I had a lovely birthday, thank you for asking. I spent it over at the Number One Son's new gaff in Stockport. He and Natalie were the perfect hosts and ensured that Medd Snr. didn't have to lift a finger all day. (Though I was in charge of the decks while James was cooking up a storm in the galley, so dropping the needle onto the grooves was as strenuous as it got.)
I opened a few prezzies in the afternoon and amongst all the shiny new things I unwrapped I was delighted to find a both a tee shirt and mug paying homage to one of my favourite buildings: Forton Services on the M6 is legendary - I would love to have seen it in its heyday but alas my Time Machine is still in dock. The photograph above, my tenth to mark 2025, is one I took earlier this year at the aforementioned motorway services on our way to Scotland. And the photos of my gifts are below.
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Rewind to the early 60s and The Ted Heath Big Band were welcoming in the dawn of the UK's emerging motorway network; much of KPM's library music was scored specifically to showcase and highlight the new, the fast, the modern. Raph Dollimore wrote this with all of the above in mind.
Ralph Dollimore - Motorway Special (1960)
Ooh!
ReplyDeleteBelated birthday wishes to you! That photo, mug and tee are great - and I love the tune!
ReplyDeleteAnd Happy New Year to you and Jenny!
DeleteBelated birthday wishes & Happy New Year, John.
ReplyDeleteHappy new year John! I too love Forton.
ReplyDeleteI won’t say belated as I’m assuming that a man of your taste and distinction has a 10-day birthday celebration. If not, why not? Either way, hope it’s been one to remember for all the right reasons and that 2026 similarly follows suit. Happy New Year, John!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed your birthday John and what a clutch of great presents. I have never passed that service station but how space age it must have looked when it opened.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year and all the best for 2026.