Jan loved having her nails done - she'd let me take pics of her latest offerings
It was a desperately sad day yesterday. My friend Jan had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and knew that her eventual retirement wouldn't the retirement she would have hoped for; enjoying her beautiful garden and spending more time with her friends and family, not least he beloved grandchildren, would be limited. But even a drastically reduced retirement wasn't to be. Despite putting up up a formidable fight against her virulent cancer, Jan tragically slipped away in the early hours. There are no words.
Jan was one of my first visitors after I came home from hospital
Today I want to share with you the first in an irregular series of rock and roll streets - inspired by a recent blog post over at Alan Parkinson's excellent 365 blog project for 2026 'World of Music' - that in some small way have shaped the musical gazetteer.
Ammonia Avenue can be found on the 1984 album of the same name by the Alan Parsons Project. It's also the name of one of the link roads that form part of ICI's massive ammonium nitrate manufacturing plant at Billingham on Teeside. The writer Aldous Huxley visited the plant nearly a hundred years ago and came away with the genesis of his 1931 novel Brave New World. Similarly in the early 80s, Eric Woolfson of the APP visited the chemical complex after being invited by the then-chairman, John Harvey-Jones. On his arrival Woolfson was struck by a street lined with pipes where nobody was working, featuring a sign that read Ammonia Avenue.
For those of you who seek meaning in their long players, the premise of Parsons' album hangs loosely round the themes of industrialisation and the disconnect between scientific development and public understanding. Yep, that's concept albums for you.
Who else is glued to The Lincoln Lawyer? I'm just about to watch the last episode of Season 1 and, I don't mind telling you, am absolutely hooked. Based on the Michael Connelly novels they follow LA based defence lawyer Mickey Haller and the various cases, large and small, that fall into his lap. Stylishly filmed its teaming with establishing shots of Los Angeles - the Hollywood Hills, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Mulholland Drive and a host of other groovy locations besides. The dialogue is snappy, the story lines leave no twist unturned and it's got a classy soundtrack to boot. If you have been making a date with LL let me know what you think - but, please, no plot spoilers!
Regrets, I've had a few. But then again too few to mention (thank you, Frank). And for what it's worth it's a mantra I subscribe to. Things you've done and shouldn't have, things you should have said but didn't. It doesn't matter. Move on. Life doesn't have a rewind button. Never begin a sentence with 'If only' - what follows will be shrouded in melancholia and ultimately a waste of breath.
However, kickstart a sentence with 'What if...?' and it's game on. Loaded with speculation and suggestion - the exploration of possibilities and consequences - it's when ideas come alive. The reason I bring it up is because I'm currently reading Len Deighton's SS-GB. The premise of his 1978 novel is that Germany won the war, Churchill has been executed and the King is imprisoned in the Tower of London. I'm gripped! It's compelling Bank Holiday reading.
A couple of Easter parish notices for you. James asked me last week to join him on a little musical side project - compile a playlist no longer than 40 minutes whereby the first track is track one on its respective album, the second track is track two on its album and so on. He said that some otherwise disparate tracks just sit really well together when they are conjoined in this way. I have to concur. This my effort:
John Medd - Everything Appears to be in Order
And this is James'. If you find yourself kicking your heels this Bank Holiday weekend why not have a go yourself? Other streaming providers are of course available. Indeed you may want to dig out an old blank C90 and do it that way; whatever floats your boat.
James Medd - Everything in its Right Place
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A new blog was launched this year by renowned geographer Alan Parkinson. It goes by the moniker World of Music and it really is most bodacious. Alan's always on the lookout for guest bloggers who would can intertwine music and geography in some way. If you feel you can give him a dig out I'm sure he'd love to hear from you. My piece on Lost Venues was published yesterday. Feel free to have a gleg. You'll find Alan's contact details there too. Happy Easter!
