......Or rather the popping of plim-soles sent me up to my loft on a mercenary mission rather than a mission of mercy. The loft was baking hot, baking, but, undeterred, I was going to find that, bought new, spun once, vinyl album "Thriller".

It must be in here somewhere.......

There was a sad pile of old vinyl - my old vinyl. In a wrinkled bin bag! And in there I found a complete record of my lost youth. Better than any photo album, scrapbook or school reports. And because I somewhat misguidedly consider myself a music purist, here are some of the less embarrassing albums:

Prince - "Sign of the Times" (needs no clarification)
Elton John - "Too low for zero" (a rather lacklustre affair)
Naked Eyes - "Burning Bridges". (Great band never heard from them again)
Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross (orignal title there I think)
Imagination - "Scandalous" (Black men in funky poses with protruding pubic hair - yes honestly)
Heaven 17 - "Penthouse and Pavement" (sort of Human League-ish)
Thomas Dolby - "The Flat Earth" (he blinded me with science and his music at the time)
Japan - "Tin Drum" (David Sylvian is still too cool for any school after all these years)
Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel - "The Best Years of Our Lives" - (ditto)
Bronski Beat - "The Age of Consent" (Ian Hislop in his formative years before HIGNFY)
Talk Talk - "The Party's Over" (Gwen Stefani listen and learn)

I could go on but the loft was stickier than an Aborigine's armpit.....and I found my old badminton racquet. The one Henry VIII used at Hampton Court. Oh that was tennis!