On The Road with Vicky Lamburn

I’m heading off to see the folks for Christmas so I shall be away from the computer or rather the Internet for about 2 weeks so things will be quiet here. I haven’t done one of these for some years but I think now at least I have some ‘wisdom’ or steadfast enough opinions on things to be able to pass comment so here goes:

Music

• Interpol “Our Love to Admire” — best album of 2007 for me;
• Chicane “Behind the Sun” — best album from back in the day (1999 I think.) As can be expected the more upbeat songs such as Saltwater have slipped down the list of my favourites to make way for the likes of No Ordinary Morning and Autumn Tactics (the latter which I always liked.)
• Gullemots “Through the Windowpane” — Most enduring personal soundtrack of 2007
• The Editors joint with The Killers — best gigs/sets of 2007 which were both at V Festival

Books

• Biggest surprise: Sylvia Brownrigg “Pages for You” – one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It was that good.
• Enjoyable Read: Will Self “How the Dead Live” — came out in 2000 I think but taken until now to read it after finding it in the Oxfam book shop on Montague St. in Worthing. Excellent yarn, and only Self could manage to mention Lutyens in a novel of this ilk!
• Best re-read: either Jack Kerouac “The Dharma Bums” or JG Ballard “High Rise”

Films

• Best first time watch: “The Hours”
• Most Enduring: “LA Confidential” (I forget how many times I have seen this film)
• Most provocative: “L.I.E.“

Best Moments of 2007

• Completing ‘period.‘
• V Festival overall
• Completing the new Worthing Theatres website
• Lake District weekend in July
• Discovering BarCamps, embracing geek-dom and going to Google in London
• Wandering around for three hours in Manchester taking photos

Worst Moments of 2007

• Read ‘Memoirs of a Time’ when it comes out

Things I’ve Learnt About Myself

• Never ever to pressure myself again — let life trickle and flow like the water down a crystalline stream
• That ultimately I am happiest outside sitting on a windswept hill, the Downs or a fell contemplating everything
• That I have a very worthwhile outlook on life that whilst rather odd and idiosyncratic — it’s one that works for me
• That I can write well and I can take a decent photo

Exciting New Skill

• Learning jQuery and finally working on the possibilities with AJAX (web stuff)

Things I am looking forward in 2008

• Seeing JG Ballard on the 20th February at the Soutbank and then Stephanie Dosen in Shepherd’s Bush the following night.
• V Festival quite possibly depending on line-up
• Going back to the US and setting off with my camera

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody.