UPDATING THE RATINGS, YETI DIARY AND ANOTHER NEW VIDEO!!

Hello folks and folkettes,

First up this week, here are all the links and information that you need to know to watch the second episode of SHY YETI'S BEST OF BRITISH. Oh - and the photo this week comes from the cover of my next Mouse Of Commons book, which should be out in September. Nice innit? The bear is, of course, Mr Charlie Grrr... Beargrrian celebrity and all-round greedy guzzling bear... Anyway!

This episode is the second part of a two part SHY YETI ON LOCATION series called SHY YETI'S BEST OF BRITISH. Part Two is called DIAMONDS ARE ALL VERY WELL, BUT PIES TASTE NICER... and is a celebration of all things British, including some of the bad stuff too - in honour of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee! It was filmed in late May and early June around Wimbledon, Salisbury and on the Norfolk Coast. It contains two poems filmed on location, POLITELY ENRAGED and BRITISH SUMMERTIME IS HERE. There is also much silliness, a yeti dance on a deserted beach and lots of gratuitous shots of tea and cake. This episode also stars Mr D McCauley, Mr M Notch, Mr C Williamson and Mr N Goodman and the camera was manned by myself, but also by Calum, Nick and Dominic. Music is by Luca. This film is a Shy Yeti Production and all its contents are Copyright Paul Chandler, 2012. There will be one more live video before the summer break, however we will return in late August for more poetic insanity from all around the world!

Youtube: http://youtu.be/Ib1pHY1cjQQ

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/46288678

I thought I'd start with a bit on what I've been up to this week...

Monday 16th July

As I begin most of my days at the moment, I began Monday by doing a little editing on Part 2 of SHY YETI YETI'S BEST OF BRITISH. I've reached the end title-sequence and the episode is really taking shape and is getting to be closer to the length that I'd like it to be. As for the rest of the day I did some work on BEAST OF FRIENDS, which all but makes this project complete once Dominic has proofed the final 4 pages. Dan also did a good job at proofing a number of short ARE WE THERE, YETI!? pieces.

Tuesday 17th July

A busy day today, as I was off work and so was Dominic and so we headed off in the Bushy Park area near Hampton Court to film what I'd hoped to film on Sunday before the engineering works scuppered our plans. We filmed a number of head-to-head pieces, recorded my new poem BEE-SOTTED, a yeti dance and also began work on recording another poem, THE BEAST OF FRIENDS, which I intend to finish filming at the weekend when out with Calum. I also got a lot of good footage of deer in the Park. In the evening I pretty much finished Part 2 of BEST OF BRITISH and it looks like it's going to be just over 11 minutes long; which is a duration that I'm quite content with.

Wednesday 18th July

Back at work today, so not so much time to write. I did try to get the new video converted before work, but it wasn't quite working - so I left it for later... During lunchbreak I posted Part 1 of BEST OF BRITISH to Vimeo and posted that week's blog; did Dominic's correction for the essay for BEAST - which means that project is now completed and also did a bit of tinkering on a couple of poetry projects. Mum's last correction for TALES FROM THE MCWHISKERS' ARCHIVE had also arrived, so I must work through those over the next week or so - meaning that this project is now almost completed too. In the evening I finally got that project converted and Part 2 was born and moving very swiftly onwards I started selecting poems from all the footage I have left over from my BLOG BONANZA SHOW that John Smallshaw and I did in early June. This is going to be the last video I post before the summer holiday and before I start work on the "lost" Hollywood episode that I've been holding back since November.

Thursday 19th July

Today began, once again, with a little editing before breakfast; selecting the poems to go in the 2nd of the BLOG BONANZA live show videos. I also got the new episode loaded up and advertised on Facebook and Twitter, as well ordering my first copies of BEAST OF FRIENDS from Lulu.com. Dan continued to help me with the editing for ARE WE THERE, YETI!? which is definitely helping with getting this particular book finished - whilst I also worked on what photos were staying and going from that project, to get the page number down from 400 to slightly lower. In the evening I did more work on the second BLOG BONANZA episode - choosing a nice selection of the poems that John and I had read on the night; trying to work out which ones hadn't been posted in the last video - or ever, in any form, if possible. At the moment the video is looking to be about 15 minutes long, but the Poetry Cafe ones usually are a bit longer. I also ended up doing a bit of work on the "LOST" HOLLYWOOD episode - and even carried one of the spare poems from the live video over to use in it. I'm trying to leave the "lost" video to work on over the holidays, but I'm quite excited about getting it finished - possibly because around about now last year I was going out there - so it's nice to be having some kind of Hollywood experience this summer, even vicariously!

Friday 20th July

Today, as usual, I managed a little editing before work - just deciding on the final line-up of what's going to go into the episode. The live episodes are always far quicker to edit than the "on location" episodes, but I still want to make them good and to contain interesting material from both John and I. Otherwise, in the day, I just tweaked a few of my projects and sorted out the hardback version of THE BEAST OF FRIENDS.

Saturday 21st July

I began the day by working on the 2nd BLOG BONANZA video - deciding on the final line-up of poems to go into it; 3 by John Smallshaw and 5 by myself, plus a limerick! In fact I'd pretty much finished the video by the end of the day. The only filming I did today was whilst at my friend Gibson and Mile's house - but all I can say is that it involved introductions for a future episode - but believe me, you'll be impressed! Either that or bemused!

Sunday 22nd July

I set the new live video processing over night and it was ready by the morning; I also did a little work on the Hollywood video ahead of time during the evening. I had planned to save this video for my holiday, but reasoned that there's no harm in starting it now in case I get less time than expected during my break. At any rate I want to work on a Sutton Park episode during my time off and can always move on to one of the Lakes videos once they're filmed. Got out on location today, along the Basingstoke Canal between Ash Vale and Brookwood; filming a newish poem called I AM A JELLYFISH for the EPISODE WITHOUT A THEME. Calum and Dominic came along on this walk - but Dominic did all the filming. Originally I'd planned to complete filming THE BEAST OF FRIENDS, the poem that I'd started to record on Tuesday in Bushy Park - however I couldn't find the script to be able to record it. It turned out that I'd hidden it inside my camera case - but I didn't remember this until I got home! I'll either hold back filming it now for one of the Lakes episodes or record it next weekend if I think the episode is short enough to include four poems. The weather was absolutely lovely on both Saturday and Sunday - finally Summer seems to have arrived - or at least for the next few days. Would be nice if it could last for, at least, some of my vacation - but my last day at work isn't until the 27th! *crosses paws*

...And, as promised, now to the ratings update...

RATINGS FROM YETI VIDEOS – AS OF 23/07/2012


1st A YETI BACK IN HOLLYWOOD – PART 1 = 224 views
2nd SHY YETI ON LOCATION IN DORSET = 217 views
3rd SHY YETI'S VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL = 201 views
4th TOO LATE – A SHORT STORY= 199 views
5th SHY YETI GOES TO HOLLYWOOD = 197 views
6th SHY YETI IN A SECRET LOCATION = 184 views
7th A YETI IN WINTER = 181 views
8th BALLAD OF A GO-GO BEAR = 179 views
9th SHY YETI AT THE COBALT CAFÉ = 164 views
10th OUT AND ABOUT WITH SHY YETI = 162 views
11th SHY YETI LIVE - 06/03/2010 = 157 views
=12th I AM NEVER INVITED TO ORGIES = 152 views
=12th YETI DANCE A-GO-GO... = 152 views
14th SHY'S SNOW SPECTACULAR = 148 views
15th YETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 1 = 141 views
16th UNGRATEFUL VALENTINE = 140 views
17th SHY YETI TALKS = 137 views
18th A YETI BACK IN HOLLYWOOD – PART 4 = 136 views
=19th YETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 3 = 135 views
=19th A YETI ON RADIO WEY = 135 views
21st SHY YETI OUT IN THE COUNTRY = 132 views
22nd SHY YETI RETURNS TO THE COBALT CAFE = 131 views
=23rd SHY YETI VERSUS AUTUMN – PART 1 = 129 views
=23rd SHY YETI LIVE – 02/04/2011 = 129 views
=25th SHY YETI WELCOMES SPRING = 127 views
=25th AN EVENING WITH SHY YETI... = 127 views
=27th A TALE OF 2 CITIES, 1 YETI - 1 = 125 views
=27th SHY YETI OUT IN THE NEW FOREST = 125 views
=27th A YETI BACK IN HOLLYWOOD – PART 3 = 125 views
=27th YETI HUNT U.S.A. – PART 5 = 125 views
31st ROCK ‘N’ ROLLERCOASTER SHOW - 1 = 124 views
=32nd YETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 2 = 123 views
=32nd A DEVIL WITHOUT HORNS – A POEM = 123 views
=34th A YETI IN PARIS – PART 1= 122 views
=34th SHY YETI’S MINI EUROPEAN TOUR 2011 – PART 2 = 122 views
=34th JUNK/FOOD GIG 1 = 122 views
=34th SOMETHING TO CHEW ON – A SHORT STORY= 122 views
=34th SHY YETI BACK ON RADIO WEY – PART 2 = 122 views
=34th ANOTHER EVENING WITH SHY YETI… = 122 views
40th A YETI BACK IN HOLLYWOOD – PART 2 = 120 views
=41st BEWARE OF THE VAMPIRE COWS!!! = 119 views
=41st SHY YETI LIVE - 06/03/2010 (2) = 119 views
=43rd SHY YETI LIVE – 22/11/2010 – LIVE REVIVED = 117 views
=43rd SHY YETI ON LOCATION IN DORSET (OUT-TAKES) = 117 views
=45th YETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 7 = 116 views
=45th A YETI IN PARIS – PART 2 = 116 views
=47th SHY YETI’S INTER-WEB/BLOG BONANZA - 1 = 115 views
=47th A TALE OF 2 CITIES, 1 YETI - 2 = 115 views
=47th SHY YETI GOES BUSHY = 115 views
=47th SHY YETI LIVE – 22/11/2010 – PART 1 = 115 views
51st YETI HUNT U.S.A. – PART 4 = 114 views
=52nd ROCK ‘N’ ROLLERCOASTER SHOW - 2 = 112 views
=52nd SHY YETI GOES WILD = 112 views
=54th SHY YETI TAKES (A TRIP) TO BATH = 111 views
=54th SHY YETI VERSUS AUTUMN – PART 2 = 111 views
=54th SHY YETI BACK ON RADIO WEY – PART 1 = 111 views
=54th SHY YETI IN A SECRET LOCATION (OUT-TAKES) = 111 views
58th YETI HUNT U.S.A – PART 8 = 110 views
=59th SHY YETI’S MINI EUROPEAN TOUR 2011 – PART 1 = 109 views
=59th YETI HUNT U.S.A. – PART 6 = 109 views
=61st SHY YETI ON RADIO FOR VALENTINE’S = 108 views
=61st A PERFECT MATCH = 108 views
63rd JUNK/FOOD GIG 2 = 107 views
=64th SHY YETI LIVE – 22/11/2010 – PART 3 = 105 views
=64th SHY YETI LIVE – 22/11/2010 – PART 2 = 105 views
66th YETI SPAGHETTI = 102 views
67th SHY YETI GOES WILD ON THE RADIO - 1 = 91 views
68th YOU CRAMP MY STYLE = 76 views
69th YETI SPAGHETTI (OUT-TAKES) = 65 views
70th LITTLE PIG = 64 views
71st SHY YETI GOES WILD - 2 = 60 views
=72nd MY MOMENT IS NOW = 58 views
=72nd PICCADILLY CIRCUS = 58 views
74th THEY WARNED ME... = 48 views
75th CRASHTESTBOYFRIEND = 47 views
76th SHY YETI’S BEST OF BRITISH - 1 = 43 views
77th SHY YETI GOES WILD ON THE RADIO - 2 = 42 views
78th SHY YETI’S BEST OF BRITISH - 2 = 40 views
79th SHY YETI LIVE - 18/11/2008 = 41 views
80th MY DOG IN A DRESS = 37 views
=81st THE TRUE LIGHT = 35 views
=81st THINGS AIN'T... = 35 views
83rd GOOD HUG = 30 views
=84th DAREDEVIL = 26 views
=84th THE SORRY TALE... = 26 views
86th RECKLESSLY = 24 views
87th A VOICE IN HIS HEAD = 21 views

Please Note: I have removed all videos that have no relevance to poetry, which is mainly the SUTTON PARK episodes - some of these rank as the highest rated films that I've done - but I thought it was easier to simply focus of the poetry films. It is heartening to see that there are already half a dozen or so episodes released in 2012 that are already in the overall Top 40.

Some further facts and figures before I head off - the youtube channel has now passed it's 9000th hit, infat it's closer to 9100 and also by the time this is posted, this blog will have reached its 7000th view. So, it's not just me reading this waffle after all; who knew!?! :)

As I've mentioned about 100 times now, by the time of next week's post I will be on holiday - in fact I'm not back in work until Monday 20th August, so this is effectively my end of term post; however I should have that live video from our June Poetry Cafe show, up by the end of this week and I am intending on posting on a weekly basis if at all possible; in fact I'm already working on next week's diary...

I'll leave you with a new poem - one that goes with the photos from last week's post and which I've filmed a video for which should hopefully be up in the autumn; but you'll have to wait a little while longer before that becomes available...

Yeti hugs,

Paul xx

SOMETHING'S UP WITH ROCKY LOBSTER


Something's up with Rocky Lobster…
He's as pink as pink could be…
Which suggests that he's been cooked…
But still he walks beneath the sea…
There's something odd 'bout that crustacean;
I have heard the sailor's say…
If t'was living as is normal –
Then he would be an ashy grey…
Oh, but Rocky stalks the seabed –
With a zombie's swaying gait…
Out in search of startled seahorses –
Behind the shells he lays in wait…
With the groan of the undead –
With his mandibles all swishy…
All the crabs know something's wrong…
Something quite odd - and very fishy!

Something's up with Rocky Lobster…
I really think he's pretty dead…
I just do not think he knows it…
He isn't blushing, yet he's red.
Which in a lobster is a bad thing…
No, it suggests that he's been boiled…
That the life's been steamed right out him…
That his ambition's have been foiled…
And yet Rocky staggers onwards…
Hunting hungry for his food –
He simply wants to eat their brains out –
He's quite deceased yet in a mood…
Rocky scavenges for victims –
He isn't someone you'd ignore…
That zombie lobster's coming for you –
To snap you right between his claw!

Something's up with Rocky Lobster…
Don't let him get you in his pincer –
Still he's moving pretty slowly –
He's such an underwater mincer…
He's such an oceanic terrorist –
He's such a menace from the deep…
Why won't he pack it in now, really…
Even the mermaids cannot sleep…
“What can we do 'bout Rocky Lobster?
He's really set to make his mark…
Last week he even came off best –
In a vicious set-to with a shark!”
There was just one thing to do 'bout Rocky…
He thought he was the great “I am…”
Well, they all lured him to the Coral –
And now he's trapped inside a clam...



SOMETHING'S UP WITH ROCKY LOBSTER comes from the book NOT AS SHY AS I WAS, due out late 2012, early 2013. This post and its contents are Copyright Paul Chandler 2012.

A DIARY OF A YETI AND ROCKY LOBSTER PHOTOS!

Hello folks and folkettes,

Seeing as we are hurriedly nearing the third week of July, with only a week or so more to go before my annual leave it probably about time for you to meet Rocky Lobster, star of my forthcoming SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER video.

Before we continued, I have some other news... The first episode of SHY YETI'S BEST OF BRITISH is up and ready to view; so here's some details and the necessary links:

SHY YETI'S BEST OF BRITISH is the first part of Shy Yeti's celebration of all things British, including some of the bad stuff too - in honour of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It was filmed in late May and early June around Norfolk and Surrey and contains two poems filmed on location, REVOLUTION ON THE 8.15 and KISS ME QUICK and one piece, JEALOUSY DID HIM NO GOOD that was filmed at my ROCK 'N' ROLLERCOASTER SHOW at The Poetry Cafe, London on Saturday 5th May 2012. There is also much silliness, a yeti dance and lots of gratuitous shots of tea and cake. The 2nd part of this two part series will be up before the end of the month. This episode also briefly stars Mr Calum Williamson who also acts as cameraman, alongside myself. The live footage was filmed by Mr Dominic McCauley. Music is by Luca. This film is a Shy Yeti Production, its contents are Copyright Paul Chandler, 2012.

Youtube: http://youtu.be/CijtVmzLgM0

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/45960355

I also thought I'd give you a look into exactly what I've been up to in a diary-stylee this week - which is probably how I'll be blogging throughout my time off in August anyway.

Monday 9th July:

Up at 5.45a.m. for work and before breakfast I managed a few minutes editing on SHY YETI'S BEST OF BRITISH - PART 1 which is currently around 12 minutes long and entering its 2nd edit. I also worked on the covers of both TALES FROM THE MCWHISKERS' ARCHIVES and put the finishing touches to the cover for the next book I'm about to discuss, THE BEAST OF FRIENDS... During lunch I focussed mostly on the script-book for this project, doing finally proof changes on Script 5. Dominic has been acting as my proofreader on this one. My friend Dan Hodges also did some proofreading on pieces called AMNESIA and BEE BUSINESS from ARE WE THERE, YETI!? I also did a little bit of work on a couple of Mouse books and on some of my 10th anniversary re-issues of my early poetry collections, the next one, due out in November, being THIRD TIME LUCKY. In the evening I continued editing, although had a few crashes with the software - all the same, I'm getting nearer completion! Dominic also completed proof-reading Script 7 of BEAST OF FRIENDS, so only one more script to go!

Tuesday 10th July:

I started Tuesday with a bit more editing before breakfast - every little bit helps; in fact I've now pretty much reached the end titles of the new episode. Still, a long way to go yet! Once in work I loaded up the Vimeo version of my previous episode SHY YETI GOES WILD... ON THE RADIO!!! PART 2, the links of which I posted last week - but you might as well have it again: https://vimeo.com/45491552

Other than posting this week's blog I also tinkered with the cover pages and put the finishing touches to Script 6 and 7 of THE BEAST OF FRIENDS, not to mention writing some lines for Series 2 and some paragraphs for a future Mouse Of Commons novel. I pretty much did a bit of everything that I'm working on and Dan H continued to help with the proofing for ARE WE THERE, YETI!? It's a long book, almost 400 page and 100 poems/stories, but we're getting there, slowly! After work I continued working on the latest video - deciding that part 1 was probably going to be too short, so I took the opportunity to add a poem that I'd not previously posted from my ROCK 'N' ROLLERCOASTER SHOW at The Poetry Cafe in early May 2012.

Wednesday 11th July:

Today, along with working on the other projects and pretty much putting the finishing touches to the first proper edit of of the next yeti film, I also managed to complete two new prose pieces. One is called A YOUNG HEAD ON OLD SHOULDERS and it's a pretty autobiographical piece - sort of looking back aged 38 and a bit and wondering how you got to be where you are now; but in a good way! It's also a call to never completely grow up and a reflection that when I was a teenager I was a bit of an old head on young shoulders, but how I now feel like I'm going in reverse as I get older; but on my own terms. The second piece is called WHEN TODAY'S MODERN ARTISTS ARE NO LONGER MODERN and it's all about wondering how today's modern art will fit in with the Old Masters in a 100 years time and also proposes that almost anyone with a bit of imagination could probably fill an art gallery should somebody decide give sponsorship to the tune of a million quid! Both of these pieces will probably end up in my NOT AS SHY AS I WAS collection, which I expect to be out late this year or early next.

My evening was spent putting the finishing touches to the new yeti video - titles, music etc and it came in at exactly ten minutes, which is kind of nice after the last few episodes have been slightly longer. During the day I was musing a bit about adding the live poem to the SHY YETI'S BEST OF BRITAIN episode as far as whether the poem that I chose fitting the theme. The poem's called JEALOUSY DID HIM NO GOOD and I've never posted it online, until now. It's about a jealous man resenting everything - although that's not an exclusively British trait there is certainly a bit of a history of the Brits liking to moan - so I guess this poem does fit the episode after all!

Thursday 12th July:

The new episode was all ready to go when it suddenly occurred to me that Dominic deserved a credit as he actually filmed the footage from the Poetry Cafe. Thankfully it didn't take a lot of work to alter that - just changing the credits on the master project and reprocessing it! All done... Stranded at home a boiler malfunction (no, that's not a euphemism!) I tried to load up the video here, but came up against the usual problems that I have with my internet speed at home. So, it'll be debuting on Friday... Today, I also began work on  part 2 of SHY YETI'S BEST OF BRITISH - I think it'll be a pretty easy edit and there are a few very silly bits by the seaside and lots of out-takes from what I filmed with Nick Goodman in Salisbury in mid-June.

Friday 13th July:

Happy Friday 13th!!

I began the day with a little editing of part 2 of SHY YETI'S BEST OF BRITISH and also, once in a better location internet-wise, loaded up part 1, which this time loaded first time... I also did quite a bit of Part 2 in the evening after work - but currently have over 25 minutes of footage for that episode - so there's still a long way to go yet.

What can I tell you about Part 2?

Well, at the moment - unless I decide to add any further live footage - it contains two poems, one - POLITELY ENRAGED, filmed in Wimbledon with Dominic and Mauro making cameos and the other filmed in Salisbury, partly in my parent's garden - partly in the Cathedral Close where I used to go to school and partly at Nick G's house. This second poem is a proper "on location" version of my new-ish piece BRITISH SUMMERTIME IS HERE!! which I first debuted on Radio Wey at the start of June and also at my Poetry Cafe gig a week later. The video for this poem was a co-directed by myself and Nick G.

As for other projects, Dominic finished off the 8th and final script of BEAST OF FRIENDS last night and so I made all the necessary changes and now all we have left to proof is the little behind-the-scenes essay on the first series - and then it's done! Dan H has also been doing a fine job at proofing bits and pieces of ARE WE THERE, YETI!?! and I also had a brief discussion with my mum who is currently proofreading the last couple of stories of TALES FROM THE MCWHISKERS' ARCHIVE and is hoping to get those back to me next week - meaning that hopefully all three of the new books will be ready for release at the start of September, just before my next POETRY CAFE show.

Saturday 14th July:

Today I was out and about with Calum in the Syon Park and Richmond area of London; I did film a little bit for a new episode that is provisionally entitled THE EPISODE WITH NO THEME, although it was mainly introductions as the weather wasn't so great and it was very wet under foot. The poem I began to film is one that I've only recently rediscovered from my LOVESONGS FOR THE BITTER AND TWISTED collection from 2004, whilst working ahead on the 10th anniversary edition of this book. It's called WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? and it's one I'll definitely record and probably perform live at some stage. I also wrote a new poem today, inspired by something that Calum said to me after I'd almost been attacked by a bee in Surbiton. The finished poem is very silly, but called BEE-SOTTED. As for part 2 of SHY YETI'S BEST OF BRITAIN, I'm doing very well with this and have currently got it down to just under seventeen minutes.

Sunday 15th July:

...And so we come to the end of this particular yeti week...

This morning I finished the changes on my GLAMOUR, AT ALL TIMES poem - that I typed on Friday and did corrections on whilst out and about on Saturday. The original plan of going to Hampton Court and Bushy Park went out the window because of engineering works on the trains - although we might get down that way on Tuesday as I have a day off. Instead, Dominic and I nipped down the road and filmed the end of WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM? by the river, not to mention a silly head-to-head sketch. Useless fact #1... When this episode is eventually edited, if you look carefully you may notice one particular difference between the first verse and the other five and that is that I had a haircut and beard-trim between the two filming sessions! Part 2 of BEST OF BRITAIN is also doing well and as I sign off on this it's down to just under 13 and a half minutes and I've still the credits and out-takes to do; with a bit of luck it'll be finished and posted by the end of the week.

Anyway, as promised here are some of thos photos of Dominic, Rocky and I from our SHY YETI BOTTLES SUMMER episode, which I'm saving for September/October time.

We're approaching 9000 hits on the profile - at the moment about 150 off that amount, but hopefully by next week's post we'll be well past it and who knows by the end of August we might have reached 10,000 hits... Hoorah!

Next week I'll post the Rocky Lobster poem which goes with these photos and finally update you on those ratings, as we stand - every video that I have posted on Youtube up until those posted in mid-June have already gained over 100 hits, which is a big change since I last blogged the ratings.

More soon!

Yeti hugs,

Paul xx

This post and its contents are Copyright Paul Chandler 2012.