David Shingler's Stream of Consciousness

Well, it’s been some time since I posted on here. I did start to write something at the end of 2025 but I just couldn’t get my thoughts down without breaking down. You see, it’s been a tough few months and every time I felt like I was coming out of the other side, something else happened.

Let’s go back to July last year. It all started when my house nearly burnt down. As luck would have it we live extremely close to the local fire station so the cavalry arrived before the fire could really take hold. We lost a cooker, a few pans and utensils, but it was mainly smoke damage and we were able to get everything back to normal within a week. God bless our fire brigade!

Then the big one happened. If you follow me on Instagram you will know that my nephew made the choice to end his own life. It hit the whole family like a ton of bricks and we’re still coming to terms with it. Life simply isn’t the same without him. One thing that came from it is the family have never been closer. Everyone stepped up. It should never have taken something like this for us all to be as close as we are now but it’s been a blessing. I don’t believe in an afterlife but if there is one, Michael – I hope you are at peace now. We miss you mate.

Over the next few months there was a combination of hospital visits, mental health issues and bad news in all different forms. But we keep moving forwards. I’m blessed to have a strong support network around me so when times get tough I know that the help is there if I need it. I genuinely don’t know what I would do without family and friends that understand how to deal with my low times.

As Christmas was approaching I was getting ready to overcompensate for all the negative things that happened over 2025 with a super festive December. Then suddenly my boss, mentor and most importantly friend passed away. This was a tough one to deal with from both a personal and business point of you. It’s very cliché to say that “we’re one big family” in the workplace but in this instance, we really are. The team is small and this felt like we had all lost an immediate member of our family. Personally, I miss our chats while we drove out to see big record collections. Mike had been in the business since the 1960’s and had so many stories to tell. If there’s a band that you like from the 60’s to the 2000’s, there’s every chance that Mike worked with them as they came through Stoke-on-Trent and the nearby areas. A massive pool of knowledge went with him when he passed but the ship keeps sailing – he wouldn’t want it any other way. The positive side to this is we now have two new members of the family, Alex and Jake, Mike’s sons. I’ve only known them for just short of four months but it feels like they have been part of the team since day one and it’s an absolute pleasure to work with them as we keep Mike’s vision alive.

Last month my friend Kyle passed away. He had been battling cancer for a couple of years and to be honest, you never would have known. Whenever I saw him I would call him a walking miracle! He was the most genuine and nicest guys ever. He always had time for a chat and catch up and he had been a part of the local alt scene for over 20 years. If heaven is real then it just gained one of the good ones.

So, what now? I’ve started a Masters Degree. Once again, as with my Undergrad, I jumped in feet first! It’s tough going but it has really gotten me to think about myself and my core values in relation to what I want to get out of life. Balancing it with life is proving a little tricky but it will be worth it when it’s done. I’ve also taken on a new role at work, dealing with the events and promoting side of the business. As with the Masters it’s a feet first, sink or swim kind of thing – but I’m swimming at the moment (just about). It’s been really good to meet new people and I’ve got some great ideas for the business. It gets stressful at times but hey, such as life! No two days are the same and I’m learning all the time. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Oh yes, I’m working on an album too. Almost forgot about that! I’m hoping it will be out before the summer but I’m fitting the writing and recording in as and when. It’s my first “real” solo album, by which I mean I’ve written, played, recorded, mixed and mastered everything myself. I did release an album in 2014 under my own name but I collaborated with other musicians when writing the songs and enlisted the help of a friend and his studio when it came to recording. This isn’t like anything I’ve done before either and so far I’m really proud of it.

And that’s it really. Nothing else to report. Hopefully the next post won’t take as long to arrive as this one!

Featured image by Christin Hume on Unsplash