Feelings About The Broads

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, marshman said:

Vaughan - you have reminded me! I think its almost certainly Buxton! Its definitely not Belaugh as that stands on a small hill!!

Found it!

I also have a hard copy of this picture as a greetings card. It's of a painting by Peter Metcalf and it's titled 'Moonlight Sailing at Belaugh'!

I will resist gloating, honestly! 

[marshman]

I appear, on checking, to have slightly misled you all - it is in fact St Andrews Church Lamas!  It is curiously a joint parish with Buxton and often known as Buxton with Lamas but the church is actually in the Lamas part of the village. It is a stunning location and approached only by a track/footpath and actually almost abuts the river - that bit above Buxton Mill is stunningly beautiful and peaceful although in the past it would have been only around a mile from the runway at Coltishall, a little less peaceful with Lightnings taking off

http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/lamas/lamas.htm

[marshman]

Well Pete, gloatingly or not , he clearly shows how much license artists employ! Looking at the church it clearly is Belaugh Church but the picture from the Sun Pictures book confirms its position on a "hill" - which he forgot to put in! I have a Rackham watercolour of the same view and that too, has the church on a "hill".

The title suggests the "white ball" on the horizon might be the moon, but does the moon ever rise in the west?

[JennyMorgan]

8 minutes ago, marshman said:

but does the moon ever rise in the west?

No, but it might set in the West!

That aside I suspect that both perspective and distance will have some influence on the picture. Whatever, it is a believable picture that, for me anyway, catches the feeling of the Broads.

Back to the original topic, a title perhaps for Chris's forthcoming suite: An Orchestral Portrait of the Broads and Dykes of Eastern England. I predict that will sell well in America.

[MaceSwinger]

Wow, what a response! I've been offline for a few hours while I drove from Loughborough back to camp for a couple of days but it's wonderful to see such a lively conversation going about this.

@Smoggy you've absolutely cracked me up so far, especially the pump out remark!

@SwanR you're certainly not alone. A few years ago James May actually put a band together (on his Man Lab series I think) made up entirely of lapsed musicians. The results were very interesting.

@Vaughan and @JennyMorgan definitely feeling Surlingham Ferry, one of my favourite stops down south. My one and only stop at Beauchamp didn't blow me away sadly. Although I do remember their bouncy castle very literally getting blown away one year!

@AndyTBoater that is absolutely superb, and when I can get to a piano tomorrow I'm genuinely interested to see what that melody sounds like (I wish I had perfect pitch and could sing it off, but I'm a glorified drummer!)

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, Meantime said:

I read somewhere that The Krays accountant bought a place in the village and made the pub his local when up that way lying low for a while from the troubles back in London.

One of the Krays was in Norwich Prison so perhaps Upton was handy for him when visiting the boss. 

[Meantime]

11 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

One of the Krays was in Norwich Prison so perhaps Upton was handy for him when visiting the boss. 

I've done a bit of searching around this morning and I had it slightly wrong, it wasn't their accountant, but it was their rivals the Richardson gang who used to use the area and the pub as a bolt hole when things got rough down in the city. It is claimed that a lot of local houses were built by the gang as a means of laundering their money. The following page has a piece about the pub and about pictures on the wall of the pub. I remember now that it was browsing the various bits and pieces on the walls back in the day when "Winkle" Ray Norman ran the pub that I first read about the connection.

[JennyMorgan]

32 minutes ago, Meantime said:

but it was their rivals the Richardson gang who used to use the area and the pub as a bolt hole

The Thurne Lion also had well known links to the grubbier side of our illustrious capital.

[Meantime]

1 minute ago, JennyMorgan said:

The Thurne Lion also had well known links to the grubbier side of our illustrious capital.

Indeed, least said about that one the better.

[JennyMorgan]

3 minutes ago, Meantime said:

Indeed, least said about that one the better.

I can take a hint!! Mods relax.

[Wonderwall]

On 12/01/2021 at 16:47, MaceSwinger said:

I wasn't sure where to post this, so apologies if it would be better suited elsewhere.

For those that don't know, my trade within "the mob" is a musician. By trade, I am a percussionist in, as well as the Drum Major of, the British Army Band Sandhurst (BABS...as much as HQ hates us call ourselves that). For a while I've considered having a pop at arranging a suite of music inspired by the Broads, probably in 3 to 5 movements. And that is where I'd love some input from you fine ladies and gentlemen...

I know how certain areas in Broadland make me feel, from the bustle of Wroxham/Hoveton, GY and Oulton Broad to the more peaceful surroundings of South Walsham, to the almost frontier feeling of the Upper Thurne. What I'd love to know is if there are any areas within Broadland that stir up strong feelings for you, and what those feelings are.

The only part I wouldn't write from scratch would be Great Yarmouth. Personally I strongly dislike the place and the yacht station and frontage to me seems a little depressing so it wouldn't be fair to try and write something nice for it  to that end, that movement will be a reworking of the old folk song "Yarmouth Town". If you don't know it then I thoroughly recommend the Bellowhead version. It's a saucy shanty about a tavern owners daughter and her...shall we say "liaisons" with the local sailors.

I hope that all makes some sense, and I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Even if I never get round to finishing it (which is likely) then at least we'll have had quite a good natter about it!

 Salhouse.....

The trees and the shelter,the birds and the bees

the ice cream boat , the ducks and the geese.

The boats on the shore with their kids and their dogs,

with me on my mudweight tied up to a log.

laughing at memories, making some more

saying hi Mum, she's on the broad floor!

[MaceSwinger]

2 minutes ago, Wonderwall said:

saying hi Mum, she's on the broad floor!

She'll not be lonely down there, she has Joan and Brian (my late grandparents) for company!

Lovely poem

[MaceSwinger]

22 hours ago, AndyTBoater said:

It may be a bit avante garde as music goes but may give the basis of a melody or something. I bet Beethoven used to do it exactly like this.

I am offering you a 100% share in this idea for a place in the orchestra playing one note on a triangle or something.

I can't make any promises re. playing with my band, unless you're willing to join up

However, I plonked it out on the piano earlier, and with a flat thrown in and some minor tweaking there's actually something there I could use, and plan on doing!

As a side note, the way you've noted it is very similar to how old monastic chants were written, with no guidance as to rhythm but clear notation on pitch. If you've ever looked at the antiphoner in Ranworth St Helen's you'll know exactly what I mean. 

Edit: The Ranworth antiphoner possibly isn't the best example, but yours is very similar to an older way of writing Gregorian chants.

[JennyMorgan]

Chris, you are probably aware of Black Shuck, the ghost dog of The Broads. With that in mind I'll remind you of the Lowestoft group, The Darkness, who came up with a rock and roll ode as a tribute to that old dog. Not for sensitive ears! The Best of Lowestoft. A chance for a restrained percussionist to chill out perhaps?

 

[MaceSwinger]

24 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

Chris, you are probably aware of Black Shuck, the ghost dog of The Broads. With that in mind I'll remind you of the Lowestoft group, The Darkness, who came up with a rock and roll ode as a tribute to that old dog. Not for sensitive ears! The Best of Lowestoft. A chance for a restrained percussionist to chill out perhaps?

 

I have to confess...I absolutely loathe The Darkness despite so badly wanting to like them. I can appreciate them for what they are, but they're certainly not something I'd usually listen to!

That said I'll have a listen later when I can turn the speakers up...the other half works nights for Amazon and is fast asleep!

[JennyMorgan]

I suppose I'm biased, used to enjoy them when they were our local pub band. Black Shuck is hardly likely to stretch anyone's intellect though. Yes, their music does demand volume. Ed Graham, their previous drummer, has also written a couple of songs regarding Norwich, regretfully not on U-Tube, otherwise you could have had even more raucous, local material to work with, if indeed you require it.

[MaceSwinger]

1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said:

I suppose I'm biased, used to enjoy them when they were our local pub band. Black Shuck is hardly likely to stretch anyone's intellect though. Yes, their music does demand volume. Ed Graham, their previous drummer, has also written a couple of songs regarding Norwich, regretfully not on U-Tube, otherwise you could have had even more raucous, local material to work with, if indeed you require it.

Don't get me wrong, I fully and wholeheartedly understand why they were so popular. The lead guitarist of a band I used to sing with was crazy for them, saw them live God knows how many times. Justin Hawkings is also a properly funny bloke when you see him interviewed!

[AndyTBoater]

Love the Darkness. Its how rock music should be. They dont take themselves too seriously and always seem to have a good time doing what they do. So much energy and charisma.

Also the lyrics to their Christmas song are incredibly good considering the way it was written. In an interview Justin said they just wanted a song that had the words "Bell(s)End" and "Ring Peace" in it. The rest of the song was written around these 2 phrases. To me this is the best reason to write a song. Just to get rude words past the BBC censors.

 

[NorfolkNog]

22 minutes ago, AndyTBoater said:

Also the lyrics to their Christmas song are incredibly good

Arguably the only really good Christmas song since the classics of the 1970's 

I seem to recall it was kept off the number one spot by a very morose song - can't remember who did it.

Me and Mrs Nog made up our own Christmas CD to take on our December holidays and that's the opening track. Plus Carol's of course 

I once mentioned the Darkness to a young lady behind the bar in a pub in Lowestoft. Funnily enough she'd never heard of them! 

[WherryNice]

14 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

I seem to recall it was kept off the number one spot by a very morose song - can't remember who did it.

That was 'Mad World' by Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules from the film 'Donnie Darko'. As a song I really like it even now but as a Christmas number 1 it's pretty shocking!

[Guest Jayfire]

42 minutes ago, AndyTBoater said:

They dont take themselves too seriously and always seem to have a good time doing what they do. So much energy and charisma.

Also the lyrics to their Christmas song are incredibly good considering the way it was written. In an interview Justin said they just wanted a song that had the words "Bell(s)End" and "Ring Peace" in it. The rest of the song was written around these 2 phrases. To me this is the best reason to write a song. Just to get rude words past the BBC censors.

Not taking things seriously, trying to have a good time, energy, charisma, constantly going on about Christmas, and making rude innuendo???

Reminds me of someone on these boards, I just can't quite think who it is 🤔 

[CambridgeCabby]

I miss the “fun” Christmas no 1’s that were killed off by The X Factor .

 

[JennyMorgan]

42 minutes ago, NorfolkNog said:

Arguably the only really good Christmas song since the classics of the 1970's 

I seem to recall it was kept off the number one spot by a very morose song - can't remember who did it.

Me and Mrs Nog made up our own Christmas CD to take on our December holidays and that's the opening track. Plus Carol's of course 

I once mentioned the Darkness to a young lady behind the bar in a pub in Lowestoft. Funnily enough she'd never heard of them! 

Probably because they played at the White Swan in Gillingham near Beccles!

[Guest Jayfire]

5 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

I miss the “fun” Christmas no 1’s that were killed off by The X Factor

He may not have got to number 1 but JM and his friend did a good Christmas rendition I see

 

[MaceSwinger]

1 hour ago, WherryNice said:

That was 'Mad World' by Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules from the film 'Donnie Darko'. As a song I really like it even now but as a Christmas number 1 it's pretty shocking!

A beautiful version of that song, and different enough to the Tears For Fears original for it not to ruin said original.

1 hour ago, CambridgeCabby said:

I miss the “fun” Christmas no 1’s that were killed off by The X Factor .

 

The problem with all these "talent" TV shows is it never comes down to talent. It always comes down to marketability and/or who's got the best sob story. Shows like that really have watered down the music industry.

It might be childish, but I always bought the nominated single to keep the X Factor muppets from the number 1 spot.