Amsterdam Russ

Correct. There are two species of merganser in the UK: the red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator) and the goosander (Mergus merganser).

A couple of other memories have just surfaced, both relating to the 100 Club. Around 86-87, I've got a crappy full-time, commission-only sales job. I'm 21-22 years old and am earning bugger all. I can hardly afford to feed myself or pay the rent on my grotty south London bedsit and end up taking on two part-time jobs in addition to my day job. One is in McDonald's in Catford (cleaning tables and toilets), doing the late shift from 6pm til midnight three nights a week. The other is a Saturday job at WH Smith's in the Lewisham shopping centre. I'm only just surviving. The 100 Club allnighter is on and the only way I can afford to go is by raiding my small 'piggy bank'. I go to the 100 Club and pay the entrance fee entirely in 1p, 2p and 1/2p coins. While living in the same place around the same period of time, I'm on a late night bus heading the 100 Club allnighter. I've got enough in my pocket for the entrance fee and the bus journey there and back. A few minutes into the journey, and sitting on the upper deck, I'm beaten around the head a few times and mugged by three or four black guys. I'm in shock and sit there in stunned silence all the way from Catford to Trafalgar Square. I'm not alone on the top deck of the bus, but no one bothered to come to my aid, nor ask me afterwards if I was alright. They just watched the incident as silent witnesses. At Trafalgar Square, I approach a bus inspector and tell him I was mugged. He calls the police and I'm carted off to a West End police station to give a statement. A couple of hours later and we're done. I'm told I can go. I don't have any money, of course, and tell this to the police officer who then arranges for me to get a lift in the back of a police van, which - at great speed - chauffeurs me from the West End back to Catford. Happy days? No, not always!

Somewhere in the late 80s... a 3-hour, 130 mile journey in a mate's car from south London to an allnighter on Lowestoft pier. We get there at about 1am, find a spot in the car park close to the venue, and almost immediately there's a tap on the window. A local constable asks what we're doing here at this time of the night. Allnighter? No, he says, it's been cancelled. Of course there's no option but to turn around and drive the 130-odd miles back to sarf London. Also somewhere in the late 80s... one of @Ady Croasdell notorious 100 Club Christmas parties. The night is about to end and I'm dancing to Jimmy Radcliffe's "Long after tonight is all over". I'm hit by an incredible wave of deep tranquility - not for the song specifically, but for the moment - that I've never experienced before and have never felt since. It's almost a religious experience. For a few short seconds I'm utterly at peace with the universe and overwhelmingly feel that if I were to drop dead at that exact moment, I would do so in complete happiness.

Always done what? Perhaps I'm missing something, but prior to Brexit there were no domestic charges/duties on deliveries from the EU. Seemingly only if you have a subscription.

Not about record purchases, but a very relevant story highlighting the perils of buying from the EU if you're in the UK... Story here: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55734277

"BBC News - Your pictures of Scotland: 8-15 January 2021" A fine selection of photos showing primarily snowy/wintery scenes such as the one below. Well worth a look. Source: BBC News / © Andy Dryden Pics here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-55587236

Window view a couple of minutes ago. Not quite a winter wonderland, but the first snow fall (not that you can really see it in the pic) is always something of a pleasant novelty. No doubt that novelty will quickly wear off and we'll be cursing the weather tomorrow!

That seems odd. All the Emidiscs, Pye & Decca advance promo acetates are exactly that - acetates. Not sure why the discs you have - which carry the labels you'd find on acetates - should actually be standard 45s. Is there any sign of the labels being stuck on top of other labels? Looking at the pics it doesn't appear to be the case, but I thought it worth asking.

@Julian B One question - are these actual acetates, ie, a heavier than normal disc comprising a metal plate covered in lacquer, or are they standard 45s made of vinyl/styrene?

Another selection of impressive photos from Scotland courtesy of BBC News - this time of the Aurora Borealis, which was visible last night. Source: BBC News / © SIMMER DIM/BBC WEATHER WATCHERS Photos can be found via the link below. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-55630880

Courtesy of BBC News, a selection of photos sent in by people in Scotland for the week 1st-8th January 2021. There are some real winners, like the stunning one below, so they're well worth checking out. Source: BBC News / © Katalin Lowley Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-55546350

A 7" acetate of a seemingly unreleased 70s soul tune. Bought it blind, have no idea what it sounds like, but thought it worth a punt.

@Soul Shrews might well know...

Thanks to everyone for all the fantastic contributions in what has been an extremely difficult year. This thread is now locked and the 2021 thread can be found here:

Happy New Year to one and all. Let's hope 2021 sees some sort of return to normal as the weeks and months roll on Running annually since 2013, this is the 9th photography thread. Thanks to everyone who has participated and made this such a popular and long-running thread. I'm sure we can look forward to lots of great contributions. Given the restrictions we've been facing for so long now, getting out and about hasn't always been easy or even possible. But, with a bit of good fortune hopefully we'll get opportunities to revisit new and familiar places with greater ease. Certainly I've hardly been beyond my immediate environment during much of last year, so I'm opening this thread with a couple of favourite photos from some years back. Both were taken in Elie on the Fife coast in Scotland. Happy snapping, everyone!

Agreed - so many brilliant photos, from the expert photographers and most of us who just capture things with our phone cameras or whatever basic kit we have to hand. Every photo posted here is a real delight to see. See you - and everyone else - in the New Year!

Listening to a mixed bag of Christmas tunes via iTunes right now and this one popped up...

A positive ID. Nice one - and well done to your dog for flushing the bird out so you might see it!

Enlarging the pic as much as possible while still maintaining some integrity suggests a black beak and yellow legs, and thus a little egret.

Great white egret?

It was Seb who added that information.

Machine stamped. On closer inspection I see what looks to be 'A 1' about 1.5cm after the matrix stamp. That's also machine stamped. Additionally, there's a feint and rather small hand-etched 'R' at 6 o'clock (if you have the matrix stamp at 12 o'clock). The 'A 1' and 'R' appear on both sides.

Legend of Otis Redding: W4KM - 0276 - - 1 Got to have your love: W4KM - 0277 - - 1 A further difference between originals and boots of the white-label demos is that original copies have a bevelled outer edge on the label whereas the boots do not. Also got caught out myself some years back with a Dutch/Belgian boot, but happily the seller was more than accommodating regarding a refund. A quick check on Popsike shows that loads of the boot demos have been sold as originals across the years!

PM sent

Amsterdam's Fingerpoppin Soul is one of the world's longest-running soul radio shows. They do a two-hour show every Thursday at 10pm CET (9pm UK time) Hans Diepstraten @fingerpoppinsoul and Harry van Vliet started broadcasting in 1993 and have been going ever since. Check out their website, and particularly the "Artists we met" page to get a solid idea about their undisputed pedigree. Website here: https://www.fingerpoppinsoul.amsterdam They're been streaming shows since about 2013, and you can listen to them on Mixcloud here: