This is a recent song I accidentally bumped into and I was pleasantly surprised and almost shocked. About one minute into the song Christina Aguilera joins in on this powerful breakup song. 'Say Something':
Great mix of music on our radio today, so I want to thank you all for playing such great songs.edgar, love that one by you. Sorry that I can't acknowledge each contributor
Good morning from here in our Florida radio station.
Ah, Morgan, I missed your contribution, but I love Tell Me Why. Didn't know the "red man" but thanks again for the introduction and personal acknowledgement.
hbg, William does tell it right, Ontario as does Dino. Always good to hear you say my name.
Ah, edgar. What a great couple of songs. Little Rosa and Bambi go well together.
It's hard to drive when one's hard drive keep threatening to crash.
I'm now going to get a bit silly and sentimental, but please indulge me.
Feb 5th means something a bit special to me, as that was my Dad's birthday. Born in 1913 within a few hundred yards of Greenwich Observatory, his claim to fame was that he was born bang smack on the Meridian line (well, within about ten feet, we once worked it out to be).
He started out as a twelve year old gofor (dogsbody, labourer, docker, unloader) on the then bustling Thames, shouting out to the barge captain as he approached the mooring, asking if he wanted labour.
That area around the docks in London took in just about everything. Sugar and Rum from the West Indies, bananas from the Windward Isles, spices from all points East, Tea from India, China, Coffee from Colombia, all manner of exotic fruit from Africa, and tons of Lamb from Australia and New Zealand.
He eventually trained and qualified as a Master Fishmonger, and had just about sorted himself out in life when his Father died suddenly, leaving him the oldest ofca family of 13 kids ( 12 boys, then a girl.....apparently his mum desperately wanted a girl and kept going until one arrived!).
This all happened in the early 30's, bang smack into the great depression, and try as they might, the fsmily ende up being evicted from their home and the youngest went into care. A common occurrence in London at that time. The care home being one slight step up from the dreaded Workhouse.
The younger kids very quickly got moved to "the country" and the rest went down to Kent, where relatives took them in.
Dad and the next oldest stayed on in London and shared a bedsit for a year or so as they tried to build up a fishmonger business, but the depression put paid to all that and my Dad ended up joining the new fangled professional London Fire Service, basically because a mate had joined and he said the money was good.
War broke out a few months later, and Dad found himself in the unenviable position of being a London Fireman during the blitz.
During that time he and his mates had to stand out there every night when the bombs were dropping, whilst Londoners sheltered down in the Tube Stations.
On the 114th night of the Blitz, he was, like nearly every other available fireman, called out to defend the St Paul's area of London, when the Luftwaffe did all they possibly could to flatten St Paul's and the entire surrounding area.
Volunteer civilians turned up from seemingly nowhere and started bucket chains, supplying water to where it was needed. Others who had already been trained, stood on the roof of St Paul's and surrounding rooftops, picking up incendiary flares (dropped solely to cause a firestorm) and chucking them into water or down to the streets where they could not set fire to anything.
A lot of people were killed out there on what came to be known as the Second Fire of London, and my Dad was injured. He also had his Tin Hat peppered with falling shrapnel and it almost perfectly spelled out his initials. He later donated that to the Fire Museum.
He was taken to hospital, but was soon discharged and sent home. He was back on duty agsin the following night (New Years Eve 1940) and, apparently, and his friend told me that it was very common at that time, he fell asleep standing while training his fire hose onto a building.
The famous picture (s) of St Paul's was taken at daylight the following morning.
For those of you who have time and are interested......a BBC article, "How St Paul's survived"
