Pinch, Punch, Second of the Month.
Which must mean that it’s a Premo Bonds morning, right?
The excitement kills me. I was tempted to stay up until one minute past midnight, just to access the Premo Bonds app and see what I can spend on CD’s over the next month.
I watched Deep Space Nine in bed, The plot was crap. The plot is always crap with Deep Space Nine. I was out for the count before midnight.
Some early hours rumblings almost led to a cheeky 3am check of the app. But that would feel like cheating. Why ruin what is now the highlight of my month?
It was worth the wait. Come 6am and the first cup of tea of the day was made all the more rewarding. I have a tidy CD buying budget for December.
LIVE the dream, Jase.
Same again next month.
I caught up with some Late Junction listening from Friday. December is always ACE with LJ. The music fits the mood and climate. Pagan love songs are unlikely to be played as we approach Winterval over on Smooth Essex.
There was a session from Still House Plants. I know little of the trio. Getting Murky sounded LUSH with the second cup of tea of the day. I plan to investigate further.
SAULT continue to tease on Insta. This morning the collective announced:
“New unreleased album live for the first time only.”
And then nothing else. Sometimes simplicity is best.
To the Fair City! On a Barton Bone shaker!
But they aren’t actually Barton Buses anymore. Never throw away the opportunity to litter your blog posts with some lovely alliteration.
It was a Mist Rolling In sort of morning as I crossed from County to City.
I had no real plans for the day, apart from walking around my old haunts and thinking SHIT THE BED: I’ve aged. Nottingham has aged. And both probably not for the better.
With Broad Marsh now but a hole in the ground, I skirted my way around to Lister Gate. This was once the Gateway to the Fair City for anyone travelling in from the south. It’s now a ghost town.
Predictably I diid the charity shop circuit. The only find was a Forest cap for £4. That will fit nicely, thank you.
I made my way over to the wonderful rasta shop that doubles up as an Afro-Caribbean hair dresser. I was in the market for some clothes, rather than a haircut.
There’s a LUSH red, gold and green tank top. It was there twelve months ago during my last visit. It’s a large size and would a little like a reggae festival tent over my slight frame.
Shame.
Whilst I was over this side of town I thought I would do some crate digging in the always maligned West End Arcade.
It’s not quite the bright lights of London’s West End, and you would be hard pushed to call it a shopping arcade these days. I really do miss Arcade Records.
The space is hanging on for life. There must be half a dozen shops, and that’s your lot. The back end is boarded up for what looks like building work. Or maybe even demolition?
I stopped off to see Brian by his statue, and then headed down to the Old Market Square. It was bloody awful. The whole square has been taken over by a festive version of Pop bloody Brixton.
I kept on walking.
The grand bells of the Council House were about to strike out the twelve bongs for midday. I headed into Exchange Arcade (now THERE’S a proper Arcade) to experience the magnificence of the sound and sights from with the beast of the Civic belly.
Shame about the bankruptcy, Good Councillors.
Hockely was ticked off. I still love the area, but once again, it was better in my day… I passed the shop front where G-Force once stood. It was the closest thing Nottingham had to SEX along the King’s Road. I lament selling off my various G-Force clothes and shoes from the mid-80’s.
I also managed to find the exact location where Mushroom books once traded. I say traded in the very loosest of terms. I was a ‘customer’ for a decade, without ever really buying anything. It was the place where I received my political education. It’s currently, empty, natch.
Some more charity shop digging took place up along Market Street. I still like to think that I’m standing in Selectadisc and 19 years of age.
Every charity shop seems to have a CD copy of Athlete’s flawless Vehicles and Animals. I feel like buying them up each time, such is the beauty of the album. But then that would be denying others the opportunity to come on board.
I made a half-hearted attempt to walk up Mansfield Road. But it’s shit, yeah? I fondly remember the days of Bill the Barber, the second hand music shop and all the various record shops that never seemed to last longer than a year or so.
I’m not dragging my freezing arse all the way up there, only to drag it all the way back down again.
I was pretty much done. Only the World Famous City Ground to tick off now.
I stopped off at Nottingham Contemporary. It’s a fantastic recent addition to the Nottingham cultural scene. I do miss the old steps that use to lead down to the Broad Marsh piss poor skate park though.
It was a mixed bag at the gallery. There was a family friendly Christmas Craft Fair. And then in the very next gallery space there was a video installation with a very camp fella encouraging everyone to masturbate together.
Come as you are, etc.
The next stop was Anchor Surplus by Meadow Lane. I snaffled a bargain pair of sailing shoes for £7.50. They will come in handy for when I am able to return to gig rowing.
It was three hours before KO at the World Famous. Pockets of home and away fans were already starting to circulate.
I had the offer of a ticket, but sadly had work commitments later in the evening. I confess that the FREEZE YER BOLLOCKS OFF weather would have made it a struggle as well.
I walked once around the ground, taking in the atmosphere as the World Famous started to prepare for another high profile night at Trent side.
The club shop was over-priced, as ever. I hung around in the club car park like the Groupie that I am. I was around half an hour too early ahead of any players rocking up.
Another Barton Bone shaker delivered me safely back to base.
And then it was all about Forest Vs Everton on the telly. Plus a little work. One was more enjoyable than the other.
ffs Forest, etc.
17k+ steps for today - my highest count post-op. Happy with that.