Royal Oak

You never see any British Jazz LPs of that ilk in charity shops!

I've never seen a BN cassette. The two jazz cassettes I ever owned were "The Compact Jazz Sampler" on Verve, and some Jazz Messengers LP on Colombia (Jackie McLean/Bill Hardman lineup).

William Styron - Sophie's Choice.

The proposed changes to BST/GMT

Eddie the Eagle Eric the Eel Yifter the Shifter

Billericay Dickie Clever Trevor Plaistow Patricia

Brian Close Fred Trueman Trevor Bailey (RIP)

BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/9391538.stm I agree that is pretty frightening. I once met a body builder, who really opened my eyes about steroid abuse. What was interesting was that he knew of men who "could barely read and write", but had incredible knowledge of the endocrine system, through their use of steroids. He also felt that no amount of stories of aggression, penis shrinkage, organ damage etc would put off young men getting into steroids. He said the only thing which might deter them was the risk of going bald.

Ye, it's pretty amazing how popular he is. I have been spending a lot of time in Africa lately, and Kenny G is quite popular there. It is really a mystery to me. For most popular music that I don't like, I can usually understand, at least to some degree, why it is popular. Not so with Kenny G. I have absolutely no idea what people like about it. My wife has been to a Kenny G concert. Some years before we met, she worked as an au pair in Florida. She spent a year with the family, and after several months, her family went out for a couple of weeks holiday. They all went to some outdoor concert where Kenny G was headlining. When she described the sunshine and sunset, the warmth (important to a Brit!), having her family around, and the undemanding, pretty music, I could see why she enjoyed it. That said, she has never listened to Kenny since.

I knew the dog was a smokescreen........

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.