Getting Shirty (recent purchases)

Decided I needed some serious shirt investment a couple months ago so went hell for leather in sourcing them. Here's what I got..

First up a classic navy blue/white Gingham check Ralph Lauren. Oozes quality and I don't think anyone does this kind of shirt as well as Mr. RL. Following that another Polo by RL design called 'Bleeding Madras' - I think it's bleeding gorgeous. Got a slight worn look to it, which is something that's never really appealed before, and think the wooden hand painted top button is a real touch of class. A mix of colours, reds, greens and blues, meaning it'll be champion peeping through with a whole host of knitwear come the autumn. Both picked up from TK Maxx for £35ish - they're outdoing themselves with the RL casualwear at the moment.

Next up is a crisp looking Faconnable, not disimilar to a Barbour Tattersall I own if it wasn't for the wavy checks. In three tone green on a bright white shirt. Great shirt from this brilliant French label. eBay for £12 BNWT

Next up are two from the Markies outlet. A pastel coloured short sleeve Oxford shirt for less than a tenner. Fell in love with this shirt when I saw it last summer, but never got round to buying it. Lush one for summer and bigger fitting than other Blue Harbour shirts, but seeing as it'll only be worn in stifling July heat (if we're lucky) then that bagginess can only be a good thing. Also a supersoft brushed cotton number in autumn browns that will be going into storage until the colder months, but might as well prepare for it because it'll roll around in no time.

So all in all five excellent shirt purchases in my opinion, well worthy of wardrobe space. And all from my favourite brands (with the exception of Barbour) for shirtings.

Charlton and the Chocolate Factory

Some snaps of Poolies dressed as Oompa Loompas for the final game of the season at Charlton Athletic...

Grand Theft Auto: Manchester

Details about a forthcoming GTA are sketchy to say the least, and I for one have been eager for a new version since revisiting Rockstars world with Liberty City Stories. Surely It's time for a change - So how about Manchester?

Plenty of gun, drug and gang crime there so you can set the scene quite easily - the usual street urchin rising to the top on his patch before moving on to conquer the city. Or how about a Rave club owners right hand man sorting out drug problems and the like (The Ballad of Tony Wilson anyone?). Or could be an up and coming hoolie, going on away days with takes on United's Red Army or City's Guv'nors.

It's not as if it would be difficult to do - the games producers Rockstar are based in the UK and PS2 game The Getaway proved you can recreate British cities to perfect miniature scale (London was done really well for an inferior console - think what the xbox360 would do?). Plus Madchester has already been touched upon in GTA: San Andreas with the character Maccer (pictured below - voiced by Shaun Ryder) and his band 'The Gurning Chimps' visiting the U.S. If a GTA Manchester was to made, then base it in the late 80s / early 90s and he'd be a welcome addition to an rave / acid house missions. Plus think of the boss soundtrack the game would have.

So there's my opinion, fancy something different. Just hoping they're not following the PS1 and then PS2 route - Liberty City followed by Vice City and then San Andreas. Boring. Manchester is in the area.

Goodbye Charlie Bright (and with it all integrity)

Goodbye Charlie Bright. A top notch heartwarming British cult film by Nick Love. Focusing on the volatile relationship between Charlie (Paul Nicholls) and Justin (Roland Manookian), this 2001 film is bright and brash as the early years under New Labour seemed to be - Happy-go-lucky, heartwarming and tender despite being set in a South London sink estate. It's one of my favourite films ever. Love everything about it - the British talent, the clobber (all Lacoste polos, RL and Hackett) and the storyline. However it's integrity has been hijacked. And I'll explain why...

This is the first dvd cover - showing the lads laughing on together against the bright background. Really is a nice true image of the contents of what you're buying...

However even though the film had decent reviews it remained a cult, almost underground, flick. So in 2005, on the back of Nick Love's second, and more commercially successful Football Factory, the DVD was repackaged to more of a FF style red case and text. You can't really blame Love or the publishers, and to be honest it was possibly a good thing, as it re-introduced the film into the mainstream.

BUT I will not allow this. Yet another repackaging and an appalling one. Choosing to focus on who and what is essentially a secondary character, merely an extra - none other than secondary-school top boys favourite Danny Dyer.

He's only in Charlie Bright for approximately 10 minutes (if that) and this is a shameless display of trying to cash in on his commerciallity - even though the guy is a sell out, two dimensional and a fucking waste of space. The photo isn't even from the film and quite similar, if not the same as, a repackaging of another film he was a part timer in - Borstal Boy. What's next? Mean Machine? The Business? A real, real disappointment to me. But I'll laugh when all the Dyer wannabe's are heartbroken when they actually buy the film from the bargain section from HMV and discover he isn't fucking in it. Hah.

Iconic Album Covers Part Two.

Decided to do these in alphabetical order as to not cause upset. Number two on my list is Blur's Parklife. Released in April 1994 it heralded the start of Brit pop along with Manchurian rivals Oasis, and it charted at number one. Contains a whole host of classic Blur singles (Girls and Boys, Parklife etc) along with quality album tracks like Tracy Jacks and London Loves. Echos of fellow North London band Madness about this LP making it a winner in my book. The two greyhounds at Walthamstow dogs is the only good album cover Albarn's boys had - some people rave about Think Tank but the content doesn't match the cover. It's shit.

Alternative Terrace Icons

Paul Heaton
Worth a mention as always used to dress to impress from the plain lambswool crew necks of the Housemartins to the new Stone Island jacket for every Beautiful South tour. Well liked by lads for his clued up clobber, and was on it long before the celeb masses. Only in as an 'alternative' as you wouldn't think it from listening to the Beautiful South - some good tunes yes, but the mellow country style pop is hardly the Mondays, the Roses or Oasis is it? Hardly the songwriting of a potential Blades Business Crew. Worth mentioning that he sold all his Stoney on eBay a few years ago to raise funds for his daughter's school. Pleased to say they went for big bucks - even the knackered stained peely Raso I got outbid on went for nearly a tonne.

2D aka Stu Pot
Lead singer of Gorillaz is a trend setter amongst fellow toons. Seen in this publicity shot sporting a vintage Fila tracky, possibly paying homage to Blur's Damon Albarn - who he coincidentally sounds quite similar to. Strange.

Billy Connolly
Worth a mention as the Big Yin was fond of wearing khaki watch viewer Mille Miglia, whilst racing round the outback on his chopper during his early 1990s documentary/tour 'World tour of Australia'. Smart piece of kit a far cry from his usual zany pyjama style suits.

Griff Rhys Jones
Like Heaton is well known by lads for his fondness for clobber, particularly CP Company MMs. Seen recently on his World Cities programme sporting a very fetching red watchviewer. Has also been interviewed in the past about his casual iconness and also rumours on some blogs that he ran with Cardiff's Soul Crew when he was younger.

Julian (Postman Pat's Son)
One I've only noticed since being a dad, and rediscovering Postman Pat (truth be told it never went away). Despite looking and sounding like a girl (plus having a chicks name), plus being 'blessed' with strawberry blonde curly locks, Julian is a well dressed individual amongst the Greendale Youth. Seen wearing a green Peter Storm and Adidas Malmo, he's certainly got the one upmanship over the kids. However is a bit of a glory supporter, choosing to follow the mighty Pancaster United (allegedly).

Iconic Album covers Part One.

Decided to have a root through my CD collection and pull out five of what I consider to be the best album covers in the World... Ever.

Black Grape - Great when you're straight...yeah.
Featuring a yellow faced newly captured Carlos the Jackel, and the above statement on his RayBans (paying homage to Shaun Ryder's new clean drug free image) this album is as striking in look as it is in sound. Musically the best thing Ryder has created, claiming it should have been what the defunct Happy Mondays ill fated 'Yes Please' should have been like. Of course the crack cocaine binge in Barbados couldn't have helped the Mondays cause. Featuring a dig at the Catholic church turning a blind eye to Nazi attrocities (Rev. Black Grape), a drug fuelled house party (Tramazi Parti) and Ryder's disappointment of meeting his idols (Kelly's Heroes). Best track - Tramazi Parti.