Paul Speller is a freelance journalist and writer. The father of two has been smiling more than usual following Stockport County’s recent promotion to League One.

Paul chooses his top 10 songs, films and books that have inspired and entertained.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE – GUNS N’ ROSES

The opening track on Appetite for Destruction, the album that best illustrates what music means to me. Hearing this new band, as a 16-year-old, was mind-blowing. I first saw them live when I was 17 and I most recently saw them in 2022. Some days I’ll go for the raw emotion of Sweet Child O’ Mine or the anthemic brilliance of Paradise City. But the opening notes of Jungle and Axl’s whispered ‘oh my god’ foreshadow all that follows in an era-defining masterpiece.

THE STAND BY STEPHEN KING AND  BLEAK HOUSE BY CHARLES DICKENS

Putting these two together may be cheating but it’s because I will argue with anyone that the epic narrative landscapes of each novel and how they weave their way to a conclusion make them genre-spanning comrades. Two of the greatest writers ever at the top of their game.

PADDINGTON 2

My mum has always loved Cliff Richard and Paddington. But I’ve had to buy her too many Cliff calendars to put him in this list.  Also, if you watch Paddington 2 and don’t cry at the end, you may just be missing a soul. The perfect family movie.

STAR WARS

Saw it at the pictures as a seven-year-old, when it first came out way before the words  ‘A New Hope’ were added. I cheered at the finale. It epitomises the magic of big screen cinema.

WORLD ON FIRE – SLASH, FT MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS

The set closer on Slash’s recent tour, which I caught with our elder son, for whom it was a first ‘proper’ rock gig. He – my son, not Slash – told me off for not screaming loudly enough. My parenting work is almost done. (And it was a brilliant show.)

THE EVE OF THE WAR – JEFF WAYNE’S MUSICAL VERSION OF THE WAR OF THE WORLDS

Our younger son’s granddad showed him a filmed version of the entire, updated show and he’s been in love with it ever since. This is the  dramatic opening. We’re off to watch it being performed in Manchester next year – just enough time for Co-op Live to get the arena sorted.

RATS IN THE CELLAR – AEROSMITH

The first song I saw them perform live. Another reason for selection is to test the Manxness of the Island Life editor.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME – IRON MAIDEN

My go-to lullaby when the boys were babies. Its effectiveness was probably due to their desperation to stop me singing. We’ll gloss over the fact it’s a heavy metal classic telling the tale of a condemned man.

THE MASTER AND MARGARITA BY MIKHAIL BULGAKOV

Brilliant, dark satire. Obviously, I’m including a Russian novel to try to look clever but another reason is the fact that, nearly a century after inception, it is bothering Putin.

WATERLOO SUNSET – THE KINKS

It’s thanks to Mrs Speller that I came to fully appreciate The Kinks.  I remember her reaction when Ray Davies performed this at the Villa Marina. For that alone it gets in.