I suspect if you opened my veins my blood would be navy blue with white polka dots. Why? Well, once an Indie Chick, always an indie pop fan. A love of polka dot tops came out of worshipping The Smiths and trying to emulate Strawberry Switchblade (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, ask yer granny…)

I bought a sleeveless navy blue and white polka dot blouse from Attic in Newcastle’s Haymarket back in 1983 and wore it at gigs, at The Tube when I was a regular member of the audience and for my first official photo as winner in the Evening Chronicle Poetry competition in autumn 1985. We sat on the steps of the Lit and Phil and I wore my Nan’s blue cardie over the polka dot top.

I rediscovered the silky polka dot top inside an old suitcase in 2013. It had spent about 20 years in my Mam and Dad’s garage in Blaydon. The top still fits and I wore it at a Ska “do” late last year. Here’s me dancing to The Specials. Thanks to Jonathan Keys for taking the photo.

When I wasn’t listening to indie pop and buying second hand clothes I was singing in bands. Here’s a link to Micklewhite. We liked to think we were the four Keith Moons of the Rock Apocalypse but listening back (with a gap of almost two decades) I think we’re still indie ’til we die. What do you think?