*The Week That Was – 22nd April 1985

Record of the week: Husker Du – Anything

22nd April 1985
Everyone likes Husker Du – Yeah!

23rd April 1985
Some of my money went missing. I reckon it was Miller myself but I can’t prove it. Me, Big Crabb, Lee, Little Crabb and Ben had a fire – others at ice skating.

24th April 1985
Did not go to Youth Club.

25th April 1985
Mum reckons I might get the sack.

26th April 1985
Crabby bought computer round. Me and Lee got very merry.

27th April 1985
Been sacked – but got job back. He’s sacking Neil instead. Celebrated employment. Muz was seriously pissed. He’d been to a wedding.

28th April 1985
Went up Crabby’s to play computer.

*The Week That Was – 8th April 1985

Record of the week: VA – Unsafe At Any Speed, Husker Du – Zen Arcade

8th April 1985
Day off. Decided we’d have a piss-up. It was quite a laugh. Went to Houldey’s til midnight. Dean broke my nose!!

9th April 1985
Got up ok. Didn’t feel too bad. Chopped some trees. Put fungicide on this posh bungalow. Did Mr Ashby’s bedroom. Mr Ashby told me about 2CR competition.

10th April 1985
Didn’t go to see Josh and John last night. 3 girls up the road invited people to go round so we did.

11th April 1985
Saw those girls again I expect.

12th April 1985
Bought two bottles of Scotsmac. Drank one but didn’t get pissed. Went to YC.

13th April 1985
Mum goes to London. Husker Du and Die Kreuzen LPs came. Got fuckin’ ratted tonight. Emma, Kirsty and Sam came round. Graeme got off with Emma and I sort of got off with Kirsty.

14th April 1985
Graeme said Emma’s got a big mouth. Haha.

*Mother – 25th March 1985

Mother, you’re so good to me
I’m just how you wanted me
Mother how I love you so
It would break my heart to go

Mother, you are such a pain
I never want to see you again
Mother how I hate you so
I think I’ll just fuck off and go
Goodbye Mum


The Week That Was

Record of the week: Peter Gabriel – The Intruder/No Self Control/Games Without Frontiers/Biko, Husker Du – Data Control/New Day Rising LP, VA – PEACE comp, Conflict 7″

25th March 1985
Started at Corfe Mullen. Worked alone.

27th March 1985
Went to Y.C. Possibly set up Young Band competition.

28th March 1985
Got £34 off Mr Ashby. Got £34 off DHSS.

29th March 1985
Finished at Corfe Mullen. Lady game me mirror and Peter Gabriel tape. Went to Y.C.

30th March 1985
Spent £5. Put £10 in Building Society.

31st March 1985
Went up Uddens. Had a good laugh on rhododendrons. Bust my wrist though.

*New Skin – 11th March 1985

Blotched and ragged
Rough and jagged
You want to trade this one in
For a new skin

Plastic and tough
And it’s flexible enough
To take everything
Your new skin


The Week That Was

Record of the week: False Prophets – Banana Split Republic, Husker Du – New Day Rising LP, Atrox – Loose (live)

11th March 1985
Got up at 11.30. Went to Careers Office, told them I’ve got a job. Couldn’t draw any more money out. Only just managed to get some fags from Gaunts. Bennett didn’t get any dope. He says it was white (?). Stayed in tonight. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was on again. It’s still good.
6

12th March 1985
Got up at 11.45. Had a bath. Got dirty! Hah! Sorry, but I’m not gonna fill this out properly, OK?
5

13th March 1985
Signed off. Came home. Found letter. Said I wasn’t accepted for job. Careers Office rang and said it was going again so I rang back and start on Monday. Y.C. is being supervised now.
5

14th March 1985
Paul came over to stay. Had a good time. Stereo wouldn’t tape properly. Got my PEACE compilation which is so-so.
7

15th March 1985
Travelled around all day. Got Husker Du’s New Day Rising LP. Went down Dorchester. Said I could sing for Atrox. It was fuckin’ brilliant. Most fun I’ve had for ages. Charlie looked a bit shitty though. Came home same night.
9.5

16th March 1985
Can’t get over yesterday. Went to town. Went down Bournemouth. Gig didn’t look like being on so came back. Saw Burd on the bus. Went up to see Void gig instead. Came home. (Found Mothers Day card on bus)
7

17th March 1985
Went down Gaunts. Had a mud fight. Crabby got shitty. Dean got his nut cracked open. Stayed in tonight.
6

Cottage Industry – Parkstone Labour Club, Poole, Dorset, UK – 6th March 1985

18th Dec 2022 – Cottage Industry was the country band (may have just been solo, not sure now) of our local (Holtwood) youth club leader.
As kids, we had lots of fun fucking around and fucking things up at the youth club, often getting ourselves banned for periods of time.
I guess I was trying to ingratiate myself with him in some way and was also a little interested in learning about things musical as a player so I blagged a ride in the back of his van with the equipment and helped carry it in and out of the venue. I was kinda amused to be in this place, still not quite of drinking age and seemed to enjoy the atmosphere whilst not being particularly interested in the music.
I had grown up through my very early years in the north of England with the local country music scene as my mum’s boyfriend was a guitar player that played a lot at the time. Mum also played folk music at home sometimes too. This Cottage Industry shit certainly wasn’t punk rock and that was all I cared about at the time.
I guessed I learned something from this experience but probably didn’t recognise it at the time.

Just look at this place. I don’t know what I really expect places to look like but this just brings to mind the drabness of England. This picture contains the best of the English colour scheme. The stand-out colour in the picture is a fucking traffic cone.

*The Void – Wimborne Youth Club, Dorset, UK – 4th March 1985

The Week That Was

Record of the week: Toy Dolls – Dig That Groove Baby, Atrox – Elitist Prey

4th March 1985
Got up at 10. Went to Wimborne. Met Sharon, Mayo and Paul Miller. Bought laces and sweets. Went to sign on. Went to Careers Office. Bought crosswords book. Came back. Just about to go see Void when Scott came round. Took him along as well. Void were pretty boring. Saw Wayne so gave him the tape. Got back at 10.30.
6

5th March 1985
Got up at 11. Farted around for most of the day. Started doing crosswords. Played Toy Dolls LP – it’s pretty good. Went on common and climbed a few trees. Trying to improve my singing. Went down Youth Club. Everyone was in a pissy mood. Going down to see Pete’s group tomorrow. Came back.
5

6th March 1985
Can’t remember what happened during the day so I’ll tell you what happened tonight. Pete gave me a lift down to Parkstone. Met the rest of his band. One of them told me that Madisons holds a musical workshop every Monday. They played pretty well. It wasn’t my type of music but it made a welcome change.
7

7th March 1985
Oh shit, what happened today? Oh yes. I went for interview in Corfe Mullen. Bloke said I could start on the 18th so I said I would. It’s doing painting and decorating. New programme was on tonight called Street Hawk. It’s great – typical US trash.
6

8th March 1985
Sent off for Internatione PEACE Benefit double LP and 3 Maximum Rock N Rolls. Went down Youth Club – it was piss boring. Took some records down that no one liked. We can’t do our trick on the pool table anymore – which is a big fuck off.
6

9th March 1985
Everyone went down Poole – so I went. It was OK at times but got boring after a while. Jasper was pissed off cos he wasn’t the leader. Met Justin, Ratty and Midge down there. Let off smoke bomb on the bus. Played Spotlight this evening which was quite a good laugh.
7

10th March 1985
Went down Wareham. Got train to Dorchester. Practice was really good. Met Tony on the way down. He came along. Got back about 7. Watched telly all evening. Done my back in though which isn’t very pleasing. Night Court was good.
8

*Ants – 18th February 1985

Industrious and hard
They get everywhere
They’ll float on your drink
They’ll get in your hair
Armies of ants
Coming from their nest
I wish I was an ant
I think ants are best


The Week That Was

Record of the week: Protectors – Macintosh Man (live), Spizzles – Scared

18th February 1985
Went to work. Was all right. Mike’s not here – good. Beat Ian at darts. Found out Subhumans is on Frinday – same as Void. Tried to organise getting up there. Alan (J+J) told me about rooftop Hotel gig on April 9. Went out but no one was about. Have to give out leaflets at YC (Wimborne) if I see Subhumans.
6

19th February 1985
Got up and pulled a muscle in neck. Went to work for morning but comae back at lunch time – it’ll have to get better soon. Went to sleep for about half an hour. Stayed in tonight. Can’t remember anything else about today.
5

20th February 1985
Didn’t go to college but went to Wimborne. Drew some money out. Tired to find Wayne. Didn’t. Went to Poole. Won 6 quid at amusements. Went to Setchfields. Bought 6 LPs, 1 12″ and 1 7″ for 4 quid. Went to Our Price – got a couple more records. Got bus back. Mum brought me home. Sung for a while. Scott came in while doing so. Went to YC. Vicki Hiscock was there and not with Jasper.
7

21st February 1985
Went to work. Brian was doing bulk. Fucking lifting off GGL-4 windows on me fuckin’ own. Day went by without anything happening. Piwi went home cos he’s ill. Went down Gaunts at night. Me and Muz and Burt thought we saw a burglar. So me and Muz looked about. Jasper came out. Saw some weird lights and shotgun noises. Pretty weird.
6

22nd February 1985
Today was pretty boring. Did a fucking hard test. Piwi wasn’t here. Martin and Largey went home. Rung around to find out if gig was on tonight. Got bike back at last. Went to Wimborne. Void aren’t playing. Met Ian – went down town.Wayne Lovell threatened to beat me up. Went to Football Club. Protectors were ok. Sold 2 singles – which weren’t bad. Simon Toms joined Royal Marines.
6

23rd February 1985
Went to town with tape recorder. Put couple of posters up. Drew money out. Wayne had had an accident so I still ain’t seen him. Got 2 videos out. Came back. Pissed around down Gaunts for a while. Played tennisn with Jamie and Bennett. Went down Muz’s. Got money back for videos by charging everyone who came in. Warriors – good. Quadrophenia (seen it before). Fuckin’ foggy tonight.
7

24th February 1985
Took videos back to Wimborne. Went down Gaunts. Japser’s being a shit. Bennett’s been fucking around on my bike so I’m gonna get him. Pissed around up at the common. Got done for being on private land. Went back to Gaunts. Jasper came out but just stood around. We pissed around though. Came back at 5.30. Had a bath. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is on tongiht but fell asleep.
7

*Roadworks – 11th February 1985

Every road you travel
There’s a traffic jam
They put roadworks
Everywhere they can
When you’re in a hurry
The roadworks are always there
The lights are always red
You end up in despair


The Week That Was

Record of the week: Mud – Dynamite (?), Smiths – Nowhere Fast, Mass of Black (live), Atrox – Short Songs (live)

11th February 1985
Had a good laugh at work. Gave the showroom all their stuff off bulk as quickly as possible. They were quite pissed off. Mike is fucking me off cos he thinks I can’t so anything on my own. Started cassette to give to Wayne when he gives me the other one back.
6

12th February 1985
Mike’s getting even worse. I’m actually glad I’ll be at college tomorrow. Mum wouldn’t take me in today cos I ran out of petrol – she went and got some instead. Finished off cassette. The Howling is on telly tonight. Last night there was a question prog on TV from Wimborne but I only recognised two people.
6

13th February 1985
Got school bus. Got late bus to Poole. Steve Collins was on there. Got to college. Plumbing was crap. Ian went home. I beat him at pool. English was crap. Carpentry was crap. Wayne wasn’t on bus so I couldn’t give hime the tape. Got school bus home. Saw Dandy, who’s more beautiful than ever. Went down YC – was pretty boring. Jasper thought it was hard to punch a hole in the door.
6

14th February 1985
Work was slow. Bulk didn’t turn up til the afternoon. Big Brian was doing it – he was being all right this week. Ian was getting pissed off. Mike was pissing me off. Dandy’s gone to Italy – skiing. Don’t stop thinking about her. I WISH….
5

15th February 1985
Was in warehouse in morning and upstairs doing courses in afternoon. Came back – went to track, chain came off – pushed it to Muz’s. Took half an hour fixing it. Went on then came off again and was totally fucked – it even snapped. Two blokes helped me get it home. Mum took me to YC. Was pretty boring except that me, Crabb, Muz and Jas could take over soon. Crabb’s old dear brought me home.
5

16th February 1985
Got up at 11. Mum took me into town at 1.30. Bought 10 Manitou 7″s. Me and Fog got talking to some Christian propagandists. Met Piwi. Went round town with Ian and Fog. Went up to Shep’s place. Caught bus to Bournemouth. Got in free. Atrox were ok. General Belgrano went ok. Mass of Black were pretty good. Mad Are Sane were good too. Got bus back. Mum brought me home.
7

17th February 1985
Got up at 12. Went down Gaunts. Went up track which has iced over. Came home on Crabby’s bike. Went back out. Pissed around. Had ice fight up at the track. Went down behind Muz’s. Got wet. Came back. Bloke out of Josh and John rung me up. Tired to organise something for them – maybe at Gillingham with The Void.
7

*Schedule – 4th February 1985

Everything in order
Everything on time
Such a perfect thing
This wonderful life of mine

I’m on schedule
I looked at my schedule

Don’t know when I’ll die
I haven’t planned it yet
But I’ll tell everyone
So they don’t get upset

I’m on schedule
I looked at my schedule


The Week That Was

Record of the week: Flux of Pink Indians – Punk Sucks

4th February 1985
Started work in the warehouse. Quite a good laugh but fuckin’ knackering. Went down Gaunts after. Chased Perry, Burt and Muz around Gaunts cos they wanted me to. Talked for a while. Came back. Fuckin’ fell asleep. Kinky dream about Lisa.
7

5th February 1985
Fuckin’ had hundreds of fuckin’ deliveries. 20 pallets of Carcases, 2 orders of Key Terrain. We didn’t have time to do it all. Had a good laugh around Gaunts. Maybe do Stumps t-shirts, have an initiation. Talked to Muz for a while.
8

6th February 1985
Pissed around on the bus in the morning. Fucked around in college. Got bus back. Wayne was on there. Had a good laugh. Got school bus. Good laugh again. Fixed drums. Got 11 people in phone box down YC. Pissed around down there.
8

7th February 1985
Don’t remember much about today. Don’t think we had a lot to do at work. Big Brian was doing the bulk lorry – he’s a cunt. Muz wasn’t coming out so stayed in. Quite a few things on telly. Something about some bikers which was OK.
5

8th February 1985
Still not a lot to do at work. Planned to leaflet the Void gig and not do a poster cos it doesn’t photocopy very well. Came home. Pissed around as usual. Went down YC – wasn’t very interesting. I think they’ve sussed out that we fiddle the pool table. Couldn’t stay awake to watch the film
6

9th February 1985
Went to Wimborne. Met Bernice. Went for pizza with Fog and Maggie. Came home. Pissed around on drums. Went down Gaunts. Sharon was there so we pissed her off. Went to Bernice’s at 7. Caught bus to Bournemouth. Went to gig. Atrox played pretty well. Then fuckin’ Bad Noise were fuckin’ around. During Disorder a couple fo fights started. Taff electrocuted himself. Got bus back.
5

10th February 1985
Can’t remember a lot about what happened today. It was fuckin’ cold. I went down Gaunts. Came back. Went back. Pissed around at the woods behind Murray’s. Dean was even there. First time for fuckin’ ages. Didn’t go out tonight cos it was too cold. Spitting Image was OK.
6

*Angels – 28th January 1985

Diana is divine
Katie is so clean
Claire is my sweet
Julie is so keen
Lovely angels, broken wings
No one told me of these things
Angela is my angel
Susan is my dream
Lisa is so lovely
But Jane just makes me scream
They’re my lovely angels, broken wings
Now I know of these things


The Week That Was

Record of the week: Husker Du – Metal Circus, Manitou – 7″, Manitou – Live (Waiting For My Girl, Something Happened, Nervous Breakdown)

28th January 1985
M: Went to work. Went to Careers at 9. Drew £70 from Building Society. Paid £5 fine. Went back to work. Rest of the morning went fairly quick.
A: Afternoon went as quick as morning. Me and Ian are swapping over next Monday. Ian’s joining Navy in March.
E: Did Postal Course stuff. Continuing doing the Void art – I hope they use it. Manitou on Thursday.
7

9th Feb 2024 – An image of Ian jumped into my memory as I was writing this today. Yesterday I wasn’t even sure who he was! He was a Weebly-looking kid, a round body and round head, no neck and freckles. He certainly had the look of someone in the Navy.

29th January 1985
M: Feeling fucking tired. This morning took a long time to get over with – especially having to count Key Terrain.
A: Afternoon was OK. Only 4 tickets to book which can’t be bad – for me at least. Got back – rung Paul up. Atrox 16th Feb. Prac. on Sunday.
E: Went to Matt’s. He said that my lyrics were good. Got records back.
5

30th January 1985
M: Got on bus.Chucked till roll out of back. Went down college. Got bored during plumbing.
A: Acid rain!? Carpentry – oh wow. Wayne wasn’t on bus. Got school bus back again.
E: Went to YC. Went to Wimborne YC. Ulterior Motive played very well. Matt passed his test.
7

31st January 1985
M: Went to work. Can’t remember what I did but it went quick anyway.
A: Afternoon went ok. Looking forward to tonight. Fuck all to do at work really.
E: Went to see Manitou – they were absolutely fucking brilliant.
8

1st February 1985
M: Decided not to go to work.
A: Woke up about 12. Stayed in just resting.
E: Went to YC. Had plenty of free games of pool. Took Lee home
6

2nd February 1985
M: Went to Wimborne. Couldn’t get DM’s. Came back. Pissed around Gaunts for a while. Sharon came down so we got on her nerves.
A: Went to gravel pits on the heath. Fucked around there for a while. Came back.
E: Went to Muz’s. Played computer til about 1.30. Left at 2.30
8

3rd February 1985
M: Went to Paul’s. Got train to Dorchester.
A: Atrox practice was pretty boring but their demo sounds quite good. Got in at 7. Had a bath.
E: Don’t feel too good. Bad back, legs, arms, chest and got a cold.
5