what a drag it is getting old (part 457)

I may have put these up before but can't be bothered checking (life's too short etc). 

I'm indestructible so l hate to think what l will look like when l am 372. It's bad enough now!

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nan and pauline are missing

Brilliant!
From here

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a young keith moon

Yep - even Keith Moon was once a fresh faced sweet looking innocent youngster.
He soon changed that.

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the retreat into dementia

I'm either losing my marbles, or l have too many CDs. Either way, l've just rigged up some equipment to convert streams from the computer and old cassette tapes onto CDs, or stash away digitally before the tapes get too knackered (a technical term). 

One favourite tape of mine that l was given by a girl l met in Dublin is from a band called The Retreat, who gigged and lived around Plymouth. They released a cassette of an album they recorded in 1990, and very good it is as well, albeit heavily influenced by The Waterboys Fishermans Blues period, which is no bad thing, as, at that time, The Waterboys were probably my favourite band, which is why l was in Dublin in the first place.

After listening to the cassette again, making the recording, and transferring it to CD and my ipod, l made a CD cover for it (I'm a very sad man), and went to stash it away (alphabetically of course). That was when l discovered and dimly remembered that l had bought their limited 1993 European pressing of the album on CD, so there was no need for me to have digitalised it in the first place.

Still, l've now got two very slightly different copies, with slightly different CD covers, so who's laughing now?

Right - now onto my old Spike Milligan cassettes.

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nevermind by nirvana is 25 years old

The ground breaking masterpiece that was Nirvana's 'Nevermind' album is now 25 years old. The time has flown by, and if the passage of the last 25 years flying by doesn't make you feel old, this photograph will emphasise it even more.
It's Spencer Eldon, the baby featured on the cover, now obviously grown up, and recreating the cover (for about the fifth time).

For the few that don't know - here's the original.

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steven tyler is old

Even internationally known super cool rock stars have to get old (unless they die early), and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is no exception, looking at his recent beach photographs.
It's bad enough for us mere mortals, but at least we don't have to live up to a mental image of our younger days for millions of fans, with numerous films and photographs of us in our prime to perpetuate the illusion that aging only happens to other people.
I'd feel sorry for the stars if they hadn't usually had such fantastic lives, with pretty much anything they wanted just a click of the fingers away (apart from a working painting in the attic).
Remember Aerosmith and Stevie boy this way...probably off their faces (It was 1977).



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good looking stars of the music world getting old

 Debbie Harry - then and now

                                                              Kate Bush - then and now

                                                               Pete Burns - then and now

Robert Smith - then and now

Everybody has to get old (unless they die early or have a painting in the attic), but some manage to do so better than others.  I'm saying nothing negative about any of the above, who were all strikingly attractive when they were younger, but the photographs prove that they are human just like the rest of us mere mortals.
As for myself?  I'm like Cattericks answer to Cliff Richard (The Peter Pan of Pop!), as l haven't aged at all over the last couple of decades.
Then again, maybe l have developed cataracts, or my mirrors are in need a good clean, as l am reliably informed by mates that l look more like Keith Richard, not Cliff.
And sadly, they mean how he looks nowadays.

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me being a senile old git and forgetting about rupert thomson books

l am definitely losing my marbles, my memory, or both (have l already written this?).
One of my recent second hand purchases was 'Soft' by Rupert Thomson, as l have been reading some of his other works, enjoyed them, and thought l would read more of the same (as you do).
One tiny snag is, once l started reading it, l realised l had already read it.  I had completely forgotten l had, and can hardly remember anything about it, apart from it involves an addictive drink. I blame the different covers (and God).  They confuse a senile old git like me.
Now l don't know whether to feed it to my parrot in disgust, or just crumble, admit l am a doddery, drooling, half mad imbecile, and read it again.
The trouble is, if l re-read it, l feel as though l am wasting valuable time that could be spent reading something else that l haven't already read, as l always have a pile of books waiting to be cracked open, and life is short.
Time for my nap, l'm getting a headache thinking about it..

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mr jet black from the stranglers

You'd think that not having to have a proper job and being in a punk band that have quite a following would make you happy.  Mr Jet Black (Brian John Duffy) from The Stranglers begs to differ.  Mind you, he is now 75 years old, so no wonder he is looking pissed off.

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charles dickens looks old

I know that people used to dress differently in the old days, and therefore looked older, but come on!!
This is the late and great Charles Dickens, a man known to everybody due to his classic books.
Like lots of other famous men over the years, he ditched his wife (that bore him 10 children) for an 18 year old girl, even though he looked like the above picture. Fame and fortune go a long way.
Sadly though, there is no holding back age, and when he died, Dickens was 58 years old.
I'll repeat that.
He was 58.
Now look at the picture again - he looks about 70 or 80.
Suddenly, the image staring back at me in my mirror doesn't seem so bad after all.

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celebrities who are the same age

All of the above celebs are the same age, but some certainly look a lot better than others.
For their names and more pictures, go here.

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bobby neel adams aging photographs

These are photographs that show the effects of aging, taken by Bobby Neel Adams, incorporating old photographs, torn and linked with new ones.  The top four photos all feature one person in each, the young and old version.  The others are direct descendants (mother/daughter etc), highlighting how similar they are (plus the effects of aging).  You can't turn back the old hands of time, that's for sure.  There are more pictures on his site.

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how to celebrate being 100

I don't know who this granny is, or even if the picture is faked,  but that is the way to celebrate a 100 year old birthday.

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ronnie wood is 65

Ageing - it's all in the head and in the clothes.  Ronnie Wood is 65, but dresses (and often acts) like a teenager, and still has a lust for life.  Some might say this is pretty sad, but l think it's pretty commendable the way he still wants to dress fashionably and stay up to date with music, books, fashion and art.  I suspect there is dye applied to the old crows nest on a regular basis (or even some weaves/wig), although l have no proof of that (but l do trust my own eyes and tiny brain).  To me, he looks pretty damn good, certainly much better than my grandparents did at that age (and me at my age).  Then again, l'd look that cheerful and trendy  if l had his money and l was a member of The Rolling Stones.
I say enjoy whatever age you are, you can't turn back the clock, and there's still plenty out there to discover, even if it is old films, books, records etc.

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1 to 100 in 150 seconds

Kanaal van Filmersblog says:

"In October 2011 I started documenting people in the city of Amsterdam, approaching them in the street and asking them to say their age in front of the camera. My aim was to 'collect' a group of 100 people, from age 0 to 100. At first my collection grew fast but slowed down when it got down to the very young and very old. The young because of sensivity around filming or photographing children and the very old because they don't get out of the house much. I found my very old 'models' in care homes and it was a privilege to document these -often vulnerable- people for this project. I had particular problems finding a 99 year-old. (Apparently 100 year-olds enjoy notoriety, but a 99 year-old is a rare species...) And when I finally did find one, she refused to state her age. She simply denied being 99 years old! But finally, some 4 months after I recorded my first 'age', I was able to capture the 'missing link' and conclude this project".  (from Boing Boing)

Interesting stuff, and it's also interesting hearing all the dutch accents.
Old age - it's a bummer (as the kids used to say).

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richard o'sullivan (and me) getting old

2009 Photo from the Daily Mail (probably the worst one they could find)

It's a bugger getting old, and sometimes it hits home what an old git you are when you remember shows or records from the past, and realise how long ago they were.  Not just that, but l recently found out that Richard O'Sullivan, who used to be Robin Tripp in Man About The House (1973), and Robin's Nest afterwards, had a stroke in 2003, and lives in the artists retirement home Brinsworth House.  He was in lots of other TV shows and films before Man About The House (including a role as  Cleopatra's brother in the 1963 film), but that is the programme l most associate him with.  I knew he had an relationship with Sally Thomsett (Jo) from the show, and was later with Tessa Wyatt (who famously made Tony Blackburn plead for her return on the radio), but l didn't know he had been ill.  Time waits for no-one and all that garbage, but l wish him well, as, although the shows don't appeal to me now, l liked them a lot when l was younger.

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the rolling stones getting old

There's been a lot of fuss about The Rolling Stones celebrating the 50th anniversary since their first gig, with a new book in conjunction with The Daily Mirror featuring old photographs of the band. It's strange to think that they will no longer be around soon, as all of the old time greats are getting older and dying off. The trouble is, who the hell is going to replace them? X Factor and Brit school illuminati? I really don't think so.
Anyway, l digress. I really like this cover featuring Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as Chelsea pensioners. Rather sadly, this was done 17 years ago. They seemed really old when l saw them on the 1982 tour, but Keef was still only 39 at the time. I still have difficulty getting my head around that, and l don't like to dwell on how young The Beatles were when they split up (and what ages they were when they were conquering the world) . Time is certainly flying by.

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how to write a blog rip off by the guardian

This advert was in The Observer magazine, and it is for a course run by it's sister paper 'The Guardian'.
If you want to learn how to write a blog (and use pictures as a key element!), sign up for the two days - it's a snip at £299.
I don't know who the 'Gentle' author of www.spitalfieldslife.com is, but how they will be able to keep a straight face during the two day course is beyond me. I suppose most of the takers will be elderly (or stupid), so won't realise what a waste of money this is, unless they are just doing the course to meet people and don't care about the cost.
If that is the case, just send the money to me and l will chat to you, or better still, save your dosh and get down to your local library or college instead, there will be more people and you will learn just as much (but without the great expense).
Public service statement on behalf of the old (and stupid) is now over.

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drugs l should be taking

I was awake at 4.30am this morning, as l have a dry ticklish cough that meant l couldn't stop coughing and settle down again. Then, just as l started to nod off, the bloody alarm went off, as l was at work. Damnation and buggery all around. As it is just annoying, l have been taking Paracetamol today, to try and numb it and make myself drowsy, otherwise the FPO will be booting me all night to try and get me to shut up. Maybe l should have gone straight for the Thorazine instead, it would probably have worked better.

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the stone roses show their age

And talking of being an old git (see last post), l was looking at this photograph from  The Stone Roses reformation that was announced recently.
I have blogged about how l wasn't too enamoured about the reformation before, but this picture just made me think about them (and everyone else of course) ageing, as they're certainly not the sprightly young whipper-snappers they used to be.
Then again, who is? After all, it was 20 years ago when they were top of the world, and no-one could expect them to look the same, in fact it would be freaky if they did (look at Cliff Richard).
It does however, make one pine for the days of unblemished youth, innocent times, and a rosy future ahead.


Hold on, l can't ever remember living in that time.
It must have been the drugs - l blame The Stone Roses (tidied that post up nicely).

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