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Found this on Facebook and makes interesting reading Source: Cultural Ethereal Past Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, two of France's most iconic musical figures, shared a deep connection not only through their music but also through their unique experiences of cultural exchange. Gainsbourg, born in 1928, was known for his audacious, avant-garde approach to music and his often provocative persona. When he first visited London, he was fascinated by the city’s contrasts and found many aspects of its culture, from the food to the architecture, intriguingly exotic. This perspective is captured in Birkin’s reflection on his response to haggis, the traditional Scottish dish, which he found to be "the most oriental thing" he had ever eaten. Serge’s appreciation of London’s nuances, such as its iconic buses, telephone booths, and Victorian architecture, highlights his distinctive worldview and his ability to find wonder in the everyday. Their relationship, both personal and professional, was a testament to the creative collaboration that blossomed between them. Birkin, a British-born actress and singer, became Gainsbourg’s muse and collaborator, most famously on the controversial and sensual song "Je t'aime... moi non plus." Released in 1969, the song stirred international attention due to its intimate lyrics and provocative nature. Their partnership in both music and life made them one of the most talked-about duos of the 1960s and 1970s, with Gainsbourg’s wit and Birkin’s charm complementing each other perfectly. Despite the cultural and linguistic differences, London provided a backdrop where their shared love for music and exploration of each other's backgrounds could flourish. The photo by Robert Dear from 1971 reflects a moment in their relationship that exemplified their mutual curiosity and admiration for each other. While Gainsbourg’s affection for London may have been rooted in an outsider’s fascination, his time in the city and his connection to Birkin left a lasting mark on his artistic legacy. The candidness and charm of these moments between Gainsbourg and Birkin offer a glimpse into the personal dynamics that inspired some of the most iconic music of their era. Through these reflections and images, we see a unique blend of cultural admiration and artistic innovation that defined their time together.

Well, had an interesting one over Christmas when I dug out my old Mod parka and am trying to identify the exact model. Have never known whether it was a 1948 (M48), 1951 (M51) or 1965 (M65) and thats not including the various editions with removable hoods and different styles of inner liner. Who would have thought there were so many variants of this legendary coat? Turns out it appears to be an early M51 (introduced in the Korean war) and was standard wear for US troops in cold or wet climates. Value: appears to be around £350 mark and considering I paid £25 for it in 1979 its generated a good profit over the years (if i were to sell it)

even in his music he has to have a ciggie on. Very controversial song back in the day

Haha....very French in attitude and appearance, they don't make them like that anymore!

Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin were a couple for 12 years. Definately think he was punching above his weight. Serge also reported to smoke 60-90 filterless ciggies a day. Great song though, reminds me when i was younger and hearing the noise these two were making. lol

Interesting article about the planes future https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/24774309.skymonster-plane-grounded-airport-saved-sort/ Skymonster was built in 1961 as a standard CL-44 operated by the American Flying Tiger airline. Photograph sourced from Bournemouth Daily Echo

i see the old one that has been parked up for years at Bournemouth airport is being scrapped.

What would you change if you could go back in time, just one thing to change though Mine would be investment, knowing what you know now (assuming you can take the learned memory back with you)

I have a particularly dull but enjoyable interest which is collecting different beer bottle tops and arranging them in a special display pack that was bought for me as a present As you can see there are no duplicates and just a few more slots to fill but it has been a real labour of love (for beer) so far Not too dull then I suppose 🙂

Lucky kid! every boy's dream and some realise it later in life when they have the time and money to build an excellent setup

crikey, that's dedication for you!

Sounds very much like the Erich von Däniken theory where he claimed that human history had been shaped by visitors from outer space A lot of evidence has been left over the years (take the ancient Egyptians - try and explain that one!) and the halo around Jesus head looks like a space helmet Well you get the drift, the digger you deep the more lost in thought.....

i had a whole double bedroom , 2/3 of it was boarded with railway on top. spent many hours in there, just wished my old man bought me more stuff for it. Had all the Yeoman trucks with ballast, class 56 loco or class 47 would pull them fully loaded. had to be careful as too fast and would topple around the corners and you would have loads of grit everywhere. Had signals, both types as well so would do night shift stuff.. was brill. Mate used to come round with his Lima steam loco and a drop of 3&1 in the funnel and it would puff smoke rings.. not sure if your supposed to do that or not. seemed fun at the time.

this was the missus making me get the BBQ out in November. Way to much excitement for a Novembers evening

Wow! thats quite heavy I remember watching a documentary on Einstein's theory on relativity and time & space travel One of the only things i remember from it is that he timed a train journey and it clearly showed that time sped up but as soon as it stops then it reversed and therefore no advancement in time overall. Concorde proved it through inter-continental travel at Mach2 but it always returned to the base setting

that does look cool in slow-mo .... or should that be hot rather than cool?

Fantastic set up and envious that I never had one like that when I was a kid There are several celebs that have awesome train sets and guess its a de-stress from hectic lifestyle

These guys have really gone to town on this model railways. They produced this video with all the sounds to go along with it as well. Real blast from the days of standing on a railway station as a kid.

I was mesmerised by poking the fire. Then thought it would look cool in slow mo. 20241108_161747.mp4

bit like that on the keyboard as well lol

I was at a party and having some great chit chats as you do. One convo that got me wondering is when someone mentioned to me that humans could be the Aliens on earth, Err how? i asked. Well for a start why can humans not stand bright sunlight in their eyes, but animals don't have this issue? Why do humans get sun burn in the sun? But animals have the solution. I am sure there is lot more to it. What if the Aliens we perceive are actually the natural inhabitants and we are the invading Alien, learning to cohabitate on earth? This is way to bloody exciting.

I was watching a documentary about time travel, yes i did fall asleep but it;s interesting and I have always had a fascination on time travel. The things I think about but cannot wrap my head round it properly. 1. Why do we always talk about the past as if it was behind us, when it could be in front of us? We always talk about our past relatives as descendants but on a family tree they are in front, above us. 2. What if there is already time in front of us, a life being lived by someone else ahead. So material things like trees, grass, monuments, castles, rivers etc.etc. were left to us from the future, all this happened years before. Freaks me out lol Funny.. just came across this video

Now for many years I can say that I am definitively dull in the truest sense of the word> Having been told by my good lady that I am boring and dull because I have certain hobbies that she does not indulge in, therefore I must be dull, according to her! However, you put two men in the same room who have a shared interest in whatever the subject may be then it suddenly becomes amazingly interesting to discuss this mutual interest. Am I, or am I not correct? Just because the subject is not shared by another, it is necessarily Dull to everyone else? Your thoughts please gentlemen