| I seem to have led many lives and
below are some of my current and past interests.
Downloads
These are poor recordings, but as far as I'm aware
they remain the only ones still in existence. All
were recorded from casette tapes using my latest
toy to digitise them. I know some were originally
recorded on VHS video tapes, although most come
from vinyl originals. Recordings here are in .wav
format to give the best sound, made from C60 casettes
(30 minutes per side) at around 55Mb, but Christy
Moore is a whopping C120.
Choose from below, click to download - or if that
doesn't work for your device, right click and save
link:
Firing Squad
- Live at Ranton Village hall.
I love this three piece band and saw them almost
weekly at The Malt & Hops: Jerry Pearce vocals
and guitar, Neal Simpson backing vocals and bass
guitar, & Dave Acock on drums (Pete's brother)
Track listing:
- Big Red Car
- Please Come Around Tonight
- Night Manoeuvre
- All Alone
- Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
- See What You've Done
- Feeling So Fine
- Deathshead Hotel
- Lucy Longlegs
Doza Willis
- The last band Ray McEwan played in, he's lead
on track 2. Bad recording!
* Cleaned my cassette tape player so this recording
(the same source) is a lot better.
A great Southern style rock band from Rugeley that
I got into a bit late. Ray was central into getting
them to perform some of The Outlaws tracks (Hughie
Thomasson)
I don't know if these tracks are original or covers,
maybe someone can enlighten me?
Track listing:
- You can't be a winner (I don't Believe)
- Matter of Time - Ray on lead guitar.
- Finally Found a Love - 6 years before Ray joined
+ below.
- First Prize
Bedside Manor
- Live at The Rose & Crown - very bad recording,
but it brings back times passed. Correct me if I
am wrong, but I'm pretty sure the line up was: Cheryl
on vocals, Andy on Lead, Ray on rythm,Robin on bass,
Mark on keyboards and Postman John on drums.
Folk Collection - Some surprises here
Odd Songs - All my own work, you have been warned:
I can't sing to save my life and the songs themselves
are pretty awful, but with some good ones as well.
Guitar playing is OK-ish.
Coming next is a Christy Moore compilation of many
of his works, either solo or with Planxty, and maybe
one from Moving Hearts.
Books
Having written much regarding my life in China,
I added what became a short story entitled Six Days
in Siam. This was a comedy of cultural errors and
had to be written. It is hilarious, although consternation
and incredulity play large parts of my wife's first
time outside of China, and my first visit to Thailand.
Having written so much I realised I should tackle
one dream and write a book. So I did. It was awful,
so I then set about learning how to write and entertaining
novel, but one with something to say.
Today I have seven books self-published, with two
more under pen, and several ideas for more. I doubt
I will ever finish them all, but it is good to keep
the mind active. Currently I am working on Star
Gazer Book Four, The Centaureans. This book and
the next are largely written, but remember what
I just mentioned above about entertaining the reader,
well, it takes a lot of effort and a good deal of
imagination, and some things just cannot be rushed.
The books will be published when they are finished,
simple as that.
Self Publishing
Once I had written my first books I tried to find
a published, knowing in advance how difficult it
could be. Disheartening does not come into it. These
agents and editors, who all seem to inhabit one
skyscraper in New York, act like dinosures from
a bygone age. They want submissions double spaced,
each in a different font size and face, and anywhere
from one to fifty pages. I hasten to add that these
were electronic submissions, although a few still
insisted on hard copy. Get real!
I tried for quite a while and got nowhere, my research
into the peculiarities and pecadilos of each getting
me yet another rejection, often by the office dogsbody.
So I though, "Stuff them, I'll do it myself!"
And that led to the creations of Charlotte Greene.
Charlotte Greene, a young and innovative force
within the self-publishing book market, was formed
by John Morris in association with trusted freelancers
he employed to help him publish his books. It took
several years to find people with the right skills.
Many advertise, but their product is lacking, their
timekeeping erratic, or their work––just
not good enough.
To help other self-publishing authors, this group
acting as a collective of individuals with common
purpose, offered themselves as part of a package
of trusted freelancers, people who would deliver
what they said, on time, and at reasonable budget
to ordinary people.
So this is where I am today, happily self-publisshing
my own books, and also books written by other authors
who found similar hassle and time wasted.
Other Interests
Guitar:
I have played acoustic guitar for over fifty years
and have recently replaced my old Eko 12-string
with an Epiphone Masterbilt, which is a lovely guitar.
I wanted to purchase a Taylor, but the model I wanted
from last years catalogue is no longer in production,
neither are any larger guitars in their 400 range.
The option was of course the old Martin D28, but
at close to three grand it was just too much for
poor old me. The Epiphone suits me well and should
last me a lifetime ha ha.
Forge of Empires:
This is a stupidly addictive online game that I
have been playing for over four years now. I am
Captain of the Pirate Ship, Fel Dranghyr, and this
website offers me the ability to make extra resources
available to my crew. You can find it here.
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