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Welcome to a sunny but chilly South Manchester with six days to go until Christmas Day. 

We have a busy Christmas planned this year. We’re visiting friends in Chester tomorrow, then travelling to Blackpool on Tuesday, returning on Christmas Eve, spending the day at our house with my two sons, my new daughter-in-law and my mother-in-law before returning to Blackpool on Boxing Day. I return from Blackpool the day afterwards and am going to a gig in Manchester entitled “Christmas in Valhalla” featuring five heavy metal tribute bands. 

After that I can relax until New Year’s Eve. 

There is just time to answer some silly questions from Sunday Stealing (with the word “favourite” modified throughout to reflect the correct English spelling rather than the favoured American spelling). 

1. Describe your favourite cake.

My favourite cake is Black Forest Gateau but I only have it in restaurants these days if it is available. We don’t have it at home because Mrs PM is allergic to eggs and if she eats it, it makes her feel queasy. We discovered this about four years ago, when she brought a huge one for Christmas during the pandemic. We were locked down and she decided not to have any more, which left me trying to scoff it before the “use by” date expired. I absolutely loved the cake but it was tough eating so much of it. 

I dread to think how many pounds I added to my body weight. 

2. Think of the best party you've ever attended. Were you a host or a guest?

I’ve been to a lot of parties and all of them have been fun so it is difficult to recall which one was the best. I was almost certainly a guest because I find hosting a party quite stressful, which means that I don’t enjoy them as much. 

3. When you choose a greeting card, do you pay more attention to the words or the pictures?

I usually choose a card that has a funny picture because I much prefer them to boring cards. The last one I bought was for my son’s wedding and etiquette demands that such cards are boring and, in my opinion, a little stuffy. That was a one off and I paid more attention to the words. For birthday cards I always choose a card with a funny image – even for Mrs PM – because such cards are more fun. 

I don't send Chrsitmas cards anymore. 

4. What's your favourite holiday?

Okay – I am assuming that this is what American’s mean by “holiday” rather than the British version. 

In the UK a “holiday” means a trip somewhere, i.e. the equivalent of an American “vacation”. Correct me if I am wrong but an American “holiday” is something like Christmas or Thanksgiving. In the UK we don’t have Thanksgiving but we definitely have Christmas and that, dear reader, is my favourite. The reason stems from the recent days when I used to work because I always chose to have two weeks off to join in the festivities and forget about the daily grind for a fortnight. Now I am retired, I still love Christmas because everyone is happy, there are lots of get-togethers and we see people we haven’t seen for a while. 

5. Who is your favourite character on your favourite TV show?

It’s difficult to choose my favourite TV show so I will list a couple that I am watching at the moment. 

The first is an American sitcom called “Parks and Recreation”. I had heard that it is really funny, so Mrs PM and I decided to watch it during her lunch breaks (she is still working and works from home). We are currently up to series 3. My favourite character is probably Ron Swanson, the boss. 

I’m also watching season 2 of The Peacemaker and, of course, the best character is Peacemaker himself. Be aware that the clip below contains bad language.

Finally, I’m watching a Scottish sitcom called Still Game from the early 2000s that I hadn’t seen before until a friend of mine pointed it out. The two old men who are the main characters are both brilliant. Here’s a clip but again beware, there is some fruity language in it (if you can understand the accents, that is). 

And finally …

I would like to wish everyone who stumbles upon this a post a Merry Christmas. I hope you have a great and relaxing time snuggled up against the fire. Of course, if you are Australian, you can pop out and enjoy the summer sun – and please take pity on me and don’t mention the cricket. 

It's Me - Yet Again

 

Welcome to a cold but sunny South Manchester day. We are fast approaching the shortest day of the year, which will occur in nine days’ time. The sun will rise at 08:23 in the morning and will set at 15:51, which means that we will only get 7 hours and 28 minutes of daylight. The good news is that the days start to get longer after that we have Christmas and New Year to look forward to. 

You’ve got to look at the positives of every situation, right? 

Let’s dive into some Sunday Stealing shenanigans. 

1. What one word describes your personality?

Weird.

That is of course my own personal opinion and, sometimes, that of Mrs PM too who often implores me to “Stop being weird!” I have met a lot of people who are a lot weirder than I am but I think that adjective does just about sum me up.   

2. What's the best way to get on your good side?

Buy me a beer or a coffee and have a chat to me. 

The fact that I will accept the beer tells you that I am willing to try to get to know you or perhaps forgive you for a misdemeanour. If I don’t like you, I will still try to be nice to you on the surface because I do regard myself as a nice guy. Nevertheless I will try to avoid you and I probably wouldn’t accept the beer or coffee, making an excuse to avoid it. 

3. What person do you feel most comfortable with?

I feel comfortable with a lot of people but the person I feel most comfortable with is, unsurprisingly, Mrs PM. She is the person from planet Earth that knows me best – hence, as I said above, she will say “Stop being weird”.

4. Do you handle criticism well?

Yes, if it is deserved, constructive and if I can learn from it. Sometimes it is good to be honest and if I am being an arse I would rather be told about it. 

5. Are you the type to tell someone, if asked, that their pants DO make them look fat?  

Absolutely not. Mrs PM sometimes asks for my opinion about clothes she wants to buy and I hate it when she does because she says things like “Be honest with me”. I would never say that something makes people look fat, even if it really did. I would choose to be more subtle or more delicate by saying “No – but I prefer the one you tried on before. That really suits you.” Or pehaps I would just look puzzled for a second or two and then shake my head without saying anything else. 

Top 10 David Coverdale Songs

 

I recently heard that one of my musical heroes has finally decided to hang up his microphone and officially retire. That man is David Coverdale, the man behind the rock band Whitesnake. I’ve been listening to his music for most of my life and whenever I hear some of his songs, it takes me back to earlier chapters of my life. 

I have seen him live at least ten times and he is one of those frontmen who is entertaining and fascinating to watch. 

He first crossed my radar back in the 1970’s when Whitesnake were a new band who played a kind of blues rock that I really enjoyed. Around that time I also learned that he had been in the band Deep Purple, replacing Ian Gillan as vocalist . Those were very big shoes to fill. 

After his stint with Deep Purple, he formed Whitesnake and gradually the band become more popular in the UK with a few top 20 hits. It wasn’t, however, until the mid-1980’s when he changed the band’s style and they took off massively in America. 

David Coverdale became a huge rock star and Whitesnake became massively famous. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to see him in both eras of the band, from those early bluesier days or Whitesnake to the later more American hard rock phase. I’ve seen some amazing musicians play live in the band including, legendary drummers Cozy Powell and Ian Paice, incredible guitarist Steve Vai and of course John Lord, former Deep Purple keyboard player.  

When it comes to his music, I have to say that I prefer Whitesnake’s earlier style of music before they became a huge band. Nevertheless, the later albums were still really good too. 

I thought I would offer my list of favourite ten songs featuring David Coverdale, including his days with Deep Purple and his one-off project with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. 

10. Don’t Leave Me This Way – Coverdale/Page (from Coverdale/Page – 1993)

The album Coverdale/Page wasn’t really that well received and I think that view is unfair. The album is really good and has some really strong songs. Jimmy Page is a fantastic guitar player and I think David Coverdale’s voice complemented the guitar really well. My favourite song from the album is a really amazing piece of heavy blues. 

9. Ain’t Gonna Cry No More – Whitesnake (from Ready an’ Willing – 1980)

I still consider the classic line up of Whitesnake to be the that from the first four albums with Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody on guitars and Jon Lord on keyboards. This is a lovely song from that era that starts off slowly and melodically before evolving into a heavier song. 

8. Till the Day I Die – Whitesnake (from Come an’ Get It – 1981)

In some ways. This song is very similar to the last one. Again it follows the formula of starting off slowly and melodically, evolving into a slightly heavier affair. I love listening to Jon Lord’s keyboards towards the end of the song. 

7. Still of the Night – Whitesnake (from 1987 – 1987)

In 1987, Whitesnake completely changed their style from being the blues rock band I had grown up with to a more hard rock hair metal band. When I first heard the only thing that told me the band was Whitesnake were David Coverdale’s unique vocals. The entire band had been replaced apart from him and that made me sad. I guess he felt that the band had to evolve but it was a shame in my opinion. That said, I think Still of the Night is a brilliant song and there are elements of the previous style throughout the song. 

6. Crying in the Rain – Whitesnake (from Saints & Sinners – 1982)

David Coverdale felt the need to rerecord a new version of this song for the album 1987, turning it from a bluesy rock song into a hard rock version. And I don’t know why he did this. The original version is a masterpiece and in my opinion didn’t need to evolve to satisfy a more American market. He also did a similar thing with Fool For Your Loving and again the new version lost something. This version of Crying in the Rain is vastly superior. 

5. Slow an’ Easy – Whitesnake (from Slide It In 1983)

The first time I saw Whitesnake was in 1984 while at university in Liverpool and it featured John Sykes on guitar, Jon Lord on keyboard and Cozy Powell on drums. It was an amazing gig and I loved watching the band perform this song live.

4. Blindman – Whitesnake (from Ready an’ Willing – 1980)

Blindman highlights just what a great voice David Coverdale has. I think it is a beautiful song and perhaps should have been released as a single. I don’t know what the criteria is for such decisions but I imagine that the band and/or producers thought that the world didn’t need a beautiful blues song to help it along. That’s such a shame.

Like a blind man I can feel the heat of the sun

But like a blind man I don’t know where it’s coming from

3. Take Me With You – Whitesnake (from Trouble – 1978)

Take Me With You is a great rock song and is the first song on the first album. While the studio version is a great song in its own right, the live version from the live album “Live … In the Heart of the City” is even better. 

2. Burn – Deep Purple (from Burn – 1973)

Ian Gillan is a great vocalist but he left Deep Purple when the band was at its peak with the famous “Mark II” lineup. The arrival of David Coverdale on vocals and Glenn Hughes on bass/backing vocals marked the start of the “Mark III” lineup and as I said earlier, David Coverdale had big shoes to fill. The album Burn is a great album and the title track is just magnificent. With Ritche Blackmore on guitar, this version of Deep Purple wrote some great songs, but none greater than Burn.

1. – Don’t Break My Heart Again (from Come an’ Get It – 1981)

The album “Come an’ Get It” holds a special place in my heart. It was released in April 1981 and that was a pivotal year for me. It is the year that I did my A-levels, my final year at school, the year I started going to the pub with my mates and the year that I started university. It is also the year that my dad died. 

This particular song takes me back through all of those memories, both euphoric and miserable and I like to look back in a positive way, despite everything that happened. I used to play the album on Saturday night before I caught the bus with my old mate Simon and the song would play in my head. It’s definitely a nostalgia trip and I am sure that other Whitesnake fans would disagree with me. I don’t care. It brings back bittersweet memories for me. 

And finally …

I hope you have a fantastic and long retirement Mr Coverdale. You’ve earned it. 

Thanks for the songs and the memories. 

Scare Tale

Welcome to South Manchester on a very rainy early December Saturday. I was at yet another gig last night – the penultimate one of 2025 – and I saw Madness, a pop band from the 1980’s who, after all this time, are still performing. It was a real blast from the past.

I think Madness are only well known in the UK and haven’t really drifted towards the States (I may be wrong here), probably because they are a slightly eccentric band (as the name suggests). They are known as “The Nutty Boys” because all of their songs are light-hearted and their videos are funny. 

Here is a taste. 

I missed the FIFA World Cup draw because of the gig but in a way I am very glad I did. Apparently it was a total farce and the president of FIFA even presented the Orange Goblin with the inaugural FIFA “Peace Prize” presumably to satisfy his huge ego after the Nobel committee quite rightly decided that there is no way on God’s Earth that Donald Trump could receive the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Watching America from afar at the moment is like watching a soap opera with the Orange Blimp at the centre of it all. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so scary. 

Anyway, sorry for that political mini-rant; let’s answer some daft questions from Sunday Stealing. 

1. What was the scariest thing in the world to you when you were a kid? Does it still scare you now?

I was terrified of anything that was related to Satan, including and especially vampires. My dad allowed me to watch “Dracula” the Hammer horror version with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. I was twelve years old. You may think he was cruel but he did this to teach me a lesson because I constantly pestered him about it. The film scared me shitless and I hardly slept for a couple of nights. 

I think the root of my fear was the fact that at that time I was in the middle of a sixteen year indoctrination into the Roman Catholic church. I went to a Roman Catholic junior school until the age of ten and all the teachings were (and still are) in my head. To me, the vampire mythos was terrifying and vampires were demons from the bowels of hell itself. 

It wasn’t just vampires. I watched another Hammer horror film as a slightly older kid called “The Devil Rides Out” based on a novel by Dennis Wheatley and that too was terrifying because it featured Satan himself. 

Worse, I watched “The Omen” and that movie had further elements about the Catholic church and the Antichrist himself. The final straw was The Exorcist, which I saw at the age of 18 and is still the scariest movie I have ever seen, because it deals with demonic possession and all that entails. 

These days, I have a more rational and scientific mind. I haven’t been a regular churchgoer since the age of 16 and I question everything now, particularly the roles of God and Satan in my life. I don’t want to start a post on religion because it can be a very divisive subject to debate but the bottom line is that my logical and scientific mind makes me question everything.  

What I do know is that vampires do not exist and I seriously doubt if the demons and other hellish entities do either. I now embrace horror fiction and I have loved rewatching those old movies with a clearer and less indoctrinated brain. 

That said – I have only seen The Exorcist that one time. It scared me so much that I am actually wary about watching it again. I guess some of that fear still exists.

2. Imagine your 12-year-old daughter (or granddaughter) is hosting a sleepover at your home. A sudden storm knocks out cellphone service, wifi and cable. How would you keep these suddenly unplugged pre-teens entertained?

 When my kids were that age, we used to play board games such as Monopoly. At one point I had three different versions of it; a Manchester one, a Star Wars one and a Simpson’s one. It was good fun. 

These days there are so many board games that I can barely keep up with them. I think such things could keep a twelve year old entertained for a few hours. 

3. What piece of movie or TV memorabilia would you love to own?

Way back in 1989, I went to the United States for the first time and on that trip, I visited Universal Studios in Los Angeles which I thoroughly enjoyed. Two things stuck with me from that trip. 

The first were props from the 1960’s TV show Land of the Giants, one in particular being an giant telephone. The second was KITT, the car from Knight Rider, which was parked on a little island on it’s own. I crossed the bridge to have my photo taken with it and it started talking to me, opening with:

“Are you just going to stand there putting your dirty fingerprints all over my bodywork or are you going to have a chat?”

So from that trip, I would have both the phone and KITT. 

And of course, I am a huge fan of Dr Who and from that show, perhaps a replica TARDIS and a Dalek. 

All of this is straight out of the Big Bang Theory and I know that I haven’t enough room for any of them really. Besides, Mrs PM would never allow it. 

4. You are gifted with the services of a personal assistant for four hours. What would you ask your assistant to do?

 I have a few things on my “To Do” list that I need to do but haven’t got around to doing yet (because of a melange of laziness and procrastination). I think there is about four hours work there – and if there isn’t I would ask Mrs PM to fill up the remaining time from her “To Do” list. 

5. If literary characters were real, which one would you like to interview, and what would you ask?

I would probably interview the “Time Traveller” from “The Time Machine” by H. G. Wells. In that book he travels forward in time from 1895 to the year 802,701. The first thing I would ask him would be “Can I have a go?” followed closely by “Why didn’t you travel into the past instead?”