So, that was it, December 8th, last ever disco booking, started June 1971 at Hampstead, ended December 2012 in The Borough, London Bridge. It’s been a long and interesting ride which I have, for the most part, thoroughly enjoyed.
The last booking, unfortunately, was a bit crap. I had no transport, the customer was not keen to spend money so we used an estate wagon mini cab which left no room to take my powered speakers and I had to use the venue’s PA, normally used for cinema presentations. And it sounded rubbish.
I was booked from 8 to 2am but I may as well have arrived at 10pm cos all these weird folk wanted to do was talk until about 10.30. Still, it did get going and I just about got away with it, mucho dancing so all was good but I wasn’t really happy about it, felt naked without my own equipment.
The booking was the Christmas dance for an outfit named ‘The Humanists’ who are basically anti-religion and help out victims of religious persecution, like that young girl who the Taliban shot in the head recently.
All well and good you may think, but read on.
I don’t want to start anything that upsets people here but to illustrate this thing I will have to say I actually quite detest religion, won’t go into detail but that’s my stance, so I thought I’d be sympathetic to these folk. But then I thought – what is religion if not an organised bunch of folk with a common belief who may or may not (usually may) want to promote their beliefs? And what are the humanists? Yep, the same. An oxymoron at work here? And aetheists having a Christmas dance? Well.
But I thought I’d probably prefer these folk to the other groups I’d done discos for which include Christians (lots of) Jews (a few) and Muslims (just the two). But I was wrong. There was one common factor among these people and if I may be so bold as to say so, the greater majority were ugly, lol. And weird. Lots of gay and lesbian folk as well if my instincts serve me well and they were not like the gay peeps I know and like but just plain weird, hard to put a finger on it, if you’ll pardon the expression
But I was proved wrong when I thought I’d prefer these people to an organised religious group. The organiser made a speech during the raffle presentation where she thanked the people ‘Who attended the anti-Pope march this year’
Anti-Pope? Look, I’m anti-pope pretty much, not the individual but all he (and it’s always a ‘he’) stands for. BUT. I wouldn’t go public with my views. Rightly or wrongly a lot of folk take comfort from the Pope and the Catholic religion and though I think it’s a whole load of hoo-ha I respect their views and commitment and if it makes them happy – why not?
Same goes for all the other fairy stories, oops, sorry, religions, the majority of followers are peace loving folk who feel good taking their chosen path. I say the majority, I know of Islamist extremists and some terribly dodgy Christian breakaway churches, but it’s my belief they are the minority.
Anyhow, Mr Flops was sympathetic until he heard that. To be anti-Pope is, in my opinion, a form of negativity, this is a big world with lots of people who all have different views on just about everything and the key to harmony, in my opinion, is tolerance and understanding, not hostility. Religion may appear like a whole load of mouthwash to me but some people dig it so who am I to point a finger?
So there we go – The Humanists, another group.
Now then, I have all this stuff to sell. Not only the disco gear but the contents of my lockup, I will no longer have use of the lockup come February time or thereabouts so I need space.
My mother has been confirmed with Alzheimers, very distressing, she’s not my Mum anymore, just a shell who looks like her, her brain is elsewhere. Which is very upsetting. So the plan me and my sister have come up with is sell her house and buy a care home apartment near my sister in north London. And my lockup will go with the house. Mum is 82 years old.
But this will take time and we’re both worried about my Mum until we get her settled into a home with a warden on call 24/7. My sister had pre-arranged going to America for 2 weeks over Christmas so she’s lending me her car to visit my Mum every couple of days while she’s away.
Lastly, after my recent cancer episode the consultant said he wanted to see me every two months which would have meant an appointment on 14th November, which he said Guys & St Thomas’ would arrange. They haven’t. Which means to me the hospital are practicing cuts in services because of Mr Cameron’s commands to cut costs. Unless you take the time to force an appointment it seems you won’t get one. Which will probably mean loss of life. Just love them true blues.
I didn’t really want an appointment as long as I had some disco bookings, didn’t want to host a celebration with the knowledge that if my cancer had returned, it would affect my personality whilst attempting to entertain. But now I’m going to email the consultant and ask for an appointment.
And… Blur were a vastly underrated band, as well as The Beatles vinyl box set I also bought the Blur vinyl box set a month or so before, and I’ve rediscovered the band. They are absolutely great, very English, Essex boys, quintessential listening imo.
This vinyl has cost quite a lot of money but hey, put yourself in my shoes, while I’m still here, what the hell, wanna enjoy myself.
This POV may be right or wrong, dunno.
In the Bleak Midwinter, sings Bert Jansch. Just two weeks to go and it will start getting lighter in the evenings again. Can't wait
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