THE LONDON APPRENTICE - historical footnote

Though I first visited The L.A. back in 1985, when I nervously cradled a couple of pints of scrumpy for a few hours while my then boyfriend popped downstairs to say hello to a friend (I was, by the way, genuinely that naive), it wasn't until the turn of the 90s that I became a regular at the venue. Early in 92, whilst 'between jobs' - not that uncommon an experience - I took my mate Gary from Manchester to the L.A. for his first visit, and while supping our ales he pointed out that I'd be perfect behind the bar... a few days later I started working behind that same bar, and stayed at the venue till they carried me out feet first three years later!

I can honestly say that my time as a barman at the L.A. was one of the best (of the many) jobs I've ever held down, and the friends that I made then, aside from the dead ones, have stayed with me till this day... If you don't believe me, click here to read what I said in 1992! As happy as I was as a barman, eventually my self-destruct mechanism, which forces me to keep taking on more and more work until I implode, led me to first become deputy manager, then full-time cellarman on top of my management duties, subsequently adding responsibility for PR - dictionary definition of 'uphill struggle', "Doing PR for The London Apprentice during the mid-1990s" - and advertising. As much as I enjoyed the challenge of working on innovative advertising campaigns for the L.A., leading to the most successful of its NY parties, the crumbling foundations of my home and love life, and the increasing replication of a small mutant virus, led to a tiny psychotic interlude which saw me temporarily part company with the venue. After a month in a padded cell, I returned to a simpler life and bar duties, until declining health packed me off the following year.

If the world wasn't such a shitty place, the L.A. would have marked the start of a lifelong career in the club and music scene, but thanks to a big disease with a little name, and my eventual collapse while at work in May 1995, I entered a disco wilderness for a number of years. By the time of my belated disco revival at the turn of the 3rd Millennium, albeit this time on the Ibiza club scene, the L.A. was an historical footnote to London's clubland.

In it's time, the LA produced more than its fair share of memorable DJs, Rolf and Don Grant still creating a stir to this day, but I suspect the mixing skills of the LA's legend in his own time, the inimitable Tony Boys, will remain in our memories longer! Aside from many friends who worked at the LA, people like CJ, Karl, Peter, David, Jerry, Nigel, Liam, Tony, Michael, Jonathan, Eric, Richard, Bradley, Mitat, Big Karl, Wayne, Chris, Clae, Sebastian and the two Nicks (one of whom I still bump into at Trade occasionally, and the other of whom has just reminded me that I'd forgotten to mention either of them...), and the regulars who still accost me in the street to this day and ask what happened to my hair (get over it, I've got some now), the best thing to come out of my time at the L.A. was meeting Des, who became my partner for seven years, and remains my best friend to this day... As for the L.A. itself, some thoughts are better left unsaid!

In memory of Richard and Karl, and the many other staff and customers of the L.A. who are no longer with us.

With love always,

Martin
xx