Going back 32 years

Anyone familiar with Peter Straker's Ragtime Piano Joe from 1977?

Les lacs du Connemara

Remember this one by Michel Sardou? Long live YouTube!
Good one for practising your French. By way of a song about Ireland.

Karelia Suite - Sibelius

That piece of 20th century classical music is one of my favourites. Below recording (audio only) from YouTube of the Alla Marcia [March] from Sibelius' Opus 11.

Tuesday 21 April

Seems our week of spring has gone, to be replaced by wet weather. No strong winds; the low pressure system bringing the change is too far away to cause gales on land. Today is the 83rd birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth II, so here's 3 cheers. The official birthday celebrations will be held in mid June, with Trooping the Colour in Horseguard's Parade in London. Another royal birthday bash happens in Holland in 9 days from now, when Queen Beatrix celebrates her 71st birthday, which actually happened on 31 January. Her son, crown prince Willem Alexander, has his 42nd on 27 April.

Locally, the council appears set to approve a large windfarm development in the district of South Lochs, 12 miles (as the crow flies, but 25 miles by road) south of Stornoway. It would see 26 turbines, each 450 feet tall, rising above the low hills and lochs of the district. Jobs would be created, in an area that is economically deprived. However, there is said to be a considerable environmental impact of the scheme. Final planning permission will be decided by the Scottish Government, but thousands of objections have already been lodged.