This email from our good friend and festival DJ Stephen ‘Spoonful’ Parker is definitely one for sharing.

Hello Jeff,

Dylan Thomas has been a bit of a theme this week. What with your lovely 45 ringing out it prompted me to listen his reading of A Child’s Christmas. Also I heard the news that Stan Tracey died. The Guardian obituary (by Richard Williams) included a YouTube clip to Starless and Bible Black. I don’t think music can get more beautiful than this can it ?

There should always be at least 20 minutes at Christmas to sit down and listen to this, preferably as close to the day as possible. I salvaged it from Hackney Library when it closed down to make way for the ill-fated Ocean. A bit of a result as I also took home a couple of British Jazz records, 25p each !

I can just remember big old uncles who would turn up around this time towering over me in dark suits smelling of fags and getting half a crown and a pat on the head.

Hope all’s well.

Stephen