Imagine spending 35 years in London, surrounded by musicians, late-night drinking holes, colourful characters and the sort of encounters that stay with you for the rest of your life. Then imagine going home to Amsterdam and discovering you've got a lifetime of stories to tell.

That's Paul van Gelder.

I'm pleased to welcome Paul, my friend and the first guest writer to feature in the Stories section of my website.

A Dutch singer-songwriter, Paul arrived in London in 1987 and became part of its music scene. He wrote and performed with the Tipsy Gypsies, who released an album titled No Man's Land, before forming The Honkytonk Twins with German rockabilly singer-songwriter Manuela Klock.

Their collection of songs, Home-made Shangri La, was released in September 2024, following Manuela's death at 57.

Paul returned to Amsterdam in 2022, but the London years haven't gone away. He's now putting those memories on paper, bringing back the people, places, music and misadventures that made those years what they were.

His first story is a beauty. Boxing Day 2014, a North London pub and an unexpected encounter with Liam Gallagher. It starts with a casual drink and ends with Paul and Manuela being barred from their local. I'll leave you to discover the details.

Read Paul's story, The Day Liam Gallagher Bought Us a Round, below.

You'll also find links to his music and Substack page at the end.

Welcome aboard, Paul. Let's hear some more.

Tommy Kennedy IV

The Day Liam Gallagher Bought Us a Round
By Paul van Gelder

Now that Oasis are back together, there's a little story I'd like to share.

It all happened on Boxing Day 2014, at around one o'clock in the afternoon, just around the corner from my home, at the Stag pub on Fleet Road in North London.

Manuela, my muse, and I were nursing our Christmas Day hangovers with our friend Graham, a Falklands War veteran. Suddenly, I noticed Mr Liam Gallagher approaching our table.

"Sorry, mate, but we're not into Oasis," I blurted out before he could take a seat.

He sat down anyway.

"It's OK, I just want to have a chat," he replied.

So we talked, mainly about music and what we liked listening to. He even bought us a round of shots.

My mum called, and I handed my mobile phone to Liam, asking if he would be kind enough to wish her a Merry Christmas. Which he did, ever so courteously, without my mum having the slightest clue who he was.

He then told me that he would never let his missus get so out of it that she fell asleep at the table in public.

Manuela, the Bavarian beauty with a lily in her hair, had just done exactly that while I held her hand.

"Unfortunately," I replied, "we have no control over her alcohol intake, since she doesn't listen to anyone's advice or complaints."

I was playing the Devil's advocate, of course.

"Some women like the rock and roll life as well, but unfortunately they're not always able to drink as much as we can."

It all fell on deaf ears.

"What a charming fella," I thought as Liam walked away, slightly peeved by our mildly outlandish behaviour.

A week later, a fully awake Bavarian bruiser, together with her Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Pebbles, kept me company for a pint in the same watering hole.

This time, we got barred for being 'friends' with Liam G.

The landlord rushed over to us in the frozen garden at the back of the pub, where we were having a smoke. He took my glass of beer away and, after throwing what was left into the bushes, hissed under his bad breath:

"Get out. Now!"

Personally, I never understood the logic of that decision.

It was over a year before they let me back in again, on my own, without my postmodernist partner.

This time, the owner shook my hand and welcomed me back with a smile.

"Your first drink is on the house."

No fun drinking without Manuela, though. Being with her made the ordinary special.

About Paul van Gelder
Dutch singer-songwriter Paul van Gelder returned to Amsterdam in 2022 after living in London for 35 years.

During those years, he wrote and performed songs with his band, the Tipsy Gypsies. They recorded one CD together, No Man's Land.

After most of the band members ended up in rehab, Paul began singing, writing and performing as The Honkytonk Twins alongside German rockabilly singer-songwriter Manuela Klock.

Their collection of songs, Home-made Shangri La, was released in September 2024, following Manuela's death at 57.

Now back in Amsterdam, Paul has turned to writing stories about his colourful life in London and what it's like to return to the neighbourhood where he grew up, in a city that has changed almost beyond recognition.

Read more of Paul's stories and follow his adventures on Substack.

Paul van Gelder – Amsterdam Gypsy

https://substack.com/@amsterdamgypsy

Listen to The Honkytonk Twins on YouTube

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfxIdU-rjk4bLR5hVafa9FE_jwuEZrFsH&si=vbcDIDMnfzHq9w5L

The Tipsy Gypsies

Listen to The Tipsy Gypsies on YouTube

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lFANbYsQZzQYzFH_NclOd8emmhh6jVT_4&si=EoIH4Je6awNiqEQH

A big thanks to Paul for allowing me to publish his story and music.

If anybody else would like to share their stories, don't hesitate to get in touch with me.

Tommy.