Xmas 08

As somewhat spookily foretold in the last Mansion, your Laird is already back to his trademark tardiness in updating this wretched thing – but, gentle reader, what else can you expect - with Jack around for 25 days not to mansion all the festivities of Navidad, Año Nuevo and Los Reyes. So no apologies this month. The Mansion has been a hive of activity for several weeks now with the terrace buzzing with conversation in many different languages (often simultaneously), the guitar being passed around (when it could be prised from Jack’s hands) and dozens and dozens of Doradas.

It was fantastic having Jack here throughout all this merry mayhem. He’s shot up in height (he’s taller than his mum now) and is a handsome, likeable young man (even if he does look a bit of a dipstick in one of these photos). He had a few jams in Imagine, but on his last night – after jamming with Eric and Ronnie – he stayed onstage solo and performed and sang a couple of his own compositions to rapt attention and great applause.

It was a sad following day as we wandered around the village bidding his farewells before boarding the 5 o’clock Fred Olsen to Lanzagrotty. After disembarking in Playa Blanca, we were met by Joey Bracken who, serendipitously, had hired a car for a week and, at Joey’s request, I drove to the airport. After checking Jack in, we spent his last hour and a half sitting outside on the patio enjoying a coffee while Jack scoffed an enormous baguette.

Slight digression, on the subject of Jack eating, throughout the time he was here he seemed to be constantly hungry. Packets of cereal disappeared within hours! Within half-an-hour of eating a three-course meal, he’d announce that he was peckish and would manage to squeeze in a pizza or burger. His delight knew no bounds when he discovered the little Italian takeaway Da Uli’s just up the road from Rock Island and he spent many a contented afternoon, sitting in Finnegan’s, munching his way through bounteous bowls of pasta accompanied by vast quantities of sautéed potatoes.

But, back to departure day – and a sad farewell as I waved him off at the other side of security. He’ll be back in the summer and he’s hoping to bring his best pal with him – so not so long to wait this year. Life goes on and I next found myself driving Joey up to Costa Teguise - where he was playing that night’s gig. As we entered the town Joey confided that he’d only been here once before and then in the back of a van, with his view limited to what he could see out of the rear window. Luckily, at the pertinent place to turn right, he’d picked up a landmark. “Turn right when we come to a Christmas tree” he confidently stated. Half a kilometre further on hoves a roundabout with a large Christmas tree planted firmly in the centre. “This is it” enthused Joey “turn right here”

A further half kilometre further along and Joey is voicing his doubts and doesn’t recognise this road at all, so a swiftly executed u-turn and it’s back to the roundabout and once more onto the main road. More astute readers will be ahead of me here – after a couple more misdirections, it transpired that all of the damned roundabouts in Costa Teguise are bedecked with Christmas trees! Blessed with a tongue in my head I managed to get directions to the general area of the bar and Joey managed to recall the rest.

What about the wedding of the year between Joey and his beloved Lori? Sadly it had to be postponed after Joey’s favourite nephew, Brian, was killed in a tragic accident and Joey and Lori flew to Eire for the funeral. The wedding will be going ahead some time this year but as a much lower key affair. Meantime Joey is gigging 5 nights a week in Lanzarote and still plays in Rock Island on Tuesday nights. For obvious reasons, he’s now living in Lanzarote most of the week, while Lori remains cat-sitting in Corralejo – but she’ll be moving over (with the cats) as soon as Joey finds them all a suitable house.

Regressing to Christmas Day, we spent a very merry one, along with the Demon Daughters, Jack, Michaela and Louie, at John and Lynn’s house in Villaverde. Somewhat alien to my manic mademoiselle Farida – who is accustomed to feasting the night before – it was a very traditional Christmas meal introduced by a delicious cauliflower and blue cheese soup lavishly prepared by your Laird himself, followed by roast turkey and all the trimmings expertly produced by the master of the house, John.

Hogmanay, or New Year’s Eve, as my Sassenach friends are wont to say, saw Jack and I in the Muelle Chico for the midnight fireworks (a bit disappointing this year and not a patch on the display next month in Carnaval), then it was along to Blue Rock for a couple of hours and then on to the Music Box for some great live music until the wee sma’ hours.

Up with the larks (of Melody and Shana) and we popped along to Blue Rock once more – it being one of the very few bars in the village open at noon – where New Year’s Day special Bloody Mary’s were on offer along with delicious pizza pieces freshly prepared by Michael in next-door’s Casbah which was open for only that purpose. Farida joined us after delivering the Demons to their dad and a very pleasant afternoon unfolded.

On the world political stage, Pakistan and Kenya are starting to tear themselves apart, the former exacerbated by the assassination of Benadir Bhutto. Naturally the finger of suspicion is pointed at ex-General Pervez Musharraf, the obvious beneficiary of the absence of the only viable alternative to the ‘democratic’ continuation of his evil dictatorship. This tyrant is openly supported by Bush’s coalition of aggression, as he pays lip service to ‘crushing’ al-Qaeda – while his country remains an obvious training and recruiting ground.

Palestinian-Israeli tensions are getting worse, despite Bush’s plea for peace before he steps down. Israel’s refusal to recognise democratically elected Hamas is an unjustified and ludicrous barrier to any meaningful peace talks and the blockade of supplies into the Gaza Strip is positively inhuman. If Bush genuinely wants to see tolerance and harmony in this part of the world then he has to use the financial muscle of the US to pull the Knesset into line.

Stop Press: Joey and Lori’s wedding will be going ahead next week, Friday 1st February. Your Laird and his lady will be testigos at this long-awaited social and civil event and it’s possible some photos may grace next month’s Mansion. Joey’s given up his Rock Island gigs to concentrate on working in Lanzarote – so the nearest place to enjoy his music now is Playa Blanca!

Next month the Mansion anticipates the arrival of my madcap mademoiselle’s sister, arriving on the rock with her two sons for a week. According to Farida, Mimi is nothing at all like her in character, being calm, sane and organised. Whether the normal hectic pace of life in the Mansion will change during this week remains to be seen.

I hear today that the Music Box will be opening seven nights from Sunday 27th January and to celebrate they’re having an opening night party from 8pm with free sangria and house cocktails along with pizza pieces and other finger food. Farida and your Laird are considering popping along as an alternative to feeding the Demon Daughters.

 

Bruce can be contacted on (0034) 649 214 773  or dutchbruce@gmail.com or found most evenings attached to a Dorada bottle in Imagine bar.