CalumCarr's Take

I had a phonecall about an hour ago now in which I was told that the Local Authority has granted our wishes without going to the Appeal Panel tomorrow.  I was due to be a witness and now I can relax.

No need to Appeal!!!

God is smiling on us!

Nerves are (or nervousness is) growing because tomorrow is a very big day. 

Will I be as prepared as I need / want?

Are there any new arguments for us / against us?

I need to read and re-read my notes.

What if I forget?

Remember, our case is just; our case is fair; our case is urgent. 

We need a “YES!” now.

Gotta go.  Reading to do.

The reason I’ve been posted less over the last few days is that I’ve had a huge job to complete.

Painting this structure took bloody ages.  I never realised how large it was!! 

I’ve taken some of your comments on board and toned down the colour a wee bit.

I had a surprise ring at the front door this morning.  I had forgotten that we were getting cavity wall insulation done today on the cheap not that it was a cheap job.  We took advantage of a government scheme – I imagine it is UK-wide but could be only Scottish – to have this done at about 5  -10% of the full cost.

Apart from a glass vase falling from a shelf from the vibration of the drilling of the outside wall all went well.  We should be warmer for less now.

Finally I come to the reason for this post. 

Of course, I don’t need any additional insulation to keep warm!  I already have mine – FAT!

BACH  -  AIR

Such beauty
Such peace
From within

I see no beauty
Feel no peace
Within

Broken
Ugly
Staggering
Falling

Beauty  - are you mine?
Peace - do you walk with me?
Tell me truthfully

Yes! Yes!
You're eyes are but closed
And fall you must

Take my hand
Trust me
Let the eyes of your Self see
Set the eyes of your Self free

Such beauty
Such peace
From within
Yours will be

A mountain of work to get through before Thursday and today has been one of the highest of high stress days.

And now I am unfocused but a myriad of thoughts and subjects flash through my brain every second, each one pulling me from my work, each one stabbing me to the core, each one …… !

Ain’t families wonderful?

I’m going to be very busy this week all the way through to Thursday which is, itself, a very important day.  I have masses of reading, writing and preparation to do before I am a witness in our appeal against a local Authority decision. 

Wish me luck!

Death is the one certainty: every second of every day death visits and leaves with another.  Rich or poor, good or evil, all will wander off holding death’s hand.

For Debbie Phillips, death visited in February this year - one of many visited that day.  Her family grieved as families do and her daughter, Sarah, sang a beautiful song into her mobile phone.

Sarah’s words finish off the story.

“I recorded this into my mobile phone in my bedroom on the 10th February 2010, the evening my mother, Debbie Phillips, died of cervical cancer. Family friend, Charlie Mole, subsequently added the musical accompaniment. This was played as a tribute at her funeral on 25th February. Cervical cancer has for a long time been the 'poor relation' of other cancers. The Debbie Phillips Cervical Cancer Research Fund has been set up as part of the UCL Cancer Research Trust to fund research into the detection and treatment of cervical cancer. The link will take you to a site which will enable you to make a donation to the fund. If you like my song please make a donation.

Copy and paste this link to donate: www.ucl.ac.uk/online-giving/giving-to?PR OJECT_CODE=P11”

[The Telegraph has a fuller report]

Better get yourself a big mug of coffee today!  You’re in for a magical treat today – well, at least, I am!

Some (many) of you may never have heard of Transatlantic Sessions and, so before we get into the music, let me give you a bit of background.  In 1994 the first of an annual music festival  - “Celtic Connections” – was held in venues across Glasgow and featured Celtic music, international folk with American country and bluegrass a big influence too.  Each year featured one concert in which many of the stars came together for an ensemble night of the most wonderful music.  This concert was called, “Transatlantic Sessions” which is recorded by the BBC. 

Beyond this, on four occasions, the BBC has taken the stars to a Scottish hotel where again they make music which is released on CD and, latterly, on DVD.  The output from the hotel stay is also called “Transatlantic Sessions” and it is from this source that I have compiled today’s show.

Every week I have a great time finding the music for the show but, this week, I have listened to hours of music and I have had an incredibly hard time whittling the numbers down.  In fact, so hard was the job that I will do a follow-up show, probably in a couple of months unless the feedback is overwhelming in which case I might follow up with Part 2 next week.

Enough of this, the show is about to start.  Get your coffee, sit back and enjoy top musicians performing at their very best.  I’ve written only a few words about each performance I couldn’t do the music justice!  Relax and start.

Sophie’s Dancing feet / Andy Brown’s Reel

featuring Aly Bain and Jenna Reid (both Scottish)

Many of the videos have a few seconds of chat at the start.

dobro:  Jerrry  Douglas (US)
guitar: Russ Barenberg (US)
bousouki: Dónal Lunny  (Ireland)
bass: Todd Parks        (US)
flute: Michael McGoldrick (Scotland)
piano: Phil Cunningham Scotland)
percussion:    ????

from Transatlantic Sessions 3 (2007)

Sheer enjoyment! If this didn’t move you then you are dead.

Have you any coffee left in your mug?  I put mine down before the music started.

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Silver Tassie    Emily Smith

backing vocals: Martha Wainwright and Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh
dobro: Jerry Douglas
fiddle: Aly Bain 
bass: Danny Thompson
keyboard: Donald Shaw
whistle:Ronan Browne
guitar: Russ Barenberg
percussion: James Mackintosh
mandolin: ?????

Transatlantic Sessions 4 (2009)

There is so much beauty around us.  A new singer and a new song to me but …..

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Carrickfergus   Allison Moorer

I had never heard of Allison before this show but …..  I have read some say that this song needs a man’s voice well … men move over.

dobro:   Jerry Douglas
fiddle:  Aly Bain 
bass:  Danny Thompson (England)
accordion: Donald Shaw (Scotland)
whistle, uilleann pipes: Ronan Browne (Ireland)
guitar: Russ Barenberg

Transatlantic Sessions 4 (2009)

Wow!

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Kansas City Hornpipe

Back over to the States now for an instrumental duet with:

uilleann pipes: Fred Morrison (Scotland) and Bruce Molsky on banjo.

Fred, of whom I had never heard, is described by Wikipedia as “one of the world's leading pipers and is a globally renowned composer of music for the bagpipes.
Morrison is known for his unique, powerfully exuberant, virtuosic and highly improvisational style which combines the Gaelic piping tradition of South Uist with contemporary and eclectic influences. One of the few pipers to have achieved success in both the competitive piping and folk music scenes, Morrison is a virtuoso of the Great Highland Bagpipes, the bellows-blown Reelpipes, the Irish Uilleann pipes, and the low whistle.”

I believe Wikipedia!  They can both play a bit!

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The Lakes of Pontchartrain   Paul Brady (Ireland)

A traditional American song given the traditional brilliant Paul Brady treatment.

slide: Jerry Douglas
fiddle: Aly Bain
accordion: Donald Shaw
bass: Todd Parks

Transatlantic Sessions 3 (2007)

I never used to listen to Paul Brady – would skip tracks – but not any more.

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Crucán Na bPáiste    Karen Matheson (Scotland)

This is a gem!  Don’t be put off by the Gaelic in this sad, sad song of a mother who has lost her child – “The Burial Place of Children”.

Without any understanding of Gaelic the mother’s pain and despair is clear and the introduction of the uilleann pipes at 3m 54s gives the last 90secs a particularly haunting air.

 

piano: Donald Shaw
fiddles: Aly Bain & Tim O'Brien (US)
slide: Jerry Douglas
whistle & uilleann pipes: Ronan Browne
bass: Todd Parks
harp: Catriona McKay

Transatlantic Sessions 3 (2007)

No more words.

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The King’s Shilling  

featuring Karan Casey (Ireland) and James Taylor (US)

We stay in Scotland for this song with the Irish singer, Karan Casey, of whom I had never heard before this week …. but she’s good, very good.

JT looks a lot older but then all of us who remember him from the first time round are much older too.

Sheer beauty … enjoy.

dobro: Jerry Douglas
piano: Phil Cunningham
fiddle:  Aly Bain
melodion: Niall Vallely (Ireland)
guitars: Russ Barenberg and Dan Tyminski (US)
bass: Todd Parks
whistle: Michael McGoldrick
bousouki: Dónal Lunny

Transatlantic Sessions 4 (2009)

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We’ve reached the end now and we cross the Atlantic to the West and up the tempo considerably.  This last video is from the Transatlantic Sessions concert in Glasgow (2009) and we have an absolutely wonderful performance of a song many might find surprising at such a gathering. 

Again, if this doesn’t move you then you are still dead,

Hey Joe    Tim O’Brien

featuring Jerry Douglas – dobro, John Doyle - acoustic Guitar and Todd Parks on bass.

 

Quite a way to end!

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Well, that’s it for another week. I’m off to listen to the music again.  I don’t know when I last had so much fun.  I hope you did too.  Tune in again next week and thanks for listening.

Anyone seen Donal today?  Is he hiding?  Come on, Donal, you’re not normally shy?  Standing on the rooftops spouting forth is your natural ground, so what has happened?

I know the Guardian has written about you, your blog and the YBF and there’s no doubt in my mind that the article is timed to hurt the Conservatives.  Why am I so sure?  You have ranted for long enough to have been “picked up” and “exposed” a long time before now.  Given your public political role and your private views, made public in your blog, I’m sure you’re not surprised by the article. 

Is that reason enough for you to remove your blog from public view or have you been advised to remove it?

I don’t care, Donal.  

I miss you.  Well, I miss your blog. 

I want you back SOON not because I agree with your views but rather because your posts bring me a daily smile.  I don’t want to be forced to find your old posts and, therefore, old smiles sitting in Google’s cache and your posts are very visible and still very risible there: no passwords needed.

Come back soon, Donal, and tell us more about your world views. 

We on the left appreciate your views and your help.  You lift our spirits.

May you continue to assail us, but ridicule yourself, with your shock-jock posts.

Just a few minutes ago (06.10) I took a series of moon pictures but, unfortunately, what should have been the best were ruined by my inability to hold the camera still.

I am left with this with its many shades of blue.

Apologies.  I had hoped to post Part 2 of my Looney v Trafigura today but I’ll not make it and, given that my Trafigura posts tend to be viewed during the working week, I will delay the post until Monday.

Again, sorry!

[“Looney v Trafigura: Part 1 - My Interest” is here]

Attacked in my own home - that was my terrifying fate today. 

That I am writing this post shows I was not seriously injured but only a flimsy piece of plastic, yes plastic, saved me from injury!

I was in the kitchen this afternoon, the spin-drier was on and peace was broken only by the spinner’s drum whizzing round at high speed.

I was listening to the radio, a mug of steaming coffee on the worktop, when all hell broke loose - an almighty crashing, thumping hellish din - and the spin drier started to jump out its cupboard and run across the floor. 

All the while the crashing continued: I started to run away when I saw the plastic lid and cover being driven off the metal body by the spinning, but loose, drum.  Only its plastic lid saved me from the wild drum.

Switch the bloody thing off! 

Finally I could act sensibly and I did, neatly side-stepping the rocking drier. Once the power was off, the spin-drier calmed down quickly and stood battered from within but unbowed.

A few quick turns from a screwdriver revealed fatal damage: the spin-drier having attacked me was dead.

There are two parts to this post, this one giving some background to my interest and the other (coming tomorrow, hopefully) telling the story, such as it is, of the case to date.

Since I became involved, “hooked” might be a better description, in following the detail of the Trafigura story in early January, this is my first opportunity to post anything factual. 

Firstly, though, let me give some of the background.

On 8 January I posted as follows:

‘The Times, Telegraph and Guardian all reported that Trafigura and their lawyers, Carter-Ruck, were going to the High Court this afternoon.  In the words of The Times,

“Trafigura, the oil trader, is seeking to prevent publication of details of a new £6 million claim that it faces in the High Court.

The global company is being sued by an Irish management consultant, Kieran Looney, whom it hired to improve its management programme.

He claims that Trafigura breached their agreement by terminating his contract and is seeking £6m. The company denies the allegations.

Now the oil trader is going to the High Court to ensure the documents are “sealed”, preventing the allegations being aired, although they have previously been publicly available.”    ‘

That day none of those papers’ websites carried any word of the outcome suggested to me that Trafigura had won and that another super-injunction had been imposed.  The next day too – nothing.  Eventually I was on the point of giving up: there was no news anywhere and, so, I emailed Guido Fawkes suggesting that they/he might be able to get some answers.  The polite reply, and it was short but polite, was to do this myself …… and I did. 

Rather than being reactive,as I have always been as a blogger,  I became a questioner, a chaser, and I found out that neither side was talking but the “word” was that Trafigura had lost.  More questions to more people elicited little, if anything, worthwhile until last week when the court papers (Looney’s claims), which Trafigura had attempted to seal, arrived in my Inbox along with Trafigura’s defence to the claims.  All papers I must state here are publicly available through the High Court in London and my copies were obtained through public channels.

Given that the court papers are available confirms, what all knew, that Trafigura had failed at court on 8 January.

Having read the court papers I can understand why, other than one article, no newspapers have mentioned the Looney case since 8 January: there is no story.  I believe that mention was made on 8 January ONLY BECAUSE it involved Trafigura AND BECAUSE Trafigura were going to court to prevent public access to documents.

Without these two aspects this seems as though it is a typical case of two companies falling out over issues of importance to them and going to court to resolve the matter.

However, having put so much effort into getting access to the papers I am going to have a stab at telling the story of Looney v Trafigura and rather than having one very long post I’ll tell the story of Looney v Trafigura in tomorrow’s post.

I intend to publish the papers online if I can clarify the legal position.  I can’t imagine that it can be illegal to publish online the web documents which are publicly available but, thankfully, I am no lawyer.

I’m off now to start tomorrow’s post.

Two tunes from one of last year’s Celtic Connections’ concerts in Glasgow – The Kid on the Mountain, and The Reconciliation.  Enjoy this rendition by some of the best instrumentalists around.

Bet you’re awake and moving now!

Just found this and had to share.

… for me, at least, if not for anyone else.

Busy this morning preparing our case in an appeal against a decision made by a local body, telephone message gave a date for the appeal, travelled through to Glasgow for an afternoon meeting with a lawyer.

Tomorrow, I’m at Mrs Carr’s flat to see if roofers, who are playing hardball, can find and cure a leak.  After that I have to finish off the papers for our appeal.

I know this doesn’t sound like much but when measured against my normal output this is massive.

The upside of today was that my bus journey to Glasgow was FREE – I’m an oldie – and I made my first ever trip on the Glasgow underground.  A nice day out!

If I’m so busy how have I found time to write this? 

Easy. 

I do what I always do and don’t do what I should do. Story of my life!

My artistic abilities are not even skin deep: I am as unartistic (if that’s a word) as it’s possible to be but ….. I am enjoying tweaking photos with Picasa to give simplistic hyper-coloured variants.  I should say I enjoy the outcomes, there is something that appeals to me although I can’t describe what.

I put an original and the tweaked photo below:

I’m not bothered if you like neither or even hate both. 

This may say more about the original but I prefer the 2nd version.  There’s a simplicity, a brightness but yet an uncovering of detail not seen in the original.

Guess that’s what appeals.

Clearly Cole wants his missus back.  There is no other explanation for the extraordinary offer he has made (allegedly) according to that extraordinary newsrag of the shitty Murdoch empire, The News of the World.

According to this phone-tapping rag populated by executives with collective amnesia,

“[Ashley] has even vowed he will not go near another woman for SIX MONTHS to prove his love for Cheryl. “

Our insider said: "It would be a sign that he is still committed to her. If there's any other girl [in those 6 months] then that will be the final nail in the coffin."

Ashley, Ashley, Ashley! 

You just don’t get it!

Another Sunday, another show and this week we move forward about 60 years from Bessie Smith to the 1980s and 1990s and a “group” whose music I “was into” for a few years only.   Having listened to lots of their music for today I recognise my mistake now.

Let’s have some music and I can fill you in on some details later.

Southern Jukebox Music

I don’t know if one tune can really tell what Penguin Cafe Orchestra (PCO) music is about but this is a nice place to start.

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Last FM’s biography states,

“The Penguin’s sound is not easily categorized, but has elements of exuberant folk music and a minimalist aesthetic occasionally reminiscent of composers such as Philip Glass.”

I agree with the first clause but, as for the rest ….   The biography goes on,

“After becoming disillusioned with the rigid structures of classical music and the limitations of rock music, in which he also dabbled, Jeffes [CC: Simon Jeffes the creator and composer] became interested in the relative freedom in ethnic music and decided to imbue his work with the same sense of immediacy and spirit.”

Do the words give you any meaning?  No, they don’t for me and so let’s just go with the music.

Air á Danser

Simon Jeffes is the guitarist wearing glasses.

The more I listen the more I appreciate their music.  I’m wondering if, when I heard PCO initially, I didn’t listen properly and simply enjoyed whereas now I AM listening and am loving the music.  Who knows?

_____

PCO was never a fixed size group but rather using the players needed for any piece.  For example, I don’t think we see or hear again the trombonist from the previous song.

Rosasolis

I find this a much more serious composition: a comment left on YouTube said, “This song makes me cry, I don't know why.”.  I can understand that.

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Before we move away from the serious the sadness of the PCO is that Simon Jeffes died in 1997 from a brain tumour at the ridiculously young age of 49.  Effectively the PCO died with him.

Silver Star of Bologna

Here is, for me, the most obviously classical piece.  I’ll say no more.

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I find it hard to believe that half the show is past and I’ve still got so many pieces I want to play. How to choose? I know I’ll dream about it.

Giles Farnaby’s Dream

_____

Ah, now I know and I must leave out some pieces that I would have regarded as certainties.  That’s strange: tunes I had considered as archetypal PCO being omitted but I must go with those which appeal today.  I hope you are enjoying the show.

I forgot until now!  Have you got your coffee?  Should be well down by now.

Paul’s Dance

Here Simon and Geoffrey Richardson (the mad-looking one!) play a gorgeous duet.

_____

 

Prelude and Yodel

There is no yodel but there is a strange dancer!

Such rich cello tones and did you notice the moustachioed man with the easiest musical role ever.

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My final selection and I had no idea when I started what would be in this slot but, as it turned out, there was no competition.

Oscar Tango 

The cello well to the fore again but simply a magical composition.

Enjoy!

____

I hope you have enjoyed the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. 

Well, that’s it for another week.  Tune in again next week and thanks for listening.