The Final Day of the Song Challenge

The whole point of the song challenge was that it would encourage me to blog more often. I'm not sure it was entirely successful from that point of view - I think it has taken me 9 months to complete it.


I'm not sure why I didn't get around to blogging last weekend but real life has been getting in the way of my cyber existance for most of this month. This is not necessarily a bad thing; Sir Bruin and I met up with fellow blogger Mr P and his lovely wife Mrs Rine (as well as Oz and Lilley) for lunch yesterday, which is clearly far more fun than sitting at a computer.


Anyway, back to the plot.

On Sara Sizzle’s original list, the song choice for day 30 is supposed to be your favourite song at this time last year. However, I have a problem with this. Being an old git, I’ve had the same favourite song for about 20 years. Therefore my choice for day 30 strictly speaking, is the same as my choice for day 1.

So, rather than put the same song up a second time, how about we tweak day 30 just a little bit.

Day 30 – Your favourite song from this time last year.

Day 30 – The song you named your blog after

Not a song from their 80s hey-day, but a later track that was a huge hit in the USA for them in 1993. They still tour together now – and my mother said they wouldn’t last!

Was that or was that not, the longest 30 days of your life? Yes? Bad luck, it’s not over.

Long before I took up The 30 Day Song Challenge, I often stole borrowed song titles for my blog posts (this dates back to 2007). Not only am I going to try and revive that old tradition, now that I have discovered Youtube, I shall continue to post links to stuff I like at every available opportunity.

Assuming that I manage to blog at all, that is.

You have been warned.

Day 29 – A song from your childhood

I remember listening to Queen and Abba as well as Simon and Garfunkel because my mum liked them.

I also remember really liking “Loving You” by Minnie Riperton. How old was I when this came out? Six? Seven? An odd sort of song to be enjoyed by a young child. I can recall too, being somewhat obsessed with “Seasons in the sun” by Terry Jacks. Clearly, I was a very strange child. I’m not going to inflict either of these songs on you now though.

I notice that there is no category in this meme for ‘the first song I ever bought’. I bought my first single when I was about 6 years old, so, while we are on the subject of childhood favourites; this is the first record I ever bought:

Yes, that is the Avalon Stage at the Glastonbury Festival. The Wombles played at Glastonbury in 2011 and therefore they are officially cool. This means that I was a very cool six-year-old. Probably.

Day 28 of the 30 day song challenge

Only 2 days left!!!

Day 28 – A song that makes you feel guilty

Back to guilt again?

Why would a song make you feel guilty? Maybe one that you associate with something you did that you are less than proud of?

Hmmmmm.

This is a rubbish category.

However, I used a song by Supergrass in my previous post and this has given me an idea. So;

Day 28 – A song that makes you feel guilty might be applicable to you if you were guilty…

I wanted an excuse to post this song but I didn’t think I would find one so quickly.

Day 27 of the song challenge – A song that you wish you could play

How long have you got? Most of the stuff on my list so far would be the honest answer. We have already established in earlier posts that I am a failed guitarist. I’d love to be able to play that intro to “Paradise City”.

I’d love to be able to play the guitar on anything really.

Or the bass.

Or the drums.

But mostly the guitar…

That’s proper rock, that is.

(note to self: find an excuse to post a link to “Caught by The Fuzz”).

Day 26 – A song that you can play on an instrument

I had guitar lessons when I was 14. Someone dobbed my teacher into the tax authorities and he had to stop giving lessons for a while. By the time he had sorted out his financial affairs, I had lost interest. I have always favoured long finger nails, which do not lend themselves well to guitar playing. This was a long time ago. You do the maths.

So, playing an instrument is a skill that I have long since lost, but I can (just about) pick out the first couple of bars of “Smoke on The Water”, very slowly, just on one string and by counting the frets rather than knowing any notes.

Wednesday Wafflings

New Year my arse. The only thing that is new is the date.

Four days in. Nothing to report.

Today I received an email warning at work that my inbox was taking up too much space so I spent an hour deleting old messages. Among them I found an email that I sent on 5 January 2010, part of which reads "Why do people get so excited about the New Year? It's not new at all - it's just the same old shit with a different date on it!" My opinion has not changed in the intervening 2 years.

This time last week I was blogging about what a splendid Christmas I had. My Mum reckons she prefers the New Year to Christmas, but I find it something of an anti-climax. I've never been fond of New Year celebrations and I am always filled with relief if I don't get invited anywhere. This year, Sir Bruin and I didn't even bother to stay up until midnight. We went to bed at 11:15, although I did get up and look out of the window at the fireworks. I did, however, rather enjoy New Year's Day; I cooked us a beef casserole and after we had scoffed that, accompanied by a bottle of wine, we just sat around all afternoon eating and drinking and watching films. It was great! Perhaps a New Year's Day party is the way forward for The Bears.

I spent Bank Holiday Monday trying to distract myself from the fact that it was the last day of my lovely Christmas break. I indulged in some cooking, which was unfortunately not as successful as my Christmas efforts.

This is some home made bread which didn't taste as impressive as it looks. My dried yeast was out of date so the dough didn't rise as much as I would have liked and the loaves, despite appearances, could definitely have done with a bit longer in the oven.


This is a leek and blue cheese tart which was a bit lacking in flavour. On balance, I prefer Quiche Lorraine. I made a quiche for supper on Christmas Day and it was way better than the offering photographed above.



Leek, potato and bacon soup accompanied by some of the pudding-like home-made bread. Needed more seasoning; an issue which I addressed when re-heating some of it for supper tonight.


I shall return to the song challenge for my next post (I'm determined to finish it), but until then, here is a food related song featuring a very young Paul Young on lead vocals. This is what passed for entertainment in the 1970s.

Day 25 of the song challenge – A song that makes you laugh

There are lots of songs around with amusing lyrics (well quote some then, why don’t you? – Ed.)

OK then.

“And now we’re living in the sky,

I never knew I’d live so high,

Just like heaven,

If it didn’t look like hell”. “Mile End” by Pulp.

Or how about

“Girls run around with no clothes on,

To borrow a pound for a condom,

If it wasn’t for chip fat they’d be frozen,

They’re not very sensible” “I Predict a Riot” by The Kaiser Chiefs.

But a song that actually makes you laugh? Maybe a comic song; “The Ballad of Barry and Freda” by Victoria Wood or “The Dogging Song” by Fascinating Aida. “The Knights of the Round Table” by Monty Python!

Actually, let’s go back to Fascinating Aida. This is from their Silver Jubilee DVD (which Sir Bruin owns so I have seen it several times) - buy it, it’s great! (contains some swearing):