Here He Is Indeed.

Technically, I'm a rock girl. Technically, t's a rock club, but having seen the write up, I was curious and quite looking forward to seeing the Oli Brown Band at the Steelhouse, Ebbw Vale, last Friday. You see I do like a bit of blues rock, even if I don't really "invest" in it much.

I've seen some fabulous acts up there, but I was not really prepared for this one. I was "doing my face" in the ladies and chatting to someone who told me she'd been so impressed by the first time she saw him (at the ripe old age of 17, I found out later that this was less than 4 years ago) that she'd followed him ever since. Cue raised eyebrow.

Oli Brown, and his handsome, dapper, suited band of one drummer and one bassist, played a set of about 2 hour. It could have been a lot more, time was irrelevant to a packed crowd who were ALL instantly blown away. I have never seen such immediate love for an act from all ages/genres, the noise between tracks from the crowd was unbelievable, totally unprecedented.

Very few people I have seen have made music so visually elegant and seem so effortless. If you look in the dictionary under the word "tight" you will see "Oli Brown live - even with a dodgy lead". The quality of musicianship I have not seen the likes of for a very long time, maybe ever. I defy ANYONE who even just likes good music, to not fall in love within 2 songs.

Oli Brown's cover of Blackstreet's "No Digitty" (I shit you not) was incredible. And I wager that this handsome young chap will be packing out the Albert Hall in 5 years, although how he's going to manage his off stage guitar serenading there will be interesting to see. If Oli Brown plays ANYWHERE near you, I beseech you to seek him out and I defy you to not be blown away.

Ebbw Vale certainly loves him and I for one will be first in line for tickets for the next performance he puts anywhere even remotely accessible, even if I have to crawl.

Diamonds in the Park - and That's Just Us

Her Majesty was in attendance at the Diamond Jubilee Celebration "Diamonds in the Park" that we had been invited to attend on Friday.


Not one to pass up the opportunity to do some catering, eating, celebrating and generally making a fuss, my BFF (I don't actually know what that stands for if I'm honest, but you get the idea) Jess and I engaged "Project Picinc". As usual, we pulled a blinder.

I managed to see Prince Phillip, and H.M.'s hat, but not a lot else from our "grassy knoll" but that's closer than I've been before, and we opened a bottle of decent bubbly to celebrate, so all was good.

We made a new friend, and were repeatedly congratulated on our picnic quality and rain-based Dunkirk Spirit by passers by, who didn't even know that nearly everything was hand made - down to the bread, pizza base and chutney, the picnic hamper was a vintage heirloom (I still have custody of it and quite honestly I'm really not keen on giving it back!).

I've not been that muddy for AGES, Steve was exhausted, the drive home was erm, interesting and I pulled my back trying not to get even muddier putting the wheelchair in the car - and I loved every minute of it.

Chirrpy Chirrpy Cheep Cheep

Ok, so today I got to do one of my favourite things, I was on the radio. It was great.

You should listen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01f5012

I've been considering a purchase for a while now and today I put my money where my mouth is. I bought a bread maker.

I have resisted it for ages thinking that they can't do anything that you can't do by hand, but the fact of the matter is "they can". I made some hot cross buns this evening in it and I have to say that with all the kneading in the world I could not have got the dough like that. No way hose. So, I'mmediately I'm glad I have it, although trying to sleep with the smell of freshly cooked buns is not for the faint hearted.

And I put my Easter presents together for my family's kids.

As Steve was in hospital for Easter last year, I managed to miss out the whole thing. I bought an Easter egg chocolate mold, but I lost it in the move (along with Steve's old bread maker, ahem. In my defence it didn't have a "dough only" setting anyway - no good for H.C.B.'s) and I really wanted to make something for the kids - buying an egg in a box isn't really that exciting.

So I bought a variety of egg shape/size smaller eggs, saved some egg boxes, bought a couple of chicks and got busy with a tube of glue.

Ta - dah!

My Memory is SHOCKING.

I've had some lovely comments about my last post - thank you.

Poignancy over - back to old stuff and making stuff.

The post before last was a collection of things that I have acquired and make me feel good. The central piece in the main photo was the most important piece, and I totally forgot to talk about it.

This ...

... lovely weighing scales is really one of my favourite things - and aside from looking at it, I actually use it.

I feel very honoured to have it. One of my very best friends new I was wanting an old set of scales and she very kindly gave it to me - despite the fact that it had been in her family since new.

I love it. It's very special to me and I can't believe I forgot to talk about it.

Well it's Easter on the weekend, I've got some old friends (they're not old - our friendship is old!) coming to stay and I'm dead excited. Looks like the weighing scales are going to be used extensively in my favourite role as the hostess with the mostess!