Turbanism

It's yet again time for the International Turban Day, the day when Sikhs across the world increase understanding of their religion and culture by giving colourful displays, handing out home-made Indian food and – best of all – inviting non-Sikhs to try a turban.

Lord Bassington-Bassington likes to attend these events, because there will invariably be a good selection of cool older men present. And His Lordship recommends that you seek out your own local Sikh community. If you can't attend a Turban Day yourself, you can always tie a turban in your own home. Remember, there is no outfit that will not be improved by a good turban.



Like many Basset hounds, Lord Bassington-Bassington's dear friend Gustav Beowulf of Lulubelle likes to dress for the occasion. Here we see the good Hound marking the Turban Day in true Basset style, which includes seeing no reason to leave the couch.

Dress to press

In a time when everybody is talking about digital e-books, Lord Bassington-Bassington grows more and more infatuated with the more analogue hardback book. Especially when such books are produced by small specialist presses. And few specialist publishers are more tailored to His Lordship's tastes than Scandinavia's leading purveyors of wormwoody literature, Malört Förlag.

And as these pictures from the release party for their latest book in Stockholm (the Norwegian leg of the launch was assisted by Café Grössenwahn) reveals, the staff at Malört look as good as their books. And when they produce some of the most beautiful books available, that's saying something. Quite a lot, actually.





If you can understand Swedish (or just want a rare gem for your book collection), or if you own a compact disc player, you have no excuse not to drop by Malört's webshop. For you wouldn't want these fine ladies, gentlemen and camels to run out of money for cords, tweeds and fezes, now would you?

All photo by Patrik Lundquist.

Sonne Hagal: More than echoes

Fronte Nordico is that kind of ultra-exclusive label that makes any slightly nerdy (is there any other kind?) neofolk enthusiast drool worse than the average Basset hound. And being a Basset hound with an enthusism for neofolk, as well as being slightly nerdy, you can just imagine how much Fronte Nordicos release of a live record with Sonne Hagal makes Lord Bassington-Bassington drool.

Only Echoes Remain, a documentation of a concert in Moscow is a double album so lavish and artfully executed that one has to pinch oneself.





But not only is it a wonder to look at, it's swell to listen to, too!



As Lord Bassington-Bassington has a well-documented weakness for specialist record labels, we here at the Chronicles look forward to following their coming releases.

Draconian ties

Madder rose is a dye made from the plant Rubia tinctorum (pictured above), and has a rich tradition of providing colour to clothes. It now seems to be making a comeback in menswear, with several gentlemen’s outfitters offering outstandingly beautiful items. But the finest examples of madder-coloured accessories seem to come from Drakes of London.

This particular bow tie is perhaps the most beautiful Lord Bassington-Bassington has ever seen.



While this tie is not far behind.



As is clearly demonstrated by the pictures above, the madder dye seems to work especially well with red colours and paisley patterns, one of the greatest gifts the Orient ever gave the Occident.



And speaking of the Orient and the colour red: As a long-standing admirer of the culture of the Indian subcontinent Lord Bassington-Bassington almost fainted when his lordship laid eyes on this scarf. It is based on an old design retrieved from Drakes' archives and is a tribute to the arts of one of the most interesting civilizations India has ever played host to, namely that of the Islamic Mughal empire.



It even has canines!

Forest smells and bluebells

Lord Bassington-Bassington is fond of ambient music of the darker kind. And so it is with great joy that he just received the latest release from Artefactum, one of his favourites in the field.

Foxgloves and Bluebells is the name, and it has just come out on the New Polish label Ur Muzik. This, it seems, is the perfect ambient record for the spring evenings that finally seem to be a reality here at Bassington Manor.



Mrs. d’Erlette

Artefactum has always been relatively free of the clichés that make much dark ambient music so uninspiring. While many dark ambient acts make you want to kill yourself as a sacrifice to Satan, Artefactum makes you want to go for a stroll in the woods.

And on this release, Merissa d’Erlette breaks with the "sonic wallpaper for tombs" formula altogether. Foxgloves & Bluebells is a toidy step towards folk music, perhaps nudged a bit on the way by folk singer extraordinaire Andrew King (who makes a guest appearance). Indeed, the record at times feels like lost bits from the soundtrack to The Wicker Man.

Lord Bassington-Bassington holds that any good ambient record should be possible to fall asleep to. And his lordship feels certain that if he drifts off to the gentle sounds of Foxgloves & Bluebells he will have pleasant dreams about dancing faeries.



(Picture by Elisabeth Fraser.)

1000 days of the Chronicles

On March 12, the Lord Bassington-Bassington Chronicles had been published for 1000 days – at least if one is to believe his lordship (but as anyone with any canine competence will tell you, Basset hounds aren’t terribly good at math).

So what better thing to do for a born-and-bred pack animal like Lord Bassington-Bassington than to gather a few friends to eat, drink, and waddle around the dance floor to the banjolele stylings of none other than Mr. B Gentleman Rhymer, who kindly consented to come to Oslo for the occasion to entertain the crowd? It was Mr. B's first performance in Scandinavia, and it was so good that his lordship is already planning to get the gentlemanly rhymer back to these parts of the world.

These pictures come courtesy of his lordship’s good friend, the Mysterious Ponytailed Man. Cinematographic records also exist, and might be posted later.





Among the generous gifts lavished upon Lord Bassington-Bassington was this study of his lordship in a moment of quiet celebration, created by Bergen-based cartoon artist Kim Holm.



Lord Bassington-Bassington would like to thank everyone who came from near and far to help celebrate the occasion.

Lord Bassington-Bassington has chosen to censor all pictures of himself from this little report, as he prefers to keep private any record of his lordly body attempting such daring dances as the Basset Bogaloo and the Moonwaddle. Not to mention his necessary post-celebratory contemplation the day after.

Blogging about butling

Butling is an art. So is blogging (though we here at the Chronicles cannot claim to master it). So when the two are combined, great things are bound to happen. And so they do over at The Butler Speaks.

It's a marvellous idea - a whole blog dedicated to butling. Here you can learn about butling in the broader sense, or just pick up helpful hints on how to iron a shirt. Surely this is a big part of what civilized life is all about. So what better way to illustrate this little post than with a couple of pictures of Mr. Reginald Jeeves, who is possibly the epitome of Western civilization?



"But", you say, "I am not able to afford a butler".

Fear not, you are in good company - even such an elevated personage as Lord Bassington-Bassington, coming from a long line of outstanding individuals, is unable to afford a butler in the current financial climate. But perhaps that’s just as good, given how difficult it is to find good help these days.

But, dear reader, Lord Bassington-Bassington suggests that you do not despair. Butling is more than a profession, even more than an art, it is a state of mind. So you can always be the butler of your own life, or more importantly, the lives those around you. Help them with the luggage, make them a cup of tea or a stiff drink, in short, lend a helping hand. Be at the service of your fellow man and canine.

Lord Bassington-Bassington suggests you start by giving his lordly belly a good rubdown.