To me the old red Soviet Union shirt with CCCP across the chest is often overlooked, especially the one sported during Euro 88. I also liked the mysteriously enigmatic blue East Germany national shirt with the […]

Back in the early 70’s Brazil and Argentina used to wear grey socks when the colour of the oppositions socks clashed with their own. A lovely touch that in my humble opinion should be reintroduced.

The weird thing looking back, but which didn’t seem strange at the time was how at their imperial all conquering peak they regularly turned up on programmes like Crackerjack and Seaside Special.

Malcolm McLaren?

I read somewhere that when out nightclubbing George Michael used to approach the (admittedly starstruck) DJ, request his own songs, then wildly dance away to his self penned hit records. Difficult, because […]

I know exactly what you mean. A bored and disinterested Billy sneeringly curled his lip and told me to “Faaaack off” when I foolishly requested an autograph just before a sparsely attended, ramshackle Gen X gig at […]

Good old Dennis Wheatley. All foreigners (apart from the Duke De Richleau) were dodgy, trying by espionage or witchcraft to bring down the monarchy or Conservative government. His villains always had a glass eye […]

Ahh. I sense your palms are moist, your forehead clammy ,bathed perhaps in the cold sweat of hypocrisy.

Well you did say yourself “A little argy bargy helps get the threads going” on the New Bond Theme thread…..Skulks off back into the darkness.

A bunch of old and useless Dads and Grandads slag off Rod and Ronnie for playing old and useless Dads and Grandads music while embarrassingly sucking up to Dave and Stormzy cos their brilliant , young and ace. […]

I miss seeing in the New Year watching “Whispering” Bob Harris’s Old Grey Whistle Test review of the year. It always ended with him gleefully playing some open air concert footage of the “viewers most requested […]

“Brother Louie”. Modern Talking. From the album “Romantic Warriors”. Simply lovely.

Thanks Mike H and fentonsteve. I think I will go back on the off chance. The “shop” was literally a kiosk, type’ hole in the wali business that seemed to specialize in phone repairs. Sounds dodgy doesn’t it?

dai and Mike H. Thanks for the comments. I must admit the “did he replace the battery with another faulty battery” theory crossed my mind at the time. He gave me my old battery back when I collected my iPod. It […]

Slightly off topic.My iPod classic. Worked fine for about 8 years then the battery seemed to die. I’d charge it up, then after about 45 minutes of music it would simply run out of power. I did a bit of research […]

Christ! Whoever said rock n roll is dead?

Harry Turtledove’s World War series of books. First four were brilliant. Ploughed through three more, every one a little more turgid and disappointing than the last. Couldn’t finish the eighth and final volume. […]

And in the Office and Stationary Department you could pick up a Rudimentary Pen.

I’ve really enjoyed Mark Kermode’s previous books but didn’t even finish this one. Put bluntly, anodyne. However, I very much get the feeling I’m in the minority as it seemed to receive only heavy praise and […]

And yet…. Sigue Sigue Sputnik (the group not the cats) did look, and for a short period sounded like they came from the future. The Korova Milk Bar house band.