December 24, 2025

 

Between 78 and 88 Chris Rea  had 13 hits on Magnet,

with Fool (If You Think It’s Over), at No.30, the 1st to arrive.

In 79 came Diamonds, making it to No44.

And in 82, Loving You, was at No. 65.

 

In 83, I Can Hear Your Heartbeat, rose to No. 60

and in 84, at No.65 – I Don’t KnowWhat It Is But I Love It.

And in 85, came Stainsby Girls peaking at No.26,

and seen at No.67, Josephine, another hit.

 

In 86, It’s All Gone, reached No. 69,

and also in 86 was, On The Beach, at No.57.

In 87, Let’s Dance, rose to No.12,

with, Loving You Again, at No.47 , 

and Joys Of Christmas , at No.67.

 

In 88, Que Sera, the last hit on Magnet, made No.73.

Also in 88, On The Beach Summer 88, was at No.12 on Wea.

I Can Hear Your Heartbeat, on Wea, peaked at No.74.

Finally in 88, Driving Home For Christmas (EP), rose to No.53.

 

In 89, Working On It, on Wea, also made No.53,

and last on Wea, a Top 10 – The Road To Hell (part 2).

In 90, Tell Me There’s A Heaven, made No.24, on East West

Also in 90, Texas, still on East West, at No.69, was on view.

 

In 91, Auberge, peaked at No.16, on East West,

followed by Heaven, at No.57.

Also in 91, Looking For The Summer, rose to No.49,

and ending 91, came , Winter Song,  at No.27.

 

In 92, Nothing To Fear, reached No.16, 

and, God’s Great Banana Skin, a No.31, was to be.

In 93, still on East West, 

Soft Top Hard Shoulder, peaked at No.53.

 

Still in 93, Julia, rose to No.18.

and in 94, at No.28, was, You Can Go Your Own Way.

and still on East West, Tell Me There’s A Heaven, made No.70,

and in 96 Disco’ La Passione, at No.41,with Shirley Bassey, was on display.

 

In 97, Let’s Dance, on Magnet, for Middlesbrough FC

ftrg Bob Mortimer and Chris Rea, made No.44.

And for many years, on Warner Brothers, from 07 onwards,

Driving Home For Christmas, was, and still is,

one of the best Christmas songs, for sure.

 

 

Thank you for the music  

God Bless you Chris Rea

RIP      1951 – 2025

written by 

Harriet Blackbury

 

 

November 25, 2025

 

In 69, Wonderful World Beautiful People

for Jimmy Cliff, on Trogan, was a UK Top 6.

And in 70, Vietnam, also on Trogan

entered the charts at No.46.

 

Still in 70, Wild World, on Island, rose to No.8,

and in 94, I Can See Clearly Now, on Columbia, made No.23.

God bless Jimmy Cliff, a much renowned singer,

and one of the undisputed kings of reggae, is he. 

 

Jimmy Cliff  1944 – 2025

 

written by

Harriet Blackbury

 

 

September 23, 2025

 

 

Hold tight the moment,

if you’ve a second to spare.

Before that lovely warm feeling

disappears into thin air.

 

Hang on to the memory

of good times well spent,

when days of pure ecstasy

so swiftly came and went.

 

Precious moments of stillness

are very rare indeed.

Often broken by birdsong

or a plane thundering by at speed.

 

So embrace the stillness,

it really is a must.

To rid oneself of anxiety,

is more essential than catching moondust.

 

 

 

 

 

Keep your head and your feet warm,

and put a smile on your face.

Keep your hands and heart warm,

and life will fall into place.

 

 

 

 

We lost an hour’s

sleep last night.

An hour we will

not get back,

 

until the summer

is at an end,

and the nights draw in

at this chicken shack.

 

 

 

 

Conkers by the dozen.

Conkers by the score.

Conkers in abundance

for our autumn store.

 

Conkers brought inside,

and scattered far and wide.

to rid the house of spiders,

a ritual, well and truly tried.

 

 

 

 

 

You give me light.

You give me strength.

You give me hope

to carry on.

 

You give me courage.

You give me warmth.

You give me peace

when sense has gone.

 

You give me time.

You give me solace.

You give me your all

in times of need.

 

You give me memories.

You give me smiles.

You give me love

on which to feed.

 

You give me guidance.

You give me a way.

You give me rest 

at close of play.

 

You give me faith.

You give me reason.

You give me a push

to start each day. 

 

 

June 13, 2025

 

 

 

With 24 of their hits on Capitol,

in 63 The Beach Boys opened their score,

when Surfin’ USA had a 7 week chart run,

reaching as high as No.34.

 

In 64, I Get Around, was a US No.1,

and peaked in the UK at No.7.

Also In 64, When I Grow Up To Be A Man

rose to No.27.

 

In 65, three more hits followed –

the first being Dance Dance Dance, at No.24,

and Help Me Rhonda, a US No.1 and UK No.27,

with California Girls at No.26, keeping us on the dance floor.

 

In 66, arrived four more hits,

when Barbara Ann made the Top 3,

and next, reaching the Top 2 was

another dance hall favourite – Sloop John B.

 

Also in 66, God Only Knows, rose to the Top 2,

with Good Vibrations a US & UK No.1.

And in 67, Then I Kissed Her reached the Top 4,

and Heroes And Villains at No.8 shone.

 

Ending 67, Wild Honey peaked at No.29,

and opening 68, Darlin’ rose to No.11.

followed by Friends at No.25,

and Do It Again found No.1 heaven.

 

Finally in 68, Bluebirds Over The Mountain made No.33,

and in 69, I Can Hear Music, at No.10 did arrive.

Also in 69, Break Away reached No.6,

and in 70, Cottonfields was a Top 5.

 

In 73, California Saga-California, made No.37 on Reprise,

and in 76, Good Vibrations, on Capitol, rose to No.18.

Also in 76, Rock And Roll Music, on Reprise, made No.36.

In 79, Here Comes The Night on Caribou, at No.37  was seen.

 

Also in 79, Lady Lynda, on Caribou made No.6

and Sumahama, also on Caribou, rose to No.45.

And in 81, Beach Boys Medley, on Capitol, made No.47, and

in 87, Wipeout, on Urban, with 5 Fat Boys, at No.2 did arrive.

 

In 88, Kokomo, on Electra, was a US No.1 & UK No.25,

and in 90, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, on Capitol, made a No.58 score.

And in 91, Do It Again, on Capitol, reached No.61,

and in 96, Fun Fun Fun, on Polygram, with Status Quo, made No.24.

 

Brian Wilson, you were a legend,

and a master of your art.

You were also loved by millions, with the ability,

 through music, to reach every heart.

 

Thank you for the music

R.I.P.  1942 – 2025.

 

written by Harriet Blackbury

 

 

 

 

May 27, 2025

 

 

When as a child

I was taken to my very first football game,

it awoke in me a feeling

that to life there now was some aim.

 

I entered a stadium so wondrous,

filling with people as eager as me,

to forget all their daily troubles

and join together in sweet harmony.

 

And on the day I received for my birthday

a season ticket with my name inside,

was one of the happiest days of my life,

I was hooked and so full of pride.

 

We became a close-knit triangle …

my grandad, dad and me,

and on freezing days when we were losing,

we still had hot pies and a flask of tea.

 

We shared great cup runs together

so excited waiting for the next draw,

and the chance of playing away to a top club

made defeat just a little less raw.

 

And when I moved off to uni

another club became my team of choice,

‘Whatever is the boy thinking?’

exclaimed my family, in one voice.

 

Then, when I married and had children

and grandad passed to the other side,

my son took over his seat in the stand,

and that day we won, and were misty-eyed.

 

Football always there to turn to

and through the decades still remains,

at the very heart of family foundations,

each club singing its own refrains.

 

This poem is not just about one player

displayed on our bedroom wall in a frame,

it’s a story of love and unity

brought together by this fabulous game.

 

by Harriet Blackbury

 

and can be read in Issue 93 (page 40)

of Backpass – The Retro Football Magazine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 3, 2025

 

 

and on that note

one must not dwell.

A giant quaver.

A decibel.

 

and on that word

one must not linger.

A time of loss.

A real hurt bringer.

 

and on that thought

one must not sleep.

The mighty fortress.

The castle’s keep.

 

and on that question

one must not reply.

Let the past be done.

Let the time go by.

 

and on that subject

one must not forget.

The good times plenty.

The heavenly duet.

 

and on that milestone

one must not stand still.

Many roads to conquer.

Many walks uphill.

 

and on that sorrow

one must not recall.

A time put to bed.

A new day to install.

 

and on that future

one must not deny.

A brighter time.

A freedom cry.

 

 

 

 

 

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