As often happens, The Robert Elms show on BBC Radio London informs my choice of this list. Sometimes, I have a few lists in the cupboard. Sometimes the cupboard is dry. I don't do lists when I can't think of anything interesting. Our Saturday morning routine is pretty fixed. My beloved brings me the paper and a cup of tea in bed at around 8am. I listen to Carrie and David Grant on BBC Radio London then Robert Elms at 10am. I then get up around then and make us both a cooked breakfast. I haave porridge made with water in the week, so it's a treat. Usually it is an omlette (she doesn't eat meat). I then do my Saturday blog. If the cupboard is full, it's a final edit and press publish. Today, I was eating my omlette and trying to think if there was anything that would make an interesting list. As it's the 470th, the low hanging fruit has been picked. Then Robert announced his 'Fourfer' - four tracks selected by callers on a theme. Todays theme? Bob Marley. Robert mentioned he'd seen Bob at an open air gig at Crystal Palace. He stated that he didn't like open air gigs. I had completely forgotten that I'd seen the gig as well. I googled it. It was bizarre, there was a lake in front of the band, which sort of destroyed any sense of intimacy. All I really remember was sunshine, beer and smoke. I also remembered vowing I'd never go there again. It was like a day at the seaside with your mates in the sun, with a band in the distance. I don't think I listened to the band at all. It was the only time I saw Marley. it was his last UK gig. We didn't know. I didn't appreciate it. I wasn't massively into Marley. As he#d become a massive superstar, I felt he'd lost touch with his roots. I preferred more grassroots bands such as Misty in Roots, Culture, Aswad and Black Slate. I also preferred Ska to more sedate reggae. But I got a ticket, possibly via my Sister, who knew someone at Marley's label (if my memory serves me correctly). I went for a day out. A good day out was had. I didn't appreciate it at all.
In truth, I only recently properly revisted Marley's work. It's not that I didn't like it, It just wasn't on y playlist. I had a bit of a snobby view that most of my mates who eulogised Marley didn't listen to any other reggae and he was their token like in the genre. My view changed when my I saw my mate Joe Angel's band. Joe did a lot of Marley songs. You can't get more authentic reggae than Joe and I realised I'd been arrogant and silly to not appreciate how fine Marley was.
Anyway, it got me thinking. What have I not appreciated at the time, that I now love? A fine topic for a list
1. Bob Marley. See above!
2. The Clash. This is a bit of a dark secret. When I first got into punk rock, I didn't really like The Clash. I had liked their first album. Then they released Give 'em enough rope and I thought it was terrible. I hated it. I saw them at a Rock Against Racism gig at Victoria Park and I would say they were no good, but in truth the sound system was inadequate. So I didn't bother going to see them in their prime. When they released Combat Rock, I loved it, but I wasn't there at their best gigs.
3. SPL International. My first 'proper job', I started there in 1983. They were a UK based software company based on Windmill Street. The culture was completely bonkers. The vast majority of staff were recent graduates, from all around the UK. Every night and most lunchtimes, we''d all go to the pub. Fridays we'd go to the Neel Kamal on Percy Street for a curry, then to the White Hart for a beer. The boss had a drinks cabinet and if any staff were feeling down, he'd pour them a scotch and have a chat with them. We played 5-a-side football, got bacon rolls from Lawleys cafe on Goodge Street. It was amazing. Sadly, in 1984, Systems Designers bought the company and ruined everything. I assumed that all jobs were like SPL. How wrong I was. I still go on holiday at new year with the mates I maade at SPL.
4. Smelly diesel trains from Mill Hill. When I first started at SPL, I'd get a smelly diesel train from Mill Hill to St Pancras and then walk to Windmill Street. The trains were always boiling in summer and freezing in Winter. Shortly after I started, they were replaced by brand new electric trains. You may wonder what is to be missed? Well there were three things I loved. The first was when you sat at the front, if the driver was nice, he'd leave the privacy screen blinds open and you could watch him drive the train. When I was a kid, the most exciting bit was going through the Belzise New Tunnel under Hampstead Heath. It is over a mile long. You can't see the end of the tunnel when you enter it. All of a sudden there is a glimmer of light as you approach. It was wonderful. The new trains do not allow such fun. The second thing is the seats were really comfy. The third was that they had manual doors. You could jump on even if the train was pulling out. Highly dangerous, but a real buzz!
5. Woolworths. One of the most common and annoying (to me) myths of common times is that the reason Woolworths went bust was because the business model was not fit for the 21st century. This is a complete fabrication put around by asset stripping bean counters. Woolworths was a robust business with a huge property portfolio. A bunch of asset strippers bought the business, sold the property to developers and then rented the shops back to a hollowed out shell. The cash raised was not put into developing the business, it was paid in massive dividends to the asset strippers. The shops were rented back, on a rent fixed for a period. When this was up, the property developers hiked the rent, to force the business out, so they could make a killing on new leases in prestigious High Street locations. But to me Woolworths was great. I'd take teh kids for pick and mix, buy them toys, buy CD's and cheap tools. I believe that the decline of High Streets was brought about by the ransacking of Woolworths. Woolworths was just always there, when it went I realised how much I missed it.
6. The other long lost small shops of Mill Hill. This was the subject of the 12th list in this series
7. Smoking in pubs. I don't smoke. Why would I miss something that I hated at the time? Because when smoking was banned, a huge percentage of the patrons stopeped going. It was the end of pubs as we know it. In my opinion, the ban ruined British culture. I never thought I'd miss something as disgusting as that, but I do.
8. The smell of bonfires in the autumn. You'd always know it was autumn because neighbours would burn their garden waste. I loved it. These days we have green bins. I can't recall the last time I smelled leaves being burned in a Millway back garden.
9. Gerry Anderson. Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlett, UFO. Proper childrens TV shows. The idea that children would enjoy science fiction series on TV seems to be a long lost concept. I even wrote a song celebrating the genre of sci fi TV shows! (See below). I just took it for granted at the time.
10. Mrs Grover. Mrs Grover was my next door neighbour for many years. She was a lovely old lady, who lived with her sister, Sadie. Sadie is now someone we'd describe as having learning difficulties. She was always pleasant. We'd have a chat. I'd occasionally do an errand for her. One day, Sadie came out and told me she wouldn't wake up. She had passed away. I asssume Sadie went to a home to be looked after and the family sold the house. The flat was sold to a scouser, who turned out to be a mass murderer on the run from the Police. He made the front page of The Sun. His family let the flat out to a succession of tenants, some lovely, some horrible. All got booted out because they fell out with their landlords. A couple of years ago, they sold it. We've had nothing but building works since. I really miss the Grovers, their apple trees, loganberies and smiles. God bless them.
As promised, here's a tune from The False Dots recalling my obsession with Sci Fi.
