Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight, Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight with you. Where is Santa? At his sleigh? Tell me why is it always this way. All the children are tucked in their beds. Sugar-plum fairies dancing in their heads. Snowball fighting, it’s so exciting baby. Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight. Merry Christmas, I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight, The Ramones from the 1989 Brain Drain album. Originally released in November 1987 as the B-side of the single “I Wanna Live”. It was later included in the 2004 film Christmas with the Kranks. Somehow, 2025 has already just about passed us by as the clocks have changed, the day light hours are getting shorter and thoughts turn to Christmas. Let’s hope for a more peaceful world next year. On a local level, we’d like to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas.

He took her hand, they took the floor, she was his all time favourite dancer. Smiled lopsidedly, decidedly awkward he asked her, take my hand, take me and, I’ll take my cue, Ain’t you guessed by now I’m sold on
you. The late bus is leaving from the lonely station, so grab your silk stockings and your dance invitation. And that was all for the legend that is Edwyn Collins as he recently visited Leeds on his farewell tour. A well earned retirement for a song writing genius. The South carry on regardless despite another of our gifted songwriters Paul Heaton sailing his ship alone a fair few years ago. However life certainly goes on for the nine piece band and there a chance to win two tickets for their Holmfirth gig. And former radio one DJ Gary Davies hasn’t retired either as he’s doing an 80’s night in the same venue. Another final gig in the offing as Stevie Hulme and his band the Dead Vaynes also bow out in style along with a host of Leeds music royalty at his book launch on 2nd November at the Brudenell.

Beat my head against a pole. Try to knock some sense, Down in my bones. And even though they don’t show, The scars aren’t so old. And when they go, They let you know. You can’t put your arms around a memory, You can’t put your arms around a memory. Former member of the New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders and considered by many to be his signature song from 1978. If East Leeds had it’s very own version of Johnny Thunders, it might well be Stevie Hulme aka Vayne former singer of the Vaynes. Johnnny was Stevie’s hero and he even supported him on tour. And although Johnny is long gone, Stevie might not be able to put his arms around a memory but he’s certainly able to put them in a book. We’ve made quite a big deal of Stevie’s story in this issue. when some of his peers might of thought he’d be lucky to see 30 years old, Stevie’s still here and his story is a fantastic, against the odds trawl through the last 40 years or so.