Some early morning online reading took me down the modern interweb rabbit hole of Smoke: A London Peculiar. For an all too brief run, the occasional publication was essential reading.
I had it on subscription but I’ve no idea where my copies are. I can account for all my old Forest fanzines going back to the late 80’s. I even know where my University newspaper crappy IT clippings during a very short-lived period as a tech journo are kept.
But where the chuff is Smoke?
I wouldn’t have binned them. I’ve set up an eBay search, but there’s not a lot out there. I need to have a chat with C at the Lido about this.
Album of the Day: Kanye West – The College Dropout
I quite enjoyed the tunes and lyrics. It’s not my usual style, but there’s a lot of depth to explore here. I could do without some of the irritating sketches in-between tracks. But this was uplifting and pretty much hit the spot on an optimistic blue sky day. The gospel overtones were particularly welcome. It’s didn’t half drag on though. I’m not sure how it all went so wrong for Kanye.
⭐ ⭐
In-between Kanye’s tunes was the Gawd awful Spotify ads. I raised a smile with talk of “Roger Waters’ first ever farewell tour.” His second farewell tour promises to be even better. Marketing turns everything into shite.
The England ODI briefly caught my attention in South Africa. I soon looked elsewhere for my kicks when poor old J-Roy failed with the bat. Again. Oh dear. It doesn’t look good for the fella this summer back in SE11.
Even more of a shit show was PMQ’s. Christ. I know I say it every week, but why the fuck do I bother? I use to despair as to why I would waste an entire evening watching arseholes at Lambeth Town Hall auditioning for the Westminster wank. Politics is fucked, from top to bottom.
Just kick it until it breaks, Comrades.
Splendour Festival back in the Fair City announced that Madness are headlining this summer. I pinged my big sister with thoughts of a possible family outing.
I had another free afternoon as part of my holiday by mistake in S Ldn. I went out for a Transpontine walk taking in Brixton, Camberwell and Stockwell.
The first stop was the Church along Brixton Road that doubles up as a charity shop during the week. They be rich CD pickings in there, I told myself. Praise the Lord.
The last time I visited was over a decade ago before the move to the bloody Estuary Wilds. I dumped off half my worldly goods. I was a little nervous wondering if they would still be there 13 years later.
I was correct on the CD front. Within seconds of walking down the Church aisle I clocked a Beatles Red album on CD. I flicked through the boxes and came up with seven other CD’s, all priced at £1 each.
YES PLEASE.
It was a little embarrassing paying for them. I had a £10 note. I thought I was doing well by coming prepared. I don’t think God does digital. I waited for my £2 change, and then realised it probably wasn’t going to come without me asking for it.
God Bless You, etc.
I walked down Camberwell New Road. The S Ldn bus drivers has a lively picket line outside the depot approaching Camberwell. I loved the irony of a FUCK OFF sign above the picket line declaring: WE’RE HIRING.
Job’s a good ‘un.
I finally got to visit the Dash the Henge record shop. It was a little heartbreaking, being on the site of the much missed Rat Records. But it’s better than being another nail bar or barbers.
It was vinyl heavy, with prices to reflect this. I’m not sure why a copy of Blur’s Think Tank was priced up at £150. There was also a decent selection of old school vinyl bootlegs, not something that you see to often these days.
More in my price range was the four birthday cards for £1 in a nearby charity shop. Apologies, friends, family and lovers – I walked away with eight.
Have a good one.
Kids were everywhere. I had a quick scroll through Insta and saw some lovely S Ldn teaching friends smiling away on the picket line.
In my ears for the walk today was a random selection of pods: the latest AbsoluteLee with Jason Lee (incredible), Word In Your Ear on Dark Side of the Moon fifty years later (amusing) and a Rouleur podcast on Ribble Bicycles (techy).
I reached Brixton. I cut through the market and was pleased to see the new tunnel by the Arches is finally open. This takes you on a shortcut from Atlantic Road to Brixton Station Road. The kids in the SW9 school were asked to create some artwork to brighten it up. It looks very colourful.
Speaking of which: I made sure that I timed my walk back down Stockwell Road to avoid chucking out time in SW9. I’m known as the weirdo who takes photos all day at school. I would hate to accentuate this stereotype any further.
It was surprising to see the old J-Bar now rebranded as J-Mart. Activity on the ‘infamous’ site has been taking place for a few years now, but with nothing actually of significance happening. It looks like a min-mart is about to open.
My watch pinged telling me I had won a cheap copy of Bryan Ferry’s second solo album. I paid a tenth of what it was priced up at on vinyl back in Camberwell.
I also got involved in a STOOPID eBay offers and rejection session with some cheeky fucker. I’m trying to sell a Genesis cassette. Yeah, yeah. I quite like Phil.
It’s priced at £4 for Buy It Now with free P&P.
£2.85?
Oh do FUCK OFF.
£3.33?
You cheeky little c***.
It ruined anyone optimism I had ahead of Forest. Which was probably a good thing.
Links for Wednesday 1st February, 2023
“Battersea Power Station, supposedly “London’s most exciting new shopping and leisure destination”, is as dead on a weekday in January as you’d expect it to be. (Weekends though, blimey).”
“It’s made to be read now(-ish), like you just bumped into me and we went for a coffee or like I left you a really long voicemail. That’s why I found my voice in blogging and podcasting.”
@LloydDavis, Natural Born Blogger
Supreme Court: Tate Modern visitors did cause nuisance to Neo Bankside flats. Arf
