Well the Stones got to play Glastonbury after 40 odd years. It’s a long time isn’t it? If you think back to the mid 60’s when the Stones broke through, it’s comparable to some guys sharing the stage with them who’d been big during WW1. Think of that! I watched them on the tv last night performing an hour of their set. Was it worth the wait?
I wrote the the other day about some great jobs I’ve had and the cushiest number in the Met Police. But it got me thinking about some of the worst jobs I’ve had to endure. I had a few lulus working at the bakery during school holidays. One job involved standing by this conveyor belt for a 12 hour shift loading freshly baked loaves hot from the oven onto trollies. The problem was that you were completely alone facing a wall and at head height about 4 feet away hung a large clock which was impossible to ignore. There was nothing to distract you from its torturous gaze. I can tell you that those shifts felt 18 hours long.
There’s a new sit-com just started on the radio. Based in Geordieland it’s called ‘Y’a tarkin shite man’ and it involves the goings-on at a shambolically-managed footie club affectionately known as the Doon, so called because, as the locals put it, that’s where the club’s gannin’ next season.
Watching Brazil beat Italy 4-2 tonight brought back some very happy memories for me. I was just 17 and it was the summer holidays. I’d been working for weeks at the bakery and had a little bit of money saved and John McCann, who was my best mate then, and I went for a lads few days away to Troutbeck up in the Lake District. Not only did John have a tent but he also possessed the coolest Mini in the area. He was also pretty good at footie and too good looking for his own good as my nan described him. Whatever nan thought, it still meant that meeting girls was a lot easier with John as wing man.
Ah now look at that. There’s a picture of the Queen, laughing for a change, and the reason was that her horse, Estimate, had just won the Gold Cup at Ascot. Now I’m not much of an avid royalist as regular readers will know but I can’t be alone in thinking that the media went overboard with its royal adoration at this momentous event.
Well here’s a picture of the bonkers couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian just before their baby was born. It’s been very difficult to avoid exposure to this particular celebrity pregnancy. I don’t care anything about the couple if truth be told but like everyone I guess I was wondering what dopey celebrity ‘K’ name they were going to give the little ‘un. My money was on King Size.
I used to think I had the best of jobs when I headed up the marketing team at Cellnet and then topped it when I became Head of Sponsorship at BT. Both roles had their difficult moments: at Cellnet I worked for some really twatty bosses (exceptions BMc and SA) whereas at BT I had a great boss but the bureaucracy was numbing. But that apart I had a ball, working with some great guys and doing some of the most cutting edge, award-winning and, let’s be honest, enjoyable marketing stuff you could imagine. And they paid me. Bliss. But here’s the thing, I think I’ve found the law enforcement equivalent of the very best job in the world. Well in the Met Police. Here’s a clue:
Shocking news eh to learn of the death of James Gandolfini at just 51. I like this image of him in a classic Tony Soprano pose – that look of calm menace was just brilliant characterisation. Surely he was the finest actor in the most gripping TV programme of the noughties. A poignant line from his character Tony reflecting on life as head of the family….
“All due respect, you got no f—–g idea what it’s like to be Number One. Every decision you make affects every facet of every other f—–g thing. It’s too much to deal with almost. And in the end you’re completely alone with it all.”
Pasta Paulie 