Northern Soul Fills The Hole

NO!  Not The Musical Trope
 - which Conrad knows nothing about and cares still less for.
     I refer, of course, to the Grilled Cheese provender in the Church Street Market in Manchester.  Art?

The street view

     I have to say, their sandwiches really do fill the hole - that being a metaphor for your stomach, thank you - as they are both i) Big and ii) Filling.  Plus the staff are super-friendly, so much so that I actually tipped them today*.  A visit here is on Conrad's itinerary for a Saturday excursion to The Modern Babylon.  Don't sneer at a grilled cheese sandwich, they are a lot harder to manage well than you imagine.
     And no, I'm not getting paid a penny for this.  All done from the goodness of my central fluid-pumping nuclear-battery powered circulation unit.

THE HAUL

As regular readers will know, the Saturday after payday tends to see your humble scribe venture into The Modern Ur, there to buy up books and CDs, and possibly whatever is going cheap at the Co-Op.
     Today was no different!

The Books
This is a combination of those that arrived today and which Conrad went out and bought.
 

Clockwise from top left: "A Field Artillery Group In Battle", "Inside Out", The Game of the Foxes" and "Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable"

     Well now.  AFAGIB I ordered on Thursday, and it arrived today on Saturday, so I am impressed with Abebooks on this one.  I shall not torture you with the contents, except to say that they are rather like "29th Divisional Artillery War Record" except in more detail, and that it is a strange experience to be reading the language and grammar of 90 years ago.  Hopefully they translate any Latin or Greek quotes.
     "Inside Out" I began reading on the bus home.  Conrad has long liked Pink Floyd, and this is an autobiography of the group by their drummer, Nick Mason.  It's very amusing and Nick does not hesitate to do himself down in the process.
     "The Game of the Foxes" is nothing to do with Grimm fairytales, instead being about the duel between the British and German intelligence services in the Second Unpleasantness, and at only £4 it was a bargain.  No idea if it's any good or not, a bargain is a bargain!
     Lastly, the book that destroyed my Co-Op bag: Brewer's Dictionary.  I have heard of this volume many times yet never actually seen it.  The dust-jacket claims it contains a million words**, which has credibility thanks to the sheer size and mass of the book.

The CDs
I think this is why Gavin, my old manager, used to claim meant I had eclectic taste.

Clockwise from top left: "Alternate Light Source" by Leftfield; "Through Low Light and Trees" by Smoke Fairies; "Heaven and Hell" by Vangelis; "Born Under Saturn" by Django Django; "Scott Walker" by - surprise! - Scott Walker; "The North Borders" by Bonobo.

     Leftfield, Smoke Fairies, Vangelis and Bonobo I have reasonable expectations for, as I've already got some of their stuff.  Scott Walker is a bit of a gamble, as I've heard folk claiming him to be only slightly less wonderful than the Pope, James Dean and Biggles, all rolled into one.  We shall see.  Also, Django Django are another Fopp Staff Triumph; as usual they were playing something good over the PA and it turned out to be these.  The Scottish staff member on the till explained that he and another staff member had been off to see Lord Huron in Leeds the previous week, a subject brought up because I'd mentioned the group.
     As I said to him:  Fopp! excellent for educating you musically, but hell on your wallet.

M3 Or Ew?
I found this photo on my phone and then had to come up with a reason for it:

     If I were to say to you "M3", what would your response be?

The tank?

The motorway?

     Or what it ought to have been all along -

NO! It's not Arizona!

Manned Mission to Mars.  M3.  See?

Oh!  Hello Coincidence.  Yes That's My Slide rule
As I exited Fopp!, my intent was to head to Northern Soul and stuff myself with a grilled cheese sandwich.
     What did I espy in the racks of videos as I exited, stage rear?

     Uncanny, I tell you, positively uncan - DON'T OPEN THE DOOR WITHOUT KNOCKING!!!


* I think it was a tip.  The bottle is entitled "Unicorn Fund".
** NO, Conrad!  You must not try and count them! - said Mister Hand