03 April 2007 21:40:47 Hello and welcome to my first ever blog! I happened to be reading the ET today in the Brewery Tap whilst waiting for my friend. I came across this two page article about blogs and bloggers and enjoyed reading about the people who had been interviewed. I couldn't have any alcohol today as I had some painkillers earlier and the two don't mix. I did enjoy a few pints of lime and soda water though! I wonder if I should've chanced a Guinness or two? I left the pub sober and got the last bus back to Spalding. Sorry, I wandered off there for a minute. Anyway, I decided that at 53, I should try my hand at creating my own blog. I've decided to do use mine to talk (or ramble) about my  music collecting habits. So here goes.....

I have often wondered what the first record I actually recall hearing was. I believe it to be Mark Wynter singing "It's Almost Tomorrow" and it was on a small radio on a shelf at home with my parents back in 1962! I don't recall the programme, but it was on the BBC Light Programme - I think it was on "Music While You Work". No. Terry Wogan wasn't the DJ either! Down the years, Mum & Dad had collected a few 45rpm singles some of which I recall were by Russ Conway. I remember "China Tea" and "Snow Coach" for sure. These would be put onto a spindle in the record player and an arm brought across to hold the records in place. Turning it on caused the record arm to rise from which one of the records would then slip down the spindle and onto the record deck. Once landed, the arm would come across and drop onto the record and begin playing. (How different now with cds eh?) Being a wee lad, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to these records over and over again! I can't believe I asked Mum and Dad if Russ Conway made these records just for us! How scary can it be for a mere stripling like myself? Clearly, I didn't understand about mass production as each of these records sold millions! Oh, yes, nearly forgot to mention that whenever Billy Cotton was on the TV (black and white and in 405 lines with a huge "H" aerial), Russ Conway wasn't far away! Ahh, the glint of the eye winking into the camera as he ticked the ivories playing his latest tune! I was always fascinated by the way he could play the old joanna with part of a finger missing! Does anyone remember Billy "WAKEY-WAKEY" Cotton?

The one thing I do remember though is buying my first record. Back in the heady days of 1964 when I was 10 - ahh - I went into Dancys Record shop in Fore Street, Edmonton, London, N.18 with my dear old Dad and bought Val Doonican singing "Walk Tall" which was on the Decca record label. Thrilled with my purchase, we rushed back home and I put it on the auto-changer record deck and the voice of Val Doonican singing "Walk Tall" bellowed out of the speaker! (Ahh - mono - how quaint!) I don't know how many times I played it, but I certainly remembered the words after a few plays! Needless to say, somehow I got hooked on music.

Oddly enough, I recall my Grandad listening to a very large Philips radio which he had in a corner of a room. I think he enjoyed his radio. I certainly remember it. You could get Medium, Long and Short-Wave stations on it once the valves had warmed up of course! I've a picture of him and myself listening. I believe I was about three or four making it around 1957 or 1958. After he died, I would listen to this old radio myself and it was powerful enough to pick up the offshore pirate stations. I know I did listen to Radio Caroline and Radio London for sure. I also stuck pieces of paper on the speaker with an arrow pointing down to the stations. I guess an early form of pre-setting! I did manage all the stations except Radio Scotland! My favourite, once it came on the air in December 1964, was Radio London.

I blame Mum & Dad for letting me listen to the radio. One day, they bought me a small tranny (that is a small transistor radio) so I could listen on my own. All those fabulous tunes that were being played on the pirates and Radio Luxembourg! They love him yeah yeah yeah! So now I could listen to music where-ever I went. Medium Wave radio - crackly very flat signal especially at night. Luvley jubbly! C'mon sing a long please now...."This is Wonderful Radio London - When You're Hearing Things - When You're Fearing Things" followed by the Big L (The Sonowaltz a.k.a."Big Lil"). I used to enjoy getting up at 5am trying to record the theme tune - usually when Dad was just coming in from the night-shift as he was a postie at Liverpool Street Station in London. How many times I tried to record that theme tune with Dad talking to me I'll never know now! At least Tony Blackburn was there to cheer us all up - even at 5.30am!

I've looked at the clock now and its getting on for 10.30pm now and time I went to bed. I've enjoyed this brief trip back to my childhood. Over the next few weeks, I'll write further about my passion for music. In the meantime, a teaser for you. "Music Is My First Love And It Will Be My Last" is a line from a lyric of a famous tune. I wonder if you know who wrote and recorded it and in what year was it a hit for the writer and performer? No hints, no clues!

My fingers are worn out typing this lot. Stay safe and be careful. Until the next time, this is me signing off.......