03 April 2007 21:40:47 Hello and welcome to my first ever blog! I happened to be reading the ET today in the Brewery Tap whilst waiting for my friend. I came across this two page article about blogs and bloggers and enjoyed reading about the people who had been interviewed. I couldn't have any alcohol today as I had some painkillers earlier and the two don't mix. I did enjoy a few pints of lime and soda water though! I wonder if I should've chanced a Guinness or two? I left the pub sober and got the last bus back to Spalding. Sorry, I wandered off there for a minute. Anyway, I decided that at 53, I should try my hand at creating my own blog. I've decided to do use mine to talk (or ramble) about my  music collecting habits. So here goes.....

I have often wondered what the first record I actually recall hearing was. I believe it to be Mark Wynter singing "It's Almost Tomorrow" and it was on a small radio on a shelf at home with my parents back in 1962! I don't recall the programme, but it was on the BBC Light Programme - I think it was on "Music While You Work". No. Terry Wogan wasn't the DJ either! Down the years, Mum & Dad had collected a few 45rpm singles some of which I recall were by Russ Conway. I remember "China Tea" and "Snow Coach" for sure. These would be put onto a spindle in the record player and an arm brought across to hold the records in place. Turning it on caused the record arm to rise from which one of the records would then slip down the spindle and onto the record deck. Once landed, the arm would come across and drop onto the record and begin playing. (How different now with cds eh?) Being a wee lad, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to these records over and over again! I can't believe I asked Mum and Dad if Russ Conway made these records just for us! How scary can it be for a mere stripling like myself? Clearly, I didn't understand about mass production as each of these records sold millions! Oh, yes, nearly forgot to mention that whenever Billy Cotton was on the TV (black and white and in 405 lines with a huge "H" aerial), Russ Conway wasn't far away! Ahh, the glint of the eye winking into the camera as he ticked the ivories playing his latest tune! I was always fascinated by the way he could play the old joanna with part of a finger missing! Does anyone remember Billy "WAKEY-WAKEY" Cotton?

The one thing I do remember though is buying my first record. Back in the heady days of 1964 when I was 10 - ahh - I went into Dancys Record shop in Fore Street, Edmonton, London, N.18 with my dear old Dad and bought Val Doonican singing "Walk Tall" which was on the Decca record label. Thrilled with my purchase, we rushed back home and I put it on the auto-changer record deck and the voice of Val Doonican singing "Walk Tall" bellowed out of the speaker! (Ahh - mono - how quaint!) I don't know how many times I played it, but I certainly remembered the words after a few plays! Needless to say, somehow I got hooked on music.

Oddly enough, I recall my Grandad listening to a very large Philips radio which he had in a corner of a room. I think he enjoyed his radio. I certainly remember it. You could get Medium, Long and Short-Wave stations on it once the valves had warmed up of course! I've a picture of him and myself listening. I believe I was about three or four making it around 1957 or 1958. After he died, I would listen to this old radio myself and it was powerful enough to pick up the offshore pirate stations. I know I did listen to Radio Caroline and Radio London for sure. I also stuck pieces of paper on the speaker with an arrow pointing down to the stations. I guess an early form of pre-setting! I did manage all the stations except Radio Scotland! My favourite, once it came on the air in December 1964, was Radio London.

I blame Mum & Dad for letting me listen to the radio. One day, they bought me a small tranny (that is a small transistor radio) so I could listen on my own. All those fabulous tunes that were being played on the pirates and Radio Luxembourg! They love him yeah yeah yeah! So now I could listen to music where-ever I went. Medium Wave radio - crackly very flat signal especially at night. Luvley jubbly! C'mon sing a long please now...."This is Wonderful Radio London - When You're Hearing Things - When You're Fearing Things" followed by the Big L (The Sonowaltz a.k.a."Big Lil"). I used to enjoy getting up at 5am trying to record the theme tune - usually when Dad was just coming in from the night-shift as he was a postie at Liverpool Street Station in London. How many times I tried to record that theme tune with Dad talking to me I'll never know now! At least Tony Blackburn was there to cheer us all up - even at 5.30am!

I've looked at the clock now and its getting on for 10.30pm now and time I went to bed. I've enjoyed this brief trip back to my childhood. Over the next few weeks, I'll write further about my passion for music. In the meantime, a teaser for you. "Music Is My First Love And It Will Be My Last" is a line from a lyric of a famous tune. I wonder if you know who wrote and recorded it and in what year was it a hit for the writer and performer? No hints, no clues!

My fingers are worn out typing this lot. Stay safe and be careful. Until the next time, this is me signing off.......

Hello there.

It came as quite a suprise to see me and face on the front page of our local newspaper recently. The idea of me sitting in my chair, hand on chin, rail tickets and pass in the other, and having my picture being taken was something different! I scrubbed up well and my tinted glasses enhanced my lovely blue eyes. I have kept the whole of the front page of me and my plight in a folder. What a handsome devil I am!

Seriously though, dentistry in Spalding is no laughing matter. It was impossbile to get registered when I settled here in 2003. In the end I hoped I would at least get a few years under my belt before having see one. Every time a new NHS dentist was announced, the queues stretched for what seemed miles. As I have arthritis and fibromyalga standing for long periods to "sign up" wasn't an option.

During the time my dental problems started, it is fair to say I tried everywhere locally which had an NHS dentist. Nobody wanted to know. The basic answers were "we don't do emergencies" or "we're closed to NHS patients" and "have you tried....". Even the Boston Pilgrim and New Johnson emergency phone numbers were switched off for a couple of days. I did ask how much treatment might be if I went private but, when you live off benefits, forget it! Dental services for the unregistered and those requiring urgent treatment are virtually non-existant and more akin to a third world country than Lincolnshire.

In the end, I searched the internet for a dentist near where I used to live in Edmonton, London. I rang them, registered there and then, and booked an appointment over the phone. The first trip was daunting enough as was the second and third. At least on the first trip for my checkup I went to visit my Mum and Dad who are buried in the nearby cemetery. Sadly it rained somewhat and there's no shelter there. I said a quick "hello, goodbye" and began the tiresome journey home. It was even odder when I visited the dentists surgery. They'd not heard of Spalding before! I enlightened them with the fact it was 110 miles from my home to the surgery, took three hours door-to-door to get there and over four hours to get back! They couldn't believe it either that a round trip was 220 miles, costing over £38.00 in fares and which took 7 hours of travelling there and back for a 45 minute appointment! (Strangely, neither could I believe I could do it!)

The second and third trips showed just how bad my fangs really were. I'm sure she was drilling for oil in my teeth. Three very painful fillings at the back were done. I was in the chair for 45 minutes. I was glad when it was all over. It took over 10 days for the pain to subside in the back one just as she said it would. On my third trip Monday, I had two more bad fillings drilled and an impression cast for a crown to be fitted on the 24th. Although not as painful, she had to drill out the fillings on one tooth and reduce the other to a small stump in order for the impression to be taken. When I go back, the crown will be fitted and two further fillings done. Hopefully it'll be the last trip! Deep joy!

I have multiple joint pain from osteoarthritis throughout my body which is getting worse. From that I also get dizzy spells and have balance problems. I also have fibromyalga which affects the way the muscles, ligaments and tendons. I have been unable to work as a direct result of them for the past six years and live off benefits. Walking is somewhat difficult and these trips have to be worked out so that I walk the least distance in either direction. Today, Tuesday 8th September, I have been having cramps in my left and right leg, I'm tired and exhausted and will be for around three days, and all because I can't get dental treatment here in Spalding. Its a scandal.

I have a meeting with three NHS Lincolnshire staff this coming Thursday in my home. I will take the opportunity to tell them of my plight. I will also try to get them to improve NHS dentistry in this area so other unfortunate people can access something local instead of having to travel miles for. This is not all about me. It is about all of us and many others like us who can't register, nor had any regular treatment and who, like me, suddenly find themselves in pain and agony and with nowhere to turn. I'm not doing this just for me. 

Wish me well and keep and eye out for "Longs Trip To The Dentist No.2". Please feel free to send this blog to anyone you might know who has similar dental nightmares like me and lets try to make a difference!

Take care and stay well.

Alan Long
Tuesday 8th September 2009.