I am sad to have to announce the death of my old friend, Terence Ruffle, the author of this blog. Terry died on 3 October 2020 after an illness which lasted for about a year. He was 63.

This site will remain in place indefinitely, as it has material which is potentially useful to some people. I will moderate any comments which may be posted on existing articles. I’m not going to write an obituary as this blog serves as one on its own.

Will Kemp

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It’s a year today since Terry died and I miss him more than ever. We hadn’t seen each other for a decade or so, so I didn’t miss seeing him when he died, but we kept in contact via frequent emails – and the longer I go without hearing from him or emailing him, the more I miss the old fucker! We were friends for fifty years, and we developed a lot of our outlook on life together – mostly when we were teenagers. When he died, it felt like part of me had died too. I could talk to him about things I can’t talk about to anyone else – not expecting them to understand me in the same way Terry would have, anyway.

Will Kemp

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Forty years ago, on the 9th of October 1979, I recorded my first single with my band, the Accidents.
It’s difficult to explain how excited we were, and how important it was that we were releasing our own record.

The world was a very different place 40 years ago. … Read more »

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I was having an interesting conversation with my youngest sister yesterday, via whatsapp, a jolly useful thing for us deaf folk. She said “people don’t want to hear things that don’t fit their version of the truth”, which is probably the most profound thing she’s ever said to me, and of course she’s absolutely right. … Read more »

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47606592

Sadly Dick Dale has shed this mortal coil. Apparently he died from heart failure on Saturday the 16th March 2019. There’s not been a great deal of activity on his site of late, and I wondered whether he was poorly again. Dick’s cancer returned with a vengeance over the last ten years or so but he continued to perform even tho he had developed Diabetes too. Beyond his obvious continued love of performing, the massive cost of his medical treatment made playing gigs something of a necessity. … Read more »

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It’s been my misfortune, via a new work scenario, to spend time with a certain individual, who not only has the most appalling manners but is also downright unpleasant and pig ignorant.
For my part, I turn the charm up to 11, find everything they say agreeable to a degree, and try and get this person to relax, smile and stop being fearful. … Read more »

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I admit, I was having a bit of a bad day people-wise. … Read more »

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Here’s four Everly Brothers songs performed by Ian Linge, John Tuck, and Terence Ruffle, collectively known as The Rats, at the Malsters Arms in Heybridge, on 29/09/2018……

And here’s our version of the Hank Williams classic, followed by my favourite Hank Snow song:

Thanks to Claire Surtees for the video! 🙂

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I’ve suffered with OCD for the better part of 50 years now. I realise it’s been a huge help with my collections ( comics, toy robots, vinyl, vintage video cassettes, magazines, gum cards, movie posters, you name it I collect it! ) keeping everything pristine and stored well. It has also given me, along with much programming from my Ma, the highest hygiene discipline. And of course, I hate untidiness and can no longer tolerate clutter, tho there was a time when I enjoyed it, in a controlled environment of course! It’s also helped to give me a serious eye for detail, which has been jolly useful in many different scenarios, especially my music. The musicians that I’ve worked with know I won’t be happy until I get everything about a song completely right. It’s second nature to me now. Unfortunately there’s a very dark side to the condition…… … Read more »

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Today, on the 7th of January 2019, I stopped drinking alcohol. I’m not sure this will turn into permanent abstinence, but certainly for the rest of this month I don’t intend to imbibe.

My main goal is to lose weight, preferably at least a stone. Christmas has turned my half acceptable pot belly into a beach ball sized monster. But there’s several other reasons too. … Read more »

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