While going through the compactus in the Community History Room I found these old cassette tapes which took me instantly back to the 1990s. A well selected mix tape was a vital part of any 90s courtship. The songs were carefully chosen to express how you wanted the person to see you but also how you wanted to relate to the person.

The mix tape was a maze of subtexts layered with meanings but a well trained eye could read the meaning behind the tape well before they even listened to the songs. A 60 minute tape meant “I ‘like’ like you”. A 90 minute tape meant “I think I love you” and a 3 pack of 90 minute tapes was essentially a marriage proposal.

My mix tapes always had a Cure song (to show that I was “dark”), a Smiths song (to show that I was “clever”) and a Kylie Minogue song (to show that I was “fun” and open to irony).

What would have been on your mix tape?

Like, love and marriage.