Franz Ferdinand: Take Me Out
We are off to see Franz Ferdinand at the lovely Bristol Beacon, née Colston Hall (as it inevitably will remain for me after four decades of going to gigs at that venue). My Franz Ferdinand track of choice and my…
Take That: Shine
Initially I did not take much notice of Take That’s comeback in 2006. Given the poor state of Gary Barlow’s post-split standing and the absence of Robbie, I figured it could well be a short-lived return. Whilst Patience exceeded expectations…
The Henri Poincare
Peter was the honorary counsel for France in Bristol, being officially appointed to that role on February 27, 1984, a position he then held for nearly two decades. I always thought it sounded very exciting having read Graham Greene’s thriller…
A Mini Adventure (1)
I had always fancied a Mini Cooper, the motoring equivalent of Britpop, even though I knew they were baby BMWs in all but name ever since the German takeover and relaunch in a larger and more modern style in 2001.…
The Triffids: A Trick of the Light
This is another band tale drawn from my informative Bristol student years of 1987-1990. But there’s very little of the traditional rock ‘n’ roll story arc, the narrative here is a of a cult band from Western Australia who burned…
New Order: Blue Monday
Just before I landed as a mature student at Bristol in 1987 New Order released the then definitive compilation Substance, which truly was a best of worthy of the name. As I shifted away from vinyl it came to be…
Daffodils
Mum loved her daffodils, and although we are barely into February the conservatory at Malmsey is already splendidly yellow. It is too early for any to be picked from the garden but as ever handpicked daffodil bunches from Cornwall start…
Jamiroquai: Virtual Insanity
Heads up: I am not actually the hugest Jamiroquai fan, have never seen the band live and never had a great urge to. So this isn’t the usual deep musical dive and valedictory gig story of which often frames these…
Marco’s, 59 Baldwin Street, Bristol
Marco’s is a Bristol restaurant institution and although it had been many years since either Peter or I had last visited it was all exactly as we both remembered. Which given the enormous amounts of change to pretty much every…
My Life Story: Girl A, Girl B, Boy C
Louise was Liz’s closest friend at Bristol, a fellow undergraduate of music and a key member of our friendship group forged at Hiatt Baker hall, comprising “A3” boys and “C2” girls. Adam was also part of that Bristol friendship group.…