20th Century
A History of Pop Music – Albums 1960
Featured Album: Elvis is Back 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 each year and the link [more…]
20th Century
20th Century
Kenya’s Austerity Loop
For the second time, Kenya has pressed its palms against the cold marble of the IMF and the World Bank, asking the same architects of global austerity to diagnose wounds we have spent time inflicting [more…]
20th Century
Standing with Giants: A Postcard from Pompey
‘Twas on a grey, damp and dismal day in January that, together with a couple of my ‘dementia friends’, I headed off to Fort Nelson, one of Palmerston’s Follies. This particular Fort is not quite [more…]
20th Century
The History of Pop Music – 1999
Featured song: Robbie Williams – She’s The One This is the last of a series of articles looking at pop music from 1955 when in my opinion proper pop music began up to 1999 [more…]
20th Century
Black Chips Down in Somaliland
Americans know Somalia from the film “Black Hawk Down” based on the U.S. intervention of 1993. The U.S. had armed Somalia’s strong man, Siad Barre, as a counter to Ethiopia’s Marxist government, but with the [more…]
19th Century
Easter Railway Review
I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a while, but real life keeps interrupting. One’s pen’s been distracted by a diminishing Navy, war in the Gulf, Question Times, Holy Week and even the installation [more…]
20th Century
The History of Pop Music – 1998
Featured song: All Saints – Never Ever (UK Version)
20th Century
Tanker Wars
All has changed. Or has it? We have been here before, literally. The Puffin is a well-travelled bird with a good memory and can recall rolling dunes, desert villages, remote sun-drenched harbours and trails of [more…]
20th Century
The History of Pop Music – 1997
A History of Pop Music – 1997 This is a series of articles looking at pop music from 1955 when in my opinion proper pop music began up to 1999 when they stopped making it. [more…]