So there I was yesterday morning thinking "I really don't have anything to write about tomorrow." So I decided to have a walk round the village to see if anything came to mind.
Now writing for me isn't an art, it's an obsession. And of course things began to percolate in my mind.
For some reason the lyric to the Paul Simon song "Homeward Bound" kept coming to mind.
"I'm sitting in a railway station
Got a ticket for my destination
On a tour of one-night stands, my suitcase and guitar in hand
And every stop is neatly planned for a poet and a one-man band."
Homeward Bound contains one of the greatest pieces of pop/rock poetry ever. Paul Simon was a lyrical genius. Just think about that line from the same song.
"But all my words come back to me in shades of mediocrity
Like emptiness in harmony I need someone to comfort me."
They are so deep, so much about the kind of loneliness that many will be feeling at these times.
I also read an article in a magazine yesterday rating Leonard Cohen albums in order. Of course this is a subjective call on behalf of the writer but it was interesting that the two that came out on top were: Songs of Love and Hate (number two) and Songs of Leonard Cohen (number one). They were his third and first albums respectively and were released in 1971 and 1967 when Cohen was looked upon as a poet more than a musician.
I remember at college he was revered and I was intrigued by his lyrics and his almost monotone out of tune voice that was somehow so effective in delivering those lyrics. Songs like "Suzanne," "Sisters of Mercy," "So Long Marianne," and "Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye" have all become classics and they were all on that first album.
Often you find with artists and groups that the first album is "the one." That's because the songs aren't forced, they come naturally and very often have been written over a considerable period of time. The problem usually comes when artists obtain a record deal for a number of albums (sorry CDs, sorry downloads) and then have to force songs out when the original inspiration has evaporated but they have deadlines to meet. In other words they turn to writing formulaic songs. I think Monty Python summed it up when they brought our an LP entitled "Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album." Towards the end of his life Cohen had a resurgence of inspiration but I find his later songs (or should we say growls) lack the sparkle of the early pieces.
Enough of these asides.... So I set off on another four mile walk - making a basic mistake. For years I have had a pair of "Cats" in the garage. The only times I have worn them they have been uncomfortable. I thought it time to give them another go. That was a mistake. After about a mile I developed blisters and I had to limp round the rest of the walk and was glad to get home and get them off.
It did remind me of one of my favourite quick jokes:
A man goes into a shoe shop carrying a pair of boots.
"I bought these here and I'm bringing them back because they hurt," he said to an assistant.
"I suggest you leave them off Sir until you get used to them."
Did I hear a guffaw there? Perhaps not. I would settle for a light snigger.
Anyway boots apart, it was an interesting walk. In many ways it was a sad one as well. At the Queen's Head they were putting Christmas lights up (see the photo with this blog). But there is a concern that it may be a futile exercise if things don't get back to some kind of normal. Businesses need some real steer from the Government and better communication. Places like public houses can't just re-open their doors at a few hours' notice. They need a clear plan to allow them to get their businesses up and running again, to give time time for beer to be set-up and much more as well.
From there we went to Church Farm Shop and I must admit I weakened in buying some sweet mushrooms. I think you have to be of a certain age to remember them. They are full of coconut. As Steve Wright says on his Radio Two afternoon show, "Hands up if you remember sweet mushrooms?"
On the way down Mill Road we stopped at Janey's Village Café and ordered a roast beef lunch for Sunday. It will be delivered, which is what I call a top class service. At least that's something to look forward to at the weekend. It was obvious speaking to Janey that her business is suffering and it's becoming a struggle. And that must be the position throughout Hethersett, throughout Norfolk and throughout the United Kingdom (which incidentally at times doesn't feel very united).
It is desperately sad to see local businesses suffering so much and it really will be a case once they get going again of use them or lose them. I for one will be supporting local businesses as much as I can when lockdown is over.
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I saw with interest that the first company to come forward with a vaccine for Covid said initially it was 90% effective. That is until a second company said theirs is 94% effective. Now the first one has matched that figure. What are the chances that a third vaccine will declare in the next few days and claim to be 98% effective? I think big money is at stake here.
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It's interesting to read about the plans to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles. This really is a motoring revolution. The only problem is how will the Government provide enough charging points to ensure we can all keep going?
Pop into a garage and it takes a matter of seconds to fill up. Even if you have to queue it will only be a matter of minutes. What happens with charging points if they are all in use? What happens if I fully charge up at home to give me a 250 mile journey when I want to go 450 miles to Scotland? What happens when I run out of charge whilst away from home and am staying somewhere where I have to park 100 yards away from the property? So many questions and so few answers.