Brief encounter

[ravenlunatic]

I went to Oxford last night to see what turned out to be one of the best gigs I have attended. Tiny venue, almost pub like in proportion, blistering performance, funny band/crowd interaction, great setlist, and loud, very loud indeed. My ears are still ringing quite badly but it was superb.

I had gone with the intention of meeting up with Simon aka “Stranglersfan” who, with his wife and son (young JJ no less!) has demonstrated no small degree of dedication in traveling from Canada to see the band (I understand they are doing other things as well).
Now Simon has been kind enough (misguided some would perhaps suggest) in the past to be appreciative of my ramblings, going as far as to suggest that I entertain and amuse him with my sardonic irony as our good friend the Cakester has called the rubbish I write.

So I was keen to meet this “Stranger from another planet”, and understanding he was to be at the Hobgoblin hostelry for pre gig drinkies, I was looking out for him.
On entry to the pub I was reminded that it was St Patrick's day and dismayed to find the place filled with green clad students in silly hats, endevouring to convince each other of some distant Irish heritage by shouting “Begorahh” and “Bejeeesus” in between vomitting up the Guinness that they had foolishly chosen to replace they're normal glycol hued alco pops.

I have no idea what Simon looked like, but thought he would be easy enough to spot, though my knowledge of Canada and its citizens, I have to admit, are based largely if not wholly on my reading of “Biggles Flies North” some time ago, an exciting missive I am disappointed to discover that is not entirely accurate in its portrayal of said country. Suffice to say for some reason I imagined some chap with a rugged looking check shirt and some sort of practical headwear.
With no one fitting my misguided image and with me becoming distracted by the surprise arrival of my daughter (at this point Joni advises me, this sounds like some unexpected maternity incident, but said offspring was born some 2 decades ago) I failed to make contact before it was time to find our places in the venue itself.
At several points during the evening my mind did begin to wander, as it has a tendency to do, as to what had become of our visitor, and concluded that he had perhaps fallen into a bear trap or been involved in an altercation with a chap with a scar over his left eye and a black hat (Captain W.R Johns influence once again clouding my better judgment).
It turns out he had actually been at the pub but I had missed him.

Anyway, some hours later, at the stroke of midnight in fact, I found myself standing in Oxford railway station.......I was not catching a train, I had come in the car which was parked outside, but I had got wind
of some interestingly configured rolling stock that was due to pass by.

Actually I made that last bit up, we were dropping off Jade to get her train back to Reading.

On the station was a lone figure in a Stranglers shirt, with whom I had the following conversation:
“Well I can guess where you've been”
“Yeah, it was the first time I'd seen the band in this country for 20 years”
“Oh really? Where are you from then? (thinking perhaps Finland for some reason.........”Biggles See It Through” I would think)
“I'm from Canada”
“Simon?”
And so we had by a strange coincidence met briefly on a smoke filled platform under the station clock before the guards whistle blew and the mighty wheels of a powerful locomotive began to turn on the south bound train and Simon and his family disappeared into the swirling mist, London bound.
Actually it wasn't quite like that, but it would have been if Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson had had anything to do with it.

Simon, Cindy and JJ are attending the Hammersmith Apollo gig on Friday and many of us will I'm sure be delighted to make them welcome at the Duke of Cornwall pre gig meetup.

[icecube]

Superb RL!

[PaulinLondon]

Straight in at Number One. Superb.

[NMH1965]

Nice one Simon.......

[miserablewoman]

[Blackbeered]

You bloody fool. The Canadian contingency were at the other end of the table in the beer garden before the gig..........about 5 feet away from you

Anyhoo, some observations on your 'ramblings' sir....

On entry to the pub I was reminded that it was St Patrick's day and dismayed to find the place filled with green clad students in silly hats, endevouring to convince each other of some distant Irish heritage by shouting “Begorahh” and “Bejeeesus” in between vomitting up the Guinness that they had foolishly chosen to replace they're normal glycol hued alco pops..

Quite. Students eh. Tssscchhk

and with me becoming distracted by the surprise arrival of my daughter..

Errr, me too

I was not catching a train, I had come in the car which was parked outside, but I had got wind..

Was that you in the venue too, I wondered what the smell in there was

Simon, Cindy and JJ are attending the Hammersmith Apollo gig on Friday and many of us will I'm sure be delighted to make them welcome at the Duke of Cornwall pre gig meetup.

Certainly will......but then I welcomed them in Oxford too when I met them in the beer garden of the pub we were all in. Did I mention that they were at the other end of the table to us

[ravenlunatic]

You are sir a filthy pervert, though I have to admit she is a fine looking girl. Chip off the old block eh? Ahem, splutter.

I was not aware of the goings on at the opposite end of the table as I was busy giving young pigeon a spelling test and looking for a lumberjack looking sort of cove.


Was there a table?

[Blackbeered]

You are sir a filthy pervert, though I have to admit she is a fine looking girl. Chip off the old block eh? Ahem, splutter.

I was not aware of the goings on at the opposite end of the table as I was busy giving young pigeon a spelling test and looking for a lumberjack looking sort of cove.
Was there a table?

What's all this talk of a table anyway........

[Blackbeered]

Btw, nice to see you back contributing to these fine cyber-pages.

Leave it for so long next time and I'll put a tannoy announcement out for you

[APOLLO79]

I went to Oxford last night to see what turned out to be one of the best gigs I have attended. Tiny venue, almost pub like in proportion, blistering performance, funny band/crowd interaction, great setlist, and loud, very loud indeed. My ears are still ringing quite badly but it was superb.

I had gone with the intention of meeting up with Simon aka “Stranglersfan” who, with his wife and son (young JJ no less!) has demonstrated no small degree of dedication in traveling from Canada to see the band (I understand they are doing other things as well).
Now Simon has been kind enough (misguided some would perhaps suggest) in the past to be appreciative of my ramblings, going as far as to suggest that I entertain and amuse him with my sardonic irony as our good friend the Cakester has called the rubbish I write.

So I was keen to meet this “Stranger from another planet”, and understanding he was to be at the Hobgoblin hostelry for pre gig drinkies, I was looking out for him.
On entry to the pub I was reminded that it was St Patrick's day and dismayed to find the place filled with green clad students in silly hats, endevouring to convince each other of some distant Irish heritage by shouting “Begorahh” and “Bejeeesus” in between vomitting up the Guinness that they had foolishly chosen to replace they're normal glycol hued alco pops.

I have no idea what Simon looked like, but thought he would be easy enough to spot, though my knowledge of Canada and its citizens I have to admit, are based largely if not wholly on my reading of “Biggles Flies North” some time ago, an exciting missive I am disappointed to discover that is not entirely accurate in its portrayal of said country. Suffice to say for some reason I imagined some chap with a rugged looking check shirt and some sort of practical headwear.
With no one fitting my misguided image and with me becoming distracted by the surprise arrival of my daughter (at this point Joni advises me, this sounds like some unexpected maternity incident, but said offspring was born some 2 decades ago) I failed to make contact before it was time to find our places in the venue itself.
At several points during the evening my mind did begin to wander, as it has a tendency to do, to what had become of our visitor, and concluded that he had perhaps fallen into a bear trap or been involved in an altercation with a chap with a scar over his left eye and a black hat (Captain W.R Johns influence again once again clouding my better judgment).
It turns out he had actually been at the pub but I had missed him.

Anyway, some hours later, at the stroke of midnight in fact, I found myself standing in Oxford railway station.......I was not catching a train, I had come in the car which was parked outside, but I had got wind
of some interestingly configured rolling stock that was due to pass by.

Actually I made that last bit up, we were dropping of Jade to get her train back to Reading.

On the station was a lone figure in a Stranglers shirt, with whom I had the following conversation:
“Well I can guess where you've been”
“Yeah, it was the first time I'd seen the band in this country for 20 years”
“Oh really? Where are you from then? (thinking perhaps Finland for some reason.........”Biggles See It Through” I would think)
“I'm from Canada”
“Simon?”
And so we had by a strange coincidence met briefly on a smoke filled platform under the station clock before the guards whistle blew and the mighty wheels of a powerful locomotive began to turn on the south bound train and Simon and his family disappeared into the swirling mist London bound.
Actually it wasn't quite like that, but it would have been if Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson had had anything to do with it.

Simon, Cindy and JJ are attending the Hammersmith Apollo gig on Friday and many of us will I'm sure be delighted to make them welcome at the Duke of Cornwall pre gig meetup.

Shucks RL..You're just a romantic at heart Maybe see ya tomorrow then?

[ThruBeingCool]

I have no idea what Simon looked like, but thought he would be easy enough to spot, though my knowledge of Canada and its citizens I have to admit, are based largely if not wholly on my reading of “Biggles Flies North” some time ago, an exciting missive I am disappointed to discover that is not entirely accurate in its portrayal of said country. Suffice to say for some reason I imagined some chap with a rugged looking check shirt and some sort of practical headwear.

Here's a pic of Simon & Cindy from the beer garden earlier Mr Luny. Might jog your memory................

[Rodney Blackstaff]

Welcome back RL

Excellent stuff

Rodders