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Life as we know it

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While we are on the subject…

April 29, 2026 in Life as we know it | No comments

…of music…

In a missive posted but a few weeks back I introduced gentle readers to the excellent guitarist – Clive Scott – who has recently joined the ranks of Anam Danu.

This has been most exciting period bringing – as it does – the prospect of the first live Anam Danu concert a little closer every day!

In turn this splendid new member has introduced us to a new musical inspiration – a scarcely believable phenomenon… arguably a true musical genius!

…the which is embarrassing, because none of us had even heard of him.

Now – you may already know the young man concerned – in which case ‘good for you’. If not – let me introduce Jacob Collier.

Before you accuse me of hyperbole – here is the start of his Wikipedia entry:

“Jacob Collier (born 2 August 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and educator. His music incorporates a combination of jazz and elements from other musical genres, and often features extensive use of reharmonisations and close harmony. He is known for his energetic live performances, in which he often conducts the audience to sing harmony or play percussion parts.

In 2013, his split-screen video covers of popular songs, such as Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing”, began to go viral on YouTube. In 2014, Collier became friends with Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones after they heard and saw his video cover of Stevie Wonder’s song. He decided to stay independent and produce his first album”.

Far better than anything I could write here would be simply listening-to/seeing the man in action. To that end herewith some links.

Here he is recording (live) the video for a new single, with accompaniment from an impromptu choir of fans:

And here improvising with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra:

Should you find this prodigy as fascinating as do we, you might be interested in this BBC documentary about him:

Should you choose to watch any of these clips I would encourage you to watch through to the end. Jacob has a habit of springing surprises throughout.

Enjoy!

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As if by magic

March 21, 2026 in Life as we know it | Permalink

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidWay back in the mid-70s – when I was a considerably younger man than I am now (just about into my 20s in fact!), I had a friend with whom I have since completely lost touch. Given all that has happened since those far-off days (not least the fact that I now live on a different continent) that is really not very surprising.

At the time this friend was also the sound and lighting man for the first band in which I played. Handily he was – by trade – an electrician.

One day, when he and I were constructing something music related (building bass bins for the band’s PA, probably) he gave me a metal biscuit tin; the very one that can be seen in the illustration that heads this post. This tin was full of assorted screws and nuts and bolts that he had collected during his training and his time as an electrician. If ever I needed a screw for something all I had to do was to dig into the tin and I could be sure that I would find something that would be just the job.

The reason that I mention this now is because – as we were making progress with clearing out The Girl’s step-mother’s condo up in Nanaimo – we found some small jars containing random screws – the which I thought I would add to my collection.

As I duly did so it occurred to me that – though taking screws out of the tin is something that has happened repeatedly throughout the decades since the mid-70s – I have only very, very occasionally put anything into it. In spite of this – and here is where the magic comes into it – the level of screws etc in the tin is virtually identical to that which has been the case ever since I was gifted the collection more than fifty years ago.

Spooky – huh?!

 

 

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Passing the baton

March 15, 2026 in Life as we know it | Permalink

<a href="https://www.wannapik.com/vectors/18027">"This work"</a> is licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY-NC 4.0</a>As a matter of self-discipline I have for some years now tried my best to post to this journal at least once a week. Eagle-eyed observers will have noticed that I have – of late – fallen down on the job somewhat.

On this occasion there is good reason for such lacklustre performance. I hope that the gentle reader will indulge me if I meander around the houses a little by way of explanation…

Back in the dim and distant past – on March 7th 2014 to be precise – I posted to this forum a missive entitled ‘The Music of Time‘. As is my habit that post too danced around its true topic for a while, before heading for the home plate. The subjects of this creed were a pair of engagements on consecutive days in March 2014 with which The Girl and I had been involved. Remember that we were yet living in the UK at that juncture – and neither of us had reached the point of retiring (for the first time!). The key element of that posting ran as follows:

“The first of the weekend’s events was the memorial service for a very long-standing acquaintance – my oldest-friend’s wife’s father – whom I have known for more than four decades. He was, of course, of my parents’ generation – of whom in our circle only a very few now remain. He enjoyed a good life and the occasion was very much a celebration thereof rather than being overly solemn. None the less, such acts of remembrance always invite a degree of introspection regarding the transience of our existence – this one being no exception”.

A dozen and more years have passed since that gathering and you will doubtless be unsurprised to hear that of those of my parents’ generation who were closely connected to us in the UK – by familial bonds or by mutual friendship – there are now none left alive. Little less surprising will be the fact that on this side of the pond – with a few exceptions – the same applies (The Girl is four years younger than I!).

Sadly there is now one less. Last week The Girl’s step mother passed away in Nanaimo here on Vancouver Island. This wonderful woman – at the age of 89 and having endured years of chronic pain – checked herself into hospital on a premonition that her time was approaching.

I met this splendidly independent and indomitable woman (who would think nothing of disappearing into the desert on her own for weeks at a time) when The Girl first brought me to Canada in 2006. She and the Girl’s father then lived in Nanaimo, but they had previously lived on Gabriola island (when not voyaging to Desolation Sound and beyond on one of their boats – ‘The Kindred Spirit’ or ‘Halcyon II’). The Girl and her step mother had a great deal in common and they were very close.

The Girl being the sole executor of her step mother’s estate we are now having to spend much time in Nanaimo, sorting out the issues of the estate. For her this we are happy to do.

Rest in Peace – Alice June Dawson.

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Safe harbour

February 9, 2026 in Life as we know it | Permalink

Photo by Andy Dawson Reid“A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”

John A. Shedd

High time to wrap up the New Year’s reflection and to get on with living the year itself:

If there is one thing of which we can be sure in this volatile day and age, it is that nothing now is certain. Making predictions as to how the year might unfold is most probably a fool’s errand. That having been said the following ventures are at least at some stage in the planning:

  • Something that I did not mention in my recent review of 2025 was that both The Girl (and to a lesser extent I) struggled during the year with various health related matters. I don’t want to overplay these issues because we are, after all, both getting older and some of our concerns really do just go with the territory. We are determined, nonetheless, to take steps to ensure that we do better in 2026 and beyond. We will be working on diet, exercise and general health during the year. I will, naturally, be reporting back on our progress.
  • We thought long and hard about spending another week in the sun this February. As ever it would have been good to have felt the warmth on our shoulders, but thus far (fingers crossed) this has been a mild winter on the west coast of Canada and there is not quite the same urgency so to escape the season as has been the case in some previous years.
  • Also, we decided early on to put all of our efforts this year into an expedition further afield. The Girl has been working hard at one of the many things at which she excels and plans are well advanced. Again, I will report back once things have been firmed up. Most likely that trip will take place in September/October.
  • This is the first full year of retirement for us both and we are still adjusting to the fact. Thus far we seem to have been even busier than when we were working (the which makes no sense to me at all
  • We will slowly continue to ‘right-size’ the clutter that seems to attend modern life. More on that soon
  • We intend spending as much time as we can with family and friends and we will, of course, be aiming to attend as many artistic events as is feasible. Some have already been booked and more are to come
  • I have now done two productions with the Peninsula Players (as Musical Director) and I am into my second year on the Executive Committee. I have a new venture to report in this space – so look out for that also.
  • There will certainly be more music making this year and there are indeed already things upon which I should be reporting. Look for further postings soon
  • We will definitely aim to entertain in our garden just as much as the weather allows

OK – enough with the ruminating – let’s get to work (and play)!

 

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Hope is a feeling

January 24, 2026 in Life as we know it | Permalink

Hope is a feeling that life and work have meaning. You either have it or you don’t, regardless of the state of the world that surrounds you.

Vaclav Havel

I rarely write about politics these days on this blog. That was not always the case. I used to resort to so doing when either I felt the need to poke fun at the ridiculous antics of the political classes, or because I was yet again incensed by some of the malicious, criminal or just downright foolish actions perpetrated by those who we had (misguidedly) elected to serve as our representatives in parliaments and other official bodies.

The reason for ceasing so doing was because things have changed for the considerably worse on this blue/green planet – the political mechanisms of which appear nowadays to have been taken over by lunatics, maniacs and the criminally insane; who jointly and separately appear to be trying their best to destroy human civilization.

Once upon a time is was possible not only to mock the incompetent and the inept – along with calling out the wicked and misguided – but also on occasion to praise the words or actions of one of the few politicians who might possibly have deserved the title of ‘statesman’ (or ‘stateswoman’). It has been a considerably while now since this last was possible or indeed accurate.

Last week two very different national leaders – representing two very different nations – addressed the annual World Economic Forum at Davos. One was the Canadian prime minister – Mark Carney – and the other was… well – gentle readers will need no reminding of who the other was.

Have you not done so (and I would urge everyone to take a deep breath, hold your nose and make the effort) these two speeches really should be closely compared. I am not going to go into the details of either, but I will just say I thank whatever gods there may be that I am a citizen of at least one country that has as its leader a figure that can actually be respected. We do – thank goodness – have an adult in the room!

Here is a link to Carney’s speech in full. I urge you to watch it.

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Looking back (again!)

January 15, 2026 in Life as we know it | Permalink

“Everything happens kind of the way it’s supposed to happen, and we just watch it unfold. And you can’t control it. Looking back, you can’t say, ‘I should’ve… ‘ You didn’t, and had you, the outcome would have been different”.

Rick Rubin

Ok – it’s that time of year again. Time to look back at the year just gone – reviewing the aims and ambitions that we set ourselves for it – and to effect a reckoning thereof.

Once that task has been accomplished I will post another missive containing some thoughts about the coming year. No – we don’t make resolutions for the New Year – but we do try to identify some of those 2things that we hope and intend to achieve.

At around this time last year, I wrote the following (with updates on our progress in red):

“Though our 2024 turned out to be better than anticipated, for the rest of the world it could well be argued that the year took a dramatically retrograde turn. We are, naturally, not immune to these external pressures and it may prove – as a result – that 2025 turns out to be the quiet – heads-down – dig-in – sort of year that we might have expected last time around.

Well – there was a certain amount of ‘digging in’ in 2025 – though perhaps less than there might have been. However, the fact that The Girl and I finally found ourselves (involuntarily) retired did lead us to spend a significant amount of time testing the boundaries (financial and otherwise) of our new situation. Let’s face it, we had actually come to Canada to be retired, so the fact that it took us a full decade to achieve that status might seem a bit of a bloomin’ miracle. Moving on…

These things, however, we are anticipating:

  • A week in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, during the College’s reading week in February. Right now The Girl and I both need to feel some sun on our shoulders

We duly got our week in the sun – at a rather lovely resort too. Given that we were both in the process of becoming retired this was most welcome. The fact that I had had something of a health scare at the start of the year too, the sun drenched peace and quiet was a great boon.

  • Some overdue maintenance on our lovely home. We need a new hot water tank; the roof needs to be de-mossed; I am contemplating putting underfloor heating in my studio and we are long overdue in making a start on dealing with some of the clutter that seems to accumulate through modern living

Maintenance was done; a new hot water tank installed; the roof de-mossed; a significant start on down-sizing our clutter was begun… We also had a new roof put on our garden shed (shop) – but the underfloor heating in the studio has had to wait until we have a clearer picture on financial matters.

  • We are hoping to host some visitors this year – which is always fun when it also turns into a holiday for us

We did indeed get to see friends, with the additional boon of us getting an excursion to the Rockies and a trip on viaRail into the bargain. This turned out to be an excellent adventure and significant memories were made (photos and reports of this expedition were posted to this journal during July, August and September).

  • The will be music-making – no doubt – and I may serve a turn on the executive of the Peninsula Players (who presented the pantomime with which I was lately involved

There is news on the music-making front, but I will post separately in that regard in a little while. I am indeed serving a term on the executive of the Peninsula Players – and I was closely involved with the 2026 pantomime – for which I re-assumed my Musical Director role.

  • We will definitely aim to entertain in our garden just as much as the weather allows”

I am delighted to report that we were indeed able to spend more time in our garden – and I believe that we were suitably entertaining.

Coming soon – our plans for 2026…

 

 

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Brigitte Bardot

December 29, 2025 in Life as we know it | Permalink

Brigitte Bardot
1934 – 2025
RIP

For many young men growing up in Europe during the 60s and 70s Brigitte Bardot represented the epitome of sensual womanhood… long before most of us knew what that actually meant. For some – such as I – her recent passing might have introduced to us a fresh perspective on a complex life lived under the fierce glare the of the media attention that we could not hope to recognise or comprehend.

Brigitte’s later commitment to animal welfare might not have come as a surprise but many will have found her pandering to the French far right a far cry from the libertine image that had been (willingly or otherwise) constructed around her younger self.

Well – the sixties might seem (and indeed be) a long time ago, but there will be others like me who mourn the passing of an icon from our adolescent years that – for better or worse – made the world seem like a more thrilling and sensual place. Our fantasies might have been impossible, but at the time it felt as though the impossible might just – after all – be possible!

Rest in peace

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A merry little Christmas

December 24, 2025 in Life as we know it, Photos | Permalink

…to friends, acquaintances and gentle readers…

…from the Kickass Canada Girl and the Imperceptible Immigrant…

we wish you a safe and peaceful Christmas and a Happy Hogmany!

As is my habit, here be some Chistmassy images from the Pacific north west; specifically from the splendid home that I am fortunate enough to share with The Girl.

Photo by Andy Dawson Reid

Photo by Andy Dawson Reid

Photo by Andy Dawson Reid

Photo by Andy Dawson Reid

Photo by Andy Dawson Reid

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Sir Tom Stoppard

November 30, 2025 in Life as we know it | Permalink

Sir Tom Stoppard
1937 – 2025
RIP

<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stoppard_02.jpg" target="_blank">"This work"</a> by <a>Gorup de Besanez</a> is licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0" target="_blank">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>Those who are no strangers to rambling the raggle-taggle byways of this eclectic journal will doubtless have observed that I am in the habit of marking the passing of those who have – through their words, works or actions – had a significant impact upon my life and consciousness. For example, when Brian Wilson passed away earlier this year I wrote the following:

“Whenever I post one of these messages lamenting the loss of one of the great figures of my (or the adjacent) generation(s) I do so with sadness but also with gratitude for their influence as ‘hero’ figures throughout my formative years. My aim is to compose something that captures their personal importance for me. Sometimes, however, no words can be found that are truly capable of expressing the extent of the loss”.

That being said, until yesterday I had not experienced (since starting this blog back in 2012) the passing of one of the truly paramount figures that I have followed, whose influence has been as hard to calculate as their loss is impossible to comprehend. Some of our heroes just feel as though they ought to be immortal. Since hearing the news yesterday of the death of Sir Tom Stoppard the only term that I can think of that comes close to capturing my feelings on the scale of the loss of is ‘devastated’.

I first encountered the works of Sir Tom Stoppard – England’s preeminent playwright for considerably more than half a century – back in the mid 1960s. Tom’s breakthrough play – ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’ was premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 1966 and at the Old Vic in London in 1967. Faber and Faber published a playscript of the work in 1967 and I came across it in the senior school library at my grammar school when I joined the seniors back in 1968 or 1969.

I had never read anything like ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern‘ and it completely changed my then ingenuous view of what theatre could do and what it might be. Tom was a brilliant thinker and writer and had the facility of approaching difficult subjects in ways that gave the impression that the ideas concerned were much simpler than they in fact were. He dealt with intellectual topics with humour and a lightness of touch that carried audiences with him. Amongst his many awards his Oscar for the brilliant screenplay of the timeless ‘Shakespeare in Love’ was well deserved.

in addition to reading and attending performances of just about all of his plays, I have directed a number of them myself, including The Real Inspector Hound, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour and The Real Thing. I would have loved to have directed ‘Arcadia’ – perhaps his masterpiece.

I was fortunate enough to have met Sir Tom twice – at first night receptions for ‘Indian Ink’ and for ‘The Invention of Love’. On the second occasion – reinforcing the belief that one perhaps might best not meet one’s heroes – I embarrassed us both by declaring that I considered him to be a genius.

I am finding it really difficult to contemplate a world in which Sir Tom Stoppard is no longer living and working. A precious light has gone out.

Rest in peace Sir Tom.

 

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Making a spectacle

November 16, 2025 in Life as we know it | Permalink

Back at the top of the year I found myself – for only the second time in my life – eligible for extended heath benefits… courtesy of the College by which I was then employed.

Those who are paying attention might wonder why I had not enjoyed this boon throughout the previous half decade of my unexpectedly lengthened working life. The simple truth is that I had to this point – like an idiot – repeatedly turned the offer down. No sooner was I finally equipped with the full set of benefits than the job rapidly followed their example and evaporated.

(I notice that one can – should one so wish – purchase a T-shirt bearing the apposite slogan – “I saw that…” – Karma).

Irregardless!…

Serving one final term at the College before being retired (again) I took the opportunity to avail myself of all of the benefits for which I qualified. I had some serious dental work done and – more relevant to the subject of this particular post – I purchased some new spectacles.

Now, it was not that I actually needed spectacles. Over the last decade or so my vision has slowly but surely improved to the point at which I really only wear glasses now for driving. I have several slightly cosmetically ratty but completely functional pairs which seem to meet my limited needs. Nonetheless, taking the opportunity to equip myself with some stylish new eyepieces seemed like a good idea…

…and very nice they were – for a couple of months. Then – one fine day – the right hand arm fell off. One of the little screws – apparently completely inadequate for the task for which it had been provided – had dropped out and, inevitably, disappeared.

I revisited the optometrist. Following an extensive rummage out at the back of the store the assistant returned and advised me that they would need to order a replacement screw – and that they would call me when it was in.

Several further months passed – as months do – and my phone remained ominously silent.

I revisited the optometrist – again. Following an extensive rummage… etc, etc… you probably get the drift. There was no record of my first visit having taken place and no replacement part.

Several months passed… yada, yada, yada… I revisited… etc, etc… no record of either of my previous visits!

How was this to end? Well, on my fourth visit a rather more senior assistant finally did the obvious thing… she found another pair of the same frames – extracted one of the screws and then restored my new glasses to a fully operational state.

Hoo – bloomin’ – rah, say I!

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