58: Martin Bloomfield

Nostalgia Interviews with Chris Deacy

My guest this week is Martin Bloomfield (aka ‘Dodgy Shoes’) who is studying towards a PhD in Philosophy at the University of York and who, like me, studied at Lampeter during the 1990s. Martin explains why Lampeter was a ‘collection of caricatures’, and we also find out about the range of schools he attended when he was young.

Martin remembers the birth of his younger brother, and Martin reflects on how York (and himself) have changed over the years. We learn about Martin’s current employment, and Martin reveals what the most valuable lesson was that he learned in Lampeter and how it informed the rest of his life.

We learn that as a student he would see gigs at Gassy Jacks in Cardiff, including Bad Manners, and we reflect on the more ‘C’ list musicians who would tend to come to Lampeter. We also learn about the different branches of the karate club as well as the fencing society that Martin used to be involved with, and why he thinks of Lampeter as a person. We hear about the infamous ‘foot joke’, and how going to university helped Martin to discover who he was.

Martin tells us how he did (and did not) stand for Parliament for the ‘Not on the Ballot Paper’ party, and we reflect on how politics has changed over the decades, and why he is a classic floating voter, as well as why he has found the last few elections to be extraordinarily depressing.

We talk about the role of the radio in growing up, and how the charts don’t matter so much anymore and the days when ‘Top of the Pops’ was the gold standard. Martin remembers listening to Mark & Lard at the height of Brit Pop, the time when Radio 1 didn’t play Status Quo, as well as Simon Bates and ‘Our Tune’ and how young people were no longer connecting with Radio 1.

Towards the end of the interview Martin explains why he chooses the sweet over the bitter, how he was tested quite late for dyslexia, why his school days weren’t as good as his university days, and how happiness is not just about smiling. Martin also explains why his younger self wouldn’t recognize what he is doing now and what advice he would give his 15 year old self. Finally, we discover why Martin has a synchronic view of time.

Please note: Opinions expressed are solely those of Chris Deacy and Martin Bloomfield and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the University of Kent.