On Saturday 4th September a group of people with 8th Day connections in common gathered together to celebrate 40 years of the shop. From the early days of New Brown St - now buried under the Arndale Centre in Manchester - through to the recently developed new building on Oxford Rd. Old friends, new friends, absent friends - in the end probably quite a random mix of those involved who had been in touch and could come to the party. It was wonderful for me to see some friends I haven't seen for many years - more than 30 in some cases - but who were such an important part of my teenage life and beyond. A few mysteries solved - who thought of the name for one. A first viewing of a piece of film from Granada's archives taken at New Brown St - all fake psychedelic camera effects! Lovely old photos from the 70s of lovely young people working there at the time. A real sense of pride, friendship, love for the ideals that created it and the people who continue to keep it going. Three of the five originals were there - the fourth has sadly died and the fifth lives abroad, so three out of five was great.A real affirmation of a different way of doing business, created by a crazy mix of luck and judgement over the decades. Long may it continue.
