Royal Oak

Nice site. It was interesting to see your photo - I can't help but picture you as the psychiatrist-looking character who used to be your avatar.

Me too. Might be tempted to sell, but I do love those Gryce OJCs.

I went to Trent polytechnic in the late 1980s - was that shop there then? Not that I'd have gone in - I spent almost all my time at Selectadisc. I went to Nottingham last summer, and was shocked to see it had shut down.

Decoy for the Mancunians among us (ie me and Bill, as far as I can tell!)

Maybe you should write your questions down so you don't kick yourself afterwards when you realise you've forgotten to ask something. The fact that he's agreed to a telephone interview shows he's a decent bloke and I'm sure he'll make allowances for your anxiety - might not do any harm to tell him you're a bit nervous when you start. And, like Paps said, your love for the subject will soon take over and all nerves should disappear.

I've heard of it - I'm pretty sure there are a few threads about it on vinylengine.com.

I had the OJC CD of "Woodlore", and got rid of it. I seem to remember the bass player (don't remember who) suffering particularly in the recording/mastering - sounded all clunky and "boxy" IMO. It got to the stage where I couldn't listen to it.

That is genuinely breathtaking, both the grandeur and the decay. I had no idea.

In a charity shop today, I came across a pile of Woody Herman vinyl. There must have been about 20 LPs, along with some Quincy Jones LPs (on Mercury/EmArcy), Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges and lots of Harry James. If anybody's interested I'd be glad to pick them up later this week. I have a feeling there is an enormous stash in the back of the shop - the vinyl racks only hold about 60 LPs, and the staff seem to drip feed the goods in week by week.

While nothing will ever compare to the 2005 series, I can't say how much I enjoyed seeing the England team relentlessly crush Australia, in much the same way as was done to them for years, by Border, Taylor, Slater, the Waugh twins, Hayden, Langer, Martin, Ponting, Gilchrist, Healy, Boon, McGrath, Warne, Gillespie, Lee, MacGill, Alderman, McDermott, Hughes, Fleming et al.

Solzhenitsyn - The First Circle

Johnny Duncan's Tennessee Song Bag

1994 - Kind Of Blue. How's that for originality? According to my dad "Blues And The Abstract Truth" was our house's first CD, in about 1988.

Rory Gallagher - "Tattoo". A rocking listen it was too.

I used to have that Art Pepper (an OJC reissue). When I went down the path of CD, my sister got it. I wonder if she'd give it me back? I bought it on Contemporary/Boplicity used vinyl in a second-hand book and record shop on Barlow Moor Road ten years ago. I hope it wasn't your copy traded in by your sister! Come to think of it, I didn't see it when I called round over Christmas! Unless she was burgled, I doubt she'd have let it go - she's a bit of a hoarder.

You know, I picked up a copy of that in '76, and still haven't read it... I guess it was the tail end of my Camus obsession, and I just never got to it. But I transport it from place to place rather than getting rid of it, so I guess there's still hope. It's been on my shelf for months. It's quite apt at the minute, as we are on the verge of a flu epidemic/pandemic (can't remember which) here in England, with a nice little pocket where I live, in the North West. Are you listening Bill? I've only ever read "The Fall" of Camus, and I enjoyed that too. Not so much for the "existential" thing, but his prose, which I find pleasingly spare, yet substantial. I seem to recall some liner notes applying the same sentiments to Monk - compared it to roast beef - much meat, no sauce. May have been the Sonny Rollins meets Monk LP.

I used to have that Art Pepper (an OJC reissue). When I went down the path of CD, my sister got it. I wonder if she'd give it me back?

Albert Camus - The Plague Enjoying this very much.

Not so bad today, but still below freezing all day.

Free - "Free At Last" (Island)

Now: Badfinger - "Straight Up" Earlier: Jesus Christ Superstar. A sentimental purchase from a charity shop, which didn't half take me back to just about every Easter Sunday of my childhood.

Mmmmm, seeds. I always hated that popping sound and the plume of smoke they created

I second what Bill said. I scraped the car windscreen at 8am; it was frozen again by 8.30! Bloody Winter, I hate it.

Same here. Very cold, without the beauty of the snow to soften the blow.

"Spoilt Rotten - The Toxic Cult of Sentimentality" by Theodore Dalrymple. Utterly convincing, as ever.