It all started with Mark Brzezicki coming up to our stand, asking for Tony 'Friend To The Stars' Bacon... then there was Edwyn Collins looking for Jon Lewin, and the pop star spotting started in earnest... most of Marillion including the by-now-wed Steve Rothery... Mike Lindup of Level 42, Geoff Downes from Asia... did anyone notice the plug for another magazine in the BMF catalogue, offering a computerised info service, "entirely free for our reader!"?... Chris Rea, Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash, guitarist Robin George... Robbie Blunt of Robert Plant's band was heard enthusing about TC Electronics new delay/effects unit... Billy Connolly (he used to be a professional folkie, y'know), Rick Parfitt, several members of Heavy Pettin'... the first 50 people through the door on Sunday were wearing Marillion T-shirts... Perry from the Pretty Things... Swimming In Sand, Dave Hill from Slade... a rumour rolled around the stands that Jagger had turned up on one of the trade days, and had been told that the show wasn't open to the public yet... Tony James of Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Bert Weedon, the tall one and the bald one from the Kane Gang... Blue Suede Music lost a Guild Mini Manhattan X-170, serial number HL100027; a reward has been offered... Elton John's drummer Charlie Morgan, our mate Geoff Nicholls, Pete from FM... also in the catalogue was a comment from the Piano Warehouse about their "new 18cm upright which has been causing quite a stir"; surely that should have been Organs?...

...even Mr Brzezicki had his bag searched on the way out, despite his protestations that he was a demonstrator: "Here is a bag with my name on it, here is a tour jacket with my name on, here is a T-shirt with a picture of me on it," he growled through gritted teeth... Deirdre from Rock School, Martin Alcock from Fairport Convention... why didn't anyone catch food poisoning from the dreadful sarnies?... Wizard bassist Colin Hodgkinson, two Roaring Boys... did anyone catch Ronnie Westhead's demonstration of Yamaha's "SEX-90" multi effects unit?... Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins, Bill Bruford... did you see the DIY spinet kit?... Tony Beard from Go West... one of the manufacturers told us that more stuff was pinched on the trade days than the public... our chum Adrian Legg, Rusty from the Real Thing... after the first open day, one attendant on a major keyboard stand decided he'd had enough and consumed a supper of garlic bread and garlic lasagne, and was even heard to demand a slice of garlic cheesecake; he was later seen combing the all-night stores in Earls Court, looking for garlic toothpaste. He had a quiet Saturday... Sting and Eric Clapton (though that was just a rumour), Joe Leeway once of the Thompson Twins, and someone who looked a lot like Jimi Hendrix. He didn't-play like him, but when you've just been dead for 16 years, that's hardly surprising...