Day 2721
Tuesday July 21st 2026
Southampton
It’s been awhile since I trekked down south, definitely not since I’ve rebooted the sound, which was timely to say the least because there’s some loud happening outside the mall entrance involving fire, which means I’m in the middle of the road up at the top facing down. And a trip here wouldn’t be the same without a visit from Jeff from New York. He rolls up on his bike. He’s wearing stars and stripes shorts.
‘Hey man, I’ve got to turn the Bee Gees right up now when I hear you!’ Yes he does because I’m even louder than his ghetto blaster. He’s got a big bag of carrots in his bike rack.
‘I’ve just cycled to Hamble to give the horses some carrots but they don’t want any. How you doin’? You been down to Ottoman?’
‘No Jeff, I mean they never phoned me back but you’re welcome…’
‘No? Oh well, how you been, buddy? I’m just waiting for my wife to come out of a place up there where she works.’
‘I’m OK Jeff.’
‘Yeah? How long you been here?’
‘About ten minutes.’
‘OK, when you here next? How often are you here?’
‘Well, hopefully next week, maybe Tuesday, like today.’
After a bit more chat, he’s off, blasting out Michael Jackson’s Bad.
A woman in her sixties comes up and drops in a 50p – ‘See that fifty pee?’
‘Yeah, thanks.’
‘It’s got the queen’s head on one side, got Britannia on the other side.’
‘Yeah.’
‘I was in the casino, put that in the one-arm bandit and one thousand pounds in coins came out.’
‘Sorry?’
She picks the coin up – ‘See that fifty pee?’
‘Yeah.’
Put that in a one-arm bandit and one thousand pounds came out.’
‘Wow, really?’
‘Yeah, but you get a good deal at Nationwide.’
‘Right…OK!’ And she’s off. Oh how I’ve missed this mad place!
It’s another hot day but at least there’s a forgiving breeze…and I’m well chuffed with the volume surge with the new amp setting because it comes into its own, here in the big noisy city. I managed a 2 1/2 hour set – standing for most of the time until my backache forced me to sit one or two out.
The profit after the £4.35 train fare was taken off was £32.06 – just about worth the trip.