'... It should be here sooner in a big way but at least we have radio stations ... I think in January and February there will be a good thing to be announced ...' Somehow, I doubt those are Richard Branson's actual words; more a Thai (mis)translation.

Yes , virgin already flies to Thailand direct from Perth , but this is shortly to be axed !

Brandon is going to compete with the soapy massage parlours? The guy is funny!

He still hasn't reimbursed me for the scratched copy of Tubular Bells I bought mail-order from him in 1974.

Didn't Mike Oldfield have some issues with Virgin over the that album also?

Mmm, not sure, but the album was such a massive hit that it pretty much 'launched' Virgin who up to then were just a mail order record company in Tottenham Court Road. I still have the record, along with other classics that I bought from Virgin.

I believe that Mike had some concerns over a conflict of interest between his manager of the day (Mr. R. Branson) and the owner of his recording company (Mr. R. Branson). It appears that all is forgotten now and they're good buddies again.

I too still have the original Tubular bells bought from Virgin Records plus a couple of hundred other vinyl's back in the UK, maybe I should go and clear the dust off them.