Blacksmith Cottage
In the 1980’s David Hosen purchased Blacksmith Cottage and converted the outbuilding, an old ‘smithy, into Octopus Recording Studio.
According to a later press report he had a bit of a shock when he realised the amount of work that needed doing to the 200-year-old property.
However ‘just about everybody on the local council came to vet and generally approve the new venture. Essentially what Dave managed to do was take what had been a local eyesore and restore it to its original condition, and on those grounds planning permission was not really too much of a problem. ‘
The converted barn was well insulated and with few neighbours to observe the comings and goings perhaps this helps explain why few local people remember the existence of the studio, despite the bright pink Octopus that was reportedly painted on the outside wall.
Inside the walls had space for ‘acts which have used the studio to pin up their own particular piece’ and also for ‘copies of ‘standard’ reject letters from major record companies so that the budding stars can get some idea of the kind of people they are going to have to deal with’!
The Hosen’s and their engineer Tony Phillips put together a compilation album entitled ‘So you think we’re all farmers’ as a tribute to some of the bands that had recorded in Saxham Street What happened to Bandaxis, Bulk Erasers and the Stray Trolleys, Nodding Dogs, Rich Gypsy or Dead Students and the Outpatient?
Apparently, Nik Kershaw and Jim Wilde also spent time in the studio!
Sadly today there is nothing to remind people that the studio ever existed and there is even confusion as to whether it was opposite Oak Tree Farm or further along Saxham Street opposite The Driftway (there had also been a ‘smithy here.)
