Tuesday 20 December 2022

Gifted

 Morning....isn't the sunshine such a gift after all that rain of the last couple of days. I could have stayed here and wrapped some presents, but I can do that later on this evening. Much better for body and soul to get out early and enjoy the beautiful weather before I go to work. Naturally I was on the hunt for specific festive related content [I'm a girl who likes to have a plan up her sleeve], but I wanted to make the most of my time so please pour yourself a mulled wine and enjoy a couple of minutes out of your busy day. Just the sights from around the town centre.

To start with this one is pretty random. I think the home owners have had some greenery cut back and suddenly this topiary rabbit popping up from behind the wall has appeared🐇


Over the last few years the people who live along the Causeway [the prettiest part of the town] have got together and coordinated an advent calendar. Many of the windows are repeats, but you can always bet that this house will come up with something new and original....love the detail of the Laboutinesque red soles so beloved of many a celebrity!




These bike stands are on a pedestrianised street, but loading and unloading is allowed out of trading hours so they have got rather dinged, but it does make for more interesting shapes.


I'm not big on Christmas adverts [we put the TV on silent when they come on...I know I'm a marketing nightmare], but even I can't have failed to have heard of Kevin the carrot. He's appeared as part of one of the new crop of post box toppers which appeared last week.


These last two shots are a personal nod from me to the sad news of Terry Hall's passing. The bands signed to the 2 Tone label formed the soundtrack of my young teenage years. At 14 had you asked me to list my top three male singers it would have been Terry Hall, Paul Weller and Suggs. I'd just like to thank Terry [and the other band members] for the catalogue of music by the Specials and Fun Boy Three he's left for us. My introduction to ska added greatly to my breadth of musical taste and brought a whole new genre of sound into my world.❤




Arilx


12 comments:

  1. I heard Ghost Town whilst I still lived in Africa - it was part of the new wave of music that had previously been barred from us and was now flooding our air waves (that and Wham careless whisper a few years later) they are the sound of my teenage years

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    1. Hearing certain tracks does evoke certain times and memories doesn't it. Arilx

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  2. I'm so upset about Terry Hall. Growing up in the post-industrial wasteland that was the West Midlands where many of our neighbours and classmates faced terrible discrimination, he really was the voice of my generation. I saw The Specials many times, the most recently being only a few weeks ago where, as always, his wry sense of humour had the crowd in stitches. RIP Terry. xxx

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    1. Terry was far ahead of his time championing race equality and mental health issues. Arilx

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  3. This post made me look at the Aldi advert on you tube...brilliant...hadn't seen it before! x

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    1. I only found out the carrot had a name last year so I too am late to the party! Arilx

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  4. My humans are with you on the ska. Great selection of seasonal cheer photos, and we like the idea of the houses combining to be a seasonal advent calendar - that is really cool.

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    1. A post script to that particular window is that the lady who designed shares my first name and her maiden name was the same as my married surname! Arilx

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  5. I loved Kevin the Carrot. I will show him to my grandson. I have to tell you that last night, we sat down and watched an hour long program "Countdown of the 12 best Christmas Commercials". At about 8:45, I said to him, 'Run in while the commercials on and get your pajamas on and your teeth brushed.' He laughed and said, "Grandma, the show is literally ALL commercials." Little smarty!

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    1. Children and grandchildren.....gotta love 'em! Arilx

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  6. It's so sad when someone important in such a way dies- such a loss to the world.
    I love the carrot!! I don't really watch live TV so I don't see adverts!

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    1. When they're of your generation it feels a bit more personal. I had posters of Terry on my bedroom walls as a young teen. Arilx

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