The summer of 1976: listening to Wings ‘Let Em In’ [or was it Silly Love Songs?] on my transistor radio while camping at Bardney Dairies, Lincolnshire, as part of the Camping Club National Youth Rally. All I […]

Despite living in UK in the 80s and now Australia I don’t think have ever watched a single episode of Neighbours from beginning to end. Its popularity always baffled me. And having lived in Australia for almost 30 […]

Alexei Sayle’s interview with Corbyn on his podcast is worth a listen. Let’s just say Alexei is not a fan of Keith Starmer.

Nepal was my first overseas trip in three years. I used to get crazy cheap flights to China from Sydney and would explore the mountains in the Tibetan borderlands. Nepal was the nearest alternative as China is […]

Is he still going? It’s like hearing that the Mini Metro is still in production. Surprised to hear that he’s still on air let alone on BBC national radio. I left the UK in the eighties and he was sounding dated even then.

Was a big fan of Wilder from when I lived in Liverpool in 1981. Met Julian once waiting in the queue at Midland Bank near Rodney Street, and my girlfriend bizarrely started asking him about what A Levels he did […]

1977. I saw it when I was 14, target age group. Thought it was rubbish even then. Like a cross between Wizard of Oz and The Dambusters. Was more impressed with Close Encounters, which like many films in the 70s […]

My last trip to Bradford was from my home in west Leeds, age 16, on 21 February 1979 to see Lene Lovich at the University Union. Supported by a band called Fingerprintz who had a singer called Jimme Shelter. Can’t […]

I look forward to Dutton’s leadership of the defeated Liberal Party – he will drag it into oblivion with his hardline policies and mediocre performance. I had the misfortune of meeting him once when he was health […]

Nothing, for which at 59 I count myself lucky. And as someone who used to work in the pharmacy sector, I always thought it best to avoid anything pharmacological wherever possible. My brother who has type 2 […]

When I moved to London in 1980 there was a group of art students trying to start a movement called the Grey Organisation, as a reaction against Thatcherite Consumerism. I think it was just four blokes in a Soho […]

I was introduced to Roxy through the Viva live album, so when I heard the same songs (Chance Meeting, If There is Something) on the first album they sounded a bit flat and formal. Same thing with Joy Division – my […]

I’m surprised by how much Costello featured in my 80s listening, maybe because I liked anything on Stiff Records. Totally dropped off my radar after the 80s and now, like EBTG, when I re-listen to it it most of […]

Our Leeds school class wrote to Savile asking if we could re-enact something from Bugsy Malone, even though many of us saw him about town. I did some voluntary work at LGI [Leeds Infirmary} on the hospital radio […]

Unpopular opinion: China is not a fascist state. I lived and worked in China for a while and have no illusions about the government and the dire human rights situation there. But it’s not fascist.
I’m not going […]

I like coffee. I like tea. Is this a zero sum game? Or as Xi Jinping says, we can have a win-win situation?
Australians like to claim their coffee is the best in the world. I’m not so sure. After visiting […]

I’m a bit old school when it comes to statues. The Greek and Roman ones are OK but since then I think standards have slipped a bit. Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth are a bit Vision On.

I’m also missing Matt’s musical contributions such as the songs with Morgana Robinson. What happened to them?

I loved the first three series of Toast of London but 3 episodes into Tinseltown I’m a bit disappointed, still waiting for the laughs. The Fred Armisen stuff in particular just seems weird for the sake of it. […]