Stories and Stuff
Guitars
I don't play the guitar and don't know much about it, I don't know if I ever really appreciated Prince in my youth either. Something about this video draws me to it. I guess I like the song ( a Harrison ) , but it is the way in which the old fogeys bring the track...
Athina Pix
in an inpromptu pop up bar
Heroes
Saw this the other day - stupendous appropriation of the legend's boat race
Shortcut Phoneys
Tell you what I hate - it's phoney stuff, the word phoney came to me initially as it was Holden Caulfield's pet hate and like many people over a certain age I was struck my his valour as a child. Well it is the way in which people try to glean glory these days that...
How Surfers View Paddleboarders
The differing ways in which surfers view paddleboarders in the line up NB the Paddle Boarder shown above is actually well liked in his community and a decent surfer as well
The Achievable?
Some things are hard, some are not, some do and some don't - that is life
My First Skateboard
This is my first skateboard was a Skuda ( after the one my dad made out of roller skates and a plank - flat at both ends I may add ). I was so proud of it. I did hanker after a : "G&S Fiberflex Bowlrider with ACS Trucks and Red Kryps" totally - though the lime Kryps...
I am a Spartan?
Occasionally I come out with the phrase : " I am a Spartan", I use it frequently to myself and sometimes to others and I feel that this requires a little explanation for my sake and for others should they care. Well the phrase initially was drawn from the move "300"...
Neil Young
Well, this is the latest haunting melody that Ive been listening to, funnily I first heard Neil Young by virtue of Lynyrd Skynyrd's riposte track " Sweet Home Alabama" as he replied with the great Southern Man - funnily enough Lynyrd Skynyrd got their name from a...
Rock n Roller Disco
Well, this was one of my first albums ( 1979 ) and, did I love it? I completely loved it to the max, many of the tracks are still regulars on my mp3 player. It is not only a great album, but the cover is just solid great art as...
My Old Mobiles
Just I was trying to remember my old mobile phones and I thought I would collect a few here..
The Wavegarden Bristol
Will you see me honing up the M4 in search of the perfect, man made, wave…
Favourite Places
Well here are some of my favourite places, of course many of them are only in this list because of who I was with or what I got up to there, most likely was a mix between sun, sea, adrenaline or alcohol or occasionally a mixture of them all.
Crete Images
Crete, to me is home. A shore so pure and wide, of fine white sand... To the other side, towards Chania, barren cliffs the colour of lead - a wild, threatening sight! ...Rethymno, you know, is built on the border between tameness and wilderness... [gallery...
Lost Key in Sea
It was a pleasant winter evening and after the school run the tide was low and I had the inkling to get out the SUP for a paddle - in part because Christmas is weighing heavily still on my stomach and also as I hoped that last week's swell would have left behind some...
Divine Image
David Somerville of A1 Surf has been blogging on the sumptuous site Hickory Nines this week and reminded me of a photo I took in Peniche a few years back (2008) of Stig. I just had to find it - and did. I will freely admit that it lacks the focus and composition of...
Athens Mementoes
Was looking through some old stuff yesterday and found a few slips of paper from some of the old little memories from Athens in the ole days.
Paddle Round The Pier 2012
New Logo and New Dates - July 7th and 8th Well its all set for next summer, behind the scenes things are already in motion....
Recent SUP on Custard Point Blow UP
Messing around with Stig's inflatable SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) in Shoreham
Ports and Movement
I love everything that flows, everything that has time in it and becoming, that brings us back to the beginning where there is never end: the violence of the prophets, the obscenity that is ecstasy, the wisdom of the fanatic, the priest with his rubber litany, the foul words of the whore, the spittle that floats away in the gutter……..
Surfing Hurricane Irene
Having just had a wee surf this morning at New Beach ( Shoreham/ Southwick) I like to find an associated video which suits the mode of thought today. Jimmy Buffett - Surfing in a Hurricane
Today’s Thoughts
Well I was trying to think about writing something not about jumping in the sea because I just kind of glanced at my site and everything was blahing on about sea related stuff and that makes no sense as I reckon I only get a few hours a week in the sea so I must do an...
Paddle Round the Pier 2011
Paddle round the Pier 2011
SUP Lesson
Nice SUP Lesson down at Carats on a funky Naish
Shoreham Harbour 26th May
Lovely day at Carats and in Shoreham Harbour
Step Into Liquid
Most lovely film about surfing Ive ever seen, capturing the weltanschaung of a few generations – directed by Dana Brown
New Beach 22nd May
Bigger than normal swell for a shoreham surf in the sunshine
The Laird
Sight of his bare torso charging the wave with the accompanying soundtrack just rocks man.
Top 10 Drinks
Well I like imbibing, I am a bit of an oral type person maybe, anyway I do appreciate beer and coffee very much....
Top 10 Foods
yummy yum yum yum yum, I like food in my tum, with lots of baguette on the side…………..
Top 10 Novels
Bum I have done 12, like I must have missed some real good stuff out, was off top of me head...
Mr Tambourine Man
Mr Tambourine Man, which makes me think of swimming at night with Roli on Plakias beach whilst pissed and surrounded by phosphoresence..
Top 10 Albums
first shot at bestest and most listened to albums
Zorba the Greek
Νίκος Καζαντζάκης – βιος και πολιτεια του αλεξη ζορμπά
Jet Powered Surf Paddle
jet-powered boards designed to make paddling, catching and even riding waves easier and more enjoyable
Sweet Windsurfing at Jaws
Apospasmata
UK Flags
Some random flag thoughts
Old Music Thoughts
just some old recollections on random music tracks
Paddle Round the Pier 2011
Europe’s largest annual free beach festival
SUP Surfing
Like Falling off a Log
Vintage Surfing
Vintage Surfing
Park Parties
living as we did in the mmiddle of such an inhuman landscape we yearned for the feel of earth on our feet.
Porto Germeno
We rarely gpot to go out en masse but this time, pre season, Manolis excelled himself.
Chasing Chickens
It was evening in Oinoi train station, an hour's north of Athens and a dark and isolated place. We were the only lights for many miles around and we were gathered there waiting on a train. The only thing really to do in the station was to eat and drink. and we did.
Boat to Ios
Armed with a pocketful of money I boarded the Poseidon Express in Piraeus, bound for Ios. I had been meaning to try to find a friend from L.A ( Alicia ) in Crete, but I had met, literally thousands of travellers on their way to and from the Cyclades and it was time to...
Paradise Bar Athens
1989 was the year we found Paradise, split level bar on Loisson Street, just up from Larissis train station and equidistant from Vathis and Victoria.,em There were several crowds who frequented this dive. First were the runners who represented the hostel population;...
Drinks Time Bar Athens
In a very sheltered and hidden street was a bar, a rather ordinary bar, but one I remember well. It was here that faux weddings were the norm, where I danced with the most exotic sounding women I have ever heard of, Loekie Leplaar, Saija Haivalla and Gunilla...
Edelweiss Souvlakia
Somehow, come the end of many an evening Julie and I would find ourselves in a Souvlatsidiko on Patission Street, we used to order a couple of souvlaki pittas with tzatziki and beers and sit on the white marble steps outside as the sun threatened to rise. I dont know...
Getting to Eleusina
Running trains meant an ever vigilant presence on any incoming trains to Athens. One of the busiest ( as it linked up with a Brindisi - Patras ferry - was the 309 this came into Eleusina at around 4pm each day, though it was, like most trains, late often as not....
Piraeus
Of course the busy port of Piraeus did not escape our attention. I often had to catch the early bus from Omonia to the port and wait for the early morning ferries to come our way.
Zippi Zappa Malia
Opposite of where we worked was a very narrow, yet deep bar called Zippi Zappa. It was run by two smiling fellows,:Stavros and Michalis. We, Andy, Ian and I, often wandered in there at some stage of the evening for B52's or Tequila Slammers. The place always had a...
Freeing Nelson Mandela
The news swept through Tel Aviv that Mandela ( the guy from the song ) had been freed. We ended up in the ego trip bar where I snogged a girl with an UZI.
Les Deux Alpes
Starting off at the lovely hotel Sherpa as a general assistant. The Hotel Cairn
Interrail with Billy and Steve
Neil (Billy) Stevie Lee and I left on the ferry as Luke shouted ""
Belgrade
Beograd or Belgrade as it is called in the western world - here I arrived a boy and left a boy. In 1989 I passed N Matic in Zahumska, golden band of spring.
Al Qahirah
this is the great Egyptian capital where I felt my feet tread ancient streets of compacted dung. here I strutted out with Jo and Susanne whilst uprorarious tumult rained down and as Falaffel;s were served up for us in abundace. We skipped thelight fandango from our...
Eleusis portal to Attica
here in fading light I learnt a lot, I sat with Tim and Larry as distant lights lit up tracts of track towards us. I sat with many friends : Ahmed, Candia, Dave, Kenny, Thomas, Bea, Hannes, Lars, Patrick and others- so many others, as diesel trains made their way...
Firenze
Florence, one day in 1988 by accident...... I was in Munich the day before and wanted a sleep. I asked the Haupbahnhof for advice :"you gotta long train please" ; I said to them. they ot understandin the impost of my free mind could not advise. Only when I explained...
Grenoble, feet of the Alps
Grenoble, a town in south west France rather near the Alps and rather far from anything else. I ended up there only because the wonderful Roz was there studying French, but I soon, unashamedly, had mad friends and loved the place. Roz had a small apartment she shared...
Exarchia
Before dawn on August 25th, Rafi jolted awake to the sounds of police outside Spirou Trikoupi, a building where he was squatting, in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia. A muscular twenty-eight-year-old from Kabul, Rafi had been an interpreter for the U.S. military....