Another Camden Afternoon

Album: Giants (2012)
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Songfacts®:

  • This track has a tragic inspiration, and might be called an instrumental murder ballad. In February 2012, JJ Burnel and Baz from The Stranglers appeared on the BBC Breakfast news programme where Sian Williams said the first concert she ever went to was a Stranglers concert, when she was twelve years old.

    Burnel explained to her and co-presenter Bill Turnbull that originally "Another Day At The Office" had words but they decided to record it as an instrumental. Although he couldn't remember the name of the victim, he said her death was just another day at the office for the two drug addicts who were responsible for her death.

    On the morning of Monday, April 16, 2001, 42-year-old costume designer Elizabeth Sherlock was waiting with her husband at London's Euston Station when her handbag was snatched by 24 year old Jackie Moorhouse, who then ran out of the station to the getaway car which was driven by 36 year old Mark Woolley. Mrs Sherlock chased after Moorhouse shouting "Stop thief".

    Moorhouse made it to the car, but Mrs. Sherlock jumped onto the bonnet (in America it's called the hood), clinging to the window wipers, and banged on the windscreen. Woolley drove off at speed but reversed at a red light at the station exit, hitting the kerb and throwing off his unwelcome passenger. Unable to escape on foot, Woolley decided quite callously to drive forward and over Mrs Sherlock. Witnesses said the two thieves were laughing as he did so. Mrs. Sherlock was airlifted to hospital but died shortly due to massive internal bleeding. In the meantime, Moorhouse and Woolley managed to extract £100 from her bank card, and used it to buy heroin.

    Needless to say, they were soon brought to book, and just before Christmas the same year at the Central Criminal Court where more than half a century earlier Timothy Evans was sentenced to death, Woolley was convicted of murder and given the mandatory life sentence. Moorhouse was cleared of manslaughter but given a three year sentence for theft.

    Euston Station is featured in another song, about down and outs rather than drug addicts, UFO's "I'm A Loser." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

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