Category Archives: music

Musical Memories – In the Summer Time!

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My summer anthem is an old favourite from 1996.

It reminds me of summers in Germany filled with BBQs, bottled beers and water fights. It reminds me of frolicks with friends from 7 Signal Regiment, hazy memories of good days gone by.

This summer tune should be listened to at full volume as you drive around country lanes with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. You should be singing your heart out, at the top of your voice, as you catch your first glimpse of the sea.

An indie rock classic for all summers, everywhere!

Ladies and Gentleman, it can only be …

Ocean Colour Scene and The Day We Caught The Train.

What song says summer for you? Hop on over to Mummy Matters’ place to share some sizzling summer vibes!

Looking Back On My Childhood Days

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For Mumra Playlists 8 we have been asked to recall songs from our childhood. I was brought up on 50s and 60s music from Eddie Cochrane to The Everley Brothers, Connie Francis to Brenda Lee, Buddy Holly to Fats Domino. My parents loved their music and we had countless mix tapes played over and over in the car.

But I am looking further back than our long car journeys, I am remembering being a very small child in the bath with my Daddy singing to me, songs that I still sing with Esther and William now.

Songs that for me should feature in every childhood as they are about hopes and dreams and family.

Here they are:

What songs take you back to your childhood days?

Why not share them with Mumra?

Mumra Playlist

Mumra’s School Disco!

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For Mumra’s 7th playlist she is asking us to reveal our school disco tracks.

I have two; a dance track that for me signifies the start of my disco career and the first song that I can remember slow dancing to in the school hall.

Both tunes remind me of my time at Edinburgh School in Munster,Germany and I guess at this time I would have been in Years 7, 8 and 9.

The dance style of the moment was The Running Man!

Madonna was enjoying a revival.

My full school disco playlist would include many many classic early 90s tunes but these two define, for me, discos at school.

Snap – The Power and Madonna – Crazy For You

Oh the memories of those so special days!!

Technotronic anyone? Betty Boo? Pump up the Jam!

They say that your school days are the best days of your life and with tunes such as these making up the soundtrack how can they be wrong?

Mumra Playlist

Musical Memories – New Beginnings

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My whole reason for starting blogging was to welcome Esther and William to the world. My beautiful daughter and her brother, my son, born on the 24th July, 13 weeks too soon. They spent 59 days in NICU and looking at them now, you really would never know.
My musical memory is of the beginning of their tiny lives and the soundtrack to those early days.

This is Wires by Athlete with photos of Esther and William at their beginning.

THE VIDEO ON FACEBOOK (should it not work here!)

For more musical memories hop on over to Mummy Matters and join in with this brand new linky.

”Musical

I Was Lookin’ Back To See …

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I was lookin’ back to see
If you were lookin’ back at me
To see me lookin’ back at you

When I was at University (the first time!) I only had 8 hours of lectures a week. I was studying English and Drama. The rest of the time I was living my life and being educated in an altogether different way.

I went to University in Liverpool and I spent my weekends clubbing. It was 1996 and the club scene was massive. I had the time of my life!

After a big night out a few of us would gather in our halls to unwind together and we would play more relaxed music, music I would often leave playing to lull me into sleep.

There are two albums that dominated my stereo were Massive Attack Blue Lines and Leftfield Leftism. Two albums that I adore to this day.

The tracks that I have chosen to share for Mumra’s Playlist are ones that I would hear repeatedly through the night as I slipped in and out of consciousness, dream time! They are Massive Attack’s Safe From Harm and Leftfield’s Original.

Sleep sweet one and all x

And if you need more chill out tunes to send you on your way head on over to Mumra’s to continue the relaxed vibe.

Mumra Playlist

Where’s Your Head At?

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Mumra Playlist

I have been aware of Mumra’s Playlist for a few weeks now but have not joined in. This week’s topic jumped out at me though partly because I am missing my little sister so much at the moment and partly because I have not danced in so long apart from at my sister’s wedding where we did indeed dance to this band!

My breaking shapes tune is actually any tune at all by The Basement Jaxx. I love them and they never fail to get me on my feet and on to the dance floor.

I cannot choose a favourite tune but I do love Red Alert, Rendez-Vu, Romeo and Do Your Thing.

Such great, light hearted dance tunes that really do make you shake your thing!

One of the best nights of my life was going to see Robbie Williams with my little sister and supporting him were The Basement Jaxx and they were just outstanding. We danced and bounced our way through their tunes and enjoyed them almost more than the man himself. An amazing experience which cemented my love of this fabulous dance act.

Ladies and Gentleman, The Basement Jaxx

Rendez-Vu

Do Your Thing

It's A Wonderful Life

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I love Christmas, and Christmas would not be Christmas without snuggling up under a blanket with the ones you love to watch Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life.  It is such a magical festive film and a firm family favourite.  I love it.  It makes me feel all warm inside, and for me does not work digitally remastered in colour.  It has to be, as it is meant to be, in black and white.

James Stewart and Donna Reed form a formidable team in this festive fantasy.  I always find myself singing ‘Buffalo Girl Won’t You Come Out Tonight’ long after the film is over.  I love that song and that moment in the film. Just beautiful!  George volunteers to lasso the moon for Mary.  A lovely love story!

The most famous moment and quote from the film is near the end as the family are reunited by the Christmas tree. 

“Every Time a Bell Rings, an Angel Gets Its Wings”

This is a feel good comedy drama about hopes and dreams and love, families and friendships.  It is about loyalty and faith.  It is about Christmas, and it features the song that marks the end and beginning of every year, Auld Lang Syne.

One for the family to start the festivities and to make you want to snuggle up close to the ones that you love.

A beauty in black and white.

Why not hop on over to Metal Mummy’s blog to share your favourite black and white movie?

Music I Want My Children to Listen To – Robbie Williams

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He’s the One!!!

I have loved Robbie Williams for as long as I can remember from his early days in Take That to his amazing solo career and back into the arms of his buddies in Take That. 

I love his songs and adore his personality, that cheeky chappy, very naughty boy next door.  I think he always comes across well on television and his live shows are fantastic.  He is a natural all round performer and a true show man, which is something I admire and like.

I saw Robbie live at Roundhay Park for my 30th birthday.  It was amazing, a great exhausting day and night with my wee sis.  We had a great time bouncing to the Basement Jaxx and singing every word of the Robbie repertoire.  One of the best days and nights of my life and one never to be forgotten.

Made even more special as I shared with my little sister, Julie.  I cried when she gave me the tickets for my birthday and we queued from early in the morning so that we could get somewhere close to the front.

Robbie owned the stage as he always does and we were in awe and amazed.  He put on a real show and I felt that it was just for me, for my birthday.  It was just wonderful and sealed my obsession with Robbie.

I want my children to enjoy his music, to know all the words to the ballads and miror the moves from his dance tracks.  I want them to bounce to Let Me Entertain You and cry as soon as Angels begins.

I hope they have No Regrets and are One of God’s Better People.

I want my children to listen to Robbie Williams and see him perform even if only on television.

What music do you want your children to listen to?

GhostWriterMummy

Listography – My Perfect Day

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I am so thankful to have this to do today as I am having the worst few days ever with Esther and William, well William really.  He is teething with a temperature and refusing to eat or sleep.  I love him with  all my heart but he is exhausting at the moment as he is often inconsolable.  David works from home and is getting increasingly stressed that he is needed to help with the babies rather than focus all his attentions on his work.  I think we are both nearing breaking point, so taking 5 minutes (albeit with William in my arms!) to ponder on what would be a perfect day for me right now is a really rather nice thing to do.

What would make my perfect day right now?

1 – I would wake up to a warm, sunny morning.  The babies would wake smiling in their cot and we would go downstairs where I would put them down to play on the lawn whilst I got a breakfast of coffee, orange juice, fruit and croissants.  I would sit in the warmth of the sun and watch my children playing happily together.  It would be quiet apart from their beautiful coos and babbles.  There would be periods of warm hazy silence.

2 – The postman would deliver a letter from my sister telling me that she is pregnant and that she is moving home from Australia not just to the UK but to Kent where we will be sisters, friends and neighbours and our children will grow up knowing each other like cousins should.

3 – I would have lunch in a cafe courtyard in the sun and enjoy drinking wine and eating finger foods with good adult conversation with a group of friends.  We would laugh and joke and be playful.  We would discuss and debate.  We would not notice the sun beginning to set and day turning to night.  It would be wonderful.

4 – I would go to a salon and have a relaxing back massage, facial with Indian head massage and have my hair cut and styled.  I would take a lovely outfit with me to the salon and would dress there ready for an evening out.

5 – The evening would be with all my family and friends together at a function rather like a wedding reception with good music and good food.  There would be dancing to cheesy music.  There would be fun and frolicks and laughter. Lots of laughter.  Everyone would be loving the company of everyone else.  It would be riotous and yet so peaceful. Like being home!

And if there were just one impossible thing that I could make happen right now, I would like to go to 167 Grange Road for a cup of tea, a game of scrabble and a cuddle with my Nan.  Because I miss her so much even now, everyday.  That would be a perfect day.

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