Day 3 Lock down

Day 3 of lock down. Took my first e-support session with one class of L6 students this morning, just over half of them were awake and available, in order for me  to check their progress. I have issued them with study tasks and advice. They are studying the major political parties at present of the UK, and most of them seem to be getting on OK. I phoned over half of them using Microsoft Teams, voice only, and most were very clear. Off to read my paper now and have a bite to eat. This afternoon I cleaned some windows in the back of the house then had a nice lay in the sun for a while, then went for my afternoon walk. Soon I have to take the dog (Mac) the Vets for a check up. The evening will pretty much be similar to last night, and I dont drink through the week as a rule, so Wed is usually a non drink night.

Day 2 of Corona Virus lockdown. Normally working in a 6th form college, so thrown out of routine. Got up about 8.30am which is roughly an hour and a half later than normal when a workday. Read the paper, the liberal Guardian, check my work email and respond accordingly. Drink some more coffee, and by midday take the dog for a walk nearby with my wife. Hardly anybody out but we see a few people and our paths don’t cross. Back for a soupy lunch, my fave is tomato. Then we watch some daytime TV, which I swore I would not do. Do a few minor jobs in the house and put my new water distiller on. Do some more College work by communicating with a few students via Microsoft Teams, then ready for a late afternoon snooze. Wake up at 6.00pm, for a spot of TM, followed by a brisk evening walk on my own as Wifey not up to it. Pass two single people and five kids on bikes! Get back and remember I have a blog that I haven’t used in years!! The time is 7.30pm, so soon to eat and then more telly, followed by a late night read. TBC...

1970s albums review 3 - The Kinks

The Kinks have always been a big fave band of mine since the 1960s (and my childhood!) and although in the early 70s they produced some really good and interesting albums, as this blog is about my album faves and when I was actually buying the albums, I begin with 1975's 'Soap Opera'. I also saw this performed live as a semi-theatrical rock opera at the Liverpool Empire in 1975 too. I found the album very novel and it contains some classic Ray Davies songs with no strong single booster though. 'Face in the crowd' , 'Ducks on the wall' , and '9 to 5' were all about the mundanity and ordinariness of most of our lives, and in a way it did jolt me big time as to what I was actually doing at the time, which was working in a car factory (Ford's of Halewood). This album more than any other made me think about life and it's purpose, as Ray Davies has always been a bit philosophical in his writing. Not long after I would visit the USA for the first time and there decide to go back into education when I came back (as I failed miserably first time round) which I did successfully for the next five years. A game changer of an album indeed. My rating though 8/10. The next album I bought of theirs was 1977's (they didn't release one in 76) 'Sleepwalker'  which was more of a standard rock album with some very strong tracks on. I was now studying A levels (Sociology, Politics and History) and had moved out of the family nest with a flat and a close girlfriend to match! The punk revolution was in full swing and although I was hip to some of that, I still stuck to my faves, and of course the kinks. Some stand out tracks were; 'Stormy sky', 'Mr big', and 'Life goes on'. My rating 8/10.