Historical perspective

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Steve Morgan

Juno had always been a student of architecture, and was often an avid reader of the appropriate pages of the Observer newspaper. Originating from London, with an unexpected relocation to Cardiff later in life, she was quick to spot a derivation of architectural style and panache.

Renzo Piano, a man with so many bars named after him, has seemingly managed to find time to dabble in the art of skyline altering. A recent London contribution has added to the view of many a bed-ridden Guy’s Hospital patient…

But, it takes the sharp eye of a cool cat to see the origin in the originality of such dramatic design. The City United Reformed Church in the back streets of Cardiff city centre was hardly the place were a young piano might have been playing (you can take or leave the pun as you please). But, had he looked up he just might have seen a crane, or even a dark shape against the sky. Could this really have been the origin of what would later become The Shard, piercing the London skyline, and creating shock and awe for so many bored rail commuters?

Until we speak again may all of your imaginary coincidences be pleasantly weird.

The Juno’s 2015

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Steve Morgan

You can never have too many awards. The arts have their season across the early months of the year, and football and rugby are deep into their trophy and award winning season as Spring progresses towards the summer recess. Juno was no stranger to posing for award status confirmation, usually the ‘I am waiting for more food award’…

: Come on, it’s dinner time

: Hey you, stop ignoring me

: I’m starving here

: Do I have to hunt for my own food?

But, when not demanding food she also had an eye for the absurd. So here are the posthumous Juno awards for 2015:

The Award for Having No Shops Anywhere in Your Locality goes to Atlantic Wharf in the old Cardiff docklands. And still the City Council give permission to relentlessly build more residential units.

The Award for Sweeping It Under the Carpet goes to an alleyway next to the University of South Wales. It’s a Sunday morning and the streets are suspiciously clear of litter just a few hours after the late night/early morning weekend celebrations have subsided. Good of the revellers to place all of their detritus in one place (or was it just the wind patterns around the University building?).

The Award for Gift Wrapping a Building goes to Peppermint Bar & Kitchen on St. Mary Street in the city centre. Located on a prominent junction it can only be the attention-seeking hub for attention-seekers.

Until we speak again I am sure Juno would have wished that all of the absurdities in your life are award-winning!

That sinking feeling

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Steve Morgan

It was August 2014, and Juno gave me that look that clearly said “who do you think you are kidding?” as I told her of my team’s position as early season favourites to win the 2014/5 Championship trophy.

I am sure she was only being protective of the ‘tenant of her home’… who was clearly caught up in that summertime football disease, shared by all who become attached to their home town team at a young age, only to suffer a lifetime of pain and exasperation! But not this time; we have just had our first taste of a season in the big-time, and we were definitely going straight back to where we now believed we belonged.

Combat quickly resumed between fans of ‘the Bluebirds’ and the owner of the ‘Red Dragons’, leaving a proud but confused sense of supporting ‘the Purple Dragonbirds’.

Juno made it quite clear that any talk of the football stuff should not reach the 10 word limit. Her readership deserved better than to be subjected to the notorious nonsense spoken in the name of the beautiful game. I was determined to keep to the challenge, and with this in mind the season began.

August was still breathing a warm breeze across the home crowd as early signs of what was to come flicker into unwelcome life.

“JOYOUS ENTERTAINMENT WAS RESTRICTED TO PLAYERS BANK MANAGERS ONLY.”

September sees something less than welcome down at the CCS, as the manager is shown the door following a run of poor performances.

“OVER-PAID UNDER-ACHIEVERS OUT ON A SATURDAY STROLL.”

Autumn brings a brief respite with a few home wins. But the regular hail that ‘Welshmen will not yield’ falls on deaf ears, as the team struggle to field many.

“PLAYING THE BEAUTIFUL GAME SEEMED BEYOND THEIR PAY GRADE.”

At times across a long winter the ever-quieter home support needed reminding who they were.

“WATCHING GRASS GROW WAS BOTH UNINTERRUPTED AND TIME-CONSUMING.”

The lowlight came in the penultimate home game, where both teams needed something to bring them to life.

“NINETY MINUTES OF NOTHING PUNCTUATED BY SOUNDS OF SNORING.”

Until we speak again, may your football be uplifting and life-affirming; and Juno’s final punditry to reflect the whole season could just as easily have been a prediction way back in August…

“SERENDIPITY CREPT OUT THROUGH THE BACK DOOR COMPLETELY UNNOTICED!”

Lest we forget

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Steve Morgan

Photographs of our favourite pets, even those who are now former companions, are a great means of keeping connected with all those feelings we share(d).

However, on a stroll about the town centre of the city of Cardiff just the other day, I was accosted by the need for memorial on a much grander scale. The Royal British Legion have erected an installation as part of the centenary remembrance of World War 1 (also incongruously known as ‘The Great War’).

Every so often the fan-assisted installation blows poppies around the statue for added effect…

Just behind the installation you may spot one of our modern day deterrents on the front-line to prevent further warfare, the all-singing-and-dancing soon to outnumber lamp-posts… surveillance camera! ‘They know what we are up to, and very soon there will be a policy of prohibition coming near to you!’

So, as Juno would undoubtedly have said, before we speak again try to remember… something, anything, but at least those who gave their lives so that surveillance could help us sleep easier in our beds.

The end is nigh

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Steve Morgan

Cardiff City 3 Blackpool 2

“IDEAL SHOWCASE FOR A SHALLOW UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE’S SUPERFICIALITIES.”

As the final home game of the season draws to a close Juno would undoubtedly have felt justified in her preference for sleep over spectating. She always felt that everything interesting in football could be said in less than 10 words… Bill Shankly would surely be spinning in his grave at such sacrilege. Until we speak again may your sporting associations be less of a millstone than the unconditional support for your childhood team can often feel!

On a foggy day

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Steve Morgan

As much as Juno would have a routine of waking me up far too early in the morning, I would usually manage to resist the so-called temptation to get into the world so ridiculously early in the day. But just recently I was drawn out from my cozy lair by the promise of fog coming from the soothing voice of the weatherman through my bedside radio. Yes… strange turn of events indeed; but I had this sudden urge to get out there and experience what goes on in the strange world of early morning fog.

I know what you’re thinking… just a useless camera, a useless photographer, or both. Well you may be right, but I am going to just brush off your critique and offer you the true meaning of a foggy day. What really happens in the murky depths of the cold of the morning?

As Queen said back in 1981 ‘that crazy little thing called love‘. Or, as Juno would have said… until we speak again I have a crazy little matter of breakfast to enjoy!

Old Dockers Derby

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Steve Morgan

Cardiff City 0 Millwall 0

Bluebirds v Lions

Teams line up in earlier meeting at Millwall

“NO DANGER OF ROCKET SCIENCE OR BRAIN SURGERY HERE!”

Until we speak again it is important to remember that Bill Shankly once claimed football was more important than matters of life and death, but Juno’s view on football hyperbole was to respect it primarily for its sedative qualities… what can’t be said about football under 10 words wasn’t worth listening to!!!

[With thanks to http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk and http://www.dailymail.co.uk for the posts that help illustrate this post].

Missed the Summit

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Steve Morgan

Following on from the success, or otherwise, of the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014, Juno had completely forgotten about the animal version right here on her doorstep. As she approached it seemed like the delegates were already in the process of leaving.

However, the moment did cause her to briefly reflect on an exotic lunch missed!

As Juno used to say, until we speak again may all of your summits be tasty events!

Lunar confusion

Posted on April 11, 2015 by Steve Morgan

It’s getting late… a pint or two too many at the City Arms kind of late. These days I miss out on Juno’s quiet air of indignation as I return home later than promised; though I wasn’t sure whether she knew the time, or simply presented in the same way whatever time I got home.

It’s the time of night when sailor’s come into their own, as they navigate a way home by the location of the moon. But such a skill seems to become more difficult than expected in an inebriated downtown central Cardiff. Where is that moon when you need it? In the early hours of a Spring night Cardiff seems particularly blessed by many moons.

Who says that alcohol marinated logic makes no sense? A walk through a local wooded copse will surely be the solution to narrowing the moons down to the real one! Well, perhaps it doesn’t necessarily narrow down the number of potential moons, but there are a few clues beginning to shape up.

Even a few pints of the hoppy stuff can’t dim the realisation that a mix of man-made unnatural wood and a man-made built environment gives a zig-zag trajectory a bit more of a focus and direction. Now I am able to narrow down the options…

Strangely enough, the real McCoy presents itself in full-moon splendour just at the moment it is least needed… I seem to be home.

Who needs the moon anyway, when you have a carefully developed and honed homing instinct? Now, just before the hangover kicks in… what do we do on a cloudy night?

Until we speak again, I seem to recall similar escapades in the past, only with the scary addition to the end of the night of something that resembled half-cat/half-door. The moral of this story is drink sensibly, or if you don’t, at least try to enjoy the bizarre distortions that the world presents to those in need of surgical realignment of their ‘eyes-to-sockets’ relationship.

Capitulation in the sun

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Steve Morgan

Cardiff City 0 Bolton Wanderers 3

“EARLY SEASON HIGH EXPECTATIONS QUICKLY BECAME SHISH KEBAB… SKEWERED!”

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JUNO's VIEW

Seeing Cardiff and the world through the eyes of one cool cat

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