Quicksilver Messenger Service

Wired up an additional LED light for the short canopy at the front of the pink ceramic building. The bulbs need to be fixed to the building in a better way than they are at the moment - blu tac currently in use.

But all three canopies are now illuminated.

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Currently listening to:

Canto de Osshana performed by a Brazilian guitarist called Baden Powell de Aquino (his dad was into the Scouting movement) and Vinicius de Moraes.

I've set this single track on a loop and have played it at least 20 times consecutively because, despite its simplicity, I  cannot get the Bossa Nova rhythm right on my bongos. - very frustrating. I'm hoping that through osmosis the rhythm will sink in.

And, I really like the track.


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Last Night's dinner:

Steak and kidney pudding and frozen peas

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Currently thoroughly enjoying:

Several times in the opening chapters, the American group, "Quicksilver Messenger Service", get a mention - as being extolled by people Tracey Thorn knew in her youth.

I remember liking something of theirs from the late 60s early 70s, but haven't thought of them for  over 40 years. So I thought I'd explore what iTunes Preview had on offer.

Quicksilver Messenger Service

Verdict: Plodding. I have absolutely no time for this sort of rock music anymore; I can't believe I extracted any enjoyment at all from it in the first place.

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Miscellany:

Went to the Tron Theatre in Glasgow last night to see a Rajasthani trio. You weren't allowed to take photographs which I thought was absolutely ridiculous. I did take these two photos of their instruments on stage on my way out  after a truly hypnotic and mystical performance.

Here's a picture of the singer, Parveen Sabrina Khan.

And this where Rajasthan is to be found.

Lighting up the canopy.

Before I populate the cafe with tables and chairs, some lights under the canopy will have to be installed.

Projected cafe.

A variety of five 12 volt flashing coloured LED lights were strung together.

LED lights

Soldered together and bound with masking tape.

Powered up.

Canopy in position

In semi-darkness

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Currently listening to:

Rossz Csillag by Venetian Snares

Is Mr Snares a member of the Orange Order?

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Last night's dinner:

Chicken Curry at the Shenaz Indian Restaurant in Glasgow.

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Currently Reading:

This book's beginning to wane with it's continuous celebrity gossip - very well written, though.

So I turned to this one, which has a more serious content but is tediously written.

Fortunately, this book is well written and interesting and serious.

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Miscellany:

Today is the Feast Day of the Conversion of Saint Paul and after Mass this morning, we gathered in front of his statue and recited the Litany of Saint Paul.

In the early 1960s on BBC TV there was a gripping dramatisation of Paul's life called "Paul of Tarsus."

I remember it vividly (black and white, of course) and looked forward to each Sunday's tea-time episode. In particular, I was gripped by the episode which dealt with Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus. I've never forgotten that blinding light as Saul lost his sight and fell to the ground.

What I had forgotten though was that the part of Paul was played by Patrick Troughton who 6 years later became Dr Who.

Patrick Troughton as Paul

1/87 scale cafeteria furniture

I decided to explore the avenue of  buying ready made tables and chairs for my cafe.

Where the cafe is to be located.

A German company called Preiser manufacture all sorts of HO scale accessories.

Only the middle set of tables and chairs were available, so I ordered them - only £10.50.

In addition, - for about the same price - I bought from an English company called Scale Link, a sheet of laser etched HO scale cast iron tables and chairs which I presume one has to assemble oneself.

Couldn't find a picture of them assembled.

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Currently listening to:

More and yet more Samba music.

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Last night's dinner:

Fish and potato stew

The contents were: mussels, cod, monk fish, sword fish, leek, shallots, garlic and little red skinned potatoes.

Ate half and froze half.

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Currently Reading:

Chapter 6 of Kim.

And a bit of:

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Miscellany:

Winterreise

Constructing an HO scale French cafe.

Before I can install the lampposts along the side of the pink ceramic building (see yesterday's blog), the cafe furniture will have to be put in place; and before that can happen, I'll have to fit some LED lights underneath the striped canopy.

The pink ceramic building

The canopy under which the LED lights are to go.

A bunch of LED lights

A single LED light.

An impression of the cafe furniture and customers

I'm not sure how I'm going to make the cafe furniture; perhaps commerically made items are available.

Anyway, LED lights first.

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Currently listening to:

Kwno by Jhno

On the internet, this is described as ambient/drum'n'bass/abstract music.

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Last night's dinner:

Chicken stew and rice

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Currently reading:

From yesterday's haul of library books I chose to start with this:

It's very well written and interesting. But, if you look at the photo below you'll see that the layout is one of widely spaced short paragraphs.

What I feel is that each paragraph could survive on its own - it doesn't really follow from or lead to adjacent paragraphs. In fact, you could shuffle the paragraphs and re-arrange them in any order at all and you wouldn't notice.

Still, each paragraph is an entertaining little gem in its own right.

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Miscellany:

I'm going to explore the possibility of uploading videos to the blog using this camera which I got for Christmas.

The 23rd Precinct, Glasgow.

Drilled a row of eight 11mm holes in preparation for the installation of a row of lampposts along the side of the pink ceramic building.

The pink building on the LHS

The lampposts

The eight holes

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Currently listening to:

Dimitri from Paris

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Last night's dinner:

A banana

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Currently reading:

Cycled to Whiteinch Library and returned with a promising haul of books.

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Miscellany:

Cycled into "The Good Spirits Co" in Bath Street, Glasgow and bought a bottle of Floc de Gascogne.

This premises is probably the most iconic memory of my life in the late 1960s early 70s because I frequented it whenever I had any money and bought my first Blues records and LPs by Incredible String Band, Soft Machine, Captain Beefheart etc etc.

For, it used to be the record shop extraordinaire that was the 23rd Precinct.

Still going in the 80s.

As I was parking my bike outside I remembered that a permanent fixture behind the counter at that time had been a very, very trendy woman - Marsha Hunt hair, large oval shaped tortoise shell framed glasses and very smart suits.

So, today I remarked to the chap behind the counter that I supposed customers were often coming in and mentioning the 23rd Precinct connection. He confirmed that that was indeed the case and then said that that very morning a woman had come into the shop who said she used to work in the 23rd Precinct.

I resisted the temptation to ask him if, in his opinion, she looked like the kind of person who, 44 years ago, might have sported her hair in an Afro-style, worn huge glasses frames and dressed in a smart suit.

I did say that in the days of the 23rd Precinct there had been a couple of turntables on the counter where he was now standing. He nodded to his right and there on the counter a turntable had been set up and was actually turning and playing a vinyl album. I wonder if that was in homage to the illustrious origins of the shop.