Kim Fletcher's famous weekly pub diaries at Jameson's started with the first publication Wednesday, January 26th, 2005.  Each Thursday night, local time, a new diary will be uploaded for your viewing pleasure.

Diary No. 164 Week of 31st March 2008 - 6th April 2008 Updated 10th April 2008

Please contact Mr. Kim or Reception at Nova Park ........

Tel: (038) 415 304 - 8

Craig returns

Sadly you will notice in this week's diary there is no picture of my friend Craig Bertram, this is not because he is too big to get a picture of (although this too is true). But because he would not sit still long enough, and when he did kept on making inappropriate gestures, which I will not sully this diary with! Needless to say it was great to see him, and a lot of laughs ensued.
I have also been in many conversations with Linus this week, I will announce to the world Linus, you have the wrong e-mail address, look on this site Linus you will find the correct e-mail address, in fact here it is! If you want to contact me please send e-mails to info@jamesons-pattaya.com.But you know Linus he will still get confused with his blanket, and be sending e-mails all around the world, but not to us here at Jameson's. If I do get an e-mail from Linus, if it is printable I will post it on next week's diary.

Songkran is nearly upon us! As we all leap in the air with joy. Saturday 19th April is when Songkran hits it's Zenith or Nadir depending upon your view point, and the pub will be shut for 24 hours. The staff all want to go out and enjoy or hide from all the festivities, and it will be impossible for anybody to make it to the pub anyway. So everybody day off. Most of us will be home with a good book, or DVD anyway.
Whilst on this subject lots of good folk have made an escape attempt any way Sam Peebles has done a runner (who along with Colin Powell I must apologise to for the rather pathetic attempt at football that my team put up last week, at least Colin watched from the pub, whilst Sam paid for a ticket and went to the game, but did take the trouble to ring me when Newcastle were Three - Nil up).
Woody has also made a speedy departure to the States, whilst Harpic has cleared off and left Rick on his own.


This is a picture I never thought any of us would see Mike Watkins in an England shirt, what's worse is it quite suits him


Johny Live and Eddie


Bea, and Joe Grunwell popped in on Friday with racing driver son James, having a chat with Pattaya Ten's man of the moment Jimmy Howard


Looking at this lot all playing the innocent, Dale, Steve Graham, and his Dad Tom Graham, which led us very nicely to find out why Steve is such a nice guy. Although mind you tom did repeatedly ask for Steve to be thrown out


The return of the lovely Meow Watkins, and a few other people round the bar, erm.... Mike Watkins, Johny Live (that's how Thailand's number one hairdresser likes to spell his name!) & Young Paul


Boro Steve is back, only for last weekend, so the Jameson's water is safe again now for the time being, seen here at Nova Table with Jim and Geoff


Mr. and Mrs. Rossi

The best news of the week is the announcement of a new Middlesbrough Supporter coming into the world. Lee Abbott wife of everybody's best mate Brian Abbott is pregnant, and I am sure that I can say from everybody congratulations.
The weekend has been fabulous, (well if I could remember much about it I am sure it has been) Boro Steve leading the charge as ever, the mighty Geoff Evans, Jim, Dave, The Font of All Knowledge, Shaun, Johny Live, Captain Steve, (who is a mighty fine person, a Jesters Care4Kids man through and through, but he does insist on the Landlord drinking a lot!), Steve Graham with his dad Tom, and Dale, Joe, Bea, and James Grunwell, Jimmy Howard, Ian (Lady Di) Harrington. The Roving Ambassador Mark Stubbs is still roving Mike and Meow Watkins, Ron Keeley, we are seeing a lot more of Jason Payne now that Nui can drive (quick phone call "oh darling can you pick me up at nine?"). Everybody loved the video of Mike Franklin interviewing Mike Franklin on last week's diary, well done Mike and Paul Strachan.
The Chang Mai Sixes were on last week, so lots of Malaka's around, well done Maurice Bromley on another successful tournament and well done Ray Matti for surviving another year. Sadly the Malaka's star player Simon Philbrook broke a finger nail (or something) on the first day and therefore could take no further part after the first game, which left Ray Matti opening the batting, which the only positive side effect was that Ray's batting average has now risen to - 5 as he actually got a run in the five innings he played. Ray's batting average was -1, but it's a long story which only Ray can actually explain, so I will not include it in the diary.
Thanks go out to Ray on a very successful sweepstake held in Jameson's on Saturday with all proceedings going to the Jesters Care4Kids Charity Drive. Talking of which make sure to remember the Jesters Care4Kids Fair on Sunday 14th September at the Diana Driving Range and Resort for which we are gladly accepting your used books for our bookstall, followed by the Jesters Care4Kids Party Night at Jameson's on Saturday 20th September.

Mickey Price has been dashing about as usual making T-Shirts here there and everywhere, as well as being an avid rugby fan playing and watching. Eoin Quirke enjoyed the rugby this weekend watching on our new plasma screen, and the big projector in the main sports room. Shelley Quirke (hello to Lisa Lurve) has promised to deck the bar out in Portsmoth colours come the F.A .Cup Final. On upcoming sporting events the day after the dreaded 19th! the twenty of April sees the next BIG Boxing match with Welsh Pride and Joy Joe Calzaghe taking on Bernard Hopkins at Light Heavyweight. The fight will be at about 10 o’clock on the Sunday morning. One hopes the Turks will have had enough of literary genius Sid Silk by then and he will be in the front row at Jameson's to watch the fight.
Peter Woolston has arrived back in town and is his usual cherry self, unfortunately yet again Peter has just missed his good friend Stephen Leather, The Malaka's Cricket Team is back from the Chang Mai Sixes and had a brilliant time as ever. Even though they did manage to beat all records by actually coming last in the whole competition. This was apparently mainly due to Max turning into a Duck, and Simon tweaking a hamstring (a likely story). I can see that if luck holds, Marty and the Landlord will have to return to the team next year to put things right.
Stephen Leather arrived during the week on a flying visit to Pattaya, whilst here he donated a wonderful Arsenal Football Club Football signed by the whole team to the Jesters Care4Kids Charity Drive 2008, plus books from Bobby Charlton, Patterson, and a first edition of The Chinaman by Stephen himself all signed to the Jesters Care4Kids Charity Dive 2008. Have a look at the auction site at the side of the page for more details.
Have a wonderful week, Kim, Rony and Moo.


Everybody tucks into the Friday Fish and Chips special


The lovely Meow Watkins with Big John and Wanchai


Young Steve, Young Paul, Wanchai, and Lord Tommy of Doull


Nova Table on Saturday, the back of Jim, a little bit of Steve (which is enough), the mighty Geoff Evans (The Bouncer), Shaun, & Jester Captain Steve


The very lovely Ae the new Jameson's Manageress


Graham, Ken, and Louisa sit back and enjoy the luxury of the library area in Jameson's which was just as well as they went in there to watch a beaming smiling Steve lead his warriors to victory, sadly neither did they get a victory, or a smile


You know what? The sooner these two get married the better


Stuart and Ian give the traditional salute


The Landlord with the main man


Your supposed to sip it Judi (actually better be nice Judi is now working on and with Tracy


Ian, Shaun, and Barry


You have to get there early to get a good seat in the sports room at Jameson's


Young Dag with Ae


Jameson's Platinum Sponsors of the Care4Kids Charity Drive 2008. Rony is wearing the Platinum Sponsor shirt which you get when you become a Platinum Sponsor. The reason that Rony looks so skinny and the Landlord so fat is that black is very slimming, while the blue adds ten pounds


The boys outside Jameson's


Peter Woolston, arrives back at ova seen here sitting with Johny Live the world's most famous hairdresser Peter himself, The Fat landlord Kim Fletcher, Captain Steve Ponter the man of the people and the Jesters Care4Kids Charity Drive and Ning


Sitting at Jameson's the Irish Pub Pattaya are Young Steve, with Young Steve and Father Billy celebrating Tommy's elevation to the Peerage Tommy can now rightfully call himself Lord Doull, and his rise on the social scene was brought in with a fair amount of Pizzazz


Steve is surrounded by the staff after Geoff rang the bell for all the staff to have a drink


A great table full with Michael, Mandy, Paul, Andy, Frank, Martin, & Petar


Meow, Young Paul and Mike


Shaun, Brian (The Jameson's Football Team Captain/Coach/Manager/Fantasies/Organizer/Dreamer/and leaver of Golf Kit) and mighty Geoff Evans in the thick of thinks during Saturday night as 'Bam Bam' (or Peebles to Ian Lady Di Harrington, the absent Managing Director, Executive, Deputy, Trainee, Assistant, Junior Manager) tries to get the drinks in


Boro Steve caught in mid flow, I cannot remember whether he was saying it was this big that fish or give me another green bottle, but whatever it was it had the attention of the mighty Geoff and Johny Live


Ae our new Manageress at Jameson's pours out the Champagne for the party for the announcement of a forthcoming new Middleborough supporter to Brian and Lee Abbott


Brian in the thick of things as ever, it's even more difficult to shut him up now than it was before


And on the balcony


Pleasing on the eye at Jameson's


Ray McIntosh donates the proceeds from the Charity Grand National sweepstakes at Jameson's to Jameson's new manageress Ae. This money will go towards the Jesters Care4Kids Charity Drive 2008. This year the Jesters Care4Kids Charity Drive Fair will be held at the Diana Driving Range and Resort on Sunday 14th September, and the Jesters Party Night will be at Jameson's on Saturday 20th September


Oyster Shooters at Jameson's prepared by the lovely Ole' and drunk at Steve's leaving party on Monday. Trouble is Steve did not leave!


Peter gets introduced to Ae the new Jameson's Manageress


The Malaka's are back with Ray Matti spilling the beans on everybody's exploits during the week at the Chang Mai Sixes, Max apparently has changed his name to DUCK

A Review of Mozart Concert at the Regents

In a city that is undoubtedly starved of classical music performances, it is with keen anticipation that we greet to launch of a new home-grown musical enterprise. The newly formed SIAM CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, founded by Suriyothai/Naresuan composer Richard Harvey with the backing of the Royal Over-seas league Thailand, is one such enterprise; one that proved well worthy of our attention. The programme, presented in the Globe theatre at the Regent’s school was a nicely balanced Mozart selection under the baton of two conductors, Harvey himself for the first part and Leo Phillips for the more substantial second half.
The evening commenced with the champagne moment that is the Marriage of Figaro overture, a fleeting moment of pure, heady musical effervescence. Almost gone before it started, one felt that the newly formed orchestra was warming up, but with it’s high energy levels, sparkling one moment, hammering the next and cajoling in between, it had the desired curtain raising effect.

The SCO and Harvey were then joined on stage by Leo Phillips (this time in his role of virtuoso violinist) and Nian Liu, virtuoso violist from Shanghai, for the E flat Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra. This amazing work is rarely heard in Thailand but is one of Mozart’s finest. Both soloists were on top form and the honeyed tones of Mr Liu’s viola were as were as seductive as Phillips’ violin was brilliant.
The slow movement was very moving indeed, the large audience sat transfixed before being stung back into life by the hyper-active and super-exuberant last movement.

After a very well-catered intermission, the orchestra returned, this time with roles reversed for Harvey and Phillips, now Phillips the conductor and Harvey the soloist for the Clarinet concerto in A, one of Mozart’s last compositions. This is a beautiful piece, no doubt about that, but often placed on too high a shelf by dint of it being one of the great composer’s final offerings. The fact is…. that it wasn’t meant to be! Although he talked about death frequently, the 35 year old Mozart was not a morbid character and this work was written for his friend, fellow freemason, showman, drinking and gambling partner Anton Stadler, pioneer and virtuoso of the then recently invented clarinet. It is a work written for a charmer and a chancer, full of wit and vigour with one of the most beautiful Adagios you’re ever likely to hear sandwiched between an elegant opening Allegro and a sparkling Rondo. As soloist, Harvey did not disappoint, a twinkle in his eye as he negotiated the passagework of the last movement with insouciant ease.

A lengthy second half was concluded with the main course for the evening, the towering and magnificent symphony number 41, “The Jupiter”. This is an ambitious undertaking for any orchestra, particularly a small group, where as the inner workings of the piece are laid out like the movement of an intricate swiss watch…. Nowhere to hide here. This really was, rightly, the highlight of the evening. The first movement with it’s elegant classical structure spiced with amazing changes of key and colouration, came and went. The achingly beautiful Adagio with it’s silken muted violin phrases and pre-echoes of Wagner in the woodwind writing came and went, with not a sound from the audience. The elegant minuet and trio, like a sorbet between courses, came and went, giving the emotions a break before the finale.

Woody Allen once said that the closing vivace of the Jupiter symphony “made you believe in God”. What a defining moment in the cultural history of mankind this fleeting, quicksilver 8 minutes or so is! It is like Mozart as the magician and the supreme composer he had become. He sets out his five different but complementary themes like cards on a table, then proceeds to play such tricks with them that you are left dizzy and breathless. Under Leo Phillips the SCO did a fine, really fine job of the entire work. There’s not much that anyone can add to this masterpiece, the trick is to take as little away as possible, providing a pure conduit from the amazing mind and soul of Mozart the genius to the here and now. That’s the joy of music, it’s a bit like watching a great painter making his brush-strokes…..every performance is just like the premiere, with life breathed anew into the notes on the page. There was real life here. The audience leaping to their feet and shouts of “bravo” was further evidence of that.

Well done SCO et al, Pattaya needs this kind of well-directed energy, let’s have some more and don’t leave it too long!

Jonathan Davie
Cheers, see you at the Bar
Kim
landlord@jamesons-pattaya.com