Back in the 1960’s, when I was a young teenager, I used to spend a lot of my time, with my friends, in the local coffee bars listening to the various records that were available in the juke box.

Of course you had to pay for this entertainment, and as money was a bit scarce we would all take it in turns to put our coins into the juke box and let everyone know what artists we were fans of.

I used to spend a few hours in the coffee bar (I dread to think how much coffee I drank) and then I would make my way home and straightaway tune in to Radio Luxemburg.

Radio Luxemburg was what a much loved and respected radio station. Do any of my readers remember that station?

Back in the 1960’s we had a lot of radio stations available to us, and many of them were stationed in offshore ships. I have been trying to remember some of their names but I can’t, so if any reader can remember any of the names I would appreciate hearing from you.

I also cannot recall now whether Radio Luxemburg was a ship, or whether it was based on land, in Luxemburg. Again, if anybody can enlighten me it would be appreciated.

It was during these nightly vigils by the radio that I first acquired a taste for the guitar. That became the one instrument that I wanted to hear and hear again.

However it was not until something unusual happened that I thought about learning to play for myself.

Those of you familiar with the road system in the U.K., will know that we have many roundabouts on our roads. These are designed to aid the flow of traffic, without stopping it as happens with traffic lights. They are literally a large circle placed at the junction of two roads, and they often have a small area of grass in the middle just to improve the appearance.

This unusual thing happened to me when I was out one day, passing one of these roundabouts, and there right in the middle was a friend of mine sitting down on the grass and happily strumming on his guitar.

Every motorist that went round the roundabout could not help but see my friend. He had created a sort of stage on the roundabout effect.

I sat with him there for an hour or so, and I just wished that I had a guitar to take out and start playing.

But that started me on the path from which I have never turned back. I saved up furiously until I had enough money to go out and buy my own guitar, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the past number of years I have played in all types of venues, big and small, some ordinary, some very exciting, but I have never forgot my time spent on that roundabout.

Now I spend my time teaching others how to play the guitar, and how to find their own roundabout to sit on.