Arts
The Dark Side of the Moon, by John Harris
This is a book which shouldn’t work – yet it kind of does. An in-depth look at one particular album from one particular band would, on the face of it, seem too niche to have [more…]
Foxoles
Arts
Lee Brilleaux: rock n roll gentleman, by Zoë Howe
The time is the mid 1970s. The place is Canvey Island. The band is the dynamic “proto-punk” outfit known as Dr Feelgood. (I put inverted commas round proto-punk because, although that is what some music [more…]
Arts
Book Review: The Man Who Hated Walking, by Overend Watts
Peter Overend Watts, who may be familiar to some as the ex bassist of Mott The Hoople (a band once described as looking like ‘hod-carriers in drag’ by Roger Taylor of Queen), was a rock [more…]
18th Century
Book Review: Commander
Edward Pellew is a name which will be familiar to many who have read Giles Milton’s marvellous book, ‘White Gold’, about the Barbary white slave trade. That book recounts the life of Thomas Pellow, a [more…]
History
The mummies of Cladh Hallan
If I said to you the word ‘mummies’, archaeologically speaking what comes to mind? (As an aside, that reminds me of one of my favourite British Library catalogue subheadings describing a book – ‘Mummies. For [more…]
Arts
Book Review: Some Fantastic Place – My Life In and Out of Squeeze by Chris Difford
This is the story of Chris Difford, a ne’er-do-well written off as ‘backward’ at school who went on to achieve fame and fortune as the founder and lyricist of the band Squeeze. Squeeze had a [more…]
Christianity
Christmas Gifts
“Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child, and when [more…]
18th Century
Book review: Georgiana, by Amanda Foreman
Amanda Foreman is the British/American daughter of American film-maker Carl Foreman (Bridge on the River Kwai, High Noon). Carl Foreman moved to England from Hollywood during the McCarthy era; he had been blacklisted and his [more…]
Health
Don’t worry – be happy
I was encouraged to write this article by Teggers Play Pop and Foxoles (I think) following a comment I made on GP some months ago. I can’t recall exactly what I said but it was [more…]