Gennaro Castaldo watch: Aylesbury fail

The spokesperson who shares HMV's pain at closing the branch in Aylesbury isn't named as Gennaro Castaldo, but we can be sure it is him:

A HMV spokesman said: “We’re really sorry to be closing our store in Friars Square.

“This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly and doesn’t in any way reflect on the fantastic work colleagues that we have there.

“We are working hard to relocate our Aylesbury staff to other stores in the region.

“We would also like to point out that our decision does not in any way reflect on our regular customers who we would like to thank most sincerely for their valued support over the past years.

“We shall be looking forward to perhaps seeing our Aylesbury customers at nearby HMV stores or online at hmv.com.

“Nine members of staff are currently in employment at the Friars Square store, all of whom are currently in consultation."

How can we sure that it is Gennaro? Because this is what he said about the closure of the Cheshire Oaks branch:

HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said: “We’re very sorry to be closing our outlet in Cheshire Oaks, which is not a decision we’ve taken lightly and certainly doesn’t in any way reflect on the fantastic work colleagues we have there, who we are looking to relocate to other stores in the region where at all possible, or indeed on our regular customers, who we’d like to thank for their valued support over the past eight years.”

Maybe I'm being oversensitive, but if you can't be arsed to come up with something specific to say about the people you're kicking out of work, it might be best not to bother. Gennaro might as well leave a message saying "The thing being affected by the event under discussion has caused us the correct emotions for a corporation of our type."

[Thanks to Steven from Subsiren for the tip]

Fish returns to spawning grounds

The Hobble on the Cobbles might not be the grandest of the UK summer festivals, but Aylesbury did manage to claim a tiny piece of history: a one-off, one-song reunion of Fish out of Marillion, and Marillion.

Aylesbury being where the band formed, and so appropriate for what Fish makes sound like a last hurrah:

"It was great. It was just a load of fun. But nothing should be read into it. I think it just proves that we're actually friends.

"There's always been these rumours that there's some sort of animosity between us but that went a long, long time ago."

He is, however, still trying to write that love song. He says it'll be finished by Friday.