Saturday 16 April 2011

TALKING TRAINEES


Here we have a short clip from a 2008 T.V. Series showing comedian Alexei Sayle returning to his home town of Liverpool and visiting amongst other places the Sports Store Transalpino. The shop is now closed but for a couple of years it was one of the best places to visit and purchase difficult to find Trainees. 'Trainees' to those unfamiliar with the term is Liverpool slang for 'Training Shoes'. The saying used in the interview by Alexei was first used in Liverpool during the 70s.
Jocky the shops owner would take his inspiration from the late 70s/early 80s when if you wanted the latest pair of training shoes, you would travel to Europe and acquire trainers unavailable in the U.K. Jocky would travel to Europe and North America where he would purchase pairs of adidas that were difficult to find or sold out in Britain.
In this clip Peter Hooton gives a short interview on the ideas behind 'The End' fanzine and Liverpool's part in our Culture.