Dr Hall Finds A True Love

Amidst all that was going on in the life of Simon Hall with regard to school, exams etc other things were also taking shape. Earliest memories of music were Telstar by the Tornadoes, a number 1 in the year of my birth and She Love’s by The Beatles, a global number 1 in 63/64 depending on which side of the pond you were on.

Anyway music has been a key part of my life and has always seen it at a wonderful therapy not just for myself but to share with others, the memories it can evoke both happy and sad. Never the less the key stage for me in this wonderful music journey probably started on 18th February 1973, the day after my 11th birthday. It was then I went to the basement record shop of the Co-Op in Derry’s Cross Plymouth to purchase my first ‘two’ singles. I can even tell you how much they cost, 49p each!!. Can’t remember exactly by but I had decided to purchase ‘C’ Moon by (Paul McCartney) Wings and Sylvia by Focus. For those aficionados of music the latter particularly wasn’t something an 11 year old child may have purchased, but I did and both singles I played to death including the ‘B’ Sides; Hi, Hi, Hi – Wings and House of the King – Focus.

Music was well and truly pumping through my veins; I would always listen to the Top 30 on Radio 1 on a Sunday evening and also started to buy up large amounts of second hand singles predominantly from a second hand shop called Pieces of Eight in Frankfort Gate. The singles were old juke box records most of them being Glam Rock and all of them with without proper covers. Being resourceful (like any true Entrepreneur) I made covers using old cereal packets and polythene insides to stop them being scratched further. I treated those treasured possessions; the budding record collection meant everything.

I wanted to share my music too so that others could enjoy. To this day I still have all my singles, all neatly catalogued and of course in their own covers.

The whole thing about this, music can be a wonderful way in which to communicate with others, a commonality and that’s exactly what you need as an Entrepreneur, you are human like everyone else, liking human things. So it is so important to relay that to anyone you meet. Being human and particularly one who is prepared to share will invariably attrach other humans.