Sounds from beyond the Shed – week 12

In which our writer confronts a personal issue

Unlocked outside – let the good times roll!

And so despite a record that any right-minded God would frown upon we embark on the precarious journey back to a vaguely recognisable society with our leaders receiving the almost divine blessing of gorgeous weather as soon their timetable permitted us to meet up with others in our own gardens and other spaces.

Not a moment to lose! I took down “The trespassers will be sprayed with Dettol” sign, put up every light I had, moved the kitchen table outside, draped the shed in bunting, lit a fire, prepared a Vegan feast and we welcomed my daughter and her fella onto the premises for the first time in feck knows how long. And it was brilliant. Drinking has always felt good on a Monday but this was next level stuff so today as I sit preparing lessons for next term I am nursing a deliciously fragile head that may well require the hair of a very strong and determined dog. And this, I am reliably told, is the slippery slope. It would be ironic that on leaving lockdown I choose to succumb to the apparently almost clichéd response of drinking far too much, far too often. I would counter this criticism by stating that if this pandemic has taught me anything beyond the value of friendship, the love of those close to you, the healing power of music, the ineptitude of those in power (vaccine rollout excepted), the greed and mendacity of those who exploit those in need, the bravery and stoicism of the front line health workers, the selfishness of some and the generosity of others in the face of peril and the joy of a good walk. It is this. Our time is short on this earth we should do what makes us happy as often as we reasonably can.

The Priory is apparently booked…

Whilst waiting to check-in, may I recommend the following tracks this week. Ryley Walker’s diamond sparkle of a song, seemingly refracting all the hopes of summer to come in a doomed love song, Sam Burton’s melancholy Fred Neil croon and preceding an AUK article on the top ten DBT tracks – one that didn’t make it but would have on any other day Patterson Hood’s chaotic tale of desperation and drunkenness – is there a theme here…?

As ever, take what you want or need.

Good 

Sweet 

Righteous 

About Keith Hargreaves 357 Articles
Riding the one eyed horse into dead town the scales fell from his eyes. Music was the only true god at once profane and divine The dust blew through his mind as he considered the offering... And then he scored it out of ten and waited for the world to wake up
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Horsey Horsey

Mr. Hargreaves. Your comments about the government are egregious in the extreme. They have done their best in incredibly difficult circumstances. Boris Johnson and his cabinet have fought a determined and courageous and entirely selfless battle against a ruthless foe. I know this because there are aliens in my head. They told me. There are three of them and they all look like Frances De La Tour without the nose eyes and mouth. And ears. And body. Have you ever eaten Vic’s vapour rub? It’s delicious. By the way, that’s me in your garage behind the lawnmower.