MEMORY TAPES: 22ND SEPTEMBER 2011

The main thing I've learnt from Memory Tapes is that the UK population would be nowhere near as high as it is without the humble mixtape bringing so many of you together. Nearly every week the story is of boys charming girls and vice versa; this week is no different, as Jo Piper from Devon explains...

"It was 1999, and my husband and I had just started dating. I was living in Croydon and James was living in Torbay. We had met when I was also living in Torbay a few years before, in fact to be honest I was dating one of his friends!

"But fast forward a few years that relationship broke down; I'm flat sharing in Croydon with a mutal friend of both of ours, we have a house warming party and james travelled up from Torbay to join the party. It was just one of those cliched things that when we got together, everything fell into place and it just worked and we knew we where in for the long haul.

"James still lived in Torbay, worked all week, then would catch the train every Friday night to London Victoria, where I would eagerly wait and meet him off the train. We would spend the most wonderful weekends in London, then I would wave him off every Sunday evening back to Devon. It took no time at all for this Sunday night departure to become very hard and the week would feel very long, lonely and I would will Friday night to come around again.

"Then one morning an envelope dropped through my door, which held the first mix tape James made for me. It was everything to me; I would play it on the train to work everyday on my beloved personal stereo and every night when I went to sleep.

"Every song held something special for me, but the key song for me was The Kinks' Waterloo sunset. With such memories already of lovely days and nights along the Thames we had together, and the line "Terry meets Julie and waterloo station every Friday night", used to make me beam as I would wait on the platform for James to step off the train at Victoria station.

"Well as you can see it's 12 years later, we've been married for nine years and we had The Tempations' Just My Imagination as our first dance.

"So if anyone is out there, and thinking of making a mix tape for a girlfriend/boyfriend DO IT!"

Yeah, DO IT! Then send it to us. Along with a photo, like Jo did:

Side A

Catatonia - Youve Got A Lot To Answer For

The Cure - Just Like Heaven

Jamiroquai - Do You Know

Suede - Pantomonie Horse

Teenage fanclub - I Don't Want Control Of You

The Smiths - That Joke Isnt Funny Anymore

The Cure - Love song

Bernard Butler - Stay

Morrisey - the more you ignore me

Dodgy - Grassman

Side B

Massive Attack - Protection (Eno mix )

Otis Reading - Dock of the bay

The Kinks - Waterloo sunset

Stevie Wonder - As

Isley Brothers - Summer Breeze

The Smiths - Boy With The Thorn In His Side

The Cure - Letter To Elise

The Tempations - Just My Imagination

Suede - Metal Mickey

Nat King Cole - Let There Be Love

Go on, send Lauren your mixtape and we'll celebrate it on the radio.