Oldest Swingers in Town.

Sloe Gin, day 12

I attended my first Local Area Partnership meeting this week. There were so many old people that attended I need to drum up some support for the next one - anyone under 65 bring the average age down by a lot. I'll be going again to try to re-educate this older generation. It was really interesting, and we had a presentation by the area manager of the Bolton and Bury Census that is being run by the Office of National Statistics next March. In my younger days census night was treated as a bit of a laugh, where a massive  party would be held resulting in scores of names being put on the form of one address, with lots of other apparently empty properties all around. It seems it was evolved since then though, and you can be on your census form even if you don't spend the actual night in question at your address.

Friday night was Fondue Night. A few years ago a work colleague gave me a brand new Le Creuset fondue set. She had received it as a wedding present (and she had celebrated her silver wedding), and indeed it still had wedding paper on it. Her husband decided that as it had never been out of the box it had to go, and the theory was that I'd like it because I like Switzerland???? I brought it home and put it in a cupboard, where it stayed, still unopened, until I had a clear out while decorating the other week. Ms. Aspery kindly took it off my hands and decided it should have an airing. 6 of us were there for the unveiling, although it almost didn't happen when we realised no-one had any matches to light the burner with. We did everything by the Swiss rules; we had black tea with it, had 12 year old schnapps when the fondue has half way down (and several more after), and then put an egg in the pot at the end to finish it off. We listened to Guggemusik while we ate. We were even treated to Black Forest Gateau to round off the 70s night.

Things deteriorated quite quickly. In fact, the emergency wine had been opened even before the first schnapps had been drunk, and the emergency bottle of schnapps was empty before the night was out. I found my way home well after 2am, and the party carried on well after that. The neighbours had to have an apology the next day, and after listening to a recording of the singing, I'm surprised the police weren't called. I'd called for a friend on the way and his mum had warned us we'd better not be rolling in drunk at 2am (especially as we had another night out planned for the day after). Oops.

Marc Almond at The Lowry

I spent Saturday recovering, and then I went to the Lowry Theatre to see Marc Almond. Even this was in jeopardy as I'd tried to swap my ticket for an A-Ha one the night before. Although a loose arrangement to meet the A-Ha and Rocky Horror lot (Manchester was the place to be last night) on Canal Street after, I drove as I couldn't face it. I've never seen Marc Almond before, even though a friend has asked me to go with her a few times. This time, for his 30th Anniversary Tour, I decided I should. I drove down with the friend I'd seen the night before, and we were both glad we'd be sat down and hoped it wouldn't be too loud. It was fantastic. I could have spent all night people watching. I was one one the youngest people there, and there were some proper old swingers. It messed with my mind a bit seeing quite old people dancing away at the front (a mosh pit?). Marc had laryngitis and I'll be amazed if he doesn't have to cancel some of his next dates.  He's 53, which explains some of the older audience. Some people looked like they were in the wrong theatre though! The venue was great, and I was pleased that he played the old ones that I knew - Say Hello Wave Goodbye is my favourite, that I had on vinyl.

Many years ago going to a gig was a normal night out. It was really cheap, with tickets normally being about £3-4. If it was someone really big you may have to fork out a fiver, but that was the exception. There were lots of music venues in Manchester. As well as the Hacienda and the Ritz (and downstairs at what was Jilly's Music Box - was it called Fagins?) we had the International and International 2. Now tickets are so expensive, and you often have to go to the massive venues, rather than the large pubs we'd go to.

The International was on Anson Road/Dickenson Road and it was owned by Gareth Evans, the manager of the Stone Roses. The Stone Roses used it as their base. The hall was above a load of shops, and I went loads of times to see groups such as 10,000 Maniacs, The Pogues, Half Man Half Biscuit, The Soup Dragons and loads more. The likes of Bon Jovi, James and Sinead O'Connor also played there. On one occasion we were back stage and whoever we had seen got our autographs as they had heard of our group of the time (I can't remember who that was - Half Man Half Biscuit?). The International 2 opened up in an old Irish dance hall on Plymouth Grove, that was called Sloshkys or something like that. This was a bigger venue and again very cheap. We were watching the Pogues there once and the barriers at the front gave way. The local branch of the Hell's Angels were called to prop up the front row. At another Pogue's gig there we bumped into Elvis Costello outside as he was collecting his girlfriend who was in the Pogues. Billy Bragg also played a few times at the International 2. The International is now a Turkish supermarket and The International 2 was demolished and apartments have been built on the site.

Me at Platt Fields approx 1985 (before good cameras were invented).

I saw The Clash at Blackburn King Georges Hall, and The Smiths at The Free Trade Hall (now the Radisson Edwardian Hotel). Terry and Gerry, Hank Wangford, The June Brides and The Boothill Foot-tappers were all seen at various pubs and clubs. One of the best ones we went to has to be the Jobs For A Change festival in July 1985 in Battersea Park. This was also an End of GLC Concert, as the bill to abolish Greater London Council had been passed. It is said that Margaret Thatcher's incentive to abolish GLC was to get rid of the enormous poster on County Hall that told parliament of how many unemployed people there were in London. Red Ken Livingstone kept popping up on the stages to give out his message. This was a free concert with Billy Bragg, The Pogues, The Communards and Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark headlining. As it was on until late though had my one and only experience of sleeping rough. It was a glorious summer's day, and I was amazed at how cold it got in the middle of the night trying to get comfy on a park bench. We gave up in the end, only to find the park had been locked up. We had to scale the fence, with the very creepy Battersea Power Station glowing away for light, then walk around until the circle line opened when we could have a snooze on the underground while going round and round in warmth and comfort.

In those days there were lots of free gigs tied in with various marches being held, usually because of the lack of jobs, or campaigns against nuclear bombs. We went to a march through the centre of Manchester once that ended up with a free concert on Platt Fields. Billy Bragg was there and I think the Pogues too. A good march was a great way to pass a weekend, but I never saw any of the trouble that we see on the news now (I suppose the peaceful demonstrations don't make as much news...).

I was lucky enough to go to the ultimate free concert, Party at the Palace at Buckingham Palace in June 2002, for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Although I was 6 months pregnant I was stood on my chair with everyone else to see Brian May play guitar on the roof of Buck Palace. Over 2 million people entered the free ticket raffle and 12,000 were chosen to attend. We were treated to Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Cliff Richard, Annie Lennox, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Ricky Martin, Brian Adams, Atomic Kitten, Will Young, Phil Collins, Ozzie Osbourne......It really was a fabulously indulgent day, with our picnic hampers with Waitrose goodies, bottles of champagne, and beer vouchers for in the beer tents! While I loved it, if anything even remotely similar happens for the Diamond Jubilee, or this wedding we won't stop hearing about, I'll be making representations!