Reset search
Simon and Jackie AnnalsSimon and Jackie Annals
SatelliteEdit route
Retiredish. Now 2 Wannabe Globetrotters. Read more Cuckfield, United Kingdom
  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    1
    1
    Day 18

    Day 18 - The Vagabond Returns….Shattered

    March 16 in France ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    My alarm went off at 5.15am (4.15am UK time), I jumped in the shower and got dressed into my slightly damp motorcycle gear.

    I arrived at Le Shuttle early and the check in lady told me that she had put me on the earlier train. Great result! I waited until the information screen told me to board then I headed down to the train. Unfortunately a useless French Border crossing man was so slow checking passports that by the time I got past him, I had missed the earlier train. I had to wait to wait for my original train after all.

    Once back in Blighty, the sun was shining, the roads were quiet and I raced home probably a little too fast back home to my house and waiting wife. I stripped off my motorcycle clothes for hopefully a while and weighed myself. I was very pleased to see that I was about 4 pound lighter than when I left the UK. I put it down to all the time spent in the mosh pit sauna!!

    It had been an absolutely fabulous trip with a few trials and tribulations that all added to the adventure. I have also made friends with so many people from the UK, Europe and beyond who I know that I will bump into at future NMA gigs.

    Over the last two days on my bike, my ears were filled with snippets of lyrics on repeat from NMA songs that I had heard over and over at the gigs. I have listed a few of those lyrics below:-

    ——-

    ‘Well, my bags are packed, I’m ready to go
    Whichever way the world is tilting’

    ‘There’s a line of shadow on the far horizon
    It could be stormclouds and it could be mountains’

    I have never been a wise man – living too fast and recklessly
    Too quick to judge, too quick to act and forgive and forget

    ———

    ‘And the pressure moves the mountains, seven billion and counting’

    ‘They say that we're all kings and queens in the new world except for those who aren't
    They say we can follow our dreams to the very top of the tree except for those who can't
    They say that the meek shall inherit the earth except that they shan't’

    ‘But I know it isn't personal - I just live on an angry planet’

    ——-

    ‘No, not for one second did you look behind you
    As you were walking away
    Never once did you wish any of us well
    Those who had chosen to stay’

    ——-

    ‘They say there is no rest for the wicked ones
    Dear God what have we done?
    There is no rest for the wicked ones
    Dear God what is this evil that we've done?’

    ——-
    ‘The wolf he howls, howls up at the moon;
    some day coming - some day soon’

    ‘What a wonderful way to go - what a wonderful way to go . . .’

    ——-

    ‘And still these mornings I wake up singing
    Even if I can’t remember why
    These mornings I wake up singing
    Even if I can’t remember why’

    ——-

    ‘Do you really want to go there?
    I close my eyes, and I count to ten, I hold my tongue and then I count again’

    ———

    ‘So sit us down, buy us a drink, tell us a good story
    Sing us a song we know to be true’

    ‘Revolution for ever, succession of the seasons
    Within the blood of Nature, all raised to rot and die
    This purity is a lie’

    ——-

    ‘Well I dreamed that I was running, through a wilderness of plenty
    And I could hear the hunt behind me, getting closer, getting closer
    And I knew that the end was coming and I wished that it was over
    Bring me the snowfall, bring me the cold wind, bring me the winter’

    ‘So let the weary land be rested and the killing season over
    Let the shadows stretch forever in the light of burnished silver
    For I fear the age of consequence and I wish that it was over
    I fear the age of consequence and I wish that it was over
    Bring me the snowfall, bring me the cold wind, bring me the winter’

    ——-

    And finally….

    ‘I’m heading north, I’m heading home, Doing 125
    I close my eyes and count to ten - Ha ha, I'm still alive’
    (Well actually doing about 95mph north west up the A20, then clockwise round the M25 & then south down the M23).

    I could have gone on.

    Back home, I discovered that numerous photos, videos and messages had been uploaded on Facebook, WhatsApp and god knows what else. A few photos are below.

    Song of the Day - 5.15 by The Who

    NMA Song of the Day - 125mph by New Model Army.    Read more

  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    1
    Day 17

    Day 17 - Get Me Out, Get Me Out Of This

    March 15 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Place.

    Inevitably I got less than a total of an hour’s sleep on the train that reached speeds of 250 kilometres per hour and stopped at the major German cities of Leipzig, Frankfurt and Stuttgart, before arriving at Ulm Hbf at 6.03am. I had just 7 minutes to get my connecting train and I ran around like a lunatic in the huge station trying to find an information board to identify what platform my next train would be departing from. In the nick of time, I found a print, yes printed, information board with the necessary information and was able to board the correct train.

    Unfortunately this train arrived late into the Aulendorf. It arrived at 6.52am, but my next train was due to depart at 6.51am. As soon as we stopped I found a guard who told me my train was leaving from Platform 2. Inexplicably I got on to a single carriage train on Platform 3 that I thought had its destination as Kißlegg. As soon as I got on and the door closed, I realised my stupidity. I tried to open the door but it was locked. I had to run up to the driver & ask him to open the door. As he did my train on Platform 2 pulled away with me looking forlornly on.

    The next train to Kißlegg was not until 8.03am, 80 minutes later. There was nothing for it but to sit out. I had a tepid cappuccino, which I drank in 2 minutes flat, then sat on the platform bench cursing my stupidity. At least Josef will get more of a lie in!!

    I caught the 8.03am train & started cursing as it rolled into Kißlegg, just as my next train was due to depart. As it happens at least 20 of us (of all ages & sizes) were on the same next train & we all had to run at least 100 yards along the platform to our waiting train.

    At 8.40am, I arrived in a very rainy Leutkirch. I rang Josef and less than 10 minutes later he arrived in his van and drove me to Moto Punto. My bike was sat proudly outside. We went inside where my panniers and top box were waiting. Josef made me a cup of coffee whilst I used his toilet facilities, enough said. I then repacked my panniers, got dressed into my motorcycle gear, then came the moment of payment. He gave me an invoice for €382, which I was quite happy about, well as happy as you can be when you have to spend money on unforeseen mechanical failures.

    I pulled out my visa credit card, only for Josef to tell me his machine wouldn’t take visa. We looked at our options & it was agreed that Jackie could send the money to him by bank transfer, which I know is never easy to send money to a bank account abroad. Josef was so laid back & was happy that if not, for us to send him cash at a later date. (I later found out that Jackie was able to sort out a bank transfer to him).

    Whilst on the phone to Jackie, Josef took another call, then passed his phone to me. The caller identified himself as Siggi, the man who stopped and gave me Josef’s number. Siggi gave me number and said he was a keen motorcyclist and regularly came to the uk. He wanted me to have his number and be ‘motorcycle friends’.

    At 9.45am, the sun was now out and I finally mounted my motorcycle to head home. I was yawning and not sure that I could make it to midday, let alone 3pm, the usual checking in time for hotels.

    At the 1st garage I got fuel, I couldn’t understand the cashier, but a trendy middle aged lady helped, then asked if I had travelled all the way from the UK in winter. I confirmed, to which she gave me a thumbs up and uttered the word “Respect”.

    I headed north back to Ulm, around the southern side of Stuttgart and then onwards towards Luxembourg. I was riding on good fast roads and noticed that the Germans were considerate drivers, who read the road conditions well.

    After the 2nd fuel stop, I got a second wind & I was feeling as fresh as a daisy but with a snotty nose. I went through just the odd shower until I arrived at the southern end of Luxembourg where it poured down in the Friday afternoon rush hour. It was not nice.

    At 3.50pm, I entered Belgium and the heavens absolutely opened. It was torrential rain to the extent that there was so much water on the motorway that the white lines were not visible. It felt dangerous but I was now on a mission.

    Just past La Louviere, the traffic came to a grinding halt which turned out to be a horrific crash on the opposite carriageway where a transit van had buried itself in to the back of an HGV. There was no chance that anyone in the front of the transit would have survived.

    I was cold and wet so I stopped at the next services, bought a coffee, ate a packet of biscuits and contacted Jackie. She had kindly researched the cost of booking the next few channel tunnel trains and it was considerably cheaper to book the 07.18am train in the morning. I did and booked a cheap hotel for £46 in Calais. I wasn’t disappointed to stay in France for another night for only about £10 more than struggling to go straight home that night in my cold, damp clothes.

    It was another 2 hour ride to my hotel, Hotel de la Plage, in Calais. I arrived at 9.10pm, checked in, stripped off my clothes, had a hot shower and fell asleep pretty much straight away.

    Song of the Day - Respect by Aretha Franklin.

    NMA Song of the Day - Get Me Out by New Model Army.    Read more

  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    1
    Day 16

    Day 16 - Bonus Day Sightseeing in Berlin

    March 14 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Despite the late night, I still woke up at 6.30am. At 9.00am, I went down to breakfast and ate with those of us who were still in the city.

    Lee, Priscilla and I hatched a plan for some sightseeing around Berlin. After updating Josef on my re-arranged travel plans, it was 11am when we checked out of the hotel & put our bags in the luggage room.

    The 3 of us headed to the nearest metro station and purchased a 24 hour travel card for under €10 each. Our first stop was the East Side Gallery, a 1.3 kilometre section of the Berlin Wall that has been preserved and is decorated by artists from around the world. I couldn’t help myself, but to take a photo of literally every section of the wall. We did stop halfway at a cafe beside the River Spree where Lee treated us to a coffee so that he could rest his weary legs.

    After we completed the East Side Gallery, we got on a train to the Brandenburg Gate, an 18th century neoclassical monument. Next we walked over to the Reichstag Building, the historic government building, then through the remembrance garden for those murdered attempting to flee East Germany during the east west divide.

    We then stopped at a Bratwurst kiosk and had a nice cold 0.5l bottle of Berliner Pils, which cost just €3.50 each. Afterwards we walked on to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, with its 2,711 slabs of concrete of varying heights.

    Lastly we took a short train ride to Checkpoint Charlie for the obligatory photo. It was interesting to note that there was no soldier on guard at the checkpoint sentry post, unlike 10 years ago, when Jackie and I last visited.

    We returned to the Mercure Hotel Berlin Tempelhof around 5.00pm, where Priscilla, Lee and I had one final beer together. Priscilla then collected her luggage and after saying her goodbyes, left for her new hotel for the next 2 nights before taking a long convoluted trip back home to Malta.

    Lee was waiting for the rush hour traffic to die down before ordering an Uber to his new Airport hotel, so we went along the road to a pizza joint. We both order spicy meat pizzas for around €8 but I could only manage to eat about half of mine. We returned to the hotel, collected our luggage and said our goodbyes. We will see each other at The Roundhouse in London in May.

    I left Lee waiting for his Uber and made my away across Berlin on the Metro and trains to Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin’s Main Railway Station). At 9.27pm, my train rolled out of Berlin. The train was busy but I did manage to secure 2 seats to myself. The train is a slow train (lots of stops, but travelling at up to 186km between them) and is due to arrive at Ulm Railway Station around 6.00am.

    Song of the Day - Berlin by Lou Reed

    NMA Song of the Day - Innocence (Orchestral Version) Live in Berlin by New Model Army.    Read more

  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    Day 16

    Day 15 - Travel Chaos at the Tour End

    March 14 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    It was only a short drive of about 3 hours for the last night of the tour in Berlin. So after a leisurely breakfast I rang my saviour Josef, who confirmed that my bike was fixed and ready to ride away. Hooray, I didn’t ask how much. I told him that I planned to catch an early train and be with him by mid afternoon on Thursday. He told me to ring him when I was near and he would pick me up from the station.

    I then started looking to book my train ticket when horror of horrors, the train I had planned to book had now doubled in price. I needed to consider my options. The Magic Bus departed Poznan at 10.30am, but within 30 minutes, our drivers had received news that their flights to Gothenburg the following day had been cancelled. We pulled over so they could make alternative arrangements. In total 4 of them were going on to Gothenburg to continue following the tour. Luckily there was a day off before Gothenburg, so 3 of them booked their flight for the next day, but Paul Rizos was due to meet his wife who was flying in the next day, so he booked a very early and expensive train to Gothenburg for the following morning. I booked an overnight train from Berlin to Leutkirch for the following night for £89. Sorted.

    We continued towards Berlin, but before reaching the German border, messages started arriving on people’s phones to say their flights had also been cancelled. In fact everyone catching flights received a cancellation message, except those on British Airways flights. BA didn’t bother to send out any notification until late into the evening!! Luckily we knew that they would be cancelled because there was a 24 hour strike all day Thursday (home day) and all German airports were closed.

    We stopped just short of the German border to fill up the buses with cheaper fuel, buy lunch and people desperately tried to make other travel arrangements. The airlines took advantage of the desperation and the flight prices rocketed. I was sitting pretty until rumours started circulating that the train drivers. Oh no.

    We also had a final Magic Bus Tour photo, which was uploaded to Facebook and at the time of writing has got 229 likes.

    We continued to the Mercure Hotel Berlin Tempelhof arriving just before 4.00pm. Most people checked into their rooms then met in the bar to continue making alternative travel arrangements. It was close to 6.30pm, by the time everyone had some sort of plan. A couple of people were getting early trains out of Germany to catch a flight from another country home. Others were forced to stay on in Berlin for as long as Sunday before they could get a flight home. To be fair, the airlines had agreed to compensate all additional costs including hotels and meals, except Ryan Air!

    We headed straight out to the venue, Huxley’s Neue Welt, for the last gig of our NMA Magic Bus European tour. We had a couple of beers en route, then arrived at the venue with about 15 minutes to spare. Despite being a sell out and Germany having a reputation for quite physical gigs, after about 3 songs I headed to the front to join most of the rest of our group. Before long I was roped into holding Jack standing up on several different people’s shoulders and Stu who was sitting on people’s shoulders. It was yet another great gig - they never disappoint.

    The encore consisted of ‘No Rest’, ‘High’ and ‘Get Me Out’ followed by a 2nd encore of ‘I Love The World’. We had the final ‘family’ photo, then a much needed refreshing, but watery beer, but soon we were being ushered out of the venue by the security staff. Not a bad thing.

    As we were leaving, talk spread of where everyone was going for a post gig drink. It was at a bar virtually next door. Upon entering it was really strange to discover that people were actually smoking at the bar and it was quite a smoky atmosphere. Priscilla, Lex, Ramon and I sat at a table next to a table with a few of our Magic Bus NMA stalwarts, Red, Stu and Jo. It was not long before I noticed that Dean White and Michael Dean were now talking to Red, Stu and Jo. Nu the new keyboard player and the female roadie were also in the bar.

    At an opportune moment, I went up to Dean White and introduced myself to him as being on the Magic Bus and my last gig of the current tour on the continent. Dean was an exceptionally nice man, who started off by apologising for not knowing my name. I told him about my journey on my motorcycle and the dramas along the way. He asked me which gig I enjoyed most, which was Bern, because it was so intimate and in such a quirky venue. The two of us spoke for what seemed like at least 20 minutes about life on the road with NMA. I proudly told him that I had assisted in raising Jack aloft on numerous occasions during the tour & it was bloody hard work. He said that the band thought that it was so funny that after attending hundreds of gigs, Jack still didn’t know all the words. Eventually I thought it best that I let Priscilla, who was waiting patiently, get a chance to chat with Dean, but before doing so I asked for a selfie, then made a total tit of myself by taking photos of everyone else but us. Dean had to take my phone from me to switch the view.

    Whilst Priscilla was chatting to Dean, I saw that Michael Dean was preparing to leave, so I grabbed him for a quick chat, introducing myself, being on the Magic Bus and wished him all the best with getting his slipped disc in his back sorted out. Again a very nice and polite man who had the time of day for anyone who wanted to speak to him.

    Eventually we left the bar and walked back to the hotel arriving at 1.40am. I had to strip off and bag up my clothes, then have a shower, because everything stank of cigarette smoke.

    It was a fantastic way to officially end our NMA Magic Bus Tour.

    Song of the Day - From Chaos To Harmony by Ian Brown.

    NMA Song of the Day - Flying Through the Smoke by New Model Army.    Read more

  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    Day 14

    Day 14 - Tales of the Road

    March 12 in Poland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Despite it being a late night, I still woke at just after 6.00am. Hotel Scandic in Gdańsk has had the best breakfast of the trip so far, so I indulged in a full English and amongst other things a panna cotta.

    At 10.00am we boarded the Magic Bus listening to predominantly Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and Justin Sullivan on the stereo. After several hours we stopped at Toruń, considered to be the best example of a medieval gothic town. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. “The City of Angels”, as the locals call it, is also the birthplace of great Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who made the crucial discovery that the Earth is not the center of the universe.

    We had 75 minutes to do what we wanted to do, some chose to get lunch, whilst others including me chose to sightsee. The highlights included the Old Town hall, one of the most imposing in Northern Europe, the cathedral of SS John the Baptist and John the Evangelist which had a funeral service taking place. It didn’t stop us entering and taking a few photos.

    Other highlights included the House under the Star and the fine brick Gothic house where the astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus was born and the Copernicus Chapel at St. James’s Church, where he was baptized. Toruń is also famous for its gingerbread, it even has a Gingerbread Museum, but alas time ran out to visit it or even buy any.

    The detour to Toruń meant that it wasn’t until around 5.00pm, that we finally arrived at our Hotel Altus in the city centre. There was no time to relax and by 6.00pm, Lee, Priscilla and I were heading out into the pretty Old Town for dinner. We stopped at a Georgian restaurant called Chinkalnia Restaurant Gruzinska, for some rustic traditional Polish cuisine. (There are lots of Georgian Restaurants throughout Poland).

    I chose the Pork Goulash with potatoes, beans and carrots. Lee had a beef stew and Priscilla had Khinkali, a dumpling that you pick up, bite into and suck out the broth. Lee and I were also able to have one each. This was accompanied by a large pizza sized bread covered in melted cheese and several beers. It was all very delicious and dirt cheap.

    Without any dramas we caught an Uber to the venue, Tama in just enough time to drink one beer then get down the front before New Model Army came on stage. It wasn’t too busy so it was a good opportunity for us all to have a dance near the front. The set included 5 songs in Jack’s repertoire to get up on the shoulders of Red. I lifted and held Jack’s left leg for 4 of the songs including the 1st two songs of the encore ‘Where I Am’ and ‘Fate’.

    It is absolutely knackering holding Jack in place, I was sweating buckets, so after the final encore song ‘Get Me Out’, I rushed to the bar to get a much needed beer. Annoyingly by the time I had bought my beer, the ‘family’ after gig photo had been taken. Note : on this tour, only 2 after gig ‘family’ photos have been posted on the Unofficial New Model Army Fan Group page on Facebook for the tour so far and I have not been in either despite only missing 3 of the after gig photos. Maybe they are trying to tell me something!!!

    After the photo, we congregated in the foyer. Ceri and Michael came out to chat and I was now quite blasé about the whole thing. In fact as some of us headed back, Ceri was outside talking to a small group and smoking a joint. Presumably he had shared it around, because I was told it was good stuff and was I interested in trying it. I wasn’t and I didn’t.

    Back at the hotel, we managed to get a final beer before the bar closed. A group of 7 or 8 of us chatted, reminiscing on the tour so far and future plans. It was really nice, because I got to know some of the group from the other Magic Bus better, particularly married couple, Stu and Jo.

    I also learnt that at least some of the band read or are made aware of the content on the Unofficial New Model Army Fan Group on Facebook which predominantly features tales of the road from the Magic Bus or from others following the band around Europe. Apparently they have been asking questions about in-jokes etc. Maybe that is how Ceri heard about me leaving my phone behind!!

    Song of the Day - Traffic by Ned’s Atomic Dustbin (Support band for NMA at the Roundhouse, London in May)

    NMA Song of the Day - Tales of the Road by Justin Sullivan.    Read more

  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    Day 13

    Day 13 - Solidarity in Gdańsk

    March 11 in Poland ⋅ 🌧 4 °C

    Woke up with a raging sore throat and when I went down to breakfast at 9.00am, I discovered that everyone else had a bad throat. The consensus was that someone had picked up a mosh pit cold & passed it to us all in the Magic Bus.

    After breakfast I rang Josef, my saviour in Germany. I was hoping that he was going to tell me that my bike was all fixed and ready for me to collect. Alas no, but it wasn’t all bad news. He told me that they were expecting the part to arrive later today and it would be fixed by Wednesday. Fingers crossed.

    About 10.15am, Priscilla, Lex and Ramon headed out in the pouring rain to the European Solidarity Centre (Solidarity Museum) just 0.4 miles away. Whilst taking photos of the crosses outside the museum, we were accosted by a couple of Dutch New Model Fans, Marian and Boij who joined us for the audio tour.

    The museum cost about £6 entrance fee, which included a 1.5 or 2.5 hour audio guided tour (we chose the 1.5) & free cloakroom facilities to hang up our damp coats. The audio tour told the story that due to the popular support of the citizens and other striking groups, the Gdańsk workers held out until the Communist Government gave in to their demands. The successful strikers formed the Gdańsk Agreement on August 31, 1980, as an authentic social contract with the government.

    Lech Wałęsa co-founded and headed the Solidarity movement which toppled the communist government. He later became the President of Poland. The 1980 Gdańsk Shipyard Strike and subsequent Summer 1981 Hunger Demonstrations were instrumental in strengthening the Solidarity movement's influence.

    The museum was fantastic with lots of exhibits, photos and video footage presented in large display rooms all in a huge metal box of a building. We were all in the museum for at least 2 hours as were another bunch of our Magic Bus Tour group and other NMA fans that were also following European Tour. It was like an unofficial NMA convention.

    It was still raining when we finished the audio tour. Priscilla and I were the only ones prepared to return to the Old Town to see the parts that we hadn’t seen the previous day. Despite the rain it was definitely worth it as Old Town Gdańsk is very pretty.

    On the way back to the hotel we stopped at Pierogarnia Stary Mlyn, a recommended Pierogi restaurant. I chose 7 different meat pierogies and 2 sweet pierogies. They came with a sour cream sauce and were very delicious. After, we returned to the hotel for just a couple of hours before tonight’s gig.

    We all met up at 7.00pm and faffed about for nearly 45 minutes before we caught Ubers to the venue, Klub B90. We missed the support band, Mulk. apart from their last song so it was hard to decide whether I liked them or not.

    For the first time on the tour the tickets hadn’t completely sold out, so I found myself near to the front, but in space. Justin’s voice had come back and the lighting for the show was far superior to previous shows. Before the encore I headed to front and was asked to assist holding Jack if Fate or High were played. As it happens, the encore consisted of ‘1984’, ‘51st State’ and ‘Get Me Out’, so my services weren’t required.

    After the gig we had a beer and whilst chatting to a married couple, Michael and Tracy Stanners, it transpired that they were also camping this year at Stone Valley South Festival. They were going primarily to see Ferocious Dog. Such a small world!

    Lee (eventually) got us an Uber back to the hotel, where we only had one beer, but still didn’t got to bed until 1.20am.

    Song of the Day - Solidarity by Angelic Upstarts

    NMA Song of the Day - Courage by New Model Army.    Read more

  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    Day 12

    Day 12 - The Carer in Gdańsk

    March 10 in Poland ⋅ 🌙 6 °C

    The breakfast this morning at Hotel Gromada in Warsaw was the worst yet on the trip. The place was heaving and the very slow machine produced coffee that was disgusting. I had a bread roll with jam and some tasteless watermelon.

    The Magic Buses rolled out of Warsaw at 10.00am after making double sure that everyone had their phones. The journey took us along dual carriageways most of the way of the 4 hour journey. We stopped for a comfort break at a service station, where I took the opportunity to wish my mother a Happy Mother’s Day.

    After checking in to the Hotel Scandic in Gdańsk, some people were going off to do their laundry. One of the girls, Irish Lindsey, later that afternoon sent her roommate Priscilla a photo of her and Justin Sullivan who she had just met in a local launderette. He even does his own washing!!

    Lee, Priscilla, Lex, Ramon and I went off to explore Gdańsk Old Town. It was only a short walk, but it took much longer with Lee ambling along behind because of his multiple sclerosis.

    The buildings in the Old Town were very quaint. We visited several churches, the Amber Quarter and then we arrived at the enormous St Mary’s Basilica. It was free entry to the Basilica and took quite awhile to walk around it. The highlight was its astronomical clock. Before leaving it was suggested that we climb the 400 steps to the top of its tower. There was no way that Lee was going to be able to do that, so I did the honourable thing and took him to a local bar for a beer.

    We were joined by the others whilst on our 2nd beer in a very pleasant little cafe. Lex got up and said he was just popping out to the cannabis shop to buy a puffer for someone else in the group. Lee asked Lex to get him one as well. Upon Lex’s return, Lee started puffing on his newly acquired puffer, but moaned he couldn’t feel a high, so he kept on sucking. Apparently the puffer was supposed to have the relaxing qualities without the high.

    By now we were all hungry & were looking forward to some traditional Polish food. We researched restaurants on our phones and chose GVARA a posh Polish restaurant. We all had the same starter, black pudding with caramelised pear, chokeberry sauce and bread which was delicious. For mains, Lex and I had braised beef cheek with port wine, homemade potato dumplings and caramelised beetroots. It was superb, the beef cheeks were so tender that they melted in the mouth. The others had wild boar, pork chops or stuffed dumplings.

    The only drama occurred when Ramon leant over the table to taste Lex’s beef cheek, but accidentally knocked over Lee’s freshly poured glass of wine straight onto Lee’s dinner. His pork chops, potatoes and sauerkraut were swimming in red wine. The staff took his dinner away, but returned with his dinner now with a red tinge. Luckily Lee didn’t mention it again……..not. Ramon paid for Lee’s dinner including his wine.

    After dinner, Lex and Ramon decided they were going to an Italian restaurant to meet up with some of our group who were celebrating a birthday with some other NMA fans that had following the tour separately.

    The remaining 3 of us chose to return to the hotel. When we got outside the cold fresh air hit Lee and he suddenly became as high as a kite. He admitted that he had sucked way too much on his puffer. As a result it was a painfully slow walk back to the hotel with Lee shuffling along very slowly behind. I felt like his carer!!

    After a quick nightcap in the hotel bar we called it a night.

    Song of the Day - Mother by Danzig (Danzig is the German name for Gdańsk)

    NMA Song of the Day - Nothing Touches by New Model Army.    Read more

  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    Day 11

    Day 11 - There’s Always One …………Only Me!

    March 9 in Poland ⋅ 🌙 -1 °C

    Woke up at 6.20am despite my alarm being set for 8.00am. I went down for breakfast, then returned to my room to pack up my gear. We checked out of the hotel at 10.00am.

    After a 30 minute drive north outside of Krakow, I went to look at my phone. It was not in my pocket, not in my coat. Someone rang my phone number, but it did not ring, although I feared that my phone was on silent. Reluctantly, I asked the driver, Red, to please pull over. I frantically rummaged through all the bags in the back, but to no avail.

    Priscilla rang my phone number again and on this occasion it was answered by someone at the hotel. We had no choice but to turn around and return to the hotel. The return journey seemed to take an age, not helped by relentless mickey taking from those in the back, whilst I died with embarrassment.

    We eventually arrived back at the hotel and I retrieved my phone from reception. We then headed back towards Warsaw on the same roads for the third time that morning. After an otherwise uneventful journey, we arrived at the Hotel Gromada in Warsaw just after 3.00pm, over one hour later than the other bus.

    Priscilla and I went for walk, in the afternoon sun, into the Old Town of Warsaw. It has been faithfully restored after being bombed to the ground during the Second World War. I leant that Priscilla was head of an IT department for the Maltese government and that prior to meeting up with the Magic Bus Tour, she had been in the UK following The Editors.

    At 5.00pm, we went to the Nameste curry house, the designated eating place. I had a Chicken garlic masala, rice, butter naan and 2 pints of beer. It was very nice.

    As soon as we had finished eating, JP, Irish Lindsey and I rushed to an Irish bar to watch the 2nd half of the England - Ireland rugby match. It was an exciting finish with England winning by a single point with the last kick of the game.

    After 3 pints of Guinness, we walked to the Palladium arriving just 15 minutes before New Model Army were due on stage. By now my stomach was gurgling & the thought of bouncing around felt quite daunting. As luck would have it, they opened the balcony up at the last minute, Lee and I bagged ourselves a very spacious spot right at the front of the balcony. This was after he had tripped up a step and gone down like the proverbial sack of….. It took the help of a bystander to assist me to get him back on his feet.

    It was another enjoyable gig. The encore was ‘51st State’, ‘Poison Street’ and ‘Get Me Out’.

    Lee and I missed the obligatory photo because we couldn’t make our way through the crowds leaving. Instead we met up with everyone in the bar. Drummer, Michael Dean came out and chatted for ages with some members of our group who clearly knew him well. I joined them to listen to the conversation and Michael was talking about his shoulder problems. He apparently wakes up in absolute agony and is having to take strong painkillers to get through. On one of their coming days off he is flying back to the UK to see a consultant with a view to having an operation between tours.

    Ceri Monger also came out and was happily chatting with the group. I finally relented and had my photo with him. My phone ran out of charge at that very minute, so Lee took a photo of Ceri and I on his phone. Ceri was already aware that some idiot from the Magic Bus group had left his phone at the hotel and he was told it was me. He shook my hand.

    It was at least an hour later, when Lee ordered an Uber back to the hotel, despite me telling him it only a 4 minute walk. Lee, Priscilla, Ramon and I walked to the meeting place, then took the Uber all of 300 metres to the hotel. We had actually walked further to meet the Uber! Apart from Lee, the rest of us were uncontrollably crying with laughter. Lee was charged £2.78 for the Uber, which was well worth it for the comedy value.

    We all had a nightcap beer with some of the group in the Tap Bar that was again further away than the Uber ride. I got to bed gone 12.30am shattered.

    Song of the Day - Die Laughing by Therapy?

    NMA Song of the Day - Reload by New Model Army.    Read more

  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    Day 10

    Day 10 - The Handshake

    March 8 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

    Despite setting my alarm for 06.00am, I woke up at 04.18am & couldn’t get back to sleep again. When my alarm went off, I got up and got ready for the long drive. After a decent breakfast, both Magic Buses pulled out of the B&B Hotel car park at 08.00am sharp.

    We headed north out of damp rainy Budapest, picked up a dual carriageway & and couple of hours later we were in Slovakia, a new country to my list of countries visited. We managed to have taken a different route to the other Magic Bus, which had crossed at a different border 15 minutes earlier. We stopped for a comfort break and I asked Ramon to swap seats with me because he genuinely is asleep for 70-80% of the journey.

    We continued through Slovakia on main roads and not the hairpin bends of the minor A roads through the Carpathian Mountains. Our route was longer, but much quicker. We passed Kosice and discovered we were less than 50 miles from the border with Ukraine. We raced through the snow covered countryside in the Carpathian Mountains, with me now facing forward, & very soon we were in Poland.

    A second comfort stop was made at a supermarket & we marvelled at how cheap everything was. We bought snacks that caused a mess in the back of the bus & then continued on to the Swing Hotel in Krakow arriving at 3.45pm. We were at least 15 miles ahead of the other Magic Bus.

    I checked in and relaxed in my room. Messages on the WhatsApp group suggested a pre-gig beer bar to meet, but no time was set. Lee and I met at 5.20pm, but then realised the suggested bar was 3 miles away. We decided to walk towards the venue for tonight’s gig & hopefully stop in a bar on the way.

    It turned out that our walk consisted of walking through a shopping outlet, over a bridge, then down the runway of Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport, a disused airport in Kraków, Poland, one of the oldest permanent airfields in Europe,

    The airfield has its beginnings as a military airport established in the borough of Rakowice in 1912,[1] one of the most modern and largest in Poland at the time. It was built for the needs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire along with an army garrison. In 1917, the airfield became one of the stopovers in the first European air mail service linking Vienna with Kyiv and Odessa. The airport was in continuous use to 1963, until the relocation of the Kraków passenger airport 16 km westwards, to the village of Balice.

    We didn’t find a bar, so we waited 12 minutes for tonight’s venue, the Kwadrat Klub to open. Once the venue was open at 6.00pm, we secured an alcove with a table and comfy seats, then imbibed in a few cheap beers. Other Magic Bus occupants arrived and we learnt that the other bus had taken a scenic route over the Carpathian Mountains and had had a nice lunch at a historic lodge with views.

    The support Polski Zespot were not great. They started sounding like an 80’s electronic band, but did improve to sound more Goth

    The NMA gig commenced and it became clear that Justin Sullivan was still suffering with his loss of voice. I went down to the edge of the mosh pit. I think the beers helped! During the performance, I acted as a guard for Jack’s 1st foray onto Red’s shoulders, then I held his right leg steady for ‘Green and Grey’ & ‘High’ in the encore. (Note to self- avoid Green and Grey - the song is too long. My arms were aching). The encore consisted of ‘No Rest’, ‘High’ & ‘I Love The World’.

    After the show, we again had the obligatory photo, then discussions took place as to where to go to next. It was decided to have another beer at the venue. Jack introduced me to Rob, one of the ex-traffic cops he had mentioned, who it transpired left the police in the 90s on medical grounds. He now lives in Holland after meeting at a NMA gig and marrying a Dutch girl.

    We were nattering away & l saw the NMA bassist, Ceri Monger, appear and start chatting to people in our group. He was laughing and joking whilst selfies were being taken. I couldn’t break away from my conversation without appearing rude. Michael Dean, the drummer, then appeared followed by Dean White, the other guitarist. They were chatting, posing for photos and signing autographs, particularly on records and cd’s that people seemed to magic out of thin air.

    I was then chatting with Jack, when unexpectedly (and quite unusually) Justin Sullivan came out from backstage with his vape and started interacting with those of us still in the bar. Jack and I watched on whilst people gathered around him, including Lee, who got a selfie with him. Lee then came over to us & loudly said “I should have told him that he damaged my phone”. Probably in earshot of Justin.

    Lee had told us in the Magic Bus about an embarrassing incident he had had at a Justin Sullivan gig about 9 years ago in Gillingham at a small venue. After a few beers, he tried to take a photo of Justin Sullivan mid performance. He was struggling with the zoom on his phone and to take a close up photo he misjudgedly shoved his phone in front of Justin’s nose. With the end of his guitar, Justin thwacked the phone out of his hand and the phone went spinning across the stage. For a split second he thought about getting on stage to retrieve it, but sense kicked in and he went to the back and waited for the show to end before an embarrassed Lee asked for his now damaged phone back.

    Lee was recounting the story again to Jack, who was trying to tell him to stop digging a hole for himself. It transpired that Jack had been at the same gig and remembered the incident well, as did a 4th person who had joined us. Apparently everyone else in the crowd thought that dickhead deserved it!!!!

    Talking of photos, I tried to surreptitiously take some photos of Justin on my phone, but I got caught out when some Poles now with him asked me to take their photos with him on their phones. I suddenly became their official photographer. I could and probably should have asked for a selfie myself, but instead I just shook Justin’s hand. (I’m too old to appear like an excitable groupie!)

    Scottish Louise, who is in the other Magic Bus, I am led to believe is also a good friend of the band members. She was still talking to Dean White in the venue foyer when we left.

    Jack, JP, Lee and myself got a taxi back to the hotel.

    Song of the Day - Magic Bus by The Who.

    NMA Song of the Day - Before I Get Old by New Model Army.    Read more

  • Simon and Jackie AnnalsNew Model Army European Tour
    Day 9

    Day 9 - Spa Day in Budapest

    March 7 in Hungary ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    It was a leisurely start to the day following a shower & breakfast, we departed the hotel at 10.00 hours. We all sat in the same seats on the magic bus and we arrived at our B&B Hotel in Budapest just over 3 hours later. During the journey the inevitable question came up about what the 6 of us in the back did for a living. 4 of us were in IT, Lee is a jeweller and watchrepairer & it eventually came to me. When I revealed I was a retired copper, actually detective, I got a very positive response.

    After lots of faffing around, six of us decided to the go to the a spa in Budapest, something which Budapest is famous for. Our group consisted of Jack, the Americans Lex and Ramon, Priscilla and a German lady, Ulrike from the other bus. It was 30 minutes ride on a tram and the metro to Széchenyi Bath, which to use we had to download an app. Jack and Lex managed to download the app and log in, whilst the rest of us failed, so lex offered to pay for our tickets on his app. Ideal.

    We travelled on the tram alongside the River Danube, then alighted and walked a short distance before entering the world’s 2nd earliest underground railway. It is 2nd only to London, but is the 1st electrified underground railway system. We got off the train at our stop & were stopped by the guards and asked for proof of payment. Lex got out his app, but it was established that he hadn’t activated his app at the beginning of the journey. We were each fined €30. Great start.

    The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath in Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is 74 °C and 77 °C, respectively. Built between 1909 and 1913, the exceptionally beautiful Szechenyi Thermal Spa is the most famous spa in Budapest. The hot spring water is rich in calcium, magnesium, hydrogen carbonate, sodium and sulfate, fluoride and metaboric acid. It is mainly used for medical treatments of inflammatory diseases and joint complaints. Over the years, the charming thermal bath was constantly renewed and expanded. Today there are 15 indoor swimming pools in the interior of the Szechenyi Bath, and in the beautiful outdoor area you will find another 3 large pools.

    We paid our entrance fee of €28, then an additional €11 for a pair of flip flops that were mandatory. I can’t even walk in flip flops!!! We got changed into our swimmers and spent the next couple of hours wallowing in the hot thermal outdoor pool, the numerous different saunas, hot pools of varying temperatures and the freezing plunge pools. Although busy with both locals and tourists, it was a very pleasant experience. Gone 5.30pm, when we headed back to the hotel.

    On the journey back, Jack and I were chatting and he revealed that he was a contractor for a company and he may be losing his current job later this year. He also asked me what I did & after, he went on to reveal that amongst the usual NMA crowd were 2 Police traffic officers & a girl who is a Derbyshire 999 operator regularly seen on the TV programme ‘Police Interceptors’.

    We were planning to go back out to eat, but time was pushing on. We eventually decided to eat in the hotel. I had the Hungarian pork stew and a pint of beer.

    It was raining when we left the hotel for the 15- 20 minute walk to the A38 venue which is actually on a boat on the River Danube. A lady called Alex from Vienna offered to shelter me under her umbrella during the walk. It turned out talking to her, that Alex was on the guest list, because she was friends with some of the members of the band. It transpired that one of her best friends used to go out with Nelson who was a guitarist with NMA for 22 years, leaving in 2012 for personal reasons (too much touring). Apparently that’s why most of the band have left over the years. It was an interesting chat & great insight into the workings of the band.

    The support band, Aznincs, were not my cup of tea and so I sat down with the others in the bar area.

    NMA came on at the scheduled time and it was clear that Justin’s voice was failing him a little bit which he acknowledged, however during the performance his voice returned. According to my source in the know, the drummer, Michael Dean, is suffering with a shoulder problem & is having to take lots of painkillers before each gig. Fingers crossed for the rest of the tour.

    I stayed a couple of rows back with Lee, who has mild MS. I’m glad I did, because it was a particularly lively one in the mosh pit. Jack did his usual thing - not with any help from me. The encore was No Rest, High & Get Me Out. Another great performance.

    After the obligatory photo, we hurried back to the hotel and bed in anticipation of an early start tomorrow.

    Song of the Day - The Voice by Ultravox

    NMA Song of the Day - Rivers by New Model Army.    Read more

Join us:

FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English