Christmas 2012

If you have just come to this blog you probably did not expect me to publish a Christmas edition as I had said elsewhere I wasn't doing one before Christmas as I was going to be very busy organizing stuff for other peoples Christmas's, visiting and the like.

A Christmas for me is unapologetically a little affair, simple, very childlike wrapped around some groan up parts such as being with relatives so while they may do sophisticated things and talk about groan up stuff, I don't cos I'm the child.

I woke up, got dressed and spend most of the morning  in full school uniform and I see I wasn't the only one in our community that spent at least some of our time like that today.

We went out for Christmas lunch where apart from having some lovely well cooked food, I played a small springy man with a sucker that holds it down for a minute before it goes pop and jumps up in the air landing all over the place. I had loads of fun doing that and Mummy was okay with it too. Having a Mummy that'll let you do this in public is so awesome.

 As well I had this the 75th Anniversary annual of the British Comic the Beano with special stories, jokes and other things in them that make me happy.

I also had the Dandy annual too which in way is a bit sad as it finished a few weeks ago for good.

In a Christmas for me, new children's books feature as I love reading about people and their adventures so there's Emerald Star, a follow up to Hetty Feather by Jacqueline Wilson in their hardback editions.

A borderline adult little girl colleague bought me this cos it reminded them of me which was just lovely.

I love Jacqueline Wilson, having a good number of her books which appeal to girls and boys like me plus the uber cool and kawaii Hello Kitty annual.

Mum bought me some cute girly socks and Scottish shortbread. I had a tin of chocolates to share cos well sharing is a 'very good thing tm' although Ill have to change some gloves as my hands are small, the fingers are smaller than Mummy's even and these are way too big

.

I have record coming just after Christmas too as it was in the Christmas Eve sale too.

Now the funny thing is people this is so similar to the Christmas's of of the past and you know what? It just feels so right.

Xmas and The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl

 

Christmas December 1977 is lodged in my mind for being the year I had a Christmas present that unlike a good number from that era I still own.

On May 4th 1977 following the previous years excursion into remarketing the beatles a new album came out that featured recordings of their August 1964 and 1965 performances at the Hollywood Bowl in California that had been recorded for posterity by Capitol records.

1977 was several years on from the end of the Beatles with each member moving on with their own solo careers and other interests to varying degrees of success but close enough for our generation to have known fleetingly about them first hand.

In the main I was more into Paul McCartney and Wings being swept away as mid Junior boy by My Love and Band On The Run three or so years before and loving this years Mull Of Kintyre single which I also had. 

While individual studio albums were still available and it was only three and a bit years since the now legendary 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations had come out with myself having the latter myself in March 1977, their had been nothing that captured the feel of Beatlemania.

This album compiled of two shows, transferred from the vintage three track tapes to 24 track equalized and remixed, did capture the feel of being at a show with a typical half hour set complete with 17,000 young screams.

It was a deluxe gatefold sleeve edition that I bought on  Friday December 17 from the local record shop all by myself before handing it over to Mum for safe keeping until Christmas Day when it was played.

My copy is a first edition cut by Wally Traugott at Capitol mastering with -1/-1 matrixes rather the later recuts done by Harry T Moss at Abbey Road.

The inner sleeve of the UK edition I had and the North American differed with theirs having a mocked up live photo while ours showed the currently available studio and compilation albums complete with track lists on vanilla background.

This proved useful for a thirteen year old me to plan how to build over time his beatles albums collection and put on birthday and Christmas wish lists.

Falling between two stools

We mentioned a bit about gender identity earlier on and actually that has a big part to do with the history of this blog which is some people misunderstood me taking me into whole areas that really were not.

There was not a question in my own mind that biologically I was male and I didn't beyond natural curiosity really go around thinking that in some way actually I was a girl but the thing was I had feminine interests and feelings.

Back in the nineteen seventies and eighties that was a massive issue because while I was happy to be "one of the boys" what was in that boy was wider and I couldn't openly be me in an era when boys were ridiculed and assaulted for being like me by other boys if not humiliated by macho male teachers. 

I wanted to play some of the playground games girls did but that wasn't allowed, You liked some girls toys but you'd never be allowed to play with their friends and your mates would make your life hell if they had an inclining you did.

It was bigger than that even.

I did like to wear sometimes skirts and dresses, not because I wanted to be a girl or later on transition to be a adult female becoming for all intents and purposes but just because I felt comfortable dressed that way although I didn't mind wearing shorts.

Long trousers were and remain a hatred of mine.

It was all just a mess.

The Plaid Appeal

For a very long time plaid designs had a hold on me from the tins of shortbread biscuits whose contents I devoured as a boy to Scottish Regimental soldiers in kilts via the sensational Bay City Rollers pop group I loved as a young boy.

Perhaps that's where that liking for plaid skirts and matching clan ties came in and my mum did have ladies kilt skirts that I sometimes would try on as I wasn't much for all the ceremonial things associated with the male kilt but did like skirts.

I almost bought one back in 1984 from the Giroscope magazine the bank National Girobank had.

Childhood reading revisited

One thing I will probably be doing more of is reading which for all my difficulties with it, is something I'm really enjoying right now and one site has an upcoming readathon I'll be able to take part in, sharing observations around the story as we all read together.

This week I've been reading the Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton which is about a group of children - Jo, Bessie and Fanny - who having moved to the Country, encounter a  most odd wood at the end of their garden - The Enchanted Wood where pixies, fairies and others live.

Growing in this wood is the Faraway Tree which initially the children climb that leads to the top where you can enter lands, lands that change regularly where many an adventure is had often featuring Moon-Face who has a face just like the moon and Silkie who has hair just like silk.

Some of the lands are really magical like Nursery Rhyme Land or the Land of Presents, cautionary such as the Land of Do-as-you-please or a bit nasty like the Land of Tempers. Well, would you liked to be surrounded by people always in a bad temper?

My copies of The Faraway Tree and the Folk of  the Faraway tree are copies I had from my chronological childhood being printed around 1971 and1972 but the first book of the series the Enchanted Wood is a newer copy from 1987, all just being decimalized but otherwise keeping the same text as earlier editions which isn't the case with the current ones with name changes for the three children, gollywogs being removed and any mentioning in passing of slaps or spanking as punishment removed.

Related to that and again from my original copies from the early 1970's I read Wishing Tree series (in the original series there but two books) which are fun to read. 

The plot is essentially that of two children, Peter and Molly who go to an antique shop to by their mother a present and come back with a chair that, when wishes are made has the magical ability to fly. 

They discover and make friends with a pixie called Chinky and have adventures flying in the Wishing Chair meeting also sorts of amazing and sometimes slightly scary characters.

As with Faraway Tree, these two books (Adventures of the Wishing Chair and the Wishing Chair Again) have been extensively 'revised' in their current editions to remove all the stuff so-called 'Politically Correct' people have issues with even mentioning.

Thankfully for those without copies, the Deans hardback Rewards series are easy to find used in at least acceptable condition being in print until at least 1990 where the heavy revisions came in.

Billy Joel, the Piano Man Pt.2

This is the slightly over due part two of our music specials on Billy Joel whose music I loved growing up.

Following a bit of a gap the program resumed with 1978's fantastic 52nd Street jazz influence album with it's hit singles My Life and FM album favourites like Zanzibar which like all of  Mobile Fidelity's  issues in this series isn't just a finely mastered cd besting regular Columbia/Sony issues but also a even better sounding super audio cd that can be played on a dedicated sacd player or many Blu-Ray players that have playback built into them.

These releases use a mini lp style of presentation complete with lyric inserts which I much prefer over plastic jewel cases.

 On July 31st 2012, the specialty reissue company Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs as part of it's program of Billy Joel reissues put out a new version of Billy Joel's 'new wave' Glass Houses album from 1980, the one with 'It's Still Rock and Roll To Me' on it.

If you like Billy Joel as I do then you're no doubt familiar with numbers like 'All for Leyna' but what makes this so enjoyable is it hasn't had any extra narrowing of the quiet and loud passages applied to it so when those drums kick in you can tell! 

Plus it sounds really clear in the presence area great for Billy's voice and the percussion.

The last edition of I bought was the 1998 Sony re-master which I have on Minidisc.

This 1982 album saw Billy emulating the feel of the 60's with many a nod to Paul McCartney and featured hits such as Allentown that caught the despondency of the early 80's Reagan era America as the smokestack industries faced decline.

This new version on regular cd is the best I've ever heard this album which although recorded digitally was actually mixed to analogue tape.

It is to be hoped the 50's pastiche that is An Innocent Man gets this treatment soon.

Scouting attire for the little sissy girl

 Time marches on and we have entered Winter which is when I love to get out and about.

The practicality of the traditional boys scout uniform is evident I feel in this photograph that shows the pockets of the shirt and short trousers with a notch to hold say a knife although today especially in urban centres you need to careful about displaying knives.

Shorts don't have those issues of both knees in long trousers becoming worn through kneeling or caked in mud where bare knees can be easily cleaned.

The only real advance I feel on shorts for scouting for gurls like me would be a fitted skort with pockets where the inner short provides the modesty that can be difficult to get in a skirt much  above the knees in the field.

 

A skort is a pair of shorts with a part-elasticated waist and a buttoned wrap-over front panel and these also features two back pockets and a handy zip pocket on the side.

I feel such a practical but feminine item is better for gurls.

I'm bored

 

I'm bored is the usual cry you hear from children but what is boredom?

One way of looking at is spare time to which you haven't found something that holds your interest to do.

That can be for a variety of reasons such as limited imagination - you fail to visualize something you could do - that may involve others or where say the adventures maybe in a book or tv show are such that they'd take a hold in your so that for you at that point they taken on real emotions.

That was one reason I liked to hear stories read at school with all that vocalization.

Another reason for some is sadly they fail to see others in that they can't relate to them in social settings so working on some joint activity just doesn't happen. They either do everything by themselves or failing that just sit doing nothing waiting for something to happen where just maybe someone might invite them.

Certain times of the year sometimes have a saddening affect and for sure the onset of the Winter is one when it's cold to play, natural daylight is limited and ice sometimes cause the groan ups to call off going round to your friends.

I've always liked doing things with others and boarding school was really good cos well we all were still at school after lessons to do stuff before evening meals and lights out.

If you changed the gender of the person on the right of the picture to a gurl in a skirt, that was very much a Tammy style of play running around the playground they'd of loved!!!!

Back together again

It's another morning following the changes in my life as I've been effectively taken back away from the grown up world of Employment having been found virtual unable to work with my mixture of physical, learning and developmental disabilities.

Of itself that doesn't surprise me having struggled with the whole thing more or less from the moment I left the education service and ironically that was the only place with the support I found myself capable of fulfilling a role.

That the only role I appear able and qualified to be is that of a school child regardless of biological age is hardly new, I remember some discussion at a training centre a couple of years after leaving school where several people felt I was more of a child.

From now on I might as well be upfront and honest about it allowing my "reset point" to go be restored  to ten allow myself to be treated as a ten year old feminine gurl dressed in a girls uniform by adults.

It's not that I ever saw myself as one - to me it was always a case of "the grown ups or adults are" as if in my head I never associated myself with one.

Here's to being a child!

Amelia Jane

For most of this week I've been reading a mixture of Enid Blyton's Secrets series with the first two stories in their 1960's paperback editions as modern editions haven't so much edited as partially re-written the first chapters that are essential to understand why 4 children would runway in this period from their guardians.

Guilty secret time:

Okay, the eagle eyed will spot a modern no-no on the front cover of this, one of the original three story collections in the Amelia Jane stories.

Amelia is a home made ragdoll who lives in the toybox with the other twos of the children who own them with a teddy bear, sailor boy, wooden mouse and a clown as well as a 'golly' a black faced doll if you grew up in the 70's or before you may well have had in your toybox.

I have fond memories of my toy box I can assure you with dolls teddy bears and even a golly.

Amelia being home made hasn't been what we'd call socialized and so is gets very bored doing incredibly naughty damaging things, playing with matches, being very rude and spiteful, just like many young children, something that no doubt makes it very easy to identify with.

In some respects it's almost a moral tract showing action and consequence through the adult narration.

The other toys do with the help of the brownies (another no-no in modern editions) restore order. 

Amelia has to stand in the corner  and is smacked, just rather like I was at that age for doing pretty much the same things cos like any kid I was capable of 'naughty'.

'Golly' is a no-no too but anyone who has read these stories know he's a really sweet but strong character who will stand up for himself and isn't afraid to take the lead on bring Amelia back under control.

I guess the 'Golly' problem lies with parts of his depiction having prominent eyes and red lips being too close for some to 'blacked up' white actors who some see as promoting a negative stereotype of black people although Enid Blyton sure doesn't in her stories and in the UK at least 'Golly' or 'Gollywogg' was never frequently used as a racial insult.

Given that, shouldn't we judge a book by it's content and only take offence when a character is being portrayed in an offensive way?

Day trip to Blackpool

Well I'll start this blog entry with saying as I continue to explore some of the problematic aspects of my childhood we'll continue with everyday stuff too.

Okay guess where in the UK this might be seen? You see I went off on another little adventure to a place you might have childhood memories of  and is surrounded by fun things you might want to do.

This place has trams a plenty running up and down some like these are modern ones but at weekends and high season the old types are run.

Okay that place is Blackpool, Lancashire, North west England, a place that is  unapologetically loud and I travelled on as coach using the Motorway network although we as a bit naughty and used the slip road but a few miles from my main road to join it!

Being very near the entry point to one of the principal motorways has its advantages.

Like a number of UK resorts it's has a pier that jets out into the sea with various attractions including amusement arcades on them. This one had a Victorian Photography booth where you can wear and be photographed in period attire.

 You can see just how far out it goes! It's as well there were things undercover as it rained hard for a period in the afternoon. I went to Harry Ramsden's for lunch where the service was exemplary and the Plaice lovely and moist.

One prominent landmark is the Big Wheel although going on that is out of bounds for me as I'd lose my head if I went on on it.

That's the big Tower which is being restored near the Sealife Centre, Dungeons  and the waxworks museum. I spent quite a bit of time in Toymaster looking at the dolls, train sets, colouring books, sylvarian families toys and that. I'm sure the assistant clocked me!

In the foreground is one of the illuminations that was one of the main reason for going as these lights have partially renewed allowing for more fantastic effects. There were fairies, teddybears, diamonds and at a Quarter past six, we assembled to go through them all illuminated at Seven PM. It was beautiful.

By Eight-thirty, I was back home for a light snack before putting my jim jams on  as this little gurl was dead tired and needed hur sleep.

Revisiting a childhood holiday haunt helped me get back in touch with myself and what it meant to be a young child.

Wearing skirts in Winter

I recently heard a boy mention that he loved wearing skirts but it’s getting a bit cold for that now and he wishes he could wear skirts in the winter too

You can tho! And it made me sad that he felt so limited so here I shall compile skirt/dresses advice for any boys, trans girls, enbys, and anybody else who wants to wear skirts in the winter/fall but wants to be warmer!

(Source: I’m gender queer and like fashion)

1. It’s all about secret layers!

One option is you can get thermal tights, that are warmer than regular tights/stockings, and layer them with a second pair of thinner tights over them! My advice would be to get thermal ones in either black or something close to your skin tone.

With the skin tone ones you can layer thinner black tights over them and when they stretch it will just look like your skin underneath, and nobody will be able to tell you layered em!

If you need/want a 3rd layer, thigh high socks are your friend. they always look great.

If you have a longer skirt, slip skirts are pretty alright way to add another layer too!

2. Skirt material and length

Short skirts are still viable with the above strats, but cold wind might still be a problem for you. If it is I’d recommend going for a skirt of heavier material to help block wind out. This is especially effective if you are wearing a longer skirt! Longer and thicker it is, the better at being a shield it will be, basically.

And also darker colors absorb more heat from light and are a bit warmer too especially in the sun.

3. Leg hair

This won't actually effect the warmth, I don’t think, but stockings and tights are way more comfortable with shaved legs. I found with unshaved legs I could get them on just fine but had mad itching on my thighs, and sometimes the hair on my calves would hurt from being bent the wrong way.

So basically, shaving is not necessary, but it will most likely make tights/stockings/leggings more comfy for you.

4. Long coats and high boots

Longer coats are a great no matter what length of skirt you go for. Great wind protection and coziness.

Longer boots of any style, from basic to edgy, are great with shorter skirts for extra leg warmth!

I think that’s about it from me on this, I might be forgetting something but yeah here ya go hope this helps!

Oh actually, while I’m here, a few makeup advices:

Scented things like lotions and lip products are harmful to your eyes because of the scents! So are food products! Don’t use lotion or cooking olive oil to remove your makeup! (I guess I mean unless you literally have no other option eh, it’s just not healthy)

If you don’t have makeup remover wipes, Vaseline (the 100% pure petroleum jelly stuff) is a great makeup remover! Use plain tissues or a soft cloth, and be gentle around your eyes.

Sometimes your face/eye makeup is scented, so if you can, try to find unscented stuff basically. I’ve had eyeliner that was scented and made my eyes burn and water big time. Always worth checking for things you might be allergic to or that might have irritating scents!

Trebizon: Modern Girls Fiction

Not unsurprisingly I love school stories especially boarding school ones and one series I've been slowly collecting inspired in part some friends tastes is by Anne Digby and is called Trebizon that runs to 14 stories.

If that sounds terribly Cornish it's meant to be cos it's based on this super school for bright girls next to the beach and being written and published between 1978 and 1994 covering a  period when I was in boarding school we are treated to such cultural references such as British Rail, Wimbledon, duplicating machines with their stencils, cassette tape recorders and finally Television!

That is the 1993 first three stories in one hardback book edition as published by Deans.

The stories are centred around Rebecca who joins the school having been at a London Comprehensive following her parents stationing in Saudi Arabia with a common theme being her emerging talent at Tennis although (hurrah!) she does play Hockey too! 

Of the other major characters we learn about her best friends Tish Anderson and Susan Murdoch and her boyfriend Robbie. 

We learn about the trails of fitting in when you join a school in the second term after everyone's paired off with friends, about hard choices deciding what to major in and what you may need to drop to keep your schoolwork schedule manageable. 

The Naughtiest Girl

This post has be coming to me this morning where I'm poorly laying across the new Duvet in my school uniform, so do bear with me.

Off and on, I've made reference to the books I read during my chronological childhood some of which I owned, some borrowed off friends or via the library of the boarding school I attended.

A few were more girls schools stories but most were for boys and girls or boys own.

Indeed you may of spotted a few entries here about books by Enid Blyton that come in that category and how I've got new copies not least the second but last entry around St Clare's that with this rotten cold I'm reading, something that is a direct echo of my childhood in times when I read books in my dorm or the sick bay.

I recently got though a most interesting addition again an older edition with original illustrations that has taken me back with some startling observations.
With the final three in one volume of St Clare's (Back to St Clare's) was another three in one book.

This was a 1992 edition of first three The Naughtiest Girl stories (Naughtiest girl again, Naughtiest girl is a Monitor and Naughtiest girl in the school).

The stories are set in Whyteleafe, a progressive co-ed boarding school that some feel has a striking resemblance to Summerhill school in Suffolk, England.

The main character is Elizabeth who you could say is a very spoilt child used to getting her own way often running with unchallenged ideas so much so she resolves to behave so badly she can't avoid being expelled from the school she never wanted to go to. 

The secondary character is her best friend, Joan Townsend, who tries to get her to behave which by the time Elizabeth realizes how lonesome she was as a only girl, she gets more onside with the other children and  is less of a problem to the staff.

Here's an earlier cover from one of the separate books:

Now the first think upon quickly skimming the book was I saw my age reflection in how she dressed in the original illustrations although obviously I am a sissy gurl as much as I was dressed as a boy back then.

She's around nine or ten years of age as are the boys who dress in shirts, shorts as much as I'd of loved to had worn a skirt and long socks so the first thing I am thinking is, *Something* around this age is lodged in me as I'm not a senior. 

The second  is that smile as she's doing things like flirting ink about - it comes to me that around this age I did some similar things with ink and it's her awkwardness is causing this lashing out as oddly enough it did for me.

The boy stood by E.A stood on her right of this original illustration is the image of that era of my life, meeting together with satchel and naturally full uniform.

One interesting aspect of the Whyteleafe school is that the children have meetings where they dole out pocket money (everyone has a certain minimum  because it is pooled and the case for more has to be accepted by the others first) and also they deal with infractions dishing out punishments which the Monitors have the power to as Elizabeth is reminded of when she acted silly.

In practise, in my school head boys and girls also did although it wasn't formally set up - effectively they stepped in and if didn't accept whatever the outcome was, it was reported to the staff.

On one  particular day I did do something really silly like get going calling one girl rotten names and it got a bit out of hand, as does some of Elizabeth's silly things but unlike it being raised at a Meeting it was dealt with in private.

Like Elizabeth I got better after that as I learned to fit in better with people, having my rough edges smoothed and even became a year rep, greeting very important people which does help when as now I have to do groan up things.

Having this book has reminded me of the distance I've travelled emotionally, the difficulties I've overcome in the past through learning to be more mature in how I deal with situations. As well, it affirms what Tammy remains deep down - a little sissy gurl only just in double digits - and no one least of me should ever forget it.

Representing and play things

 Ah. September when thoughts having moved from going back to school start to move towards Christmas and what is you'd of loved as a present.

Corgi models were a thing I loved back in the day being well cast and something you could share and race with other children.

We had board games at school just in case it rained at playtime which was as well and they included things like Scrabble apart from draughts and chess which I played a lot of back then to the point of having a magnetic chess set for playing with other girls and boys when travelling. 

Things have being coming along since I encountered some new people about a year and a half ago  and I'm wearing a more feminine uniform whenever I'm in touch with them plus at home that includes a red sweatshirt.

The model for the uniform is more based on modern junior uniform as many have removed things like dress shirts and ties which we had back then and a fundamental difference is for this I'm wearing a grey pleated junior girls skirt rather than the short short trousers I had to back then.

 

In more a nod to what is worn more today, rather than those pelerine socks the girls I knew wore and some still do the socks are cotton long ones with a pretty bow that are with grey versions available too very popular with girls and highly appropriate for feminine gurls like me to be wearing.

As a age dysphoric feminine gurl with an developmental age of ten, it's very appropriate for me to be dressed in a junior girls uniform that takes me to the more feminine side that was repressed during that era and learn to embrace it as part of the whole me.

Taking a break in Weston

I went on a break to somewhere I hadn't been in ages on a local coach on Monday.

Most of the people on the coach were groan ups who looked very groan up but me being a LSG* said "Naw, I'm a little"  so went in my red school sweatshirt, grey school shorts as it was a bit less revealing in the wind than a skirt, grey long socks and regular brogue style children's' shoes. In addition I had my black messenger and tote bag.

When we arrived in Weston Super Mare, although I had been snacking on Barley sugars and chocolate finger biscuits - too bad they didn't have any animal shaped ones in - I was hungry so I called in at the Dragon Inn, a Weatherspoons public house that does food.
The food was nice , I had a Steak and Kidney pie and the manager was really funny!

Having eaten I felt like going on a bit of a walk around as I've never been here before and I'd have to say everywhere was super clean with litter pickers active during the day.

The beach was cleaner than a good number in North Wales I could think of with finely grained sand.

There is one automatic response when I see a beach and it involves a bucket and spade so guesses for what happened next! 

Also the next response is something like getting a Pirates flag and waving it around while jumping up and down like a super excited junior school gurl. Nobody I was with said anything!

What feminine boy with a Hello Kitty fixation couldn't resist the chance to win your very own Hello Kitty plushie? Well I sure couldn't!

Seaside towns often have amusement arcades, with exciting dodgem cars, things you can win teddy bears and plushies with and slot machines that I recall as a young boy spending a little time around.

The Pier was burnt down a few years ago but a great job was done of rebuilding it with associated facilities for that whole strolling along the pier experience. For an out of season weekday, it sure was busy.

Finally I had to be super careful not to get in the way of this the Great Western Land Train  that runs to the Harbour and back along the sidewalk. 

I think the Great Western was train company that operated in the South West of England before nationalization (and privatization in the 1990's).

The return back was much smoother stooping at Frankley services south Birmingham to freshen up

* Little Sissy Gurl, the non sexual frilly panties down gender identity I am

A return to St. Clares

Picking up with the themes of returning to school where I've been trying last week to get to grips with times tables, the little adventure days out locally and so on, I decided to take stock of my small book collection.

Actually it came to me last night, there were two reasons why some of the first books I bought at the end of my formal education were more like textbooks, first first being my problems in reading meant something more simplified like a study aid was easier to follow and the other was - wait for it - an early indication that really I wanted my childhood back by having some of the books I had or read at the time with me.

Anyway, I found a few books that I never read much because as good as they are (some won literary awards), they're too far above my reading age meaning I struggle to really follow them so I'm replacing them.

Why replace them rather than just give them away? Simply I realize that reading is something I need to do to improve within my own learning disabilities restrictions, my ability to read, follow and understand stories.

What I decided to do was to get the older two book collections of the original 6 story edition of St Clare's by Enid Blyton because it's a  bit more wordy than some of her other stuff so it gives me a bit of a word workout (I can look up the words in my Dictionary and learn their meanings) and a school, based adventure story is the kind of thing I love to read (which helps keeping the interest up).

Unusually for most brought up as a boy I wasn't opposed to reading girl based stories if I liked the theme being more mix and match when it comes to those things and Enid was big favourite of mine anyway. 

They were issued several years back with new computerized art covers however I feel they just don't look right and also Pamela Cox ghost wrote three new stories for that series that aren't really essential.

These are my 'new to me' editions:

This edition has the first three books in a single  volume namely The Twins at St Clare's, The O'Sullivan Twins and Summer term at St Clare's, written between 1941 through 1943 although many more memorable characters such as Claudine, a mischievous French girl and feather-headed Alison also feature in a world of tricks and jokes, midnight feasts, sports matches, thrilling rescues, fun and friendship as well as hard work, exams and snobbery!

The final volume has Second term at St Clare's, Claudine at St Clare's plus Fifth formers at St Clare's written between 1944 and 1945. I remember the fifth form vividly!

It's a bit queer for missing out completely the third form  but perhaps everyone leapfrogged it?

The school predates Malory Towers and is seen by parents as being  a "very sensible sort of school one  not to pander to children who feel their above everyone else.

The school Headmistress Miss Theobald is a believer  in the idea people get out of life what they put into it, telling her pupils: "Do your best for us and St. Clare's will be able to do its best for you!  Oddly enough that was what my Head teacher said too!

These editions came out in 1993 but with the artwork still looking a bit more in keeping with the period they written and the stories themselves still hold up. 

Indeed many 9 to 11 year readers today have written glowing reviews as have parents whose children having gone though today's supernatural based stories were given these only to find their offspring can't get enough of them.

Getting ready for New Term

Fast approaching end of Summer Vacations which for me  at least signifies the start of the Autumn Term and getting all your school requirements such as uniform sorted, ironed ready.
You know pretty much what my uniform is, and what it means to me so apart from anything else making sure everything is in top top shape really matters.

Apart from the socks as I like white just above the knee socks that's pretty much how mine looks and that's what I'm wearing this minute.

Apart from finding Peaches and Spikey after a bit of tidying up I got into my closet and have been creating some space to hang everything nicely.

While there I made a few discoveries such as finding a pair of tailored shorts that oddly enough would go with the uniform, being Grey  that gives me an options for playing not least actual out of doors playtime  as much as I love skirts as a gurl.

And I've gotten some new socks ready for September too

Take Two Cuties

When I was living in the Greater London Area, I used to travel out a lot across and just beyond the City and on one Saturday morning in the spring I was in the Covent Garden area, a favourite part of central London of mine where I came by this:

Aww she's cute, very fluffy and and a hand puppet being made by hand and I just had to have her, walking across the area clutching her tightly afterward. This was well before I had any idea of what being a little even was!!!

Well I used to take her to work - as this is the internet and a public site I won't say where - but the job was super important for children's welfare over here and every lunch time I'd put on an impromptu puppet show. 

We called it Peaches the Panda show and it was ever so funny. At all other times she was on my desk and I'd start playing with her as people drifted about the office.

Shortly afterward I got another fluffy thing but this was more a Plushie I named Spikey cos 'es an Hedgehog.

I found them a few days ago as I was sorting out my closet so I give them a bit of clean and fluffing up and their back out on display.

The Byrds and Roxy Music box sets

Anyone who knows anything at all about me knows I've always loved the Byrds one of the most important American rock groups of the 60's and beyond not just for the individual talents within  the group in its differing lineups but the fact they got to what was new and hip before anyone else did, pioneering whole new musical genres such as Country-Rock that lead us to The Eagles and Poco.

 
I grew up on the UK import History of the Byrds double compilation lp which for its time give a well rounded assessment of their abilities and not a few hard to find vital 45's such as Lady Friend although in time I bought a number of studio albums plus the good if slightly flawed Original singles masters lps issued in the UK in 1980 and 1982 respectively supply all the singles with matching b sides.

People remarked on the music I played at high school during that period as it was so different than anything they were familiar with.

Anyway in 1990 I was based in Surrey, just outside of London, when the news broke that a new box set of their work freshly remastered and even remixed in parts was coming out October 19th on CBS over here (the US edition was on Columbia)  which appealed not least because some of the  early Byrds cds although having the original mixes didn't sound so hot in this new format.

The set also content 6 new recordings made that year showcasing their talent even now.

I remember saving up for it, intending to buy it in a store in Kingston Upon Thames only to find some so and so had stolen all my money so as I was short on funds for meeting my other obligations, I never got around to getting it.

 
I bought all the remastered individual cds from 1996 and 1997 that were issued  featuring many bonus tracks but still hankered for this attractively packaged set

Each disc is titled with its own cover art and there remains a good number of alternate mixes and material not carried over to the "There Is a Season" box set of a few years ago.

 
Fortunately I was able to track down an as new US copy used for a cheap price from a Amazon vendor which should be here in a minute.
I'm really looking forward to finally getting it.
Tracklist:

We Have Ignition 1. Mr Tambourine Man 2. I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better 3. Chimes Of Freedom 4. She Has A Way 5. All I Really Want To Do 6. Spanish Harlem Incident 7. The Bells Of Rhymney 8. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue 9. She Don't Care About Time 10. Turn Turn Turn 11. It Won't Be Wrong 12. Lay Down Your Weary Tune 13. He Was A Friend Of Mine 14. The World Turns All Around Her 15. The Day Walk (Never Before) 16. The Times They Are A-Changin' 17. 5D (Fifth Dimension) 18. I Know My Rider 19. Eight Miles High 20. Why 21. Psychodrama city 22. I See You 23. Hey Joe Cruising Altitude 24. Mr Spaceman 25. John Riley 26. Roll Over Beethoven 27. So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star 28. Have You Seen Her Face 29. My Back Pages 30 Tim Between 31. It Happens Each Day 32. Renaissance Fair 33. Everybody's Been Burned 34. The Girl With No Name 35. Triad 36. Lady Friend 37. Old John Robertson 38. Goin' Back 39. Draft Morning 40. Wasn't Born To Follow 41. Dolphin's Smile 42. Reputation 43. You Ain't Going Nowhere 44. The Christian Life 45. I Am A Pilgrim 46. Pretty Boy Floyd 47. You Don't Miss Your Water Full Throttle: 48. Hickory Wind 49. Nothing Was Delivered 50. One Hundred Years From Now 51. Pretty Polly 52. Lazy Days 53. This Wheels On Fire 54. Nashville West 55. Old Blue 56. Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man 57. Bad Night At The Whiskey 58. Lay Lady Lay 59. Mae Jean Goes To Hollywood 60. Ballad Of Easy Rider 61. Oil In My Lamp 62. Jesus Is Just Alright 63. Way Beyond The Sun 64. Tulsa County 65. Deportee 66. Lover Of The Bayou 67. Willin' 68. Black Mountain Rag 69. Positively 4th Street Final Approach: 70. Chestnut Mare 71. Just A Season 72. Kathleen's Song 73. Truck Stop Girl 74. Just Like A Woman 75. Stanley's Song 76. Glory Glory 77. I Trust 78. I Wanna Grow Up To Be A Politician 79. Green Apple Quick Step 80. Tiffany Queen 81. Bugler 82. Lazy Waters 83. Farther Along 84. White's Lightning From The 1990 Roy Orbison Tribute: 85. Turn Turn Turn 86. Mr Tambourine Man The Nashville Session: New 1990 Recordings: 87. He Was A Friend Of Mine 88. Paths Of Victory 89. From A Distance 90. Love That Never Dies

Back in 1972, a year I remember well with moving there were a number of  acts that later on you realized were about to break big one of which was David Bowie who released the seminal Ziggy Stardust album that year and there was Roxy Music.

Roxy Music are an English art rock group formed in November 1970 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone and oboe) and Paul Thompson (drums and percussion). Former members include Brian Eno (synthesizer and "treatments"), and Eddie Jobson (synthesizer and violin). 

They disbanded in 1983 they reunited early this century releasing live albums but nothing new in the studio.

Roxy Music were one of the first English bands I got into buying their records over the years band one first artists to have their catalogues fully released on cd back in the mid 80's before the Stones or even Beatles and they have been reissued three times with the last set suffering from a very loud screechy sound that lead me toward buying my favourite albums by them on original vinyl.

On Monday August 4th this 10 cd box set came out called The Complete Studio Recordings and I sprung for it although it's different than originally intended probably for cost reasons so here's a few thoughts  on it.

The first thing anyone getting this set has to get over this is it's not the ultimate set with High Resolution audio on dvds and a coffee table book throw in it's more basic than that but by way of compensation is a lot cheaper around the £50 mark. That's not much per cd now is it?

Also unfortunately a background capsule booklet wasn't included which is a shame because it would of helped to set the context of each album (and the singles) release for the casual fan but the packaging is otherwise of a high standard with thick card sleeves and a paper inner to protect the disc.

The card looks durable so shouldn't suffer damage in regular use with a bit of care. The box is sturdy and functional allowing you to slide out the core to retrieve an album for playing when it is on your shelf something I appreciate.

For this set Roxy Music (self titled) loses Virginia Plain which was never part of the original lp and 1979's Manifesto gains for the first time on cd the album versions of Angel Eyes and Dance Away rather than the disco inspired remakes issued originally for the 45's and all are present in the  2cds covering non album singles, b sides and odd mixes.

The mastering for this set is different than the 1999 HDCD discs which remain available new, preserving far the better the difference between the quieter and louder passages so when you listen to a track like Street Life, it doesn't tire your ear and you can tell the difference between tracks with more softer passages and those that don't .

It seems they redid the transfers from original analogue tape which coupled with newer analogue to digital converters results in much smoother sound compared to previous cds.

I've had quite a blast this week playing all these albums back comparing with other versions finding this set to the best sounding yet.

To sum up, it may not be the ultimate set when it comes to features but is a extremely good sounding set, well presented being available at a modest price suitable for either a casual fan as a one stop purchase or for those looking for upgraded sound.