Christmas '85 [Pre-blog]

Among some of the not so so enjoyable wrong sized boys stuff I had for Christmas was this, the new Simple Minds album which is more a stadium rock affair with the current single Alive And Kicking which I got on Chrome cassette (Blogger update converted to cd in the 90's) and

The debut lp by Britain's family R&B act Five Star featuring their singles All Fall Down  and System Addict.

Trip to Manchester [Pre-blog]

Today I went out with my brother on the train to Manchester, a city in England's North-west famed for its soccer and entertainment stars to do  a bit of sight-seeing and shopping.
I have a lot of issues around trains, anxiety over getting in the right one, fears about opening the door to get off and the whole thing around them as I was made to visit and go them as a child against my will.
Anyway we made our way to Manchester Piccadilly and strolled around China Town and Piccadilly Gardens and then aimed for the Arndale Centre a large mall complex to visit some clothes shops and music stores as we both like music and we saw two new stores open up.

This is one album I bought new, Elton's new one with current 45 Nikita and being the new Compact Disc they've added the non album  Act Of War single to it.
 I also insisted on going to a big toy store too cos I love those places and in truth I feel much more comfortable surrounded by things from my childhood.
The day is good coming back with some records and a teddy.

A Single Man [Pre-blog]

Today we went out on a trip to Newcastle and I was able to replace my original America MCA lp of the 1978 A Single Man lp, the home of Part Time Love and A Song For Guy with the new Compact Disc version made in West Germany. 
I like this format a lot but I think it will take me a good while to build up the sort of collection I have already on Lp record and tape not least because of the high prices these discs cost even for albums that have been out for years and to which the tape and record versions are already discounted.

Live aid scrapbook [Pre-blog]

The Iconic cover of Smash Hits magazine, the bi weekly we all read with Bob Geldof one of two its main movers Midge Ure of Ultravox being the other at the podium  in Wembley, England.

We watched and listened to the show coming from Wembley and Philadelphia, USA to the early hours of the morning seeing some amazing performances, phoning in money to help the starving in Ethiopia.
Trying to stay awake, operating our Betamax VCR, punching the controls on my Tandberg stereo open reel deck and a cassette deck simultaneously was a co-ordination challenge but it was worth it.

Favourite acts performances:
Queen "Global jukebox"
Bryan Adams in Philly
Tom Petty
Duran Duran and Powerstation
Thompson Twins with Madonna
Elton John
Phil Collins.

I am an empath [Pre-blog]

This is a short piece I wrote a few years back with a group whose involvement I ceased with recently.

I have the highly developed ability to detect and feel what it is others are feeling even when it's not said. From that I often respond.
Some might say it's a mixed blessing and feeling others pain isn't nice but I find being an Empath useful professionally as it gets me to the heart of the matter the person needs help with.

On the radio [Pre-blog]

I'm tuned to the radio tonight to a show where over two hours the play specially extended versions of songs released on 12 singles and one they played was this from the Big Bam Boom! album I got just after Christmas that featured the first hit from it Out Of Touch.
Listening to the radio's always been a great comfort for me not least when not so many years ago I was often poorly and also at school as the played the chart run downs talking about our likes and dislikes. I still clutch my plushies as I sing along to the songs as it just feels good.