Sounds from beyond the Shed – Week 66

It’s funny the things you do…

As a pastoral leader (unpack that one if you dare  in a school you spend a lot of time developing empathetic relationships with pupils in order to gain an understanding about their lives and circumstances which in turn allows you to assist in their development as academic pupils as well as rounded human beings. In the past I have attended gigs as students have begun their musical careers in scout huts and village halls. I have also attended kick boxing competitions, swimming galas, pantomimes and even horse races and, now, this last weekend drag racing!

My weekends have been littered with these extra curricular events and usually they are very positive affairs which certainly lead to happier school days or at the very least better relationships with parents and students. So it was jaunty of spirit I tramped my way through the burger vans to the pit area in search of my student and his ‘hot wheels’. The denizens of the pits ignored my progress as they tinkered with some quite extraordinary vehicles. Half way down this pit lane I came across a tent with a massive engine in it. It appeared to perched on two tiny wheels at the front and two enormous black doughnuts of rubber at the back. Like a scene from an ancient Dr Who two men wearing WW1 gas masks looked up as I approached and then returned to their tinkering. Odd, I thought as I passed by. At that moment they ‘fired’ it up. The noise of this engine starting so close literally blew me off my feet. My left ear, the one near the tent, screamed in pain and then stopped working completely. Once I’d picked myself up I spent the next ten minutes swearing my head up in agony but by that time I was deep into the pits and was surrounded by countless other folk revving the bollocks off their own leviathans! I made it to my students modest, by others standards, tent and rather than saying hello demanded some ear defenders before anything else occurred.

Once defended I felt better and stayed to watch my student win his race but my hearing did not return for several hours. Schoolboy error. Should have thought about it beforehand. Other thing, watching loud cars race for less than 10 seconds all weekend whilst trashing your hearing… really… no, not for me. I’ve got stuff to listen to…

This week some King Curtis following yet another viewing of Withnail and I, then some Peter Gabriel following completing Stranger Things season 4 ( highly recommended and more on this next week) and last but by no means least a rare cut from Jeff Tweedy and the Punch Bros in support of the Life after Hate charity.

As ever take what you want or need.

Written by Americana UK