Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 13:55:27 -0500 
      From: Andrew Massey (andie@AMASS.DEMON.CO.UK) 
      Subject: v23 and London shops


>In particular I hear there are a couple of Beggars Banquet / 4AD shops.

I've just come back from London and whilst down I did see a (the?) Beggars
Banquet shop. I've never heard of/seen it before, but I was hurtling by in
a car and so couldn't stop. I'm sorry I don't know the exact address, but
I'm almost definate that it was just before the Putney Bridge (Putney side
- ie. south), which would make it on Putney High Street (looking at an A-Z
for you), and make Putney Bridge Tube (District Line) the closest station -
you'd have to walk accross the bridge. Sorry to be vague.

I agree that the Rough Trade shop in Neal's Yard is pretty good, and would
insist that you go to the cheese shop just 10 yards round the corner - it
has to be the best cheese shop in Britain - the smell will mean you can't
miss it - totally rank.

That shop on Hanway Street which someone else mentioned, I think it's
called Vinyl Experience is pretty good - I got my Lollita from there. Wait
a minute, there's four shops on that small street aren't there? I think
whoever mentioned Hanway Street was on about the small dingy shop a couple
along from VE - that's a good bet too, though I do hate the way they don't
allow you to get a proper look at the sleeves. Oh and the guy in there
pissed me off by slagging "whoever the smart-ass designer was who
needlessly killed so many trees to produce it" - he was talking about the
vinyl limited edition of Lonely is an Eyesore, God knows what he'd have
made of the box set... BTW, that was listed under the Birtday Party because
they'd seen their name on the sleeve. Duhhhhh.

The other two shops on Hanway street aren't brilliant, but are worth a
butchers. Hanway Street links both Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street,
and is very missable.

There's also a Rough Trade shop just off Portabello Road - near if not on
Westbourne Street - find the underground public toilets on Portabello Road
and it's ten yards away. Last time I was there they still had a Cocteau
Twins box set for sale.

If you're interested, 100 yards away on Kensington Park Road is the Special
Photographers' Company. They used to represent Simon Larbalestier but don't
now, though they still have some of his prints for sale. Don't ask the
bloke who sits upstairs to see them - he's a bastard and will only be
interested in you if you look like you've got a few grand in your back
pocket. Ask one of the girls down stairs (though one is clueless). You used
to be able to buy original prints which were used on some of the Pixies
sleeves there, but be warned, they are not cheap.

I can't think of any others at the moment (Select-a-Disk is good). I
definately haven't heard of a 4AD shop.

On to the v23 stuff:

I'm pretty sure that v23 aren't going to do any other exhibitions in
America or Canada in the near future. Vaughan says he doesn't travel well
because of his gout (he was joking). I will definately be at the Newcastle
show - I didn't realise that it was so soon. The poster is going to have an
elephant and another designer friend of V and Chris's on it. They thought
that it would be funny to have another designer on their poster. They liked
the picture - I don't think the elephant is symbolic or anything. I thought
the picture was shite, but I'm sure if anyone can do anything with it, that
man will be Vaughan. I didn't know where the exhibition was going to be.
Someone said the University Gallery - would that be Northumbria or
Newcastle University? I would assume the former since that's the
reincarnation of where Vaughan, Nigel, Simon, Paul (?) and others who have
connections to v23 went. But the Newcastle University Gallery would be a
more traditional place, and would usually be called "University Gallery"
first, I would have thought. Any more info anyone?

Can't think of anything else to say...

Andie