Rick Buckler the drummer from The Jam passed away aged 69 the other day. They were often described as a Mod band. I always thought them more New Wave/Punk.
Like so many of the bands of my youth they sang with working class teenage angst.
I never got to see them live but I did once see Bruce Foxton the bassist and his band play at a outdoor music festival in Rochdale with some of my friends.
One of my pals N died when he was only about forty. He was such a character and could be so funny on our pub trips to Hebden Bridge and Haworth. I miss him very much.
I have lost contact with so many people but then again I have lived nearly a quarter of a century in Ireland.
I once blogged about us (N and me) going on a school trip to Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester and feeding our home made sandwiches to the Polar bears. Remember jars of Princess beef paste jars?
Our mums added the salt and pepper. The Polar bears reached out and pawed the sandwiches like a famous Manchester City German goalkeeper used to save goals.
Then we went on the paddle boats and N created an enormous tide ripple and splash and two fit girls on another boat in our class got their short skirts and no doubt knickers wet?
We howled with laughter and so did the girls and we bought them hot dogs from Wimpy. Belle Vue is now an housing estate in Gorton.
I have chosen " Going Underground" by The Jam for one of their videos to play.
Paul Weller wrote it in response to the awful then Conservative government that cared nothing for the millions of unemployed and seemed content to make England into an American aircraft carrier with an enormous nuclear arsenal.
My West Cork smallholding is a nuclear free zone!
I remember going on a massive 200000 plus CND March in London in the early eighties. A time when political parties had much differing views and not with policies seperated by the thickness of cigarette paper like todays parties.
Only last week Keir Starmer visited Hinkley Point praising nuclear power. This week he wants to put British troops in Ukraine. The mind boggles. You become a peace keeper soldier Mr Prime minister?🤔
Any way enjoy the tune. Did any of you ever see The Jam live?
This song would be a good digging song for us gardeners:
Great post Dave. I enjoyed how you wrote down your thoughts and your reminiscing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel. Some times I like what I write.
DeleteYou and your friend sound like a couple of scallies 😁
ReplyDeleteThere was about ten of us sometimes invading Yorkshire JayCee.
ReplyDelete