In his skin-tight trousers and his cherry-red Docs

[venta]

Strolling into Carnaby Street at 7:15 this morning[*], I was surprised to see a crowd. Large numbers of young persons, standing around. It looked slightly like a meet-up for a college trip, but Carnaby St? At 7 in the morning?

The crowd was long, and strung out along the street, smaller groups chatting. Sitting on the road, eating Pret toasties and drinking fancy coffee. Some had sheets of cardboard to sit on, some had picnic blankets.

Further along the road, people had sleeping bags and camping chairs. Aha! This isn't a crowd, this is a queue.

It ended abruptly outside the Dr Martens shop. A quick Google suggests that some Dr Martens outlets are selling boots at the 1960's price of £3. A limited number of pairs, obviously, so if you're reading this: you've missed it.

I've never queued overnight for something. I don't think I've even considered it. Have you?

[*] I was going to yoga before work. Don't tell anyone. It will ruin my pie-eating, beer-swilling image.

Comments

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

I'm intrigued as to which song you're referencing in the title, as it brought to mind "a pair of bright red braces and cherry-red docs" (Skinhead Sooty/Skippy), which I've always assumed was a reference to something else, but I'm not sure what!

[venta.livejournal.com]

One kudo to you for Skinhead Sooty! If that's a reference to something else, I don't know what either :)

He's not a puppet any more

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhh! I suspect the lyric difference is therefore because live performances mutate. (Have you heard the Skippy version?)

[venta.livejournal.com]

I've only heard Sooty to date, will look online.

It may be me mishearing lyrics... Or mis-remembering, since it's probably 15 years since I heard it on someone else's knackered nth-gen tape. After all, Sooty is rather better-adapted to wearing braces than trousers of any sort!

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

NSFW! (You'd already know that but people who have no idea what we are on about won't...)

Edit: actually, it's not actually sweary, unlike the live/CD version, but it is still pretty grim. Your colleagues will not thank you if you play it in the office.

[sammason.livejournal.com]

No I haven't! Some people are daft. Did you watch 'The men who made us spend' http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01zxm9b ? I liked the way Jacques Peretti showed people queuing overnight to buy the latest version of something (a smartphone iirc) and asked people why they so much wanted Version 5 instead of Version 4 that they already had. 'Er... it's got all these features... you can take photos with even more pixels I think...'

[venta.livejournal.com]

I didn't see that, no.

Queuing for something which is in finite supply makes more sense to me than for something which you could just stroll in and purchase later when the rush had died down.

I'm led to believe that some things - like queuing for book-releases - can turn into social occasions in their own right.

[davesmusictank.livejournal.com]

I never have and guess i never will. I do not see the point of it. Anyway, i much rather sniff my nose into charity shops. It is much more fun.

[ar-gemlad.livejournal.com]

It would have been tempting to take 3 of my pound notes and see if they'd accept them!

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

I really want to *Like* this comment. FB is eating my brain a bit. :)

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

Some people are aiming to beat the current 18 day record for iphone queuing. http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/people-are-already-queuing-up-for-the-iphone-6

Disney are claimed to like queuing at their theme parks as it heightens the anticipation.

I'm not sure I'd queue overnight to meet God.

[sammason.livejournal.com]

Open up them Pearly Gates! Whoopee, we're all gonna buy and we've queued all the way to Hell and back. It's taking eternity.

[augeas.livejournal.com]

Feh. It's all about Solovair these days. 'Ersham boys, 'Ersham boys...

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to think of something for which I would queue all night. All I've come up with so far is 'a biplane' and 'a dog who can talk and fly'.

[exspelunca.livejournal.com]

As someone who's been to Whitby for more than 60 years without ever going to the Magpie because I won't queue in the street for fish meals, I can't imagine wanting something badly enough to queue all night in the street for it.