Hat Weather

It's the first of September. Officially Autumn. Hat season. So let's celebrate with some high profile hattage...

Gascoigne (The Film)

Twenty-five years ago today World Cup Italia 90 kicked off, giving England's most gifted, yet flawed, midfield genius stroke madman a platform to perform (in more ways than one). After some iconic displays of dazzling skills, self destructive tackles and child like tears, a quarter of a century later Gascoigne the film is in cinemas for one night only. The legend's story - in his own words. It's going to be emotional.

Pegg and Frost

By evilcorp.tv 

 

Warp Films x Pete McKee

This time last year Warp Films turned ten years old. As part of the anniversary celebrations they commissioned Pete McKee to redesign their back catalogue film posters in his own unique style. With great results too it should be noted.

Magic & Sparkle

"Last year I got a sweater with a big bird knitted on it. You can beat up for wearing something like that. Yeah, I got a friend who got nailed because there was a rumour he wore dinosaur pyjamas".

- Kevin McAllister, Home Alone.

Thrifty Shopper

I love a bargain. Here's a few purchases I've amassed in past few months via cheap but not always tasteful means...

GANT - Brand new, in my size and all for the low low price of £3.50 from the local hospice charity shop. Quality find that proves visiting your local thrift shop, despite leaving hundreds of times empty handed, eventually leaves you quids in...

CC Sweat - Had this since the summer actually, but now we've got to autumn it'll get a bit of wear. Full Metal Jacket inspired Viet conflict sweatshirt that says 'Yeah I support the boys overseas, but I'll do it whilst lounging round at home in a quality sweat. Deal with it". £12 from fleabay.

Decent Denim - Lost a fair bit of weight (two stone to be precise) so needed some new jeans as my arse was slipping off in the old ones. A lot of spoken about Japanese selvedge and the like, but I've headed West for the heritage brands of the US in Levi and Lee. By west I mean I went to the local TKM.

Woolrich - You can't beat a bit of Wooly. Got this vintage shirt from bay of despair for a few bob. Not sure what the design pattern is, but provides a bit of welcome relief from all checks in the wardrobe - Smart chambray with fossils. An added bonus is that it's a large. Get in there you formerly fat bastard.

Minster Moors - Love a shoe that looks like a burnt asymmetrical cornish pasty. So just as well I snapped these prime Minsters from the Connoisseur forum for a price of similar worth to fifteen of the Cornwall delicacies...

Faconnable - My favourite shirt brand of all time, but now available as a cap. Wow. Admittedly I'm not a cap wearer (my basey and Air Max days are about a fifth of a century behind me) but this was going for free on above said CC forum. Will name and shame the kind member - Hax. A true Gent who gave me holiday headwear for the price of a fart (only nice)...

Loaded - I only bought it for the articles. No really. Back in 1995 there were no semi nipped lasses in Loaded. Anyway a Great and Straight (Yeah) Shaun Ryder discusses newly formed Black Grape, plus a decent interview with the yet to be disgraced Ron Atkinson and an article on Casuals shopping. From Bay for a bob or two, expect a blog involving this in the not too distance future...

Coal not Dole - Pin badge for a quid. Just doing my bit, a show of support for the NUM. The union will never cave in...

Serpico - Gone full circle and back to the same charity shop where I got this cult classic, that I've shamefully never owned, for 50p. Widescreen edition too so I can appreciate the great mans beard and choice in hats in all there glory...

Oneupmanship Journal

The blog that inspired my own, and probably hundreds more pretenders, the Oneupmanship Journal was the Connoisseurs link between (the now defunct) Countylads.com and Casualco.com. However it is now lost in the mists of time, as blogger and chief Dan lost his password. It's been out of ops for over a year now, but it's still the original and best out there so it rightly deserves a bit of blog loving. For me it was the perfect blend of everything I enjoy - jackets, shoes, pickups, brands I like, films, and arty farty shit - and not much football.

True Oneupmanship in action... but no more.

 

Trinity Square Car Park

Cult car park from Get Carter, the demolition of Trinity Square car park commensed four years ago this month...

Bob Hoskins RIP

Another acting great leaves us. Will be missed 24/7.

RIP Ramis

Sad to hear the news of comedy writing/acting legend Harold Ramis passing away today at the age of 69. The mastermind behind Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Stripes and Caddyshack to name but a few will be sorely missed. May he rest in the Containment Unit.

Happy Birthday Dear Jesus

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night...

Orient For A Fiver

It's strange but I look back fondly on Hartlepool's meagre existence during the mid 90s - financial turmoil, boadroom squabbles, management changes, substandard non contract / non league loan players and dwindling crowds. It seemed real. That was real football to me. It was real enough at many other football clubs too, non more so than (old) 2nd division Leyton Orient in 1994.

The debt ridden club was put up for sale, with the chairman jokingly stating that he'd expect a fiver for them. It was a press wet dream and a channel 4 camera crew were dispatched to Brisbane Road to film a fly on the wall documentary. Centred around the O's joint management team of John Sitton and future Pools boss Chris Turner, it was the sweary Sitton that stole the scenes (but not hearts) and became a cult hero.

Having played for Chelsea and Millwall during the 80s he had a reputation as an uncompromising hard man. This was something, and indeed the only thing, he put into his management technique, as tactics and guise were overlooked for fucking sweary fucking angry fucking teamfuckingtalks.

After a few halftime hairdryer tirades (that would make Alex Ferguson cry) come and go to no avail, his club are bottom of the league with injuries and suspension ruining his squad and his future in the balance, his key moment came at half time one nil down to Blackpool. And unusually calm Sitton starts off his team talk by giving fans favourite Terry Howard a fortnights notice. He sacks his best player. 45 minutes in.

And either fearing a backlash from the rest of the squad or a blind determination to show he's numero uno he utters the following line -
''You, you little cunt, when I tell you to do something, do it, and you, you big cunt, when I tell you to do something, you fucking well do it.
And if you come back at me, we'll have a right fucking sort out in here. And you can fucking pair up if you like. You can even get someone to fucking help if you like. And you can bring your fucking dinner. Cos by the time I'm through with you you'll fucking need it''.

His words don't have the desired effect and with new owners wishing to make 'wholesale' changes Sitton and Turner (and Howard bless him) duly lose their jobs. Sitton was banned from visiting Brisbane Road and Orient's training ground, and had over 60 Football League jobs applications rejected and briefly managed non league Leyton FC. He claimed he was 'deeply embarrassed' by the way he was portrayed in the documentary and said he missed the game 'that had turned its back on him'. He went on to drive a black cab.

Christopher Eccleston's Battlecry

John Cooper Clarke's profanity strewn finest. Personally I don't remember this episode of Doctor Who...

Thats Entertainment

808 State. Black Grape. Blur. Ian Brown. The Charlatans. The Coral. The Enemy. The Farm. The Futureheads. Gorillaz. Happy Mondays. Housemartins. Inspiral Carpets. James. Kasabian. The La's. Madness. Manic Street Preachers. New Order. Oasis. The Seahorses. Shed Seven. Suede. Supergrass. What's this? Thats Entetainment.

That is just some of a few artists whose work I've picked up from the store that is That's Entertainment. Dealing in used CDS/DVDs and selling from 99p up, most £1.99 (or 3 for a fiver), it's enabled me to expand my CD collection dirt cheaply. Some from the list, like Kasabian, were important albums that I hadn't bought as I couldn't warrant spending a tenner on a CD brand new. So £1.99 each used? Bang on. Other artists like Blur, Mondays and Oasis I grew up with and already had several albums, but has enabled me to get 'lesser albums' (Oasis Be Here Now and Standing On...) or rarer ones (Mondays Rave On EP) rather than just the best sellers or greatest hits.

They seem to be situated in the North (Metro Centre, Newcastle, North Shields and York were about 60% of the companies stores last year) but with the likes of HMV struggling and the recession biting it wouldn't surprise me if they expand. Saying that I was gutted to visit the Metro the other day and find it closed. Was genuinely upset. I told the wife who kindly informed me that they've now branched out to on tinterweb. So had a look. Thousands of bargains there and free P&P. So Gorillaz Plastic Beach and Wonderstuff's Greatest are wending their merry way to me for £3.98.

Lock, Stock and Four Hungover Northerners

Couple of tourist snaps from an away weekend in the smoke with a few Sunderland lads in 2008. We saw out a nil-nil draw with Fulham and crashed at a youth hostel-come-nightclub in London Bridge. Early Sunday morning it was round the corner to Borough market to take a few pics at the Lock, Stock & Two smoking barrels location.