Many moons ago, whenever we went to Sydney we'd make a beeline for the HMV megastore in the Pitt Street Mall.
Going down the escalator into that store was like being sucked into a cultural vortex.
This is what came to mind when we spoke to Mitchel Eaton about Record Store Day, which falls on Saturday.
Mitchel owns Hiss & Crackle record store at Wallsend. He said the vinyl revival had gained further ground in the pandemic.
When people were in lockdown in March-April, they were re-evaluating their lives.
"People were going through what they had, rediscovering the joy of spinning a record and actually sitting down and listening to it, rather than it being background music like it tends to be with streaming," Mitchel said.
Some got back into or more into vinyl, while others sold their collection.
And Mitchel relished his job as a kind of middle man for buyers and sellers.
"There's a lot worse ways to spend your day," he said, of his job.
As we were finishing our chat with Mitchel, we had to ask: "You're not a music snob, are you?"
His reply: "No, not at all. I reckon with music, it's whatever floats your boat. I love some obscure stuff. There's a few things I won't play when my wife's around."
Then he urged us to mention other Newcastle record stores in the story.
"I'm a firm believer in a vinyl community, rather than us versus them," he said.
The Mosh Pit Record Store at Cardiff and Abicus in Darby Street at Cooks Hill will also participate in Record Store Day.
So put down your digital personas and alienating avatars for a bit, check out these stores, buy something you can touch and reminisce about a time when the virtual world existed only in science fiction.
Arnott's Logo
Arnott's new logo isn't going down too well with Aussie bickie and cracker lovers.
Some folks suggested on social media that the new bird looked a tad odd.
"Looks like any generic brand now. Guess it's time to try the Coles/Woolies/Aldi versions instead," one Twitter user said, in a cutting, impulsive and ultimately uninformed remark.
Another said: "The consumer will let them know soon enough!"
Arnott's jumped into the debate to clarify: "This is not a new brand identity. This is a new corporate name change and new corporate logo only".
"The Arnott's biscuits logo remains the same on all of your favourite packets of biscuits."
Arnott's has a rich history in the Hunter, almost as rich as a Tim Tam.
William Arnott migrated from Scotland, set up a bakehouse in Morpeth in 1850 and began baking sourdough bread. In 1865, he established the Steam Biscuit Factory in Cooks Hill and began baking biscuits and cakes.
While returning to Australia from a visit back to Scotland, the ship's captain gave William a macaw as a gift. It became the face of Arnott's biscuits.
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