TV persons that get my goat...
JONATHON ROSS This ego ponce isnt good at anything but you couldnt get away from him before the BBC booted him off. The reason was that he used to be on one of the new contracts that means he was paid ridiculous amounts of money and they used him as much as possible. He has a motor mouth and loves the sound of his own voice..which is surprising as he has a lisp. listen to his radio shows and music hardly gets a play he could talk for hours. on his chat shows hes dragged them down to a new low with his 6th form sense of humor which is embarrassingly childish and every other sentence is a sexual innuendo you can see some of his sophisticated guests cringe. hes just not good at them. he pops up presenting at award ceremonies where presentation skills and clarity of speech is vital yet he lisps and pronunciation is poor. He pops up on endless quiz shows and trys to take over. every time a camera catches him even if its in the street he has to be loud and the centre of attention. Smug..arrogant..loud..ego..everything the BBC didnt used to represent.
EAMON HOLMES used to be the housewives chubby pin-up a few years ago on daytime TV because of his easy manner and soft Irish tones. but now hes ballooned in size and lost his sense of timing. hes also become smug and developed a patronising manner that irritates. hes never seen now without a clip board that he reads from. he has a habit of looking off camera and looking totally disinterested with the subject matter he presents which is so unprofessional. Lacking in any type of humor he often slips in little condescending remarks when presenting and trys to be-little his partner Ruth Langsford. smug and miserable!
JEREMY CLARKSON used to be funny but now hes grown into a bigot. a scruffy middle aged man whos a loud mouthed ranter that still thinks hes 19..the sort of dad any kid would be embarrassed over. he talks over everyone and thinks only his opinion counts. a petrol head whos breathed in so many fumes the logical part of his brain has evaporated. he slags every world car manufacturer off yet forgets that Britain dosent own or make their own cars anymore and that his livihood depends on them. I've heard also that in reality hes a crap driver. He represents a dinosaur image of yesterdays aggressive macho chauvinistic hetro male with his bad hair cut and bad dress sense...faded denims and suit jackets...His presenting style relies on gimmickry and corny soundbites rather then concise motoring facts with a dose of adult humor..hes an embarrassment. Big mouth and Bigot.
GORDON RAMSEY we cant get away from fecking cookery shows..whats going on!? This glorified cook who acts likes hes on cocaine or Speed all the time makes me steam...watch him next time hes on he cant keep still. his craggy lined face that looks like its been grilled on gas mark 6 for 2 years is always sweaty. his mouth never stops rabbiting. he has made arrogance and swear words fashionable on his own. he smugly charms the ladies on camera and humiliates men when they're off guard. To me he epitomises an arse-hole and has helped dumb down television with his TV F-Word shows. He has been criticised for defamation of women in the past as well as cheating on his long suffering wife. His presenting style is to goad and be-little those he is supposed to be training just for the cringe effect. Bully and Chauvinist.
Davina McCall. Where on earth did this manic idiotic woman come from? Shes incapable of an intelligent normal consistent conversation without falling into a hissy fit like some deranged teenager. Her facial expressions during such fits are a cartoonists dream. Famous for presenting TVs reality show 'big Brother' where she struts and animates before the shaky hand held cameras she is the perfect training example of how 'not to present'. Whenever she appears on a TV screen I feel like being violent. Stupid and Manic
These above are some of the reasons I've gone off TV...who irritates you on the small screen?? CALLEN
Words of Wisdom..." Its a crime in British eyes....to rise above your station."
Thursday 30 September 2010
Silly thinking tee hee......
It may be wishful thinking on my part but I think natures got it wrong as regard humans being born as wee babies! we should be born old! Consider these advantages for a moment....... The average age of death in this country stands at around 75 because of our current diet and lifestyle so the chances are You are gonna die of heart attack/cancer/organ failure around that age so.......for arguments sake we should be born at 75.
There would be little difference as regards care..like a baby we'd still need looking after by mum/dad [they'll be younger than us] will need to wear a nappy as baby would due to incontinence. would need to be pushed around in a wheelchair instead of a pram/pushchair. would need to learn things again and be educated like a child as old age causes senile dementia. would have to be spoon fed etc etc so overall little difference in care at the beginning of life.
But the great advantages are......as we grow younger and learn lifes skills which takes time. along the way we will perfect our skills in every area and gain wisdom but this will combine with us being at our best physically too..what a great combination! that the mind will be at its best along with youthful good looks stamina enthusiasm sexual prowess energy.
with everything our brain has learned and our physical best we would be unstoppable!
Other advantages would be we would die as a baby and need less burial space. smaller young peoples homes [yap] at the end of our lives. less food as we would only need to be bottle fed with liquid foods. a few cheap plastic toys would amuse us etc etc less resources needed overall. there must be other advantages I've missed...can you think of any if this was possible??? CALLEN
Words of Wisdom..." Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow.....it only saps today of its joy "
There would be little difference as regards care..like a baby we'd still need looking after by mum/dad [they'll be younger than us] will need to wear a nappy as baby would due to incontinence. would need to be pushed around in a wheelchair instead of a pram/pushchair. would need to learn things again and be educated like a child as old age causes senile dementia. would have to be spoon fed etc etc so overall little difference in care at the beginning of life.
But the great advantages are......as we grow younger and learn lifes skills which takes time. along the way we will perfect our skills in every area and gain wisdom but this will combine with us being at our best physically too..what a great combination! that the mind will be at its best along with youthful good looks stamina enthusiasm sexual prowess energy.
with everything our brain has learned and our physical best we would be unstoppable!
Other advantages would be we would die as a baby and need less burial space. smaller young peoples homes [yap] at the end of our lives. less food as we would only need to be bottle fed with liquid foods. a few cheap plastic toys would amuse us etc etc less resources needed overall. there must be other advantages I've missed...can you think of any if this was possible??? CALLEN
Words of Wisdom..." Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow.....it only saps today of its joy "
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Political games
Here in the UK at the moment theres a media circus going on because one of our main Political parties are electing a new leader. 'New Labour' which lost the recent Election after governing for the past 13 years are suddenly out of Political fashion and bad news so...its the normal rush to clear out the old faces and re-invent themselves in the hope of attracting back the defecting voters. its all a Political PR game of course which happens every time a party is defeated but...worryingly the game usually works on the British public.
What makes the 2010 edition of the game more interesting is that the main two contenders for the leadership of the Labour party are in fact brothers ie
Edward and David Miliband. both middle class public school boys and opposites in character, David the older brother being very forth right and outgoing. A sharp mind and quietly confident with leadership qualities etc where as his younger Brother Edward is the quiet introvert one who has always stayed in his older brothers shadow in the past. always in the back ground working away quietly without a fuss. they couldnt be more different. Older brother David has been in the forefront of the last governments success having helped in the initial planing at their 1997 victory. Indeed he was tipped by the party and the media alike to be the next leader of the party.
Well surprise the leadership contest is over..voting is counted. The media whipped up a circus about it and it was truely a political soap being played out on our TV screens. Everyone could relate to two siblings scrapping it out in the media glare and everyone thought the more wise experienced older brother would triumph..it was already on the cards wasnt it..you could see on their faces the older brother supremely confident and the younger one almost shyly blushing at all the fuss being made in front of the cameras, Well another surprise the younger brother won by a slim margin of 1% and it was put down to Trade Union members backing. everyone was shocked at the outcome no more so then the younger brother winner himself..he looked almost embarrassed by the outcome.
Well no real surprise to Political watchers really ie you just got to sift through the facts behind the medias bright lights. Older brother David was a strong supporter of ex Prime Minister Tony Blair and publicly stated he wanted to carry on New Labours policies. what was he thinking? did he not notice that Tony Blair and New Labour were in fact bad news this year? People in their millions have realised the illegal wars in Irag/afghanistan were in fact illegal and wrong in the first place..that Labour got us into the biggest debt through bad management since the Second World War..that Labour has willingly allowed this country to develope a Big Brother police State..that their policies have made this world an unsafer place from attacks from terror-ism. On those issues alone which older brother David supported were enough to see him lose even though it was a slim margin.
Younger brother Edward did not support many of Labours far right wing policies including the illegal wars although he towed the party line at the time and kept quiet so the unions backed him. but...the important theme here is that its all a game. Its well written that todays Politics are governed by well established guidelines. ie to be sure of any victory these days you have got to ensure two things..one is be popular to the middle ground or mainstream voters which translates as middle of the road Politics without veering to left or right policies because the middle ground voters make up the biggest voting mass. secondly the same rule applies that you have to be media savvy and liked. The media success wins elections so again it has to be middle of the road. Its little surprise younger brother Edward is a good choice because hes a clean sheet and not much is known about him. what better way to invent a new start? The party can write whatever they wish onto that clean sheet where as his brothers support for old Blair policies was yesterdays news and even the party feared mass non support of the illegal wars/economy measures would turn voters away. They know Edward is the safer bet to attract old and new voters at the next Election.
Bad news is of course that Britain is stuck in the muddy middle ground for the forseeable future as thats the working model thats been moulded. I believe the 2-party system we have been stuck in the past 50s years is part of our problem in this country. we cant escape it and nowadays they are indeed both the same ie middle ground because they have to be to win. its a sham and isnt true Democracy when you weigh it all up. The last 'New Labour' government set the mould. The old Labour party with its Socialist aims were hijacked by the gang of 4 [Tony Blair-Gordon Brown-Peter Mandleson-Alastair Campbell] in the 1990s. They used the old Labour brand and re-invented a new 'Tory' party and used well proven American Election techniques to win the election. With a huge majority in the House of Commons at their election win in 1997 they could do what they liked and indeed totally ditched Socialist ideals in favor of 'Tory' policies which they most copied from the Conservative Party. We are in a Political mess in this country and theres no real Domcracy anymore..worse still joe public mostly dont see it! CALLEN
Words of Wisdom....." Ignore the warnings of past history....and you are doomed to repeat it."
What makes the 2010 edition of the game more interesting is that the main two contenders for the leadership of the Labour party are in fact brothers ie
Edward and David Miliband. both middle class public school boys and opposites in character, David the older brother being very forth right and outgoing. A sharp mind and quietly confident with leadership qualities etc where as his younger Brother Edward is the quiet introvert one who has always stayed in his older brothers shadow in the past. always in the back ground working away quietly without a fuss. they couldnt be more different. Older brother David has been in the forefront of the last governments success having helped in the initial planing at their 1997 victory. Indeed he was tipped by the party and the media alike to be the next leader of the party.
Well surprise the leadership contest is over..voting is counted. The media whipped up a circus about it and it was truely a political soap being played out on our TV screens. Everyone could relate to two siblings scrapping it out in the media glare and everyone thought the more wise experienced older brother would triumph..it was already on the cards wasnt it..you could see on their faces the older brother supremely confident and the younger one almost shyly blushing at all the fuss being made in front of the cameras, Well another surprise the younger brother won by a slim margin of 1% and it was put down to Trade Union members backing. everyone was shocked at the outcome no more so then the younger brother winner himself..he looked almost embarrassed by the outcome.
Well no real surprise to Political watchers really ie you just got to sift through the facts behind the medias bright lights. Older brother David was a strong supporter of ex Prime Minister Tony Blair and publicly stated he wanted to carry on New Labours policies. what was he thinking? did he not notice that Tony Blair and New Labour were in fact bad news this year? People in their millions have realised the illegal wars in Irag/afghanistan were in fact illegal and wrong in the first place..that Labour got us into the biggest debt through bad management since the Second World War..that Labour has willingly allowed this country to develope a Big Brother police State..that their policies have made this world an unsafer place from attacks from terror-ism. On those issues alone which older brother David supported were enough to see him lose even though it was a slim margin.
Younger brother Edward did not support many of Labours far right wing policies including the illegal wars although he towed the party line at the time and kept quiet so the unions backed him. but...the important theme here is that its all a game. Its well written that todays Politics are governed by well established guidelines. ie to be sure of any victory these days you have got to ensure two things..one is be popular to the middle ground or mainstream voters which translates as middle of the road Politics without veering to left or right policies because the middle ground voters make up the biggest voting mass. secondly the same rule applies that you have to be media savvy and liked. The media success wins elections so again it has to be middle of the road. Its little surprise younger brother Edward is a good choice because hes a clean sheet and not much is known about him. what better way to invent a new start? The party can write whatever they wish onto that clean sheet where as his brothers support for old Blair policies was yesterdays news and even the party feared mass non support of the illegal wars/economy measures would turn voters away. They know Edward is the safer bet to attract old and new voters at the next Election.
Bad news is of course that Britain is stuck in the muddy middle ground for the forseeable future as thats the working model thats been moulded. I believe the 2-party system we have been stuck in the past 50s years is part of our problem in this country. we cant escape it and nowadays they are indeed both the same ie middle ground because they have to be to win. its a sham and isnt true Democracy when you weigh it all up. The last 'New Labour' government set the mould. The old Labour party with its Socialist aims were hijacked by the gang of 4 [Tony Blair-Gordon Brown-Peter Mandleson-Alastair Campbell] in the 1990s. They used the old Labour brand and re-invented a new 'Tory' party and used well proven American Election techniques to win the election. With a huge majority in the House of Commons at their election win in 1997 they could do what they liked and indeed totally ditched Socialist ideals in favor of 'Tory' policies which they most copied from the Conservative Party. We are in a Political mess in this country and theres no real Domcracy anymore..worse still joe public mostly dont see it! CALLEN
Words of Wisdom....." Ignore the warnings of past history....and you are doomed to repeat it."
Sunday 26 September 2010
Lifes a personal journey of private thoughts
During quiet reflective moments when we find ourselves alone..maybe listening to a piece of music and having a glass of wine etc our thoughts can so easily drift off to another place. Maybe thinking about our lives... families....mistakes we've made and how different we would have handled things if we had the benefit of hindsight....we have both good and bad in every one of us..its a choice we have which we allow to surface in any given situation..strength of character help us decide which comes through.
We may think of lifes disappointments....be it a lost opportunity....a partner who betrayed our trust...an illness or death in the family or friend.....a stab in the back from a person you thought was a friend....that life hasnt turned out how you had hoped it would etc etc it can be painful to look back too deeply sometimes but hard not to do because the past has shaped us. I have suffered all the above and more that I wouldnt dare disclose but......I think the consistant thread through it all is that people not events are the biggest disappointment in life.
Lifes journey is a personal one along a bumpy winding road. along the way we will come across influences good and bad the secret is to distinguish between the two which isnt always easy because some carry the characteristics of fun....attractiveness...goodness etc but this shouldnt be a surprise because Chameleons are there to tempt us. We also at times seek guidence from others and again there are dangers to be aware of....it seems in this crazy hectic fast moving modern world of ours we sometimes secretly need a figurehead or god which has become a weak crass thing to admit for many. but it is in our nature to seek leaders for we are fundamentally a herd like animal. because religion is on the decline in western society we drift toward false gods whom we relate to in different ways usually from the world media..people like music/movie stars...politicians....fashion icons etc etc I was reminded of the madness involved in such things a while ago when pop star Michael Jackson died. The mass hysteria and outpouring of emotions went far beyond the norm and was what you might expect from the passing of a Messiah..but than he resembled a Messiah to many people but to me hes a clear example of a false god and the vulnerabilty and need of some people.
We travel through lifes journey and inevitably make mistakes along the way..its a learning process. we need to be aware and recognise such things..at times reflect on them. We hopfully will come to learn that this journey is one that can only be travelled alone. we seek warmth and comfort along the way from materialism... friends...lovers...family etc but life is lived inside our mind. its an intimate environment of thoughts..feelings..drives..instincts...physical experiences. At the end of the day material things are only props along the way they're not real. only other people are real yet we find it so difficult to connect with others with love...why? ha ha this sounds a little like a religious text but..I'm not religious at all. These private thoughts are spoken outloud in a searching way..we are all searching if we are honest..we must all have similar thoughts and questions that need to be answered..the ultimate goal is surely understanding..peace of mind...the yearning for contentment and self happiness. have you found a tranquil place in this thing called life? have your questions been answered? are you still searching?? yes life is a long windy bumpy road tis true...
PS. words of wisdom......" if a person does wrong things it dosent make them bad..just human! "
We may think of lifes disappointments....be it a lost opportunity....a partner who betrayed our trust...an illness or death in the family or friend.....a stab in the back from a person you thought was a friend....that life hasnt turned out how you had hoped it would etc etc it can be painful to look back too deeply sometimes but hard not to do because the past has shaped us. I have suffered all the above and more that I wouldnt dare disclose but......I think the consistant thread through it all is that people not events are the biggest disappointment in life.
Lifes journey is a personal one along a bumpy winding road. along the way we will come across influences good and bad the secret is to distinguish between the two which isnt always easy because some carry the characteristics of fun....attractiveness...goodness etc but this shouldnt be a surprise because Chameleons are there to tempt us. We also at times seek guidence from others and again there are dangers to be aware of....it seems in this crazy hectic fast moving modern world of ours we sometimes secretly need a figurehead or god which has become a weak crass thing to admit for many. but it is in our nature to seek leaders for we are fundamentally a herd like animal. because religion is on the decline in western society we drift toward false gods whom we relate to in different ways usually from the world media..people like music/movie stars...politicians....fashion icons etc etc I was reminded of the madness involved in such things a while ago when pop star Michael Jackson died. The mass hysteria and outpouring of emotions went far beyond the norm and was what you might expect from the passing of a Messiah..but than he resembled a Messiah to many people but to me hes a clear example of a false god and the vulnerabilty and need of some people.
We travel through lifes journey and inevitably make mistakes along the way..its a learning process. we need to be aware and recognise such things..at times reflect on them. We hopfully will come to learn that this journey is one that can only be travelled alone. we seek warmth and comfort along the way from materialism... friends...lovers...family etc but life is lived inside our mind. its an intimate environment of thoughts..feelings..drives..instincts...physical experiences. At the end of the day material things are only props along the way they're not real. only other people are real yet we find it so difficult to connect with others with love...why? ha ha this sounds a little like a religious text but..I'm not religious at all. These private thoughts are spoken outloud in a searching way..we are all searching if we are honest..we must all have similar thoughts and questions that need to be answered..the ultimate goal is surely understanding..peace of mind...the yearning for contentment and self happiness. have you found a tranquil place in this thing called life? have your questions been answered? are you still searching?? yes life is a long windy bumpy road tis true...
PS. words of wisdom......" if a person does wrong things it dosent make them bad..just human! "
Life in a box
Sometimes life just boxes you in and you feel like your not in control of your destiny..I recall as a child my parents used to have fun at xmas times/birthdays by placeing my prezzy in umpteen boxes bigger than the important one..amused by my enthusiasm in openning them thinking the prize would be revealed. than theres that box in the corner of the room that we stare at and it influences our lives so much. we sit for hours every day just staring at that tv box ignoring real life around us.
its becoming a joke now at supermarkets because of over packageing and again just too many boxes to open. we are happy to sit in traffic jams in our metal box cars thinking it brings us freedom but in reality it usually isolates us further by boxing us in. we are willing to pay good money to be in vip boxes at football matches/theatre/conserts. if I want to thank my love I'll buy a box of chocolates.
If we get stressed by life things and go to see a shrink he'll use a common mind game ie imagine a big box in your mind. collect all your worries/troubles into a bundle and lower them into that box..seal the lid..place it in a flowing river and watch as it floats away further and further taking your stress with it. Given a form to fill in and told to tick the boxes. when life stresses you out you feel boxed in.
we live in box like small houses and chat on Facebook through another box that houses our pc. when we move house we go out searching for them to put our prized possessions in..we order a pizza in one when we get there..I ordered a cd boxed set recently [why a boxed set??] when I was stopped by police recently they produced a magic box of tricks to prove my id and if false would have put me in one at the station etc etc than we end our days on planet earth in a long one and are buried/burned in it. I'm probably having a bad day at the mo but...I'm so sick of boxes and of feeling boxed in tee hee CALLEN
Words of wisdom...." Failure teaches success"
its becoming a joke now at supermarkets because of over packageing and again just too many boxes to open. we are happy to sit in traffic jams in our metal box cars thinking it brings us freedom but in reality it usually isolates us further by boxing us in. we are willing to pay good money to be in vip boxes at football matches/theatre/conserts. if I want to thank my love I'll buy a box of chocolates.
If we get stressed by life things and go to see a shrink he'll use a common mind game ie imagine a big box in your mind. collect all your worries/troubles into a bundle and lower them into that box..seal the lid..place it in a flowing river and watch as it floats away further and further taking your stress with it. Given a form to fill in and told to tick the boxes. when life stresses you out you feel boxed in.
we live in box like small houses and chat on Facebook through another box that houses our pc. when we move house we go out searching for them to put our prized possessions in..we order a pizza in one when we get there..I ordered a cd boxed set recently [why a boxed set??] when I was stopped by police recently they produced a magic box of tricks to prove my id and if false would have put me in one at the station etc etc than we end our days on planet earth in a long one and are buried/burned in it. I'm probably having a bad day at the mo but...I'm so sick of boxes and of feeling boxed in tee hee CALLEN
Words of wisdom...." Failure teaches success"
Friday 17 September 2010
WHOS THAT GIRL?........
It was one of those hazy sunshiney summer days that you see in the movies...your lazy and chilled out...the bees are feasting on the roadside flowery weeds and the larks up in the clear blue sky above are noisily engaging in dogfights...summer sounds. It was 1975 early afternoon and I was driving my brightly colored Hip VW Beetle along a green leafy English country lane here in Eastern England. I was in a good mood and feeling carefree with my car stereo pumping out the calming sounds of Crosby Stills Nash + Young. My faithful bug had a full cloth sunroof which was opened wide exposing a gaping expanse of rich blue sky into the car...the scented summer air gushed in as I cruised along at 45 mph making me feel quite heady..it felt good to be alive.
As I rounded a tree lined bend I saw her silhouette set against the contrast of the greenery...as I fast approached she came into view..a young pretty woman with wildly flowing natural blonde hair that seemed to reflect the sunlite...around 5' 6" tall and dressed in a white cheese cloth top with flowing sleeves and flowery hippy dress that just fitted the day perfectly. She wore a natural broad smile and had her arm outstretched into the road..she was hitch hiking! Instinct took over and I impulsively pulled over...."Where you headed" I called? she warmly smiled back and her eyes quickly scanned me up and down before answering..."I'm trying to get to the medievil village of Lavenham and would appreciate a lift" she replied in a soft West Coast American twang..."oh thats only 7 miles up the road..hop in" I returned.
She settled into her seat quickly with a relaxed air about her and a friendly warmth that allowed chat to flow so easily...it felt like we were old friends who had not seen one another a while. During conversations I noticed little things about her ie her thick blonde hair that framed her face so perfectly..she had a red ribbon entwined in one side of her parting like American Indian women did a century ago..it drew your gaze..her sun tanned skin on her face revealed little freckles around her upper cheeks..she had cute dimples appear with each dis-arming smile and full pouting lips that suggested intimate things. I caught her gaze during these quick fire exchanges while trying to concentrate on the winding road ahead..not easy because this girl/woman had me entranced...her eyes were so deep when they looked at you that you felt a gush of something...I felt alover the place.
During those 7 miles of English country lane she quickly spilled out her story..she was 17 and on holiday with her parents staying in a London hotel. Mom + Pop had planned to spend the day visiting all the London top tourist spots like Trafalgar Square..Buckingham Palace hoping to see the Queen...Hyde Park etc but she was bored and wanted to see first hand some of the places in England that she had read about in History books at high school in Los Angeles so...on impulse she told her parents and took off. She took a bus to the edge of London and hitch hiked her way the 70 miles to the English County of Suffolk. she was lucky she said as a truck driver was going a big chunk of the way and she ended up being dropped off in the Pretty market town of Sudbury...she was thrilled to find it was the home town of famous painter Thomas Gainsborough whom she had read about in school. so....having fed her interest there she set off on the last leg of her journey to Lavenham the historic town untouched by the passing of time.
Like old friends happily nattering away we almost didnt notice we had arrived...I pulled up outside Lavenhams impressive towering church..I gave her tips on where to look while there...she thanked me warmly as she opened the car door to depart forever...I nerviously blurted out I would be happy to hang around and be her tour guide if she wanted? I fully expected her to gratefully decline but..to my surprise she quirped "really...it wouldnt be too much trouble would it?..I'd love that" . I felt quite guilty as my heart missed a beat and a thrill came over me. Why was I feeling so damn silly!
We spent that hazy sunny afternoon strolling down history lane where the past was dripping from the overhanging wooden buildings and if you listened carefully you could hear the voices coming from the fabric of the buildings. I could see her eyes glaze over as she studied them carfully and we chatted about the things that had happened in this place over the centuries..about the people who used to stroll these cobbled streets tied up in their lives...how family generations contributed to the history of the area...so many voices with so many stories. We stopped off for English tea in an old wooden beamed building with pictures of old hanging from the rough plastered walls...pretty English linen table tops that was produced locally and from which Lavenham gained its riches in the past. A waitress bringing freshly baked crumpets with locally made rich jam and thick cream. I felt like I was in a romantic Somerset Maugham play sitting at that table in this traditional setting with my lover. The sun was cutting through the leaded window of this quaint English teashop and lighting up a section of her golden hair..it was a dreamlike image before me...her eyes were crystal clear as she studied me in detail and little half smiles emerged as she lifted her china teacup.
Later as I slowly drove home from that historic setting I felt a little empty inside. my head was buzzing with so many thoughts. A crazy afternoon where I had fallen in love with a complete stranger and now I was returning to my normal life and routines...left with a feeling inside and a warm memory in my head..a memory that has stayed with me over the past 35 years..its a place in my head thats nice to re-visit during melancholy moments and the passing of time has of course romantacised that chance meeting so long ago. I sometimes wonder what happened to that beautiful flowery 17 yr old Hippy girl of 1975? Shes probably a fat 52 yr old grandmother now living in some American backwater watching daytime TV soaps....Maybe her English trip is but a fading memory for her or she might even be dead.
I owe her a 'thanks' for giving me such an enduring lasting lovely memory all those years ago. But on that sunny afternoon way back in 1975 as I waved her goodbye outside that English teashop as she planned to stay the night in a local hotel she was gone forever. As I drove home alone leaving that Historic place in my rear view mirror I allowed myself a brief period of feeling good inside and a smile on my face but had to force myself to snap out of it that dream...I was late and my pregnant wife and young child was waiting for my return at home. CALLEN
Words of Wisdom....."Anyone who has never made mistakes in life has not tried anything new"
As I rounded a tree lined bend I saw her silhouette set against the contrast of the greenery...as I fast approached she came into view..a young pretty woman with wildly flowing natural blonde hair that seemed to reflect the sunlite...around 5' 6" tall and dressed in a white cheese cloth top with flowing sleeves and flowery hippy dress that just fitted the day perfectly. She wore a natural broad smile and had her arm outstretched into the road..she was hitch hiking! Instinct took over and I impulsively pulled over...."Where you headed" I called? she warmly smiled back and her eyes quickly scanned me up and down before answering..."I'm trying to get to the medievil village of Lavenham and would appreciate a lift" she replied in a soft West Coast American twang..."oh thats only 7 miles up the road..hop in" I returned.
She settled into her seat quickly with a relaxed air about her and a friendly warmth that allowed chat to flow so easily...it felt like we were old friends who had not seen one another a while. During conversations I noticed little things about her ie her thick blonde hair that framed her face so perfectly..she had a red ribbon entwined in one side of her parting like American Indian women did a century ago..it drew your gaze..her sun tanned skin on her face revealed little freckles around her upper cheeks..she had cute dimples appear with each dis-arming smile and full pouting lips that suggested intimate things. I caught her gaze during these quick fire exchanges while trying to concentrate on the winding road ahead..not easy because this girl/woman had me entranced...her eyes were so deep when they looked at you that you felt a gush of something...I felt alover the place.
During those 7 miles of English country lane she quickly spilled out her story..she was 17 and on holiday with her parents staying in a London hotel. Mom + Pop had planned to spend the day visiting all the London top tourist spots like Trafalgar Square..Buckingham Palace hoping to see the Queen...Hyde Park etc but she was bored and wanted to see first hand some of the places in England that she had read about in History books at high school in Los Angeles so...on impulse she told her parents and took off. She took a bus to the edge of London and hitch hiked her way the 70 miles to the English County of Suffolk. she was lucky she said as a truck driver was going a big chunk of the way and she ended up being dropped off in the Pretty market town of Sudbury...she was thrilled to find it was the home town of famous painter Thomas Gainsborough whom she had read about in school. so....having fed her interest there she set off on the last leg of her journey to Lavenham the historic town untouched by the passing of time.
Like old friends happily nattering away we almost didnt notice we had arrived...I pulled up outside Lavenhams impressive towering church..I gave her tips on where to look while there...she thanked me warmly as she opened the car door to depart forever...I nerviously blurted out I would be happy to hang around and be her tour guide if she wanted? I fully expected her to gratefully decline but..to my surprise she quirped "really...it wouldnt be too much trouble would it?..I'd love that" . I felt quite guilty as my heart missed a beat and a thrill came over me. Why was I feeling so damn silly!
We spent that hazy sunny afternoon strolling down history lane where the past was dripping from the overhanging wooden buildings and if you listened carefully you could hear the voices coming from the fabric of the buildings. I could see her eyes glaze over as she studied them carfully and we chatted about the things that had happened in this place over the centuries..about the people who used to stroll these cobbled streets tied up in their lives...how family generations contributed to the history of the area...so many voices with so many stories. We stopped off for English tea in an old wooden beamed building with pictures of old hanging from the rough plastered walls...pretty English linen table tops that was produced locally and from which Lavenham gained its riches in the past. A waitress bringing freshly baked crumpets with locally made rich jam and thick cream. I felt like I was in a romantic Somerset Maugham play sitting at that table in this traditional setting with my lover. The sun was cutting through the leaded window of this quaint English teashop and lighting up a section of her golden hair..it was a dreamlike image before me...her eyes were crystal clear as she studied me in detail and little half smiles emerged as she lifted her china teacup.
Later as I slowly drove home from that historic setting I felt a little empty inside. my head was buzzing with so many thoughts. A crazy afternoon where I had fallen in love with a complete stranger and now I was returning to my normal life and routines...left with a feeling inside and a warm memory in my head..a memory that has stayed with me over the past 35 years..its a place in my head thats nice to re-visit during melancholy moments and the passing of time has of course romantacised that chance meeting so long ago. I sometimes wonder what happened to that beautiful flowery 17 yr old Hippy girl of 1975? Shes probably a fat 52 yr old grandmother now living in some American backwater watching daytime TV soaps....Maybe her English trip is but a fading memory for her or she might even be dead.
I owe her a 'thanks' for giving me such an enduring lasting lovely memory all those years ago. But on that sunny afternoon way back in 1975 as I waved her goodbye outside that English teashop as she planned to stay the night in a local hotel she was gone forever. As I drove home alone leaving that Historic place in my rear view mirror I allowed myself a brief period of feeling good inside and a smile on my face but had to force myself to snap out of it that dream...I was late and my pregnant wife and young child was waiting for my return at home. CALLEN
Words of Wisdom....."Anyone who has never made mistakes in life has not tried anything new"
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