It was the GLW's birthday earlier this month. One of the big ones that people tend to make a fuss about, with expensive gifts, trips away being the norm.

All of these ideas were suggested but her choice was impeccable as always, a family day out at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

It's a place that ought to be far better known and possibly would be if it wasn't just off Junction 38 of the M1 on the border between Wakefield and Barnsley.

We have been going there for years, since our lads were nippers and we used the 500 acres of magnificent landscape and brilliantly designed exhibition halls to run the legs off them.

Now one is off at "Uni", the other has moved away for employment. Both were there to join us for a picnic to explore yet again the 60 (mostly) wonderful exhibits from the museum's own collection and the current stunning show by the Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa. A show that left even our hardnosed, science obsessed son speechless with admiration;

The weather was foul, the picnic was eaten in the car but it will remain a day like many others we have had at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park that I won't forget.

So Massive, you're a cultured bunch, where is your favourite place for a day out with or without the family?

We all have bands we love but never thought we hear together again.

The Walkabouts appeared to have given up the ghost six years ago after the best part of two decades of mostly wonderful music and commercial underachievement.

I was rather stunned to learn that they are releasing a new album next month. Based on this taster it may have been worth the wait;

As someone who grew up in Belfast in the 1970's my thoughts go back to my cousin Duncan, neigbours and the Dads of friends who were murdered through the use of weapons supplied by Gadaffi. I am staying up with another bottle of Chilean Grenache and a spare bag of Tyrells if it all finally kicks off before 3am.

I appreciate many will think this post is rather harsh and a little
tastless, but I hope he hangs, that it is slow and painful.

.

Not my own - one of our lads.

Far,far worse than my memories of waiting for the arrival of the post thirty years ago.......

He appears to be sleeping like a baby, meanwhile my GLW and I have been awake and restless for much of the night.

Yesterday evening I had a longstanding arrangement to meet a friend at a pub in a nearby market town. This is only a couple of miles from home and usually I would walk, partly because I enjoy the jaunt down the Dale but it also means I can enjoy a couple of ales. As it was chucking it down I choose to drive and arrived in good time to find the normally quiet car park by the pub reasonably full. Although there were still spaces I choose to drive to an alternative spot about 150 metres away, where I could be guaranteed to park without being next to anyone else. Meantime there was a cloudburst so by the time I got back to the pub I was probably as soaked as I would have been if I had walked in the first place.

My mate had been observing my antics from the comfort of the pub and I had to explain that it’s not because I’m really too bothered about someone clattering their door into mine, more that I don’t like parking next to others if I can help it. It’s “just one of those things that I do”.

Much of the night’s conversation then revolved around those daft, irrational things that are peculiar to each of us that we can’t entirely explain or justify. Mine turned out to be a long and extensive list;

I
Always check twice that my car is locked before walking away

Never order chicken in a restaurant.

Have a total aversion to Science Fiction.

Doubt I will ever give hip hop an honest listen.

Won’t drive a French built car.

Only wear socks made by HJ Hall.

Never pay less than £5 or more than £12 for a bottle of wine to drink at home.

Have no plans to ever read anything again about the Second World War (I read a huge amount in the past and feel it’s time to move on).

Don’t support animal charities.

Never drink beer from a can.

Can’t bring myself to attend business meetings without a tie.

Won’t place a bet or buy a lottery ticket.

Have no desire to ever visit the USA (again)
Or visit Australia, Russia or Dubai for the first time.

Think golf courses are a blot on the landscape

Never leave the house without a clean handkerchief (though forget my keys and phone regularly).

Anyone here care to share their own idiosyncrasies?.

I've just been watching an engaging Sky Arts documentary about Sigur Ros. The film follows the band around a farewell tour around the small towns and villages of Iceland in 2006. A beautiful documentary that left me with two main thoughts;

1. I do need to finally make that long planned trip to Iceland. The place looks stunning.

2. Sigur Ros - a band whose music I have loved for the past 6-7 years however until I saw Jonsi's wonderful appearance at Latitude last year I rather doubt I could have identified or even named a single member of a band who have provided much of the soundtrack of my life for the past few years.

However this is not unique. I'm struggling to think of any band I have followed the past 20 years where i can name very single member if the band.

Is it just me?

I think there is broad consensus amongst the Massive that after 20 years mosts bands are tired, irrrelevant and living off past glories.

Remarkably Low may have just released the defining album of an already wonderful career.

Low - C'mon. Played it too death over the weekend and it's quite magnificent.

Prompted by the current rather cheesy ad campaign being run by the Coop;

Most of the usual cliches are trotted out but being a chap of a certain age my own would be rather duller or at least more practical;

Finally shred the 20 years worth of payslips that I have kept "just in case".

Rebuild my compost bins that collapsed in the snow.

Really listen, with no distractions, to the new Mogwai album.Too much happening when I put it on for the first time yesterday.

Delve into all those unread articles from my regular magazine subscriptions before next month's deluge (the Lomax article in the current Word being an example).

Rewatch the Treme pilot to see if I can get the gist of the local accent this time.

Your own?

Completely out of the blue I have just received an invitation for a get together from someone I was close to at University - that's thirty years ago and I haven't clapped eyes on him since.

Not sure how they tracked me down but it appears that a large number of our social group kept in touch and have been meeting annually for a number of years. It's been fascinating checking up on a number of them from their addresses, a bit stalkerish as well I accept, to learn most appear to be rather hard working, successful and even a little glamorous.

Having always given similar events a wide berth in the past, I am morbidly attracted by this one. Perhaps it's because I am hitting one of life's key milestones soon (50) and it would be intriguing to find out how others have got on since all those drunken nights out at the Cellar Bar. I'm also not a great social mixer these days and don't have the confidence of my youth.

Anyway I am sure the Massive have some personal experiences - both disastrous and wonderful they can share.

Rock goes to College circa 1978 and I so clearly remember watching this first time around thinking I have an early start at sixth form and I ought to get to bed..

More than 30 years layer all I have to do is Change work for school but the emotions haven't altered.

Still great.

Nearly 2am on New Years Day and I am sitting at home waiting for a call from my offspring requesting a lift from their respective parties.

It just occurred to me that it was probably at this precise time last year that I first posted a blog entry here;

Since then this site has become one of the daily, must visit places to visit each day. There is a literacy, good humour and decency absent from so much of the web. I acknowledge that I don't post that often and when I do have a tendency to rub up a lot of the Massive (possibly because I'm not a Guardian reader?).

Anyway a Happy New Year to all here.

Btw I'm hoping No.2 son avoids the obvious charms of the young hussy who collected him for a party and the Son and Heir returns with another lovely young woman who accompanied to another party. I was 49 yesterday and I'm beginning to feel so much older.

Many of the great man's podcasts are once again available here;

http://www.theadbs.co.uk/

Listen and make a donation to Cancer Research UK.

An overnight election special on BBC1, interminable coverage on Radio 4 this morning.

Am I the only one who is interested in the outcome but finds the BBC's response totally disproportionate?.

"Isn't is time you grew up?"

Those were Mrs Beach's exact words.

My Brother in Law called earlier to tell me that he had a ticket spare for Horslips at Belfast's Waterfont Hall on 1/12. A flight was immediately booked and I am off to see a band who until last year hadn't been seen on a stage together for 30 years. I really can't recall the last time I looked forward to a gig with such excitement and indeed apprehension.

Btw is there any Irish member of the massive who Horslips weren't the first band they saw?

Maybe one day I will manage it.

I'm on one of my occasional trips to that London and really, really meant to just have a a quick look around the store before meeting an old mate for a beer.

Now back at my hotel looking at all of the loot and wondering how I will sneak it onto the shelves without Mrs Beach noticing.