Ah yes, I thought I recognised it! I've stayed in a little apartment just down from there a couple of times this decade, and passed that little alley every morning on the way to the paninoteca.

Actually, as a reasonably spoiled child of music-loving parents, I already had my own record player! (Dansette, I think) But no, not on my father's hifi setup: that was reserved for classical.

I was 12, and I *did* get it for Christmas 🥳

Ooh yes - thanks for the prompt to go and have a look. Here it is, just now, from a different part of Tower Hamlets.

Yes! And before that, “folks, Put down the queens, tell anti-queer jokes, Gay Lib's ridiculous …”

Glorious book!

And, from what I gather, Presto passes on a significantly higher percentage of its streaming revenue to the record companies (though how much of that ever reaches the musicians is another whole question…)

A lovely little exhibition - I saw it a few weeks ago. The album is also available at streaming.prestomusic.com , complete with downloadable booklet notes (explaining why they've chosen the 7 “Lambeth Anonymous” pieces, previously unrecorded).

Coincidentally, I heard ‘Perhaps’ yesterday on Choral Chihuahua - very lovely. (And I remember playing with Tom H when he was an enthusiastic sackbut student, at a costume gig in Hampton Court Palace, around 30 years ago…)

Glorious blue sky. A familiar view from our last September's trip, with the calle leading to our apartment just down the side of Osteria al Squero.

I’d forgotten about that one! We’re staying in Santa Marta next year, so I’ll make a note in the diary.

There's that famous Mahler quotation: “the symphony must be like the whole world: it must embrace everything” - so your reaction is very apt. BTW, as well as being one of the most recent Mahler 1s, that Järvi recording is one of the very best, I think.

For some reason, we never tried this place when we were staying in Corte Mazor a few years ago. But we've booked a little apartment in Fondamenta Rielo, just round the corner, for our musical trip next September, so will definitely try it (and the aperitivo deal at Caravansera!)

And another appearance from Beppe’s in the final (superb) episode 😎

I was sitting next to Gavin (horn) at a mutual friend’s concert yesterday afternoon; he was still buzzing from Saturday. Music that in our youth (he and I are older than you!) we tended to dismiss - but when addressed with care and affection, you realise is v beautiful…

Oh yes, marvellous series! Introduced by the excellent Cormac Rigby.

Lovely! We're currently staying with the family in Colorado, so there’s No Escape… 👻