Oh yeah, it was the start of the summer, and oh yeah, it was the start of forever…
School was out, shops reopened, masks were on and the non-socially-distancing-yet-ever-more-crowing ‘Kopites’ made it more difficult than usual to enjoy the freedom at last:
Exhibit A: This is my neighbours’, a sight I’ve had to endure for weeks already. Exhibit B is all on Twitter, you can look that up yourself as I don’t want to further compromise someone’s security.
We heartily congratulate some of the excellent footballers who won the league back in November, and some of the fans who have waited a long time to see it happen again (and by that I mean see it with their own eyes, in the stadia said team were playing in) but not the idiots who claim it as their own success when IT HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. Although you’d think it did, what with the arrogant bragging and mindless celebrations which jeopardised a city again.
Anyway, pubs & restaurants reopened too – timely – and it was nice to see people again although the circumstances and procedures in place were a little awkward and uncomfortable. Thankfully, I saw my best man and mate for thirty years (down the beach, not the pub) and met his son for the first time which was a lovely reminder of times that have gone before.
I’ll talk about restaurants in a separate blog, but let’s just say I’m excited to see how places we love are preparing to reopen and I hope it’s not too long before we can experience the special times again. Until then, it’s keep calm and masks on (and keep cooking) which has been one of the personal highlights of the past four months for sure.
I keep getting positive comments on what I’m baking, making and documenting and apologise profusely if it does anyone’s heads in; it’s all for posterity, but also to show that self-teaching can be successful, plus it all might be useful should Masterchef come calling again one day.
In terms of culture, we loved watching ‘Dead to Me’ which brought back great memories of ‘Don’t Tell Mum The Babysitter’s Dead’, a favourite film of early teens (mainly because of Christina Applegate, an early object of my affection) and I enjoyed a chance viewing on Amazon Prime about Spanish footballers ‘Living Abroad’, well, just one episode, Juan Mata‘s guide to Manchester. It’s funny that this month I was nominated to name ten footballers who’ve influenced the way I play the game, and he was the joint eleventh on the list alongside David Silva as both players are cool, creative, quiet, considerate gents like myself who clearly have a cultured side to them. I think Silva recognised this last year.
Although I’m yet to set foot back in a museum or gallery, painting has been a priority. The artwork is also mentioned elsewhere: the other focus of recent weeks has been listening, I’ve mentioned most of my podcast recommendations before and I have got back onto Desert Island Discs (Simon Armitage was particularly interesting) and The Kitchen Cabinet (full of useful tips and suggestions) but have had the radio on throughout our spending warm summer days indoors, so here’s a little Lockdown Soundtrack for those of you interested in what I’ve been listening to…
It’s kind of like my own Desert Island Discs, having felt a bit like being stuck on an island for months, or even a mixtape like the one in High Fidelity, although this is a love letter to lockdown instead. There are thirteen songs, because – despite all my positivity – I’m well aware that this period has been more than unlucky for some.
SIDE A
- Wandering through local streets was strange enough, so I can only imagine what it would have been like to be in a big city at the peak of Lockdown. All very 28 Days Later, I expect.
2. The kids seemed to watch at least one of the trilogy every day for a couple of months, learning the lines, lyrics and dance moves, and they grew on me again having initially loved the first one when it was released. I’d say the second one is my favourite now, a bit like a summery Empire Strikes Back, and it has some of the better songs… Here’s a megamix for the uninitiated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIeDvDmWEbU but I’ll stick with this because it sums up the mood of the family right the way through, and the country for a while at least.
3. Obligatory Courteeners track, this one being a bit different and a lot like some of the stuff that Craig Charles played during his excellent twelve week stint on Radio 6 Music ages ago. And, it features a two word line, that sums up Certain People I Know pretty well.
4. Every weekend I like listening to Frank Skinner and Jason Manford in the mornings (I know) on Absolute Radio 90s and come teatime, the Indie Disco which takes me back to GCSEs and the halcyon days of the Sugar House, Medication & Liquidation. Those of you who know… know.
I could have chosen myriad tunes. Ash, for example, whose gloomy lyrics opened this article. Shed Seven, Longpigs, Echobelly, a plethora of other bands seminal to us in our salad days but probably obscure to many. This though was on last week and I hadn’t heard it for decades. It also reminded me of how much I swooned when Louise Wener read out my name at a Sleeper gig (until I discovered it was because my mate had fallen into a door and smashed his face open)
5. 6 Music is really eclectic but this song by Fontaines D.C. seemed to be on repeat for months, and I’ve heard good things about their new album. Radio 1 are playing it a lot now too, so I must be down with the kids. The lyrics, the repetitive refrain, and the title, are pretty relevant too…
6. Home schooling brought with it the need for de-stressing and I liked the mix on Scala Radio of film & musical soundtracks, birdsong and opera and also spent ages reminiscing Italia ’90 so this song brings an end to the first side because it brought classical music – and football – into the homes of millions for the first time. Obviously, I could have chosen Pavarotti but this is one of the greatest football moments in recent years, in case anyone hasn’t seen it…
SIDE B
7. We started listening to Kissstory on a whim and stuck with it because, whilst repetitive, on summer days in the garden it’s so evocative – holidays abroad, drunk student nights out, and I could have chosen myriad songs that are seemingly on every hour: Busta Rhymes, evoking a messy end of term night out in Concert Square – not this year! – or a mad Groovejet / Moloko mashup which automatically takes me back to 2000 whilst in 2020 we’ve been celebrating everyone’s 40ths. I could also have picked Another Chance as it conjures up memories of Bugged Out, or even My My because it reminds me of how much I’ve missed ‘properly’ teaching, more specifically my first GCSE class sixteen years ago – but I choose this as it was on earlier, and it’s a lively opener to the second side plus it always reminds me of our raucous anniversary party which was exactly ten years ago this week!
8. Next, a song which many people think is about a dodgy supply teacher and a questionable crush but actually is about Social Distancing!
9. Now, I’m writing about my love of all things Italian in my next blog, but have included this song as I’ve been busy making and eating pasta and pizza for what feels like ages and also have had to ask bored kids to be quiet on more than one occasion (way more politely, of course!)
10. I’m also really proud of learning the art of baking, as many people will have, despite there being no flour or yeast around for ages back in the day. I’ve had a go at various doughs, pizza and even pie pastry but the bread is, literally, the bread and butter. This theme tune also contains the line, “oooh gotta get up, gotta get out” which represents the frustrations so many people felt (and some still do) at not being able to venture out of the house for such a long time.
11. This song represents the times of self-reflection, possible loneliness and probably isolation most of us have felt since the middle of March. But in a cheerier way.
12. A catchy pop tune my son keeps wanting to watch on YouTube, but I’m not embarrassed to say I actually love it because it’s arguably the most feel-good music video I’ve ever seen. The looks of astonishment and happiness on some of those couple’s faces are a sight to behold.
And finally:
13. Thankfully, many people have used this as a positive time and been good friends, neighbours and community members, doing good turns, offering help and services and I’ve been especially grateful to those who’ve done so for my parents.
Despite all the negativity, we end on a high…