Hampstead Claret and The Boss

[Stalbansclaret]

It's almost a year since the sad and premature passing of Micky Collins aka Hampstead Claret on this board and I still miss seeing him around town in St Albans and having a chat with him in The Garibaldi pub about all things Claret.

As well as BFC we also had a passion for Bruce Springsteen's music in common and yesterday I watched this superb video for Bruce's new track "Ghosts" and thought how much Micky would have absolutely loved it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo5QNcFioZ4

Bruce has said Ghosts is about the "beauty and joy of being in a band and the pain of losing one another to illness and time" and I post it on here as a tribute to Micky and so other Clarets can see how someone can make fantastic, dignified and reflective rock music at the age of 71.

RIP Micky

[Rowls]

Although I never met him, I miss Hampstead.

He was a witty and engaging poster, even when we were at loggerheads. His music posts always brimmed with the evident passion he had for the art.

It's a massive shame I never bumped into him (certainly not knowingly) at a game or even in St Albans. I used to drink there semi-regularly when a friend lived there and it would have been great to meet a couple of Burnley fans on the circuit.

RIP Micky, you are missed by even those of us who didn't know you.

[Burnley1989]

It's almost a year since the sad and premature passing of Micky Collins aka Hampstead Claret on this board and I still miss seeing him around town in St Albans and having a chat with him in The Garibaldi pub about all things Claret.

As well as BFC we also had a passion for Bruce Springsteen's music in common and yesterday I watched this superb video for Bruce's new track "Ghosts" and thought how much Micky would have absolutely loved it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo5QNcFioZ4

Bruce has said Ghosts is about the "beauty and joy of being in a band and the pain of losing one another to illness and time" and I post it on here as a tribute to Micky and so other Clarets can see how someone can make fantastic, dignified and reflective rock music at the age of 71.

RIP Micky

Nicely put, I regularly think of people that are no longer with us who I met watching Burnley, great memories that bring a smile to my face

[Herts Clarets]

I lived in St Albans for just under a year from 2001-02 and one day I was clearing some stuff out of the garden. I had an old Jimmy Mullen t shirt on and a bloke walking past stopped and identified himself as a fellow claret. Not sure where in St Albans Hampstead lived , but it could possibly have been him.....

Was he the poster who I had several exchanges with everytime there was a report of a child being attacked by a dog?

[Redbeard]

A year already? - Bloody hell.

I liked Hampers too. He was one of my favourite posters and I agreed with him on almost everything.

It may be a cliche but the board is definitely the worse for his absence.

[CleggHall]

Yes a good man Hampstead - opinionated, bold and honest. I guess he was an Economics teacher and I always enjoyed his posts.

[tim_noone]

He was one of our own!!!

[fatboy47]

Clearly a good sort. Heart on sleeve kinda bloke.

[springsteenisaclaret]

Nice post Sir, and i entirely agree.

[ashtonlongsider]

One of this and the previous sites best contributors. Sadly missed.

[aclaretinstevenage]

Strange how we can miss someone we never knew!

I recall having almost identical music taste as Hampstead Claret and it feels like that year has flown by.

Thanks for posting the video link.

[boatshed bill]

Yes, he is missed, good sense of humour. I enjoyed his posts.

[Brucefanclaret]

I think Hampstead might have liked “Ghosts”. Miss his posts - always gave me a smile, and often a nod of agreement! Seemed such a decent bloke.

[basil6345789]

Only got to know him late in life - I already knew Mick Collins, the musician/dj so we talked about the same name.
Hampstead told me he was coming back to Burnley to retire and do some dj ing. I was going to help him get started but it never happened.
It struck me that he had wide and varied taste. Nice lad.

[Stevie2112]

Anyone else think this sounds a little like Radio Nowhere? Great track.
Lucky to know one of Micky's relatives,a great family .