How are you today?

[blue]

Glad to hear all is well with you Mr. Soundworld, I knew you would still be making windchimes, it's an honourable and useful profession as far as I'm concerned and long may it continue.

State pension, eh. I know what you mean about catching sight of yourself in a shop window, I still only feel about 14 but apparently shop windows disagree with my assessment.

I didn't know you had family in D+G, it is the most heavenly area isn't it? There should be a sign just as you get into Scotland saying 'Turn Left' but I'm rather glad there isn't. It's so beautiful and peaceful there, strangely it reminds me quite a lot of the Chilterns where I grew up in England, but without the urbanisation and masses of people/traffic. There are even Red Kites from the Chiltern population there, it all feels oddly familiar and yet so much better. I can't imagine a more lovely place to settle.

[RobB]

Well it must be time for Bluesy's annual post, yay!

How the devil are you all? Still alive? I expect Rob will be in the old people's home by now, hope he's entertaining everyone.

Eliza is still very happily living in the west of Scotland, but contemplating a move to the lovely southern uplands, the quiet and beautiful countryside of Dumfries and Galloway. (Bit nearer the border Rob so might make it easier for you to visit if you can escape from the care home!)

Yep,thank you,I'm still alive and kicking. I'm not quite ready for a care home (just) yet,but I will be collecting my pension next year....I'm quite looking forward to it actually,someone sending me a couple of hundred quid a week for doing nothing...I can put it towards my 'ending my days in a care home' fund.

I have been travelling further north and getting nearer to Scotland....I went to Cromer last week for a day trip. I did have a purpose though,checking out a Let's Eat Grandma video location. Oh,did I just mention Let's Eat Grandma? Well,much of my free time (that's free time left over after my volunteering stints in two charity shops that is) is spent researching their career for my Facebook page I maintain about the band. I'm off to Cornwall (again) in a few weeks time,that's the nice thing about being retired, you can go where you want,when you want. Its good to read Mr Soundworld is busy making windchimes,I'm sure they produce a lovely sound.

[alx5962]

Nice to get some news from you all! I really appreciate you take the time to give some news.

Some news from me: I'm creating a Gameboy Color game during my free time and already spent 14 months on it. I expect to release it physically (box and cartridge) in 2025 (maybe on Kickstarter). I'm doing this alone, so it takes a long time. I also composed the soundtrack, 8 tracks for now. I used to play the piano in the past but I experienced a severe tinnitus, preventing me from playing any musical instruments for several years. Through learning to focus on sounds, I have been able to resume playing the piano for the past two years.

Unfortunately, this place isn't as active as it used to be, but it's awesome to catch up with people I care.

[RobB]

Unfortunately, this place isn't as active as it used to be, but it's awesome to catch up with people I care.

Good luck Alex with your Gameboy Game when its released,and that's good news that you've been able to resume your piano playing.

At times I think, in general, that message boards are a bit old hat nowadays,its all social media sites like Instagram,Tik Tok and Snap Chat that are popular. Even Facebook,as my great-nephew recently told me, is 'for old people'.

But that doesn't explain why the Steve Hoffman Music Forums has hundreds of posts a day on any number of music / film related topics. So perhaps if Stina were to release a new album then this site would become more active again. With no new music in twenty years though I guess it was inevitable that we'd all run out of steam of new things to talk about.

[blue]

Nice to get some news from you all! I really appreciate you take the time to give some news.

Some news from me: I'm creating a Gameboy Color game during my free time and already spent 14 months on it. I expect to release it physically (box and cartridge) in 2025 (maybe on Kickstarter). I'm doing this alone, so it takes a long time. I also composed the soundtrack, 8 tracks for now. I used to play the piano in the past but I experienced a severe tinnitus, preventing me from playing any musical instruments for several years. Through learning to focus on sounds, I have been able to resume playing the piano for the past two years.

Unfortunately, this place isn't as active as it used to be, but it's awesome to catch up with people I care.

Alex, wow! That is incredible, to be creating something like that on your own - major respect. I know what it's like to work alone for a long time on what you're doing, I have so much admiration for that. If you do set up a Kickstarter or GoFundMe or something to help get it off the ground please let us know here, or you can email me, I'll PM you with my addy. I would love to contribute a bit financially if I can, anything to help. I also have two grandsons who are obsessed with gaming if you need anyone to try it out.

I hope we will always catch up here, I know I joke about making my annual post, but I would like nothing better than this group to be chatting regularly here like we did for so long. And I don't see why not, there are tons of things to talk about besides Stina. I've always found it weird, the idea that she needs to release a new album in order for us to be able to talk to each other. Whatever, I think forums are a much better place to talk about the things we love and are interested by than any of the 'social media' platforms, which are superficial and fleeting and not very interesting if you want to really connect with others. But I know I'm in the minority there. We live in a very superficial age, unfortunately.

I remember you talking about your tinnitus some years ago, I'm so glad you've found a way to deal with it so it's not stopping you from playing piano again. Being separated from the things we love to do is so painful. It takes a strong spirit to find a way through obstacles and establish a new normality, kudos to you.

[blue]

Well it must be time for Bluesy's annual post, yay!

How the devil are you all? Still alive? I expect Rob will be in the old people's home by now, hope he's entertaining everyone.

Eliza is still very happily living in the west of Scotland, but contemplating a move to the lovely southern uplands, the quiet and beautiful countryside of Dumfries and Galloway. (Bit nearer the border Rob so might make it easier for you to visit if you can escape from the care home!)

Yep,thank you,I'm still alive and kicking. I'm not quite ready for a care home (just) yet,but I will be collecting my pension next year....I'm quite looking forward to it actually,someone sending me a couple of hundred quid a week for doing nothing...I can put it towards my 'ending my days in a care home' fund.

I have been travelling further north and getting nearer to Scotland....I went to Cromer last week for a day trip.

I'm sure you'll make the most of your pension in gadding about the place Rob, the care home is probably a ways off yet so I'd just have fun if I were you.

Isn't Cromer in .... Norfolk? Or am I thinking of somewhere else. Hardly venturing further north Rob, let's see if you can make it up to oooh, Yorkshire or somewhere, then gradually we can entice you right over the border!!

[RobB]

Isn't Cromer in .... Norfolk? Or am I thinking of somewhere else. Hardly venturing further north Rob, let's see if you can make it up to oooh, Yorkshire or somewhere, then gradually we can entice you right over the border!!

Nope,you were right first time,Cromer is in Norfolk,right up on its north coast,86 miles away according to Google. Actually,I did go to Workington for a holiday once so that really is the furthest north I've ever been I believe. Unfortunately I fear that there is a about as much chance of me making it to Scotland as Stina undertaking a world tour......but we'll see.

[sound world]

Funnily enough, I'm in Norfolk for a couple of days from tomorrow...but Cromer's a bit far from where I'll be.

Beth - Do you mean me regarding piano/tinnitus? If so, the tinnitus/deafness mysteriously disappeared about four months after it started. It was at the height of Covid so that may have been a factor.

And I'm still playing the piano, more than ever...but not teaching it any longer (phew). Actually my best/favourite pupil reappeared in my life about six months ago - she's following a very similar career path to my own back in the day: having done a Music degree she's now working in a visual/community Theatre company in the USA which was a sister company to the one in the UK I worked with as MD for several years - really exciting!

[blue]

That must be lovely to see someone you've taught really thriving and doing something they are passionate about.

I was talking to Alex re the tinnitus, he mentioned in his post overleaf that it had stopped him from playing piano for a considerable time, but he's found ways to deal with it and is playing again, and composing the soundtrack to his game.

Well Rob you might not have to come to Scotland after all, I had a talk yesterday with my daughter about my plans to settle elsewhere in Scotland, and her unexpectedly emotional reaction has given me pause. The option of moving originally came up because I'm having to travel regularly to Oxford now for some of the work I'm doing, and it's such a long journey from this part of Scotland - relocating to somewhere near Oxford was the original idea, and that would bring me back into very close proximity to my daughter and grandsons in Buckinghamshire. I've been going back and forth with it for months now, and had decided on staying in Scotland, but moving nearer the border to cut some time off the travelling.

However.

[RobB]

Well Rob you might not have to come to Scotland after all, I had a talk yesterday with my daughter about my plans to settle elsewhere in Scotland, and her unexpectedly emotional reaction has given me pause. The option of moving originally came up because I'm having to travel regularly to Oxford now for some of the work I'm doing, and it's such a long journey from this part of Scotland - relocating to somewhere near Oxford was the original idea, and that would bring me back into very close proximity to my daughter and grandsons in Buckinghamshire. I've been going back and forth with it for months now, and had decided on staying in Scotland, but moving nearer the border to cut some time off the travelling.

However.

It is difficult when it comes to families,but as you get old ...older,you'll probably feel less inclined to travel as far or as much. I suppose as an incentive you could always move to Clifton Hampden (not far from Oxford) and go 'Kate Bush' stalking!

[paul-pgss]

I haven't given an update in years, but find myself browsing these boards again for the last month.

The last few years have been a turn-around for me. After a burnout and sabbatical for 3 months, in which I traveled to the North Cape in Norway with my husband, i decided to quit my job after 22 years. I switched to a nonprofit organization that has a mission closer to my own values (instead of pleasing the stock holders, like in my previous job). Now I'm considering to also quit teamlead positions, which I've had for the last twenty years. But I have yet to figure out what kind of work I'd desire.

Creatively I'm still writing (nothing public or with an intention to publish, just for my own creative outlet) though much less I want to, because my job leaves little energy at night

I'm still listening to Stina quite a lot. Somehow her track People Are Strange is my most played track on Spotify. I play TWIS and TISN weekly on vinyl. The album that started my love story with Stina, ASCHE, I almost never listen to....I should give it a spin again. Nowadays I'm very much into Sufjan Stevens, Cigarettes After Sex, Tame Impala and The XX.

I'm traveling through the UK in june. My husband is attending an Iron Maiden concert in Dublin. We decided to travel to Newcastle by boat, go to Northumberland National Park and Lake District, before taking the boat to Dublin. After the concert we'll go see Liverpool, Leeds and York, before taking the boat back to the Netherlands. Really looking forward to going back to the UK.

I hope you're all doing well. I'm still really fond of this forum and you as fellow Stina idiots. I have such great memories of our connection here from around 2001 till 2005 (when we still had high Stina hopes).

[sound world]

Nice to hear from you, pgss!!
Shame you're in the UK in June - because I'll be Interrailing in Europe! (mostly wild Poland). Otherwise it might have been nice to meet up again...Hope you enjoy the trip, especially York, where I lived for many years. Northumberland is great too, mostly happily free of tourists.

Your career move sounds like a good one...and keep up the writing - anything creative is always so valuable.

[paul-pgss]

Shame you're in the UK in June - because I'll be Interrailing in Europe! (mostly wild Poland). Otherwise it might have been nice to meet up again...

Ah, it would've been nice to meet again! How lovely you're going to Poland. I've been there in the nineties and remember the nature was so beautiful there. Did a lot of trails through nature. Where in Poland are you going to?

Hope you enjoy the trip, especially York, where I lived for many years. Northumberland is great too, mostly happily free of tourists.

I'm a planner so I have an extensive list of things to do. Hopefully the weather will be reasonable and then we'll walk a lot when we're in Northumberland and the Lake Disctrict. In the cities I also want to go to some museums. And i'm going to Saltaire to see a David Hockney exhibition. I really love his work, so I'm excited for that. One night we're sleeping near the Brontë museum, so i'm going to see their house, which is on my wishlist because i've read a lot from the sisters Brontë.

What shouldn't I miss in York?

Your career move sounds like a good one...and keep up the writing - anything creative is always so valuable.

After twenty years it's time to for something new. Currently I'm exploring options. I might even quit my job and return to school. It's a great time when you can dive deep into dreaming about the future, so I'll take time for that too...

[blue]

Hope you enjoyed your time in the UK, Paul - did you get to the Bronte house? Its somewhere I'd like to go as well, just to get a feeling of the atmosphere that informed so much extraordinary writing.

We had pretty great weather up north in June, hopefully you didn't get rained on too much!

Talking of places I'd like to visit, I've just been watching a YT film about Lille - Alex you live in a beautiful city! I had no idea it was so lovely.

[RobB]

Over the last year I've been getting heavily into the music of the Unthanks,and coincidentally,they recorded one of their albums in the Emily Brontë parsonage. I did visit the parsonage myself many years ago although I can't remember much about the visit now. Hope you managed to make it there,Paul?