Adrian Phelan

Post 43

Adrian Phelan dot com| Glen Hansard| Spiderman| Fish and chips| Love Parks Week| Goodbye and thanks| Social links| Links to past posts

The .com generation 

I’ve taken the plunge and bought my domain name which means you should no longer see random ads in these blog posts. I also have access to new features so as the weeks go on, I’ll look to continue to improve the look and feel. If anyone has any tips or expertise and you’re feeling generous then do share. 

To all the other Adrian Phelans out there (now cringing and hiding their heads in shame), I will try and do our name proud. Chances are the domain will be up for grabs again in a year. I’ll let you know.  

Falling Slowly – Goodnight Glen  

I’m typing this just a few hours after the news broke about the tragic death of Glen Hansard. Non-Irish readers might remember him best as the guitarist in The Commitments, but he was far more than that to most across the Irish sea. I managed to listen to a bit of Liveline on RTE during my lunchbreak which was just one drop in an ocean of love that was outpoured for the Ballymun man throughout the day. It would be pretentious of me to say I was a fan of The Frames or his solo stuff – I was lukewarm on both – but I did view him as an elder statesman of Irish music, or maybe even just an elder statesman of Ireland. It is unbelievable that he has died so suddenly, so young, and I hope his family get all the love and support they need.  

You led the sing-song Glen and for you the night will always be young.  

The filim bit – does whatever a spider can  

And so, to Spiderman – Brand New Day with Tom Holland in the lead role again which came out last week. The ages in our party watching were 49 (me) 15 (older son) and 13 (younger son). I thought it was good, younger son thought it was his second best turn as Spiderman behind 2019’s ‘Far From Home’ and eldest popped it towards the bottom of the ratings but still thought it was good.  

There are some great characters in this one. Jon Bernthal as the very alpha combined friend and foe The Punisher is particularly good, as is Sadie Sink whose character Jean Grey is the nemesis whose unusual superpowers weave through the movie dictating the pace. Peter’s old pals Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) return providing the friendship and romance that are key ingredients for the franchise.  

It’s 2 hours and 25 minutes long which is not far off Odyssey proportions, but a lot is packed in.  

For me, cinema was the winner with this one. Ours was full and I love that. Don’t wait for this one to come out on TV.  

One and one  

How good are fish and chips! We don’t have them very often because they’re not the cheapest on the takeaway menu, but my word we had them on Friday before the cinema and they were delicious.  

Preferences tend to be different depending on where you live. For example, in Dublin, I would only ever have smoked cod; In Leeds – where I lived for four years – Haddock; and down here in the south of England, fresh cod.   

Our local fish and chip shop here in Hitchin, Polcaros, nails it every time. The size can sometimes be modest, but when they taste that good, size doesn’t matter.   

A quick look on Macari Google tells me, ‘Fried fish first arrived in Britain via Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Spain and Portugal, who prepared pescado frito — white fish coated in flour and fried in oil. This method was brought to English port cities as early as the 17th century, becoming popular in London and Manchester. 

Sometimes fish and chips can taste quite good when you prepare it yourself so if you’re deciding what to have for tea tonight, perhaps I’ve decided for you.  

Don’t be shy with the salt and vinegar.  

Do Good Well – Love Parks Week  

I spotted a post on my work intranet for Love Parks Week | Keep Britain Tidy and I thought it was a great idea. It’s an ‘annual campaign celebrating parks and green spaces, the people who care for them, and the countless benefits they bring to people, communities and our planet.’  

Check your borough council website for events happening locally or perhaps just a simpler call to action is just to get out there and enjoy your local park, and keep it tidy.  

This is one of my favourite campaigns this year.  

Goodbye and thanks  

It’s been a week of mixed emotions, lovely time spent with friends and family, but sadly saying a sudden goodbye to Glen Hansord, a national treasure. 

Grief of course is the price we pay for love, and I have to say it’s a fair deal.  

I hope like me you’re glad to see the back of the ads, and I’ll see you next week for more.  

Socially viable

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