Rainbow Stories

Today's image is taken looking out of our front window. I'd almost forgotten that we have had this rainbow symbol in the window since the height of Covid. I remember when they were in nearly everyone's windows and it really helped remind you that there is hope and light even during dark times, that we should be supporting the NHS and offering our grateful thanks for all they did and continue to do.
For some reason when I think of the word rainbow it's not just the meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky but also a rock band and a kids' TV programme.
Rainbow was a rock supergroup formed in London and Los Angeles in 1975 by the guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (a former founder member of the hard rock group Deep Purple). I distinctly remember buying their album "Straight Between The Eyes" (with its hard to forget cover image) in a French hypermarket on a school trip back in 1982 when I was going through a teenage hard rock phase (either that or just trying to make myself look cooler! Needless to say It didn't work).
Rainbow was also a kids' TV programme that was first broadcast in 1972 and ran for 20 years and usually involved the iconic puppet characters Zippy, George and Bungle getting into some kind of dispute and the attempts of Geoffrey (the presenter and only human character) to calm them down and keep the peace. A classic of kids' TV.

Today was also FA Cup Final day. My team Liverpool versus Chelsea. It was a good game but both sides missed a host of chances and as the game wore on both teams looked knackered well before the end of full time - not surprising considering they have already played a combined total of 121 games this season. They then had to endure 30 minutes extra time and a penalty shoot out. I was exhausted just watching it! We won on penalties which was great - but you did have to feel for the Chelsea players and manager as they also lost to us in the same manner in the League Cup Final.