Park Life - Blur

On the 24 November 1994 I was on my way home from watching 'Pulp Fiction' at the cinema. I stopped at some traffic lights on Kirkstall Road in Leeds when there was a knock at the car window. I wound down the window, was grabbed by the collar, repeatedly punched in the face and from that moment on my outlook on life changed for good.

As the assailants got back into their BMW I began to wonder what I'd done to deserve that? Maybe they were not happy with my driving? Had I cut them up at the last set of lights? If only I'd gone a different way home? Why did I open the car window? How could I have been so stupid? Scenarios were played out in my mind. Questions posed. The scene replayed again and again. Over the course of the next few weeks these thoughts amplified, twisted, mutated until I didn't know up from down and right from wrong. I hated driving, being with strangers, being alone. Any of these situations brought on physical symptoms of nausea, fear and ultimately anger. In short I was suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome.

Of course I now know that I didn't do anything wrong; nothing that any normal person does should illicit that kind of physical abuse. They were in the wrong, not me. I was the victim, not them. But it took me a while to get to that point. Thankfully I had good friends, family and work colleagues to help me through it. One colleague even swapped jobs with me so I wouldn't have to drive. When I did start to drive again, it was a horrible experience. I hated it but I knew that I had to do it. Every journey, no matter how short, was an ordeal. But I had a trick up my sleeve - to play music and sing at the top of my voice. From A to B I sang my heart out. It must've looked strange to other drivers and pedestrians. But I didn't care.

 In just this simple, very human act, I would feel confidence course through my veins, destroying any doubts, insecurities and fear. 'Parklife' was my chosen weapon of choice. Without this album I don't think that I would've conquered my fear of being alone in the car. I'm glad I had 'Parklife'. I'm also glad that I didn't choose Kylie Minogue or Take That. The humiliation of me trying to belt out 'Relight my Fire' whilst stood at traffic lights would've been too much to bear.

I couldn't have picked a better travelling companion. At times confident, loud, tender, eloquent, cool and funny. It is classic indie brit-pop. As well as the better known hit singles, 'Girls & Boys' and 'Parklife' there are some other truly great songs on here. 'Badhead', 'Tracy Jacks' and 'End Of A Century'. Then there is the beautiful 'To The End'. Quite possibly the best sort-of-love-song ever written. Then there's 'This Is A Low' and it's name checking of shipping forecast locations; "On the Tyne, Forth and Cromarty there's a low in the high forties"

But I'll save the last word for 'Bank Holiday'. A wonderful 1m 42s thrash through the culture of the British Bank Holiday;

"Bank Holiday come but six times a year

Days of enjoyment to which everyone cheers

Bank Holiday come with a six pack of beer

Then it's back to work. A.G.A.I.N."

Indeed!