20th Century
A History of Pop Music – Albums 1965
Featured Album: Righteous Brothers – Just Once in My Life This is a series of articles looking at albums from 1960 to whatever year we end up in. I will select a featured album for [more…]
Arts
Arts
Always Worth Saying’s Question Time Review
Question Time Andy Burnham Special 26th June 2026 The Panel: Emily Thornberry (Labour) Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative) Zia Jusuf (Reform UK) Stephanie Flanders (Journalist) Venue: Kettering Just when you thought it was safe to announce to [more…]
Arts
A Laotian Farewell (past memories part II):
It was early March in 1975 when the editor wandered into the newsroom of the New Zealand Herald and asked for volunteers to go to Vietnam. Specifically, Saigon. The older men kept their eyes down, [more…]
Arts
Down on the Farm. 1977-1982 – Sheep, Crops and the Dam
A second piece about activities on the school farm. As I’ve said in the last piece the place was a massive source of entertainment for teenage boys. Let’s get down to details though. Sheep The [more…]
Arts
Bash 2026 Report
I am a little weary despite a good Sunday lunch followed by a decent night’s sleep, other than that pretty good, unlike some lightweights. A few days light exercise, some sunshine, beers and good company [more…]
Going Postal
Of Cabbages, Kings in the North, & Populism (Part 1)
This chap, who I fear would not get a respectful audience on GP, did however manage to snag a gig last Christmas, delivering the Reith lectures on the BBC. In a series of four lectures, [more…]
Arts
Ivory Cutlery’s Day Off – Parp!
Greetings pop pickers (from the hot and steamy Côte d’Azur on the stunning Mediterranean coastline of southeastern France) and please be welcome to tonight’s Fabulously Flamboyant Friday and yet another of our groin-polished googlies from [more…]
Arts
The Clairvoyant
Perhaps the one aspiration all parties bar the Greens hold is to try to engineer some growth into the economy. Most of the blame attaches to the Treasury but the country seems unable to accomplish [more…]
Arts
Bash 2026 – Last Call
As Larry is on holiday cruising, one final Bash reminder. It is going to be hot. Thursday and Friday are going to be in the thirties. Saturday and Sunday a more reasonable mid-twenties. Hats and suntan [more…]