Lørdag den 13. maj 2017 kl 16:30 søndag den 14. maj 2017 kl 16:29

16:30 Postbudet leverer en pakke – en plante, en flask vin, og en æske chokolade fra vores datter Alison og Ed, Alisons mand. De vil takke os for at indvillige til at flyve til Danmark i juni, for at passe på deres børn, mens Alison og Ed flyver til Hong Kong for at deltage i en ægteskabelig jobsamtale. Hvor er de dog tankefulde!

17:15 Lois har ikke ringet endnu. Hun er i landsbyen Down Hatherley og har brugt eftermiddagen på at deltage i et seminar om ”Biblen og astronomi” – du godeste, sikke et vanvid!!!! Der er ikke ret meget om astronomi i biblen, troede vi begge to.

Jeg  hopper op på min kondicykel og tilbagelægger endnu 6 miles (10km). I går så jeg på 1961s Billboard-hitliste, og i dag 1960s liste. Langsomt vælter jeg i frit fald ned dette lange kaninhul tilbage til mine rødder, men på ét eller andet tidspunkt vil jeg måtte holde op med denne sindssyge idé. Jeg ved ikke, hvornår Billboard startede sine hitlister. Jeg behøver at finde på et nyt skema før eller senere – det ved jeg med sikkerhed.

Tilbageblik til 1960: Lad den lille pige danse!

1960 var et stort år for mine forældre, mine søskende og mig, fordi vi flyttede fra Sale i Manchester-området sydpå til byen Bristol. Min far var blevet udpeget til skoleinspektør af en ikke-eksisterende skole i Hartcliffe, en lille forstad til byen. Det var den mest spændende periode i min fars liv – det har jeg ikke nogen tvivl om – det var hans livs drøm at få muligheden for at designe en spritny skole, afgøre skolens filosofi, motto osv, og i særdeleshed udpege alle lærerne og undgå de fanatiske fagforeningsmedlemmer (hurra!) – måske den lykkeligste tid i sit liv.

min far i 1960 på sin spritnye skole

Det var ikke så lykkeligt for os børn, fordi vi endnu engang måtte skifte skole midt i året (april 1960) – på 14 år min syvende skoleskift. Stakkels mig!!!!

Da jeg ser i aften på Billboards 1960-hitliste, kommer jeg i tanke om, at min søster Kathy købte ”Cathy’s Clown” af Everly Brothers, lige efter vi flyttede til vores nye hus. Det blev til ”hendes sang” i et lille stykke tid.

Cathy's Clown: min søster Kathy købte pladen

mig i 1960 i baghaven af vores nye hus i Bristol.

Min syvende skoleskift på 14 år. Det er ikke så underligt,

at jeg allerede manglede selvtillid – du godeste, stakkels mig!!!!

[ingen kan lide et pivehoved, Colin – red.]

18:00 Jeg skynder mig ud i køkkenet og laver aftensmad.

18:30 Lois ringer til mig. Hun vil have, at jeg henter hende. Hun er hos Mari-Ann og Alfs – de har kørt hende tilbage fra landsbyen Down Hatherley, hvor eftermiddagens seminar fandt sted. Seminarets deltagere spiste pizzaer efter mødet, så hun er ikke sulten. Jeg kører over til Up Hatherley og henter hende. Vi kører hjem.

Lois er meget træt. Hun sov ikke ret godt i nat, og måtte koncentrere sig dybt under seminaret i eftermiddags.

Hun er meget glad for, at se gaven Alison og Ed sendte os.

Lois fremviser Alisons gaver til os: en plante, en flaske vin

og en æske chokolade.

Vi ser lidt fjernsyn. De viser en interessant dokumentarfilm, der handler om en ambitiøse genindspilning af den berømte ”Ghostbusters” film, genskabet på den lille skærm af to givne engelske skuespillere, der kommer fra det nordlige England: Keith Lemon og Paddy McGuinness.

Jeg har selv ikke set den oprindelige film, så Lois giver mig en hurtig resumé.

Dokumentarfilmen afslører, at optagelsen af denne genindspildning blev ramt af en stribe uheldige ulykker, hvilket fik kameraholdet til at tro, at reelle spøgelser var i gang med at hjemsøge dem!

Det er ingen hemmelighed, at Robbie Williams, den berømte popsanger, der spillede en af de tre oprindelige ghostbustere, blev involveret i en bilulykke under optagelsen: han måtte trække sig af filmen på grund af en nakkebeskadigelse og også aflyse en planlagt verdenturné. Robbie blev erstattet af skuespilleren Tony James, og senere af skuespilleren Will Mellor, der begge to blev involveret i ulykker og måtte gå i nakkestøtter.

Det er ingen hemmelighed, at

filmens optagelse blev desværre

ramt af talrige ulykker og nakkbeskadeligelser

Genindspildningen blev kritiseret for at erstatte nogle af uhyrer i den oprindelige film med uhyrer fra berømte britiske tv-programmer til børn og unge (hunden ”Spit” med hans bugtaler-ejer Bob Carolgees, og ”Mr Blobby”, men Keith og Paddy forsvarer deres beslutning og siger, at disse figurer ville være mere skræmende for de seere, der kunne huske 1980’erne, end noget som helst, som verdens største computere kunne skabe. Men det er Lois og jeg ikke helt sikre på. Det er juryen stadig ude om!

Filmens uhyrer blev kritiseret for

at være ikke skræmmende nok,

men det er juryen stadig ude om.

21:00 Den sidste time før sengetid. Vi slukker for fjernsynet og lytter til radio. Vi har forbudt os tv og elektroniske skærmer efter kl 21 – vi er så fornuftige ha ha ha. Vi hører en dejlig koncert i Classic FM.

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzz!!!!!

04:30 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske ordforrådtest.

Jeg kigger lidt på nettet og jeg ser et charmerende billede af Alison, vores datter i København og hendes 3 børn, som Ed, Alisons mand, har lagt op på Instagram.

Alison, vores datter i Danmark,

og hendes 3 børn på havnen i Rungsted

08:00 Jeg lunter ind i køkkenet og laver to kopper te. Jeg tager dem med op i soveværelset og hopper op i sengen til Lois. Vi drikker téen og står op. Vi spiser morgenmad.

10:00 Vi taler lidt med Sarah, vores datter i Perth Australien, Francis, hendes mand, og deres 3,5-årige tvillinger, Lily og Jessica. Det er meget sjovt at tale med dem om deres liv derovre. Jeg prøver at tage et billede af Lily, men hun bevæger sig for hurtigt. Jessica er mere tænksom og hun koncentrerer sig mere end Lily.

Sarah, vores datter i Perth, Australien

Jessica, én af Sarahs 3,5-årige tvillinger

Vi fortæller Sarah de seneste nyheder om hendes søster Alison, der bor i København. Vi siger at der er en mulighed for, at Alison og hendes familie flytter ved slutning af året til Hong Kong. Lois og jeg kan derfor ikke købe vores flybilletter til Australien i næste år, indtil vi ved, om vi kan kombinere et besøg hos dem med et besøg hos Sarah og Francis.

12:00 Vi spiser frokost og bagefter skal vi af sted. Lois ønsker at deltage i en gudstjeneste, der finder sted i eftermiddag i byen Tewkesbury, og hun er ikke tilladt at køre bil for tiden på grund af grå stær. Jeg sætter hende af foran kirken og drejer ind i den nærliggende parkeringsplads.

Jeg tager min oldnorske saga frem og begynder at læser den 10. kapitel. Gunnlaug, vores helt, har sejlet fra sit hjem i Island for at rejse lidt og se verden. Han har forladt Helga, sin kæreste, i Island, hvilket var lidt dumt, fordi hun er Islands smukkeste pige, og mændene står i kø og venter på en chance for at score hende.

Gunnlaugs største rival, Hrafn, har også været på rejse i udlandet, hvilket er lidt af en lettelse for Gunnlaug. Men desværre er Hrafns rejser forbi. Han har nu kommet tilbage til Island og han har bedt Helgas far om at droppe Gunnlaug og lade ham (Hrafn) gifte sig med Helga i stedet.

Gunnlaug, Hrafn og Helga - det 10. århundredes 

mest lidenskabelige kærlighedstrekant.

I mellemtiden er Gunnlaug desværre stadig i England efter at have besøgt Norge, Sverige, Irland og Orkneyøerne. Det er interessant, at England i de dage var betragt som en del af den skandinaviske verden. Gunnlaug er islænding men han er mere end villig til at hjælpe den engelske konge, Ethelred, med at forsvare landet mod danskerne, der konstant truer at invadere.

14:30 Gudstjenesten er sluttet. Lois og Mari-Ann kommer ud af kirken. Vi kører Mari-Ann hjem og sætter hende af foran hendes hus. Lois og jeg kører hjem og slapper af med en kop te i sofaen.

Sikke en dag!!!

English translation

16:30 The postman delivers a package - a plant, a bottle of wine, and a box of chocolates from our daughter Alison, and Ed, Alison's husband. They want to thank us for agreeing to fly to Denmark in June to take care of their children while Alison and Ed fly to Hong Kong to take part in a marital job interview. How thoughtful they are!

17:15 Lois has not rung yet. She is in the village of Down Hatherley and has spent the afternoon attending a seminar on "The Bible and Astronomy" - good grief, what madness !!!! There is not that much about astronomy in the Bible, that's what we both thought.

I jump on my exercise bike and clock up another 6 miles (10km). Yesterday I looked at the 1961 Billboard chart, and today 1960's chart. Slowly I am tumbling in free fall down this long rabbit hole back to my roots, but at one point or another I will have to quit this insane idea. I do not know when Billboard started its charts. I need to find a new schema sooner or later - that's something I know for sure.

Flashback to 1960: Let the Little Girl Dance

1960 was a big year for my parents, my siblings and me, because we moved from Sale in the Manchester area, south to the city of Bristol. My father had been appointed headmaster of an as yet non-existent school in Hartcliffe, a small suburb of the city. It was the most exciting period in my father's life - I have no doubt about that - it was the dream of his life to have the opportunity to design a brand new school, determine the school's philosophy, motto, etc., and in particular appoint all the teachers and avoid the fanatical trade unionists (hurrah!) - perhaps the happiest time in his life.

my father in 1960 at his brand-new school

It was not so happy for us children because we had to change school again in the middle of the year (April 1960) - at 14 years my seventh change of school . Poor me!!!!

Tonight when I look at Billboard's 1960 chart, it comes to my mind that my sister Kathy bought "Cathy's Clown" by the Everly Brothers, just after we moved to our new house. It became "her song" for a little while.

Cathy's Clown: My sister Kathy bought the record

Me in 1960 in the back garden of our new house in Bristol.

My seventh change of school at age 14. It's no wonder

that I was already lacking self-confidence - my god, poor me !!!!

[Nobody likes a whinger, Colin - Ed]

18:00 I hurry into the kitchen and make dinner.

18:30 Lois calls me. She wants me to pick her up. She is at Mari-Ann and Alf's house - they have driven her back from the village of Down Hatherley, where this afternoon's seminar took place. The seminar participants ate pizzas after the meeting so she is not hungry. I drive over to Up Hatherley and pick her up. We drive home.

Lois is very tired. She did not sleep that well last night and had to concentrate very hard during the seminar this afternoon.

She is very happy to see the gifts Alison and Ed sent us.

Lois showcases Alison's gifts: a plant, a bottle of wine

and a box of chocolates.

We watch a little television. An interesting documentary about an ambitious remake of the famous "Ghostbusters" movie, reproduced for the small screen by two British actors from northern England: Keith Lemon and Paddy McGuinness.

I have not myself seen the original movie, so Lois gives me a quick summary.

The documentary reveals that the filming of this remake was dogged by a series of unfortunate accidents, leading the camera team to believe that real ghosts were haunting them!

It's no secret that Robbie Williams, the famous pop singer, who played one of the three original ghost busters, became involved in a car accident during the shooting: he had to withdraw from the film because of a neck injury and he also had to cancel a planned world tour. Robbie was replaced by actor Tony James, and later by actor Will Mellor, both of whom became involved in accidents and had to wear neck braces.

 It's no secret that

filming of the movie was unfortunately

dogged by numerous accidents and neck injuries

The remake was criticised for replacing some of the monsters in the original movie with the monsters from famous British television programs for children and youngsters (the dog "Spit" with his ventriloquist /owner Bob Carolgees, plus "Mr Blobby") but Keith and Paddy defend their decision and say that these figures would be far more frightening to viewers who could remember the 1980s than anything the world's largest computers could create. But that's something Lois and I are not quite sure about. The jury is still out on that one.

 The film's monsters were criticised for

not being scary enough,

but the jury is still out on that one.

21:00 The last hour before bedtime. We turn off the TV and listen to the radio. We have banned TV and electronic screens after 9pm - we are so sensible ha ha ha. We hear a nice concert on Classic FM.

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzz !!!!!

04:30 I get up early and do one of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.

I take a little look online and I see a charming picture of Alison, our daughter in Copenhagen and her 3 children, which Ed, Alison's husband, has posted on Instagram.

Alison, our daughter in Denmark,

And her 3 children at the harbour in Rungsted

08:00 I amble out into the kitchen and make two cups of tea. I take them up to the bedroom and jump into bed with Lois. We drink the tea and get up. We eat breakfast.

10:00 We talk a little with Sarah, our daughter in Perth Australia, Francis, her husband, and their 3 and a half-year-old twins, Lily and Jessica. It's a lot of fun talking to them about their lives over there. I try to take a picture of Lily, but she always moves out of shot too fast. Jessica is more thoughtful and she concentrates more than Lily.

Sarah, our daughter in Perth, Australia

Jessica, one of Sarah's 3 and a half-year-old twins

We tell Sarah the latest news about her sister Alison, who lives in Copenhagen. We say there is an possibility that Alison and her family will move to Hong Kong at the end of the year. Lois and I cannot buy our plane tickets to Australia for next year until we know if we can combine a visit there with a visit to Sarah and Francis.

12:00 We have lunch and afterwards we have to go off. Lois wants to attend a church service taking place this afternoon in Tewkesbury, and she is not allowed to drive a car at the moment due to cataracts. I drop her off in front of the church and turn into the nearby parking lot.

I take out my old Norse saga and start reading the 10th chapter. Gunnlaug, our hero, has sailed from his home in Iceland to travel a little and see the world. He has left Helga, his girlfriend, in Iceland, which was a little stupid because she is Iceland's most beautiful girl and all the men are standing in line waiting for a chance to score with her.

Gunnlaug's biggest rival, Hrafn, has also been traveling abroad, which is a bit of a relief for Gunnlaug. But unfortunately, Hrafn's travels are now over. He has now returned to Iceland and he has asked Helga's father to drop Gunnlaug and let him (Hrafn) marry Helga instead.

Gunnlaug, Hrafn and Helga:  the 10th century's

most passionate love triangle.

Meanwhile, Gunnlaug is still in England after visiting Norway, Sweden, Ireland and the Orkney Islands. It is interesting that England in those days was considered as very much part of the Scandinavian world. Gunnlaug is an Icelander but he is more than willing to help the English king, Ethelred, defend the country against the Danes, who are constantly threatening to invade.

14:30 The service has ended. Lois and Mari-Ann come out of the church. We drive Mari-Ann home and drop her off in front of her house. Lois and I drive home and relax with a cup of tea on the couch. What a day!!!