John Peel was a national institution, the only surviving Radio One DJ still in post, and a truely wonderfull human being. So it was with complete shock and not a little sadness that I read of his demise in a mail from the BBC this afternoon. He played "wierd" music, the kind of music that doesn't make much sense untill you get old enough to appreciate that there is more to the world than rock & pop. He was fond of playing stuff like Belle & Sebastian, strange bits of African music, Iggy Pop, and of course, The Undertones. it didn't make sense a lot of the time, and the naratives were quirky as the music, but there was a sense of peace knowing that somewhere in the world, John Peel was broadcasting for the lost, the lonely and the downright wierd. With his passing, Music itself has lost a great friend.

John Peel was also the inspiration of Mark Kershaw, (of simialr bent) who ditched his A levels to go see Bob Dylan play, and was outraged at the loss of feeling with which he sung. I remember Kershaw making a trip to Africa and broadcasting from the top of a bus, while taking swigs from a bottle of beer inbetween potholes in the road, all the while playing some really wonderful Soka. It had an affect on me that moment, just as did listening to the man himself when I finally "got it", alone in my caravan, building my plastacine models.

John Peel brought music to generations of people, music that most of us would never have otherwise heard, music he realy cared about, and I guess as an epitaph for a DJ, you can ask no better than that. Rest easy Peely, you will be missed.

John Peel is survived by his wife Sheila, known to millions affectionately as "the Pig" and four children.

You've never been ripped off properly untill you've been to Venice :)

However, much like "seeing the Galaxy for 30 Altarian dollars a day" help is at hand...
First, go to the train station, to the Hotel reservation desk, not only is the woman fairly cute, but it has many usefull things to tell the weary traveller, (both the general area and the woman) watch out for pickpockets being one of them, never getting into a water taxi without asking how much in advance is another. Buying a 24hr "Bus" ticket is however by far the best and cheapest way to get around town. You could of course skip this point, as they never seem to ask for your ticket., but I'll leave the larceny up to you ;) Then there is of course telling the hotel touts to sod off, always a pleasure doing business with you...

"It's the weekend, Venice is full" says the woman, and she's not joking, even the 4 star hotels at 430 Euro's ($500 ish) a night. However I persevered, and while the wife had stormed off in the vain glorious attempts to find an internet cafe, "I'm not paying that kind of money" I persevered, and in the end found a place in town, just up from the San Samuele "Bus" stop for a paltry 109 Euro's for 2 including Breakfast. www.albergosansamuele.it for those so interested. It's a 1 star hotel, but clean, with a private shower, and a view, of sorts, the only drawback being the noisy Italians that woke us up at 6:45am Good job I had no boiling oil I can tell you...

Then there is the food, if you can get a meal for less than 10 Euro's a head you're doing well, so do yourself a favour, walk out of the bottom of Saint Marks square, Palazzo Saint Marco to the locals :) and walk for a while and on thew right you will find a place staffed by mainland Chinease selling BIG slices of pizza for 1 Euro, water for the same and a passable fruit salad for 1.50, you can find the same fruit salad on the market at the other side of the Rialto bridge too, but sadly not the pizza.

The best way to see the place is at night, when it's dark and deserted, strange place. But even with a map you'll still get lost, so unless you navigate with thumb on map, (and even then) the way to right yourself when the inevitable happens is as follows, find a church, of which there are many, then find that on the map then continue.

If you must take a gondola, do so at night too, and make sure your gondolier can sing, expect to pay 80-100 Euro's per hour, you have to haggle, so it pays to ask for what you want up front. You may as well get one who can sing as one who can't, I've been told it adds immesurably to the experience.

Why am I typing this here, rather than somewhere more widely read, no idea :)

When will it end I ask myself, blog here, blog there, blog everywhere.

In other news my wishlist is #5 apparently, Yay me! If I knew what it meant I'd be even happier.

Meanwhile, it's 10 to midnight and I must be up for work in the morning, (booh!) so I shall go keep the wife company. I told her that if she got up at 4am, she'd be pooped come evening, but I guess some lessons you have to learn the hard way, so it goes. Only a few more days to go 'till Sims2 time, huzzah! I say, Huzzah! Then it's the short wait for Halo2 and I shall once again open a can of wup ass on the Covenant. Beauty thy name is Bungie, truly "we are not worthy"

Bed!