Do me a flavour #4

Before I put this mini series to bed I'd just like to mention a couple of people. First up is the renowned composer of light music* (a dreadful term, I know), Eric Coates. However tenuous his links to the Fab Four, Macca and, indeed, Let 'Em In, might be (he died five years before Love Me Do) his inclusion of Wings' doorbell intro into his London Suite is, I think, well worth a mention. This classic chime is the V.&E. Friedland General Electric Maestro which plays an eight-note Westminster sequence with a Vibrato Resonance feature. Also, and I think this gets him double house points - his middle name is Harrison. Oh, and he was born less than five miles from where I live. 

Eric Coates - Westminster (from his London Suite; composed 1933)

Finally ('cos nobody wants Do me a favour #5), it would be most remiss of me if I didn't mention Jellyfish. A couple of years ago I included them in a roll-call of notable power pop bands who, without Messrs. Lennon & McCartney (particularly McCartney) would not have come up with their particular brand of Wings-era pop perfection. It was only fitting that they used to drop a couple of Macca's tunes into their live set; one off them being, you've guessed it, Let 'Em In; here it segues into That is Why taken from their stunning debut album Bellybutton. 

Jellyfish - Let 'Em In (1990)

* His greatest hits include The Dambusters Theme, By the Slepy Lagoon (Desert Island Discs theme) and Music While You Work.

★

Eric Coates (1886-1957)

Do me a flavour #3

I think it was 2003 when I saw the Polyphonic Spree live; the NME Awards Tour had rolled into Rock City and Paul, my friend and neighbour, and I had blagged a pair of tickets and we ended up down the front. Which, to be fair, is where I always head for anyway. Even now. Memories of the night are pretty vague - I remember the Datsuns were on and they were fucking brilliant. I'd missed them a few months earlier when they'd played the Boat Club.

Anyway, the Spree. When they all trooped on they occupied every square inch of the stage; there seemed to be dozens of them. All clad in white choir robes it felt like a quasi religious experience - like we'd all gone down to the river to pray -  à la O Brother Where Art Thou. And they were nothing short of amazing. I've always been a sucker for big old choral ensembles and the sheer vocal power alone was enough to knock you over. I must already have snaffled a copy of their first album as a lot of their set sounded familiar. You may or may not be surprised to know that they're still going. I know I was.

And then when I learned they'd covered Let 'Em In I thought 'of course they have.' Why would they not? See if you recognise them sans robes. And for those, like myself, who need a quick robe fix, look no further.

The Polyphonic Spree - Let 'Em In (2021)

Do me a flavour #2

Chet Atkins was a guitarist's guitarist. Every bit as influential as Bert Weldon or Les Paul, Atkins' (musical) diet was more varied than he was given credit for - he singlehandedly saved county music from oblivion and was an accomplished jazz and classical guitarist to boot, and (when it came along) embraced pop music; Paul McCartney & George Harrison were huge devotees (George even played a 1962 Gretsch Country Gentleman - Atkins' signature guitar). Here's his jazzy instrumental take on Macca's 1976 opus...

Chet Atkins - Let 'Em In (1981)

 

Whilst in his executive position at RCA in Nashville Atkins was also a prolific record producer. He produced, and played on, Perry Como's monster hit single  from 1973 And I Love You So (a Don McLean composition that first appeared on his 1970 debut solo album; Como's version shifted 300,000 copies in the UK alone). Here's Como & Atkins performing it on a glitzy TV special from 1977. God knows why Chet is lit in almost perma shadow.

★ 

 Perry Como (1912-2001)

Chet Atkins (1924-2001)

He was Kloot

I think I'd like to meet John Bramwell - lead singer with (the defunct) I Am Kloot. I very rarely say that about musicians. But there's something about his songs, and his drinking capacity, (and his teeth, come to think of it) that elevate him into the category If I saw him in a bar and he looked like he was stopping for another I'd offer to buy him a drink and tell him his songs are like pearls; unlike his teeth. He would then either say 'Stop bothering me, son,' in which case I'd drop it into reverse and go and drink in the pub next door. Or, if he acquiessed, I'd say 'Can you show me how to write songs that make people stop what they're doing and then pretend they've got something in their eye?' If the stars aligned I really hope it would be the latter.  

John Bramwell - Leave No Traces (2024)

John Bramwell · Leave No Traces

Do me a flavour #1

Peterborough is synonymous with two things. One, its Passport Office: time was when it was the only place in the UK that issued passports and would even process them in person if you fetched up at their offices (thus saving countless trips and holidays from being cancelled due to lapsed documents). Secondly, its catherdral. John Betjeman one said it was the finest cathedral outside of London; I think he was right.

I took a punt yesterday and bought a train ticket to Peterborough. Armed with nothing more than my camera, a good book and a tube of factor 50 I jumped on the 8:41. An hour later I disgorged at Peterborough and immediately went in search of breakfast. I needed coffee and nosebag. From my booth in the Westgate Grill I mapped out what you could loosely call an itinerary. It included a lido, a couple of bridges, a museum and gallery, some street art, a cathedral (obviously), a sculpture, art deco architecture, and a hostelry or two along the way.(Maybe it was because of the pubs that I only spotted one of the three Antony Gormleys!)

So I'll start with the cathedral - the early Gothic architecture speaks for itself; construction began in 1118 and took over a century to build. It's where Mary Queen of Scots was originally interred before the body snatchers moved her to Westminster Abbey. I was also fascinated by the names of the city's previous Bishops. Tell me that Mandrel Creighton, Edward Carr Glynn, Frank Theodore Woods, Douglas Russell Feaver and William John Westwood weren't also members of Caravan between 1971 & 1976.

Gormley #1. There are three apparently, the other two are (hiding) in Cathrdral Square. I'll get 'em next time.

Today's blog post title comes from Paul McCartney. One of the exhibitions showing at Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery was the work of Jeff Cummins whose artwork and designs adorned countless album sleeves and book dust jackets. It's his painting of Wings that Macca used as the gatefold for his triple live extravaganza Wings Over America. I remember reading the review in Sounds when it came out and the writer made a big thing out of the fact that in the song Let 'Em In Paul sings 'do me a flavour' instead of 'do me a favour' - they were simpler times. 

The Lido is a thing of beauty. Built in the Hacienda style there's not may of these left in the country.

Bridges; bridges that go over rivers, bridges that go over railway lines, bridges that go over roads.

And I kept seeing Daleks everywhere; most unnerving, I can tell you.

Travelogue over. Here's Macca with that rehearsed blooper (1:03).

Wings - Let 'Em In (1976) 

 

Jane #3

And so to the third Jane of the week. After Jane #1 & Jane #2 I hear you asking 'Is this Jane a real person?' Well, yes she is actually. In fact, there were two Janes. Norman Pett cartoonist extrodinairfre began drawing his wife Mary for a newspaper strip, Jane's Journal - The Diary of a Bright Young Thing - in the Daily Mirror in the 1930s. And in every edition of this popular feature (it ran from 1932 to 1959) Jane always managed to lose articles of clothing along the way. Racy? I suppose so. Salacious? Yep, that too. But it was also a tonic for the troops; indeed in 1943 she made a (rare) fully nude appearance whilst getting out of the bath and clumsily falling into a crowd of British soldiers. As you do. 

However, when Mary had had enough Norman was left to find a new Jane. That's when he discovered Chrystabel Leighton-Porter modelling at a local art class. And so, with her faithful hound Fritz, she took Jane to new heights including a stage revue and even a 1949 film, The Adventures of Jane, where she played our scantily clad heroine.

The Adventures of Jane (1949)

Jane #2

What do we know about Lady Jane Grey? Quite a lot actually. She was the great-granddaughter of Henry Vll (and a grand-niece of Henry Vlll). She was highly educated and spoke Latin and Greek from an early age. After the death of Edward Vl she was proclaimed Queen of England on 10 July 1553. It didn't last; on July 19 (just nine days later, before she was even coronated) she was usurped by Mary l, and a month later was executed for treason aged just 16.

Jagger & Richards wrote a song about her. It was lifted as a single from the Stones' Aftermath album; Brian Jones, fittingly, plays the dulcimer.

The Rolling Stones - Lady Jane (1966) 

Jane #1

We don't know an awful lot about Jane. She wears a vest. She's a clerk. She saves her money. She may or may not like to go out dancing. Oh, and she's sweet; that much we do know.

It's a Lou Reed song he recorded many times, solo and with the Velvets, but I've gone for Mott's version. It's taken from their All the Young Dudes album. Ian Hunter always knew which way the wind was blowing and, by inference, which songs to appropriate. (It was released as a single in 1973 in America, Canada, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Spain. But not in the UK for some reason. Expect to pay up to £30 for a copy. Sweet.) 

Mott the Hoople - Sweet Jane (1972)

Vital statstics; not least, blog posts with 6-13 word headlines drive more traffic

Figures. Numbers. Stats. It's not really what this blog is all about. However, I did see some interesting analytics earlier this evening that give you an idea of how blogging is still big business in 2025 - thirty years on since the first online journals started appearing in the mid 1990s. The main taleaways from the gen I was reading may give succour to some of my fellow bloggers who regularly, and indeed irregularly, feature in my sidebar. OK, lets have a look at the scores on the doors:

* The latest data shows there are approximately 600 million live blogs worldwide.

* Blogs account for nearly a third of all websites.

* Bloggers publish 7.5 million posts daily.

* 60% of internet users read blogs.

* There are 31 million bloggers in the U.S. alone.

* Blog posts with between six and 13 word headlines tend to drive more traffic (ditto blog post headlines with a semi colon in them). Hence today's headline! 

* There is no single best blogging frequency, but consistency is key. Some bloggers aim for weekly posts, while others may post daily or multiple times per day.

I love writing and I love writing blog posts. It's why I'm still doing it after nearly 16 years. If others read it, that's great. If they don't, well, they don't. Quite simple, really. It's more about me getting my thoughts down on paper. When I first started I had no idea that several years later I would be using it almost as I would a reference book: it contains names, events, dates, times etc. that if I'd not written down at the time I would probably have clean forgotten by now. Does it make me money? No. (I did flirt with advertising a few years ago but the feel of the blog changed, so I dropped it.) Does it bring me joy? Yes. Very much so. I've met so many amazing people since I embarked on this web log in 2010. So I can't imagine a time when I wouldn't want to write. Ipso facto, I can't imagine a time when I wouldn't still want to blog. It looks like you're stuck with me, I'm afraid.

A slow kind of grace

Hot on the heels of 2015's Chip Off the Old Block, my new single I'm Doing Fine is now available on Spotify. It's a sprightly little thing; clocking in at 3:27 it makes a perfect (soft boiled) egg timer. Give it a listen. Tell your friends to give it a listen. If you haven't got any friends then play it to the cat. That's what I'm gonna do. Completists among you who may not be familiar with my back catalogue might like to begin with 2012's Pickering Place. It's a doozy - four JM originals and a Slade cover (really). Anyway, here's the shiny new thing:

John Medd - I'm Doing Just Fine (2025)

... 

I told the story of I'm Doing Just Fine and how it came about here.

Wimseycal

Whenever I'm up in the South West of Scotland I never miss an opportunity to visit Wigtown; our friends in Kirkcolm are within spitting distance (relatively speaking) of this charming little literary town (a kind of Scottish Hay-on-Wye). I liken it to walking down the Charing Cross Road in times gone by such is the proliferation of bookshops. Uppingham in Rutland was the same until they all closed; many of the books still on my shelves today are from the aforementioned literary arcadias.

Last week I dived into a couple of these emporiums and came out clutching some 'must haves' - one of them being a collection of Lord Peter Wimsey short stories from the pen of Dorothy L. Sayers. Wimsey, whilst more playful than Poirot (and definitely less musty than Marples), would have given Agatha Christie's two main protagonists a run for their money in the crime solving stakes any day of the week. Sayers and Christie were not just contemporaries, but also founding members of the Detection Club* and even collaborated on a couple of stories together.

* Formed in 1930 it was an exclusive club for British mystery writers. How cool is that? And they're still going today.

...

Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957)

Roll over, lay down

There's a shitstorm brewing (and rightly so) over Sydney Sweeney's recent ad campaign for American Eagle jeans. You know it's entered the realms of craziness when the President of the United States wades in and says 'hold my beer'.

Oh, for simpler times when U.S. clothing company behemoths would shaft U.K. rock bands and pay them peanuts; Rick Parfitt of the Quo took his rancour over the Levi's 'deal that wasn't' to the grave. And who can blame him?

Point & shoot

In the foreword for this month's Photo Challenge I spoke about point & shoot. I'm sure I don't need to mansplain so I'll quickly cut to the chase: the current Mrs Medd and I nipped into town earlier this evening for a couple of drinks followed by a rather splendid Chinese meal. Walking to the bus stop to wend our way home, just as the light was fading, I fired off a trio of quick pics all taken with my phone and all three within 50 metres of one another. I was pointing and I was shooting. (Ignore the stopped clock at the main Post Office (above) - tho' as we all know it will be right twice a day.) 

Some like it hot

Hello everyone and welcome, a little earlier this month, to August's Photo Challenge. As you know I put a call out for seaside snaps. Coincidentally, by the time you read this I'll be packing my bags ahead of a few days beside the sea - within spitting distance of the North Atlantic Ocean, since you ask. (Whether or not I'll be able to say "Phew, wot a scorcher!" is anyone's guess at the moment.)

And it's another heavily subscribed collection (we're nudging a hundred photos this time around). I'm fast running out of superlatives to describe not only your response to our (what started out as an almost throwaway feature) monthly themed photographic gallery, but also the sheer quality of the photographs. The stuff you send me goes way beyond what I generally refer to as point & shoot. And even where it is point & shoot, you good people point & shoot with such passion that I'm continually in a state of amazement! Anyway, enough of me gushing and saying point & shoot over and over. I think Rol's gonna dip his toe in the water first. Rol, what have you got for us? 

"Hello John, too many summer holiday photos to choose from! Here are three: a view from the top of the funicular railway at Saltburn, two years ago." 

"Sunset on a Norfolk beach about five years ago." 

"And finally, my son, much younger than now, chasing after his Mum with a fishing net. Reckon that's somewhere around Scarborough or Whitby. Hope you're doing well. Take care, Rol." Thank you, Rol. The North East features quite a lot this month.

Jo from Cornwall (interestingly, once known as Cornubia; Cornwall, not Jo!): "Hi John, the first two are St. Ives."

"The seagulls are notorious for eating the tourists' lunch."

"Polurrian Beach, Mullion - we often stay in the hotel on the cliff and enjoy this beach in the Summer."

Wheal Coates, St Agnes - one of my favourite walks.

"Kynance Cove - the best beach in Cornwall." Thank you so much, Jo. I know things haven't been easy for you just lately but I need to tell you that your photos always put a smile on my face.

I'm getting worried about David Cooper; this is the second month on the bounce he's stayed at home. "Three from me, John and all in this country - Great Yarmouth Pier with some classic end-of-the-pier acts; Ryde Pier - I know you asked for sun, but...! And lastly, on the beach at Ryde, someone playing a didgeridoo! David."  Cheers, Coops. Somewhere I've never been; I must get a ticket to Ryde.

Cee from San Dried sparrows: "Hi John, my old seaside themed photos (you say 'old', C, I prefer 'vintage'! - JM) for this month also have a meteorological connection. First, what started as a clear morning on Brighton seafront changed quite dramatically when a thick fog descended as if from nowhere; these two photos were taken within minutes of each other but you'd think they were different days completely. 

"And then the light here in Padstow, Cornwall was so striking - it was early afternoon and the sun was shining when the sky above blackened significantly. The way the remaining shafts of sunlight caught the masts reflected in the water was beautiful (and then it rained).  Take care, C x." Thank you, C. I love the before and after thing going on in Brighton!

Pete Zab: "Hi John, here's eight pictures - all taken in Cromer last week this month. If that's too many, feel free to remove some. (Not a chance, Pete. They're all staying in! - JM). All the best, Pete." I've got a feeling Adam's gonna like the giant ice cream cones, Pete!

Tim: "Hello John, hope you are well. I’m assuming there will be a plethora of candy floss, piers, amusement arcades etc. (Not as many as you'd think, Tim - JM) so as an antisocial soul I’ve headed down a more peaceful route: Mundesley, Norfolk - huge beach & skies, barely a soul in sight. " 

"Seahouses, Northumberland - Love the light up there."

"Seahouses, Northumberland. I've managed to hit the ‘rock’ brief (what do you mean it's the wrong sort!); the family unwittingly creating what would no doubt be a seminal goth album cover."

"Finally, one from the Costa Del Sol. If you're going to brave the beach then this ticks the crowd avoidance boxes. Oh, and I’m not totally antisocial - these just seem to have a linked vibe. Looking forward to the results. Cheers, Tim." Thank you so much, Tim. Did you instruct the family to get onto height order before the photo shoot?!

Khayem's been to the Koast! "Hello John, here we go. First up, not a scene from The Walking Dead, but Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset c.2017. It’s affectionately known as Weston-super-Mud on account of the long & mucky walk required to get to and from the sea during the day. Then FF to 2019, and a Clan K excursion to Playa Puerto De Santiago in Tenerife - one of many beaches in the Canary Islands boasting beautiful black sand. The final two are from the last family holiday in October 2023 (no wonder I feel so knackered!) and glorious Valencia. Platja De La Pinedo was a (very) short bus ride form the city, with stunning blue sea and sky, and cloud formations, and sand that seemed to stretch on forever. Good work, K. The medikal looking Red Kross building jumped out at me for some reason. There's something about it...

Walter dialling up from Germany: "Hi John, hope you're well. A few pics for August's challenge. The first is from eight years ago when I was last in the US. Taken on a trip to Amelia Island, Florida where we watched the most beautiful sundowns ever. The other two are from Sri Lanka in 2013; a hidden beach on the most southern part of the island." Cheers, Walt.

Alyson has slipped anchor from the Highlands: "Hi John, we don't have beaches up here with seaside paraphernalia. However, I do like sand sculptures and here's one we saw in Puerto Pollensa."

"The following year we created our own sculpture on our favourite beach in Sutherland (for the longest time I was reading this as Sunderland! - JM).Not as impressive but we enjoyed building it." Dolphins in Sunderland - who knew?! Nice one, Alyson.

Charity Chic: "Friday night in Balmacara." (I think I've read the book - JM.)

"Plockton."

"View from the Steam Packet Inn, Isle of Whithorn." Cheers, CC. 'Balmacara' might just get you a podium finish.

Johnny Legs next: "Saltburn by the Sea."

"Giant's Causeway."

" And finally, Fantasy Island, Ingoldmells." An oxymoron if ever I heard one, Johnny.

Lord Harry Harrington Harris and his current bride, Lady Margaret, eschewing the luxury of their private yacht and keeping it real at Butlin's (the common man's playground).

Neil Abdo: "Cuba - before the storm."

"And after..."

Miss Turner and the return of Alfie! In which we see our favourite four legged friend on Annual Leave somewhere on the North East shoreline. MT goes to Cuba next week sans Alfie. I know, what sort of dog owner is she?

Swiss Adam: "There are many things to enjoy at the seaside. Large fibreglass snack food in human form is certainly one of them."

"The wierd baby atop the ice cream? I have no idea what or why. Tho' it was somewhere in Western France."

"The 'Danger' sign is in Scarborough."

"And the pier is in Southport." I think scary life-size fibreglass models advertising food is a blog series waiting to happen; 'Weird Baby' gets you a podium finish, for sure. Thank you, Adam.

Ernie's first attempt (like Rol's) at emailing his photos disappeared into the ether: "I won't try to replicate the amusing but poignant text that I wrote to accompany them and which I had slaved one for several hours. Anyway, here are the photos: Blackpool."

"Portrush."

"Pesaro, Italy." Thanks, Ernie. I'd love to read the 'missing text'.

Riggsby's in California aka the Sunshine State: "Hi John, I'll start with a couple from the Hotel del Coronado. Films made here include ‘Some Like It Hot’ (1959), ‘The Stunt Man’ (1980), ‘K-9’ (1989), and ‘My Blue Heaven’ (1990). The Christmas-season ice-skating rink is at the edge of the beach, overlooking the Ocean."

"Now, a couple of surfing-themed pics. We followed these three down the beach in Del Mar a few months ago. The statue is in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. (I lived there for a year or so. The streets are named after British cities and towns.) Sometimes the statue is decorated or dressed up according to the seasons or holidays. I wanted to include a pic of it decorated for the street art theme, a bit of a stretch perhaps, but the only pics I have are of it bare." 

"This character with his special summer hairdo was dancing around in a pair of shorts near the Newport Pier. He seemed thrilled when I asked if I could take a pic."

"A from a recent stay on the Queen Mary in Long Beach - the porthole pic suggested by Jingyi. It was thoroughly enjoyable to explore the majestic ship and think about the passengers, including Churchill and soldiers during the Second World War. The QM outran the U-boats!"

"High on a craggy bluff overlooking the surf in La Jolla, this weathered sea-green box is embossed with transcendent words and phrases. (And a seagull, inevitably.) Also, a lifeguard-themed Christmas decoration from a shopping center near the Del Mar beach."

"To conclude, one more suggested by Jingyi. Each year in Pacific Palisades, goats were herded through the streets to a fenced area on the bluffs where we used to walk after dinner. They'd graze the area bare and then be moved to the next place, presumably." Thank you Richard (and Jingyi) - a real west coast vibe going on in all those shots.

Claire has bowed to pier pressure. "Palace Pier & West Pier (post-fire) in Brighton."

"West Pier (pre-fire) taken with an old Polaroid camera by a Nottinghamshire Labour councillor whilst at the Brighton Conference c.1990. A print of it now hangs in my bathroom!" (Great stuff, Claire. West Pier has a great back story - JM.)

"Lighthouses of the East Coast: Flamborough Head, Cromer, Whitby and Spurn Head."

"And finally the Farne Islands." Thanks, Claire. An impressive collection, for sure.

Alfa Dave: "Hi John, Hunstanton in December; a long time ago. Both lads now tower over their mum." I can vouch for this having seen them at Dave's 60th earlier this year. Cheers, Dave. Get the clan back to Hunstanton and recreate this photo!

Matthew from Stranraer just sneaked in! "Hi John, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil."

"Bondi Beach, Sydney."

"And at home for the SkiffieWorlds. M x." Cheers, Matthew. Always room for stragglers!

This is the point in proceedings where I thank everyone and wrap things up with a few of my random snaps. Burnham-on-Sea has, since time immemorial, been a town where we break the long journey down the M5 to Devon. 

Torquay a.k.a. the English Riviera, 2024. Note to Alyson - the 'sand art' is not a patch on Sunderland.

Santa Barbara, CA, 2022. Athletic young things playing volleyball. Suffice it to say I didn't offer my services. 

Crosby Beach, Liverpool, where I met my match (c/o Antony Gormley). Taken a couple of years ago. If I said I'd played the Cavern the night before would you believe me?

My paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Medd née Sleightholme (1906-1973) with her sisters in the (choppy looking) waters at Whitby.

Burgh Island, South Devon. Agatha Christie used to write her novels in the fabulous art deco hotel. I've also got loads of sea tractor photos taken down there over the years. Maybe a stand alone blog post at some point...

Lanzarote, 2019. No filters. The sea really is teal.

Lifeguards at Santa Barbara. I love their huts.

Ventura, California. The day we did the Big Sur.

Me and James on Whitby Pier in the middle of Winter.

Skegvegas, 1995. The conceit of this photo being that I was looking on enviously at James (right) and his best friend, Dan, who were both eating ice creams. And I wasn't. 

Nanna and Pop - bottom row, far right - Bournemouth c.1963. As you can see, my pop is in full beach wear.

And there you have it. I hope you've enjoyed this month's collection. There really are some cracking photos in there. I think we're gonna need a bigger podium! Until next time...