Apart from close family bereavements the announcement today of the closure of J.G. Windows Ltd, Newcastle's premier music store for 116 years, this is probably The saddest day of my life.
I worked in their Central Arcade store for over 30 years and made many friends from both sides of the counter. Working in J.G. Windows was more than just work it was also pleasure and I treasure the memories of the good times and the bad times although in all honesty I can think of few, if any, in the latter category.
Many great local musicians both past and present passed through the ranks of the various departments and, as one former employee once told me, having J.G. Windows Ltd on your c.v. doesn't do you any harm at all when applying for a job anywhere in the UK. A very black Friday indeed...
A part of me has just died. Lance
MORE.
5 comments :
What a sad day for Newcastle - and particularly for you Lance. And as ever your writings says exactly what needed to be said. Sympathies Sebastian
So very sad. Whenever I visited my old pal Dave in Newcastle I always paid a visit. I recall buying John Abercrombie and Steve Gadd albums there in recent years.
Your writing brings the Northern jazz scene into peoples’ homes acnd hearts, the very least we can do is to send our warmest thoughts to ease this sad passing.
Can't let news of this sad passing go without remembering the records I bought in the slightly forbidding jazz basement down those steps fifty or so years ago : Charles Mingus, Let My Children Hear Music with killer opening track Shoes of the Jive-Ass Fisherman's Wife ; the first Return to Forever album on the new ECM label , and puzzling for hours over what volume of the Verve Charlie Parker to spend my perhaps old money on ....the staff, pre-Lance then I imagine and hard-bitten musos all I reckoned , were helpful and approachable and you might see them at the Newcastle Big Band Sunday lunchtime gigs at the then new University Theatre. Oh what joy it was .....
I worked there from the mid-sixties until I took early retirement in 2000. I was also one of the 'hard-bitten musos' who played at the University Theatre with the Newcastle Big Band. I was also involved with the jazz record side of things down in the basement so maybe I served you with the Mingus album. Reveal yourself!
Post a Comment