Update 16

Well well, my my - here we are at my blog (one of three I've created this week - see my profile for t'others). It's been fun too - I haven't had time to import the various photos that have been included in my updates but that will happen. This will be a great way for you to keep track of me and see more/hear more. For instance his week I went searching the silent alliance site on myspace and youtube (and the website). Great stuff it is too and rather than have you search yourself I'll put a video with this post so that you can see and hear the talented Mr Kirkhams et al hard at play.



Apart from the techno excitement of the blog we had Jade's ball at school - Jacky and Jade looked amazing!! Photos to come - I just need to find a card reader for the camera and I'm away.

Other news - last week of school this week and then 2 weeks holiday - wahoo; my soccer boys had their game canceled; Spain won Euro08 - fabulous - Cesc Fabregas for Arsenal was impressive in the semi-final, not so much in the final; it's been raining pretty much constantly since my last update, a lot of snow on the mountain; jacky and I went up to the snowline - made snow angels (oh yes we did!!) and had a great time.

I promised some guilty pleasures in my last update - Mr Roger Marbeck mentioned in a reply to an update that he was listening to Peter Frampton. I scoffed and then went away and dug out Frampton Comes Alive - there must be a billion copies of this lying quietly in record collections throughout the world. Yes Roge - tis good - I admit it, but it's a guilty pleasure. Should I like it? Should I admit it? Oh what the hell!!

That's about it for this week - currently grooving to Tool (love that sludgy sound)

Love and peace out - W

Update 15

Giday - I'm writing this at 4.30 on Wednesday afternoon - it's been dark
outside for ages, rain pelting down (actually more sleet than anything)
and flipping cold. I haven't had much time to devote lately to my updates
- last weekend was a rightoff in terms of having personal time or even
being at home - Friday and Saturday we (the school) hosted a Maori speech
and haka competition for Taranaki/Wanganui and it was huge!! Also on Sat
my boys football team had a great 6 - 1 win. The Sunday and Monday I went
with about 120 of our students to Wellington for a sports exchange with
Taita College. Jacky came too and we came back with Samantha. So it's been
full on. This weekend we have our school ball (Jade has been busy with her
preparations). Then the week after that I'm in Auckland for the final
residential of my First-time Principals certificate.

I also attended a few functions and a conference at New Plymouth Boys'
High - during which I found out about wikis and moodle, met up with a lot
of old friens and also tried to set up a blog but I haven't had time to
get into that yet - may be something I can develop next term.

Recently you've had my Dumbo movies and books. This time it's an easy one
- CDs. Easy cos this is what you do with music right - play them over and
over (unless it's by Ringo or Yoko in which case they don't get too many
rotates). The test for Dumbo CDs is - can you stand a multi-repeat play
straight after you have just listened to it? Okay here's mine and I had to
go to 10 - 5 was too tough:

David Gray - White Ladder; Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks; Beatles -
White Album (actually called 'The Beatles' but I would point that out);
Coldplay - Parachutes; Hard Fi - Stars of CCTV; Van Morrison - Moondance;
The Exponents - Grassy Knoll (NZ band); Bob Marley - Live at the Lyceum;
Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn. That's nine and my all time favourite Dumbo CD -
Frank Zappa - Waka Jawaka/Hot Rats (I can seriously listen to Big Swifty
20 times in a row!!). So - the usual suspects in there I know. Next time -
my guilty pleasures.

Till then - Love and peace - W

Update 14

Howdy all - Thanks for all of the responses re your Dumbo movies - I had a
great week renting a lot of them and sussing them out. I can't believe I'd
never seen Love Actually before (the Dumbo movie on a few lists). Samantha
tried to get me to watch this a while ago but I thought it was a soppy
kind of love story. It was great!! The pile of movies also came in handy
cos I had a head-cold and a few days off school as a result so I kept warm
and watched things like Notting Hill, The History Boys, Love Actually,
Friends with Money and so on.

Boys soccer team won 8-1 on the previous Saturday (5 goals to Tim
Stanners!) but we lost 4 0 this week. Euro 08 has started and now we have
Sky my sleep patterns are taking a pounding. Two games a day is absolute
heaven but the times for us in the lower bit of the world are a killer -
3.55 am and 6.35 am kick offs mean I'm cream crackered for the day. It's
worth it though. Teams to watch so far are Portugal/Germany (as always)
and this morning the dutch were very impressive.

Nature watch: dry, cold and greyish for the last week really. Today was a
kracker though - blue skies/frost and sun. All the leaves have pretty much
gone now though and the animals are eating hay cos the grass is not
growing. An interesting thing I heard was that May was our coldest for 15
years and in the UK it was the hottest on record. Weird huh.

I was going to mention my Dumbo books this update - These are more clear
cut than movies or CDs. I usually only read a book once and shelve it so
I'm pretty sure these are about the only books (apart from Beatle books)
that I've read more than once and the number one Dumbo I've read four
times. In ascending order then - Buddhism Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen;
Lost in Music by Giles Smith; Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby; All I really
need to know I learned in kindergarten - Robert Fulghum and at number one
and by some distance: Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance - Robert
Pirsig (the best book about the combination of father/son relationships,
English teaching, zen, and motorcycle maintenance ever written!!). The
blurb on the back of the addition I bought in 1977 said 'this book will
change your life' and it did/has. When I look at the list everything I
love is in there (except for Jacky) - music, Arsenal, a way of living,
children parent relationships, teaching...all there. A great book. Feel
free to share yours if you wish.

Currently grooving to + special guest (Country boy a fav), Rammstein
(after waching the Germans dismantle Poland), and The Kooks first album
(Samantha hates them but I'm a fan).

All for now - love and peace - W

Update 13

Hey there - mainly sport and film this update. First the saddish news that
Rochdale lost their game against Stockport 3-2 for promotion to League
one. What a great great achievement to actually get to Wembley. I'm really
looking forward to next season now - we've finally got Sky TV (I couldn't
bare to be without football any longer) so I'll keep more up-to-date with
the sports news. Sky won't be reporting on my Under 15 football team
however so my updates will be crucial for you. I can't remember if I told
you that we won our first game against Hawera 4-1. Sadly we lost on
Saturday 3-5 (ahead 3-2 at half time thanks to a hat-trick from our
striker - Tim Stanners) but we fell apart in the second half.

Samantha returned to Wellington safely on Sunday having done a grand total
of 5 mins study at home (before falling asleep on her books). I spent the
weekend at sport and getting stones for our river and watching a
movie...let me now tell you about the Dumbo principle.

When Jade was really young she wore out our taped copy of Dumbo. I would
guess that between the ages of 3 and 7 she watched Dumbo about 5 trillion
times, and she always cried when Dumbo and her mum were separated in the
cage (always!!). I don't think she's watched it since but that movie held
its fascination for her throughout endless viewings. Thus the Dumbo
principle was born - these are the movies that you (okay..I) have to own
in all formats and that can be watched over and over and over and they
never lose their appeal. You will know what I mean and have your own I'm
sure. Actually there aren't that many are there. I'm not talking about the
best films ever made here (my top pick in that category now always and
forever would be Pelle The Conqueror as you all know, but I can't see
myself watching it every year). Make a list of 5 movies you have on both
VHS and DVD and that you watch at least once every year. I bet you're
struggling. So that would mean that if you do own movies (like me) for the
huge majority of them you only watch them a few times (even once) and then
they sit on a shelf for years. For my list it's all about movies so the
Beatles Anthology is not here, nor are box sets of TV shows like Seinfeld
that is being watched somewhere in our house pretty much
constantly or the Star Wars six movies (they are a given!!).

For me then the following are my top 5 - At number 5 - The Bourne
Identity/Bourne Supremacy/ Bourne Ultimatum trilogy. Actually it's the
first two really but whenever I've watched Identity/Supremacy I now need
to complete the experience with the third one. For me the only action
movies that bare repeat viewings. Why? - the sets/locations are fantastic,
the action superb, the themes (I'm a sucker for the memory loss
storyline), the acting (Franka Potente is awesome), the whole package - I
never get sick of it.

At number 4 - Lost in Translation. I watched this twice in the weekend
alone (hence this update topic actually). The first hour alone is magic. I
watched this for the first time on the plane to Thailand in 2004 and so it
had a special context for me and yet I rewatch it again and again. Bill
Murray is a genius and this is his self proclaimed favourite role.

At number 3 is another Bill Murray film - Groundhog Day. A film about a
day that repeats itself over and over (and I watch it over and over). It's
helped that the family (except Jacky) can also watch this over and over.

For the top two films the ultimate accolade - I've used these in my
teaching and they are still films I can see at home over and over. Number
2 is Jerry Maguire and number 1 is About a Boy. I actually used AAB about
two weeks ago with my Y11 (fifth form) class of reluctant English students
(and they loved it), then went home and watched it again!!!

The Dumbo principle also applies to books and music and I'll get to them
in another update. Oh goody you say!

Nature watch - blue skies/frosty mornings/ trees still turning colour/
mountain is bright and clear today. Bosker!

Currently grooving to The Arctic Monkeys (second album).

All for now - take care - love and peace - W

Update 12

Howdy folks - I'm killing time before our annual variety concert begins -
thought I'd make a start. This week we welcome back Samantha from
university for a short stay - apparently to get some country air, enjoy
our company and get some reading done in peace. It sounds like rush hour
at Piccadilly station everytime we ring her at her flat so I think the
last one sounds real.

Rochdale in the playoffs!! Christine sent me a media story and it was
great to see the dale set to play at Wembley (WEMBLEY!!!!). Every year
growing up I've looked for Arsenal and Rochdale results and places. It's
been very predictable. Every year Arsenal challenge for honours (okay -
not every year but I've blotted out the horror of the late 70s and woeful
80s from my memory) and Rochdale - always in the bottom of the 4th
division that was. Every year and I mean every year - a kind of extended
40 years of Arsenal in the 80s...bloody hell!!..for NZers imagine if the
All Blacks had 40 years of regular loses to Romania...aaarrrggghhhh!!!!!.

I recommend Bill Bryson's book 'Shakespeare'. Dad sent me a copy (thanks!)
and it's a bosker read - again made me homesick for London because he
writes so elegantly about the place (even if it is about diseases that
were rife in Elizabethan London).

Currently grooving to BoyzIIMen - album of Motown covers has me and Jade
(when she hears it) singing along in the car.

All for now - go Rochdale!!

Love and peace - W

Update 11

Part of this update is a warning (!!) that I will be in Auckland for a
couple of days in July. I have a first time Principals' conference at the
Centra (by the airport) from Wednesday July 9 to Friday July 11. If you
live in Auckland or environs I'd love to pay you a visit if I can or you
may want to visit me (I'll organise a rental car for one of the days to go
to Orewa to see dad and Ross). So that's Marbecks, Ross, dad, and Suzanne
if you want to meet up for a coffee at some stage. Please let me know wot
suits.

The week has sped by (maybe when you get these updates you think the same
- wo - a week already!!). Went to Wanganui last Thursday to meet with
Ministry of Education people, interviewed for a receptionist, taught
English, coached soccer, had a PTA (Parent Teacher Association meeting,
had a billion other meetings - usual stuff. Some old friends from Nelson
came to stay for the weekend (Duncan and Stephanie Borlase - Jade's
Godparents) - we missed them when Jacky and I were in Nelson recently cos
they were in the North Island for work. I was fab to catch up with them -
they're old friends so it was like we saw them last weekend - we just pick
up. It's actually been 14 years since we were living in Nelson but we've
kept in touch. I think the last time we saw them was in cambridge about 4
or 5 years ago.

Jacky was most impressed (I was stunned) with the kids getting in touch
for mothers' day - well done! The big celebration this week is Samantha's
birthday on Friday.

Nature watch - rain came back on Friday after a nice few days - not as
freezing as last week either. The Borlases had fine weather but couldn't
see much of the mountain - obscured by clouds. The magpies are back -
early morning calls. The sheep have been in the tank paddock which is also
where the dogs have their kennels - poor Bazil and Finn are being bullied
by the sheep. I should explain again that these are pet sheep - orphans
who were hand reared and not afraid of dogs at all (or me as the other
photo shows) - so they drink the dogs' water, nose around the kennels and
stand around blissfully unaware that they are confusing the dogs who think
they are king of the castle. The two young horses have returned to the
owner/neighbour (after wrecking a gate that took me 20 mins to repair) and
the growth in the grass has now stopped. Ducky (the cow) moos like crazy
when she can't find long grass so we'll need to hard feed her soon. I've
included a photo of Finn on top of some hay in our hay barn - we got 100
bales from one paddock. We paid $1 each to have them baled. They are now
nearly up to $13 a bale to buy. Next year we plan to do 2 paddocks and
sell 100 bales.

Currently grooving to David Gray - White Ladder, some live DVDs, New Day
at Midnight, Life in Slow Motion.

Love - W

Update 10

Howdy all - Nature watch this time around comes complete with some
photies. We've had dramatic weather since the last update - two fine days
(the day I took the pics - Saturday, and today), the rest all wet and
cold. The snow on the mountain has doubled since Saturday with a bitterly
cold day yesterday. We've had solid fires for days now (Jacky is a wuss
with the cold as you all know and home all day with her sore shoulder and
with the fire stoked to the max). The other nature watch pic is of one
border to our place that is in bush with a river running through it - very
tranquil and a good place to relax and chill out. I jumped the fence and
did an explore on Saturday. If there's room I'll add a photo of the sheep
pens - Jacky and I drenched the sheep easy peesy with the race - last time
I jerry built a pen by holding some trellis and the sheep bolted over the
top of me (yeah - funny) so this was all a breeze in comparison.

Of late I've found myself missing England - just thought you'd like to
know. To borrow a phrase from About A Boy - this is 'The Warren Show' and
I don't often let you know how I'm feeling so here goes: I did really love
it there and I'm missing all sorts of things. People - Christine and the
rest of the kirkhams, my teacher friends, the football and the football
culture, the guardian, Fopp, the trains, jam sandwiches, the size, London,
the Houses, the weather (dark at 4pm is great!),
Leigh-on-sea, the BBC, Sainsbury's, radio 2, the food, the walks, the pub
lunches, the access to history...I could dribble on for a while longer but
you get the drift I'm sure. In essence I felt very much at home in the UK
but I'm not sure why this should hit me so badly now - we've been in NZ
for 17 months now. I did watch the Bill Bryson DVD - notes from a small
island again and that doesn't help - nor does obsessively watching About A
Boy, but there you go. The trouble is that those of you in the UK will be
going - what? Is he nuts.. it's paradise in NZ. But Keegan, Adam, Samantha
and Jade will, I think, agree with me that our experiences in the UK
indicated that NZ is very cut off - insulated as it is from the rest of
the world (the Finn's expression - tyranny of distance is apt), and small
in its outlook and feel. To me it feels like everybody knows everybody
else (especially in the education world). My melancholy mood at the moment
tips this into the 'this is a bad thing box'.

The European football season is pretty much done and dusted - Liverpool
and Arsenal fans (ie and Kirkhams and me) will be looking forward to
August. Rochdale continue to astound me - what a season. I'm not only
teaching a class this year (and loving it) but I'm coaching the boys'
soccer team as well - first game this Saturday against Hawera High School
- will keep you posted!!

Currently grooving to some Hard Fi and the Smiths and Tom's remix (good
company huh Tom).

Take care y'all - love and peace - W