What did you do in the war Dad?

I'm quite sure that I can remember as far back  as when I
was two years old. Now I may be wrong about this and
I'm sure there's a body of government scientists that have
carried out tests on white rats ( this involved making two
half-hitches and a sheep shank with their tails and soaking
said rats feet in Red Bull) that prove adults have no memories
before the age of three. However I know for a fact there has
never been a time in my life when I haven't had a love of
aeroplanes, haven't had a dream that I would be a pilot.
        In a small way I did make my dream come true. I
learnt to fly and my old log book says I had some 130
hours flying before I didn't have the time or money to continue.
Have to say the hours I spent flying alone went way beyond
all my dreams, no words can describe the the feeling of freedom
or the thrill of just me and machine above the Worcester country
side and the Malverns.
  So, what did my Dad do in the war?  Well I guess you may
be thinking the link between my Dad and my love of aeroplanes
was the Spitfire and you'd be right. However, my Dad didn't
fly Spitfires, he built them, along with hundreds of other Brummies
(men and women) at Castle Brom..  I found this wonderful BBC
site with a list of films each one an absolute treasure.( click on
Spitfire)

Spitfire

KRO

There's a joke here some where....

... and it's on me ...

say hello..

..to the people I know .....

JFK......

..'...In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it - and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man ...' ..




 Some inaugural speech that and as a thirteen year old kid I believed him, and believed in him. On his visit to the UK he dazzled us, it was gonna happen, our generation led by him would change the world for the better. After his death the older I got and the more I read the more I saw just a good politician with great speech writers. Here was a man who lied to the most important person in his life,lied to her and betrayed her so what worth were his words to us? I have never trusted a politician since, never voted or took part in any election, I never will 'get fooled again'

ps. he wouldn't get away with 'the freedom of man' now days..

 KRO

 

John Nicholls....

...was the last boss I ever had way back in 1976. We lost touch until
2002 or there abouts when he rented a unit at Runway farm, we
remained friends until he died on the 7th of this month.
  The piece below is from tinterweb it 's a bit sparse and doesn't
tell that he 'toured' Australia as well as S/A in his Speedway
days. We bury John today, I guess I lost the bet mate I owe you
a fiver.

 Nick started riding at his home track Coventry in the early 1950's he had spells with Brafield in the Southern Area League in 1954 / 55 and stayed with these local tracks until 1961 apart from a short spell with Oxford in 1959. He toured South Africa in the winter of 1956 after a successful season with the Bees that year including a couple of maximums and ending the season with an average of over six points per match. However his form dipped badly on his return completing the 1957 season with 3.26. Nick spent most of his career at Coventry but finally made the move to Belle Vue in 1962, it proved disastrous and he couldn't find his form. He joined the Heathens in the Provincial League in July scoring seven points on his debut against Wolves in the Dudley Wolves Trophy. His scores were up and down but still managed an average of over six. However disaster struck in the Provincial League Riders Qualifying Round at Exeter in August where he crashed and received head injuries and severe concussion. This was to end his career. Always immaculately turned out in shiny black leathers little has been written about Nick and he is rarely seen in speedway photographs, such a pity his association with the Heathens was so short. [Thanks to Matt Jackson & Hugh Vass for help with this profile from the excellent "Complete A-Z of Post War British League Riders"]

KRO

Dylan and Safka

Sometimes humans do beautiful things, sometimes....

Was it so long ago....

... or was it yesterday?

L.R.

.... Ah well.....

Gaston Beree...

Kenny Rodgers (well he used to) Not nice to see you Bruce
a pregnant Keith Richard and Mick shouting one note very
loudly for an hour or so... what a joke and no I didn't
watch 'em.

This was good though ..




and here's two of the girls from the chorus .. 

KRO

Stevie Nicks ...

was sixty five years young last month so here she is ..

Tomorrow is ...

... local election day (I think) every one tells me I should vote...
    but I wont.






KRO

Two years ago today ....

'I'm not sure that the new Wembley has heard a noise like this"

Hey lads, I know you're not really crying ....... KRO. 

Goin' home......

Looks like I've sold my flat, oh feckin' 'ell. Guess I'm going back 'home',
back to Runway.  Where ever I go, I'll take Joni with me....  KRO.

Sunshine on Leith...

A Proclaimers song adopted by Hibs as their anthem
love it, but here's a version by the Lights that ain't bad ..
KRO

Richard 111

I don't play golf anymore but I was a member of Maxstoke Park Golf Club for about 15 years or so.
The back drop to the 17th green is Maxstoke castle and, so the story goes, it was here that Richard
ate his last civilised meal before the battle of Bosworth field. Once I had heard this story I wanted
to know more than just the Tudor propaganda and Will shakeys version of Richard, and the awful
story of the princes in the tower.
     Just the account of how he died at Bosworth left me in awe of the man, but his whole life
story (short though it was)  is almost unbelievable .The picture above and not the image W.S
paints, is how I think of Richard 111.
   Film on channel 4 last night on how the remains of Richard have been found ( a fantastic
story in itself) and how some 500 years or so after his death he will be given a 'proper' burial.

Foot note ... Richard was the last English king to die in battle, royalty should have died with him...
    

Wow......

..it's so beautiful here right now,
and tonight it's going to snow.
I might stay up and go for a walk
in the 'first fall'.

Think that was the..

... longest ten days I've ever had to endure, but hey,
it's a so called new year now. Spent most of the hols
listening to the radio, sad to know that we won't be
hearing the voice of CMJ. anymore.
   Watched bits of telly in the small hours, and thankfully
I saw an Arena film of Amy, in Ireland, stunning.
For me, Amy has to be the greatest singing talent this
country has ever had, just light years ahead of anyone
else. Maybe, just maybe, she could have been the best
'jazz/blues' the world has ever known.
 We'll never know.
If youtube remove these, go and have a look at
Amy Winehouse/ accoustic.

KRO