Spike

Following on obliquely from the Kevin White Mystery, and going back  to the seventies [yet again], there are more connections that need to be made. Talking about The Beat [The English Beat if you're in the States], you have to mention Dave Wakeling, the lead singer and guitarist, who now lives in the States and has a YouTube channel. I first knew Wakey [as he was always known to us] as a precocious fourteen-year-old who turned up at a party in Moseley, Birmingham, when I was sixteen, in 1971.

The seventies wore on and Wakey eventually ended up in a small commune in Bearwood, a minutes walk from the Talbot pub which all and sundry, myself and the Lads included, frequented practically constantly. I used to stay over at the house often and walk home to Winson Green down City Road to get back for breakfast, having spent the night jamming and listening to music [J.J Cale and Bob Marley being the artistes du jour at the time], smoking weed and generally getting extremely mellow before keeling over and sleeping where we sat.

Now, I have one extra-special memory of that place, which starts with a group of us - Jane and Spike [the late and much lamented Clive John Spencer, who died tragically young] included, drinking at the Bull & Bladder AKA The Vine pub in Brierley Hill; the Black Country home of the legendary Batham's Bitter. We toped until the last bus back, and then Jane returned home, Spike and myself disembarking at the Kings Head. I suggested we head for Wakey's place to finish the evening before home.

Some good dope later and we were riffing 'Shakespearian' bollocks like a pair of seasoned stand-ups to some poor unfortunate kid who was still too straight to take in the lunacy of it all. Spike's improvisations were astonishing, and I just fed off his lines like a good straight man. By God it was a laugh though, and it's one of my fondest memories of Clive: God rest you, man - and sadly, so many more of our number have joined you over yonder in the intervening years. Catch you later, our kid.