macca

in spain the so called 'anti tabaco' law is a total joke. basically, proprietors with premises under 100sq mts were able to choose if they wanted to be smoking or non-smoking, as most thought the latter would be bad for their trade, most of them chose the smoking option. consequently, when you go out on a weekend you still come home like a kipper. I was in edinburgh last weekend & it was a pleasure to get home unkipper like. my scots friends told me the only disadvantage with the smoking ban was that farts were much more detectable now than before. I quite liked the 'don't take my glass I'm having a fag outside' beermats too. I don't smoke, though I have done in the past, so I can understand both sides of the argument. at the end of the day it all boils down to a health issue. contaminate or be contaminated.

bouncers are there to dissuade the more ignorant among us. I would never dream of stepping onto the floor with a bottle/fag, anywhere. decorum is the key word...

you're absolutely right ken. I've seen it time & time again over here. in august 4500 nutters descend on the old town after the bullfights. that's 4500 nutters all divided into gangs called 'pe±as' wearing their own colours. they drink like cossacks & dance & party till daylight. a perfect recipe for stalingrad in the uk. not a whiff of trouble here. I've often wondered why... M

I've clearly been victim of a drugged humour bypass then...

you must have heard a few absurd statements in your life then baz. there's nothing absurd about drinking 'normally'. unlike the UK, I live in a country where there's no pressure on to 'bop till you drop'. people don't drink shite like 'alcopops', the concept in itself is laughable, here we drink 'copas', that's to say reasonably large amounts of vodka, gin, whisky or whatever & nobody feels the urge to break into 'ten german bomber' chanting & worse. sensible drinking is enjoying a drink without making an utter arse of yourself. you give the impression that the teetotal northern soul fan is somehow on a higher plane (sic). it's about attitude, courtesy & general decorum, booze or no booze.

muchas gracias pikey!

muchas gracias chaps, M

a 'dry' all nighter is just an accident of the absurd british licensing laws of old (or not so old 'cos in westminster it's still absurd!)... I was at the 100 club with some spanish friends before christmas & they were appalled when the bar shut at 2am or whatever time it was. it certainly ain't a problem over here, just a question of drinking sensibly in my opinion... M

good job we're a wide church, as the old labourites used to say. I actually think the ray merrell side is monumental crock of shite. there, I feel better now. M

bought one of these off pete smith recently. 60 quid in Ex cond. thanks again pete! a superb record, very atmospheric, heard it described once upon a time as the sound of 76...

lou pride is about the only decent thing on that playlist & by 1978, even that record was old hat. I remember feeling very disillusioned at this point, I kept going for about another 4 years, but spent most of my time in the lounge areas away from the music, sad.

christ, this is a good one, & all that talk about strapping things on, I thought soul-source had got distinctly pervy for a minute. but then again, what could be more pervy than a red eyed, foaming at the mouth collector waiting to sift through a box already in someone else's hands? I think northern/rare soul is what it is to the person that professes to be a fan. I don't particularly care for the historical reenactment side of the scene, but hey, live & let live. it's all about making choices & I just wouldn't attend a venue that catered to that side of things. listening to the tomangoes is perfectly valid, but at the end of the day & personally speaking, I like to broaden my horizons, & I don't mean just in soul terms. I very rarely buy the same wine twice, there's so much out there & it gets better & better, fortunately...

edited for good reason... :-)

hear, hear... hen partridges always go around in pairs. does that mean we have to concern ourselves on here about whether they're a lesbian couple, sisters or simply just friends? it's hardly the place. M

thanks a lot!!

would someone be as kind as to post up this please? The one on Soulclub is a bit 'low-fi'. Cheers, Mac.

yep. they also single out the sun's 'gotcha' headline from the sinking of the belgrano during the falklands war. I bet the guardian had something to say about that too.

I've just read up on the case (I left the UK in 1991) & as you say, a very audacious & courageous piece of journalism indeed. while I wouldn't consider myself a tree hugger, there are still aspects of the paper's editorial style that I feel uncomfortable with, but credit where it's due, of course. M

come on guys. let's keep on topic! there's absolutely no point fretting over whether the exploitative nature of camels falls in line with the editorial slant of the UK's 2nd tabloid. we all know what a compassionate, tolerant rag it is. I'm also relieved to know they have a black gossip columnist. highly commendable.

Are we all being inane then? I thought my comments were relevant. I could be wrong of course? M

No, obviously not, Rachel. I'm saying they're dolts because most of the time they choose to misinform. but who really cares? the readers of the rag in question are still going to draw their own conclusions on the matter. as bob dylan once wrote: 'their heads have been twisted & fed with worthless foam from the mouth'. M

yeah. just thought: good name for a punk-psyche band. the exploited camels... & on that note I bid thee goodnight...

the camel feature could have appeared in any newspaper really. just because it was commissioned by a foaming-at-the-mouth right wing pamphlet, doesn't necessarily lend it kudos. as far as the original post is concerned, I'm all for keeping these dolts informed. they just might be able to work it out one day, by which time, we'll have all moved on to pastures plenty. take that whichever way you will of course.

Good man! Gracias! Macca.

This was on Ebay yesterday & it didn't go. I forgot to bid (!) & didn't make a note of the seller ID. Anybody out there know? M