Some More Favourites

Welcome to a changeable South Manchester. I can see blue sky and both white and grey clouds with a threat of rain later. 

Before I go on, I just want to raise my glass (well cup of tea at the moment) to the legendary guitarist Jeff Beck who died this week. Rest in peace:

Shall we move onto some silly questions from Sunday Stealing? 

1. What is your favourite accent?

My own accent is “neutral” English with a hint of Black Country and a soupçon of Mancunian. It is a lot better than the one I had when I lived in Walsall which was pure Black Country – or “Yam Yam”. It wasn’t pleasant to listen too (so I am told).

Here is a taste of the accent:

I’m not actually sure whether I have a favourite accent. I am not a fan of cockney or Welsh and I struggle to understand the Scottish accent sometimes, particularly that in Glasgow. 

I quite like Southern Irish and the North East accent. I am surrounded by Mancunian accents as you can imagine and that is just like white noise to me. 

I will say Southern Irish – as I recall a young lady once trying to chat me up in a bar in Dublin while Mrs PM was at the bar – also being chatted up by a different bloke. 

2. What is your favourite animal?

I love cats and dogs. I would be quite happy to have both a dog and a cat together but Mrs PM favours our feline friends more. I am happy with that. 

3. What is your favourite band?

My favourite band is no more. It was Canadian progressive rockers Rush and sadly they ceased to be just before the untimely death of their legendary drummer Neil Peart. Their music has been with me at key moments in my life and always will be with me in future. Here they are at their best.

And now it is time to move on and taking up the throne is probably Polish progressive rockers Riverside who have a new album out next week. Here they are:

4. What is your favourite childhood book?

I remember reading War of the Worlds when I was about eleven years old and I loved it ever since. It is one of the few books I have read a couple of times.

5. What is your favourite colour?

I like blue but I think my favourite colour is probably teal – a kind of bluey green.

6. What is your favourite drink?

My favourite non-alcoholic beverage is tea, which I take decaffeinated and with just a splash of milk. 

My favourite soft drink is probably apple juice, though I usually add a little orange juice to give it a little kick.

My favourite alcoholic drink is probably Timmy Taylor’s Landlord, although I will happily drink lager and other ales. I also like red wine – and I can quite happily drink white wine too.

7. What is your favourite flavour of ice cream?

I don’t eat much ice cream to be honest but I do recall that Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is really nice.

8. What is your favourite place on the planet?

There are too many to list. I am quite happy here at home in South Manchester but you can’t beat walking along an unspoiled beach as the sun is going down either in the south of Spain or the South of France. Hong Kong is my favourite city outside the UK.

9. What is your favourite sandwich?

I am a man of simple tastes so I am happy with a ham, cheese and tomato sandwich. I do like smoked salmon and avocado too occasionally.

10. What is your favourite swear word?

A great word to express your distaste is a word that I think is only used in the UK (though it might be used in Australia too). That word is:

Bollocks!

It basically means “rubbish” as in:

“You are talking complete and utter bollocks!”

“What a load of old bollocks!”

11. What is your favourite thing to wear?

I am quite happy wearing jeans and a T-shirt usually. 

12. What is your favourite food to eat on a rainy day?

I guess if it is raining I would go for something more homely like a casserole or a pie.

13. What is your favourite food to eat on a sunny day?

I guess on a sunny day I would eat something lighter like a salad. That said, it is sunny now but it is the middle of winter so I think I would stick with the same as the answer to the previous question. 

14. What is your favourite number?

I don’t have a favourite number. If you force me to pick one I will go for 8 because I was born on the 8th.

15. What is your favourite snack?

I have several favourite snacks; cheese on toast, cheese and biscuits, cheese and onion crisps, flame raisins and almonds, dry roast peanuts, Granny Smith’s apples, nectarines, plums, satsumas, oranges, bananas – the list goes on.