Roy Stannard's Blog

When you think you know it all, ask the next question

  • Walter Tull. Why have you never heard of him?

    The 25th March marks a lonely anniversary. There should be parades, bunting, crowds. But there will not be a single Reveille. On that day ninety-three years ago an authentic hero died in the Second Battle of the Somme. A Boys Own hero, a sporting legend who had played for Spurs, a leader of men who… Read more

  • A Place in the Sun – my love affair with Tracey Thorn

    I first stumbled across Tracey Thorn on the Cherry Red compilation ‘Pillow and Prayers’ in 1983. She had three songs on the album under her own name, The Marine Girls and Everything but the Girl. I was astounded by the maturity, magical resonance and mellifluous marshmellowness of her voice. I also loved the feeling of… Read more

  • As in Photography, so in Life.

    In Minimalist Photography the technique is the palette. The palette informs the technique. It speaks of space. The image on the canvas is the art in itself. It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. If you can read messages, meanings and morality into the creation, then that is your mind’s neurological pathways conspiring together… Read more

  • The Hirsch SB-1 guitar makes its debut – and ‘The Messiah will come again’

    Jon Hirsch is a dreamer, inventor, perfectionist and musician. He combines all these qualities in the form of his life’s obsession. Creating his own guitar. Like me, he’s listened to all the greats, wondered at the strange blend of spiritual transcendence and sheer down to earth sweat and toil involved in making a guitar sing.… Read more

  • January Laments – New Indie Love Songs

    It’s January 2011 and the Atlantic rain is driving in on the unlimited causeway of my mind as I sit in one of the quieter moments of another new start, new year. As always at these times, I have the music. Read more

  • Roy’s Blog Overview in 2010

    The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!. Crunchy numbers The average container ship can carry about 4,500 containers. This blog was viewed about 14,000 times in 2010. If each… Read more

  • Standing at the doorway of the year (what I’m doing next)

    Waiting for stars to come into alignment, precursor angels to whisper in our ear and a sense of imminent goodness to happen. Sure, 2010 was a tough year and some aspirations have had to be put on a ventilator for a while – but day by day that infant we call hope will grow imperceptibly… Read more

  • My Top Ten Albums of 2010

    Roy Stannard’s often requested Top Ten albums of 2010 – with the next ten thrown in for good measure. Read more

  • Time to Leave the Basement

    Our brains, like our homes, contain comfortable areas that we don’t like leaving – even when it’s bad for us. Somethimes it takes a fire to propel us towards the Skylight Question.. Read more