A couple of interesting photos taken in recent years. Both shots were taken in my local area, at times when we’ve had a fair amount of snow.
Enjoy.
Hawarden.
Back garden.
Winter Scenes
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Monthly Archives: December 2013
More Christmas Tat
It’s Christmas Eve! And here’s my personal Christmas present to you, loyal readers of the Virtual Hot Tub. Yes, it’s more pictures of tacky Christmas decorations, this time from my home collection. As time is now running out till the big day, I’ve combined several tat items into this one post, as a special seasonal treat just for you.
Father Christmas Ornament
No idea where this one came from – I think I rescued from somewhere I worked. Quite a nice, detailed piece actually. He’s pretty big. Like a Christmassy garden gnome, but indoors. 
Mini Light-up Santa Head
One pound from Poundstretcher in Mold. He’s supposed to light up, but it doesn’t work. Still pretty neat though. 
Dancing Santa
This character once belonged to my Gran, if I remember correctly. He’s been around for a long time, probably early 1980’s. He looks a little evil – part dancing Santa, part mischievous elf. Nice stick on beard. 
Thanks to everyone for reading Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub. Merry Christmas to you all!
Christmas Drink of the Week
Chocolate Smarties
Also known as “Chocolate Orange” or “Christmas Smarties”, for some reason this great drink has become linked to the festive season for me. I can’t remember now how I was first introduced to this tipple (if it was you, and you’re reading this, please remind me); but I’m sure you’ll love it if you try it.
Basically, what we have here is an alcoholic drink that tastes like chocolate orange. If for some reason that doesn’t entice you, give this a go anyway – you may be pleasantly surprised. 
Chocolate Smarties
- Tia Maria
- Orange juice
- Ice
Take a standard tumbler (the glass in the picture is a typical pub half pint glass). Pour in two measures of Tia Maria. Add a few ice cubes, then top up with fresh orange juice (the carton type or some good old Britvic). Enjoy!
Play around with the measure to get a taste you prefer. You may like a single measure of Tia Maria, you may want more or less orange juice. Feel free to experiment till you get the desired flavour.
Soundtrack: “Merry Christmas Everybody” – Slade.
Questions #8: Christmas Films
What could be better than being snuggled up at home in front of the fire, beverage in hand, watching crap on TV? It’s part of what Christmas is all about. The television specials, the films, we’re subjected to both the classic and the drastic each year.
So I wanted to know what everyone’s favourite Christmas movie is. The rules:
- Your film of choice must have been on television (terrestrial or satellite)
- It has to be Christmas set or themed. You can’t pick, for example, Zulu, just because it’s on every year or because you like to watch it every Christmas. Die Hard, on the other hand, would qualify, as it’s set at Christmas.
Q: What’s your favourite Christmas film?
Jess: Elf
Ash: Elf
Lynne: Elf
Tom: Home Alone
Matt: Home Alone
Mike R: Home Alone
Jayne: Elf
Mike W: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Alix: Home Alone 2
Stu: Arthur Christmas
Jade: Elf
Michelle: Home Alone
Jamie: Jingle All the Way
Terry: Home Alone
Sam: Lethal Weapon
David R: Jingle All the Way
Sue R: Miracle on 34th Street
Nathan: Miracle on 34th Street
Ben G: Muppets Christmas Carol
Sarah: Elf
Jack: Home Alone 2
Me: It’s a Wonderful Life
There you have it:Elf just wins (because I counted Home Alone 2 as a separate film, not additional votes for the first film).
I think Elf is a worthy winner, it just seems more “Christmassy” than Home Alone. It’s got Elves and Santa in it, after all.
If you’d like to let me know your favourite Christmas film, leave a comment. Disagree with the choices or rules above? Likewise.
Questions #7: Christmas Songs
It’s Christmas time, there’s no need to be afraid. Not that there’s any doubt that we’re in the festive season – there are decorations, lights, and yes, songs, everywhere. Christmas songs are the cherry on the top, the star on the tree – and they’re inescapable right now, whether you’re shopping or just watching TV.
So what’s your favourite Christmas song? I did some research and this is what I found.
There were some rules: basically, it had to be a song about Christmas; with a Christmassy theme or “sound”. A Christmas number one therefore doesn’t necessarily count, much as I love Rage Against the Machine. Traditional or pop, here are the results.
Q: What’s your favourite Christmas song?
Jess: “Merry Christmas Everyone” – Shakin’ Stevens
Ash: “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
Lynne: “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
Tom: “Merry Christmas Everyone” – Shakin’ Stevens
Matt: “Last Christmas” – Wham!
Dave W: “Stop the Cavalry” – Jona Lewie
Mike W: “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
Imam: “Jingle Bells” (Traditional)
Jayne: “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
Alix: “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)” – The Darkness
Stu: “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)” – The Darkness
Jade: “All I Want for Christmas is You” – Mariah Carey
Michelle: “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” – Wizzard
Jamie: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” – Brenda Lee
Terry: “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
Sam: “A Spaceman Came Travelling” – Chris De Burgh
David R: “The Night Santa Went Crazy” – “Weird Al” Yankovic
Sue R: “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – Band Aid
Nathan: “All I Want for Christmas is You” – Mariah Carey
Ben G: “Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)” – The Darkness
Sarah: “Fairytale of New York” – The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl
Jack: “All I Want for Christmas is You” – Mariah Carey
Me: “Merry Christmas Everybody” – Slade
So there you have it: the popular choice for people’s favourite is The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl’s “Fairytale of New York”. Great song. Should’ve been a Christmas number one.
Only one vote for Slade??? Never mind, at least the vile monstrosity that is East 17 didn’t get a vote.
If you’d like to let me know your personal favourite Christmas song, leave a comment. Disagree with these choices? Are you an East 17 fan? Let me know.
“It’s CHRIIIIIISSSSTMAAAASSSSS!!!”
Christmas Tat
Light-up Father Christmas
You can have a nice, colour co-ordinated Christmas tree with matching lights, baubles and tinsel. You can can have tasteful decorations adorning your lovely home in minimalist style. Or you can go bonkers and cover the place with tat!
Personally, I like a bit of tat at Christmas. Probably no surprise there. Here, for your visual amazement, is one of the coolest, yet cheap, Crimbo ornaments ever. It was owned by my friend Nicky, and sat on her desk in work. It’s a wax Father Christmas candle, which also has a light up feature inside.
Light-up Father Christmas, centre. Desk top tree and Oogey-Boogey along for the ride.
Apparently this was really cheap (£1?), and came from a Christmas bargain shop in Wrexham. I think it’s awesome. I would love to own one, for two reasons. Firstly, it’s quite a well crafted likeness and fairly detailed. Secondly, it’s tacky as hell. A candle that lights up from the inside as well? Beyond pointless.
Light up Santa is a really nice bit of tat, though now he’s apparently been lost in an office move. If you ever see one of these on your travels, readers, please buy a couple. One for yourself, and one for me. I promise I’ll pay you back.
More Christmas tat very soon…
Captain Blood (1935)
After a long while, I finally added this film to my DVD collection. Originally released in 1935, Captain Blood is black and white, no CGI – switch off now if this isn’t your thing. But you’ll be missing something special if you do.
This is the story of a doctor, Peter Blood, who through misfortune and circumstance finds himself a slave in the West Indies. From here he escapes with his trusty comrades and commandeers a Spanish ship, his only option now a life of piracy. We follow Captain Blood and his crew’s adventures on the seas. 
Warner Brothers took a gamble in casting the unknown Errol Flynn in the lead role. The risk paid off – Flynn lights up the screen from the start. A star is not so much born as presented fully formed for the audience to adore. Olivia de Havilland, as Arabella Bishop, also found herself become an established name. There is real on screen chemistry between the two (they’d go on to star in many other films together); both Flynn and de Havilland captivating throughout.
Director Michael Curtiz employs everything he has to create a spectacle on screen, though surprisingly most of the scenes were shot on sound stages. Flynn’s sword fight with Basil Rathbone is energetic and deadly. The final swing-across-the-cavern ship to ship battle is still exciting even now.
Curtiz takes his time telling the back story before we get to the piracy on the high seas. On first viewing you may wonder when the film will actually get to the pirate part, yet the tale is told well with engaging characters and action.
Captain Blood is golden era Hollywood. It has escapism, adventure and above all, fun. Even without a single “Garrrrgh!”, it’s still full of pirate-y goodness.
8/10
Memorabilia NEC – TV character photos
More from my recent visit to Memorabilia at Birmingham NEC. This time, a few photos with a television theme. Hope you enjoy.
The Cyber Men were always my favourite Doctor Who baddies. Old and new versions for you here.
Lion-O was one of my favourite characters I saw all day. Awesome.
Cyber Man.
Old school Cyber Man.
“PATSY!”
Lion-O.
The Damned – Gig Review
The Damned + The Ruts DC
Sunday 1st December 2013
Buckley Tivoli
It’s Sunday night, and far from milk and cookies and watching Songs of Praise, Mrs Platinum and I are off to see The Damned. At the Tivoli in Buckley, no less. A venue I’ve been to many times (remind me to tell you about my 21st birthday sometime) and a place I’d hoped this lot would play for years.
Support tonight is from The Ruts DC, and blimey they’re good. I’d have gone to see them headline their own gig – with The Damned to follow this is unmissable. A great set that swings from ska-reggae boppers to punk rock seven inch masterpieces. Highlights include “It Was Cold”, “West One (Shine On Me)” and of course “Staring at the Rude Boys” and “Babylon’s Burning”. They sound exciting, contemporary and confident. Final song “In a Rut” put the lid on a support set that could have been a headliner.
I might as well own up and admit that the Damned are probably my favourite band of all time. To see them in my “local” venue is a real delight. As I hinted earlier, I’ve had many adventures at the Ballrooms over the years and always wanted to see this band here.
The Damned are the band that I’ve seen more than any other. Tonight though, they play an astounding set that both entertains and surprises. How do they do that? Well, they play many songs I’ve never heard them play live before. First song “Sanctum Santorum” is an interesting choice – atmospheric rather than bludgeoning. The song worked really well live and served to create a sense of theatre from the start.
From that point on, The Damned kept me guessing. “Don’t Cry Wolf”? Yes, please! “Sick of Being Sick”? Don’t mind if I do! Following “Wait for the Blackout” with the songs that followed it on The Black Album is a stroke of almost genius. “Lively Arts” and “Silly Kids Games”? Why sirs, with these gems you are truly spoiling us!
“Ignite” and then “Generals”? They won’t play the third track off Strawberries though. But they do! “Stranger on the Town” is probably my favourite Damned tune, and one I never thought I’d hear live. Brass section, you see. Yet there it is, and Platinum Al can’t help but sing along. Thank you, Damned!
And so it goes. Later in the set we get the classic singles: “Neat Neat Neat”; “New Rose”; “Love Song”; “I Just Can’t Be Happy Today”. “Eloise” sounds great. More first time airings (for me) of “The Eighth Day” and “Ballroom Blitz” put the marzipan on the cake before a glorious “Smash It Up” finale.
Any criticisms? The sound wavers a few times, unusually for the Tiv – some of the early set doesn’t sound as “full” as it should. A minor comment as this didn’t spoil my enjoyment. Beyond that, it would have been nice to hear more of the recent material (no “Thrill KIll”??!) – we don’t hear anything off the So, Who’s Paranoid? album.
Though as I’ve been treated to so many new live gems tonight, a full fourteen minute version of “Dark Asteroid” is probably a bit too much to ask. Maybe next time.
So thank you The Damned, The Ruts DC and Buckley Tivoli. It was a great night. Work in the morning.
Memorabilia NEC – Comic Character Photos
On Sunday 24th November 2013, I went to the Memorabilia show at Birmingham NEC. There I saw many wonderful things. Here are a few characters from the world of comic books that you may like.
Rogue, Mystique and Black Widow.
Storm.
Loki.
Silk Spectre and Bane.
Rorschach.
Cat Woman.
Black Widow and double Lokis.
A smiley Cat Woman.
A grumpy Bat Man.
Poison Ivy.
“I am the Law!”
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