The writings of Max Robinson: Andante Andante

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In March 1968 I was 17 years old, working as a management trainee in a large Birmingham department store and living my life at one hundred miles an hour.

This was number thirteen on 29th March 1968

If you have £1.99 to squander you can read about that time in my life - CLICK HERE

I was going to take on the retail world and become its mega star.

Harold Wilson was prime minister. History, I guess, has recorded him as a "good" prime minister - certainly a zillion times better than the present incumbent. Perhaps his greatest achievement was to keep Britain out of the Vietnam War.

THE STORY OF TEENAGE ENTREPRENEUR (FAILED) - Why failed ? Failed because a year later I gave up a career in business to enter education. I became a teacher - yes at the age of 18 I was unqualified but in charge of PE and games at a boys preparatory school. When the headmaster found of my love of music he put me in charge of that as well.

29th March 2019 - I still think of myself as being 17 years of age and still live life at one hundred miles an hour.

If I am totally honest right now I am totally knackered, 3.54am - I've been in the studio now for an hour. Physically and mentally drained. This song has not been in one of my playlists for a few months - perhaps it should return !

ANDANTE - ANDANTE, for the musically ignorant that

means SLOWLY - SLOWLY. I don't think so. That's not really me is it ?

March 2019 - I am 68 years old and racing towards being 69.

HELL ! This time next year I will be racing at one hundred miles an hour towards my 70th birthday.

Why do I live my life like this ? Why don't I slow down. I am tired - I am knackered.

But.......................

4.05am. In two hours I will be playing the opening track - number 30 in the UK charts for 29th March 1968. Here it is...

Have no fear once the music starts I will be BUZZING - the last thing I will be is tired - knackered.

In the recent RADIO DISCO I played music for 14 hours without a single slow dance.

Andante - Andante ? It's a nice song but it aint me.

TOMORROW.....

I will be at the Irish Centre from about 5.30am to around 11.30am with our car boot sale stall. Then I will be at MK Bowl on Sunday selling everything left over from Saturday.

In 1982 Queen played at Milton Keynes Bowl.

If you have nothing better to do over the week-end drop by and say HI !

Freddie, bless him, appears in one of my books - THE GREAT PRETENDER.

Freddie and I are different people but could you imagine Freddie Mercury living his life ANDANTE - ANDANTE ?

We need to make £75 across the two car boot sales. Money to cover fuel costs for Lisa and myself to travel to Birmingham on Monday for a meeting at Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham to talk about SUNSHINE SMILE DAY - money for the coming month's sponsorship of Piggie Alfie and £30 to but some more

printing ink.

There are roadworks on the M1 - "works" is an exaggeration ! Lots of cones and 50mph speed limits but very little sign of anybody doing any work ! I guess our journey to Birmingham may be a bit ANDANTE - ANDANTE,

Right now I am listening to the podcast from Tuesday's show - JOIN ME.

Simon and Garfunkel are a bit ANDANTE - ANDANTE...

Here's a track from the podcast.

When we went to Curly Tails last week to meet and adopt ALFIE the lady who runs the rescue centre said two things to me:

CURLY TAILS IS NOT A COMMERCIAL CHARITY - I had not heard that expression before but it so perfectly fits in with my own philosophy. Charities with chains of shops, paying for expensive media advertising do not fit in with what I think of as a GOOD CAUSE. She also said YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SOLVE ALL OF THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS BUT THAT DOES NOT STOP YOU TRYING.

One thing for certain is you will not solve anything doing it ANDANTE - ANDANTE.