I heard John Dipper play his solo variations on Bacca Pipes, I don't know, about 10 years ago, and when he finished I went [h↓h↓h↓h↓h↓] (you have to imagine a huge intake of air) because I had literally forgotten to breathe for about 2 minutes. He was so good.

John Dipper: Musician, composer, teacher, instrument-maker

City Life

30 years to the day since I first moved to Manchester. (Astonishingly.) Here's the City Life Student Special that I picked up on my first day.

The Bicycle Doctor — still going strong.

A bit of linguistics. Loving the 80s typesetting in this.

Le  Jive Hive , qu'est-ce que c'est?

Decoy Records! Sadly gone. Vinyl Exchange is still there.

Vegetarian restaurants. That's yer lot in 1988. On the Eighth Day is still going. As is the current incarnation of Greens, but much more upmarket now.

Band on the Wall! Open again now.

Agraman, the Human Anagram! And I remember Buzz magazine too.

It was... the '80s. A strange and distant time, but perhaps not so different from today.

On my first night I went to the International 2. I decided pretty soon after that I wasn't into clubs. Let's look at the pub reviews.

Entering the Ducie is like entering the 33rd County.

Wander slightly further up Oxford Road and you'll come to the Salisbury. Wander a little further and you're past it.

Strangest pub in Hulme is definitely the Spinners, where little drinking takes place but a deep sense of inner calm and considerable human understanding prevails.

The Lass O' Gowrie [...] Treat LOG 42 with respect!

Ah man. Happy days. The pub is still there, but they don't brew their own beer any more.