Apart from the Moth
Traps, which produced the following
Firsts for the Year
DOUBLE-STRIPED PUG
HERALD
EARLY GREY
and
RED CHESTNUT
yesterday was by and large given over to
socialising as having received an
unexpected but most
welcome telephone call from my
Longest Standing
Friend on Earth
let alone in Dorset, the indomitable
JOHN 'SOOTY' STOCKLEY
seen in company here at the 2009
Rememberance DayMemorial
only absence from the town (Weymouth) would we ever have missed this day!
Agreeing it was
remiss of us both not to have seen each other
in nearly 5 years, it
is doubtful we are alone in that, but the date was set!
Arriving on time but having forgotten the Canon there was a second and equally welcome surprise
as in attendance also at their house was another long standing friend and fellow
Sea Captain Tony MacKinder (right)
(there are few images in my archive of Tony but
"another true story" will surely follow!)
Yes, that last time with Sooty included all of his family, but nowhere near all of his frinds
as the Albert Hall would have to have been rented for such an occassion to celibrate his
70th Birthday.
Now when I say EVERYONE in Dorset knows this man I do not mean 99% as THE
countywide Chimney Sweep and Socialite he is a legend in his own lunchtime.
We first met, after leaving my beloved (then) Nottingham screaming and shouting, at the
Broadwey Seconday School for the Uneducationable
and even though one year my senior it seemed that we (and I MUST mention our dear departed
MARY JONES
at this point and of Sooty's age group) it seemed but a matter of moments before we 3 became firm friends!
Back to the Birthday Celibrations and as if to emphasise his popularity Nigel Pope of Dorchester Brewing fame, gave over his
Shooting Lodge at Wrackleford,
just north of the town, for the weekend celibrations.
These were in the days of my daliance with the beautiful, vivaceous and talented
ILLE (pronounced e-la) KALASTE
my then Estonian ladyfried.
Along with Lorne (Bowie) Edwards and his wife Sheila we had attended a
Joe Bonamassa Concert
(seen here on the night wielding his signature Gibson 'Flying V')
at the Bournemouth International Centre and to cut out the hassel we took a taxi both ways.
The nearest we got to capturning the full quartet with
US citizen Joe on the left, Aussie keboardist Rick Melick under he righthand 'spot',
Carmine Rojas bass guitar from the USA and fellow Yank Bogie Bowles drums this was a
Rock 'n' Roll
marvel!
The Flying V salute at the end of the only Led Zeppelin track of the set and the end of the gig
You Shook Me
Thank You, Goodnight Now It's Time To Go Home
(Dire Straits)
To give some idea of the stature of the man, at the tender age of 12 years he
was the opening act on the latest B B King world tour!
and as an aside, for me no one, but no one messes with Led Zeppelin but just listen to his
rendition of the heartbreaking
TEA FOR ONE
written by a love and homesick Robert Plant during Zeppelin's first US Tour,
anyone who has ever really travelled has felt this way one time or another!
With the grog still perming through our veins and Bonamassa still tingling in our ears we, next day, headed for Wrackleford where I
had volunteered to undertake the duties of
SOMMELIER
anyone for Champers?
THE STOCKLEY 'CLAN' GATHERING
The Nook
Sweet little Ille, you'll know her if you see her,
blue eyes and a ponytail
Her cheeks are rosy, she looks a little nosy, man, this little girl is fine
Her cheeks are rosy, she looks a little nosy, man, this little girl is fine
Never knew a girl like-a little Ille her name
drives me insane
Sweet little girl, that's my little Ille man, this little girl is fine
Sweet little girl, that's my little Ille man, this little girl is fine
Me and Ille go for a ride
Oh oh oh oh, I feel all funny inside
Then little Ille whispers in my ear
Oh oh oh oh, I love you Ille dear
Oh oh oh oh, I feel all funny inside
Then little Ille whispers in my ear
Oh oh oh oh, I love you Ille dear
Ille said she loved me, she said she'd never leave
me
True love will never die
We're so doggone happy just bein' around together man, this little girl is fine
True love will never die
We're so doggone happy just bein' around together man, this little girl is fine
Re-jigged from the Tommy Roe classic - Sheila
CANDLES in the WIND
(there is no pride of place on a 'round table' - King Arthur)
and why should he,
Stompin' Dave - keyboard / vox, Graham Bundy - drums and Dave Roberts - bass
you'd be hard pressed to name an act from the 60's / 70's that these talented muso's did
not support or enhance at one time or another!
which ones the Girl?
Genesis
Lad Himself
I loved you then Sooty and nothing has changed since, may the Stockley's live forever!
The tee shirt sports an image of 5 fully 'tooled up' North American Indians with the words
"Homeland Security fighting the Terrorists since 1793"
