Cally Callomon interrogates his latest car boot find.

There I saw you sulking beneath a table at our local car boot sale. 

Were you hiding from the rain? 

Were you hiding in shame?

I knew you were a guitar case and wondered what treasure lay inside.

I opened you up to find you empty, bereft of guitar.

Were you happy with your faux fabric cardboard finish?

Did it get warped by pints of Double Diamond?

Did you once house a Woolworths ‘Kay’ Stratocaster copy?

Was its action so preposterous it would wear out the strongest of fingers?

Were you once sold second hand in Exchange And Mart?

Did your next owner beam when you first arrived?

Was he scorned by his bandmates when it was played so badly?

Did he gloat when he boarded the bus carrying you to band practice in Kev’s garage?

Did he decorate you like he did his army surplus haversack?

Did he use his Humbrol Enamel Airfix kit paint on you?

Did he see that photo of Guthrie and repeat that slogan about a killing machine?

Ah but I can see you were owned by a true mod, no The Chords or Secret Affair written on you

Is that a gun beside 007?

Or was that for Desmond Dekker & The Aces?

Was Manfred Mann a name too far for you to bear?

Was Dylan and Donovan a mod too?

Were you chucked into the attic after the guitar was sold on to Steve down the road?

Were you dragged out last week after your son cleared the house ready for its sale?

Was it his stall I saw you on?

Are you worth that ten quid I handed over?

May you look proud and dignified hanging so high in my record room.

Sullied but flying again, and this time forever ….

…until my house is cleared and you are auctioned off as (probably) the first guitar case Paul Weller ever owned