearly don't have time (nearly don't) to get a coffee which makes the next 3.5 hours almost bearable. You are then lulled into a false security. There are foils, there are hand-outs, there are question sessions. If you are really lucky there may even be a coffee break (I love tea but I have to make it myself, alas the one thing technology will never be able to replicate). There are even break out sessions and all before lunch. It's almost enjoyable. Almost. You break for lunch (there are two types; type 1 - the too short to do anything with you get annoyed or type 2 - the not too short but not long enough and you end up going out and having to run back and perspire like mad again). You return from lunch (type 1 or type 2) ready for more of the same but oh no! Were it that simple! "okay everybody, we've planned a roleplaying session..." Aaaarrrgghhhh!!!! It's not roleplaying, it's not! It doesn't contain any character development, there aren't any special abilities, there is no sword-wielding, there are no goblins - IT'S NOT ROLEPLAYING!

This happened recently, so recently that I still haven't recovered from having to make that emergency phonecall and utter those four little words - It's degenerating into roleplaying.


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

At last, a sensible job with a bit of vision

person wanted to paint asteriod. Uniform provided, inclusive of meals & travel allowance

See Guardian Science section!



rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Autumn has come...

Soundtrack of my day: Status Quo - Quo

Autumn has come
And turned the trees
Their raiment from green to brown
And crimson and old gold and ochre,
Transmuted my understanding
Turned my thoughts from then to now
A vivid phoenix
From the ashes of old thought



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Soundtrack of my day: Yes - Close To The Edge, Blind Guardian - Live

My daily scan of 'interesting' websites to keep up with the news and views of gaming took me to Wizard's Dungeons & Dragons website and the Cityscape excerpt and the city of Blackwall. It would have been really cool (for English players anyway) if they had introduced a tunnel and it had been a really busy place. Why? Well, this would have lead to scenarios with "and there is a holdup in the Blackwall Tunnel causing serious delays". I checked, there was no tunnel... [Well, it amused me!]

Wonderland blog is back after a week off - scary site relating to Where's Waldo/Wally?
I'd never even heard of - is this legal? (funny though - my kids used to collect the magazine...)


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

WoW - now that's what I call dedication

Soundtrack of my day: Mastadon - Blood Mountain

I haven't played World of Warcraft yet (am I the only person left?) I intend to. I read about journo types meeting 'online' as 'the thing to do!' in some newspaper article recently. I picture myself waltzing into the virtual world, doing a little exploring, maybe having to do a little swordplay, then congratulating myself, patting myself on the back. Then I read an article in PC Gamer Dec 2006 on 'The Grind' where gamers are spending 15 hours a day, playing to become the top ranking 'High Warlord'! 15 hours a day! All that time consists of killing characters like me, I don't stand a chance. Well, I can just hear the the conversation between the two journalists. "Oh hi, you made it", "Yes, it's really great here isn't it?", "Aaarrgghhhh!', "What the? Aaarrgghhh!".

See you in WoW - for a really short period of time (probably)...


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

hypnotic electronic - while the mouse is away

Soundtrack of my day: Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
Watching: The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring

I'm sat here listening to Tangerine Dream, its hypnotic electronic synthesis emanating out from behind the door of my sons bedroom like the fog that has shaped the previous day's mornings. (While the mouse is away, the cat will use his stereo system!)

I finished watching The Fellowship of the Ring on DVD last night (I still get emotional when Borromir dies - the human realisation), because I can now! My dissertation's finished. As soon as I had it bound, then posted it into the collection box I felt a great weight lift and I found myself physically looking up! I noticed buildings had windows or balconies or signs I had never seen before - a physical difference from a mental state change...
I watched Shaun of the Dead the night before. Funny, not laugh out loud but worth a watch. The artwork from 2000AD in the Extras was interesting - I missed all this when it first came out.

I ordered the book 'Art of Cthulhu Mythos' (online, Travelling Man) from Travelling Man - Bristol after trying to track it down from various shops. It's probably a £ cheaper online but I do still like going into a shop. Had an interesting chat regarding World of Warhammer TCG in said shop, the gist of which was, although simple, they had combined some of the best elements of other games. There is also the concept of prizes in sealed packets which is a nice twist.

Firefox 2.0 problem I had displaying Rackham website is fixed! I think it needed the install of Flash Player but but still not sure. Either way, I'm happy :-)

The last thing I was last night was a preview for The Lord Of The Rings: The White Council from EA. The artwork is great, take a look.

Morello's at university today on a 3D modelling workshop for Stop Motion models and I'm going to write some more Tales... before getting some sleep as I'm working 2 night shifts in HDU tonight & tomorrow.


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Dissertation - compete

my dissertation
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Whats that? It's me drawing a line under my dissertation! It's finished, complete, handed in (although I'll probably have to re-visit it again :-()), now I can get my life back.

Neverwinter Nights
Confrontation - Dogs of War expansion
JG Ballard - The Drowned World
Continue writing Tales...

My Advice
Thinking of changing your career to Nursing? Don't do it!
Thinking of doing nursing at UWE? Don't do it!
Thinking of doing the Degree? Don't do it!
Thinking of transferring from Full-time to Part-time? Don't do it!
Thinking of doing your Dissertation on Communication? Don't do it!
If you do? Don't say I didn't tell you so!


rustle

Snatching minutes from the devouring jaws of time

Soundtrack of my days: Kittie - Oracle, Lynyrd Skynyrd - Nuthin' Fancy, Powerplay - Powerfiles (free with issue 8), Judas priest - Screaming for Vengeance, Dreamtheater - Falling into Infinity, Inside Out sampler - When Worlds Collide, Yes - Magnification (Limited Edition)
Watching: Finished Lost - Series 2, Part 2 on DVD

Snatching minutes from the devouring jaws of time

• Installed Firefox 2.0. Absolutely fine except I can't view my favorite website Rackham!
• Reading Cry Havoc 07. Goblins - I like 'em!
• Love Wonderland blog.
• Can't wait to finally start playing Neverwinter Nights (BioWare) on Mac (I know v2 is out for PC but I'm a bit behind OK!)
• The dissertation grinds on to its inexorable conclusion - 6 Nov 2006. It's going to be messy!!!
  

rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Rabbits & Dragons...

Soundtrack of my days: Hawkwind - Space Ritual
Watching: Lost - Series 2, Part 2 on DVD

After seeing Boots No. 7's 'Boudoir' advert I had to follow up and buy Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow which contains White Rabbit, my favourite '60's song and definately gets into my top 10.

I was blown away by the artwork from a small French tabletop roleplaying company called Rackham and bought some of their monthly magazines and universe expansion book. The kind people at Travelling Man comic shop in Bristol gave me a banner and free miniature - the banner is long, colourful and cool. This led me to the Rackham website - this is my favourite website to date (a new era in Anglo-French relations begins ;-)) - the images, the images...

Just dipping in and out, inbetween trying to finish my dissertation.


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Night Night!

Soundtrack of my day: Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth
Watching: Lost - Series 2, Part 2 on DVD


I often don't watch or read things as soon as I get them. I have things I bought years ago and am saving for a rainy day. It's a trait I have. This brings an interesting dimension to context, especially for reviews. However, in the following case, I only waited about a week!

I like to read the book before I watch the film, I like a logical flow from beginning to end. An example is JG Ballard's 'Crash' - I won't watch the film until I've read the book, which is some way off as I am reading 'The Drowned World' at the moment and I have two others to read before that! However, in this case I was compelled. Compelled to watch Night Watch [Nochnoi Dozor], and what a watch...

The Russian accent gives a great feel.
It starts out like Lord Of The Rings with more ketchup and then switches to a grimy James Bond through the looking glass.
Followed by a stream of action and metaphor.
And this is only part 1 of 3!
I loved it!

All that stands between light and darkness
is a knowledge of cyrillic, an encyclopedic understanding of vampire mythology from inception to date and love of cerebro-visual stroboscopics.

Can't wait to read Sergei Lukyanenko's novel and the following 'Day Watch' and 'Dusk Watch'


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Kingdom Come

Soundtrack of my days: Dio - Holy DiverKraftwerk - The Man Machine, DragonForce - Inhuman Rampage, Genesis - 1st one
Watching: Lost - Series 2, Part 1 on DVD

The fog hangs like vague memories
In the fields of my childhood
Beckoning me to return
To the earlier mists of my dreams.

Inbetween my dissertation, my final assignment, work and placement, I just completed JG Ballard's Kingdom Come. Absolute masterpiece, what everyone says about this man is true and more. It leaves a resonance, ringing in your head long after you put down the book. Just started reading his first novel; The Drowned World.

The Ballardian - an excellent jump-point for everything Ballard.


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

The New Me!

H.P. Lovecraft review on Guardian Unlimited

Reading JG Ballard's 'Kingdom Come', excellent, masterly work - highly recommended.

Still trying to finish that damned Dissertation.


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Blind Guardian - London 26/09/2006

To fulfil an ambition is a wonderful thing...

As we drove east toward London, nothing could have prepared us. The sun shined, the traffic increased, the free London newspapers were handed out again and again and again. Euston station underwhelmed, as did its local environs. The motorway services had tried its best to prepare us via coffee. Pizza Express tried even harder by lining our stomachs. The late afternoon sun took the edge off the transition of day into night, telling us everything was OK and not to worry as we made our way toward Camden and its 'Palace' (I still can't bring myself to call it KOKO!). And then there it was. It appeared, as if it had decided to come to us rather than us continuing on to it and lined along its walls were hundred of Blind Guardian fans who had made it to this one gig in England. The line of t-shirts; Blind Guardian, Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, Dragonforce, Killswitch Engage, Dreamtheater, Wakken 2006, Rush, even Journey stretched around and on and down - we should have got there earlier...


Stood in that queue, waiting to go in, as the artificial lights from the street and shops started to hold sway added to the theatre of the night. We were interspersed with people from all across Britain talking in hushed tones and anticipation shuffled slowly nearer the entrance. We passed discarded bottles and cans, looked longingly into 'The Hope & Anchor' pub window but didn't want to lose our place. And, finally we reached the main entrance. Music had already started. I managed to get my bag in but only after discarding a bottle of water? We were in!

What a venue! This old theatre had had its innards ripped out but still managed to maintain its character and charm. I immediately thought of Guardian's DVD: Imaginations Through The Looking Glass. We wandered upstairs and looked down upon Astral Doors who were already on and playing a 'blinding' set.
I had not heard of them before but this was a perfect setting in which to get to know them. The crowd were full of appreciation - heavy, with a presence and I'll definitely check out their CD (another one to add to the list that's growing longer than the queue we had just come out of!). We had set ourselves in 'The Stalls', downstairs next to the small, offshoot bar. Looking up to 'The Balcony' and 'The Gods' the place was packed and I saw flags from Scotland and Brazil hanging down, over the balcony rails. The t-shirts were awesome - I've got two and the throng around the stall selling them ate up enough time so that upon my return to front, the palpable anticipation gave way to Blind Guardian's entrance to 'War of Wrath' followed by 'Into The Storm' - amazing!

The Set List (as far as I can remember it)

• War of Wrath
• Into the Storm
• Born in a Mourning Hall
• Nightfall
• The Script for my Requiem
• Fly
• Valhalla
• Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)
• Bright Eyes
• This Will never End
• And Then There Was Silence
  
• Welcome to Dying
• Another Stranger me

• Imaginations from the other Side

• The Bard's Song (In the Forest)
• Mirror Mirror
  

Nothing could have prepared us. This was the most amazing gig I've been to (and I've been to a few), song after song after song. The new songs just slotted in seamlessly with the old. The visuals cast onto the backdrop mixed new album images with old and set the scene perfectly. The only one that could better it would be a another Blind Guardian concert. They could have carried on with track after track; Under the Ice, A Past and Future Secret, Harvest of Sorrow etc. as well as a wealth of tracks off the new album but the ferry to Dublin called. You could tell that everyone without exception had witnessed the making of metal history; "where can you get a t-shirt?", "He's got a relic"...

The T-shirts


My hi-light: 'The Bard's Song', closely followed by 'Valhalla' and 'Fly', closely followed by every other song they played.
I can enter 'the blessed realm' now, an ambition fulfilled.


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Anticipation...

Soundtrack of my days
Blind Guardian - Live
Mastadon - Blood Mountain


Tuesday 26 October 2006 - England - London - KOKO (Camden Palace) - Blind Guardian - only UK concert.

Waiting - route-planning - this will be up with the best concerts I've been to - an ambition fulfilled - can't wait to Fly!

(Why oh why rename the Camden Palace to KOKO? What kind of a name is that?)


Meanwhile THE MISSION develops...

Meanwhile buy Mastadon - Blood Mountain...



rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

A (Long) Day In The Life - part 1

Soundtrack of my days
Status Quo - On The Level
Rhapsody - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II -The Dark Secret-
Shine On - Classic Rock's freebie on Sept 2006 issue
Blind Guardian - Imaginations Through The Looking Glass (DVD)


The 05:20 alarm repeats in its incessant way, and I fall into the day after the oblivion of an all too short night - I turn, twist and upright myself and thread my way through the darkness of an early morning and make for tea - Tea helps - I shave knowing full well that it's too early and by three in the afternoon I shall look like an extra from some film shoot on the latest zombie sequel - I shower knowing full well there is little time and I'm taking valuable sandwich-making time - I make a sandwich taking valuable bag-packing time but I have things down to a fine art now and all culminates in a ceremonial unlocking of the door several minutes after 06:05 - I career towards the car like an unaccomplished juggler, balancing bag, CD's, keys and a carrier bag of shoes - the car is waiting patiently in the calm of the morning for me to shatter the peace and give it its purpose - Today, I start the day proper with Symphonic Heavy Metal courtesy of Rhapsody and it frames the day *Aural Caffeine* - I don't speed, I judiciously negotiate the speed limit and the road is as free of traffic as a shaken tablecloth is of crumbs - various markers; The Cinema, The roundabout, The Traffic Lights, The Dual Carriageway, on to The Motorway, The Motorway Services, The Cheaper Glasses via the Internet Sign, The Junction, The 2 Motorways Junction, Banksy's Bridge, The Road Works, The Hospital Road - They all pass by in a blur of dragons, enchantment and Symphony - The race is on to park; do I risk trying to park for free in one of the side streets? Or do I play it safe and head for the multi-story car park? The clock is ticking - I head for the free option and run the gauntlet of parked cars, each one adding steps and valuable seconds to what always becomes another race against time: I'm Late, I'm Late! - The laws of probability conspire and I either get a space so near to where I want to be, that I can't believe it and think I'm still asleep in bed or so far away I end up in another county! - Today, the laws of probability have a lay in and I get somewhere inbetween - Have I woken up yet? - In a storm of footsteps down a 1 in something hill (something per cent doesn't have the same impact) I arrive at the entrance, it's understated, more of an 'en' than an 'entrance', so understated that it's underestimated. But I know I am there because its hot - it always is hot in hospital - I'm running down endless corridors and in the emptiness you'd think no-one was sick, that all was just an office for health and as I head for the lifts, with the quiet lulling me into a false sense of security and the heat actively sucking water from my cells, the lifts seem further and further away - The laws of probability have enjoyed their sleep and are now ready for me - Lift 1 = 'blank', Lift 2 = 5, Lift 3 = 7 and Lift 4 = 4 (but this is for trolleys, wheelchairs and anything but me anyway). So, I press the button and the fruit machine of ascendancy rolls into action; 'blank'/6/6/3, 'blank'/5/5/3, 'blank'/4/5/2, etc. - Eventually, after what seems like the timespan of planet formation, Lift 2 opens, belching forth hot dry air that makes the hospital seem positively arctic - I step in - the door closes, enveloping me in its thermal cocoon and I shed the last few drops of moisture from my body leaving a desiccated husk - Is the day over?


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Soundtrack of my day
Pink Floyd - Animals

Ah, Sunday, a day of rest...
Wha?, hey!, but I've only just..., bang goes rest, guess I should rename it 'a blur of rest'...


I'm in the process of spawning a new blog to cover my novel over at

Tales of Magistery

More later...



rustle

Inbetween the inbetween bits...

Soundtrack of my day: Thursday
Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth
Spock's Beard - Octane
Soundtrack of my day: Friday
Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Ash
Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow - Rainbow

Installed Broadband Thursday and things are soooo much faster and you get flashing green lights. It installed and worked seamlessly. Worked a late shift Thursday/early shift Friday and now on to a long placement day on Saturday. It doesn't leave much time inbetween but here are a few snippets...

Autumn is coming, her scent is on the breeze
Ripe berries, earth and fallen leaves...



The Flag from Morello's illustration of THE MISSION just in.

More notes for Tales... scribed. Now where's that dissertation...


rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Your Loyalty Rewarded...

Soundtrack of my day: Wednesday
Shine On - Classic Rock's freebie on Sept 2006 issue (GPS-Window To The Soul/Circulus-Willow Tree/Wolverine-The House Of Plague)


I like loyalty cards. I've been getting more and more loyalty cards recently; Waterstones for books, Whittard for tea, the juice cafe for juices, plus a whole lot more. I created one for THE GREEN ORCHARD as a design exercise



It got me thinking, there should be a loyalty card for humans. Everone gets given a card and when you do a good deed, a positive action, you get a stamp. Get 10 stamps and you get a discount/prize - a reward for loyalty to being a human on planet earth.

Now, how would you get your card? What would it look like? Where would you get it stamped, What would the discount be/what sort of prize? These would need to be worked out. I like the idea a whole lot more than the identity card that was mooted (did I write mooted? Ah, those Ents) a while back. I think my idea's brighter...

rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

It's writing Jim but not as we know it!

Soundtrack of my day: Tuesday
regina spektor - begin to hope (courtesy of my son's early morning wake-up call)
Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again I'd Do It All Over You


I start back on my placement today after a summer's break which is worrying because it means I have very little time to get on top of my dissertation that's due soon. I have to complete the literature search and I have to write it! How is it that I can write about other stuff but I find this so difficult? I think it's partly to do with the fact that if I qualify, I can't just go and work in the department where I want to (I have to get experience elsewhere first). There is also the continuing threat that there aren't enough jobs for Nursing graduates popping up in the news each day. The motivation just keeps building doesn't it?

I didn't get any done yesterday. I did my first placement shift though, it went well. Always a bit stressful returning after a break but soon thrown back into the HEAT! It is sooooo hot without air conditioning, unlike the rarified atmosphere of Intensive Care, aarrhhh, COOOOOOOL!

Aaarrrhhh, SLEEEEP!


rustle.



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

The Rats In The Walls...

Soundtrack of my day:
Blind Guardian - A Twist In The Myth
Yes - Close To The Edge


Is that scratching I can hear?
It must be the rats in the walls.
I'd rather they stay in the walls than come out to play!
Fortunately, I've never had a problem with rats at any of the houses I've lived in. I've had mice and they were big enough thankyou. I've also had a bat in the bedroom once.
The metaphorical rats in the walls can become a real problem if just left alone and that's something I must address. I find it all too easy to busy myself with all that is happening around me and leave the rats to be well, rats! I then spend a lot of time having to blitz all the issues that have built up and I have to become a full-blown exterminator! It takes me away from what I want to be doing.

So, the next time I hear the rats in my walls, I'll stomp around a bit and scare them off, before they come out and play...

And with that in mind - here's one rat I wouldn't mind seeing come out to play



This rat plays a staring role in Morello's Plate 2: And they danced to it, after a fashion from her illustration of THE MISSION. No name as yet (or sex for that matter) and it's one of two.


Keep the faith... rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

The night

A low slung moon
In a blue and orange-dust sky
The colour falls
The day fails
And night seeps in
Like water under the door.

My nights are over - I quite enjoyed them but missed my bed.

Notes, bits and pieces I may use in Tales... are filed away. I've just been reading how to publish in 'book format' in Blogger so I may set it up in its own blog alongside this one for readability.

I downloaded Mozilla's Firefox for my Mac today so editing this blog is a little easier now (my old browsers didn't support the keyboard shortcuts). I like it. I also set up a Technorati profile.

Morello finished Plate 2: And they danced to it, after a fashion for the poem The Mission today and added a couple of characters. I'll link it to THE GREEN ORCHARD tomorrow.

Keep the faith... rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Linking to Technorati

Technorati Profile

Tales... Preface

PREFACE

This preface comes before the main section of the book with its chapters, paragraphs, lines and words ahead of it and not after it. It precedes what comes after it, including any appendices and index. It is just ahead of the contents, by only a couple of pages though. I think it performs its task well. Perfunctory yes, but with a certain style I find missing in other prefaces. They tend to wind and meander, taking the reader on a journey of hitherto unknown preliminary ramblings when all you really want to do is start the book. You can't though, because the preface is right there, bang in front of the start of the book! Still, although this book has one, I'm hoping it doesn't fall into the same trap as that of other prefaces, delaying you, the reader from starting the book. I mean, let's face it, you picked up this book to read the story, not the preface. Now, at this point, I have to stop and acknowledge a certain number of people out there who are fans of the preface. I absolutely, in no way want to offend 'prefacers' (and I hopefully have the politically correct terminology here) or ostracise them in any way. I welcome you into the fold, extending the papyrus of friendship and by including this preface, have hopefully assuaged your prefacical yearnings. Welcome.

So, in conclusion, now this is not the conclusion to the story, not a "Conclusion" with a capital C as such. See, this is just one of the problems we can fall into. We start the preface in all good faith but get carried away and before you know it, we're concluding and we haven't even started reading the story yet! I think there is a form of conspiracy, with collusion at the highest level, subverting the honest, law-abiding 'Johnny-public' into accepting sub-standard prefaces. We have to make a stand somewhere and I propose the line is drawn here! No more acceptance of misleading P's (I can't even bring myself to say the word). The Campaign for Real Prefaces - CamRePr



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.

On a Mission...

I'm working nights at the moment, only two though which is quite nice. I'm in-between and wanted to post some clips of work Morello is completing on illustrating The Mission. The Mission is a poem about pirates...



These eyes were prototypes for Plate 2: And they danced to it, after a fashion



A sliver of near completed Plate 2: And they danced to it, after a fashion



A taster of Plate 4: We had broken the hex

The finished poem will eventually be available at THE GREEN ORCHARD.


Ah well, got to rush, the smell of alcohol gel beckons and the incessant beeping of the Critical Care monitor calls and I am but a pawn of the bed pan's bidding.


Keep the faith... rustle



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

There and back again...

Last night we got back from two days in Yorkshire. It was two days out of my crumbling schedule but it has helped me mentally plaster over the cracks. It was two days spent in the peak District - Derbyshire. Morning coffees, afternoon teas, antiques and collectibles.

On the way up, the soundtrack was provided by Mozart: Die Zauberflote by Klemperer. On the way back down, Wagner: Parsifal by Boulez. A big change from Blind Guardian but all three are German! One thing though, I'm itching to play 'A Twist...'.

The days were hot and sunny, the food was bad for me, the scenery was majestic and everything I wanted to buy was too expensive - just the way I like it! But the icing on the extremely rich sponge with double whipped cream, dusted with icing sugar cake was chancing upon a window-full of Rupert annuals in a little bookshop in Castleton. I bought an excellent example of a 1992 annual to help swell my collection (The 1950's one had a damaged spine and was too expensive).

We went up to visit my sister who is recovering from a big operation. We had not been up there for almost a year and it was a great break, away from day-to-day life. Sometimes you just have to break out and leave what seems so important so you can return focused (I'm a great one for breaks - have 'em all the time, just have trouble with the focusing bit).

We didn't outwit Trolls or steal treasure from Dragons but I do feel we went there and back again and have come away with a gold ring in the form of memories of good times.


rustle.



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

More of a Twist...

Just listened to more of A Twist In The Myth in the car to & from Uni - Brilliant!
I thought about listing my favourite tracks but each one just became my favourite. The bonus track as ever is amazing.

I can't wait to hear some of this live on 26th in London...

Tales... Dedication

DEDICATION

I couldn't have written this book without acknowledging the key role played by my old friend, the keyboard. Well, I could have used a pen and paper and, if truth be known, I did use a bit for some notes and stuff but don't tell the keyboard will you, she might get jealous.



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Twist...

A late shift in HDU, a morning at Uni searching CINAHL & Medline and Blind Guardian release 'A Twist In The Myth'.

My day job takes me into the human predicament and although I may feel tired, have too much else I want to do and not get payed enough, I never fail to be humbled by what people go through. Compared with a High dependancy Unit, my life is simple. It was a late shift so I get to sleep in in the morning. I'm trying to get through my dissertation for a degree in Adult Nursing, i'm woefully behind but throughout the thousands of dry articles that someone has written, i'm starting to find what I want. It's almost becoming second nature to me now, as I start to recognise articles in one database, occuring in another. But today there is light relief, well heavy relief. Bling Guardian release 'A Twist In The Myth' on Nuclear Blast. I managed to reserve a copy at His Master's Voice as no-one else was stocking it - AMAZING! Amazing that it's not stocked everywhere and amazing album. I've only listened to the first 2 tracks as yet but AMAZING!

So, how does all this lead into writing? Well, its tenuous. Very tenuous, but I believe that each day adds something positive to the fabric of woven life and failing that, there's 'one I prepared earlier'. The next immediate post will be the start of Tales...

Tales... is a story of unimaginable horror, with funny bits. It is being written as we speak. Praise has been heaped on it even at this early stage in its genesis, rather like horse manure is heaped on roses (smells awful but eventually you get to see some pretty flowers...).

Well, I'm back at Uni tomorrow looking for that elusive article but I'm sure I'll get to hear 'A Twist...' in all its glory. You never know, I might even get to write some of my 'Tales...'. It's a hard life ;-)

rustle.


post script

BLIND GUARDIAN - A Twist In The Myth
Nuclear Blast Gmbh
http://www.blind-guardian.com

if ever there was... this is it!


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All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Here goes...

It's very strange writing in this medium at first, I almost feel naked. I've always written privately and in an unpublished fashion but I want this to be out there...

I set up THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd with 'Morello' as a vehicle for our creative output (she's the creative one, I just think I am). It's a long and slow business but from the outset we didn't want to be borrowing money from banks, getting into debt and eventually crashing & burning. You see, I gave up my job in a large American IT corporation after many years to do something useful and creative. I had some time off and that's when we decided to set up THE GREEN ORCHARD - it's a place that will bear digital fruit!

It initially supported Morello's degree in Fine Art but has been evolving to its present state supporting her MA in Animation and my writing. I'll pull Morello's work into this blog as it develops as she's more your shy, retiring daisy. I'm the White deadnettle. It's all only saplings at the moment but with the right watering and manure they're starting to develop.

What you'll find interwoven throughout this blog is a combination of thoughts, poems, images and more importantly, this is where I'm releasing my books - bit by bit. One day I'll be famous but I promise, here and now I won't be a celebrity. If I make some money sure I'll buy some stuff; a Landrover Defender 90, a simple cottage/house in Lyme Regis and indulge my passion for collecting books, like every one of the Rupert annuals but I'll put the rest about.

It's not a full time preoccupation yet as I'm just at the end of training to be a nurse so I've got a dissertation to write! However, from here on in, now I've got this preamble over it's going to be focused upon my first book 'Tales...'.

Hey, I've just spell checked this and found that 'blog' isn't in the spellchecker - it kind of needs to be ;-)

Rustle.



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

First one!

It said start typing! I'm not ready yet, I have to think about it. I mean, I normally um and arr about stuff for a period of time, you know, ruminate. I'll definitely get my act together. I bet this is going to put people off reading it from now on. Oh well, got to start somewhere...

I will get my act together and let you know all about THE GREEN ORCHARD.



Copyright © 2006 THE GREEN ORCHARD Ltd. All rights reserved.
All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.