I'm thrilled skinny that Rick Astley is back in the spotlight at the moment, however bizarrely it has come about! Rick was my first pop love.
For Christmas 1987, aged thirteen, I got my first Walkman, and Rick's first album, Whenever You Need Somebody (on cassette of course!). My feelings for Rick were fairly pure - I was a late bloomer - but I did have his double-page pullout poster from Smash Hits on my bedroom wall.
He's obviously taken this unexpected attention in good humour - he's just made a surprise appearance in the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in front of millions of TV viewers (see above)! What a thoroughly bloody nice bloke... and he doesn't seem to have aged in twenty years!
Was watching The Culture Show earlier this evening, with the lovely Lauren Laverne taking in the highlights of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - in particular burlesque/cabaret/variety show La Clique. All the acts looked amazing, but I nearly fainted when I saw... Bath Boy.
Bath Boy, aka Berlin-based David O'Mer, performs with aerial silks/straps in and over a bath full of water, splashing the front rows as he does. He's a fine figure of a man - a fine figure of a man dripping wet - and it's VERY sexy. Well, it does it for me anyway - and it's all more sexy because he keeps his jeans on throughout. So it's OK for a single, straight, red-blooded, Christian gal to get all flustered about, I reckon. ;)
I listed to Tindersticks' Bathtime for the first time in ages last night. I was going through old favourites and I'd already found my single of Can We Start Again? (from the Simple Pleasures album, which is always a joy. Then I remembered how I fell for Tindersticks...
"There’s a city filth that lingers
All over my naked hands
Deep into the weave of the clothes I wear
And every step brings another
Every hour adds some more
Till I’m on the other side leaning on your door
Are the taps running, darling?
Is the air thick with steam?
Can I find some place to cry these tears of shame?
I know Stuart Staples' voice is an acquired taste (yes, he can sound like Vic Reeves' mumbling pub singer to the uninitiated), but for me it mainly has the effect of making me sigh, go giddy and dissolve into a big puddle, Amelié-style.
It was all Mark Radcliffe's doing, of course. Again. I think Tindersticks were his most frequent session guests during his time at Radio 1, doing the wonderful Graveyard Shift show with Marc Riley. (I still remember the 'Dickon's arse' episode with great fondness.) I'd never been particularly grabbed by the music, though.
If you're suffering from Green Wing withdrawal symptoms, quick fixes can be found at YouTube - loads of clips and compilations on there now and more appearing every day as Green Wing fans upload their particular favourite scene.
Here's a lovely Casablanca-inspired compilation of Mac / Caroline clips set to As Time Goes By, put together by elledoll. To be taken three times daily. If hot flushes occur, lower dosage.
Julian Rhind-Tutt as Dr Mac in Green Wing (c) Channel 4
"...What he does is ask for scalpels in regional accents, and taunt Tamsin Greig into trying to kiss him, then running away..."
The lovely Julian Rhind-Tutt is interviewed by The Guardian. I so enjoyed the first episode of the new series - but I can't believe they've made Mac forget that he and Caroline had got it together!
My Green Wing series 1 DVD arrived today! (Currently cheapest online at Woolies.) I tried to be good and tape the re-runs, but the tape got chewed up during episode four, so the Blonde and I are going Dutch on the DVD.
"A 16th century bed in the house’s crimson bedroom was used in some particularly steamy scenes and Sharon had to make sure that the romps caused no damage to the valuable antique..." (more)
There's this lovely, lovely bloke. He's quietly handsome with a really warm personality and a gorgeous smile. He's sweet and funny and modest and down to earth and he's even a Christian. And he keeps playing me my favourite records without knowing they're my favourites, which really floors me.
Colin Firth as Darcy in the BBC's 1995 production of Pride & Prejudice, and a knitted cactus (Mr Firth is on the left)
It's my friend Baadad's birthday, so I decided to knit him a Jean Greenhowe cactus, to add to his collection of real ones. To while away the time whilst I did this, I watched the box set of the BBC's 1995 Pride & Prejudice I'd borrowed from Annie.
Normally I watch this with Julie on her annual trip down from't North - she goes all unnecessary when Darcy appears in his wet shirt - but this time I was on my own, and I really enjoyed seeing it all again. I picked up so many more subtle jibes and jokes than I had before.
And of course the costumes are beautiful and fascinating. I kept wondering what the little piece of ribbon or braid was, which all the gentlemen had peeking out from under their waistcoats, close to the right hip.
My first thought was that it must be a watch fob but it didnt appear to be attached to any chain or button - though obviously it was difficult to get a clear look. Found the answer on Jessamyn's Regency Costume Companion - a fantastic resource. It IS a watch fob. Thanks Jeesamyn!
Woohoo! Got my photos through of the Streets of Brighton performers on 7th May. Three films' worth, which I will be sorting through and raving about bit-by-bit of my next few posts - but first in line is Swizzelshaker, a great comedy/juggling/dance act we stopped to watch in New Road. It was so much fun to watch - in fact I was itching to join in. I loved watching the smiley faces of the two old ladies opposite me - who would have wore those clothes and danced like that in their youth.
And I fell in love with the guy, just a little bit. Cute, funny AND he can dance? (And the chances of him being straight, single AND a Christian are? Laughable. Darnit!)
A fairly successful charity shop trawl on Saturday left me with a couple of new tops, a slinky sweater, a tiny cuddly Snowman for me mam and a copy of 10 Things I Hate About You - the latest addition to my 'good US high school rom-coms' collection.
But there has been an unfortunate side effect: I'm having impure thoughts about Heath Ledger. I blame the usual post-period friskiness. Still, it's good to know I'm not completely incapable of some good old-fashioned shallow lust. Come to Mamma... grrrrrrrrrr.... ;)
About me
Welcome! I'm Kristen and I live in lovely Brighton 'n' Hove on England's south coast. I drink a lot of tea, ride a lot of buses, go in a lot of charity shops, do a lot of drawing, knitting and sewing, and follow Jesus Christ. <3
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