Easy Living?

I have spent five hours today in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers! It's been very warm, but a bit more cloudy, on and off - and as London is now subject to a hosepipe ban, every single pot (of the hundreds we have) needed to be watered using the watering can! Exhausting, but worthwhile.

With the horrors in the news at the moment, thank heavens for those geniuses at Soft Tempo Lounge, and their ultra-futuristic world, to give us some calm:

Soft Tempo Lounge - Easy Living at Home '69

Ah, that's better...

[Music: Die Jankowski Singers - Vilja-Lied; Original film: Whirlpool - Home is What You Make It (1969)]

"I've been to the year 3000. Not much has changed" *

click to embiggen

Spot what’s hidden in the picture?

This!

Yes - our little Robin, despite searing temperatures and rapidly dying foliage around her [because we don't want to water the wall pot of fuchsia while she's in there] is still carefully hiding behind the twigs and nursing her clutch of eggs, opposite our back door. It won't be long now till the chicks arrive [fingers crossed]!

Meanwhile, as we have just got through the last full day of this heatwave, according to the Met Office - a day that has been mainly overcast and incredibly humid, and exhausting - we need some respite, courtesy of the wondrous folks at Soft Tempo Lounge. I have seen the future, and it involves lots of plastic, lots of very unrealistic special effects, and lots of pouting!

Soft Tempo Lounge - Lounge 3000

Faboo, as always.

[Music: The Atlanta Disco Band - It's Love; Original film series: Star Maidens (1976)]

[* and the title of this blog? This.]

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STOP PRESS. 12.30pm:

Here we go again...

Neither this post from last night, nor my tribute post to Ann Blyth from Friday, have shown up the the Blogger Reading List! The Google gnomes need another kick up the arse.

Down Mexico Way - and an unexpected visitor

Brodiaea laxa “Queen Fabiola” is a sparkling joy! [click to embiggen]

It's been rather hot and humid in London again today - and of course, I spent hours in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers, potting-on more specimens that have rapidly outgrown their current space, and watering the whole shebang from end-to end [that's a lot of pots!].

There's one wall-pot that isn't going to be sprayed down with the hose for a while, however - for we have discovered, among the branches of our Fuchsia Viva Ireland (with its companion self-seeded fern), and shaded by a branch of the climbing Fuchsia Lady Boothby, directly opposite our back door to the garden...

...a Robin has made her nest!!

That's a first - for any garden we've had - and it will be lovely to observe [fingers crossed] the pair raise their chicks! If I can do so without disturbing her, I hope to get a pic at some stage.

Meanwhile, let's take a trip to exotic climes, in the company of the ever-wonderful Soft Tempo Lounge, shall we? I think we should:

Soft Tempo Lounge - Holiday in Mexico '63

Just what the doctor ordered.

I wonder if all that hideous brutalist architecture's still standing?

[Music: Orchestra King Zérand - Pop in Mexico]

Le Groove

Fashion. Inflatable rooms and furniture?! Human kaleidoscopes?!

Let the wonders commence, and let those marvellous people at Soft Tempo Lounge take us on a trip. And it is a trip...

Soft Tempo Lounge - Le Groove '70

Ah, that's better.

[Music: Les Masques - Mais un jour...]

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Miami Vice

It might have been a mixed bag of cloud, strong breezes, sunny spells and a distinctly fresher feel to temperatures today, but needless to say, I spent the afternoon [as I did yesterday, watering and pottering] out in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers - I dug out, investigated and re-potted some fuchsias whose leaves had been chewed by the dreaded vine weevils [I squished three adults, but thankfully, after washing their roots, found no grubs; they're lethal to fibrous-rooted plants], and potted up a load of ipomoea seedlings that had been languishing in tiny pods for far too long. That was quite enough for today.

With the forecast being for declining temperatures and possibly some rain in the week ahead, let us instead wallow in the lives of impossibly glamorous people, cavorting in exotic [well, Miami, anyhow] and sunny climes, shall we? - courtesy of the simply faboo Soft Tempo Lounge:

Soft Tempo Lounge - Lounge Miami '69

Ah, that's better.

[Music: Francesco de Masi - Diamond Bossa Nova]

Swinging!

Scilla peruviana (again) - on full breathtaking display [click to embiggen]

The first sunny day since we've been back, and it was inevitable that I'd spend it in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers! We now have two sets of display shelves - and each needed a bit of propping-up to avoid them shifting on our uneven, sloping paving, so all the pots needed to come off. Then came the job of gathering up the plants again (and more), to arrange them on and around the shelving for maximum display and to disguise the edges. At each turn, the crud and litter (mainly from the bastard weed trees) had to be cleared [as did the pots/troughs of spent daffs and the dead wallflowers and tulips, to be replaced with the foxgloves, the first of which I potted-up] - and several plants needed potting on/refreshed compost as I went along. Needless to say, I'm aching...

What finer tonic could there be after all that, than a trip into the heart of Swinging Soho - courtesy of the ever-marvellous Soft Tempo Lounge?

Soft Tempo Lounge - London Chic '67

Ah, that's better.

[Music: Polish Radio Orchestra - My Girl, Suzy; Original film: Swinging Britain in the 60s: A Psychedelic Dream (1967) - British Pathé]

Dave permitting

Our Brunnera macrophylla “Jack Frost” - taking centre stage, as it should! [click to embiggen]

I had another busy day in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers yesterday - I potted up some brand new Zantedeschina aethiopica (hardy Calla lilies) tubers that arrived in the post earlier this week, repotted a whole load of biennial foxgloves and campanula we have been nurturing since last summer, split and potted-on a tangled mass of baby self-seeded ferns that had been bunged into one pot for the winter, and did the same for some nerine bulbs [that have done bugger all for years, in the hope they might one day give us some flowers] and a few hardy geraniums to increase the stock.

Phew. One might think that flurry of activity might prompt a nice, quiet day to follow - but we plan (the side-winds of "Storm Dave" - yes, "Dave" - permitting) to pay a long-overdue visit to the horticultural wonderland of Crews Hill, and the phenomenal Gardening Club [before the bastards pull it all down in favour of one of the Labour government's flagship "new towns" - as was confirmed recently] today.

Meanwhile... some home decor suggestions, courtesy of Soft Tempo Lounge:

Soft Tempo Lounge - Simply Modern

Perfectly lovely.

[Music: Max Raffeng - Leila]

Gardens, getaways and geeks

A second day in the garden in pleasant Spring weather? We're being spoiled...

Yes, we've been busy pottering in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers - dividing up some overcrowded pots (and realising, as usual, we have small pots and huge pots, but never the right size pots), pruning-back the hardiest salvias and numerous other unruly bushes (I even made a start on some fuchsias - but that's a job and a half by itself), and loads more besides. Now I'm aching in places I didn't realise I had...

Time, methinks, to sit down, relax and dream of holidays, BOAC-style [not the skiing, obviously!], courtesy of the faboo Soft Tempo Lounge:

Soft Tempo Lounge - Getaway '68

Starting to feel better, already.

[Music: Jack Parnell and his Orchestra - Warm Breeze]

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Meanwhile...

...that there Mr Device - our fave "Star Trek geek" - is having a birthday today! Time, methinks, to drag out the old traditional "face-swap" photo, in tribute:

Hope you're having an absolutely splendid day, dear boy!!

From Bermondsey to Capri

Cosprop storeroom - a dressing-up box writ large

Having not long got in after a lovely day with Mother - we all went along to see the superb Costume Couture: Sixty Years of Cosprop exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, on its last weekend [more on that later, no doubt] - then after seeing her safely off on the train back to Portsmouth, drinkies and nibbles (chips) in the Wetherspoons at Waterloo, there's still time to enjoy a little wallow in the goings-on of beautiful people in exotic locations, courtesy of the simply faboo Soft Tempo Lounge:

Soft Tempo Lounge - The Boy from Capri

Oh, that's better...

[Music: Orchester Franco Taormina - Tabatuajara; Original film: Il suo nome è Donna Rosa (1969)]

Soft cars?

Yesterday was glorious Spring-like, sunny day - and I spent several fruitful hours in the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers, clearing sycamore-seed-clag, and "banishing (more) death" by cutting-back any browned and frosted foliage and stems I could see; I sorted out and repotted a few languishing ferns, and had a general move-around of some pots; I also cleared our new shelving ready to give it a scrub and [finally] put some Spring-flowering stuff (bulbs, wallflowers, primulas) into the eyeline of the bench [although I never actually finished that task, as it started to get a bit overcast and gloomy and I'd had enough by then]. Today, it was pissing it down all morning (apparently). It certainly was when I got up a couple of hours ago - so any plans to continue the momentum are on hold, unfortunately...

On my last day of freedom before the grind of work begins again tomorrow, I get to take it easy instead - and what better way to enhance that mood than with a little something from the geniuses at Soft Tempo Lounge - and some vintage cars?

Soft Tempo Lounge - Girls and their Cars

Ah, that's better.

[Music: The Continentals - Undecided]

The party's over?

Happy New Year, dear reader!

We're having a very slow, woozy day after the excesses of last night's party here at Dolores Delargo Towers.

How about some footage..?

Soft Tempo Lounge - Teenage Kicks '66

Yeah, baby, yeah!

[Music: 00:00 Gert Wilden - Hot Dance; 02:55 Orchester Wolf Gabbe - Swinging Nordwest]

Belles and banjos

Hard to believe it's December! [Fuchsia "R.A.F.", taken today]

We're having a lovely laid-back weekend - the first in ages where we haven't had some social event or other - just pottering around the house and garden.

To complement the mood, how about another wallow in the cavortings of impossibly glamorous people doing exotic things, courtesy of the faboo Soft Tempo Lounge? That'll do nicely.

Soft Tempo Lounge - Southern Belles (Window Dressing)

Fab - but banjos? At a fashion show?!

[Music: David Snell - Light and Easy]

Cavorting? In this weather?

Having had a very disturbed sleep - the vile granddad next door started shouting in Bulgarian into his phone at around 6am, and did not stop to take breath for the next five hours - when I'd finally had enough and eventually surfaced, I found it was pissing down again (and had been for hours), making even going outside for a fag a complete bind. Suffice to say, it didn't put me in the best of moods...

Never mind, eh, let's have another wallow in the glamorous lives of beautiful people cavorting in exotic, sunnier climes, shall we - courtesy of the ever-faboo Soft Tempo Lounge:

Soft Tempo Lounge - Anges' Lounge

Ah, that's better.

[Music: 00:00 Rolf Rosemeier And His Orchestra - No Escape (Theme From Subterfuge); 02:00 Gorni Kramer - Donna]

Soho Sal

We're off en famille to our fave Wetherspoons the Penderel's Oak this afternoon - Our Sal's in town! She and John-John went to see Abba - Voyage (his treat for her birthday, which is next month), and this gathering is to see her off before she heads back up north to Newcastle.

Holborn's hardly Soho, but I never need an excuse to feature a little nostalgic wallow into that bustling heart of our great city - courtesy of the ever-faboo Soft Tempo Lounge:

Soft Tempo Lounge - Soho Scene '69

Sublime.

[Music: Peter Herbolzheimer - Botafogo; Original film: The Big Switch (1969)]

Dream of a new Carioca

With so many weekends recently taken up with social gatherings of one sort or another, the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers had accumulated an impressive inch-deep carpet of leaves from the bastard weed tree (sycamore) still overhanging from next-door. I knew I needed to tackle it, so, with an unaccustomed burst of energy after yesterday's very lazy day, I did - and also began the process of "banishing death" by cutting back dead stems on the phlox and other perennials. Two very full black bags later, and I am very pleased with the result.

Now I am knackered, of course!

To ease my aches and pains, let's take a much-needed virtual holiday in the sunshine (I wish!), shall we? - courtesy of the faboo Soft Tempo Lounge:

Soft Tempo Lounge - Carioca '70

Ah, that's better...

[Music: Erlon Chavez - All My Love Is For You/Você Abusou]

Sweet things?

After all the build-up I gave it yesterday, John-John's plans for a sort-of-"spooky"-themed Film Club afternoon/evening (to include Bette Davis in The Anniversary and Witches of Eastwick) were dashed, when we could not get Hils and Crog's DVD player to play any sound through the telly in the function room at the pub. So we ended up watching Carry On Screaming on a free streaming service instead [which went down very well, actually], but, concentration levels diminishing in direct proportion to the quantity of alcohol consumed [we were there from about 1.30pm till closing time!], the rest of the evening was mainly music videos. It was a fun "family gathering", nevertheless!

Today, taking full advantage of the extra hour in bed thanks to the clocks going back, we eventually ventured off to the garden centre to buy Spring bulbs and wallflowers to brighten up the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers next year.

Meanwhile, how about some suitable "Sunday Music", courtesy of the geniuses at Soft Tempo Lounge, and some very peculiar fashions indeed?

Soft Tempo - Fashion '71

Groovy!

[Music: Barbara Moore - Sweet thing/Feel fine/Feeling free. Footage: 1971 Fashion Awards - BBC Archive]

Dress-up dolls

It's been a miserable, dank, rainy Sunday here at Dolores Delargo Towers, and I haven't even felt the need to get dressed, let alone venture out of the house or garden.

What we need in such circumstances is a good wallow into the glamorous lives of impossibly gorgeous people in exotic situations, courtesy of the ever-wonderful Soft Tempo Lounge...

Soft Tempo Lounge - Paper Dolls

Ah, that's better...

[Music: Luiz Bonfá - Window Girl]

Je fais, aussi!

Before we set off to our fave Wetherspoons the Penderel's Oak in Holborn this afternoon for a jolly gathering to (belatedly) mark History Boy's birthday, let us drift into dreams of summer, sunshine and holidays again, shall we? - courtesy of the ever-fabulous Soft Tempo Lounge:

Soft Tempo Lounge - Sunny Riviera!

Ah, that's better...

[Music: Gregory - Je Fais La La]

September in Estonia

It's a dull, overcast - but still warm - day here at Dolores Delargo Towers, and I'm having a bit of a lazy one. I've taken a few salvia cuttings ['tis the season], but apart from that...

Let us instead have a little trip off somewhere exotic - Estonia, of all places - shall we, courtesy of the "world of wonder" that is Soft Tempo Lounge:

Els Himma - Veerev Päev (September)

A number that wouldn't be out of place on a Tacky Music Monday, methinks, and one that raises many questions. Was the cameraman drunk? Why does everyone look so bored? Did they not have hairbrushes in Estonia in the 1970s? What the fuck is that bit of parcel ribbon dangling from her split ends?!

It's perfect.

The Quadfather

Sharing the day with a whole raft of famous names including Keanu Reeves, Marge Champion, Salma Hayek, Lennox Lewis, Billy Preston, Moira Stuart, footballer Joey Barton, Daniel arap Moi, PM Sir Keir Starmer, Jimmy Connors, Victor Spinetti, Francis Matthews, Bill Shankly, Mark Harmon, the ill-fated astronaut Christa McAuliffe and - erm - Google Chrome, we have a centenary to celebrate - that of Mr Hugo Montenegro!

Who? I hear you ask...

Well, he got to #1 in the UK charts for three weeks in 1968 - holding off strong challengers including Eloise by Barry Ryan and This Old Heart of Mine by the Isley Brothers - with this:

Hugo Montenegro and His Orchestra - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly [Ennio Morricone]

Although he did score some films in his own right, he really made his name in the estimable company of the likes of Ron Goodwin, Henry Mancini, LeRoy Holmes, Stanley Black et al, whose orchestrated "easy listening" compilations of film music became extremely popular in the 60s and 70s. He was nicknamed "The Quadfather" in the early 1970s as a pioneering composer for quadrasonic recording, and was renowned as an early pioneer of musical arrangements using the Moog synthesizer.

There is one composition by Mr Montenegro, however, for which he really is best known - this!

I Dream of Jeannie

All hail, Hugo Mario Montenegro (2nd September 1925 – 6th February 1981)