firstly: Italian Rita died this morning. Stevie was sat outside the bathroom when i came out, and it was obvious. they'd said for a couple of days that it was going to happen soon, and since she was diagnosed as terminal, it think she's done everything she wanted to - that i know of, at least - and hasn't had a long period of suffering, as is much in her character. she said that saying goodbye to her grandchildren was the hardest thing she'd ever done. she's taught me a lot, in fact many of my opinions come wholesale from her (after careful consideration, she often makes a whole lot of sense), and anyone who's ever commented on my clothes will know my traditional response - '50p from sally army in lockerbie,' since she has kitted out my wardrobe for as long as i can remember. my biggest regret is that i never got round to bringing any of my freinds to see her. she reminded me in so many ways of Aughra, and now she has returned to the stones and trees (dark crystal reference, google it). i'll miss the funeral - scattering her ashes on burnswark hill with a few bottles of scotch - but that's probably just the way she'll have wanted it.






on a lighter note, Hen Heaven benefit weekender:

>Next weekend at splendid Sanctuary Cafe is a Beat Bedsit weekend in aid of
>Hen Heaven, a bird sanctuary in Henfield (no, really). Here's the
>lowdown..
>
>FRIDAY 1st OCTOBER to SUNDAY 3rd OCTOBER
>Downstairs At The Sanctuary Cafe,
>Brunswick Street East (off Western Road)
>Brighton, 01273 770006
>
>Entry each night £5, weekend ticket available on the Friday for £12
>Doors open 7.30pm, music runs till 11.15pm
>Plus DJs and compere Justin Rhyme
>and fabulous cakes and meals upstairs of course...
>
>FRIDAY 1st
>
>GIRL AFRAID
>Garage pop of the highest calibre
>WOB
>Spring heeled indie pop fellow with lungs of elastic
>PROJECT ADORNO
>Electronic bubble wrap beat poetry that verges on the unique.
>SHORT TERM DIARY
>Thoughtful and incisive acoustic emo.
>POG
>Acoustic ska folk punk, pepped up with beats and a heart shaped bass.
>
>SATURDAY 2nd
>STEVE LAKE
>Zounds singer playing a solo set of acoustic sea shanties.
>DICK LUCAS
>Subhumans / Citizen Fish / Culture Shock frontman in poetry mode.
>THE ASTRONAUTS
>Legendary and elusive anarcho outfit.
>MOONEY
>Devastating barrage of venomous and hilarious verse.
>MJ HIBBETT
>Ultra-indie songwriter - a fusion of Billy Bragg and Half Man Half Biscuit
>with a bit of David Gedge.
>WILBERFORCE
>South London English pop eccentrics.
>
>SUNDAY 3rd
>THE LAS VEGAS MERMAIDS
>Lunatic collective of sketches, songs and giant gingerbread men.
>BIG HAIRY BAND
>Blissed out indie grooves.
>RACHEL PANTECHNICON
>A lady and her musings on a number of inflammatory subjects.
>WE AM JANET
>Cross the Bonzo Dog Doo Da Band with Syd Barrett and you're close.
>THE PARACETAMOLS
>Compere Justin Rhyme with toy obsessed rock combo.
>
>All money raised after expenses will go to Hen Heaven, a sanctuary for
>ex-battery birds.
>
>If you want more information, please get in touch.
>
>Hopefully see you there!
>
>Paul

NB. one just hopes that the Mooney following the lovely MJ Hibbett isn't the one we all know and call fuckface, behind his back.