We got a cheap coach to Victoria, and the Tube to Notting Hill Gate, and started walking. In our naivety, of course, we had no idea that Portobello Road was an antiques market, or we’d never have gone there. In fact, though, through pure luck, we’d got it exactly right. As we walked down the road, I saw a lad on the other side of the street carrying a copy of Indecent Exposure! Just like that! I walked over and asked him, and he said he’d bought it at Rough Trade, just round the corner. We’d never heard of it, but went there anyway. I asked the bloke behind the counter if he had the album and he said no, they didn’t sell bootlegs. I told him about the lad outside. He hesitated, then said “OK, but don’t tell anyone. £7 each. How many do you want?” We bought one each. I asked him about the Belsen 7”, but he said they’d sold out. He told us to walk to the far end of the market and look for a record stall on the right hand side, owned by a bloke called Canadian Joe.
We did that, found Joe, but he too had sold out. He said to go round the corner and look for a shop owned by Honest Jon. Really, Canadian Joe and Honest Jon. I swear this is true!
We found Jon’s shop, and he too said he didn’t sell bootlegs. We told him what Joe had said. He too hesitated, then said, “Okay, but don’t tell anyone. £3 each. How many do you want?” As we left the shop he shouted “And tell Joe if he sends anybody else round here for those I’ll break his f***ing legs!”
Oh, and though I didn’t realise it until I saw a documentary some time later, the bloke behind the counter in Rough Trade was Geoff Travis himself.
After that we saved up and made monthly coach trips to London to buy records from Canadian Joe and clothes from the Kings Road, usually from Boy or Acme Attractions as they were cheaper than Seditionaries, as Malcolm McLaren’s shop was called by then. I did, however, buy a couple of original Sex shop items from there; a cheesecloth Destroy straight jacket and an Anarchy T-shirt. Both worth a fortune now, of course, but I wore them until they fell off me. I still cry a little inside thinking about it.
Once, we were looking through the records on Canadian Joe’s stall when I saw him drop a pound note. I picked it up and gave it back to him, and he seemed genuinely shocked at my honesty. He kept going on about it, just couldn’t believe anyone would do such a thing. After that, he’d almost always give me a pound or two off my purchases, which was nice, and must have cost him a few bob over the next few years. I know he was probably on a big mark-up, but still…
John's Stall (Tim Davies)
I started working for “Canadian John” (John Ryle) in 1981, and worked there for a couple of years.. John ran a record stall on Portobello Road every Saturday came rain or shine. Probably the best job I ever had!
John’s stall was at 288 Portobello Rd (I think) - outside a stationary shop on a rather rickerty table. Table and records were stored in the back of the house.
The stall was next to Better Badges where Joly printed my (and my mate Mart’s) fanzine “The Story So Far”. It was located in the hub of West London’s “Punk/Post Punk/Regae era. Opposite was 5th Column- the T-shirt shop where the lovely Johnny Green worked post Clash. A few shops down was Honest Jon’s and opposite and down a bit was Redhouse Records (chaos from cash). Right opposite was the DBC (Dread Broadcasting Company) which Leroy (sadly no longer with us) and his crew pumped out great Dub and flogged T-shirts. Just down a bit was Frank’s record stall.
The stall sold quite a mix - a big section was Jamaican pre’s - Studio one, Banana etc - some absolute gems - we had a small record player where you could hear snippets as most of the records were very limited. Paul Simonon of the Clash came down early every Saturday and always got the cream of the crop - I have no idea where John got them from but I still have a few (wish I had more!)
There was also a lot of 60’s 70’s rarities including as I remember David Bowie’s “Man Who Sold The World” dress cover, Velvet Underground Banana cover, The Charles Manson album. There was also quite a selection of 60’s garage punk and 70’s glam. Obviously there was a section of Punk rarities that always sold well. Quite a lot of sales were bootlegs of live gigs - I remember the Rolling Stones “Cock Sucker Blues” and Blondie live (which I still have) - these were sometimes kept in the record crates and sometimes under the counter - the BPI used to come round as confiscate the bootlegs and issue fines - they were a pain in the ass but usually there was a tip off when they were coming - we never got busted.
There were a whole range of characters that would come by including record dealers. Bleeker Bob - who was as mad as a hatter and came over every three months from New York to stock up - mainly Punk and bootlegs. The two Bill’s would come by most Saturdays (separately of course).
Apart from Paul Simonon a lot of musicians came by including Stiv Bators of the Dead Boys/Lords of the New Church who was a mate of mine who loved the Garage stuff. Genesis P-Orridge of Psychic TV was also around quite often (a lovely person). Other characters were Dave the Punk - who usually didn’t have any money, A Guy who dressed and looked like Mark Bolan (only bought Mark Bolan bootlegs).
In the summer of 82 - we set up a stall for the carnival just to sell reggae and sold a load of carnival badges which Joly had printed up - the rarest was the Grove Posse badge. It was a blast but a lot of stuff got nicked. What I also remember was how in the summer we got really hot and in the winter we froze - John used to have miniatures of Drambuee to get us through.
John is/was a lovely guy - pretty bonkers but knew his music back to front - great memories.
Tim Davies
