Book 30 - Henry David Thoreau "Walden"

This was one book I received as a Christmas gift last year and just finished reading it the other day.


This is not the book that I expected. It isn't exactly life affirming, or even about tranquility as I expected it to be. It is, however, a book about startling us out of our complacency and focus on trivial matters. It is about ceasing to be so attentive to the external and begin cultivating out interior. Walden is more important now than ever before. We live in an age where the external aspects of living are very well done and held in high esteem, but interior aspect of life are not. We love iPods, but not wisdom.
The first two chapters and the conclusion are passionate and full of ideas, but what happens in the middle is too often overlooked. It is slow yet beautiful description seemingly without much significance, but to skip this part would be to miss the point. By channeling or focus on slowing down and noticing the everyday, Thoreau takes us to Walden with him to contemplate life. One does not need to live in a cabin in the woods to experience what Thoreau went through, one only needs to read his book.
I’ve heard from great admirers of the book that it is difficult and at times boring, but that shouldn’t cause anyone to skip those parts, as they are part if the journey. I honestly didn’t find a single aspect of it boring, but I can see why one might – even lovers of it. My professor confessed that he found some parts almost unbearable, but necessary.
This is a book of wisdom. It is philosophy more than anything else. Not so much a “how-to” guide for living, but a finger pointing to the direction of wisdom. We must not focus our lives so much on making money and being comfortable, but we must explore our lives and selves more. We have become very good at the externals of life, but do we know why we live? This book is a finger in the right direction.

The Herne Bay Hypothesis

I must admit that I do find the work programme is somewhat tedious and unfulfilling, and that a recent report suggested it no more helps job seekers than the old system. What I do like about it is that I get my fare paid and that I am able to use their computers to read my emails, print off my shopping visit details, and use my blog, as well as supposedly, looking for jobs. In the old days, it was called working the system.

So after my stint at Avanta on Friday I did some shopping for my cousin, mostly getting heavy cans of cat food, boxes of cat food pouches, some rice, chopped tomatoes, kidney beans in chilli sauce, and some mayonnaise. I dropped these off back home and then went on my journey towards Herne Bay.

There is a certain verisimilitude to how a genuinely sunny outlook in life can be reflected in the weather. This seemed to be the case on my journey to Herne Bay yesterday, bathed in splendid sunlight, with only a minor drop of rain to upset the applecart. Perhaps serendipity does favour the adventurous, and my adventure was a visit to the Saxon Shore pub for a meal visit that was phoned through to me the previous day.

This Wetherspoons pub had scaffolding outside as I entered, and is on the coast road, so you can get a seat to view the seascape if you so wished.

I had my standard medium rare rump steak with jacket potato, peas, mushroom and boring tomato, washed down with a glass of the house Merlot red wine, and a pint of Wantsum Ravening Wolf (5.9% ABV). This ale is a complex melange of toasted biscuit and rye malt flavours which supports a pine lemon hop crispness with a hint of vanilla.

Thoroughly enjoyable meal out, and just what was needed after the office stint in the morning.

Big Thanks

Big .thumbs up to everybody who made my last weekend on the Sussex coast such a memorable one, particularly GC, who surprised me with a late birthday meal at Café Rouge on the Monday, and a wonderful visit to La Tasca on the Tuesday with my brother, GC, and Graeme. Not forgetting a good vibe at the Northern Lights on Saturday.

Hats Off To Charity Shop Buying

Last night after the football game (England v. Sweden) I went upstairs and listened to some classical music CD’s of mine. All bought from charity shop outlets.

Rodrigo “Guitar Concerto, Concierto de Aranjuez”
Manuel de Falla “Three Cornered Hat”
Rimsky Korsakov “Scheherazade”
John Tavener “The Protecting Veil”
Franz Liszt “Hungarian Rhapsodies” – well some of them.

I then fell asleep , probably during the Liszt piano pieces.

Book 31 - Digby Fairweather "Notes From A Jazz Life"

Digby Fairweather "Notes From A Jazz Life" (Northway)



From a librarian in Southend to a successful and award winning band leader, Digby Fairweather has led an interesting and at times quite remarkable jazz life.

Only deciding to turn professional at the age of thirty, he worked hard to gain recognition in the highly competitive and often uncertain world of professional jazz.

As Digby learnt his craft, he soaked up inspiration from the likes of Louis Armstrong and Nat Gonella and soon found himself playing alongside Ray Crane, John Picard, Jimmy Skidmore, Bruce Turner and Eric Silk.

Developing through his own 'Half Dozen', 'Jazz Legend' and 'Ron Russell's Band', he worked with many great names in Jazz and soon gained both experience and reputation.

But 'Notes From A Jazz Life' records the story of a man who at times was uneasy with himself and never quite believed in his own potential. Even his remarkable composition 'Songs for Sandy' he referred to as a 'modest suite'.

As he worked with the 'Midnite Follies Orchestra' and 'Fairweather Friends' he seemed to be continuing his search for his true identity and direction. But what is clear from the book is that Digby Fairweather is much more than a jazz musician. His broad and enthusiastic passion for the cause grew into writing, broadcasting and the very important development of the 'Association of Jazz Musicians' and the 'National Jazz Archive'.

His 'Tribute to Nat Tour' and his Jazz College work with Stan Barker provided new interests and opportunities and overcoming lip damage and problems with his embouchure, he began to occupy an increasingly important place in British Jazz.

Touring with 'The Great British Jazz Band' and continuing to write and broadcast, he then began to create and perform his own style of jazz with his carefully selected 'Half Dozen'.

The book ends before his association with George Melly but it is hard not to be impressed by the very valuable influence Digby Fairweather has had on British Jazz performance in recent years. But perhaps his most enduring contribution will be the work he has undertaken to ensure that British Jazz has a permanent archive to record its important place in the cultural development of Britain.

'Notes From A Jazz Life' is the truly inspirational story of a man with a passion, who clearly still has many more ambitions and a great deal more to achieve.

Well worth a read!

My tweets

• Fri, 13:00: On the way to Herne Bay for meal and so far i lovely day
• Fri, 13:38: Another big bag of bird seed for our garden friends
• Fri, 14:48: Lovely meal of rump steal jacket potato and peas with a large mushroom - now i am full
• Fri, 14:50: Plus washed down with a six per cent ale and wine
• Fri, 19:51: Communication bull violates Coalition agreement http://t.co/jq2jtVzA
• Fri, 19:53: Dr.Who bosses http://t.co/JFj2BRVw
• Fri, 19:53: Government tries to ban posters http://t.co/ZpYajSPv
• Fri, 19:55: School dinners or dig's breakfast http://t.co/KJcsaPJn
• Fri, 19:56: Spooks in the middle http://t.co/qSYkbWLi
• Fri, 19:58: James Joyce Ulysses on radio http://t.co/6PnArNk8

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