The Great british Giveaway.

Evening strumpets,

You all know what i think of the modern day PT Barnum & Bailey Freakshow which is X Factor, so here`s a song which pretty much sums up how I feel.



Hope you like it,

Til the next one learn something new,

Mark.

Hope was Crosbys Partner.

Evening Strumpets,

as many of you may already know, my day job, and the one that puts food on the table, involves working with people with health problems, and specifically mental health problems. As a result I meet a lot of people experiencing symptoms of depression.

Depression is an illness born from hopelessness. The individual finds themselves in a numb state, not necessarily crying all the time, but bereft of any emotional feelings, because there is no point. It is brutal and indiscriminant in who it picks, but like most illnesses it can be treated. The art of the therapist is to allow the person to discover hope. In discovering hope, the person can begin to appraise their thought patterns differently, and as a result begin to understand why they are feeling the way in which they do.

It is not the therapist`s role to tell them what hope is. That is for the individual to reacquaint themselves with. And there`s the rub. The therapist can use guided discovery techniques to assist, but it is far more effective in the long term for the person to find hope for themselves. This should lead to a questioning of the appraisal of thoughts, which in turn leads the person to effective treatment. I call it the "Red Mini Syndrome". You never see a red mini until you buy one, in the same way, once you begin reintroducing hope into your life, you may start to see it everywhere.

I was asked by a colleague what hope was to a person experiencing depression, and I immediately replied "Hope was Crosby`s Partner". albeit a cheap and throwaway line, I thought about it later and wrote a song, which hopefully outline the paradoxical universe a person with mental health can find themselves in.

Hope you like it.



Till the next one, learn something new.

Mark.

Time Less Classic.

Evening Strumpets,


Time is something which puzzles me. I know for a fact that somewhere there is a ten year old version of me waking up on a rainy Thursday morning in the six weeks holidays, and Mam`s saying "away lets go and see that new "Raiders of the Lost Ark" film at the pictures". I know that there`s an eighteen year old version of me somewhere, walking up the stairs to the Madison Nightclub in Middlesbrough wondering if tonight I would meet someone. Unfortunately there`s also an eighteen year old version of me somewhere stood at the end of the night watching his mates "tap" off, and going home in a taxi, alone.....don`t feel sorry for me, I got there in the end! Besides how would I have grown such a love of the Smiths if I`d this hadn`t happened.





There`s, hopefully, also somewhere an eighty year old version of me holding me Sweetheart, whilst walking the Grandkids in the Park. What I think I`m trying to say is that time is a concept that as long as our arses point to the ground will never be clear as a general notion, but individually we can let it be whatever we want it to be. I like the idea that Mam and Dad are still laughing with each other on their first date somewhere. And if I`m wrong then, well I`m not in a gang of one, of that I`m certain.

This reminds me of a joke my Brother recently told me.

When I was older I used to love playing with me time machine.




Here`s a song what I have wrote about the whole shebang. (in 2/4 Time).



Till the next one learn something new

Rock Your Mind Festival 2010

Evening Strumpets,

I`m very privileged to be taking part in the Rock Your Mind Music Festival taking place in ten pubs in Middlesbrough throughout the tenth of October. The Festival is the brainchild of Aaron Gray, and is to promote awareness of mental health issues.

I`ll be teeing off in TS1 at 1pm, but there`s loads of other brilliant stuff there too.

Checkout the facebook page @http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Rock-Your-Mind-Music-Festival/139607669383071

Here`s a song what I have written



Till the next one learn something new.

Mark.

Oooarr missus.

Evening Strumpets,

So today was an absolute blast at Whitby, the kids were dressed in pirate Garb, the beard was effective, and may be coming off tomorrow. I can`t begin to explain how pleasurable it was playing there today. i`ve been really lucky to play at some amazing sites this year, Topcliffe, Deer Shed, but this was on a par with anything I`ve done. if you`ve been to whitby, you`ll know what I mean, but the bandstand is situated at the foot of the pier and below the Abbey and West Cliff. There literally was nowhere you could look that wasn`t breathtaking.
Whilst playing "That`s Entertainment I noticed a group of people at the top of West Cliff, so I shouted for them to wave, and blimey o Riley ace of spies, they did. incredible. The kids had their faces painted and wore their pirate costumes with pride, and had messed about throughout dads set, attempting to put me off (just occasionally)

A really lovely day day, and £570 raised for Whitby RNLI, I`ll post more pics as I can, but massive thanks to all the performers, and especially to Angie and John Taylor of North East Live for arranging it all.

Here`s me doing me best Pirate scowl.



Till the next one, learn something new,

Mark.

Jamboree.

Morning Strumpets,

I`ve had quite a disastrous year so far when it comes to attempting to carry the drum on a stick for half marathons. I had to drop out of the Redcar Half Marathon, due to a still undiagnosed Chest condition, which literally had me dry Coughing till my eye`s looked like Arnies in the Mars scene in Total Recall.



And then this week I`ve damaged a tendon in my left foot which has put me out of the Great North Run. I am absolutely gutted. But I`ll be back, God`s know what with, but I`ll think of something. Maybe my body`s trying to tell me something, I don`t know (possibly stop eating all the pies).

However I am still going to be attending Whitby Pirate day tomorrow, so get yourselves there if you can. Eagle eyed viewers may notice I`m wearing Roland Rat`s Arse around my mouth and chin. Itchy and uncomfortable does not come into it, but I think I`m starting to like it. What do you think, on second thought`s I probably don`t want to know.

Fun and frolics at the bandstand from 10:30 till about 6.

I`m getting up at about 3pm, so if you should see me, give me a wink. Here`s an old song from a band called The Nephrons. They`re great, (of course the fact that along with Carl and Mark I`m in them has no way influenced my choice of description).



Till the next one, learn something new,

Mark.

Whitby Pirate Day 2010.

Evening Strumpets,

On the 18th Sept I along with a variety of other performers will be commemorating Whitby Pirate Day, by playing some music for free at the Bandstand at the foot of the Pier in Whitby, North Yorkshire.



We will be playing in full Pirate garb and raising funds for the "Ooooo ARRR NL AYE AYE Cap`n" (RNLI for those of you not on the same wavelength).

Hope you can make it, it should be a reet laugh.



Till the next one, Be learnin a somethin` new me hearties,

Mark.

Kyles Song

Afternoon Strumpets,

Benjamin from Utah, who designed the GNS Logo, and the design for the GNS Shirt which I completed the Great North Run wearing last year (and hopefully will also do again a week on Sunday), has written a pretty fantastic song for his son. It`s accompanied by a lovely video. So take a look.



Till the next one, learn something new.

Mark.

irish

fmb