Michael Jackson is dead and here in North Devon I didn't think there was that much of a connection with a story that resounds around the world. But then of course I remembered that the Peter Pan of Pop is alleged to have once attended the Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple, for some sort of awards ceremony. Did he, didn't he? I don't really care. I'd like to think he did, although I have my doubts.
And then the Jackson clan - give or take Michael and one or two others - found themselves deposited in Appledore looking for a house. For much of the time they looked rather shell-shocked and left North Devon without having purchased their dream property. A sad day for North Devon's estate agents, but can you really imagine the Jacksons propping up the bar of, say, The Beaver necking pints of real ale and trying to work out the intricacies of cribbage or euchre.
So RIP Michael Jackson. I'll freely confess that I have never been a great fan of his music, although early stuff from 'Off the Wall' takes me instantly back to blundering around on the dance floor of the students' union of what was then Sheffield Poly. In this hugely connected world in which we live, Sheffield, for me, is linked to my having been in North Devon now for close to 30 years. I only came here as a stepping stone...anyway, moving on.
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