United fan and friend of Bifurcated En Lim (@limenen) was just getting ready for work when there was a gentle tap at the door. It wasn’t the postman, no, it was the conductor from the Bifurcated Train!

He tossed her a  £1 coin and held out his hand  to lead her in the direction of the platform. There was only one train waiting to depart, there was only one destination…

Canvey Island!

As En disembarked at the other end she was ushered towards the  car park and the now over familiar car-boot sale with the stall, run this time by someone who looked suspiciously like ex-Manchester United and Calgary Foothill’s player Owen Hargreaves!

As is the format with this creepy post, the character has a message: “Welcome to Canvey Island cds, tapes and vinyl. I’ve got to shift all these for a friend of a friend after a miscommunication over some Spanish snacks (?), anyhow, won’t bore you with the detail, this surreal nonsensical rubbish puts people off as it is … We have every single ever pressed or recorded in stock, and at 5 for £1, you can enjoy picking your 5 favourites of all time?!”

 … And this is what En picked and why (in her own words) …

This Is The One by The Stone Roses

“A must have on any United fan’s play list. I was introduced to the wonders of the Roses a decade late, but having grown up listening to 90s Brit bands like Blur and Oasis, it was a matter of time I found out about the Mad-chester era of music. This was the first song I heard from the band and of course, it had to be my beloved United’s song as well. Inspirational, uplifting, always a reminder for me that there’s one thing in life i have a deep passion for – Manchester United.”

Comfortable by John Mayer

“JM is my favourite artist of all time and out of all his hits, it is his unknown tracks that I love even more. Comfortable gives a sense of nostalgia, that longing that everyone of us in this world has, the longing for someone or something that we used to have, but no longer do. And nothing we have right now can replicate that same comforting feel. That sense of missing and longing, is unspeakable, so songs like these serve as a reminder that someone out there in this world, feels the same as you do, understands the way you feel. The acoustics guitar riffs on this are amazing.”

 Paradise by Coldplay

“I fell in love with Coldplay the minute I heard Yellow on the radio. It’s near impossible to choose one song from them to have on my top 5. But Paradise is an uplifting pick me up song, perfect for any setting. Cheers you up when you’re down, makes you even happier when the days are going well.”

Never Forget by Take That

“I was a 90s music kid. And that era of music was the high point for boy bands like Take That and Boyzone. I will never be ashamed to admit that i loved the Take That boys, grew up reading Smash Hits and listened to radio all day long, eons before the iPod came along. This song will always remind me of my teenage years, the good, the bad, the ugly, the happy and the sad. My love for music was cemented the day I knew Mark, Gary, Howard, Jason and Robbie.”

Have a Nice Day by Stereophonics

“The first single I bought by an indie-ish rock bank was this. Perhaps not Kelly Jones and gang’s best and most popular song to date, but the acoustic slowed down version of this song speaks to me. A reminder that life is short, so go out there, have a good day, live it like its your last because you never know what will happen tomorrow. Always a favourite track for me to listen to while driving.”

Just before En headed back to the platform the Owen Hargreaves “look-a-like” stallholder pointed her in the direction of the old abandoned book stall and asked her to pick out a book, for free, for the journey home.

 … And En picked …

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

“”What came first, the music or the misery?” is one of my favourite lines off the book. I could read the book to death and can never get enough of it. Music is a huge part of my life, I use songs to remember situations, and people, and listening to a particular song always brings back a memory. Songs are my way of remembering my life. That is probably the reason why the book resonated with me so much.”

…and then we dropped En off at work, not a minute late.

You can follow En on Twitter here >> @limenen

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To submit your own five favourite singles of all time and partake in our slightly disturbing kidnapping scenario email us at:

hello@bifurcated.co.uk

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Also available in the series…

Canvey Island cds, tapes and vinyl:Adam Pinfold

Canvey Island cds, tapes and vinyl: Lucy