How Alison Gatehouse Changed My Life (2019)

How Alison Gatehouse Changed My Life

This piece is currently 'unpublished' in a book however should be at some point in the next 18 months in the book 'You Goes For A Song'

It was written after being asked the question, which band, song, concert etc had the biggest impact on you... for me, it wasn't any of those things... 

Like many people music is a fundamental part of my life, it’s integral to who I am, how I live day by day, how I connect with other people and rather sadly how I occasionally form opinions of people (especially when meeting for the first time)

I believe you can tell a lot about someone from their musical taste, as much as you can from their appearance, their education, their career choice etc.

I believe you have ‘relationships’ with certain bands and artists which can trigger how they fit in with people, times and places throughout your life (whether these be ‘actual’ relationships, ‘virtual’ or something in-between)

This was going to be a linear piece, however I decided instead to start with an ending, which is kind of what me thinking about the piece as a whole

Part 1 

For some football fans Saturday 15th June 1996 is held in the memory as England beat Scotland 2-1 at Wembley with Paul Gascoigne scoring a goal that's often repeated in compilations ahead of international games

For most Mancunians the date is embedded in the memory as the day that the 'IRA Manchester Bomb' went off in the City Centre, just outside Marks and Spencer’s, miraculously causing no causalities.

For me, it was the day that Northside travelled to London to play at 'The Water Rats' on Grays Inn Road, London, the scene of many celebrated gig over the years

After declaring I was going to work with bands and in the Music Industry (we’ll come to that later), I'd initially not done anything about it, continuing with my 9-5 job for a few years. That brief conversation years earlier kept nagging at me though and upon seeing an advert in the NME for a 'Music Industry Management' course in at Newark, Notts in 1993 decided it was time to do something about it.

7 years after leaving school and having steady jobs I saved up and in 1994, I left Birkart International Forwarding and headed over the Pennines. Moving away from home for the first time I went to live in a shared house with strangers funded by a grant from my local education authority

I won't bore you with the details of that year however I can say that it was an interesting one, I met a lot of likeminded individuals with similarly eclectic tastes in music, went to a load of gigs and indulged in everything that was to offer. Money was tight (the grant just about covering the rent) but there was a camaraderie amongst those of us on the course, all looking out for one another

As the course neared its end, I had to look for work experience and complete a 'closing project'. Moving to London where the Music Industry was predominantly based to do 'work experience' as a 20 something mailroom operative really didn't appeal so I looked closer to my Manchester home... a few options sprung to mind, promotors, venues, artist managers... but in reality there was only one place I wanted to be

In 1995 Newark and Sherwood College had one dial up internet connection with an 8mb modem attached to it, so officially Britain was still in the dark ages. In order to communicate the 'landline' and letters were still the preferred method (mobile phones still a business or luxury purchase). In order to make a 'phone call' from college you needed written permission from your 'Head of Course' after giving them a 'business justification'.

Nervously I handed over the required permission slip to the college receptionist, 'one call to Manchester?' she asked... I nodded...

I took the phone and pulled out the envelope I'd scribbled down the number on... 061 834 4440 and dialled hoping someone would answer. I needn't had worried. As phone calls go this was probably the most important and memorable of my almost 50 years (although one from the late comedian Bernard Manning whilst I worked at 192 comes a close second)

'Factory'... the voice answering was upbeat 

'Er, hi, I'm Iain, I'm from Manchester and doing a course and...'

'Hi it's Tony, how can I help'

I nearly dropped the phone... at the other end of the phone was legendary TV presenter and broadcaster, co-founder of Factory Records, part owner of the Hacienda, professional Mancunian and (to some) gobshite, Anthony H Wilson. I had hoped the call may lead to be getting the opportunity to do something for his label via one of his staff, I never dreamt that the man himself would answer the phone

I could write a whole piece on the man and his importance to culture, popular music and Manchester, but anything I wrote would only be rewriting what's already out there in films such as '24 Hour Party People' and the Joy Division biopic 'Control'. 

What I can say, and reinforce is how much Tony encouraged people, made you believe you could achieve things, and where possible facilitated and supported

That phone call led to me spending a few weeks working at the Factory, carrying out a number of interviews with Tony for a piece in The Big Issue Magazine. He'd been approached by them and decided that I should do it rather than one of their own people. I'm not sure that future Political Advisor to Tony Blair, Ruth Turner (then Editor of the aforementioned magazine) wasn’t too happy with this but went along with it at Tony's insistence

The initial interview I did was covered the history of Factory, I proudly presented this to Tony who dismissed it as 'shite'... explaining that there was nothing in it which hadn't been written before. He lent me a couple of books on interviews that had featured in Rolling Stone and told me to try again... which I did on Monday 22nd May 1995, 2 days after 'our' beloved Manchester United had been beaten by Everton in the FA Cup Final.

Sorry, I've got side-tracked, I apologise, I may do this occasionally… 

Whilst working at Factory I got to know a few people and ended up falling in with 'Northside'. The band had had some success in 1990/91, releasing 3 singles and a Top 20 album. They'd travelled the world but had the rug pulled from beneath their feet in 1992 when the initial 'incarnation' of Factory Records had gone into receivership.

By 1995 they'd undergone a couple of line-up changes and were ready for making a 'comeback'. New songs had been written, they just needed to do some gigs, record some demos, and sign a publishing/record deal... simple. Apart from they didn't have a Manager or anyone willing to take them on. 

With blissful ignorance I stepped into that role... what could possibly go wrong?

From the summer of 1995, for 18 months my life became a whirlwind ultimately climaxing, ironically, at our spiritual home The Hacienda on 18th December 1996.

The tale of those 18 months, the tours, the amazing nights out across the country, the time spent in recording studios producing demos, time spent sat in the dark listing to backing vocals being recorded at 4 o'clock in the morning is probably best for another time. 

Anyway, Saturday 15th June 1996, 'the' London gig, the night that we expected to have A&R from the Record Companies in attendance, the night of what we'd hoped would be a breakthrough...

Well it didn't go as planned. The drummer, Dean had flu and sat wrapped in a quilt shivering and sweating in equal measure on the journey down whilst bass player, Cliff, consumed more alcohol than normal, egged on by 'roadcrew' to the frustration of singer Dermo and guitarist, Paul. Following the news reports of the Manchester Bomb the venue had told anyone calling to see if the gig was still on, that it wasn't... and the A&R guys who had promised to come had been out celebrating the England win

In the days that followed there was a realisation between the band and myself that changes were needed, and in hindsight, 20 plus years later, that was the point when the 'relationship' changed, like when you have a girlfriend or boyfriend and you try to 'make things work' despite knowing you're on a slippery slope. That said there was no falling out, 'sold out' gigs continued throughout the Summer and Autumn of 1996 with a final gig, a divorce set for December as the band decided to call it a day and work on other projects

Regrets, not really, I / we busked it (excuse the pun) and whilst the world wasn't set alight, but we had a good stab at it …

Part 2

But how did I get to that point? 

My first musical influences were passed down by older siblings (my parents had a few singles and a ‘Jim Reeves’ boxset but rarely played these). Through them I heard the Beatles, the Carpenters, Bay City Rollers, Queen etc… standard fare for the early to mid 70’s. My parents, seeing that this was something I was ‘into’ (and probably to stop my ‘borrowing and scratching my siblings’ records) I was occasionally allowed to choose a single to buy… this would be something ‘approved’ by committee, which generally meant Showaddywaddy or something similar

At some point (1979?) I was bought my own small portable record player with built in speakers (although not a cool one like a Dansette)… it probably came from the Kays Catalogue, probably for 80p a week spread over 36 weeks which meant I could play my precious 7” singles at the same time as recreating Star Wars with my Palitoy figures or guiding Manchester United to a Cup Final playing Subbuteo (normally against myself)

The Summer of 1981 arguably was the first real step on the journey which I’ve been on ever since

I vividly remember the soundtrack to that summer was made up of 3 albums, (even though they’d been released in 1978 and 1979) which belonged to my sister. 

The Jam - All Mod Cons (LP)

The Jam - Setting Sons (LP)

The Clash - London Calling (Cassette)

The difference between these and what I’d been listening too up to this point was, or rather what I realised was, these songs had stories and meaning, they weren’t just disposable love songs, they weren’t Shakin’ Steven’s taking about his (or technically Rosemary Clooney’s) ‘Ole House’, they weren’t Bucks Fizz singing about needing to make a decision, these were about relationships, growing up, life, and politics, not that I completely comprehended this at the time.

I poured over the sleeves of these albums for hours, taking in every detail and singing along to with a put-on fake cockney accent 

Going back to school that September I found that I could hold my own in conversations on the school bus, especially with the lads in the year above, finding that the knowing the names Weller, Foxton, Buckler, Strummer, Jones, Simonon and Headon gave a credibility which hadn’t been there before. We’d sit in groups discussing the ‘cool’ bands, Dexys, Madness, The Specials, The Beat etc. we’d swap singles, save up pocket money to buy albums or blank cassettes to record the Top 40… 

Music now influenced what type of trousers I wanted to wear for school (although in reality I was limited to my Mum’s budget and what was sold in the aforementioned Kays Catalogue), what I’d wear on my feet (refer to previous comment re the catalogue), how I’d wear my school tie and  what badges I’d buy from Redditch Market… 

Music now influenced who I’d invite over to the house at weekends (my Showaddywaddy singles hidden away) and what got put up my bedroom wall. Alongside Ray ‘Butch’ Wilkins and that years Man United ‘Official’ Team Poster were the Jam etc.. 

Over the next couple of years I continued to soak up what was new, Top Of The Pops being essential viewing on my parents black and white portable (them watching ‘Crossroads’ or ‘Emmerdale Farm’ on the Colour TV)… my ‘job’ on a Sunday was to wash the pots after tea, I’d do this quickly as I could, aiming to have it done by 6pm so I could get to the radio in order to catch the second half of that week’s Radio 1 Chart rundown in order to record anything that took my fancy

As 1982 turned to 1983 ’The Tube’ become essential viewing also on a Friday evening, featuring bands which weren’t always on Top Of The Pops… Orange Juice, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Jo Boxers, Wah! and The Style Council. Although I didn’t realise at the time my taste was slightly out of step with was the ‘mainstream’, preferring releases by the likes of The Cure or the Belle Stars to Kajagoogoo or Wham! 

In hindsight I now realise that some of the songs penned by the likes of Messer’s Michael and Ridgely, or by Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet and co do have a great deal of merit but at the time they weren’t cool)

I read somewhere that music in the ‘Official Charts’ when you turn 14 is when your musical tastes peak and would influence what you listened to in your later years. Until writing this I’d never given that a second thought but looking at the Top 40 for late November 1983 this is scarily true!

That week covering my birthday (Week Ending 19th November 1983) acts included

Madness; The Cure; The Style Council; UB40; Joy Division; New Order; Aztec Camera; The Smiths… and Tracey Ullman

As you will find out, some of these, and their labels, would have had a major influence in my life, more so than the 14-year-old me could ever have imagined… but first, 

“Tracey Ullman” I hear you cry… hardly cool?

Maybe not, but the majority of her output was written by the wonderfully talented Kirstie MacColl, who was cruelly taken from us at a young age, being killed whilst on holiday in Cuba in 2000. 

‘They Don’t Know’ is probably my favourite song of all time, it’s almost a perfect song, the video made to accompany it wonderful, featuring a cameo from Paul McCartney. It should have been a hit in 1979 for Kirstie when it was originally released however failed to chart to an alleged distributor strike which meant although it was one of the top played songs on the radio for several weeks, no shops had it on sale… 

My ‘first’ girlfriend, Mandy Torkington also had a look of Tracey Ullman (which is probably what attracted the 16-year-old me to her). 

Mandy was killed in a car crash in 2006 and although we’d long since split up (some 18 years earlier!) and long since lost touch, hearing the song immediately transports me back to more innocent times… 

I suppose I should continue with my point re people having ‘relationships’ with certain bands and exactly how it was that Alison Gatehouse changed my life…

Part 3

I’ve not seen or spoken to Alison Gatehouse since sometime in 1984/5

To be honest, embarrassingly, I can’t remember much about her, other than she was quite tall (for a girl her age at the time) and she had longish brown curly hair.

Between 1979 and 1985 I lived in a small village called Tardebigge, specifically the Hewell Grange ‘estate’. This being the home, at the time. of Hewell Grange Young Offenders Institute and Brockhill Remand Centre, my Dad holding a Senior Position at the former.

The Hewell Grange ‘estate’ was also home to many of the officers and staff, with around 70 houses being occupied. I was one of a number of kids, many of whom of a similar age, which meant there was always someone (or more often a gang of us) around to do

things with. Living a few miles outside of the nearest towns of Redditch and Bromsgrove the local authority provided a special ‘bus’ service to take us to school and bring us home

Alison also lived on Hewell Grange, I don’t remember her being one of the kids that used to hang around in the evenings or at weekends, so I imagine any contact we had would have been on the journey to school (for someone who has had such an impact

on my life you’d think I’d know more, but unfortunately, I don’t… sorry)

What I do remember though, is that one weekend in 1984 she lent me an album and ‘introduced’ me to someone who today I rank as one of the 3 biggest, most positive male influences on my life, ranking alongside my Dad and Anthony H. Wilson (as previously mentioned)

This individual I’ve seen perform countless times over the last 35 years (even taking my son who was 11 at the time on the most recent occasion). As far as I know I own everything he’s ever released as well as hundreds of bootlegs, performances being a mix of music, politics and comedy.

His songs have informed and influenced my morals, my politics and how I see things, and treat people, from his earliest songs as an ‘angry young man’ raising funds for striking miners, to an ‘angry older gentleman’ explaining to his wife why he’s no good at DIY,

but can write poetry

Over the years his songs have been thought provoking, celebratory, comical… he’s collaborated with a range of other bands and artists, on occasion just for one concert, others for a series of albums (Wilco). He’s been an ambassador and supporter of many new and ‘up and coming’ artists over the years, such as REM and Frank Turner and raised awareness and money for many good causes yet is loved and reviled in equal measure

At some point in 1984, Alison Gatehouse leant me ‘Life’s A Riot With Spy vs Spy’ by Billy Bragg

I fully expect people to switch off at this point or stop reading.

As it is written on one of the two Billy Bragg Tea Towels I have ‘Love Him Or Hate Him’ (styled on Marmite jar)… the other Tea Towel if you’re interested says ‘Brewing Up With….’ and features the cover of his 1985 album, which is quite clever when you think about it

I have owned ‘Lifes A Riot With Spy vs Spy’ by Billy Bragg in multiple formats over the years, at least twice on vinyl, and four times on CD. In case of the vinyl, certainly one of these was played to death, much to the annoyance of anyone in the house who had to suffer me singing along to the 7 tracks included for hours on end, only stopping to flip the record over

With the CD’s there have been remastered versions, a box set (with an extended version) and more recently a 30^th Anniversary edition with the ‘whole’ album’ played as an encore at the Union Chapel in London

From the moment I first heard this album, opening with ‘The Milkman of Human Kindness’, absorbed all the lyrics (including the timeless ‘A New England’), sought out interviews etc the music contained in this, and then future releases there was something ‘more’ happening.

This hit home early in 1985 upon the release of the ‘Between The Wars’ EP, with songs influenced by and proceeds given to the Miners’ Strike, something I’d known nothing about until this point. Seeing him performing the title track live on Top Of The Pops, introduced by Steve Wright, alone on stage with just his guitar and amp was incredible. This wasn’t like anything else on the programme, no dancers, no early 80’s special effects, just a man and his guitar singing about the fight of the working man not long after the Conservative Party had been returned to power after ‘winning’ the Falklands War

Billy Bragg songs often make you think, whether he’s turning the spotlight on the political situation in the UK or abroad, questioning how things are presented in the media or promoting equality; I’ve been switched on to more things through his music than any school, college or television. I don’t always agree 100% but as a result of looking into what Billy’s singing about I believe I’ve become better and more rounded

Songs such as ‘Must I Paint You A Picture’ and ‘The Saturday Boy’ appeared on mixtapes I produced for would be girlfriends in my younger days, often failing to impress (I put this down to myself though and not the quality of the music and lyrics)

As I’ve grown older, I’ve still looked forward to new releases, and I’m glad to say that songs remain as topical and thought provoking as they did to my 14/15-year-old ears back in the 1980’s.

With tracks like ‘Never Buy The Sun’ clearly highlighting the corrupt ways of certain areas of the press and ‘Full English Brexit’ written from the perspective of a ‘Little Englander’ he searches for the reasons behind the Brexiteer psyche and shows that even though he’s now eligible for his bus pass Billy Bragg still has his finger on the pulse

As my eyes and ears were being opened by the words and music of Billy Bragg, my ‘reading material’ of choice changed, no longer would I buy Smash Hits, I found the type of bands I was forming a liking for appeared in the NME (or New Musical Express for the purists) and in-turn switched me on to the late evening essential listening of Janice Long, Annie Nightingale and John Peel

In 1985, we moved from the West Midlands back to Manchester, and although I didn’t know it at the time, things would never be the same again

Part 4

1988, stood on Piccadilly Station waiting for the train to Birmingham...

Since leaving the Midlands in 1985 I'd kept in touch with a couple of like-minded people, sharing letters and tapes of recommendations of what to listen to next. On this occasion I had a cassette which my friend Danny, who I was going to visit, had sent me containing two albums, 'The House of Love' by 'The House Of Love' and 'George Best' by The Wedding Present

I'd been aware of the latter from the NME 'C86' release a couple of years earlier and had bought a one of their singles. I eagerly watched 'The Chart Show' on a Saturday morning to see if they'd play a 30 second clip of the band who were, alongside The Primitives (with the miniscule blond bombshell Tracey Tracey fronting them) quickly becoming my favourite band.

After listening to the 'Wedding Present' side of the cassette I'd turn it over, skip through my favourite tracks by 'The House of Love' and start again with the wonderful 'Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft' wearing down the battery life of my portable tape player at the same time (and yes I did have those cheap headphones with orange sponge bits to 'cover' the ears)

'George Best' was their debut album which had been released late the previous year full of songs about being in love, songs about wanting to be in love, songs about yearning for a lost love, songs about breaking up...

all perfect for someone in their late teens to relate to since the demise of 'The Smiths'.

Although I didn't know it stood on Piccadilly Station that day, The Wedding Present, and more importantly their front man and lyricist David Lewis Gedge, would, like Billy Bragg, soundtrack a big chunk of my life from that point on, becoming like an older sibling (rather than a mentor) with whom I have shared ups and downs in over the last 30 odd years

After the well-respected debut the band signed to a 'major label' and hit their 'commercial peak' with numerous appearances on Top Of The Pops and daytime TV. As with many artists the line-up changed and sound developed rather than just remaking the same album with the same formula over and over which led to an 'offshoot' being formed in the mid 1990's, Cinerama. This project was heavily influenced by the soundtracks of Morricone and the like, with a slightly less 'guitar centric sound' before morphing back into The Wedding Present in the 00's... 

Unsurprisingly, not every one of the 30 plus albums released over the years has been 'a favourite' and some have received a lot fewer repeat plays than others. despite this though, Danny and I have remained big 'Weddoes' fans and have seen them many times, upwards of 40 times across the country, and regardless of size of venue certain things have always been the same, Dave would be there on the Merchandising Stall before the gig, the music would be fast and frantic, the mosh pit (in our younger days) would be exhausting, exhilarating and extremely sweaty in equal measures... and they never do encores.

In more recent years, more by accident than design, through the likes of Facebook and Twitter both fans and bands are closer than would have been imaginable back in the 80's...

On Facebook fans regularly chat, share tales of trips to see the band and recommendations of who else to listen to (every Mancunian fan seems to remember the guy who climbed up the PA, to everyone’s amusement and hung on to it throughout the Nurses Benefit gig at the Ritz in 1990) 

On Twitter, David and other band members regularly engage directly with their 'fan community' across the world (despite no longer being a household name as well as sold out tours of Britain and Europe the band have played Thailand, Japan and Australia over the last couple of years) 

At these gigs, the 'once 18 years olds' who sang along to anthems such as 'My Favourite Dress' still do so, but now are accompanied by their wives and children... who also sing along

My love of the Wedding Present led me to seeing countless live bands and clubbing, and it was after one such night out, while visiting Danny, as late teens, putting the world to rights we had a conversation about 'what we'd most like to do with our lives'. My answer was simple, all be it not fully thought through. and possibly flippant...

'I want to work in the Music Industry and with bands'

That conversation and comment, sat in the living room of 4 Tug Cottages, Tardebigge, Worcestershire, set me on the path that changed everything, one that may not have been financially successful, but was very very interesting and filled with experiences and opportunities others would only ever be able to dream of…  

“An Ideal For Living : A History Of Joy Division” by Mark Johnson (2019)

A currently unpublished submission for 'You Goes To The Library' which is due to be published in the next 12/18 months

“An Ideal For Living : A History Of Joy Division” by Mark Johnson 
Published 1984

I was late to discover Joy Division

I'd heard 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' on the radio and vaguely remember hearing the song 'Transmission' but it wasn't until a slightly older friend Micky Reeves, upon learning that I had liked New Orders' (then) recent output leant me a copy of ‘An Ideal For Living' book, sometime in late 1984, did I join the dots between the 2 bands

The book is basically a history of Joy Division’s criminally short career, between 1976/7 through to the suicide of Ian Curtis in 1980, and then picks up with New Order though to their release of their 2nd album, ‘Power, Corruption and Lies’ released in 1983. It’s full of facts and detail rather than interviews and provides an extremely detailed breakdown of gigs and releases, building up a mystique around the band (who to this day still aren’t keen on doing interviews).

One of the most interesting discoveries from this book however was that a video existed with footage of the band... although I had no way of knowing how or where to get it

This was 1984 and to a 14 year old living in the West Midlands surrounded by 'Duran Duran' and 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood' fans just knowing the name 'Joy Division' and a little of their legacy felt like being a member of a secret club

The following year I moved back to Manchester, all be it the suburbs, and enjoyed trips into the city centre with friends initially venturing into chainstores, the likes of HMV or Virgin at the bottom of Market Street, or Our Price at the top. 

After buying what 'official' releases I could find I was quickly turned on to the bootleg stalls in the Underground Market and the Corn Exchange.

I was amazed at the 100's of tapes available of gigs (this was slightly before CD's were a thing) from around the world, but was dumbstruck when I saw the massive lists held by the 'traders' of Joy Division and New Order recordings. 

It was when looking through these that I remembered this VHS release

I asked around and eventually got an address to order it from, from memory it was less than £20 including postage, which was a lot, but worth it for what would be my first 'view' of Joy Division (other than a rare sighting of 'Love Will Tear Us Apart’)

When the video arrived the first thing that struck me was the lack of detail (other than band name and song titles) but the same stylish design of other Factory Releases, this time a simple gold lettering on black. (It wasn't for many years I learnt that the 'Fractured Music' logo was the bands publishing company and not a 'Factory Records' logo). Pouring over the song titles I recognised some but not all and early put it into the bulky top-loader for the first viewing...

The quality of sound and vision was not what I had naively expected. These were the days before the Internet so other than being able to speak to someone who had heard or seen something there was no way of googling through online customer reviews or just searching 'You Tube'

Inside the box there was a piece of paper with the name of 'IKON Video' on... and a phone number... 061 928 7387 so I called it, I don't know who answered the phone the day but whoever it was, when I questioned the quality of the tape I'd received initially laughed. I guess they must have sensed some disappointment in my voice, and for the next few mins explained the background to the material and how it'd had been shot by amateurs on the first ‘commercially available video cameras' and in all honesty I should be grateful for what footage existed (in hindsight that may have been more of a 'fuck off and leave us alone' than the way I took it)

I wish they were clearer, I wish the sound was better, I wish there were more...

No matter what has been written by band members or associates over last 20 years or so, the book ‘An Ideal For Living’ (I eventually bought my own copy) and the VHS 'Here Are The Young Men’ always returns some of the initial 'mystique' that surrounded Joy Division when I first ‘discovered them’ and for that I will always be extremely grateful

Escape To Victory (2019)

A submission for a forthcoming project 'You Goes To The Pictures' which should be published in the next 12/18 months


Escape To Victory

At some point around Easter 1981 I went with my parents off on holiday, or away for the weekend. This may have been the trip to the Geoff Hurst Soccer Skills Camp at Pontins in Prestatyn however I can’t be 100% sure…

The one thing I do remember is the copy of ‘Shoot’ Magazine I had that week included a feature on a film that had gone into production the previous summer with an ‘all star cast’ of Pele, Bobby Moore, Ozzy Ardiles and John Wark telling the story of a ‘friendly’ football team playing against the Germans at the hight of World War 2 along side some proper actors who had or would be in Doctor Who, and Michael Caine… and Sylvester Stallone

As well as being a Doctor Who fan I was also a huge football fan, regularly reading ‘Shoot' and ‘Roy of The Rovers’ alongside Doctor Who Monthly so this ‘boys own’ adventure film was right up my street, more importantly, it was something that would appeal to my Dad as well meaning I’d definitely get to see it (these were the days before video so missing it at the local cinema could mean missing it for a few years until it appeared on TV

During the Summer Holidays of 1981 the day arrived and off my Dad and I went in his trusty Robin Reliant to the ABC Cinema in Redditch (now a Wetherspoons) to watch the film I’d been waiting months for… My Dad was happy too, as not only did we get to see ‘Escape To Victory’ we also go to see ‘Chariots of Fire’ which it’d had been bundled into a double bill with (thus getting 2 movies for the price of 1)… something as an adult I’d not be adverse to

Now maybe I should appreciate the latter a little more, I’m told it’s a classic… but it’s a 124 minute film about 2 blokes racing against one another which in 1981 was stopping me from seeing the films I’d been longing to see

I wasn’t disappointed, 'Escape To Victory’ is a rollercoaster of a film. From the open scenes of a POW trying to escape and getting shot to the jubilient ending as the Allies are mobbed by the people of France and smuggled away to safety, I was transfixed for the duration of the film, quickly forgetting the previous 2 hours of tedium (apologies again  to 'Chariots of Fire’)

When we got a video player a few years later it was one of my first choices to rent. When it was ‘domestically’ released it was one of the first movies I bought, and when it received a Region 1 DVD Release (long before a Region 2) I managed to buy a copy and unlock my DVD Player to watch it

Whilst some of the acting maybe cheesy and the story a little exaggerated the film gives me a warm sense of nostalgia and time spent with my Dad all those years ago. Although in later years with college and work we spent less time together football was some thing that united us, as SeasonTickets for Manchester United we would regularly attend matches until his death in 2012

I am still a Season Ticket Holder at United, although success has waned over recent times, and on the occasions I take my son I often find myself recounting memories of what had gone before, as my Dad had done to me (and like he had done I tend to stop talking as a glazed look appears on my sons face)

It may not be a classic or in the same ‘league’ as The Godfather etc, but for me ‘Escape To Victory’ is a film I can watch over and over, so much so that for the last few years it’s become a ’tradition’ that my son and I watch the film on Fathers Day

Liam Fox Interview for 'United We Stand' (2019)

This interview was done for the award winning 'United We Stand' fanzine in November 2019 whilst travelling to the Midlands with my best mate, Paul (aka Liam) Fox, Dan Spencer in the award winning, long running, British Soap, 'Emmerdale'

This is the full, unedited version. The published version needed a slightly shorter word count...

http://www.uwsonline.com

Heald Green born, Liam Fox has been playing mechanic  Dan Spencer in the award winning British Soap ‘Emmerdale’ for the last 8 years. 

In reality, Liam has been a United fan and Season Ticket Holder for many years, currently watching the reds from East Stand.  

Long time friend and fellow red, Iain Key spoke to Liam about his passion away from acting… 

What’s your earliest memory of United?

1977 Cup Final when we won 2-1 against the Scousers. When we scored the 2nd goal my sister had just gone over the handle bars on her bike and smashed in to a lamp post… she came in crying, I was 7 and she was about 4. I didn’t have much sympathy and just wanted to watch the match… as did my mother. We are a loving family! I just thought ‘oh she’s screaming again’ which she’d do regularly. She’s 45 now and has’t changed… 

Did you know the name and legacy of the club before then?

Er, yeah, I did, but I think, before then though I had a retro Liverpool kit, which was the only one my Mum could buy from the Gratten catalogue. The acrylic used to scratch me though which wasn’t great… I did meet Kenny Dalgleish once though and he was a very nice man.

When would you say you became a United Fan

You know what I remember the 1979 Cup Final when we came back but then eventually lost to Arsenal I’d got a bus to Wilmslow to get some 'Star Wars' action figures, my Dad had said ‘are you watching the match or getting these action figures’… so we went to Hobbyhorse on the big green bus and got back just before half time. I do seem to remember thought playing with my action figures in the sun rather than focus on the match... 

So when did I become more engaged with United?…

So you were 9 in 1979?

Yeah, I got more engaged in 1980… Oh I know, 1981, no 82 I went to my first match when Chris Nicholl who played for Southampton at the time, in fact was he their manager? Think he still played, his Uncle worked with my Dad on a building site and got us to the match, I sat next to Alan Ball and met Kevin Keegan after the game and all that kind of stuff and from them I was hooked on going to Old Trafford, that was probably the the proper start of it, so I was 11 1/2 maybe 12…

What age were you when you started going to matches regularly 

Not long after actually, from 82 we started going the following season really, within a year or so I was going to virtually every home game for £1.20 in the Stretford Seats and a 25p programme … and really awful pies

Who did you go with?

Mates from school and more often than not my cousin Julie

So you’d just become a teenager… what were your memories under Ron Atkinson?

Entertaining football, ramshackle Stretford End which was a bit of a cackhole really, pigeons in the roof shitting on your head, all part of the fun and a bloke called Clapper… well we called him Clapper, he was the one who’d start off the chant ‘UNITED’. All that period of standing cheaply in the Stretford End and those awlful spiked bars with people trying to get from the Stretford Paddock to the Stretford End, one guy had a spike go through his pants and he was there screaming cos it must have been pointing to his testicular region. This copper was just laughing at him… 

Was that people who’d paid less to get into the Paddock?

I think it was £1.10 for a kid in the Paddock and £1.50 in the Stretford so you saved 40p and nearly got your balls ripped off… not really good economics

Do you remember when they used to have pies left at half time they used to throw them to the crowd?

Did they? I was so fat I was probably the kid that ate them all…

Maybe that was when we were in North Stand, it’s weird that when we were going then it wasn’t the business it is now… 

Didn’t know what they were doing but then I guess neither do the current regime. They didn’t have a clue, football was different then. I remember Bryan Robson signing for supposably £1200 a week… my Grandad going mad about it…   £1200 a week, I’d hate to think what he’s say now if he new what players were getting. Bryan Robson is a pauper in comparison… 

Didn’t one of your relations play for United in the 50’s? 

Jeff Whitefoot, who was my Nan’s cousin, I've never met.. I spoke to him when I did an MUTV interview over the phone. I was supposed to keep in touch with him but then ended up going to America the next day. He is still alive… 

He was a proper Busby Babe, he left 6 months before the Munich Air Crash, a right back, played for England, won the FA Cup with Notts Forest in 1959. 

After the Atkinson era, what can you remember about the early Fergie years?

Not great really. Probably worse than Mourhino, Van Gaal and Moyes put together, it was pretty bad. Jim Leighton in nets… I remember being really disappointed by him as I saw him go to a pub and buy a packet of fags, I thought they must be for his wife as I didn’t think an athlete would be smoking… but maybe he was… then we had Peter Davenport… Viv Anderson, although he was a good player… 

I remember in the early Fergie years, when the Madchester thing was starting we’d go to the Griffin in Bowden… 

Oh yeah, cos the women in Cheadle weren’t good enough for us, even though we never copped off with any of them; so we decided we needed a better class of woman so we’d get in Jimmy Bennett’s little Metro he’d bought from the auction and went to try and get off with people like Jenny Powell who was on ’Network 7’ and obviously failed… One night I bumped into Norman Whiteside and knocked his pint and he looked like he was going to knock me out… I begged him and said ’Norman you’re my hero’ and he forgave me… I’ve since mentioned that on Twitter and although I’m sure he didn’t really remember it he sent me a little smiley face…

I think it was the start of the 89 Season I’d bought the first 'Red Issue’ and us going in there and Robson, Whiteside and McGrath in there… two of them signed it and the other was too pissed to write his own name… 

Probably McGrath? Could be any of them though… 

So those early days of Fergie’s were quite difficult, did you think he’d get the sack?

I called his name, I wanted him gone, I was one of the fools in the stands,  I’d had enough… Let’s face it it took him 5 years… Solskjaer hasn’t had a year...

I think he’s doing the right thing for the club

Yeah, definitely is… we have some great kids coming through, lets see where it gets to… Solskjaer couldn’t have got the job 4 or 5 years ago, the fans wouldn’t have had that, but I think now, probably seeing what’s happened with the other route, lets get back to basics and develop the team… and it’s been OK, we’ve had some ups and downs… certainly, the last few months oblast season was appalling but this season there have been some interesting signs… we just need to know the kids are inconsistent and there will be games we will lose… lets keep going in the right direction

Scott McTominey is really good I think in midfield…

Yeah he is, and Brandon Williams is a lunatic, he has a bit of steel, he’s tougher than me, but that’s not difficult

Who would you say is your all time favourite United Player

(Without hesitation) Eric Cantona, that’s quite easy

What would be your one standout moment? 

You know that moment… United v Spurs, Irwin wasn’t it? Cantona got the ball, chipped it over and Irwin scored and I turned to you and said ‘whatever happens in the rest of our lives really football will doesn’t get better than that’…  and then when ‘Looking For Eric’ came out, and Steve Evets says ‘’So Eric, tell me, what’s your best goal you’ve ever scored’ and Eric goes, ‘it wasn’t a goal it was a pass’… and Steve Evets goes (impression of Steve) ‘a pass, a pass?’ It was that very moment, I couldn’t believe that Eric in his whole career had pointed out a point. 

If it wasn’t for Eric we wouldn’t have won everything we won, Eric was the catalyst and let the kids play, the kids? I sound so old! 

Is there someone like that at the club now who is bringing them kids through? 

We had Zlatan for a bit the other year… is there a figure? No, I think we need one, unless Ole is that man… but Ole’s not arrogant, and I think you need that, someone to say ‘I’m the best’ 

And have everyone else stirve for that ‘greatness’

If that’s your best moment, and that was a pass… what was your favourite goal?

There was a goal of Eric’s at Norwich, and the one where he turns slowly, those were the days weren’t they? Once we’d won the league, at the time I didn’t go as much as I was busy going to Uni, giving up my job and trying to be an actor, well, becoming and ‘out of work actor’ most of the time… 

Individual goals? So many. It’s more what Eric gave to the team, Eric made us brilliant again, he made us cocky… he made us the  best… and so entertaining. I think Ole’s trying to make us entertaining again… there’s no point in watching football if it’s not entertaining. I’m not interested in us winning trophies if we’re boring, I really don’t what to know, even if we’re getting 2 or 3 trophies a season and it’s boring I won’t be going because I’m not interested. I think there are a lot of United fans feel the same, others may say ‘well it’s trophy’ but I’d rather going watch paint dry than rubbish football. 

Where did you watch the final in 99?

On my own, the future wife at the time decided to go out as she didn’t want to watch the match, but she went to a mates and actually ended up watching it… but I say in the house on my own, and when we scored the winner I jumped up, did a forward roll and smacked my head on the fireplace. She came back, excited and asked if I wanted to go down to Old Trafford, so we went down there and I ran round without my shoes on I’d forgotten to put them on in the excitement. I was very excited… 

I didn’t do the same in 2008… wasn’t the same. We’d won it once… how long will it before we win it again? I don’t know

Can you remember anything about the years we got to the Champions League Final and didn’t win it?

Both Barcelona? 2009 / 2011, Barcelona just beat us… We weren’t good enough to beat a very special team …

I’m 50 thus year and for nearly 25 years of my life United were the best team Britain and for some of that the best team in Europe… Most football fans never get that. Hopefully we’ll get good again, but we’ll never be as good as we were 

In those early years when we first started watching football it was always Liverpool or Everton were the dominant teams… and then it was United

When Liverpool were going down the pan I knew as a fan it wasn’t just Liverpool having a fallow couple of years, you could tell it was going to last for a while, never thought it would last 30 years, but you just thought that dominance had gone, there had been too many changes at Liverpool and that isn’t coming back, and that’s exactly how I feel about United at the minute, it’s done, it is what it is… and we will regroup and we become better and we will win things again, we’ve already won things over the last few.years… but we’re not going to be what we were… because no team can be anymore… 

Do you think that’s more to do with the money?

There’s too much money. We just used to walk over teams, you can’t walk over teams anymore… that’s alright, it’s more competitive for everybody 

Looking back to watching to Cup Final’s in 77 and 79 … why United and not City? Obviously they weren’t in those Cup Finals…

Because they’re shit

Did you ever get taken to see City?

City bored me… you know why I don’t like City, we had a little silver transistor radio on the side and Tony Book was getting interviewed after the game and all I remember is him going ‘errr and errr’ and I just thought City were like a big question mark. United had Tommy Doc, and although I don’t like him now cos of the way he slagged Fergie off over the yeas, I think there was a bit of jealousy there as ‘it should have been him’… but he’d kept it in his pants… it could have been him… 

I think that ’Too Good To Go Down’ film taught me a lot that I was too young to know about that era

‘How good they were’

Yeah, and how good they could have been… if things had been different, potentially we would have been pushing Liverpool and Everton in the 80’s 

They were brilliant, Stevie Coppell… I was a kid, but I remember them being exciting… for me,, United, it’s like, Steve Coppell, Andrew Kancheskis, Ryan Giggs. Back in the day, Strachen, Jesper Olsen, proper wingers… I used to love that. 

That’s one good thing about this season so far… Wan Bissaka and James 

You can’t knock Ole with regards that at the club, Wan Bissaka, MacGuire who we all knew was good, Dan James, what a player, didn’t expect him to be as good as he is.

Colchester in the League Cup?

If we don’t win that we may as well give up… good for Colchester

But anyway, for the rest of the season, I think we’ll be alright, I think we’ll finish 6th… 5th would be amazing but 6th would do for now… we’re not good enough to be in the Champions League and need a couple of seasons to be competitive, we’re a couple of seasons off that yet

Do you think we could win the Europa League?

I think we should win that depending on who falls out of the Champions League… they look like they’re enjoying the football again

FA Cup?

Yeah we can win that, we’re capable on our day of being anyone… and we can win anything

In the league, we’re just nowhere near to Liverpool or City at the minute… we’re not at that level and there’s no 

point in denying it. I’d rather be a fan that says City and Liverpool are great at the minute. Liverpool now being more consistent than City… I think Pep may disappear soon .. I think he’s done his time… 

Doctor Who - The Space Pirates (2017)

This piece was written in 2017 for the volume 'You On Target' celebrating the Doctor Who Novels published by Target from the 1970's... a child/teenagers only way of recapturing old Doctor Who Stories before the advent of VHS, DVD and the Internet...

It was published in 2020 and is available from ... 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084DG77M7/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=you+on+target&qid=1580640568&sr=8-2



The Space Pirates
Preface
Irlam Train Station, 13^th November 2013 around 4.55pm
The wind is blowing so hard that the trees on the opposite side of the station, the line that heads towards Liverpool are almost bent in two; the rain lashes downward and then horizontally.
I am protected to a degree by my Jack Wolfskin coat, although I have to keep adjusting my laptop bag as it annoying my slips down from my right shoulder as I try to read the Kindle held in my right hand …
I’m approaching 44^th birthday and I’m reading ‘Doctor Who and The Space Pirates’ by Terrence Dicks

--------------
I was first attracted to Doctor Who in 1975 although not allowed to watch it until 1977
I fell in love with the show in 1979, discovering Target novelisations and Doctor Who Weekly
I became obsessed in 1981 when I got the ‘Doctor Who’ programme guide and the whole ‘history’ of the show began to reveal itself to me

I vividly remember watching the first episode of Castrovalva in January 1982 on my Dad’s black and white portable… actually, that pretty much sums up most of the Peter Davison era… more often than not it would have been in the ‘dining room’, after tea… other than ‘The Five Doctors’ which I was allowed to watch on the colour TV in the living room

By 1984 I had an almost complete set of the Target Books; I’d joined DWAS and had even been to a ‘local group’ meeting in Redditch. I can’t remember the actual address but my Dad drove me there in his Robin Reliant… the person holding the meeting had a full size ‘Earthshock’ Cyberman costume and an Ice Warrior too… at some point in the meeting, to everyone’s amusement, the Ice Warriors head fell off as I watched an episode of ‘Inferno’ intently and cracked me on the back of my own… it hurt

By 1987 I was planning my first holiday without my parents. This would have been just before Sylvester McCoy had made his debut. I’d become to be a little disillusioned by the show and I needed money, with a little reluctance, I sorted through my Doctor Who Collection, and with my friend, Paul took my collection to Paramount Book Exchange on Withy Grove in Manchester. Paul was one of my first friends to learn to drive and get a car and was also going on the holiday so was willing to sacrifice his Saturday morning in order for me to raise ‘spending money’ for our trip to Newquay
I think I got £60 for my almost complete set of Target Books and 100 plus issues of Doctor Who Magazine from the near legendary and infamous one armed owner of the shop…

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Christmas 2011 my wife buys me a Kindle…
The first thing I do is do a search online and acquire copies of every Doctor Who Target Novel, every New Adventure and Missing Adventure published to that date. They’re loaded onto my Kindle, the idea being that when I’m travelling for work I have something to read
My love for show the show had been rekindled (no pun intended) over the intervening years as I started to collect the episodes released by the BBC (either originals or copies of the same) but for some reason I didn’t go back to collect physical copies of the Target Books
Unfortunately from January to March 2012 there is a ‘travel ban’ so I spend 3 months working from home…
By April 2012 I’ve managed to get a few quid from claiming PPI from my bank… enough to buy iPads for my wife and I… my Kindle is tidied away, and disappears into a drawer

--------------
September 2013 I start a new job.
For the first few months I have to travel to either Irlam or Birchwood (the latter being a stop further then the former) as I need to get up to speed with what’s what and who’s who. Almost as if by magic, the day before I am due to start, whilst sorting out suit, shirt, tie etc. I find my Kindle…
I haven’t ‘commuted’ for work for many years, and although my journey is only going to be 15-20 mins I decided that I need something to distract me from the packed train and people pushing and shoving, plus, apparently the service is notoriously unreliable so there is likely to be waiting on platforms as trains are cancelled or delayed…
And that’s when my love of Doctor Who novelisation came back… over the following 2 months I read all of the ‘missing adventures’ … those that I’d not seen, from ‘The Myth Makers’ to  ‘The Smugglers’ via ‘The Massacre’ and ‘The Highlanders’ to ‘The Space Pirates’ via ‘The Macra Terror’
Reading those novels again on the journeys to and from work, some for the first time, took me back to the long winter evenings of my early teens where they offered an escape into a magical world of ‘new’ Doctor Who adventures
And so then there I am, November 2013… a couple of weeks from my birthday and the 50^th Anniversary of Doctor Who and I finish reading the ‘last’ missing adventure
I hadn’t been looking forward to reading ‘The Space Pirates’ – it’s a story which is often derided, possibly due to the lack of photos and only 1 episode existing.
For heaven’s sake it doesn’t even get a re-appraisal in the ‘Hating To Love’ book… it’s really hated that much!
But I enjoyed it, maybe because Terence Dicks is just a master craftsman,  maybe because he focussed on the actual story and characters rather than having to explain in detail the long scenes involving space craft from the televised story
I may not feel the same way about the televised story if the missing episodes appeared, but the book reminded me of why I fell in love with the programme so many years ago… 

 --------------
Epilogue
Summer 2016
After a change in personal circumstances I found myself ‘reconnecting’ again with my past. Hunting down things which I’d sold or let go over the many years to pay bills and make ends meet. Speaking to a few people whose relationships and marriages had broken down I believe this is the period known as ‘finding yourself’
I struck lucky and managed to buy an entire ‘Classic Era’ DVD collection for a reasonable price… I’d sold my collection a couple of years earlier but I soon found myself sorting my newly purchased DVD collection into transmission order, revisiting the sleeves and then putting them on the shelf… it  gave me a warm glow…
But something was missing … there was a space on the shelves which had been filled with DVD’s which I’d sold but wasn’t going to replace;
I casually flick through eBay, Amazon and eventually Shada on ‘Gallifrey Base’ … looking for something but not knowing what
And then I see it… ‘Complete Set of Target Novels for Sale’…
Again, a reasonable price… messages are exchanged and less than 3 days later I find myself sorting through my newly purchased ‘Target Book’ collection into transmission order, revisiting the gorgeous invocative sleeves - some I’ve not seen in close detail for almost 30 years
It takes me a few hours to work through them and organise them onto shelves.
When the job is finally done I sat back and marvel at my collection.
Now it feels complete
Reaching out I pulled ‘The Space Pirates’ from between ‘The Seeds of Death’ and ‘The War Games’
Sitting back I opened it and began to read … ‘Beacon Alpha One hung silently in the blackness of space, its complex shape recalling the technology of distant Earth’…
THE END

Iain Key 2017