Horden Pit

Two miles south from Easington Colliery in Country Durham is Horden. Just another East Durham pit village. It's still there, in name. Changed beyond recognition... not particularly its layout and environs, but it's people.... and that goes for almost all of the east Durham pit villages.

Sometimes when I think of the people I grew up around, the community and its characters I can hardly believe it's all gone.

"The profit's too small for the black suited boys"

So, I found a documentary on the closure of Horden Pit in the mid 1980's. It gives a fairly good insight into what was lost...... and there was a lot to loose.

It's in 4 parts, the quality isn't too great and will probably only interest the northern contingent of this blog....... Here's the first part, other parts will be links under the video player.

Click here for Part 2

Click here for Part 3

Click here for Part 4

Demos

There's a bunch of demo's from the studio sessions I helped out on over here.

Below is some images I managed to grab and stuff into a small video. Identities have been emphasised to help locate perpetrators.

10 years and me....

Sitting on ya arse with nothing much to do has always been an incentive for me to become creative. In recent months/years it's been with the still camera, but occasionally, I have been known to fanny about with the camcorder.

Usually this has been around my "brother-from-another-mother" Goober, when he's been either gigging, rehearsing or maybe the odd road trip.

So. I dug out the "Simon Wood shagged this Video" DVD which I compiled in 2003 from a weekend trip to Cambridge in 1998 where we (Goober, Simon, myself and not forgetting Pete Moore) hired a studio for no other reason than to celebrate 10 years since the last time we were actively in a band.

So it's 10 years on. Lots of things have changed. I no longer have to imagine what it must be like to work alongside The Wonder Stuff, nor do I feel the need to ignore Mr Wood..... maybe I need to explain.

Mr Wood and I seldom got on (he's the guitarist.... actually, do any drummers and guitarists get on?), lets just put it down to a personality clash.... He probably had one and I didn't.... or something along those lines. Anyhow, I've not spoken to the fella since August 1998, and I think it's worked out just fine but I'm always open to new experiences and if anyone from "Edd Smash & The Dinosaur Wangs" wanna do a 20th anniversary get together then I guess I'll be up for it....... I even know of a decent rehearsal/studio.

I digress..... I sat down yesterday morning, and played the DVD "Simon Wood Shagged this Video". I was quite surprised how good the "shagged" bits were, even more surprised how funny the The Wonder Stuff piss takes were and just a little impressed with Goobers "Miles Hunt" impressions.

So, here they are, warts and all.

Pete Moore: Rhythm method guitar
Goober: Bass, Vocalist, songwriter and Vehicle delivery operative
Simon Wood: Lead Guitar, antagonist and shagger of videos, accommodation
Dave Dawson: Drums, gobshite, cameraman

".....recording new tracks for the EP"

Can you get your people to talk to my people darling? I shall be "in session" recording the new EP, hmmm, hmmm, hmmmmmmmmmm.

So, it's all set. Finally we get to etch our acoustic vibrations onto the waxy cylinder Thomas Eddison raved about in 1066 just before he fell on an arrow. Please, not all at once!....... you'll get a chance to listen or even BUY this EP at some point as we know a clever man who can transfer an Eddison Cylinder into 0's and 1's and make it appear on a tellyputer in EmpeeIII

This isn't the first time I've had the pleasure of being directly involved in producing some form of music, in 1999 and 2000 I funded, arranged, directed, shouted, shoved, fed and watered Goober to produce a couple of "cottage industry" CD's that actually made enough lolly to.... well.... buy a few lollies actually. My Mate Pete was also in attendance and provided light entertainment and an assortment of sandwiches all washed down with lashing of ginger beer. Hurrah!

In fact, below is a vid I did from the "footage" I took while in the studio recording some "Goober". The track is "Brother" by Goober, inspired by a Friday night out in Easington Colliery and how some people change over time while others remain in a teenagers mind set..... or it could be about the demise of light engineering in the late 19th century.

The dancing fool in the Sunderland away shirt, small nose - me

Baldy bloke. big nose - Goober

Baldy skinny bloke, big nose - Keith

Baldy bloke with glasses, normal nose - My Mate Pete

Full head of hair bloke, big nose - Simon

Man on the flight deck, big nose - Jez

Baldy bloke on Goobers T-shirt with normal nose - Miles Hunt

Ted Rogers - himself

Positive Thinking

Christmas.

As a kid, Xmas was THE most important time, and looking back through all the Xmas's I've experienced those early years were magical.

Parents that lived together, 3 siblings all with the same mother/father and all fairly happy being there......... Who'd of thought those things would become a coverted item?

I don't really think I ever believed in Santa when young. Even as a kid I'd insist on hard evidence when talk revolved around Santa, his elf helpers or even the tooth fairy...... a passport, utility bill from the last 3 months or perhaps an elf/fairy body from a recent accident would have helped.

I also remember how fantastic TV was back then, OK, maybe the tinted specs have affected my judgment but no-one can deny the thrill and anticipation of the Morcambe and Wise Christmas Shows in the 70's.
It's a very British thing, Americans have Apple Pie, but we have the Morcambe and Wise shows, watched by over half the entire population of Great Britain their show defined how good Xmas would be.

It's never been the same since.

Anyhow, here's a clip that you don't see much these days, it's a corker and really does make you smile.

More experiments

OK, this shows the brief "meeting" between the guards (who had lost control at this point) and the prisoners to decide if we should end it all and go home or continue being on the telly..... all hidden to make it look like we were continuing the "social study".

The ring leaders "Edwards and Petkin" (prisoners) had been a pain in the arse, childish and arrogant. It was more of a playground than a social experiment

I should point out that there is a little bad language (maybe I should of explained that earlier, Opps, sorry).

Ok, enought of the hip thing, we get it....

I dug out the DVD of me on the telly, and with nothing better to do decided to slice out a bit and put it here...

This was 6 years ago, I'm now much prettier to look at and have a bright green racing car.


and here's the title sequence from the show....

I want to ride my bicycle

As you can see, SHE RIDES WITHOUT STABILISERS!!!

But best of all, she did it with her Daddy. Something she wont forget and will carry with her forever, as I will.

Of course she needs a few more hours in the saddle to help with stopping, starting and turning.... but apart from that, she'll be fine!

Beaten by a 6 year old...

I managed to get a hold of a Nintendo Wii console... along with a copy of Wii Sports, which has already claimed its first victim. Although Chuckie will deny it, playing boxing on Wii Sports put him outa action for at least 2 days with a knackered back.

Anyhow, this weekend I introduced Em to bowling on the Wii, not only did she pick it up really quickly she now holds the record on the console. It's not much fun being hammered by a 6 year old so I quickly changed to a different game, she cant be any good at boxing, I mean, she's six..... and a girl.

She now holds the boxing record too... soon afterwards the console stopped working for some reason (ahem).

Stuffed and remembered

A video of all the stills I took while on tour with The Wonder Stuff.....

Music by Miles Hunt "These Things Remembered" Demo, used with kind permission

If you like what you've heard then why not buy the album

5 Liverpools, 0 Failure

There's this fella I know..... His name is Philip Bimpson... He's gonna visit all the "Liverpools" the world has to offer in celebration of Liverpool (the original one in England) Cities 800th birthday in 2007.

Phil is many things, doctor, dentist and architect... probably, but recently he's been getting involved in the wider world of "media".... and this is his latest venture.

Good luck Phil, I'll be keeping an eye out for more of your updates.

Picture from the BBC's "The Experiment" where Phil and myself were prisoners for a week

Sometimes.....

Just dont even think about it. It's more addictive than directing your own play. I'm on about reviewing and editing your own DV tapes from 8 years ago. There's just so much stuff to go through.

Anyhow, here's one from the last nights tape, a tape I thought I'd lost years ago. Recorded at Skyline Studios at Epsom in July 1999.

On this one you'll find Goober, Keith Small (Pants Dance), Jez (Skyline Engineer) , our very own PT and some rare appearances of Rob Web (semi naked door puller) and some fat baldy bloke in a Sunderland top making a tit of himself.

I dream of work....

If it wasnt for those meddling kids....

Another attempt at video hosting.... let me know if this one is any better speed wise.

How's things going Mr Farm Manager?

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WARNING: This video was edited in an area where nuts and seeds are handled. It may also contain small amounts of Pete, Goober and Dave. Every effort has been made to remove irritating sequences of SW

Talent is only a stumbling block Tony....

Just don't blame me thats all....

Blame the dark nights, blame IBM.... blame the odd angle the Earth's axis sits on.... Just don't blame me.

Detune On Dub

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Anyhow, it's only a small one and I've been told the moist sores will soon heal**

**there's nothing rude in the vid

Whats your name today

Whats your name today

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Another Vid for you to view, I think this one could stand as a "pop" video on its own, even tho the sound quality is poor... what the hell, I like it anyhow.

Goober had no idea I was there with the camera, and as usual threw me a "Dawson, you're a complete arse with that camera" look. Anyhow, I think it turned out ok

The vid is hosted at a sharing site so it should stream instead of being downloaded first, I'm still playing so be patient.

Video killed the radio star

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It might work, I dunno. Click on the image to eventually see a small vid I did some years ago.

Some years ago, Goober and I (I was acting as "crap-manager" and camera fool) did a "gig" in Aberdeen in Scotland...... and things we're never the same again. Even now after so many years just the mention of "Aberdeen" will bring a sharp intake of breath and a nervous look over the shoulder from both of us. The Star-Wars cafe will always look like Scots-Bar in our eyes.

No, I'm not in the video.....(but Tiny Townsend is a dead ringer). The track is Hairy On the Inside by Miles Hunt