Soundtrack to this weekend ...

Snuffling around in the Mediatheque as I do during a Saturday afternoon in search of audio truffles I hear something vaguely familiar ... Burial? No ... the vocals could be Julia Holter ... no, the rhythms are too insistent ... in fact: Andy Stott & the album Faith in Strangers. I get home, play the first two tracks & then hare back to borrow his previous CD Luxury Problems. That good.

Difficult as it is to imagine but I am not a paid up member of the Manchester House scene ... nevertheless this music is immediately affecting. Chasing up interviews with Andy S. it's intriguing to see his aesthetic - mistakes are the most interesting thing you can do; start without any idea & see what comes up; no rules; etc..

Another opening.





Yesterday morning ... I cycle up to the Tram Museum & pause on the bridge. How could I have not noticed these before?

Padlocks left in the wire mesh. Tokens of remembrance - but of what? A suicide plunge? A romantic tryst? A last gasp at what stage of a run? Fascinating & just a little disconcerting. The evident symbolism of the bridge with the steady stream of traffic below.




Trees against the Saturday morning sun. Or an ECM cover photo if you prefer.

This morning (Sunday) I opt for two circuits of the Hippodrome which makes 3km in all. Twenty one minutes - the first lap is the slower as I take time to ease into a stride. Whether this is 'good' or not is irrelevant. What matters most is to be out in the fresh air & moving.

Tomorrow the Oral exams begin - thirty one in all. It's a slog but if they go well a rewarding one.