I was 15 years old and enjoyed playing records on the family music centre. War of the worlds has a lot to answer for.

Anyway, one day my mother "volunteered" my to babysit for a friend of hers as they were off on a night out. I was not amused.

There was some solace due to the fact I could use their stereo, they would give me some tins of beer and a crispy new £5 note.

I duly arrived at the appointed time and was shown their stereo and given a brief instruction to its use. I nearly wet myself when I saw the stack of Silver Sony separates, the JBL speakers and a pile of Zappa records.

I was in heaven. I settled down to Sheik Yerbuti and a beer and engrossed myself in quality music to a level previously unheard of. An hour later, things got even better when the 15 year old daughter arrived back home and we spent the rest of the evening drinking beer and "discussing" the finer details of Joes Garage.

I vowed that one day I would have a stereo that good and when I started work thats what I did. Today, my stereo is infinitely better than that Sony system, but I still remember it well. Or was it her daughter I remember with such fondness??