Purple Rain

We went to see Prince on Friday at the 20,000 capacity o2 arena, which is bigger than most places we go to concerts at by about 19,750 people. A strange show with bits of brilliance rather marred by a lack of momentum and lacklustre ending. Good dancers though.

People We Love #1

Went to see Howe Gelb again last night. We love Howe, the man is just a genius. I like this video because last night he was saying how he never gets the chance to write songs anymore because he is in a generational sandwich with his children and his parents living with him, so his time between interruptions has gone down from 12 minutes to 9 minutes. Judging from this video, 9 minutes is a bit optimistic....

Coincidence?

Is it just a coincidence that England start playing much better as soon as Frank Lampard doesn't play?

Bobby Byrd RIP

Sad news that Bobby Byrd has died. Known mainly for his work with James Brown, but also this great record. He was also the man that did most of the vocals on Sex Machine. Some legacy.

Lynda LaPlante

I can't say I was ever a huge Lynda LaPlante fan, but after listening to the overtly racist, offensive trash that was coming out of her mouth on the radio today, I'll make sure I give anything else she is connected with a wide berth. You can listen to a quite extraordinary piece of radio by clicking here and listening to Robert Elms' Monday show.

Middle of the road

It's a Swissgrace

That the Swiss ruling party is using this poster for campaigning is a disgrace. The fact that the Swiss people let them get away with it and the fact they have even increased their lead in the polls since it has come out is even more of a disgrace. The Indy had an article on its front page yesterday asking if Switzerland is now the heart Europe's heart of darkness. On CNN they interviewed a young black guy in Geneva and he said it came as no surprise that they were using blatantly racist campaigning, but he was surprised by how blatant they were about it.

In my last job I worked with a lot of Swiss people and found the vast majority of them very materialistic, arrogant, racist and not very happy. What a horrible country.

Majestic lion

We saw this lion at Chessington. It was really interesting watching him feed. A zookeeper hid meat around the lion's enclosure and then let him out to "go hunt". We were told it's the way the zoo endeavour to keep the lion as active as possible and to mimic life in the wild as well as they can in the circumstances. It was truly fascinating to see the lion at work; we've never been on safari! Si and I agreed that the animals at Chessington look well looked after and certain healthier than other animals we have seen in captivity. This grand ol' master has got some mating coming his way as there is a serious shortage of his breed and apparently he's of "very good stock", if your a lady lion and so inclined.

Chessington rocks!

We went to Chessington yesterday and can't recommend it highly enough for a family day out. We were lucky to pick our day, as it was pretty much empty (post schools going back) and it was great to keep going around on your favourite rides without queuing at all! No queues =very happy Pacuare People. The Log Flume was a huge hit for our fearless 4 year old. The combination of zoo and rides is a great one and the park is really well landscaped for a place of its genre. The sun shone and the 4 of us had such a super time. We'd be pretty lucky to replicate the "no crowds and lots of sun" formula again, but we'd highly recommend the place for a fun day out. Top tip: get vouchers for entrance tickets, it is expensive, but aren't all these places.

T's "favourite things" cake

This is my version of the Power Ranger cake, but I put Scooby Doo on there too, the dapper dog is also a Pacuare juniors' fav. I went for a double choc victoria sponge cake in the end with some cardboard Power Ranger cut outs; the selotape and cocktail stick solution proved a goody.

I was asked the other day how you make a Vicky sponge cake - my nana always says 3 eggs, 6oz self raising flour, 6oz sugar and 6oz marg/ butter. If you want chocolate you add some cocoa powder and reduce the flour. The easy way to remember is: pick your number of eggs ( 3 0r 4 will do for standard vicky sandwich tins) and then put double the amount, in ounces, of all other ingredients, with slight adjustment for chocolate. Two tins and an oven at around 175/180 degrees F. 25-30 mins and there you go. Your canvas is prepared for all sorts of decor experiments.

Cake expectations

I am just trying to get my head around how I can rustle up one of these in a jiffy. And also, just how much damage all that red coluring could do to a party of 3 and 4 year olds. It's a shame T does not have an obsession with car wheels or anything else that is round and victoria sponge tin-like. I sense the solution could involve cocktail sticks, selotape, the internet and a printer - stay tuned for the 3D Power Ranger cake creation.

Power Ranger world

We are currently riding the crest of a Power Ranger wave, read obsession! It seems to me they are like Transformers (which apparently are also all the rage again), but can move faster and don't run the risk of turning into a car or plane at an inappropriate moment. Great outfits too! Also, it's very important, I am told, to remember they are called Power Rangers Mystic Force, so as not to be confused with any other Power Rangers you may bump into.

Google Earth Flight Simulator

Tried my hand at the flight simulator on Google Earth, hoping to land on our house, but unfortunately didn't get very far out of Heathrow before crashing. Would have made a lousy pilot.