Eddie Johnson, Matt Johnson, and The Two Puddings, Stratford, London

Wednesday's post by The Gentle Author on his 'Spitalfields Life' blog was about Eddie Johnson, former landlord of the former pub The Two Puddings, Broadway, Stratford. Eddie ran the pub with his wife Shirley from 1962 to 2000, and became the longest serving London landlord in the process. In earlier days The Two Puddings had been so known for its violence that it was nicknamed 'The Butcher's Shop', although Eddie turned it into an important music venue.

The story of his time in the famous Two Puddings is now published in Eddie's book, Tales from the Two Puddings: Stratford, East London's Olympic City, in the 1960's (London: Fifty First State Press, 2012).

Not recognizing the name of the publisher, I wondered if this was a self-publication, and was amazed to discover that this is Matt Johnson's company's first book. Matt is Eddie's son who grew up in The Two Puddings and is the mastermind behind The The, a rock band that still exists and is perhaps most noted for its literate anti-capitalist/anti-globalization anthems of the 1980s such as 'The Beaten Generation' (with Johnny Marr, and the link working on 2 January 2015).

Morrissey (Vegetarian), Johnny Marr (Vegan), David Cameron (Hunt Supporter), Animal Slaughter, and the Concept of Cool

It had to happen sooner or later, and it was sooner, but why are British politicians so stupid in their attempt to be cool? Blur didn't even want to go to Downing Street, Oasis just, you know, had to go, Prescott was just asking for a bucket of water from people like Chumbawamba, and Gordon Brown asking to be ridiculed for naming Arctic Monkeys as a favorite band he couldn't name a record of, but David Cameron and The Smiths? Come on, a Thatcher worshipper liking a band whose singer wrote a song called 'Margaret on the Guillotine'? And oh yes,  Mozzer really meant it! You'd have thought Cameron's PR team would have done a little research into this, wouldn't you? Or are they too busy doing the same New Labour Penelope spinning act? Or worried that WikiLeaks will spread this side of the Atlantic?

Meanwhile, Morrissey supports Johnny Marr, and reminds the huntin, shootin, animal killin, Royals-supporting Cameron that he didn't write Meat Is Murder and The Queen Is Dead for nothing, and he certainly doesn't want him as a vote-grabbing 'fan': Morrissey's Message. Here's a link to my post, with a number of images of iconic Smiths places, on Morrissey's Manchester.