Christmas Edition

It's usual on this blog to write something around Christmas here because it for one thing it's a major childhood memory, it's almost as big on my age regressed side having that Christmas Eve anxiety at night thinking what I may be having and finally its two whole different days. A heady mixture, what?

I'm home with Mummy and Daddy and I can smell the Turkey cooking ready for Lunch as we visit our neighbours and having just opened my presents.

Fun that was a direct re-run from my actual childhood came from this annual with adventures from Dennis the Menace, Minnie the Mix and the Bash Street Kids plus a special annual of the Dandy featuring such favourites as Korky the kat, Desperate Dan and Beryl the Peril.

I had some money from Mum, one brother that were put toward some compact discs and a HMV voucher.

As strange as it might sound finding a recording on sacd of either Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture or Romeo and Juliet is difficult as much as you might of thought hifi people might of seen that as a demonstration title.

I had this disc which has Romeo and Juliet plus Orchestral extracts from The Snow Maiden coupled with a recording of his First Symphony by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra by the much talked about conductor, Neeme Jarvi plus a sacd set of Sibelius Symphonies and Chopin Preludes.

As well I had a scarf and blu rays of Back To The Future  together with the Karate Kid which were two of my favourite movies from the 80's as I slowly replace a few by the better looking blu ray versions.
I hope you had a super day with your gifts and toys but also with company too.

Christmas paws edition

*** HAPPY CHRISTMAS FOLKS *** 

At this time of year it's usual for me to take a break from blogging and the like simply because there's that much at the face to face so-called real life level to be getting on with so that has really  to take priority in the build up to Christmas Day and  shortly afterward.

I always looked forward to christmas as a boy and this year will be no different so I thought I'd let you know I'll be off for a period.

The Brr edition

This weekend we had something like proper Winter weather sadly not Tundra but better than we've had for a bit which has helped taking my mind of discourse and drama elsewhere with temperatures blow - 2 degrees C.

Yes typical late 1960's site and road layouts abound here apart from having that sinking feeling while walking along the sidewalks not repaired since then(!) showing some of our snow fall.
Our woods are to the rear being between us and one of the two principal roads.

We shovelled some of the snow off but there's still some in the planters and pots

 "Brrr...It's brass monkey weather" our resident ape reckons who escaped from nearby Trentham, Staffs which like most of the county was well covered in it from the outskirts of Sedgley to the top of the Staffordshire Moorlands so he couldn't escape it even if he'd tried!
Another and most little appealing picture appeared during this period shown on the BBC and the Express & Star  newspaper on Friday of the Reindeer at Dudley Zoo out in the snow.

*Picture credits Express & Star
It's too late for a 2018 calendar for them  but I'd pick it for next years in a flash for December's picture.
Just keep warm folks!

Keeping warm

For a long time a staple of my more sporty look were lined tracksuit bottoms of the sort that was less overtly masculine with a very sporty feel to them but plainer fleece lined ones that for a period I wore a lot with baseball jackets.

 Just to annoy the brand loyalists I'm not simply because they tend to made from similar materials in the usual factory locations despite attempts to use 'sports science' to build up a strong sense of individual identity and unless you truly are using them in a professional sports context, you generally don't need that stuff anyway.
These area navy blue pair I recently  bought as I usually prefer to avoid baby pinks or white as they tend to show up marks and draw rather more attention to them than I'm comfortable with.
While non-brands can be cheap, I find the finish doesn't last as much.

Hurrah for the circus

Reading was always a thing with me as a boy even if because of how I am I never really out grew my younger boyhood books in the way say a fifteen year old often does so it's nice to re-read an old favourite by Enid Blyton

 I think the first thing to said is this was written in 1939 when people did really look forward to seeing a circus with animals and the understanding of how captivity impacts their lives was less understood than today where it is rare to see such an old-fashioned circus because we are that more enlightened. 

This is the second of the three stories centred around Galliano's Circus looking circus life for children where it is Easter and they are all at Westsea although they are due to move on to Liverpool which I'd presume is some way off as it is probably Westsea is either around Somerset or Devon, areas popular for holidays in the UK.

The story is told through the eyes of Jimmy and Lotta circus children where much excitement is caused by the arrival of tigers to join the circus who are kept in a double locked cage.

Jimmy is very much in awe of the tigers and is determined to get to where they live and befriend them from what he sees as their ill treatment while being trained by Fric and his father which he does learning to control them by body language and words.

In some ways this is a high point of the book because in modern english he's being like a 'horse whisperer' gaining their trust and co-operation without the use of whips and shouting at them.

The friendship between Jimmy and Lotta is under threat of being torn about by Fric, the tiger keepers son and helping hand who is spiteful and not averse to telling lies  which could be said to benefit from some measure of correction such as a smack for such behaviour.

Just as they are able to patch up their friendship, Jimmy's beloved dog, Lucky suddenly goes missing that leads to Lotta going out on a daring mission to rescue him who had been dyed after being sold for five pounds by Fric to a crooked, shady circus man called Mr. Cyrano to use. 

She does this by getting her curly hair cut, buying a shirt and pair of boy shorts and impersonates a  boy to confuse everyone so she's able to rescue Lucky.

As a reward Mr Galliano gets her a black pony that she calls Black Beauty after the Anna Sewell novel no doubt that she learns to ride and perform circus tricks with that are incorporated into their Liverpool show.

Just as everything seems to be going so well Lotta discovers Lal, her mother is ill in hospital in Europe where they've been performing with horses and dogs and The little girl's father, Laddo, may have to go away to another circus because he needs a partner in his act.

As is often the case in Enid Blyton's writing she leaves how this pans out until the next book but we are left pondering just what will happen to Lotta and if she might have to leave this circus and everybody including Jimmy for another.

It's very much a rip-roaring tale that I enjoyed re-reading from my original 1973 Deans hardback edition even if today much of the background to the plot simply would no longer be permitted. 

Chopin on super audio cd

Chopin was one of first composers I got into from owning Alfred Cortet 78 rpm discs from the 1930's to having stereo lp records as a boy in the 1970's but with having the new cd player with its super audio cd playing ability for better than lp sound I was keen to get some new recordings in that format.

Chopin's piano concertos have always interested me from the days of playing vinyl and taping them for boarding school reproduction and this new set of both of his by the Argentinian born Ingrid Fliter for Linn Records is well worth it.

She went on to record this set of his Preludes so I I ordered both at once and again this is so worth it for the playing and recording quality although I have the 2012 Pollini box set on regular cd.

Rounding off this set of purchases I did pick up a 2011 set Muzurkas and Nocturnes recorded for the Swedish company BIS Records by Yevgeny Sudbin.

This recital that runs for an hour and ten minutes is hugely enjoyable.

Getting this super audio cds have given me  a greater appreciation of Chopin's works and what it takes to really play them well.

Classical Music on sacd part 3 - Tchaikovsky

This months entry on the collection of new classical Super Audio cd's abbreviated to sacd is a bit different to the first two in that they all have one thing in common.

One of the first composers I encountered was Tchaikovsky when I was a child so it wasn't so long that on record I did buy a few recordings which in time made their way to compact discs with the last major addition being the adding of the Andre Previn set of the complete ballet scores on EMI that I used to borrow on record.

One thing I had decided early on was in so far as new recordings went the priority was going to those in Super Audio cd and a good modern set of his symphonies  was the first .

 The first three symphonies are it has to be said something of a challenge to play in way that makes much sense of the score as in all honesty Tchaikovsky was very much feeling his way composition wise but Valery Gergiev's interpretation does bring more out of these than many as much as I like my original disc on DG of Claudio Abbado's recording of the second coupled with the fourth. I also managed to get this two sacd set for £7.99 which was a absolute bargain!

 I was raised very much on Herbert von Karajan's recordings of the Fifth symphony firstly in mono with the Philharmonia Orchestra and then his 1960's stereo for DG but wanted something more modern and this just fits the bill being in similar style and highly acclaimed. 

I have a recording of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto coupled with Mendelssohn's by Nathaniel Milstein but this one by the much talked about Julia Fisher is one recent recording many feel brings more from it from a slightly different edition of the score.

 This recent recording combines one work I lacked but did like, the Souvenir de Florence with an arresting very well recorded account of the Serenade for Strings, one of the most well known string compositions.

In addition to a previous regular cd addition of such familiar tunes as the March Slav, the 1812 Overture etc on Tchaikovsky Festival on Naxos effectively replaced technically so-so recordings I had previously, this has now given me a pretty decent sounding set of recordings of his music.

A statement of L B being

However you wish to wrap this thing up, the one thing it's not is a role play, that's to say you donning an outfit, taking on a character role you act out with a few people perhaps at some kind of gathering where one at least will be playing a School teacher, scout leader or similar.

You don't 'scene' for a few hours to a mutually agreed script with set outcomes that to be sure you really want and appreciate.

Age Regression may superficially look look the same but it is very different because even if for whatever reason you may not dress in line with being that little boy within, nonetheless, you are ALWAYS in that headspace carrying around that conception of your role to those you see as adults.

It alters relationships significantly because you play very much the junior part in them, you have a say but never the last one because you are not the equal, they have first dibs and you don't.

They tell you what to do and chastize you when you don't do as they please

They sit on the best seat and if there are no seats left, you sit on the floor or get out of a seat for their adult friends without question or being asked.

Most of time you are dressed as a little boy only looking slightly older if socially needed to give clear expression of what you really are and actually love being.

You have to lose nearly all of the trappings of adulthood to gain from being the child, the little boy you are to gain the freedom to be you.

I am happy to to trade that for a life I can enjoy as...me.

Getting set to go

I don't know I'll see this outside of the entrance to where I'll be on Friday but there is always something you feel as you approach steam trains operated live at a heritage railway being with other boys and men.

You see unless you have actually spent time as a little or middle together as much as I'm of fan of online groups and clubs you are missing that face to face interaction with other age aggressors being in effect children together playing with the spontaneity that brings, recreating that time and space when that was all that mattered.

Everybody's 'day' is bound to be different, we played with differing things, watch different things on tv and with the exception of "Smartphone culture", the thing is they have more in common with each other than you might think.

That means however 'old' in terms of birth certificate age  you might be you're all around the same level which makes sense as childhood and from that childhood revisited is a space a person from a level of social, emotional, physical and intellectual development resides.

That development and it's issues within me for real is the very reason I am the way I am and why it is I don't go with the 'adult' 'age play'  thing as I'm always 'regressed' always in little headspace pretty much a child and with similar vulnerabilities.

Being in with others is what I love the most and where I'll be this weekend.

Chris's October catch up post

It's been a busy week here at Chris's where after some work on my blog I do appear to getting rather more the followers I did want so am ditching those I didn't and have been organizing myself for bonfire night.
It's what keeps this blog real!

I rather suspect he was better at keeping that ball in control than the metaphorical one  I do although I love that footie strip of his and enjoyed playing with the other boys.

Another thing happening here is I actually getting some new proper black boys plimsolls to wear for exercising in.

I've always admired model railway layouts from boyhood but struggled to get to dad's cos his is up in the loftspace which I can't climb up to and just maybe one day I may have a small one of my own at ground level I can play with for hours.

Rachmaninov

I've been working over the years on my music collection and this week we look at some new arrivals.

If anyone popularized Rachmaninov's Second Symphony it was André Previn in 1972 with his recording for HMV/EMI Angel with the London Symphony orchestra back in the days of lps.

Recently in Japan Warner Brothers who currently own the recordings thru Tower Records re-issued in all new transfers on Super Audio cd his complete set of Orchestral Works by Rachmaninov including the three symphonies in this handsome box set.

The discs are held in delux digipaks with high quality card covers that match the lovely sound these recordings have in this format.

One thing that can be frustrating in classical music is couplings of works but given I was looking for a excellent modern account of his First Piano Concerto one was obliged to but this which comes with the first symphony by the rather good Singapore Symphony Orchestra with the piano playing sensation that is Yevgeny Sudbin from 2013 on Bis Records of sweden.

This year he followed it up with a disc with the second and third piano concertos this time with the legendary BBC symphony Orchestra which already is being hailed as  an excellent version.

All these discs come with two layers, one for Super Audio cd players and another for regular cd which does help in building a collection up that can be played anywhere.

Filling in the gaps comes this six cd set of which the first two comprise of the Piano Concertos recoded around the same time as Previn's Second Symphony recording with the LSO too featuring Vladimir Ashkenazy to which if you had bought that on lp back in the day, you'd of bought the lps of these.

They remain excellent analogue recordings.

The reminder are with the exception the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, works for piano only some being duets with André Previn and a mixture of excellent remastered analogue sound and early 80's digital recordings in no way inferior to todays. 

For the modest price asked this set is well worth the money.

Autumn 2017

It won't be that long before the clocks go back, the last weekend in this month if I remember it right and n matter where you are in the UK, something is happening all around you that's pretty magical.

Playtime for me involves time out of doors, no not sitting in the garden with the Chromebook, actually going a bit further and without the all pervasive internet, walking, throwing sticks in the woods and fields here.

It's the fall and the more your outside the more you'll see although for many years I loved observing it on the inter-urban commute to work through the bus windows, wherever I work if possible I'd go into parks and gardens not just for peace and quiet but to watch it all change.

Depending on the species, the rate of which the leaves change colour and even fall off varies which used to intrigue me as a child making my way to Church around harvest time where the pavements glistened in the low sun carpeted by leaves.

Sometimes things get a bit nutty and it isn't Zee Zee's fault although his relations have something to with it as around now, you'll see the squirrels about gathering nuts to bury them and below it appears they've arranged everything that naturally fell making a  beautiful natural collage 

It's great to be out, eyes peeled to everything happening in nature.

Classical Music on sacd part 2

Today as we've past the first month of starting to build a coherent classical music collection on sacd I would post an update.

One thing you have to recognize is because the format is so much capable of more natural sound doesn't mean you'll ditch any or all your existing recordings as there always two elements involved: the performance and the sound.

Ever since the days of the lp record that elusive balance of the two is what as collectors of recordings we've looking for and there exists from those early mono taped performances from the early nineteen-fifties to the turn of this decade many excellent performances that may not be on sacd and some where for technical reasons they may be little point in issuing them.

This said there are increasing numbers of  excellent recordings from the analogue tape era being freshly mastered and new recordings critically acclaimed so you may be able to 'upgrade' which is where we start.

For a good while I had been looking for a great fairly modern recording of Bartok's ground breaking Concerto For Orchestra which I remember well as a handed down Mercury mono lp record when I was in my early teens where I spied this.

It's reissue of the original Quadraphonic (surround sound) lps from the Deutsche Grammophon catalogue of the nineteen-seventies that only got issued in Japan but whose stereo mixes were issued in North America and Europe that were much admired.

 Arriving only toward the end of last week is a acclaimed recording of Schubert's String Quintet in C Major D 956 from 2011 by the much loved Tokyo String Quartet who have performed in North America and Europe.

Schubert's "The Trout" quintet has been a favourite of mine for a long while and recently I bought this excellent modern recording which will go with my regular cd sets of string quartets and symphonies by him.

This one can be filed under 'filling a hole' as in the years of building my classical music collection I hadn't gotten around to getting a complete set of Beethoven's String Quartets and this set of recordings from 2005 through 2008 is one of the best recorded.

I was able to get this 8 sacd set in stone mint condition used for half the regular price which made it quite bargain.

Mozart and I got back a long time, to the period I often borrowed pre-recorded tapes from the municipal library and most of my Mozart collection goes back to around 1991 on cd buying the many discs in the Mozart Masterpieces set.

Included in that was the debut recording of a then 14 year old Anne-Sophie Mutter with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra with its then larger than life conductor, Herbert von Karajan of the 3rd and 5th Violin Concertos to which I had added two slightly later recordings on EMI by her of numbers 1, 2 and 4.

This set recorded in 2011 by PentaTone records is widely regarded as one of the finest coming with the very best sound available and even features a dvd where you see Julia rehearsing.

R.I.P Marmalade

On Thursday September 21 at 8.30 AM, Marmalade, president of the seventh North Staffs Tom Cat Club died as I stroked him having been brought in by neighbours found seriously ill on the sidewalk fur covered in dark soil and with black coloured berry in his mouth.

There was little indication to suggest being struck by an automobile as while conscious but with severe breathing difficulties, he didn't yelp while carried or when stroked from face to tail.

He arrived around 2013 from nowhere with his eccentric ways like wanting to be served on a floor table, wanting to bring his own food in like mice to eat in front of the gas fire and going out for all night cat parties at their Tom Cat Club.

I'm too upset to say anymore crying right now but I miss him loads.