Handing it all back

 

I found over time I just lost any vestige of being an adult increasingly taking a younger role in adult company feeling comfortable with that and that in strange way publicly tearing up my adult status meant I forged a new and lower status.

Sissikins got to wear sheer pink panties with a pretty bow on the to push hur sissification even more forward.

The status of adulthood was never a thing I wanted simply because I hadn't the means of using it to make a life I felt happy with nor did I 'get' what it was about because all I wanted was the life of a sissy gurl.

I saw my reflection in the window the other day, a person with a patterned bobble hat, blue short coat, grey skirt with grey bowed socks walking down the road.

I saw ME in the reflection.

By losing all airs of adulthood I gained what I wanted: The Status of a Little

It is all I am.

Now Yearbook 1977

 Did say the other week new music releases were coming think and fast but this one slots in well with the overall theme of this blog well being more than a list all  your purchases and in run post because it takes me right back to my childhood, just a teen, in a radically changing musical environment. 

There is a cheap folded wrap around version but I opted for the book form editions as it gives you short entries about each featured track and even a little about the years main events which is why I buy these editions.

They are more like end of year pop annuals with hits and much talked about tracks included better for being centred around when it charted and in 1977 many of our favourites from the last four to five years lost momentum as the New Wave such as Elvis Costello, Jam and Stranglers crashed in but it wasa  year with very broad tastes which suited me fine.

Kicking off Disc 1 with a timeless anthem from Queen with ‘We Are The Champions’ as the "old wave" rose to the challenge of the new and followed by the huge instrumental rock of ‘Fanfare For The Common Man’ by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. The song that would open ‘Live Aid’ years later is next up from Status Quo with their signature ‘Rockin’ All Over The World’, and 1977 saw ‘Way Down’ from Elvis Presley go to #1 in the wake of his death. Classic pop-rock from 10CC with ‘Good Morning Judge’ is followed by a trio of ballads from Electric Light Orchestra with ‘Telephone Line’, Leo Sayer with his trans-Atlantic chart topper ‘When I Need You’, and David Soul actor in tv's Starsky and Hutch with another UK and US #1 ‘Don’t Give Up On Us’. Hot Chocolate enjoyed their first #1 with ‘So You Win Again’ and is followed by a superb run of dance-pop from Candi Staton, Patsy Gallant, Donna Summer, Boney M. and The Rah Band. More pop-rock from Suzi Quatro, Smokie and a hit from the soundtrack of the tv series ‘Rock Follies’ lead toward the emotionally charged closing tracks on the first disc – from Elkie Brooks with ‘Pearl’s A Singer’, Liverpool Express and ‘Every Man Must Have A Dream’, and the #1 ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ from the concept album for the upcoming musical ‘Evita’ by Julie Covington along with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

Disc 2 opens with an amazing run of punk and new wave classics: The Stranglers with ‘No More Heroes’, Ramones with ‘Sheena Is A Punk Rocker’, The Clash with their debut ‘White Riot’, and The Jam with their first Top 20 hit ‘All Around The World’. The Boomtown Rats debuted with ‘Lookin’ After No.1’ and defining hits are featured from Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers, Mink DeVille and Elvis Costello with the peerless ‘Watching The Detectives’. A genre defying hit from the Tom Robinson Band leads into a sequence of hits that includes singer-songwriters Paul Simon, Boz Scaggs and Bryan Ferry, rock smashes from Boston and Santana, and to close the disc softer rock from Thin Lizzy and beautiful ballads from Racing Cars with ‘They Shoot Horses Don’t They’, and Yes with ‘Wonderous Stories’, where prog actually charted on the singles chart!

The charts in 1977 were fantastically diverse, and one of the biggest genres of hits was Disco and it is that that owns  Disc 3.

Arguably one of pop music’s defining moments came in 1977 with Donna Summer’s #1 ‘I Feel Love’ with it’s production showcasing the role of the synthesiser. European disco smashes found huge success: Baccara topped the charts with ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, along-side massive tracks from Belle Epoque and the debut ‘Daddy Cool’ for Boney M. – who a year later would become the biggest selling singles act of 1978. Meco re-worked the ‘Star Wars’ theme into a US disco chart topper, and The Trammps, Heatwave, The Emotions, Rose Royce, Thelma Houston and chart newcomers Chic all feature here in a stellar run of floor-filling hits. Marvin Gaye had a massive track with ‘Got To Give It Up – Pt.1’ and Gladys Knight & The Pips continued their run of hits with ‘Baby, Don’t Change Your Mind’. The disc finishes with 3 of 1977’s greatest soul tracks: Deniece Williams took ‘Free’ to #1, and the Commodores released an all-time classic, with ‘Easy’ from the album known as Zoom in the uk, featuring Lionel Richie on vocals, whilst Detroit R&B vocal group The Floaters scored their only UK hit in style with ‘Float On’ reaching #1 in August.

The final disc opens with 1977’s biggest seller – the first single to sell over two million copies, all time personal favourite – and the years’ Christmas #1, ‘Mull Of Kintyre’ from Paul McCartney & Wings. Two more #1s follow: Manhattan Transfer with ‘Chanson D’Amour’, and the second chart-topper in the year for David Soul with ‘Silver Lady’. Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Sam’ continues the run of ‘easy-listening’ pop that also includes #1 ‘Angelo’ from Brotherhood Of Man’, sublime tracks, ‘The Things We Do For Love’, from 10CC, ‘Oh Lori’ from Alessi Brothers, and the Boz Scaggs penned ‘We’re All Alone’ by Rita Coolidge, plus pop gems from Carole Bayer Sager and Meri Wilson all feature. Kenny Rogers hit #1 with ‘Lucille’, Billy Ocean enjoyed his second #2 smash with ‘Red Light Spells Danger’, while The Dooleys and Andrew Gold made their chart debuts.

Rock ‘n’ roll was enjoying a revival and two contemporary groups both enjoyed massive success - Showaddywaddy continued their run of hits with ‘Dancin’ Party’, and Darts arrived with a medley of ‘Daddy Cool’ and ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’….and the collection finishes with two instrumental hits, ‘Portsmouth’ from Mike Oldfield reached #3 in the first week of the year, whilst unexpectedly ‘The Floral Dance’ became a massive seller for the Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band, spending the last four weeks of 1977 at #2 behind ‘Mull Of Kintyre’ which lead to the Terry Wogan version too.

Remembrance

 Although this is the blog of  a sissy, that gurl is much much wider one looking at the things that mattered to me such as Scouting, and being a Little too, the way I carry forward "The Eternal Brownie" in me.

Remembrance can mean different things to different people. The in Brownies the  activities provided are a great way to explore what it means to your unit – from the poppy fields of the first world war, to stories of women working in the resistance during the second world war. Think too about those who protect and support us today, from police officers to supermarket workers.

By doing this you learn and understand what the sacrifice many not least girls and women made for our today, our freedom.

Here today's Brownies take part in the remembrance day service and parade, laying their wreath which having done that myself is a poignant act and also a great honour.

Halloween

 

Well it may got done today as we're doing things a bit differently, a bit more rapidly than usual  but we did get away against most odds with a host issues to work through but it did happen.

Fun thing number one was having booked a cab to get the main rail station here rather limited services more directly "in area", the cab is running late which meant it was as well I allowed very generous timings from projected arrival to when the first preference train would depart.

Then you find the driver doesn't know one route at all although they had a sat nav app on their smartphone and doesn't seem to know the other that well so by the time you encounter roadworks and diversions, well my work is cut out remember 15 year old routes from roughly when we had a car, that went across that area and the back routes to the Town centre.

We did get there thank heavens in reasonable time, enough to buy a Royal British Legion remembrance badge from the sellers at the station and get on platform five for the Avanti service to London Euston that did call where I wanted quicker and the dash to get another cab to the venue.

I arrived doing a quick change act to more suitable skirt before chatting and having a cod and chips tea which having not eaten since midday was much appreciated.

Things were somewhat spookiness inside and out and on Saturday a few others had come as I read my comic and chatted a bit before settling down to a burger and fried onions ready for the Treasure Hunt which took the form of racing around the garden trying to find sheep to which you then place in a pen after having each one recorded.

We then moved on and in my instance took off coat and jumper to Lantern making from carving a pumpkin which had proved a bit elusive in some areas to get but fortunately the organizer had bought one for me which also saved something more reminiscent of carrying a old school Medicine Football and that was mine carved. 

By early evening it was time for the fireworks display as we battled out out with the massive display in the West Midlands for bangs getting though a good number of fireworks and unlike last year we it was dry which was more fun.

I got through three sparklers which is a lot more than usual as post accident I have massive grip and shaking issues in my hands to the point I didn't safe holding a  flaming *anything* in my hands with dropping either on me or anyone else but did manage that which was personal triumph after all these decades.

We had a bring along a bit of something buffet afterwards, with me avoiding anything connected with cheese for reasons those who know will well understand (you wouldn't want to next me if accidentally had any!)

That was followed by Madam's General Knowledge and Music quiz which I score a reasonable 29 out of fifty and a good laugh was had taking part in which is the bigger thing really.

After what seemed an eternity for those of us on early bedtimes, we did get to sleep after talking through the next meet up and other related stuff to get up later the next morning for a Bacon sandwich before heading for a meal.

The meal was scrumptious, I opted for a Turkey Roast, a Sticky Toffee Treacle sweet and a orange flavoured J20 which I must admit was the for time I drunk one and it was really smooth which helped my throat a bit.

Everybody else's look good, was well presented and we had steady walk back before people made their way back home before Iris and Mary kindly offered me a lift to the station where although we had missed one by minutes the next wasn't long back home to the door at decent hour.

I'd like to thank the organizer for her hospitality, Andi for the trifle, help in the kitchen plus technical support with fireworks and everybody for making it a fun time

* assembled on Asus Chromebook with NO processing or picture editing*

Dizzy Heights

 This week we're going for a spin.

The music countdown to Christmas has began although this isn't one those "For the Xmas market" releases strictly speaking but one that came out in early September part of series of reissues that I cherry picked this one from.

This was an album I bought back in February 1997 on pre-recorded MiniDisc but whose modern take on mid 60's was one that did rather like.

It was issued at the time on vinyl, it did come out in four formats, strangely enough back then including cassette, compact disc and vinyl but these days getting your hands on the vinyl edition will prove elusive and very expensive

There was a blue vinyl edition but passed over that for the black one, for one thing it's easier to spot defects and for another most vinyl was black back then.

Released in November 1996, The Lightning Seeds' fourth album pleases all fans of Britpop.

With 'Dizzy Heights', there isn't a dull moment as it never lets up over both sides.

Most of the songs are so upbeat that it's difficult not to become addicted after the first play, and even the slower ones will have you humming along. The opening track 'Imaginary Friends' and 'Touch and Go' could easily have been successful had they been released as singles.

It isn't that the album falls short of well known songs, all four singles: 'Ready or Not', 'What If..', 'Sugar Coated Iceberg' and 'You Showed Me' hit the top twenty. The whole album never fails to boast my mood, and whilst I wouldn't say it was The Lightning Seeds' best album, let's say the predecessor 'Jollification' was a tough act to follow, the band certainly hit a high with 'Dizzy Heights'.

It remains my favourite modern "Pop" album so I was delighted to had got a vinyl version of it.

Next week we should be going backwards in time....

A trip around Spode's

While I get inoculated this week, I thought we'd go back a bit really to something that is very much "in the family" which is ceramics and a trip to the museum of a major player, Spode.

Some exhibits were in glass cases, probably as well as a few years ago a car plowed into the front of the museum and damaged a number of Willow Pattern plates.

A number of these pieces show gold banding which was applied by hand after an apprenticeship and being approved to use the very expensive gold gilding  which was something my late nan did for a good many years.

When people think of pottery, thoughts tend to run to cups, saucers and plates  but they need not and here is a fox which could of been bought for a cool £150.

Ware comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes as can be seen in this frame filling picture.

That plate design is "Chocolate Berry" sat by two willow pattern cups and saucers that before the guided tour we consumed with hand poured tea from leaves with biscuits.

October Brownies edition

 Stories about being in movements such as boys and girls brigades, brownies and cubs are not generally just pieces of fiction looking at the lives of those in membership but often are about what membership is about and how your being say a brownie or a cub comes into play in everyday life.

That's not least we're learning what today we call "life skills" apart from having heaps of fun together and the thing about life skills is there will be times you'll need to use them so compilations of stories don't just keep you entertained, they help form that connection and inspire you further on you way through scouting.

Very much of the 1940's and 50's, this how any girl in Brownies would wear her uniform and note she wears a tie  with her enrollment badge which was later changed.

 

Tis Autumn and sometimes you need a extra bit of help if you're out camping  so here's Fleur de Lis Scouts Fleece Blanket which is 15 x12 metres in length that you can throw over your sleeping bag, has more than enough space to sow your badges  and easily rolls up for carriage.

It has polyester fleece lining and is made for the Scout Association so mine came from the official Scout Shop.