Romance.

I started nursing at  the tender age of 19. Prior to that I worked on the timber section of Mr DIY. I was good with wood. (Leave it). It used to be down by the railway bridge. Don't look for it now pilgrims; it's a housing estate. I was in charge of the timber saw. I was the don of precision melamine worktop cutting. It's all in the angle of the blade. 


(Move it to the edge gently or you'll acquire chippage) 

I digress.

My first shift of my first year found me on an acute psychiatric ward. Terrified but hiding it well. I can remember the first time I saw Pia. She was coming from the dining room carrying a tray of sandwiches. That was it. Game on and indeed game over. This petite, auburn haired young woman didn't know it but would be responsible for some of the best years of my life. She had a friend Amanda who furnished me with with all the information I needed to commence the uber woo-age. Amanda had and apparently still has a huge collection of extremely rare and valuable teddy bears, Steiff etc...

I digress.

Like a taller Ronnie Corbett 'in the chair' session.

A few weeks later I had moved in to a shared house with 2 good friends (Buckweeds and Dickie D). 

We decided to have a party. 

Everyone had to wear a hat. 

We called it the hat party. 

That was the evening of June 18th 1988. 

Pia was invited. She didn't show up so I went off with Paul Bayliss and got very drunk at the local pub. We drank beer and ate salty snacks. Paul was the best dressed man I had ever met. He is also an amazing bass player. He once patiently tried to teach me that Entwhistle riff in the middle of 'My Generation'. We both staggered back on funky legs. Pia was there, sat in a corner with a bad hat on. Mine was better I recall.

I'm not going to go into anymore detail regarding sealings of dealings. I was and indeed still am a gentleman.

I walked her home to room A7 of the Lionel Green nurses home. I skated back. (Kryptonic 'greens' with sealed bearings (natch) ACS  trucks (4") with risers and a ply deck: full grip tape coverage) I wish I still had that set up but alas...

Pia went to Rome for 2 weeks a couple of days later. That was the longest fortnight of my life.

What else to do until she got back? Mixtapes. 2 of them. 

Stuck them to her door the day before she got back. Along with flowers, chocolates and a clumsily written welcome home card.

I found those tapes yesterday. 

Here they are. 

The Church, Wedding Present, David Sylvian, 
Throwing Muses, Undertones, Colourbox, This Mortal Coil, Propaganda, Hot Chocolate, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Waterboys, Buzzcocks, Triffids.....etc..


Let's be honest everyone - with that little barrage of 
quality - Could. Not. Fail.


Over the following years I did her* at least 1 per month, maybe more.

She has kept them all. There are bloody loads of them. 

It was like that scene in 'Birdy' when he gets given back the baseballs they thought they had lost.

Thanks Pia. 

Never ceases to amaze me why she sticks around with a nut like me.

That is all.


* a mix tape that is.