Ah, the end of term report. Is it that time already? The year the clap-trap became a rat-trap, the year when heavy metal took on a new meaning thanks to S.P.K., Test Department and Einsurzende Neubauten. The year when … when not much else happened actually.

Where were the high lights? Many were provided by 12”singles: The Assembly’s ‘Never Never’; Divine’s re-do (uncredited) of Blue Monday, ‘Love Reaction’; Freur’s ‘Mattes Of The Heart’; The Art of Noises ‘Inn Battle’; Soft Cell’s ‘Soul Inside’; Eurythmics ‘Who’s That Girl’; Paul Young’s ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat’; Jimmy The Hoover’s tantalising ‘Tantelise’, and New Order’s twin towers, ‘Confusion’ and ‘Blue Monday’.

Albumwise, ten rapid mentions; The The’s compelling ‘Soul Mining’; Eddie and Sunshine’s ‘Perfect Strangers’; Eurythmics ‘Touch’; Bow Wow Wow’s ‘When The Tough Get Going …’, their final statement: Depeche Mode’s revitalising ‘Construction Time Again’; Malcolm McLaren’s global collection ‘Duck Rock’; Newcomers Gardening by Moonlight’s slow burner ‘Method In The Madness’; Swiss Cuckoos Yella’s ‘You’ve Got To Say Yes To Another Excess’; The Cabaret Voltaire’s crossover tryout ‘Crackdown’; and Big Country’s ‘The Crossing’.

Otherwise let’s run through some pulp: Best rock book ‘Up-tight – The Velvet Underground Story’ by Victor Bockris and Gerard Malnuga. Newcoming magazine – try Blitz, coming out of the shadow of the Face. Movies? too numerous to mention, but a lot from Channel 4.

One way or another 1984 promises to be interesting at the very least, considering it’s legendary status and our ruinous political condition. It’s a question of wait and see. In real earnest.