A Rare Full Moon to Appear on Halloween Night...The First Since 1944

Apparently a rare Full Blue Moon is heading our way, and just in time

for Halloween Night (31st Oct). And yet the last Full Moon to appear on

Halloween hasn't been seen since 1944 during the last World War.

It seems that we wont see another global lunar event like this 

until the year 2039.

More info here at C/NET

Above:  A rising Half Moon during late Summer

Looking up in to the night sky last month (Sept) I couldn't help noticing

a bright red Star. I had seen something like that before. It was of course

the Red Planet Mars.

It has been very visible in the Southern night sky for quite some time now.

Apparently it came closest to Earth on October 6th when it lay directly

opposite of the Earth from the Sun which meant that the Red Planet was at

it's brightest. But it wont be this close again until 2035.

NASA's Perseverance Rover is due to land on the surface of Mars in February 2021.

More at CNN Space & Science

Above:  THE BEAST IS NO MORE - THE DREADED LEYLANDII

THE LEYLANDII WEBSITE

I'm starting to think that wishes can sometimes come true. I say this because around

4 weeks ago I was looking out of my flat window pondering on why I can barely

see anything out of my window thanks to an ever growing Evergreen monster called

the Leylandii Tree. Apparently they grow roughly by 3 feet each year, and not only

in height but in width as well. It seemed to block out everything.

And so on that evening I looked out, I remember wishing that the Leylandii was

gone and that once again I would have that great vista and views outside my window,

the unobstructed views that I remember from 20 years ago. And being that it was

situated just two gardens away, it shrouded my direct neighbour's garden as well as the

back of our house from which I look out of.

Moving forward by one week and I found myself waking up to the sound of a chainsaw.

I looked out and saw a four man team of workmen proceeding to cut down the offending

tree. Oh joy of joy. My wish had come true.

And by mid afternoon the entire tree had come down section by section. It also brought

swathes of new extra light into the flat. And looking at my new views I can see for the

first time a whole new apartment block right opposite me. I can see people getting on

with their busy lives and no doubt they can see me. But how good it is to once again 

see life outside my window.

And best of all, I will now have an unobstructed view of the rising Full Moon from this

side of the house during the Winter months. So I'll be looking forward to that 

Halloween Full Moon.

 

IF I CAN DREAM....... AN ANTHEM FOR 2020

1968 proved to be a turbulent time in American history with social unrest along with two very public assassinations of two very important figures of the day, Black Rights activist Dr Martin Luther King, and just weeks later saw the death of Senator Robert Kennedy, brother of the late President John Kennedy.

And yet despite the social and political upheavals of the day, the late Sixties was a fruitful period culturally, with fashion and music making it's mark. And the up and coming Woodstock Festival was to mark the end of the decade.

But it was around early 1968 that NBC TV were putting together a show that was to mark the sensational return of iconic recording artist Elvis Presley. A show that would catapult him back into the public limelight after several years of being locked into movie contracts, the kind of movies that did not enhance his career or reputation.

It was no secret that Elvis was incredibly affected by the deaths of both Dr King and Senator Kennedy. And so it was decided that the NBC TV Comeback show would climax with a specially written song as a personal tribute to Dr King and Senator Kennedy. And that song was 'If I Can Dream' written and composed by W. Earl Brown.

And when that tv Special aired that closing out song, it was clear to see that Elvis gave a very emotionally charged and passionate rendition of the song. It meant so much to him that he was never to perform it ever again.

And looking around Youtube these days in yet another turbulent year, I can't help thinking that the American Black community has really taken to this song. It has almost become a sort of anthem song for 2020.

And it's through this song that many young Americans are rediscovering Elvis 43 years after he passed away in Memphis on August 16th 1977.

  

Below are a few Elvis Youtube Reaction videos.

Above is Mr Video reacting to Elvis for the first time.

And this guy is so hilarious, he sometimes becomes

more entertaining than the actual video that he's

reacting to.  MORE HERE.

Above: Here's another Youtube reaction channel worth looking up.

It features the LFR family. And as well as reacting to

music videos this guy loves watching the great American 

comedian George Carlin.

Dad (above) has a son called Jojo who has his own channel.

More of The LFR Family who also react to

'If I Can Dream' by Elvis HERE

Above:  ITZJT TV reacts to Elvis's moves as he performs

Polk Salad Annie in Las Vegas.

Above is Jovaughn's Youtube video reaction channel

JAYVEETV.   He has an incredibly wide taste in music

and is only now discovering some of the musical gems

from the past like Queen, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd,

Elvis and Madonna.

On Mondays he has what he calls his Motown Mondays.

And seeing him react to his first taste of Marvin Gaye

really was quite something. And when he reacted to

The Temptations classic 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone'

he almost demanded to question why music today isn't

as good as it was back then.

JOVAUGHN'S INSTAGRAM

Above: JAMEL  gets a little carried away.

Above: Jay from THE JAYY SHOW  reacts to 'Long Black

Limousine' by Elvis. The video includes footage of

Elvis's funeral cortege which featured 50 white limousines.

That funeral took place in Memphis on the 18th of

August 1977. Just two days after Elvis died at the age

of 42. 

Below:  JAYY reacts to 'If I Can Dream' by Elvis.

A LONDON CITY WALKABOUT

On Wednesday this week I managed a trip into the City, initially to visit an

original Tudor building called St Bartholomew's Gatehouse and it's adjoining 

Church. And having first seen an image of the Gatehouse and it's Tudor structure 

above on a Pinterest page, it was something I wanted to see for myself.

The long surviving Gatehouse (above 2 images) is a remarkable story in itself.

Originally just a stone Gateway built and constructed in 1240, it wasn't until 1595

that a two storey timber framed house with a small attic was built on top of the 

Gatehouse.

Amazingly the whole structure and gateway survived the Great Fire of London in

1666 thanks to it's sturdy supporting walls.

During the 18th century the owner of the building grew tired of it's original Tudor

design and proceeded to cover it over with a Georgian facade. But by 1917 the building

suffered damage during a German Zeppelin raid, which exposed it's original Tudor 

design. This of course prompted a full restoration of the building back to it's original 

Tudor roots which was fully completed by 1932.

More history on The Gatehouse can be found at HISTORIC UK

Above and below are a few images of the adjoining Church, The Church of 

St Bartholomew the Great.

And what I liked most about this historic building is it's raw exposed brickwork.

Perhaps a coat of internal paint and the whole building would have lost it's charm.

Originally a Monastic institution when it was first built, it eventually became a Parish Church

during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st.  And being London's oldest Parish Church, I was 

interested to read in it's online history page where it says that the Church attracts those of no 

particular Religious belief because of it's architecture and sense of history.

THE CHURCH OF ST BARTHOLOMEW THE GREAT

Having left the Church I was just about to head back home when I caught sight of St Paul's Cathedral (below).  I realized that I was close to The River Thames. And so my short City walkabout suddenly became extended.

Above:  St Paul's Cathedral as seen from across the River Thames.

Designed by Sir Christopher Wren the building was built and completed in 1710.

Above:  A London red bus at London Bridge.

Above:  Looking across the Thames at London Bridge. And among a cluster of new buildings 

is The Walkie Talkie Building.

Above:  London's now familiar Shard Building designed by Renzo Piano.

Construction first started in March 2009 and the building was completed 

and officially opened on the 1st of February 2013.

Above:  The Shakespeare Globe Theatre.

After a brief visit to London in 1949, American actor and Director Sam Wanamaker was

disappointed to find just a blue plaque at the sight of the original Globe Theatre. And it was

this that fired up his great obsession to rebuild and recreate Shakespeare's Theatre as close 

to it's original specifications.

And despite all the local bureaucratic hurdles and the financial struggles, the building was 

completed in 1997.

Sam Wanamaker died in 1993 and did not live long enough to see it's full completion.

SAM WANAMAKER AND THE GLOBE THEATRE LONDON.

Walking further up along The Thames I saw this wonderful mural celebrating our greatest

English poet The Bard, William Shakespeare ( 1564 - 1616 ).

Southwark Cathedral which lies close to The River Thames is a place that has always been on

my list of places to visit in London. So I was surprised that it's doors were even open with everything

going on at the moment.

The clerk at the front noticed me clicking away with my camera and reminded me that it was free to walk

around the Cathedral, but that I must pay £2 upon entrance if I wanted to take pictures inside.

Apparently the Cathedral being so popular, it closes it's doors to the public on Thursday afternoons

allowing only film makers and film units, although there was a four man film unit there setting up their cameras while I was there.

And yet it's hard to believe that this grand building has been a place of worship for around a

thousand years with it first being a Convent in AD 606, a Priory in 1106 and by 1540 it became a

Parish Church. But it didn't become a Cathedral until 1905.

SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL