26/10/14: Paloma kids Akiu labels

An extraordinary month for abandoned CDs continued and concluded with this Tesco CD-R at the edge of the High Road in Whetstone. The writing on the disc appears to say "Paloma kids Akiu labels", but almost certainly doesn't say that. Any ideas?

25/10/14: Country: Modern to Timeless Country Classics (disc one)

Found at the edge of Mays Lane, EN5. No sign of disc two. Released in 1999, this compilation includes Shania Twain, Dixie Chicks, The Mavericks and many others. Highlights (I am checking the tracklisting on Amazon) are "Jolene" by Dolly Parton and "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" by Kenny Rogers. The lowlights are "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus and "When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman" by Dr. Hook. Is the latter even country? The disc has sustained some damage, but it's rather attractive. Claw marks?

19/10/14: Barnet Odeon disc bonanza – 6 of 6: Mavado Mr. Brooks......

Sixth of six CDs on the Great North Road, Hertfordshire, EN5. "Mavado Mr. Brooks......" is written on this Sony CD-R. According to Wikipedia, "Mr. Brooks...A Better Tomorrow is the second studio album by Jamaican artist Mavado. The album was recorded during 2008 and 2009."

19/10/14: Barnet Odeon disc bonanza – 5 of 6: ASDA

Fifth of six CDs on the Great North Road, Hertfordshire, EN5. An unlabelled ASDA CD-R.

19/10/14: Barnet Odeon disc bonanza – 4 of 6: Reggae For Cyprus 2011

Fourth of six CDs on the Great North Road, Hertfordshire, EN5. This Sony CD-R, labelled "Reggae For Cyprus 2011", is my favourite of the six. Note the neat handwriting, the carefully inserted "u" in "Cyprus" and the little picture of the sun. You can imagine the owner's optimisim about the holiday and how it might be further enhanced by this compilation.

19/10/14: Barnet Odeon disc bonanza – 3 of 6: TDK

Third of six discs found on the Great North Road in Hertfordshire, EN5. A TDK CD-R. Unlikely to play.

19/10/14: Barnet Odeon disc bonanza – 2 of 6: "How High" Signalex DVD

Second of the six discs found in the Great North Road, Hertfordshire, EN5. Not a CD-R, but a DVD-R in the "Signalex" brand. How High was apparently a 2001 romantic comedy directed by Jesse Dylan and starring Method Man and Redman.

19/10/14: Barnet Odeon disc bonanza – 1 of 6: Polaroid

While driving past the Barnet Odeon on the Great North Road, Hertfordshire, EN5, yesterday evening, I spied an entire spindle of abandoned CDs in the middle of the road. There was nowhere to park, and light was fading, so I went back this morning. The spindle had vanished (it would have been a hazard for drivers), but there were still six CDs – scattered a few metres apart – at the edge of the road. This one was an unlabelled Polaroid CD-R.

14/10/14: Capper Street, WC1

This Imation CD-R was in the gutter on Capper Street, WC1, just a metre or so from Tottenham Court Road. The latter is proving to be a fertile source of abandoned CDs and October 2014 has been unusually generous in disc offerings. This one is unlikely to play.

13/10/14: Tottenham Court Road CD-R in the rain

Inches from the gutter of Tottenham Court Road, just outside Warren Street tube station. Unlikely to play.

11/10/14: Philips CD-R, Leisure Way

Just opposite the Vue Cinema and Hollywood Bowl in North Finchley, this Philips CD-R lay on the pavement near the bus stop on Leisure Way. Unlikely to play.

05/10/14: Southover, Woodside Park

Third CD in four days. Incredible. This was on the post of a garden wall facing onto Southover, a road in Woodside Park, N12. Some abandoned discs have a better time of it than others. This unlucky blighter had been separated from its other half, which was nowhere to be seen. Flipping over the disc revealed it to be a Maxell CD-R with nothing written on it.

03/10/14: Iron Age – Concussion of the Brain, Courthouse Road, Finchley, N12

Two abandoned CDs in two days: things are looking up. Iron Age's Concussion of the Brain was found by the kerb on Courthouse Road in Finchley, N12. As well as showing a picture of a brain, the CD lists four tracks:
1. Schizophrenia
2. Brainless
3. Intelligence
4. Mind Control
I am guessing that the genre is heavy metal. The small print shows that this was released on Crossroads Records in 1995.

02/10/14: "Kigdavid If I Die Young", Stanhope Street, Camden

Unmarked Polaroid CD-R found on the kerbside. The insert paper (inside a plastic wallet) says "Kigdavid If I Die Young" and shows a YouTube page that presumably contains the relevant video. According to YouTube, as of today, "Kigdavid If I Die Young" has been viewed 511 times and received 16 thumbs-ups. I haven't done this previously, but for some reason I decided to keep this CD. If you're out there, Kigdavid, and you would like it back, get in touch...

16/09/14: "Mix 18-04-10", Totteridge & Whetstone tube

Found this Tesco CD-R on the corner where the station car park road emerges into Totteridge Lane. Enigmatic. On Sunday 18th April 2010, the main talking point was air-flight disruption owing to eruptions of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull. Thousands of flights were cancelled. The skies were silent, but for the sound of birds. It was a joy to behold. It's nice to think that this mix CD might have been compiled to celebrate that special sense of quiet, while simultaneously erasing it.

15/09/14: Lady fragment, Camden kerb

Who is the mysterious lady with the red flower in her hair? If I knew this, I might be able to work out what the disc is/was.

22/08/14: Sutied & Booted: Disc 1, Llety Brongu, South Wales

"Sutied & Booted: Disc 1", found in a lay-by next to Llety Brongu Farm near Llangynwyd in South Wales. It does actually say "Sutied", not "Suited". No sign of disc 2 or any subsequent volumes.

17/08/14: Dodgy CD, Totteridge

Found in a driveway in Totteridge. The less said about this one the better.

21/07/14: Music down the drain, Hutton Grove, Finchley, N12

What's left of the text suggests something to do with "Philadelphia". But did this TDK disc's contents relate to the city in Pennsylvania, the 1993 film starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, or the cream cheese? Unlikely to play.

09/07/14: Clear disc near Regent's Park

Strictly speaking, not a CD. It's one of those transparent circles that sits at the top of a CD-R spindle.

21/06/14: In the mud outside Sequoia nightclub, High Road, Whetstone

Sequoia has now closed down. According to the Barnet and Whetstone Press, on 7th April 2014: "Sequoia, in High Road, Whetstone, had its premises licence rescinded following a meeting of the council's Licensing Sub-Committee in Hendon Town Hall, in The Burroughs, last Wednesday... Complaints from residents included noise from the nightclub and from its customers leaving late at night, litter and antisocial behaviour.” Unlikely to play. 

09/06/14: Maxell MQ MasterQuality, edge of Regent’s Park

This Maxell CD-R was found just a few metres away from the "Joody Rahat, Coke Studio" disc, suggesting a connection.

09/06/14: "Joody Rahat, Coke Studio", edge of Regent’s Park

This Verbatim disc was found just a few metres away from the "Maxell MC MasterQuality" CD-R, suggesting a connection.

27/05/14: "Artwork Boys/Men", Tottenham Court Road

Not in good shape at all, this one. What kind of "artwork" of boys/men did this contain?

27/05/14: "Okomo Mountain wing boot replacement" (and nameless pal), Tottenham Court Road

Considering their location in the middle of Tottenham Court Road, these discs were in surprisingly good condition. Why was the labelling so thorough for the Imation disc, but non-existent for the other?

27/05/14: "Anna artworks", Tottenham Court Road

“Anna artworks” are very likely connected with the “Artwork Boys/Men" disc, found just metres away.

27/05/14: "RN 657", Tottenham Court Road

Tottenham Court Road is visible through the Datawrite disc itself. Who or what is "RN 657"? I was nearly run over while taking these pictures in the middle of the road on the way to work. Unlikely to play.

02/05/14: "Sonic Heroes", next to Totteridge & Whetstone tube station

Just down the hill from the tube exit is a block of flats with a small front garden, where I found this Nintendo disc. According to Wikipedia, "Sonic Heroes" is a videogame whose story "follows the journeys of four individual teams of three on their search for the mad scientist Doctor Eggman. However, Sonic the Hedgehog's clone and nemesis, Metal Sonic, is secretly manipulating the game's events in a plan to eradicate his long time foe." Unlikely to play.

26/04/14: "cool music" CD-R, Finchley alleyway

Found in a narrow gap between garages on Montrose Crescent, N12. The surface of this Imation disc is "bubbling". Rather attractive. Unlikely to play.

12/04/14: "Theory Test" CD-R, verge next to Waitrose, Whetstone

Discarded before or after the test took place?

01/04/14: White disc with blue/green-ish label, Stanhope Street, Camden

As the sticker ink blurs in the moisture of a Camden flat's garden, any indication of what was contained on this otherwise unlabelled CD is lost forever.

29/03/14: Pirate software CD-R (Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator) with mud, Waitrose car park, Whetstone

Well labelled, if not well looked after.

23/02/14: Mill Hill Park CD-R

A psychedelic rainbow of colours is nicely offset by green Arabic lettering.

20/02/14: Puddle disc pair, Drummond Street, NW1

Neither of these are likely to play.

11/02/14: "The Very Best of Pure R&B: The Summer Collection 2003" (CD1), Waitrose car park, Whetstone

Near the recycling bins in the Waitrose car park. Sticker reads “£0.20p”. CD2 nowhere to be seen.

28/01/14: "HP & Phil Stone", Camden High Street

A grim pile of Camden rubbish included a crisp packet and what appears to be "talking book" versions of J.K. Rowling's popular children's adventure stories burned to four Maxell discs.

25/01/14: Granville Road, Finchley, CD remains

Another "radically distressed" find. It would take a lot of work to get this one playing again.

19/01/14: Finchley CD remains

Is it possible that an aggressive cyclist took cruel delight in riding over this disc again and again? Important parts of the CD had vanished completely, either removed from the scene or ground down into invisible dust. Unlikely to play.

18/01/14: CD-R in Totteridge hedge

How does a CD find its way into a hedge in a quiet North London street?

11/01/14: "MP3 Music", Finchley

One of the few abandoned CDs that might still have been playable. "MP3 Music" is a fairly broad title and gives few clues about the kinds of delights burned onto this Imation disc. Can't decipher the other writing, alas.

03/01/14: "The Essence of Billie Holiday" (disc one), near Warren Street

Also visible in the January puddle: a small clump of grass and the reflection of your careless photographer. No sign of disc two. Unlikely to play.

29/12/13: CD-R in Whetstone (top and bottom view)

This was spotted in the small parking area just down the hill from Totteridge & Whetstone tube station. The writing on the disc had long ago passed into illegibility. The disc itself had begun leaving a trail, like a comet. Unlikely to play.

29/12/13: "29 Dj Charbel Mix", near Kenwood, North London

No idea who Dj Charbel might be. It's pleasing, however, to think that the mix on this Sony CD-R might be volume 29 in his or her hugely ambitious multi-disc deejaying project. Unlikely to play.

28/12/13: "High School Musical", between Finchley and Whetstone

Found by the roadside on the walk from Finchley to Whetstone, where Swan Lane meets the High Road. I love the way this disc gleams in the December sunlight. Almost a “Pac-Man” shape. Unlikely to play.