A walk up the street to Shawlands – a neighborhood I could live in. Went to the post office there to pick up the package I had sent ahead.
I like Glasgow -Mr Jake of Alabama 3 Fame said Pittsburgh looked like Glasgow in ’65. Now what’s odd is that I thought Glasgow looked like Pittsburgh in ’65. Mostly because all of the things that aren’t there anymore are here. (Note to non’Burghers – what is not here anymore is how we give directions. ” Go to past where the old Islay’s was (pronounced eyezleez) then turn right where the Playhouse used to be”). So I have no idea how they give directions here.
Anyway there’s all sorts of types of things that we don’t have anymore like neighborhood butchers and small dress shops and fishmongers even, and a real downtown but they call it city center. And also people and, oh yeah, public transportation, in fact that seems to be how the people get there. (I had a flash back to waiting for a bus at Donahues in Market Square. Circa 1965).
They have side walk fences to keep me from getting killed
And I became friends with the 57 bus – I just love getting around on buses.Like I used to be able to do.
In any case this was this first “adversity” for me – Nothing to do with the people or place. The people were great.
Some of the issue was my physical condition – I carried a coald from Holmfirth and tripped over a Bike Lane curb so acquired a bruised knee and pulled muscle thing on my left hand which have been my companions ever since.
The other were two issues caused by me not being from the UK.
Actually the first is that my credit/debit cards are not from UK. They aren’t chip and pin. Now the post office man in Brixton said all the machines here are chip and pin and I hadn’t had a problem since. Until I got here. That’s what all the stores and machines where I was were chip and pin. and there’s no such thing apparently of just punching in the number. So I spent most of my cash and the rest of the day on the phone to Visa – that’s a story for another day – finding out where I could get cash -3 banks in Glasgow one was Royal Bank of Scotland so I spent the rest of the day finding how to get to one of them.
Backyard of the apartment. Where I got to spend Tuesday afternoon on the phone
The other issue happened Thursday while I was trying to arrange my assistance for my trips to Comrie and then to Kyleakin with the Scotrail. I ran out of minutes, due to those calls taking my international minutes and the Vodafone people only tell you about your UK minutes. in a most annoying way. So I spend that morning trying buy minutes. But I can’t because I don’t have a UK Postal code and there is absolutely no way to talk to a human. So I look online for a Vodafone store. One was right next to the Bank I went to the day before. But no need to look up the buses just hop on my friend the 57.
Unfortunately these health and administrative hassles meant I was not able to hook up with any of the Permaculture folks I would meet this weekend nor see any of their projects. Bummer. would love to get back.
Oh yes the signal was very poor to this basement flat so the Tuesday phone calls were me standing outside in the rain with my cold and a cat on my head.
I did get to inspect this herbal spiral which I may copy when I get a chance
Nice visit with a local woman on the bus to Hudderfield. Down hill to the station is practically fun. They don’t call them cough drops here. Or at least that man didn’t. The woman at the station cafe sounded just like Yvonne on the UK Shameless.
Terry, one of the many that help me
they have places like this at the train station
They have productions like this in Manchester
For sale
Then to Manchester: there I got to sit in my cart for a while until the man could ride me to my train. So I get put on the train. And on the way to Scotland really just North of Manchester, I felt an internal shift. Now it doesn’t look like a picturesque Pennsylvania anymore. The hills are getting more monolithiky. Frankly my excellent sense of direction hasn’t been the same since.
My view of Manchester Station
Then into Glasgow Central! Problem with this getting carted around bit is I didn’t get to get oriented to where I was or get a map. Probably could have asked him to stop. So to the cab then to Strathbungo. and my new digs for a few days. Really Sweet.
Happy to be in Glasgow Central
Teri’s quite personable and interesting as was the last host. This apartment is bigger than it looks where that last one was smaller but they’re both good. My room is pretty and there’s two cute cats and a two year old pressing his nose against the window.( Only for a short time)
So that evening I take a walk and get find the locavore grocery with really good sausage and oatmeal and seaweed oatcakes which were actually quite good. I must say I have done a good job of getting the few groceries I need for a few days.
So I come back from my morning looksee and there’s this big bus unloading right there and there’s Aurora Dawn her own self sitting on the bridge wall looking very friendly, and there ‘s Steve Finnerty and and I say “love ya” to them and walk on my way across the tiny car park. Everything about this place is intimate. I think now for what ever reason she was the friendly person I was supposed to talk to. but didn’t. Walk right by Mr. Jake on the way in.
So there aren’t a lot of pictures because I was trying to just be with the day despite being real uncomfortable with the actual band members just hanging out with folks. You spend a couple years studying and listening to people mostly as pixilated images on a lap top then they’re just sitting there being humans- its quite disconcerting.
Too nervous to nap. Get into my outfit lacking girlfriends to adjust it but aided by a half of Tetley’s and Sweet Honey in The Rock (The vocal ensemble not the ‘ bama 3 song)- mostly I’m Gonna Stay on the Battlefield and Jesus is All. http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRe5aACNx50
So I can see a bunch of folk by the bridge and call Chris (Teech) to see if his party is near.
He has the light* * See” Cocaine Killed My Community” La Peste
He says don’t be shy go out and say Hi so I did and now I have lots of new friends. Pete and Pete’s new friend and wife Lynn and Michelle. I remember Michelle because she’s the one who walks up to the personage I connect to the Reverend DWayne Love, and says “Jake, this is Joanie she’s here from Pittsburgh.” She also took my picture with him which I love because it’s just enough of me.
Larry Love aka Rob Spragg and Rock Freebase aka Mark something at the other picnic table
So I hand him the Pittsburgh token (A terrible Towel and my note) that I was going to ask a box office person to take to them, he says a few things conversational some of which I understand , and someone else comes by to talk to him and I wander back to my new friends. I’m very disconnected from all of this at this point not as much because of the idolization but by the lack of it on everybody else’s part. As more than one person said: “after a while – It’s not about the band”.Also had a small chat with Larry Love. He asked if I knew that this is where they filmed Last of the Summer wine.
Teech aka Chris Walton and his Sister Jill – Pretty sure that’s her real name. Forgot to mention that I have a sister Jill.
So I meet up with Teech and Mrs. Teech and Librarian of Love, (Stevie) and Pam of Brixton and Teech’s Family and everybody else – many women told me how great the dress was – Heather said “Divine” and the consensuses seems to be mermaidish.One young man had the decency to raise his eyebrows and nod appropriately in not a creepy way when I showed off the back (I wore my kimono with it as it was chilly).
The Concert:
So we come into the singing crowded house as they were singing Facebook.con. Then as I’m trying to find a space and to stand close like a moth to the light, D Wayne makes an entrance with Hello I’m Johnny Cash. Oh, Its so nice to be with other people to dance with this.
Well the bulk of the concert itself there is not much to say about. I was just where I had wanted to be for some time and for good reason. The best parts I don’t really remember as I had found a spot right in front of Rock and the Reverend, right next to a speaker, and a place I could throw my cane and kimono and just dance like I would at home. It’s not just sound there’s well the live show energy and the 3Dness of it all. And while its hard for me to get lost in songs from Shoplifting For Jesus,(cause they aren’t easy for me to dance to), there was one I didn’t recognize that Aurora went to church on that kept me quite engaged.
A distracting high note was when DWayne at some point thanking the audience, mentioning a couple of us in particular, me and the note I wrote included, which was kind of weird since he pointed to the middle of the audience when I was right in front of so it was kind of double disembodying. and that by itself would have been nice. Then one of the people I had also given a terrible towel threw theirs up from that part of the audience.Reminded me of the story Peaches by Dylan Thomas. If you don’t know it don’t read it. It’s very, very sad.
Here I must diverge – I had brought these Terrible Towels as tokens from Pittsburgh.For those who aren’t from here let me tell you they are jam packed with symbolism including an iconic sports caster, Myron Cope and his Autistic son, the beginning of our American Football Dynastye and the diaspora of Steeler Nation caused by the fall of the Steel Industry. So I’m carrying around a bunch of them with the rest of my 4 months worth of clothes for 4 seasons. I am anxious to get rid of them and any other non essential items. So the 2 people who knew where Pgh was- Odd to us folk I know, but most folks here don’t, just like most of us don’t know where Sheffield is, I offered the precious towels I want to off load explaining not to take them if you don’t want them. And I had to spend time thinking: why on earth does it really bother me that someone threw their towel up there? And I think its obvious: an Alabama 3 fan disrespected the towel. Must find a therapist.
Back to the concert and cultural issues. So there were two aspects of being taken away from communing with the music that are especially typical if one is close to the stage. The one is the number of people who are so much more involved with their media than the music. Don’t get me wrong – I have greatly benefited from others’ youtube postings of many performances so I don’t mind being leaned on or the occaisional camera infront of my face, but its the grasping for an image for the camera as if it were food for your child while the stage folk are singing about banging a gong for the frightened baby on a foreign beach. It’s kind of contrary to the rest of the vibe. And also for me – I’m trying so hard to give up having my life happen anywhere but where I am at at the moment. Being in our culture is already swimming up stream for me but the current is just getting so much stronger.
Now concurrent to that is a being able to go with the flow with the folks being with with the music. The rest of the vibe was that when the people around me would bump into cause they’re dancing or jumping or gesticulating. It was okay cause we had met or at least seen half of them and at most a hand on a shoulder or back was sufficient to hold my space and even join theirs.
So afterward folks hung out back at the picnic table and I got cold and went up and put on warm clothes and came down and it was still cold and I noticed I couldn’t understand anyone so I went on up. From my room I could enjoy the sound of talk and laughs while I organized my stuff, watched the end of the Shamelss Series and went to sleep. Now if you had told me that after seeing Alabama 3 for the first time within two hours I would be going to bed I would have thought that it had been a disappointing evening but it was a fine end to a great day.
The next days my new friends were on their way but hung out with each other at the carpark for some time and it was nice to visit with them for the morning and then when I couldn’t string words together anymore I toddled off to my tea room. I really like these people.
I’m there. Actually this is one of the things I’d like to do with my clay
I want to talk about the town separate from the concert. although I would not have been here had it not been for. After saying Hello they say “Did you know this is where they filmed Last of the Summer Wine?” I know that.And it was one of those cozy family TV times at our house. But I did not know that it had gone on for 38 years and only finished up 2 years ago. That’s lots of summer wine. But I got the impression that it is still a cozy cultural touchstone for a broad spectrum of Brits. And what I come to see similar to the Alabama3 actual band. there seems to be a bit of humbleness about holding that place for the people.
There is quite the variety of stores and restaurants and I found a Tea house with Wifi – Emma’s – and really delicious food. So that’s where I did my computer houskeeping instead of my room. Not that my room wasn’t fine, But it was a beautiful day and I wanted to be out as a person. There’s a pleasant mix of tourists and locals and people like me who just happen to be here for some reason.
Me and my stuff walked from Mordaunt street to the Metro Station.I found it was okay if walked a bit and stopped then adjusted stuff the went 10 feet the switched things around. But I had left plenty of time. Met up with a woman with a stroller who showed me where to stand so there isn’t as much of a gap. There can be quite a gap.
To somewhere near these places
First to King Cross Station then to York then switch trains to Huddersfield, then up hill a few feet at a time to the Huddersfield bus station, then a bus to a bridge over The Little River Holme across which was my hotel and the venue. Had help getting on & off trains, It’s quite amazing. I don’t even tell them I’m not Mrs. King. I think it’s not bad to channel Mom.
Brixton Market too late to go to the African Fabric Store
This day was organized around organizing my travel mostly worked in the flat organizing the trip. on the lap top. Reserving the Assistance on the train. Finding out I left my charger cord at the Wrights. Doing Laundry – Washer and Line dry just like home, and Ironing board up in the main room just like home. But did get a walk to the Brixton Market to get a new phone charger. – had to buy a new phone – they were out of just cords – not too pricey but just the phone the actual number will cost more. Reading the book the Seer and the Sayer about a friends journey to – well it’s complicated.
Manuel-
But the most memorable part of the day – after errands stopped in the pub again to read – that’s not weird here, so I just finished the part about an encounter the fairies at the Serpent Mound in Ohio. And was sitting sort of feeling the frustration of not being able to have non public conversation with any of the Burgh Tribe when a gentleman from two tables away waved at me and asked if I was alright. He came over and most of what he said I needed to ask him to repeat but we managed to share a few laughs and at one point he said to me in a very clear and directive manor: “When you see a friendly person you need to go talk to them”
The trouble with posting later is that I forget. The cognitive psychologist I saw pointed out that you write things down so that you can forget them. What I won’t forget is Going to a Post Office, The Phoenix Cafe and across the street my very first pub The Prince Albert, and meeting Chris and Stevie – hope I’m spelling that right – Teech and Librarian of Love from the Alabama 3 web site.True to their names I got some cultural education and books recommended regarding Brixton in the 80’s?: Wise Children by Angela Carter and Life in Brixton by Martin Millar.
Wish I had a photo of the woman who worked at the Phoenix who said “Sit down love” then had a chat, Also – learned about flapjacks – a less sweet better textured granola bar. Something I’ll miss.
Jake Black aka The Reverend D. Wayne Love and me in my special outfit
Not to get ahead but since many of my friends know that this trip was started by tickets to see Alabama 3 in Holmfirth- Had a great time love the band love my new friends more details will follow.
A very lovely morning followed by sending boxes to further travel points and a train to Waterloo, then great frustration and struggle to find the bus while having too much luggage but helped by an angel, then a bus to Brixton and a short struggling walk with my crap made easier at the end by the help of a another angle who pulled my bag. Then a get settled in my lovely Airbnb with a cute garden yard hosted by Anna, then an unencumbered walk back to the Brixton station area for some groceries- ( They don’t keep the eggs refrigerated, bacon is cheap here).
My view from my very comfortable bed
They were lovely people but for some reason didn’t want me drinking from my favorite cup of theirs
Below is Waterloo Station which will be the last time I don’t call ahead for Assistance. – Which is an amazing thing. Disabled people call the train line or National Rail will transfer you to the right train line and they will reserve you seats and have someone AT EACH OF the STOPS to help with your bags. But I didn’t do that here. And FYI at this station there is no one place with all the transit info and the only place to check bags is a private company for 9 pounds.($14.00). But thanks to help from strangers all was good.
My very first site see: The neighborhood church which is tiny and old, first part built 1591. Also had my first shop and a bit of a tour of Hook and another village, and my first tea with the family and friends.
Lizzy on Flute, Piano & Voice
Sally in front and Tim, Friends Neat and Kate is in back
Followed by a very relaxed evening of dinner with the family & more friends.
My Adventures-with my M.S. 