In the beginning…..was Spaceward Studios…..1985

 When I was about 15yrs old and doing my ‘O’ levels, I decided that I wanted to work in a recording studio and become a recording engineer. It had become obvious to me that I would never make it as a guitarist or keyboard player as I had very little talent and couldn’t remember how to play any songs. So if I was going to make music….well, someone else would have to make the music for me. So I wrote letters to every studio in the country asking for a job without success.

I began my ‘A’levels, but spent most of that term going on demonstrations in support of the miners strike. And then Spaceward rang and gave me a job as tea boy. I started engineering sessions very quickly as the Chief Engineer, Ted Hayton, went freelance and the owners had moved on to making computer graphic systems. I had a good time learning at Spaceward. some of the happiest times of my life. I engineered for Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin, The Stranglers, The Bible!, The Dave Howard Singers, The Cas Carnaby Five, Stevie Breeze….and I just remembered The Lodge which featured Peter Blegvad and his odder brother…….and produced my first album for the band Jack the  Bear.

And then the owners…..under the new leadership of the despised, hairy necked, arch Thatherite, John Hinchliff ….unceremoniously closed the studio in 1988.