Striking the right chord

Tunnel Vision

The sad news the Multisound jukebox will be unplugged for the final time next month got me thinking about the first CD I ever bought. It wasn't even a full album, just a hard-copy single when that was still a thing.

For clarity, and as if to prove my maturing age, the first tape/s I claim to own were the Top Trax that came free with Weetabix. Given away during 1985, as I was born in 1983, I greatly suspect they belonged to one of my sisters and were thereby inherited.

Each tape had two songs on each side, and were attributed to various invented cereal characters. There was Brian, Bixie, Crunch and Dunk, and I developed a gra somehow for the latter, which featured Tears For Fear's 'Shout' on Side 1, and Dexy's 'Come On Eileen' on the other.

Moving on I was made board my first year at Pat's. I was among the last intake to make the school a home from home Sunday to Friday. From my parents point of view it was a best-intentioned attempt at straightening out a homework-shy pre-teen.

Among the other first year's was a kid who's brother fronted the Oldcastle outfit Jacuzze Jungle. They'd just appeared on 2TV, The Den and even No Disco, with a cover version Wild Cherry’s 70s classic ‘Play That Funky Music’. Along with Pepsi Max and Mission: Impossible, they accounted for everything that was 'cool' to me at that time.

I earned the £5 required by mowing both the front and back lawns- no mean feat.

Noel's Multisound began where Hallmark is today, before swapping over the road to where Xtra Vision once occupied. This was a hub of creativity, a place where music lovers of all kinds could unearth hidden gems.

That single and the shop soon became a gateway for me. More singles/ albums were bought. The majority were kept, others got traded. Each though opened new avenues of interest. As the years went on CD's became gig tickets and more experiences were added.

Like the time myself and a group of friends (and half of Cavan it seemed) queued overnight for tickets to U2. I still remember a well-rested Noel sidling up the next morning, coffee in hand and cool as a you like, looking at this perished maul stretching towards the Egg Market with wry bewilderment.

Gardening and my visits Multisound over the years may seem unrelated, yet they do share striking commonalities.

I now patiently pick through racks of seeds like I once did stacks of CDs hoping to find something new to pique my interest. There is a rhythm I find to planting seeds, the careful nurturing of seedlings, and the anticipation they grow.

I take more time now than I did before to appreciate the keenness of others doing likewise, and I marvel at those who always seem to have a set of shears or mini-scissors 'just in case' their eagle-eye catches a shrub in the undergrowth or overhanging stem that takes their fancy.

More times than I'd like to remember I've kept 'sketch' while propping up said person/s as they scale a wall to snip at a tantalising piece of greenery, stowed then to be cajoled into growth at a later stage.

From what I would have once consigned a lost cause, twigs bereft of greenery and with little hope of survival, I'm finding with a little extra care can take root and even thrive. Just as musicians find harmony in blending different sounds, better gardeners than I create beauty by combining various plants, textures, and colours.

Aside from the bought tomatoes and strawberries, almost everything I'm growing has been a kind gift or randomly given with an encouraging 'Here! Plant that. See how it goes!'.

My onions, potatoes, spouts, spouting broccoli, and even beets all come kindly donated, along with a multitude of advices on when to water and harvest. Most were already well established but some others needed more attention.

There have been successes, as there have been failures. Many, but a great deal less than I thought starting out.

In my amateur wisdom I set out by growing things in my tunnel in threes. My amateur justification was that numerically at least it would work well once I'd bedded in other companion plants, such as beans and peas- nitrogen fixers.

In the end I out-grew the space I'd accommodated, creating an unnecessary noise in an otherwise mindful space. For my next growing cycle I'll look for a more harmonious balance- a touch of classical and a less punk rock.

A sign of the times perhaps but I now rarely go out of my way to buy new music.

This week while working in my polytunnel I mostly streamed Mitski after dark, songs I've heard a thousand times or more, each song is algorithmically stacked one after the other. Yet, I could and probably should take a step back to find the time to listen to an album in full, as the artist themselves intended.

I'll certainly plant less tomatoes going forward, to give the others more space and light to improve. I'll also keep on top of stray shoots in a way I didn't manage this time round. Right now my broccoli is verging on the point of intimidating, and in a fit of pure frustration watching the tendrils drag down my peppers I dementedly hacked my cucumber plants to the point of no return.

I recently dispatched some seeds I tried and failed to germinate. Tired by the lack of progress, they were chucked unceremoniously on the compost heap where, weeks later, unbeknownst and without any after further encouragement, they'd sprouted and even thrived.

Patience I'm told is a virtue. A little less haste is required.