The Thatcher Years and Me

Margaret Thatcher has died today. I grew up in the Thatcher years being then around 12 years old when she was elected, I was rapidly approaching my mid twenties when she was ousted ... by her own political party. 

In my early childhood days I was probably a little bit oblivious to it all though it my early teens it was evident musicians at the time had a strong dislike for her (Billy Bragg, The Specials etc) as did many of the comedians on tv, Ben Elton immediately springs to mind. There is no denying Thatcher is a cultural icon of the 1980s but maybe not in a good way. I'll always recall Rik Mayall's anti Thatcher quips on The Young Ones.

My family were working class and had mixed fortunes during the Thatcher years, I'd say they steadily improved but that was through the hard work of my parents and not the successive Thatcher governments. I called in to see my dad today and asked him what he thought of the Thatcher years, he replied flatly 'Our mortgage doubled in cost'.

Reflecting back I can only convey here what I really remember and that was leaving school and going on the YTS (Youth Training Scheme) as my parents couldn't afford to finance me staying on at school or going to college. The YTS of course was very low paid labour but fortunately I managed to get on a scheme working with computers which was more training than work. It soon became evident that promises of a job through the scheme were merely transparent, I became restless, somewhat rebellious (I was still young and naive) and left the scheme to join another hopeless one. Fortunately during this time my parents didn't charge me board and lodgings, stating they wanted me to get used to having some money of my own and encouraged me to save and budget for my own clothing etc. The YTS scheme was in reality smoke and mirrors exercise, few gained jobs from it, though I do know people that did, however its main purpose was to lower unemployment figures.

Later of course, when I'd got a relatively low paid factory job the Poll Tax (also known as the community charge) came into effect and I saw my earnings plummet to pay some stupid tax even though I was still living with my parents. I refused to pay, as did hundreds of thousands of others and rioting occurred in some towns. I went to court and stood there with scores of others who'd refused. It was either pay or face the consequences so many of us agreed to pay the bare minimum. Soon after it was replaced and Thatchers reign ended.

Of course I recall other instances throughout her time as Prime Minister. The Falklands war in which a nation suddenly realised we had tiny islands thousands of miles away even though hardly anyone had heard of them beforehand. At the time I was probably patriotic and I remember the vivid images of sinking ships, burnt soldiers and the news reports on tv. I also recall riots in London and Bristol in deprived areas. I remember the miners strike and being spat at whilst leaving school and called a 'scab' by Yorkshire miners who had come to picket Crown Farm colliery mine and were encamped in a nearby pub before causing chaos. I wasn't the son of a miner but both my grandparents were miners so I have a mining background and I'm proud of it too. Thatcher divided Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire miners, a rift that is still apparent today. The epilogue to the strike was the unions were crushed (always a plan of Thatcher) and whole towns and communities were ruined. Nottinghamshire miners were favoured short term by the Thatcher government but in time their mines became no more and the local miners although receiving a period of prosperity followed by good pay off's found that getting work after was very difficult. The end of the mines saw the town where I used to live wither and slowly die, after the mines went other industries toppled and promises of cash injections never really appeared. A once thriving happy town seemingly capitulated, I witnessed its death, it affected me, I was there, it should have never have happened. Before the miners strike there always seemed to be work even low paid work, after it declined rapidly.

Can I say anything good about Thatcher? A strong leader or bully? All I can say is I liked the way she stood up to Europe and the then early makings of the European Union, that's about it really. Its fair to say life in the Thatcher years wasn't all bad, as a family we slowly prospered though I know my parents had periodic tough times. I recall the era well probably because as Thatcher came to power I was reaching that age where I took more notice, went to school, left school, struggled to find work and saw many social changes and influences. The Thatcher years will be always etched on my mind and shape how I think today.

In closing I don't think her legacy is a good one, though many will argue otherwise. She encouraged privatisation and private health. She divided communities and further widened the north-south divide. She crushed unions without mercy and destroyed what they'd spent years achieving. Manufacturing went to cheaper firms abroad. The coal mining industry was laid to waste. Deregulation of banks, social unrest, VAT from 8% to 17.5% etc etc, I could go on.

She died today in the Ritz Hotel where of course only the rich can afford to die in.

Iconic Kraftwerk

I'm not exactly sure how long I've loved the German band Kraftwerk. Having had a long search of my memory I suspect it was back around when I was 15, so around 1983 or possibly a bit later. Sitting in a small box room playing on my Sinclair ZX Spectrum I'd listen to music cassettes when games had loaded in. Though I was influenced by lots of different sorts of music electronic and synthesiser music were rapidly becoming favourites. On leaving school and getting a relatively low paid job I persuaded my mother to sign a credit agreement so I could get into debt buying a keyboard. I think it cost around £125 and in truth wasn't that good or professional added to the fact I was poor at playing it. In time the keyboard got sold but my love of electronic remained, it was the 1980s after all and such music was flourishing.

So to the present day. Kraftwerk are still touring and remain enigmatic and iconic in the music world. Only last week they played a series of concerts in the Tate Modern in London in which they played entire albums over several nights. I was caught napping regarding the announcement and was too late to get a ticket, so unfortunately I've missed them ... again. I still have some of their stuff on vinyl including a 12" luminescent version of 'Neon Lights' and many cd's.

Added to my woes there have been some amazing reviews, two of which are  here and here. One day I may get to see them though it would have been fantastic to have seen them in their formative years with the original line up. Here's a video of one of my favourite tracks called 'Numbers' though live with the extra bass sounds even more awesome, I have it on a cd somewhere, sadly YouTube losses some of the sound (but is still good).

The Final Countdown

The tickets are purchased and now the waiting and anticipation begins, I'm talking about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Soon the magical story from my childhood will grace the big screen and the characters from the book will spring to life as imagined by director Peter Jackson and Co. Whilst I am excited, I am also feeling tentative because being something of a Tolkien purist I want it to look and feel right whilst keeping to the original story. 

The reviews and feedback so far vary widely. Much is being debated from technical merits to the length of the film and opinion does seem divided though it does lean towards favourable. I always expected it to get some flak, after all Peter Jackson isn't everyone's cup of tea. Of course I'll have to wait until I see it for myself, and indeed I did have issues with the Lord of the Rings trilogy which I felt had genuine moments of cinematic greatness to dull and protracted interludes that added nothing to the story. The bottom line with books that become films is that they are adapted to suit the masses.

I'm looking forward to this movie, it feels very much like the movie(s) that I've always wanted and waited and now its all reality. Bilbo Baggins maybe an unlikely hero but he's always been my hero and now he's leaping from the pages of the book onto the screen. 

As I've mentioned before in past blogs, I read The Hobbit and then read the Lord of the Rings whilst on holiday in Yorkshire aged around 14. I remember being sat outside the farmhouse we stayed in steadily reading through the book, gazing at the maps and daydreaming about Middle Earth. There were always parts I never really understood and re-read but as I absorbed the pages I was flanked by the shimmering sea to my left and rolling wooded hills to my right. I would often stop reading and imagine characters from the books walking through the beautiful countryside around me. So whatever happens with the upcoming movies I will still have the books and the memories regardless.

So the countdown until Thursday and the movie begins. I expect my excitement will steadily mount and hopefully I will be able to do some kind of review come the end of this week.

Martin Freeman is Bilbo Baggins and he's going on an adventure!

......

Midnight

The Lords of Midnight was a game that had me hooked as a youngster. So much so that in my final year of school in 1984 I'd stay up till almost the next day playing it on my Sinclair ZX Spectrum. It was an amazing strategy role playing game that will always stay with me as one of the most influential games I've ever played. Today a friend emailed me to say the creator of that game series had died, his name was Mike Singleton. This report in the Guardian describes the game better than I ever could. I do feel a tinge of sadness at his passing, of course I never knew him or anything about him personally but it was his game that had me hooked on a game genre that I cannot give up to this day, on reflection it really was a ground breaking game.

I fondly remember nights sat peering into a colour portable tv having loaded the game in via a clunky cassette recorder. I'd immerse myself in the game, plan strategies, make notes and replace the game cassette with something like Duran Duran. I still recall listening to The Chauffeur by them whilst playing the game, oddly it seemed to fit the pace and mystery of the game. Happy nostalgic memories, and to Mike Singleton, a true visionary - thank you for those memories and rest in peace.

Tolkien Week #1

So Tolkien Week begins worldwide. It's seventy five years since the fantasy novel 'The Hobbit' was first published. The American Tolkien society first proclaimed Hobbit Day and Tolkien Week back in 1978 and it's been going over since, getting quite a bit of recognition by all accounts. Hobbit Day falls on the 22nd September and for those of you who haven't read the Lord of the Rings it's the joint birthday of hobbits called Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.

I first fell in love with Tolkien's works back in the early 80s. How or why I came by the book titled The Hobbit is lost to memory now. I do know I found it in the school library aged around 14, of that much I am certain, whether I stumbled upon it or someone suggested it remains clouded in the folds of time.

Back then I wasn't the most academic of students but I read The Hobbit pretty voraciously being enthralled by the fantasy world Tolkien had created containing hobbits, dwarves, trolls, elven kings and mighty dragons. It awakened something inside me that stimulated me to read more and develop an interest in writing. My English went from strength to strength and I do recall coming top of my English class that year with my exam result. My English teacher was a lovely man and he encouraged me immensely though I was just at the beginning of a very long journey.

Next I read the Lord of the Rings. I remember taking all three volumes on a family holiday. We stayed in a farmhouse in the rural village of Scalby in North Yorkshire overlooking the coastal town of Scarborough. Every spare chance available I busily read through the many chapters. I can remember long walks with my dad, uncle and cousin Ben through forests and over hills and they were the perfect compliment to Tolkiens world and imagining it. Though I can't recall every detail of that holiday thirty years ago I can remember a good deal and it seemed magical.

Here I am all those years later, still reading, still writing and still in love as much as ever with Tolkien's books.

J.R.R. Tolkien I sincerely thank you !

.....

Flawed Diamond

So here in Britain we celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II this weekend, which is also a bank holiday. The irony is most of the populace are more interested in the extra days off instead of pondering the royal family and their alleged importance.

The media cover it relentlessly as the Queen shuffles from one public engagement to another and it's called 'public service'. I like to think I'm a patriot albeit in my own way but I cannot venerate a Queen that I no longer identify with. 

All this fuss by the middle and upper class to pay homage to someone that brings some extra money in via tourism. A woman that likes to race horses, watch Polo matches and does all the things the upper class revel in, has she really got anything in common with the average man in the street? Is she really representative of the total populace of this country?

The monarchy isn't really needed any more. People could argue that the royal family bring much money into the nation via tourism which states plainly to me she is more tourist attraction than any real use. She may visit places, she may cut ribbons and perform ceremonies and for that she gets paid far too much.

We need to wake up and smell the coffee, realise that the monarchy is a relic of the past and we no longer need it. As a nation we still have much to offer without them, hundreds of places of interest and beauty and we should look at promoting these over nostalgia of an empire, an empire that has long gone.

Other European monarchies are more low key, Scandinavian ones and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and that is the direction we should head. We won't though of course because we are too indoctrinated and wrapped in all of this nonsense to see beyond it. 

Am I filled with a sense of pride this weekend as the nation reveres the monarchy? No, not at all, I will remember the people who did and still do make this nation what it was and sometimes still is. They are the workers, the artists, the builders, the poets, the engineers, the scientists, the authors and countless others that have influenced and inspired me - none of them royalty.

Song Of The Month (Early)

Today looking at the internet there's a lot of coverage surrounding Freddie Mercury, this would have been his 65th year. Since childhood I have fond memories of Queen and their iconic frontman, probably the greatest showman of all time in my opinion and truly amazing vocalist - Freddie Mercury. I recall as a family in the 1970s when we'd all sit in Sunday night and listen to the charts on the radio, Queen was always a favourite amongst us all. I grew up with their music and never ever tired of it, unlike most bands Queen always adapted, always innovated and always could hold an audience. As Brian May put it in a one off Google blog today ' Freddie made the last person at the back of the furthest stand in a stadium feel that he was connected'.

I remember the amazing soundtracks they did for Flash and Highlander, the breathtaking performance at Live Aid and a continued release of one great album after another. The irony is you'll never get a band of this quality again. I'll always love Queen and Freddie Mercury's voice with a passion, I grew up listening to them, they are an part of who I am.

Thinking back to the time of his death, I'm sure it was announced in the Sunday papers he had aids, then that Monday I recall waking for work, going down stairs and finding my mum in tears watching the morning news - Freddie Mercury had died. We both shed a tear together, I'm not sure as a family ever got upset over a celebrity before but such was Freddie Mercury's appeal to the normal British public it's no surprise really that his passing affected so many world wide.

So here is my early 'Song Of The Month' dedicated to Freddie Mercury and all the memories.

My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies, Fairy tales of yesterday, will grow but never die,
I can fly, my friends! The show must go on !

A Long Lost Love

I was sorting through my old cd's searching for one in particular. It seemingly took an age to find but isn't that always the case when you are searching for something? Today a mood came upon me to listen to some Jethro Tull, it's been a while since I've had them grace my ears. I've been a fan of Jethro Tull since the early 80s when a neighbour introduced me to them. I went to see them live at Manchester Apollo and then began to collect them on vinyl before cd's came along shortly after. Listening to them today has brought back fond memories, hours sitting listening to them in my bedroom as a teenager singing along (badly) to their lyrics. My passion for them has never abated but with life being hectic its rare that I actually sit and listen to music these days, a sad fact indeed. Still after rediscovering my long lost love for them this afternoon I shall have to put them on ipod or phone and take Tull with me.

I discovered this video, which seemed relevant as I've been playing Lord of the Rings online this morning, don't you just love lazy Sundays? Anyway, this video cleverly combines Jethro Tull and Lord of the Rings movie clips, I may have posted this before, it's certainly familiar but here it is to the very apt Broadsword track for Tull's album titled 'Broadsword and the Beast'.

The Hobbit Movie Titles Announced

The titles and dates for the new Hobbit movies (yes, plural... movies) has been announced today. I've know for a while that Peter Jackson had planned to make the book into two movies though I am not really sure why, the Guardian it seems, thinks the same. The Hobbit book isn't a long read, I would say it can be covered by an adult reader steadily in an afternoon and reading it to a child as an ideal bedtime story you could comfortably do it in a week.

The Hobbit 'An Unexpected Journey' is slated for December 2012 whilst the second movie is called 'There And Back Again' and is set to follow the twelve months later. Both films are being shot back to back right now.

My concern for the new movies as with the Lord of the Rings trilogy is not the amount of time they run for but the content they contain. I do love the Rings trilogy but I feel in my heart that Peter Jackson omitted content he should really have put in. There's no Tom Bombadil or Barrow Downs for a start and crucially one of the last chapters of the books 'The Scouring of the Shire' is left out. Instead we get a lot of boring stuff about the Elves that don't really add anything to the films. The whole point of the 'Scouring of the Shire' chapter is that the four hobbits finally come of age and after all their adventures have to deal with a very big problem (Saruman) at the end without any help at all from the fellowship. It very much illustrates at the book closure what compassion, bravery and capabilities hobbits are capable of and is a fitting end to their tale.

There's shortcuts and liberties taken within the three films, things that don't happen added to it and vice versa and whilst I can see why Jackson has done it on occasions on others it just doesn't sit well with me. I guess Jackson has to make movies that will appeal to the masses and to his credit he's done a marvellous job of making the whole Tolkien world of Middle Earth come to life and be seen by the world.

The reality is, I hold the Hobbit as a very special book indeed. I read it first aged about fourteen when I wasn't doing too well at school with little interest in anything academic at all. I think someone recommended it or I stumbled on it in the school library, I can't really recall but what I can remember is the book introduced me to a love or reading and creative writing ever since. I devoured the book pretty quick and moved onto the Lord of the Rings which I took on holiday to Scarborough and read it in rustic surroundings on a farm holiday home a few miles away in the hills overlooking the coast. The surrounding valley's, woods and distant sea views of the area inspired me to absorb the trilogy and imagine the amazing adventures within its many pages.

So, I guess I am hoping for many things from the hobbit movies mainly because it's a booked etched in my mind from childhood to this present day, it is also a book I hold dear.

On the positive side Peter Jackson has assembled a great cast, Martin Freeman will make a great Bilbo Baggins and Richard Armitage I'm sure, will make a dour yet purposeful Thorin Oakenshield. Andy Serkis returns as Gollum, the enigmatic Hugo Weaving is back as Elrond and of course it would never ever be complete without the amazing Ian McKellen as Gandalf. Some other actors are reprising roles from the trilogy, it's recently been confirmed Orlando Bloom is back as the elf lord Thranduil's son 'Legolas'. It's these reprisal roles that do concern me and I'm sure Jackson will add in many backstory appendices from the Rings trilogy (Dwarven and Orc wars etc) that apply to the Hobbit book, I just hope he doesn't go too far with things in this respect but something inside tells me they will be epic movies and to be fair Peter Jackson does seem very passionate about what he does. If I ever wanted to be in a movie with my real life hobbit stature it would have been as an extra in this one, alas the modelling thing last year never really came to fruition and I heard nothing from the agency, all I can hope now is that my favourite book becomes reality on the big screen and brings my childhood wonderment to life.

Martin Freeman (above) surely is the perfect casting for Bilbo Baggins

ZX81

Just saw this on the BBC News website and went all funny inside. I recall when the Sinclair ZX81 came out and boy did I desire one. Posh friends had one but my parents being working class didn't buy into my constant pleadings for one. I was 13, the ZX81 seemed revolutionary and so futuristic its hard to convey nowadays. I remember going into WH Smiths and remembering the whole code to a game called '1k Ski' which literally ran on 1k of memory. When you ran the game it was guiding a line of full stops cascading down the screen between square blocks. It ran for a few seconds then ended, if you hit a block it ended immediately. Games in time did of course get better and then extra memory came out in the form of a 16k plug in ram pack which was a dubious connection at best. I had to wait a while before the ZX Spectrum came out before I managed to get my first computer and I so wish I still had it. I'm feeling all nostalgic and fuzzy warbles inside now!

John Shuttleworth

After years of being a fan I finally got to see the legendary John Shuttleworth last night at the lovely little venue that is the Drill Hall in Lincoln. For those of you who aren't familiar with Mr Shuttleworth or indeed the Shuttleworth family, they are the creation of actor/singer/comedian Graham Fellows who had a one hit wonder punk hit back in 1978 with 'Jilted John'.

The character John Shuttleworth first caught my eye back in the late 90s with his mini series 500 Bus Stops in which unemployed John from Sheffield and his manager and sole agent (who you never see) Ken Worthington embark on a 'Rock Tour of the UK'. The tour never really gets off the ground as Johns Austin Ambassador Y Reg soon breaks down forcing Ken to make a decision to carry on the tour by public transport bus. The duo then continue to have minor adventures locally in Yorkshire and Derbyshire etc in which John gets chance to showcase his dubious keyboard skills on his Yamaha portable organ.

Anyway, back to last nights Shuttleworth gig. To be truthful it was well worth the wait to see him, despite being sat behind a rather rotund lady with a large permed haircut. As soon as John Shuttleworth comes on stage you feel like you already have a personal rapport with him, he's very much the bloke next door with lots of deadpan and at times very subtle clever comedy. The crowd loved it and there really seemed to be a warm glow to the place.

John Shuttleworth stands on stage with only his Yamaha decorated with a bit of tinsel as props, thats it, but his personality and good humour make for everything else. He muses on types of bread, the fact that you can see yourself approaching silver kitchen pedal bins and confronts the dilemma is one cup of tea enough or is two literally too many? Johns beauty is that he talks about everyday stuff and reflects on past adventures and his relationship with eccentric manager Ken Worthington (also voiced by Fellows). He recalls the time when he thought Ken had booked him to play with Billy Joel only to find out it was in fact a village hall, of course both said fast they sound quite similar and this had the crowd in hysterics. My home town of Newark gets a mention as John points out the Brough rest stop on the A46 isn't really a very good rest stop at all, though it does have two green wheely bins. Mr Shuttleworth's local knowledge does indeed seem endless at times as does his savvy with past chart bands that have since died a death.

Interlaced with his unique style of observational humour is the songs for which he is known and loved for and we are graced with such classics as 'Can't go back to savoury now', 'Eggs & Gammon' and 'Austin ambassador Y Reg' which has the enthusiastic crowd punching the air with glee.

There's also a brief song about the above mention 'Brough rest area' to my own delight.

I left the gig feeling fulfilled at seeing the living legend at last, both my friend and I enjoyed it immensely and thought it was £15 well spent and we both purchased some iconic Shuttleworth merchandise to boot. John Shuttleworths tour ends in Orkney of all places which just goes to show how far he is willing to travel and how widespread his fanbase is. Mr Shuttleworth come back soon, or even better come to my home town of Newark but be sure to take a rest at the Brough rest area on the way!

For the Shuttleworth's website click here.

And here is John Shuttleworth in his recent Yorkshire Tea advert.

Funky Moped

Just found a photo of the first motorbike/moped I ever had. Oh the shock on my mum's face when I rode it down the drive way aged 16 !!! It was a tough little thing, cheap to run and took a few knocks. This isn't a photo of my actual bike, that's long gone but this photo looks pretty much the same as mine except for the odd cosmetic detail. Ahh the memories, though these days I much prefer 4 wheels instead of 2 !!!

Tony Hart

Tony Hart the children’s Tv presenter and artist died yesterday aged 83. I grew up watching television watching shows such as ‘Vision On’ and ‘Take Hart’ almost daily as he created something out of nothing as quick as a flash, it was magical to watch. I guess I was a creative kid and watching Tony work always enthralled me, then later came along his hilarious animated clay character called ‘Morph’. I was just reading his mailbag often attracted between 6 and 8 thousand letters a week.

Goodbye Tony, and thanks for the childhood memories and I’ll never forget the 'Vision On' gallery music !

Gone!

Saw my old place of work being demolished on the local news today. I felt really sad viewing it being toppled by bulldozers. Mansfield Brewery once employed around 4000 people, now its just an empty shell of a place, littered with drug user needles and scorched from vandals starting fires, a far cry from its former splendour. It's buildings used to dominate the Mansfield area. Soon it will be all but a memory as the rubble is cleared.

They showed some of the areas I used to work in, including the bottling plant, such good times I had working in there. I only hope the massive area that is left over is put to good use development wise for the benefit of the town, which needs all the help it can get.

There is a BBC news article here

Fitting Tribute

A statue of the great comedian Tommy Cooper has been unveiled in his home town of Caerphilly in Wales. Unveiled by the actor Sir Anthony Hopkins, himself a massive Tommy Cooper fan.

The full story can be found here

I've blogged about Tommy before, he'll always be my favourite comedian, just seeing him walk on stage makes me laugh.

Here's a classic bit of the great man himself performing the spoon / jar trick.

Skegness and Swordfish

I went over to the coast last week with my friend Gary whilst he was over from Hong Kong visiting his family. We decided to do the nostalgia trip and visit Skegness, home of our misspent early drinking years, namely Easter and August Bank holidays.

The weather was really fantastic and we marvelled at some of the changes in the much maligned Lincolnshire resort, even in September it was still bustling with people. We ventured onto the famous 'Chip Alley' and had ourselves some swordfish, chips and peas with a steaming mug of tea - it was amazing!

Sadly the fairground is a shadow of its former self, the rides for most part seem empty and the whole area wouldn't look out of place in a zombie flick, it needs a massive make over to compete with the likes of Butlins and Funcoast world a couple of miles down the road.

Skegness for me will always be a place of childhood memories and drunken weekends camping in crappy tents and trying to sneak into Butlins! It may not be the best holiday place in the country but it holds nothing but happy memories for me..... and some very hazy ones!

The Big Wheel (with some added effects!)

The Jolly Fisherman

Gary by the sea!

The Chauffeur

HHhhmm it seems to be video week on the Hobbit’s Journal and seemingly black and white videos too!

Back in the early 80’s I was a mere hobbit teen who used to love his music and buy Smash Hits magazine every week for the gaudy coloured flexi disk and tacky centre page poster. I did have a stereo but it was archaic and my folks used to screech at me from downstairs if I played it too loud. I did have an escape for music though. I used the single deck cassette player I had for my first computer, the rubber keyed Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Dad converted the box room into a sort of study for me and as the room perched over the stairwell of the house the sounds emanating from it didn’t attract too much attention. So, when a game was loaded into the Spectrum (or Speccy as I called it) then a music tape would go on.

You see, back then there wasn’t cd’s, it was vinyl or tape, and taping music was usually done from the Bbc’s radio’s top 40 countdown on a Sunday evening. There wasn’t cheap stereo’s like you got these days either, no Argos or Comet back then, so you made do with what you had, and I loved that little black cassette deck I had. For hours I would sit and listen to either radio tapes, things taped from vinyl or tapes that friends would do for you. One song that sticks in my mind from that angst ridden acne faced teenage era is ‘The Chauffer’ by Duran Duran. The song is so spooky with a definite edge - it still makes me tingle even now. I guess for many it’s largely an unknown track of theirs but for the fans it still remains very popular. When I saw them 2 years ago at Wembley they played it and I had this sudden rush of nostalgia.

Ironically a few other Duran Duran songs that bring back memories too.

So here’s ‘The Chauffer’ in its uncensored glory.

Into The Night

Kiss where always one of my fave rock bands, they still are. Ace Frehley the original guitarist was the band member I liked the most. Not just because my school nickname was 'Ace' but because I really rated him as a guitarist. I have 'Ace' tattooed on my upper left arm, I guess part of the reason I did it was a tribute to Ace Frehley himself. Anyway, here's a video called 'Into the Night' by Frehley's Comet, the band Ace formed when he left Kiss.



Anyone wishing to find out more about Ace Frehley click here

Minx

Well its 4.50am and I can’t sleep, so I’m going to tell you about a new cd of mine that arrived yesterday – because I’ve nothing better to do!

Some time ago I tried to get my hands on Toyah, not the singer but an album of hers, I can only dream of getting my hands on the woman herself……. anyway I digress.

The album in question was called ‘Minx’ and when I searched for it a while back it was only generally available on ebay and on vinyl for an extortionate price. Recently I had noticed Toyah was re-releasing her back catalogue of albums onto cd and kept my fingers crossed that the Minx album would eventually appear. This week I searched Play.com and there it was but out of stock, initially I ordered hoping it would be swiftly back in but then frustrated I decided I couldn’t wait so looked on Amazon and there it was cheaper and widely available. So I cancelled the order on Play.com and placed one with Amazon - two days later I had it.

Minx is a classic slice of the 80’s, released in 1985 it moves away from Toyah’s punky roots and is more mainstream, fitting in with the ever changing fantasy induced hedonistic styles of the mid 80’s era.

Here’s my favourite video from the album, it’s called Don’t Fall in Love (I Said) and is an 80’s gem plus Toyah is wearing latex in it! (time for a cold shower).

Toyah-Don't Fall In Love (I Said)

Bring back Partridge

I really wish comedian Steve Coogan would bring back his fab character and cursed chat show host - Alan Partridge. I guess I can't complain though because Mr Coogan is currently gracing our screens as pest exterminator and ageing ex rock roadie 'Saxondale' (BBC2, Monday, 10pm).

Anyway here is a clip of Mr Partridge himself performing an 'Abba' Medley' on his spoof hit chat show 'Knowing Me, Knowing You'.

And as Alan would say 'and on that bombshell - check out these links'

http://www.alan-partridge.co.uk/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/partridge/

http://www.alanattack.co.uk/