Paul Windsor's music retro: Having fish and chips on the South Parade Pier and watching World Cup football with a Sex Pistol

In among the punters I spotted Paul Cook, the Sex Pistols drummer and Richard Jobson, lead singer of The Skids.

I pointed this out to DJ Rusty Egan (also of Visage fame) who quickly persuaded security to let them into the VIP area. It was hugs and back-slaps all round as I realised that Rusty had played on the second Skids album

As I took a few pictures, I pondered: “What do you say to a Sex Pistol without sounding like a complete idiot?” Thankfully my son is a big fan of Paul's daughter Holly Cook who is a fantastic reggae singer and that gave me my in. “Yeah, she’s great isn't she?” acknowledged Paul.

Two years later I get a call from The News’s entertainments editor, Chris Broom: “I'm interviewing Paul Cook later, his band The Professionals are filming a video on South Parade Pier – do you fancy coming down?”

The words: "Bears”, “woods”, “popes” and “Catholics” sprang to mind and I was on my way.

When I arrive the band are throwing shapes for the cameras for the video to their next single Twenty 20 Vision in The Gaiety before moving into the arcade. No one seems to mind as I tag along for the rest of the day like an unofficial stills photographer on a film set. Paul is cool and a perfect gentleman and happy to oblige my request for a few solo and group shots.

As everyone wraps up for the day, attention turns to where we can get some light refreshment. The Royal Beach Hotel bar is packed, but I remembered the Deep Blue restaurant back on the pier has a bar so we decamp there. It was a surreal end to the evening, sharing fish and chips with a Sex Pistol while Chris conducted his interview.