Missing Madeleine McCann

Art forwarded an email chain letter to me purporting to be from Phil McCann the uncle of Madeleine who disappeared in Portugal. I have no reason to doubt the origination of this “chain letter” or the sincerity of it’s aim to circulate a picture of Madeleine. I am usually very anti chain letters but this is different. The writer tells us that the story is only being covered by the media in Portugal, UK and Eire. Phil McCann writes that the family doesn’t believe Madeleine is still in Portugal. Please look at the picture at the top of this post and if you think you see her – you know what to do. Don’t delay.
I keep every photo I use in a post on the Blog in a folder. The photo’s in there remind me of the happiest and the most desperately sad things.

At this time one week ago the EBB was walking on stage at the Gagarin gig in Athens. We had never performed in Greece and only Steve had been to Greece before. The offer to appear at the Gagarin came out of no where, as it were and we are all very glad it did.
Years a go when touring almost every day I would notice how we would use a certain route or motorway or pass through a certain town and then months would go by even years before we would make the return trip. It wasn’t simply that we were on tour in a linear and carefully structured tour that sensibly took us in one direction that was logical and planned. If only! The randomness of scheduling back then and some times today often means zig zagging across country or going up and down a motorway several times to cover north to south or east to west in spite of our representatives serious attempts to avoid this. So, when the Athens gig came up to be followed only days later by Liverpool FC’s appearance at Athens in the bid to beat Milan and win the European cup, I was intrigued by the co-incidence or as some might see it – synchronicity. Any way we all know what happened there and it was a disappointment for us LFC fans though I think the team acquitted them selves well enough through out the competition. The EBB made a few mistakes during the Gagarin show and LFC made a few in their execution of their game but their’s were much more noticeable than the EBB’s and more costly. LFC made a couple of strategic errors in Athens as well and I can honestly say the EBB did not. Oh well!
Well done to Chelsea for whacking Man U with a goal in the cup. I guess we all got what we deserved as far as football goes and we’ll all wait to see what new seasonal signings bring and then before we know it will all begin again. Ace!

The past few days have carried me through a roller coaster of emotion. Accumulated pressures have taken their toll. I feel an urgent need to move on with a new vigour rejecting any thing that obstructs the creative flow. The clock ticks and goes bloody tock in the next breath. A change is as good as a rest and I need a big REST. I have so much to do and if I am honest it’s as much to do with my own lack of self motivation that I haven’t finished some stuff. I work hard but some times it takes a lot longer to write my stuff than I am prepared to admit. I do spend quite a lot of time in a kind of dream exercising an artistic right (LOL) but I do know how hard it is to start work with a blank sheet of paper on a slow day and to turn that into a song or some other kind of worth while writing. The EBB will be meeting over the next few days to plan recordings of some of these songs.

I guess we expect we will have a finished album by mid 2008. We are also planning to have a few surprises in an updated show for selected UK gigs in September. Details to follow. Look out for changes on the website over the next week or so.

Don't forget to send photos for consideration for the gallery to edgar.broughton@btinternet.com

Mean while I have to make some time over the next day or so to get a ride in on my newly serviced and beloved Bianchi bicycle. Watching the Giro Tour of Italy on Euro Sport has stirred the blood.

Finally, I have a feeling to say that in spite of the sadness in this world which is evoked in the photo of Madeleine above, there are good people doing good things every where. It is some times difficult to see that potentially, as always, this is a great time to be in the world! Out Demons Out - Peace.

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Back from Athens with the sound of the wonderful audience at the Gagarin club still ringing in our ears. What a fabulous night!
Athens is a strange mixture of juxtaposed styles. We stayed in a hotel , the Acropol, in the “Oxford St” part of this ancient city. The place was a hive of activity 24/7 unlike London which knocks off at about 1 am latest these days. It was a dirty area with blackened pavements where it is quite usual to see half excavated wiring or plumbing, apparently left until some one can afford to or be bothered to come back and fix it.

I was out walking on Saturday and sheltered from a cloudburst at the foot of the Acropolis in an open air restaurant called the Five Brothers where I enjoyed Vine growers lamb. This was the best lamb I have ever tasted , wrapped in vine leaves with fetta cheese , potatoes and rice. A glass of red wine and a Greek coffee finished the meal nicely. I didn’t make it up to the Acropolis which is covered in scaffolding for a long term make over. The guys went up there and marvelled at the work going on today in what must be one of the largest and most important restoration projects in Europe. It is strange to come back to London to find that some one has probably tried to burn the Cutty Sark clipper in Greenwich which is one of our importand relics. What kind of people are these destroyers?

At many pedestrian crossings you take your life in your hands as you hit the zebra stripes, especially when the green light is in your favour. Many drivers seem to see it as sign to attack.
Steve, who has visited many parts of Greece says there is no comparison with Athens. He says the countryside is wonderful and the people friendly. The people were mostly friendly in the city of Athens which has a massive population. Most of Greece lives there. We searched the area we were in for some traditional Greek food but mostly it was tourist fodder including the ever present KFC and MacDonalds. Off the beaten track a few more interesting purveyors of traditional foods are to be found but surprisingly few.

In Athens the Gucci set are in evidence and wear their gaudy ( look how much money I have) expensive trash like those saddest Hip hoopers make bling look like brass. The home less beggars look to be more destitute than most beggars in London and there is a population of African street sellers peddling bootleg CD s, umbrellas, table cloths and any thing they can sell. They were insistent but mostly polite and friendly even when I turned down their offers.
I took a few photographs but saved the battery on my video cam for the gig later.

Major streets lined with shops filled with the usual tourist junk are often next to an old derelict building which would have been pulled down by the authorities any where else I have been and certainly in London. There is an air of decay which is ever present. They are many new excavations uncovering ancient artifacts and buildings. There is probably as much underground wealth in Athens as there is over ground.

Back to the gig. We walked out onstage to around 600 people ready to party. We had been concerned people might not understand our lyrics and the chat that comes with every EBB gig. We need not have worried as the crowd erupted at the first string note of Evening over rooftops. They understood every thing and we rocked the house for two hours. They even sang happy Birthday to Steve which was extremely touching and hugely warm of them. At several times I stopped singing and let them sing the song which was marvellous. This was the best audience at any gig since we got back together in 2006. Athens rocks. It is clear to see what years of neglect and the rule of the old Junta has done to this ancient city but the people are what matters and I am sure they will move things on in a bright new future. I have to say I have a sneaking regard for the lack of valuing things just for appearance sake that prevails here among some people and the funk is in some ways endearing. We look forward to playing the Gagarin possibly next year. When ever it is we know it will be a wonderful reunion for us all.

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Things have been a bit hectic lately which is why I haven’t been blogging as much as usual. We had a rehearsal on Sunday for Athens which we are all looking forward to very much. It was good to see we were all still up to scratch with the arrangements and order of things. We jammed through Death Of An Electric Citizen and decided to play it for the first time in years. I am going around the house singing Woo hoo I a die – very weird but that’s the EBB.
It was Arts birthday yesterday so big hugs and kisses to him. He only looks about thirty any way ( the bastard).
It should be a lot warmer in Athens than we are used to so it’s go steady with the packing and keep it light and airy. Sandles and beads any one? We have quite a lot of gear and instruments to take even though we are only doing the one gig. We are using a hired back line ( amplifiers and so on) so I will be using a Marshall. I still love the old Marshall sound even though I use two vintage Peavey Bandits. Perhaps I should try to blag Jim Marshall to give me one for old times sake. Now there is a guy who knows what he is doing. Him and old Charlie Watkins probably influenced the sound of UK Rock more than any one and of course Jim has had a huge impact on the world with the Marshall marque.
We are currently planning a few UK dates in September which will be fun. We will be trying out some more new songs to add to Soldiers of the light as well as putting a few old ‘uns back including Death of and electric citizen and possibly There’s no vibrations (but wait - a bit longer ?)
We are about to revamp some of the web site and make a few new additions. One of the the areas to be updated will be the gallery so – if any one has a photo ( Only one ) they would like to have placed there then send it to me at edgar.broughton@btinternet.com and we’ll choose the best ones. Ok then if you think you have two good pics send ‘em both but no more than two o.k?

We all wait with bated breath ( not ) to see the style of the Deputy Prime Minister in a short while when he becomes the man. I don’t have very high hopes. I am afraid New labour have lowered my expectations quite drastically though let’s be fair and wait to see what is on offer from old Drop Jaw.
It will be good to see the back of Blair who obviously still inhabits that rarified plane where one is never wrong because one is trying to the do best for the country. New Labour has damaged this country and political life in general in spite of all their efforts to mitigate their actions or white wash the truth.

Next time you go into Asda remember Walmart, the owners, have been fined millions of dollars in the states for clean water violations. After a series of assaults including the rape of a young woman in their car park Walmart instigated a feasibily study to look at what effect patrols by staff would have on the situation. It was found that where ever this was employed the incidence of assaults and theft dropped to nothing. Walmart however, decided the cost was prohibitive. Chinese and Indian labour is used to produce many of the goods you see in Asda such as the George line, food and kid’s toys etc. A worker in China is paid some thing like 19 cents for making a toy while the price for the same toy in the USA is 18 dollars or more. Conditions and pay for workers over seas are disgraceful and while Walmart are constantly claiming eco awareness and a viable strategy they continue to appear in courts for violations against the ecology world wide. A worker in China at a Walmart factory works , on average, from 7 in the morning until 10 at night to make a living wage which allows for little in the way of even small luxuries.

I guess that is it for now. Wish us well on our first trip to Greece. Later.

PS - BOW WOW WOW and WUFF WUFF WUFF to the Chelsea boys and girls on saturday. A dogs chance ?


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Lo Smeegen Look at lovey words I found in R's Trajer box. He says it is Wictaorian and is a strangeling thing when time do finds a mate ...then and noo or summat ....lovey tho ennit ... 'ceptin boot kidz in a skool ............

Dearest heart

There is a wondrous thread that weaves thru all my days filling me with hope in the hours in between the darkest times and first light – then a single thought keeps me afloat when other wise I might sink or fall from flight – be not afraid – nothing is permanent - I know I shall look upon thee at least once more and soon -
A hundredth farewell is none the less harsh - chilling and hurting us - making the longing worst – mean while and waiting – I have these thoughts
Most of us have won and lost – been loved - beguiled and reviled – abandoned and bereaved – addicted to some thing and or some one - we have all been lonely lovely and sad -
You wreathed in smiles waiting to be found - saved me – together we can be raised – aspiring – time is running – kiss me again -surround me with your sweetness – lovely in light – we have known madness - have grieved for the old ones passed and the almost new – this does weigh upon us all - we shall have reason for pain but there is no need to hurt forever – no need to be more than in some way – a little better –
Speak to me of folk - I know how well you do to love them best of all – I do love thee – we shall be together and speak of how wonderful this time is - when the sun sets shall we run ? – run now my darling – run away now with me . . . . .

. . . . . these days are so filled with choices and questions – I wish to say good bye to all of it – to know you - how filled with grace in wilderness we both might be - ribald and comrades – warm as long held hands – entwined - wild as can be - searching all of the worlds for truth or lies - changelings when ever we wanted it so to be . . . . .

. . . . in this place there is a door here – a glass way – a portal to a poorly made society – lost in the sand sea there are men who hate freely – is it possible they could hate love ? – I would rather they hated me - then they might only be badly mistaken instead they are doomed– yesterday in Gaza ( during the Second beginning ) some men shot at and killed parents and children attending a school social event. – they did this because they say it is wrong for young male and female children to play together and to listen to pop music – they say they will attack School Sports Day events throughout the summer where these sins are committed. . . . .they did this in God's name . . . .

There is a wondrous thread that weaves thru all my days filling me with hope in the hours in between the darkest times and first light - Do you know how I do love thee ?

As ever I remain your devoted protector ……….


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Yesterday - a map for the second beginning

This boy cumza moi ta tell his dada gonna kill im ifen he done marries a girl back ome – lies a wiv her n meks her wiv kid – mek him settle and love god but – he done wanna – he wanna shake and roll ta rapz und hopitty hips sway in the far off- I seez a “thug” fra Indus wiv skarff around his throat – eyes a bulgein like a dead fu nothin’ – I’m wide awake ….As Imaad and I ran further away from the shooting I began to realise that no one was chasing us though bullets whistled past us and made sparks as they hit the steel rail tracks or kicked up the small stones on which the tracks were laid. Eventually the sound of the rifles firing behind us grew distant and we were safe for a while. It was then I realised the men firing the rifles were not trying to hit us. They were merely having fun. Still the railway tracks lay spread before us in a tangled weave of rusting or shining steel. We ran more slowly. My heart was pounding and I was covered in a cold sweat from head to toes. I was glad to slow down. The boy moved easily over the rails. I could only follow with much less grace. The tracks extended before us for a half mile before they ran inside huge warehouses which flanked the rail yards on three sides. The fourth side of the yard was where the tracks entered the yard from every place in the country.

There , I saw it. Out of the corner of my best eye .I saw it go by. Some thing shadowy and quick. I heard some one saying "Tanke ya ..... plezeia dona taka touton mi .....tanke ya fu mi lyf ava merzey on mi a myna ....... phew ! ........ aynt roight .........te bee su scare ..........y tanke lud fo te sun on ma ...........blezz mi fren un famli ........... I feel loiyk puttin as many FULL STOPS BETWEEN the THING chasing me ............................az i can. Does the THING a chase meh does know who eye can bee und oo mite u bee ? U urd that noo singa called Babel ? I done one no ear da muzik dat is undangerooz. Momda buys it fo meh cos fink eye done know diffeuns. Babel iz part of wayz ta mek eye powless. Meh wan ear n feel stuff med of heart n art n fo peepul lyk uz. Peepul lyk uz is evry wear scared to nearly arf to deff coz we cud dizpear when walkytalky people decide evry thing fo uz. Snot az bad a dat do. No, ope is eye as kyt and spirit saws like a muzica wiv god reason in the high of summat yung and byootifu". Juss cos ent got no legs n ands dont mean I gotta lissen cliff a richard n jesus songs. Ize a young un giv us dem Muse traks und Radya ead.

Hearing things now and am I seeing the shadow of angels or ghouls out the corner of my eye? Running. I'm only out of breath, not hope. Bound to be feeling the strain now. Glad to be feeling tired out because I knew that I was. Glad to be feeling that there was some thing rational to it. I was tired, I felt tired that was very good. I supposed for the first time in my life that it was possible to be afraid of any thing or every thing. I don't know why but that seemed to me to be slightly re assuring.

Ever been in a terrifying dream and tried to get out of it. Underneath the terror you know it will end. Underneath it all you know you have never come to physical harm in a dream. This was different. I was slowly falling to pieces. Every part of me ached and I could smell the world we were in and it was beginning to stink. I knew I was awake but was not sure if I was sleeping. I know. It is with me now. Some thing is chasing me. I can tell by the look in his eyes that Imaad knows what I know. Some thing terrible is with us and it goes where I go.
I see me running while I look at Imaad skipping over rail tracks as deftly as a young buck deer. I see me from above and running and hearing men shouting behind us. I hoped each step took us further from the danger. I just hoped that what lay ahead would less be dangerous and more comfortable. I felt weak from stress. I ran around the corner of a high brick wall and found Imaad sitting waiting for me. He looked hard in my face and said one word. " Rest". I fell to my knees and tried to breathe again. Soon I was able to sit back against the wall which was warm through my shirt. It felt good to be stationery. It felt good to be with my young friend. We would go on after a little rest.
I felt an over whelming desire to sleep. But this was not the place. I knew if we stayed sitting for more than a few minutes we would both fall asleep out there in the open. Five minutes later we were on our feet and moving. The sun began to dip and the evening began to fall. The shadows began to lengthen, spreading slowly and softly across and over every thing. I hoped we might be safer in the darkness of the night when we might travel or rest undetected.

There it was again, like an old familiar tune or a fragrance from childhood days. It was the strangest feeling. It was part of my experience. It made me sad and lonely. At the edges of or beginnings of depression it made me envious in a vague way. I seemed to be missing some thing I'd once had but could not remember what it was. I felt bereft and I was overwhelmed by the sensation of time running. Time was all I had. I knew this because time passed but had not yet run out. I had little else but this time that passed reassuringly. I suddenly felt ridiculous. Here I was analysing things when I couldn't even be sure that I was using my real name. Hi, I'm .................I'm very pleased to meet with you............I call myself R .

It is 7.43a.m. The sun tips up over the edge of Stanton Reach as the GARden crew begin the days work mystic raking the sand and scrubbing the flags.There is just one day to go before the Cream Days festival again. Beyond the pipe crew shelter a man rides slowly steering his tall black charger across a market square in the pale dawn light again. His name is Matthew. One other accompanies him riding a smaller lesser creature. The few people going about their business at this early hour hurry in any directions that lead away from the riders.
( technical note : a small regenerator propcard goes down in the clean air melkers. Filters racked 1112/45 to s8yewf/22211 are switched in automatically. Qualm Alarms 12ty 9 and 234re9 are triggered again) This time we watch terrified the Second beginning will never end. The Tanium is swollen with the emotional outputs at the very heart of the Ring and it is nearly time to let you out and in on a very big secret – Imshalla …

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The weather has been glorious and at the weekend I took the opportunity to get out on my favourite lake in Suffolk after pikey. I caught nine pike and a huge perch in blazing sunshine. The jack pike above was one of the smallest and was returned to water immediatley after the photo was taken, as always. Although the weather has been lovely , as I wrote last year, I am not sure we can really say it is any thing like normal or healthy for the long term prognosis on global warming. Although some people have been saying, correctly, that there has always been fluctuations in warming down the centuries this is another warmest month since records began in the seventeenth century. This ends a long lean spell of not catching fish a bit like Chelsea FC’s European cup hunt.

Tonight I am a happy man. Larry was mistaken. It never looked like a Chelsea Milan European final did it? Well it don’t now - LOL. Well Murinho you can moan and whine now with good cause and your pre match gripes will be remembered every time we taunt you with your lack lustre efforts. Sorry Chelsea you are just not European Championship winning material. Chelsea were ordinary with a few moments where we could see where the money went. Any way it’s down the pan now. I suppose that is the penalty for not being any good at taking them. Murinho's post defeat speech was very funny and deeply revealing. He is yet again convinced the better team lost. He prattled on about how "history will remember the cup winner not that Chelsea played better football than every one else". For once he is right. People will not remember Chelsea or him for playing the best football in Europe. Murinho definitely needs the Shankley Cure. Ten minutes at Anfield in the trophy room. It cures all doubters where ever they hail from. Raffa simply said he just cared about the win. The Kop choir was wonderful. We definitely sang the best as always.

Tony Blair has just circulated a self assessment of his career as Prime Minister to all New Labour MP s. I wonder if he recommends a return to any Old Labour policies. Things are so bad the suggestion wouldn’t be shouted down quite so much as it might have been a few years ago. Tonight he was described, by a colleague, as a good party leader but a poor Prime Minister. I don’t see how he can be the first and the second at the same time. First Supperists seem to have hit the nail on the head re Health Service issues in recent comments and I suggest most of your views are representative of national opinion.

There used to be four bands of care offered by Social Services. They were graded according to need. Now there are two bands. Soon there will be one and only those with the most extreme needs will be eligible for access to a social worker. Reason - cost. There are not enough resources in the service to deliver appropriate care. Social workers come in for a lot of criticism some of which is deserved but I don't hear many plaudits which is unfair. There are some skilled and deeply committed social workers but many of them are disillusioned and leaving the service because their work is not properly resourced.

Well I must not dwell on negatives we have a European Cup Final to go to in Athens four days after the EBB plays it’s first show there. I hope the ‘POOL play as well as we shall.

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