Just less than a week ago, the curtain came down on the Olympic Games. Many have already said that it was the greatest Games ever, but doesn't every host say that at the end?! Either because they genuinely think so, or just to make the following host feel a little insecure.
At the beginning I was Mr Sceptical, couldn't see myself getting excited or bothered about it all after the 7 years of hype, build-up and so on. Yet after the Opening Ceremony, which I didn't watch but got text updates from Marisa who sat downstairs for all three hours of the damned thing, I found myself getting slowly caught up in the whole thing. So much so, that I even developed my favourites amongst the so-called 'Team GB' (which I hate because it's so 'commercial'). What follows is a run-down of the 10 British Olympic Team members which I found myself getting excited about:
10) Jason Kenny - The track cyclist chosen ahead of Chris Hoy to fly the British flag in the Individual Sprint event. A huge ask, but he lived up to the pressure and came away with a Gold medal.
9) Nicola Adams - She became the first winner of a Female Boxing Gold Medal, so for her to be British into the bargain made it all the more special. In her interviews afterwards, she was so pleased with herself and quite rightly too.
8) Stephanie Houghton - Female footballer with "Team GB". she hit a rich vein of goalscoring form with goals against Cameroon, and then the winning goal at Wembley against Brazil, nicking it in from a seemingly impossible angle.
7) Ben Ainslie - He became the most successful British Olympic sailor with his 4th Gold medal, and 5th medal in total. Now I don't really understand sailing, but even I know that's a pretty impressive achievement.
6) Laura Trott - Another member of the all-conquering Team GB track cycling contingent, she won two Gold medals, and is still only 20 years old, and is also really cute.
5) Tom Daley - After everything he'd gone through, to come to these Olympics, still only aged 18, remember and be a medal hope was quite an achievement. When his synchronised diving didn't go to plan he had to contend with ridiculous abuse on Twitter, but rose above it and walked away with a Bronze medal in the individual event.
4) Jessica Ennis - She'd been made the poster girl of the Olympics apparently (I have to admit I don't recall seeing any posters) and had all the accompanying media responsibility to deal with during her preparations and yet still left her competitors in her wake. Frighteningly, she could probably give me a good kicking. Luckily for her, she's also quite pretty.
3) Mo Farah - Such a lot was expected of him at these Olympics. For the first time in years, we had a British Long Distance runner who could challenge the Africans for the Gold medal. After he nailed the 10,000 metres one week, he came back a week later and nailed the 5,000 metres too, just for good measure and all. Not only that, he kicked off the national craze of the 'Mo-bot', which not even Usain Bolt could resist joining in. When he entered the home straight in the 5,000 metres, I was on the edge of my seat listening to Steve Cram having what can only be described as a commentary orgasm and I might even have shouted in triumph.
2) Bradley Wiggins - One minute he was winning the Tour de France, the next he was picking up his 7th Olympic medal, his 4th Gold, in the road Time Trial. If his sideburns weren't already stuff of legend, they were now! And then, like the proper down to earth fella he is, he got completely rat-arsed afterwards.
1) Victoria Pendleton - By far the best looking member of Team GB (in my opinion). This was her last Olympics so she wanted to go out in style. Unfortunately, she was part of the Womens Team Sprint that was disqualified, then she nailed Gold in the Keirin (that thing with the bloke on a little motorbike) and then came close to another Gold in the Individual Sprint only to be beaten by that Aussie bird.
I'd like to say that I have the utmost respect for all of the athletes that took part - the ones that didn't win a medal, the ones that did, the ugly ones and the ones that weren't ugly but just average. So I think they all deserve a round of applause for their dedication and application. Let's hope Rio in 2016 is equally as successful for Team GB.
And just so you know, every time I've typed the name 'Team GB', a little part of me has died.
Thanks for listening, well reading. Unless someone has just read this out loud to you, which is certainly feasible. All I can say is you're bloody lucky I don't do spoken word versions of my blog!!!
So, tomorrow is both my first day back at work after my holiday, and also the first day after the Olympics, so for at least one reason I'm going to be pissed off in the morning, whilst the rest of the country are just feeling a little down after the end of quite a sporting spectacle. With this in mind, what better way to cheer us all up than to lay before you ten unsung gems from the four greatest musicians that ever lived (just a clue, they are all from Liverpool, and were in the same band)...
1) I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Heavy, guitar driven bluesy perfection!
2) The Ballad of John And Yoko
News reporting in song form!
3) Hey Bulldog
A piano pounding rock and roll song!
4) Tell Me Why
Harmonies and guitars!
5) The Word
The word is Love!
6) The Night Before
On Salisbury Plain, if you believe the film!
7) Roll Over Beethoven
George does Chuck!
8) Rocky Raccoon
Slightly crazy country ditty!
9) For No One
Another of Macca's solemn efforts!
10) Fixing A Hole
Apparently doing just that, and not about drugs!
There's your ten to savour. Go and enjoy them as you ought to. And then go to the Specs, Rugs And Sausage Rolls Facebook page and click like. Once I get to the magic 30 'likes', this very blog will see the publication of my 'Fifty Shades of Dave' story. So, it's well worth the visit, and also, tell your friends!!
Okay, I know what you're all thinking. Jonathan doesn't know what day it is, he's losing his marbles at the tender age of (gulp) 32.
Well, no. This early publication of the next Monday Mix-tape is dictated entirely by that wonderful of things, The Summer Holiday. One week, eleven people, one house. It's been done before, so don't worry about it. The thing is, I'll be without laptop, and without tinterweb access for most of the time so rather than deprive you of your weekly music fix, I thought I'd publish it today. Not only that, but with the weather forecast down in South Wales initially looking proper rubbish, I've gone for a particular theme which I'm hoping will rub off, as you will see...
1) Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard
That's what I'm doing!
2) Summer Breeze - The Isley Brothers
A little wind is nice!
3) In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
Sun, sea and sideburns!
4) Summertime Blues - The Who
Mod rockers cover Cochrane!
5) Sun Hits The Sky - Supergrass
Hoping for plenty of this!
6) Sunny Afternoon - The Kinks
Can't beat a lazy sunny afternoon!
7) Holidays In The Sun - The Sex Pistols
I can hope, can't I?!
8) Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles
The ultimate summery song?!
9) When The Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys
It has the word sun in the title!
10) Sunshine Of Your Love - Cream
Again, plenty of sunshine would be nice!
And so, my ten tunes to tempt the sun out in South Wales, complete with a little alliteration for good measure!!
I'll see you on my return for more Monday Mix-tapery...
Another week gone. Another month gone (all but two days anyway). There is some sort of sporting event taking place in this country over the next couple of weeks, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it's called...
While I rack my brains, here is this weeks offering, with an Olympic (there you go, I knew it'd come to me eventually) twist.
1) The Winner Takes It All - Abba
Indeed they do!
2) I'm A Loser - The Beatles
If you don't come first, you are!
3) Fields of Gold - Sting
See what I did there?!
4) You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones
Sometimes you have to accept that you can't always win!
5) We Are The Champions - Queen
The most annoying song to listen to, if you've just lost!
6) Loser - Beck
Says it all!
7) Silver And Gold - Cast
Two of the colours on offer!
8) The Boxer - Simon And Garfunkel
There's a few of these at the Olympics!
9) Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen
Plenty of these for the winners!
10) Shoot The Runner - Kasabian
If that runner is Usain Bolt, the others have a chance!
And so that is the collection. Now be careful who you tell about this, I don't want to be done for any copyright or trademark infringements...
Well, it's coming up to 10.30pm on my 32nd Birthday, and I am currently drinking beer and watching 'Round Ireland With a Fridge'. I've managed to navigate my way through a day at work, put away a Birthday tea of Doner meat and chips, not to mention a slice of caterpillar cake (starting at the face end, naturally).
When I was a wee boy, I remember the earth-shattering gut-wrenching feeling when I learned that there were other people who shared my Birthday. Since then though, I've grown to understand, and even accept the concept. And if you take a look at just some the people born on this day of the year, 26th July, there's no denying I'm amongst greats:
Mick Jagger (Mr Rubber Lips)
Aldous Huxley (Writer)
George Bernard Shaw (Another Writer)
Carl Jung (Psychiatrist)
Stanley Kubrick (The Director)
Helen Mirren (The Actress)
Roger Taylor (him from Queen)
Vitas Gerulaitis (The Tennis Player)
Sandra Bullock (The American Actress)
Kate Beckinsale (A different British Actress)
Russell Sherriff (member of occasional Team 26/7)
See, some pretty talented people there. I'm in good company.
If any of you lot out there, share your Birthday with someone famous, or just plain cool, let everyone know and leave a comment below...
And here's to my 33rd Birthday in 365 days time!! Cheers!!!
6) Laura Trott - Another member of the all-conquering Team GB track cycling contingent, she won two Gold medals, and is still only 20 years old, and is also really cute.
3) Mo Farah - Such a lot was expected of him at these Olympics. For the first time in years, we had a British Long Distance runner who could challenge the Africans for the Gold medal. After he nailed the 10,000 metres one week, he came back a week later and nailed the 5,000 metres too, just for good measure and all. Not only that, he kicked off the national craze of the 'Mo-bot', which not even Usain Bolt could resist joining in. When he entered the home straight in the 5,000 metres, I was on the edge of my seat listening to Steve Cram having what can only be described as a commentary orgasm and I might even have shouted in triumph.
1) Victoria Pendleton - By far the best looking member of Team GB (in my opinion). This was her last Olympics so she wanted to go out in style. Unfortunately, she was part of the Womens Team Sprint that was disqualified, then she nailed Gold in the Keirin (that thing with the bloke on a little motorbike) and then came close to another Gold in the Individual Sprint only to be beaten by that Aussie bird.