Countdown to Christmas
Things are great at the moment aren't they?
The summer is coming to an end with the promise of Autumn, Christmas is around the corner. The bleak mid winter will only be a few months away now and already we are eying up jumpers and cardigans in M&S
The X Factor has started on TV although I'm not sure if the format is tired yet - just have to wait and see.
"You are what you eat" has also started up again in a double bill with "How Clean is Your House". (Should I have put a question mark at the end of that? Surely it should be there?) Wednesday nights are now Freddy's telly-box-holy-grail. He might as well put up a "do not disturb" sign in the living room and board up the door. I'm about as welcome as a house call from Keith Cheqwin at 7.30 in the morning at the moment.
In case any international visitors are unsure what these UK programmes are all about, here is a quick summary:
"You are what you eat" : Small Scottish woman chases fat people with a box of poo until they cry and eat salad.
"How clean is your house" : Another small scottish woman, this time accompanied by a bigger blonde woman with hair made out of yellow skipping rope, burst through your front door and swab your bog for microbes which they grow in a lab into small trees, and then make you cry until you throw bleach all round your kitchen and clean your windows with vinagred newspaper.
So with all this to look forward to, I'm glad at least one quality product has arrived. Or been ressurrected - you decide:
FREDDY MERCURY has just released a solo album!! Don't believe me?
CLICK HERE. The best thing about this is that it has got a new rejigged version of my favourite song, BARCELONA and
I have put it up online for you to sample. Now go buy the album immediately, put your feet up, turn the telly off and listen to one of the world's greatest EVER male vocalists (including myself...)
Vote for Freddy every visit!! Click Here!!Email FredLabels: barcelona, X Factor
Barcelona 2006 Part One
Would you like to see Part Two??
Labels: barcelona, video
What if....
THIS ARTICLE gave me an idea. Instead of our annual trip to Barcelona, why don't we all go naked in Dorset?
Or even better find a nudest holiday in Majorca???
Food for thought...
I can imagine Susan and Lynder playing naked volleyball with me and Alan Hutton without a care in the world!!!
Labels: barcelona, lynder, Mr Hutton, Susan
Barcelona 2006
Richard and Freddy trying to blend in with the locals at Parc Guell
Well we're back from our trip, refreshed and rejuvinated. Our trip was a complete success and thanks to our support, Barcelona beat them fair and square.
If you click the above picture of me and Richard, you will have COMPLETE access to our trip photographs and you can draw your own conclusions. For those on the trip, it may interest you to know that you can order prints from BT Yahoo from this site ....
"If God is willing we'll meet again someday!!"
Labels: barcelona, richard
A few pieces of housekeeping (I hate it when people say that)
I'd like to give you a quick perfunctory catch-up so I'll not be phrasing things here with much thought as I literally have 5 minutes to write this - more will follow later.
First piece of news (at the top of the hour - where you are...)Mysteriously I was put on to the
St George's Select Vestry on Thursday night - as was
SMITHY. This is a strange one because for years we have gone down to this church and sung in the choir there and been quietly rumbling on about how it could all be better run and organised. Now we will have a say in that.... It feels quite odd.
Second piece of news is that
Fredordead have had their first online bequethal - The above "Barcelona Replica" T-shirt has been earmarked for my possession on the event of the death of
Mr R Swipe. I have never before known the contents of a person's will while they are still alive and I am not sure what the etiquette is - but I suppose THANKYOU seems to be what I ought to say. I am not sure I can wait for
Mr R Swipe's death however so I am going to make it my business to find one of these garments while in Barcelona and that can keep me going while I wait for
R Swipe to shuffle off. I hope to share photos of this event in the near future...
Love on ya Bob...
Labels: barcelona, smithy
Found this online 3 day guide to Barcelona
DAY 1: BARRI GÒTIC AND LA RAMBLA
Start your day with a cortado at your local café, and head down to the Plaça de Catalunya, the nerve center of Barcelona and home to Barcelona's biggest shopping venues. El Corte Inglès is Spain's mega-market, peddling everything from clothes to CDs and books — it even has a travel agent! Nearby Zara is Spain's answer to the Gap. If you aren't carrying too many bags, visit the Palau de la Música Catalana (C/ Sant Francesc de Paula, 2; +34-93/295-72-00;
www.palaumusica.org), just down from the Plaça, for a tour of the Modernist masterpiece. The music hall's inverted stained-glass dome is not to be missed. Advance tickets are required; buy them at the box office or check with your concièrge. For lunch, enjoy classic Catalan dishes at the nearby Els Quatre Gats (Carrer Montsiò 3 bis; +34-93/302-4240; entrées: 13-25 EUR), a beautifully restored Modernist café best known as the venue of Picasso's first art show in 1900.
After lunch, head back to the hotel for a siesta — nothing's open in the mid-afternoon anyway. Once refreshed, head back to the Plaça de Catalunya and take a relaxing stroll down the famous La Rambla, the tree-lined boulevard that carves a jagged line through the heart of Barcelona. Admire the various street vendors selling everything from books to birds, but keep a watchful eye open — La Rambla is infamous for pickpockets and gypsies. The Rambla's open-air cafés can be a nice place to stop and people-watch, but the food is generally overpriced and mediocre. Note the Canaletes Fountain (a drink insures you'll return to Barcelona), the teeming Boquería food market, and the Miró-designed pavement, Take a detour through the twisty streets of the Barri Gòtic and poke your head into the Cathedral (Avinguda Catedral; +34-93/315-1554), in all its gothic splendor. Continue meandering through the Barri Gòtic and on to the adjacent Borne district, full of galleries, shops and funky restaurants. It's Barcelona's answer to SoHo in New York. Again, be careful of pickpockets.
DAY 2: MARKETS AND MODERNISMBegin your day at — you guessed it — Plaça de Catalunya, and stroll up the Passeig de Gràcia through the Eixample, enjoying some of the finest window shopping anywhere. Even with the stronger dollar, Spain can still be expensive, especially for clothes. Here you'll find upscale boutiques as well as in the chic mall Bulevard Rosa (Passeig de Gràcia 53-55;
www.bulevardrosa.com), an arcade with men's and women's fashions, shoes, leather goods, jewelry, and gifts. Nearby Rambla de Catalunya is also a paradise for shoppers (or window shoppers, depending on your budget); designer Antonio Miró's showcase, Groc (Rambla Catalunya 100), features trendy fashions; his outlet (Carrer Consell de Cent 349-351) has a great selection for women.
The Eixample is also home to a myriad of Modernist buildings, most notably those by the city's greatest architect, Antonio Gaudí. You'll first encounter Casa Batlló (Passeig de Gràcia 43), with its fishscale-like roof tiles. The $15 entrance ticket to Gaudí's La Pedrera (Passeig de Gràcia 92) includes a tour, but the highlight is the rooftop of abstract chimneys, like an alien landscape, from which you can steal views of the Sagrada Familia (Plaça Sagrada Familia; +34-93/455-0247;
www.sagradafamilia.org), Gaudí's unfinished church. A trip to the church is recommended, but as it is a work in progress, there is little to see inside.
For lunch, grab a quick bite to go at the Catalan version of McDonald's: Pans & Co., scattered throughout the city. Hip and spotless, they serve sandwiches, salads, and gazpacho. Take your sandwich and a cab up to Parc Güell (Carrer Olot, up the giant escalator from Av. Hospital Militar), Gaudí's crowning creation, with its own phantasmagoric plaza (with a great view) and a spectacular entrance. Stroll the grounds, or just hang out and people-watch for the afternoon.
DAY 3: GET HIGH!For a change, do not start your day on the Plaça de Catalunya (unless you're staying there); rather, fetch a cab and get thee to Montjuïc, a hill above the city with great views of the port. There you will find two parks, the Jardins Mossèn Costa i Llobera, with a large cactus and succulent collection, and Jardins Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer, with over 100,000 plants year-round. Don't miss the Fundació Joan Miró (Parc de Montjuïc; +34-93/329-1908), housing over 200 paintings and nearly as many sculptures by the 20th-century Catalan abstractionist. A highlight i s Calder's Fountain of Mercury (1937) which recirculates five-and-a-half tons of mercury. Lunch options are few in Montjuïc, though the café at the Fundació Joan Miró is not bad and fairly reasonably priced. You may want to pack in another sandwich from Pans & Co. Take the funicular up to the Castell de Montjüic, the fortress perched atop the hill, for sweeping vistas of Barcelona and the coast. If you're still hankering for an outdoor ramble, descend to the Parc de la Ciutadella, the largest in the city, with tree-lined paths, an enormous fountain, a lake, and the Barcelona Zoo. Or, for the best view of the city, head up Tibidabo, easily reached by public transportation
Evening falls, and it's back to Punto for the nightly fix of drinks and party planning. For dinner, Citrus (El Passeig de Gracia 44; +34-93/487-2345; $8-18) is right down the street from La Pedrera and still within easy reach of the activities in the Gaixample. Situated on the second floor and boasting large windows, Citrus offers great views of the main street.
Labels: barcelona, New Year
A message from R Swipe about Barcelona
Please sir, can I recommend a tapas bar, sir, please, please sir?
Bar Celta. It's in a little side street just off on your right at the harbour end of the Ramblas. They do a stonking Gallician cider there (you can only buy it by the bottle - always a good sign!) and there's a beautiful old chrome horseshoe bar with all the food on little dishes under the glass - you just point at what you want. I haven't been back to Barca for about ten years but this place is bound to still be there. Also go to the Gaudi designed parc that overlooks the city. Stunning views. Are you there for Wednesday's game? Should be a fantastic atmosphere!!Well these recommendations are exactly what we are looking for and if you have any more Mr Swipe - please do be forthcoming.
Don't know about the game. I'm a gay you see - us types don't know about these sporty things - but Jonny and Alan and Richard will be able to enlighten us all - are we going to be there for the games?
Mr Swipe I will be pleased to go to Bar Celta and have my photograph taken swilling Gallician cider as a tribute to you and you will see them here on THIS VERY SITE - that I promise not only you but the entire Fredordead community or my name isn't Freddy Matchett.
Labels: barcelona, richard
Barcelona
In exactly one week I will be in Barcelona. For those who don't know, that's Spanish for Barcelona.
I thought that I would over the next few days post up a few places to go in Barcelona. Not that I expect most people to care, but I'm going to take advice from RSWIPE and post up any old shit here on this very page.
There are at this moment in time 5 people going to Barcelona:
Me
David
Alan
Richard
Jonny.These same people also went to Barcelona this time last year. You've probably all seen the video and bought the G string, so I'll not bore you with that. However it's important to reflect on what we DID last year and what we must make sure we do this year to make it an equally enjoyable but slightly different trip.
Last year we:
1 - Drank (pretty much all the time) - I propose no changes to this item. Drink is essential. It's perhaps how we all survived last year. It's very possible that Barcelona is a toilet of a place and we just didn't notice we were so snottered. Let's leave the drink on the agenda.
2 - Ate (badly mainly except for a visit to a very nice restaurant) Let's cut out Pizza Hut this time around and breakfast in that dirty hotel is not happening again. Some nice restaurants / eateries will be posted up here presently
3 - Went to Sagradad de Familia. This was staggering and I had one of the best days there - but once seen there's no point in going again - do we agree?
4 - Went to Barcelona Cathedral - Again lovely place - no need for a second look
5 - Went to the beach - YES YES YES!! Definately have to go there again - I loved it.
6 - Did Piggy backs through the city at two in the morning - Bad idea NO NO NO!!!7 - Went to Il Clansman - Scottish bar off a dirty side street - YES YES YES!!! Have to go back!!
8 - Tapas bars - yes we should do these but a different one - again I'll post up some options.
9 - The erm "sexy sexy" bars - well.... We'll see! But I shall not be wearing my Homer Simpson boxer shorts this time. You don't catch me out twice....
So people - what else should we do in Barcelona??? Any ideas??Labels: barcelona, richard, video
Chester
Above there are now two videos for you to watch - the first one will be familiar to regular readers of Fred's - this video is Richard's stag weekend in Barcelona last year (which we are reprising in a similar form this year - only difference is he is now married...)
The second new video is a video which has been put up for Clair and Colin in memory of Chester. Chester is the enormous blonde coloured dog in this video - the breed name is Dogue de Bordeaux. Chester had to be put to sleep last week due to kidney disease last week and we are all devastated for them. He was only about 4 years old (Clair will maybe correct me).
The silver lining to this dark cloud is that Clair and Colin have sensibly bought a new dogue de Bordeaux puppy - Hogan - and this is occupying them and taking their minds off Chester slightly.
Anyway I though I would put up this video of us all about three years ago in Pam and david's house enjoying the sunshine, and maybe it will in some small way help Clair and Colin to get over him.
Hogan - Clair and Colin's new babyLabels: barcelona, clair gunning stitt, New Year, video
Andrew Smith's Desktop for all going to Barcelona!!
Big thanks to poor Smithy who despite at the moment being unsure of his attendance has nonetheless produced this fab commemoration. If you click on it you can get the full size version.
Cheers Smithy!!
Labels: barcelona, smithy
I have been talking with some of you about how Peter Jackson the director of Lord of the Rings went to Barcelona and was at Barcelona Zoo with his kids there. Peter saw the Albino Gorilla, Snowflake there and he says it inspired him to make King Kong.
Here is a link to Snowflake to let you find out more about him.
Labels: barcelona
THIS LINK is a good place to find info on Barcelona - Thanks to Richard for this.
Labels: barcelona, richard
Barcelona!!
Jonny, Richard, Revs, Alan, Jonny, Fred and I are all going on a cheap holiday to Barcelona !! With that in mind I thought I would post part of the video we made last year of us having one of the greatest 3 days ever!! Hope you like it!! If you do I will post another wee section for you.
If it does not play it's because you need to install Macromedia flash 8.
Full screen version can be found
HERELabels: barcelona, richard, video
Freds Christmas / New Years Honours List
I decided today to afford the time to write an actual blog article to you all thanking you for your visits and support over the year.
It's a funny thing but this blog only started in late July. It seems to me to have been around forever and I really don't know if I could ever do without it now. My input has been at times patchy and at times regular as clockwork. Back in the days of Sept / Oct, readers will remember that I ran a daily "quiz" - this attracted around 60 visits A DAY and was great crack but it required a lot of work and eventually I ran out of steam.
The identity of the mysterious and incredibly rude "Byte" generated quite a bit of interest not least of all from me. It turned out to be Richard who was the very last person I thought it could be. If I were to be transported into a Miss Marple mystery, I don't think I would fare very well... It's no wonder I was crap at the murder mystery evening that Fi and Richard organised last year!! In the end I think J'accused the fondue set that night.
Anyway I digress. I don't do Christmas Cards - I can't be bothered and I think one less person chopping up trees must be a good thing. Don't get me wrong though - I love getting them! So ....
Instead of Christmas Cards, A Fred's OBE (Order of the Blog Empire) goes to some special people this Christmas, both online and real live face to face friends, who have been particularly great this year to me and who all make my life fantastic. Apologies if any of this is over sentimental but that's what I do best...If I leave anyone out let me know - it's just cos I'm stupid rather than that I've forgotten them...
FRED AND FRED OBE'S
to
Alan C who has started a new life in Edinburgh and who is lovin it..
to
Andrew my rock....(!)
to
Shazza Cazza Lazza and Jazza.....
to
Matthew and Clare my annual relatives
to
my Dad who I love enormously and with whom I had the nicest day of my life earlier on this year up a small mountain in Majorca
to
my Mum who has had a terrible year but who is doing great despite everything
to
Byte(!)
to
Clair, Leanne, wee Gerard and Anne in Dunmurry and England who are all making millions for an ungrateful man
to
Clare and Geoff who have both had a tough year and for whom 2006 can only be better
to
Courtney the conductor who will be an amazing world class name some day
to
Darran in Cork
to
David R and his curlie wurly hair - keep the curly wurly curries coming
to
David and Pamela and little Erin, little Erin has melted my heart and some day she'll probably break it…
to
Fi and Richard who are coming back to NI and facing the unknown
to
Gillian our Barts director and my life-longest serving bestest friend,
to
Eric one of my other dads...
to
Jenny and Chris our other newlyweds who invited us to their fab wedding dancing where I had a ball!!
to
Jonny Ireland our Son
to
Jonny Roberts in his new house that he has worked so hard for
to
Karin and Charles,
to
Katherine and Gavin who are about to give birth and who deserve so much happiness next year
to
Katrina my sister in her new house who deserves everything in the world
to
Kerri L who was mugged recently but is showing humiliating resolve and strength,
to
Lawrain and David our hair consultants…
to
Lisa in NZ and Walker in Canada our long distance lovers who are seeing each other this Christmas for the first time in ages
to
Michael R who helped us grind a few bastards down earlier on in the year,
to
my Dentist Karen who fixed me up good as new when disaster struck in Barcelona,
to
my wee Lynder who shone like a star on TV last night and who I love deeply,
to
my wee mate Ed who I can honestly say for such a young person is one of the most mature kind friends I have ever had
to
Philip our dynamic composer in residence who writes the songs that make the whole world cry,
to
Richard and Susan our newly wedded bestest friends who both Raise Me Up!!
to
Rswipeto
Tess and Michael,
to
Tim Jonesto
Wylfie the pantomime dame (don't even ask)
But the biggest Christmas Fred's honour this year -
A Fred's Knighthood goes to all the guys at Vodafone who have made me feel human again. To
Julie a fantastic woman with so much poise and command in work and yet who has the capacity to melt into a great friend,
to
Isla (a truly intelligent and bohemian spirit)
to
Susan (our poor bad cop who has to remind us all where the lines are and is a real gem)
and last but not least our
Sandra who brought me in when I was out in the cold in February and who is one of the most generous people I know and for whom I would do anything!!
Blub Blub - I love you all and here's to 2006!!!Labels: barcelona, clair gunning stitt, Ed, jenny, Kerri Logan, Lisa, lynder, New Year, Susan
I found this photo on the internet on another Blog - any Barcelonalytes should visit it to receive an instant nostalgic glow...
Further to this I found (by the same lady) more photo's of Barcelona
HERE on her website.
Take a trip - you won't regret it...
M XX
Labels: barcelona, photos
No
No he won't let me. OK salient points from today. I made my first Strawberry and Natural Yoghurt Smoothie which was lovely - bought a new smoothie maker on Sat.
The Mark McGuire Singers started recording a new piece - Pure Shores by the All Saints. I think it's coming along well.
These are some of my friends but I'll introduce you to them later individually. This is us in Barcelona earlier this year at Richard Campbell's stag weekend.
Labels: barcelona, New Year, richard
