Ever since I was 1 year old, I have been a big fan of all things Beatle-related.

My 10-years-older brother played their 1964 LP album "A Hard Day's Night," and I—barely walking—would pull myself up on the little wooden barricade between our bedrooms and rock back and forth while he played this—so I'm told.

This doesn't surprise me at all (laffs).

I physically wore his 1964 vinyl Black Label Parlophone label copy of this album out over the years - played it to death - true!

Things kicked-in in my younger High School days, when I wrote an (albeit terrible) Beatles article in my school newspaper.

It wasn't long before I had them all—all the officially vinyl-released albums, singles, and EPs as well! (Still have)

An early childhood memory: I had an old 4-stringed squash racquet, and I used to pretend to play along to other records, whilst watching myself in the mirror [laffs]. I had no idea then why it had 4 strings, only that Paul played a 4-stringed guitar!

I learnt guitar by chugging along to all of those albums. Thanks, John Lennon. I could play them all by ear forever.

Come this digital age, now I have everything PLUS! Official and bootleg versions of songs, concerts, jams, outtakes, different versions, DVD's & videos. And books... plus now with the internet, you can find practically anything. Pics, vids, music, videos, DVD's... amazing.

If it had been possible, I could have easily earned a [wholly useless] University Masters Degree in Beatles (if it existed then). Random thought: such a thing exists NOW! How bizarre!

Trivia Nights etc... guess who knows all the most obscure Beatles facts?! [laffs]. I've seen a few brilliant cover bands, and I'm usually the only one in their audience that can answer a random question they may throw out; like, "Who was the stand-in drummer for Ringo in their June 1964 Tour?" Jimmie Nicol, of course! [laffs]

➽ Meanwhile, on the Abbey Road Crossing (London) Live Webcam

→ https://bit.ly/Abbey-Rd ←

#TheBeatles #AbbeyRoad

Of course, I love other 1960's-type harmonic music like Crowded House, XTC, Pugwash, The Byrds etc (cf. "My Favourite Bands" and "Favourite Albums")

https://bit.ly/Beatle-Mal

Peas be with ewe
Mal

5 years old! wOOt!

💕💐🍾🥳🎂🎁🎉🍭✨

(“Born”: September 20, 2021)

20 Sept 2024

11 February 2024

2 years 4 months old!

Katia is now about 5.9 inches (ca. 15 cm) in length, and Thoon is c. 5.1 inches (ca. 13 cm).

Monty Python “Find the Fish”

(View on YouTube)

Katia and Thoon, 4 October 2023

Katia glowing in the sunlight

Thoon & Katia; “Yo! Human! Wassup?!”

14 January 2024

How the heck do you measure the length of an active goldfish? [laffs] Katia is now about 15 cm/5.9 inches in length, and Thoon is c. 13 cm/5.1 inches.

11 October 2023

I bought Thoon and Katia a new tank-cleaning vacuum, and it works like a charm! I just run the emptying hose out the front door, which empties onto the front lawn - no problem! Now cleaning/changing the water in their tank is much easier and simpler for lil' ol' me [yay!]. It even came with its own video, tho my machine is red [which, of course, we all know, just goes faster! lol].

Now their tank looks clear and pristine every day... sure, they don't appreciate the intrusion while the cleaning is taking place, but they do after it's all finished. They've never thanked me tho, either, ungrateful buggers [laffs].

I have to laugh . . . Cleaning the tank mid-summer is better than mid-winter, as their water is BLOODY FREEZING! 🥶

(Watch on YouTube)

"Me happy... fishies happy..."

15 August 2023

I caught myself making an unconscious Spoonerism today - instead of 'Thoon and Katia', it came out as 'Thatia and Koon'... I made myself laugh.

24 April 2023

I gave their fish tank a jolly good cleaning out today, including rinsing out the gravel etc. Poor Katia was NOT happy when she got momentarily stuck in the vacuum hose nozzle (she's fine)... plus neither of them was happy being placed in a small bowl during the cleaning process. It took them a while after it was all done to look me straight in the eye again [laffs]]. Sturdy buggers they are.

28 March 2023

I think I saved the life of one of my goldfish today. Katia got a small pebble stuck in her mouth; she (I should not assume the gender of my goldfish, huh? lol. As it is, I have no idea what either of them is!) would have starved to death, as she had been unable to remove it!

I grabbed my small net, and of course, being the feisty Alpha fish she is, she put up a fight while I tried to catch her and try to do something to help. Thankfully, in her moment, the small pebble popped out all OK! Phew! No harm done.

10 July 2023

I know it doesn't sound like much, but I enjoy my two goldfishies. I've been enjoying this pair's company now for 1 year 10 months [grins]. Their "Birthday" is 20 Sept 2021.

Thoon & Katia

28 March 2023

10 March 2023

Katia 10 March 2023

💥 If anyone has any practical tips on how to get a good fishie photo, pls let me know! 💥

Answer: get a bloody better camera [laffs]

My freshwater tank measures

600mm wide x 300mm deep x 400mm high

23.6 in x 11.8 in x 15.7 in

Tank Volume: 70 litres / 18.5 US Gallons

(Originally Posted: 23 Sept 2022)

I attempted to take a picture of one of my two goldfish, "Thoon", because he's a bit of an oddity: he is a normal Comet, but he has three tail fins!

"Thoon's 3rd fin is a superpower, and he doesn't know" - SB

It doesn't negatively affect him at all, thankfully.

(NB. It's not easy taking a photo of a goldfish with a little 'point'n'shoot' camera!)

I kinda like the irony that I have a unique common goldfish! Thanks, Thoon! 🐠

Here's the tank and Katia putting on a show, whilst Thoon is shyly poking his head out from behind a plant (lower centre)

➽► So, why "Thoon"?

Short answer: it's a fun, silly, random name (very me...).

Long answer: In a band many years ago, we used to invent words for sounds (for silly fun)... 'Thoon' was "the sound of a cricket ball bowled just past off-stump..." 🏏

Much later, I discovered that 'Thoon' was the name of a Giant in Homer's "Iliad"! 😄

I know... It's bizarre, random and absurd... perfect!

➽► So, why "Katia"?

Basically, I honestly liked that name for many years!