Gary Presley

I have just received the news that my friend died on Wednesday. Many who knew him would not recognise the man I knew and I am uncertain about exactly what  I want to say here so I will simply transcribe my reply to the loving friend who had the strength to shoulder the responsiblity of telling me the news.

“The sadness is stark and real yet greater by far because the news is not the shock it might be to people who hadn’t shared with Gary as we did, all too briefly. There are more tears to come but I live with the honour of having witnessed a brief spark of wonder in Gary only a privilaged few ever did. His childlike gratitude to myself and others for his glimpse of heaven was endearing and embarrasing because nobody could have taken him there but himself… we just pointed in the general direction. I am devestated that he lost his way but I refuse to to hold his death as anything but a reminder that inspiration takes all forms. I am proud to to have been in his life, grateful to have seen him sample a better life and humbled that he called me friend.”

Serenity

 

Prayers for all? Doubtful.

Let me make this clear from the outset – I don’t believe in gods, ghosts, ghouls, goblins or anything else equally ridiculous… even if they don’t begin with ‘G’!

I don’t pray either. But if I did I would jolly well expect the absolute right to do it whenever or wherever I wanted to. And I could too, because I could do it in the limitless temple that exists inside my head. So why do the faithful need others to hear them when they pray to their gods… at council meetings for example?

I believe in freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom from oppression. Full-stop… that was a full-stop, just in case you didn’t notice. That is freedom, especially from people who believe in fairies, which is scary enough, but who then expect me to bow to their ethos AND for me to be forced to listen to them AND for me to be accused. astonishingly, of prejudice and intolerance because I don’t believe that I should be respectfully quiet about the fact that I think they are, at best, slightly foolish.

At best, that is, if they were to simply quietly believe, bask in the loving glow of their own personal god and maintain their powerful and unshakable faith in the infinite temple of their minds. Unfortunately, it is seldom as beatific as that and rapidly descends into the realms of: “… believe what I believe, or I will hurt you…”

I often say that I believe in chaos, which by its very nature is not something maintainable by faith. Or anything else in the universe for that matter… we are still trying to establish what that is… possibly… I think Brian Cox might be the man to ask. Chaos, it seems, rules our lives. But for the fact that it rained heavily for precisely eight minutes on the only day in twenty years that I was carrying one of my guitars… in that particular street… in Doncaster(!), I wouldn’t have stopped for an early lunch and subsequently been booked for a gig in the cafe… chaos. The smallest of elements in the universe can provoke the ultimate of outcomes… or any variation that suits you.

I understand that not everyone can be so laissez-faire about the nature of the universe and that many people need an extra-terrestrial entity to calm their troubled minds amidst the chaos. I.e. When there are no other explanations, let’s find someone to blame!  (Less so in contemporary times, hence the desperate clamouring of the faithful to bolster belief, remember: Gods need faith to exist, it’s like petrol for deities, they simply don’t run without it!)

So why, if everyone who believes in a god (and there are lots of gods, despite what the unfathomably powerful few would like us to think) has the kind of faith that they wish us mere mortals had, do they need others, believers or not, to join them in their worship? Their needs are not mine. I neither want nor need the kind of salvation they dubiously offer, especially if it involves ensuring that every other personal belief or moral has to be governed by their personal doctrine, to the exclusion (and often violent retribution) ofall other peoples and creeds.

The scariest part of all this prayer at council meetings malarkey is that it goes all the way to the root of absolute power. Try being elected in the USA on an atheist ticket… actually, try that anywhere in the world really. Best of luck.

Well, it’s Sunday morning and I should be doing far more useful and laudable things than standing on my soapbox ranting! Like flying a plane that took me all day to build yesterday into the ground in ten seconds then putting the bits in a bag.

(What time is service, by the way?)

Perugia – Joy and Dignified Silence

Amanda Knox, 24, of Seattle, USA, was today dramatically acquitted in Perugia, Italy, of the murder of Meredith Kercher, a twenty-one year old Leeds University student from Coulsdon, Surrey.

There were mixed reactions at the verdict (the original verdict was found to have been based on flawed forensic and genetic evidence). Joy for Ms. Knox and her relatives at the promise of freedom contrasting poignantly with the open-ended sorrow of the Kercher relatives, now left without closure over their tragic loss of a daughter.

In addition, the furore and ire of a gathered crowd, who appeared to take exception to the verdict and the inevitable media circus that the trial has generated drew commentators to observe that there remains a British family continuing to wrestle with heavy emotions and confusion surrounding their child’s death.

Original link: http://www.mediapoint.press.net/business/article.jsp?id=7888311

Freeman Street Rocks.

Moving back to Grimsby after almost a decade away it was disappointing, on a first look around,  to see that Freeman Street’s fortunes seemed to have suffered even more in the years away than before leaving. So I was pleasantly surprised this evening to step from the bus to find myself drawn towards an oasis of musical fun happening at the Freeman’s Arms on the street.

I cannot, in all honesty, say that I didn’t have a little trepidation walking in but a few short moments were all it took for the feeling to subside and the welcome and friendly atmosphere soon found me, notebook and pen in hand, chatting to the locals and quickly being introduced to the landlady, Sara-Louise Storey and husband Tony, who took over the license fourteen months ago.

Singing for the floor full of dancers, very loudly, it has to be said (“… they like it loud…” said Sara), was Shauny T, belting out some obvious favorites – good grief, here’s ‘Shang A Lang’ and ‘Alice’ (Just who is this ‘Alice’ anyway…? Well, that’s not quite how the crowd put it!) and after Shauny, long-time Grimsby stalwarts Cardee were due on.

Locals Linda McKellecher and Sharon Long (among many others) were keen to tell me how much everyone enjoyed the entertainment and the place itself and “… it is so friendly and there is never any trouble…” and whilst any place where plenty of alcohol is involved may become boisterous, they were certainly not wrong tonight.

Sara and Tony were keen to talk about the true spirit of Grimsby that still persists in Freeman Street and that the local bonhomie and camaraderie had kept them there for so long after only taking on the place for a couple of weeks as a favour to a friend. Indeed, the pub was the fullest this reporter has seen any pub in quite some time in these hard economic times and it was quite a refreshing change to see so many people, of all ages, filling the room and spilling over into the street for chats and cigarettes.

So, if you would like an old-time Grimsby fun night, put your casuals on and give Freeman Street another try – you may just be pleasantly surprised.

(PS. Grab your shopping whilst you’re there, Asda’s and it’s large car park are only a minute’s walk away… can I say that?)

Going for the whole set of seasons.

Wow, so we’ve had an Arab Spring, we’re having an Indian Summer… all we need now is a New England Fall and an Arctic Winter and we’ve done the full set… YAY!

Hats In The 21st Century.

Did I miss another great style revolution?

When did hats suddenly take on the mantle of ‘style’ icon of the century? Is it my over-active and, almost certainly fallacious memory, but was there a Victorian saying that ran along the lines of: “… If you want to get ahead, get a hat…”, because, if there was (and, I admit that I probably just made that up) then, judging by the size, number and variety of damn fool hats being worn by pre twenty-something peeps these days, then they should be kings and queens – (let’s not forget there are some pretty daft girly hats too) of the universe and every flagship company on the earth should be falling over themselves to hire them.
And just when did Davy Crockett jump from his grave and onto the catwalk? Good grief, those hats are nothing if not big … and furry… they must be HOT … really, really HOT!

Probably just me … I’m 46, you know!

Man charged with Maidstone murder

Caleb White, 19, of Cornwall Close, Maidstone, Kent was tonight charged with the murder, on Sunday, of Tom Crittenden, also from Maidstone.
Four other people were released on bail pending further enquiries and White is to appear in court tomorrow.

Tom’s grieving friends and relatives released a statement saying that their ” … loving son, brother and grandson will be so missed … he was dearly loved by everyone who knew him.”

Cat Litter – Arsonists Be Warned.

Garry White, a PhD Forensic Science student, could have an unusual fifteen minutes in the spotlight with his breakthrough discovery from recent research at Anglia Ruskin University. Cat litter, which contains sodium bentonite,  a clay formed from volcanic ash, is the best substance for detecting petrol that has soaked into hard surfaces such as concrete.

It fulfils the requirements of UK courts and has the advantage of allowing the police the distinct advantage of not having to dig up the floor, which can cause cross-contamination and loss of petrol containing evidence at the scene.

Young person dies in Maidstone, Kent

Tom Crittenden, 21, of Maidstone, Kent was pronounced dead at the scene of an incident at a house on Sutton Road in the town in the early hours of Sunday morning. A police spokeswoman said that Mr Crittenden, known locally as a ‘gentle giant’, died of a single stab wound.

A 19yr old man, believed to be known to the victim, is being questioned on suspicion of murder and the police arrested a number of other men and women in connection with the incident.