Around 2000/2001 I was travelling on a train from Plymouth to London. Somewhere in Somerset the train stopped and two people got on the train and I took a double take it was Joe Strummer and a young lady. I was in full business mode suited and booted and I rather embarrassed lay went over and introduced myself saying despite what I looked like I had been a big punk in the late 70s and early 80s. Joe could not have been more gracious introducing me to his partner. After no time we were in in the smoking car where we stalked all the way to Paddington. A few months later the same thing happened on the same train. This time he recognised me remembered my name and the same thing happened . I never saw him again he had died. I’ve never cried more when someone famous died. Joe was a lovely lovely lovely man. We talked all sorts of shit and some very profound stuff. I well never forget the maybe 3 hours I spent with him. The nicest man ever a true gentleman If you want a stupid story. I remember him asking me what clash tracks I said some of my favourites I told him …my favourite was Stay Free …he said that was Micks as were most of the others. I though oh shit and then he burst out laughing he said maybe I didn’t like him I only liked Mick. Wonderful hours I’ll never ever forget. La Lucha Continua !

This wonderful video deserves many many more views! I'm glad Luce continues to live there.

Just beautiful

lovely stuff

This is a beautiful, heart warming video. You are a kind and sweet man, accessible, articulate, and earthy, similar to Joe Strummer in those regards. I was extremely fortunate to see The Clash play two shows in 1982 and 1984. In both, it was the most energy I ever felt at a concert. However, on October 8, 2001, I saw The Mescaleros at The Webster Theater in Hartford, CT. My friend bought me my ticket because I'd been really down for the past year because my two closest friends in the world had died within two and a half months of each other and he knew that I was a diehard Clash fan. I don't often tell this story, yet I feel that I must, here, and to you, Sir Nomad Musician. After the gig, I met the band and Joe Strummer. In those days many bands stuck around after the show to do this in small venues here in the states. I had also read somewhere before this that The Clash often did, and Joe was doing it again. I was the eighth person in line so I was made the first cut which was eight. I didn't see him anywhere and just moseyed around for what seemed like eternity trying to look relaxed and inconspicuous. Joe was sitting in a dark corner and saw me well before I spotted him. With a wry smile he said hi and joked, "Are you looking for someone?" "As a matter of fact, I just found him!" He laughed extended his hand shook mine. I couldn't believe how accessible he was as he offered me the only vacant seat near him. I told him he looked great and sounded even better enjoying himself up on stage. I explained how he changed my life. It was because of the song Clampdown that I went back to school and studied the arts, particularly poetry, and was awarded a few small prizes. He wanted to know the details and was very sincere about it. After at least ten good minutes I realized other fans were hovering around and so I quickly said, "Well, it looks like my time is up and I best be going." "Wait," he said, "aren't you going to ask me for my autograph?" He pointed to a small paper I had tucked under my arm. Before I met him, I was going around the room getting all the Mescaleros to sign, including Tymon Dogg who taught Joe how to play his first song on guitar (there is a great video of Tymon explaining this if you search on KZfaq for it). I said to Joe, "If you want to know the truth, Joe, it was just a prop because I was so nervous looking for you!" He laughed, and took it and wrote, "Thanks, David. It was nice to meet you and good luck with your future and writing. Sincerely, Joe Strummer." Next to it he drew a cartoon of a funny character climbing a wall and smiling. I was surprised how good it was considering how quickly he dashed it off. I still have it somewhere stashed away with my menagerie of special, heartfelt memorabilia. I had heard many times that when you meet your heroes it is a major disappointment. For Joe Strummer, this was as far as disappointing as it could ever get. This was the most genuine and gratifying experience that I could ever feel, live, and move on from. Rock in Peace, John Mellor, aka Joe Strummer, Rock In Peace.

Heart warming video. Thank you. I am 62 now. Many times on from when I first heard/saw the band. But JS changed my life. He introduced me to thinking about the world. Cant give a man more than that really.... When he died suddenly on Dec 22 2002. I wrote a letter to Luce. I knew he lived in Brigport. So addressed it to her there. It must have got to her. As she sent me back a photo of him taken there, plus a small note to appreciate my thoughts. Classy women... I have asked my wife to play my favourite Clash somg when I go. "White Man (In Hammersmith Palais). He wrote the words, and as a song it means a lot to me, and, am sure you also? Respect my friend.

Yes, definitely finish this. Then more. ❤

That sounds amazing!

What a great vid and story. I met Joe on the Class War tour. I was invited down to the venue in the afternoon for the sound check and to met him. He introduced me to his band and signed some 7” Clash record covers for me that I still have. He chatted with me about recording the cost of living e.p. Eclectic musical tastes and his time living in Newport south Wales where he was in his first band ‘the Vultures’ I have a file of his first ever recording on cassette somewhere, (I’m sure there is a link at Wales online) the house he rented in Newport now has a plaque outside. His old acoustic guitar hung on the wall at a local record shop there, he gave it to a friend before moving back to London to form the 101ers, I used to run a dedicated FB page with loads of info. Anyway enough from my old reminiscing and rambling’s, Stay Free!

Did you know Ashley Martin front man of The Pies?

How do I contact you? I've got a positive message concerning a "lost" Joe Strummer museum for Joe's woman.

love yew trees, they're always so beautiful in their sprawling mangled shape

I always enjoy your delivery. You are a great presenter. Good flow and nice to listen to.

Something about the title: Afaik ptsd is actually an illness. Not a defect, not your identity, nothing to be ashamed of. But an illness, like a flu or a broken bone. And there are ways to recover from it. And its worth it.

Trauma is biological. It is not psychological.

Hugs. I have it too.

Your kitchen is so calming

GLAD TO FIND YOU & YOUR CHANNEL! You're describing me and some of my loved ones. You & your story greatly resemble me. And the body gets so used to the stress hormones and everything in us is saying if you relax you will be in danger and you will or could be killed! We're holding up keeping our stress level going because it on some level makes us feel safe like we're strong and can fight or stand tough. It has taken me decades to work through that, even a bit. Yes a mind to calculate the probabilities etc. I have that kind of mind too. LOVE TO YOU TOO, MAN! Yeah trauma puts us in a bad existential place and separates us from any connection with Creator and soul and connection

He left a print in this world that will never be forgotten, I’m going to pass it on to the next generation.

Wait a minute, Joe's Dad was a foreign diplomat...

Thanks so much for sharing your experience and the fascinating neurology!! Here's my perspective on complex PTSD and a useful coping mechanism for emotional flashbacks kzfaq.info/get/bejne/lchdnKtnt8jHqok.htmlsi=44Oh93JmC5q5XX_X

Just clicked for that cosy dreamy kitchen

Right on, about your goals and intentions. I also live with this condition, am wondering how to go forward and be good to myself in my career, and also believe I’m somewhere undiagnosed on the spectrum (at 40). Good luck to you!

Thank you so much, for sharing so openly, and for reminding me that I'm not the only one struggling - ONWARD - with these kinds of things. I am so able to relate to your share and to some of what I've seen in the comments section too. Am looking forward to your future endeavors. Best wishes to you and yours.

Thanks very much for sharing the positive vibes, and honest information. We are in this together:3

Stay strong, my friend. We have something in common. I’m converting a camper trailer into a Cosmic Hookah Lounge. Decor is similar to yours. It brings comfort but heals nothing. As someone recently diagnosed with BPD, who has shouted and cursed my Protective Forces, still not understanding why things are as they are. I ignored trauma as a young adult. Mocked others who were experiencing it with me, but who were consumed by it. Decades later, it seems all of the stress that built up is now being released. It’s unbearable. To the extent your plight brings me to tearful sobbing. Now…. I mock myself. Still understand nothing.

You are an inspiration to me thank you for putting yourself out there and sharing. Your music and your daughters art touched my soul. very well done friend!

I was diagnosed with CPTSD a few years back from childhood neglect and abuse. My flashbacks aren't as visual, they're emotional flashbacks which I think are more confusing because you have no idea why you're feeling what you're feeling. It doesn't make sense in the moment... the constant thought of why am I so scared? often accompanied by "what did I do wrong?", "what's wrong with me?", "why am I so awful?"while also thinking you deserve it all for some unknown reason. Whatever it was you deserved it and you deserve to feel this way. Since being diagnosed I've realized that a lot of my "likes" and "dislikes" were shaped around what I believed would get me in my mother's good graces the most. I had NO idea who I was underneath all the scars. I'm still sorting it out, and there's so much to sort that I'm not sure I'll get through it all. I've also had these thought about being part of this cruel "god". Part of this humanity that continues to inflict the worst horrors imaginable on everything they can get their hands on. Created this awful society and dictated its disgusting rules on what is deserving of love or hate, deserving of bliss or deserving of suffering, deserving to thrive or deserving to die. It's a beautiful, cruel, planet and I often think we're the biggest stain on it. My grandfather died this morning. He was an abusive alcoholic that traumatized my mother who in turn traumatized me. You're right... PTSD isn't a mental illness, it's bigger than that. It shapes our world and even our DNA like they're discovering through epigenetics. Our traumas are shaping us as a species... And despite how awful we still are, it does seem like we might have made sort of progress over the last few hundred years? We (at least those of us with English ancestry) have progressed from the witch hunting murderers with unfathomable torture devices of the medieval eras to most of us being appalled at the heartless destruction our government puts on the poorest people and often the youngest and most defenseless. Seems like rich people and the politicians they buy off could definitely use a lot more trauma. They're too used to causing it and not enough used to experiencing it.

Lovely song.

Amazing experience and video. Luce knew you were a deserving and respectful person.

Hello and sending love from the US. Enjoying your music and content.

The topic is extremely relevant to me at the moment.... But this box truck cottage is a sister vision to what Ive had in my mind's eye for years and have been trying to talk myself out of for the last few months. Fk cold feet. Thank you. 🖖

I literally had a panic attack yesterday reliving traumatic parts of my life. Im pretty sure i have CPTSD it’s like PTSD on steroids. Im not diagnosed yet but i literally was reliving those menories for hours and had to let my psychologist through the VA know about it and got an appointment set up. Crazy you made this video right when i needed it. Thank you for your service 🫡🇺🇸

Great video, I love the EP cover. Good to see you are setting things up and I hope it all goes well.

if you feel like this project is a bit much for you in 3 months, remember that it doesn't carry with it the weight of the world! anything you can do will be better than nothing done :)

always good to see another video :)

Brilliant, John would of loved you.

'Thank the stars that we're alive' ! Tears X

Another magical, good humoured genuine video...Loved watching and hearing your EP journey take shape and about your community music ideas...I'm home recording too at present...Eating some beans on toast and a cup of teas while watching...Looking forward to the next one and seeing how it's all coming together...All the best

Your video came up unexpectedly in my recommended list...I have to say that it was a magical watch and your warmth and genuine personality shone throughout...Both Roddy Frame and joe Strummer/The Clash were and still are a huge influence on myself and my music...I'm also going through some considerable changes and so to hear you talk about that and then how going on a mission to find Joe's house and the subsequent fortuitous meeting of his wife was an inspiration...I've subscribed to your channel and will be taking a look at more of your videos...Thanks for the share and all the best

Vocals remind me of the geezer from New Model Army, Justin Sullivan is it?

I think I will actually have to visit knowlton actually, it looks fantastic

love this idea and i think loads of people who have guitars laying around might donate and be reconditioned and given out. You could set up some kind of just giving page for donations. Great idea and lovely way of helping people who need it.

Loved watching that. You have talent. Really good 👍

That sounds fantastic mate. Keep producing music 👍

Love it mate, keep the dream going!! X

Salute, matey! Turning everything into an adventure and letting us share your progress. You are a Life Juggler and it's marvellous!