The die is cast, the deal is done The virus covid set to run Its course o’er rough and ready jokes Of plaintiff minister’s plaintiff cry Be my judge – hedge your bets to live or die Who are you that ask so loud? So quarrelsome You will be cow’d in ditch cold, dreary, bare […]
Bryan Manley-Green encourages us to not put away our tree just yet, but festoon it with flags, sit back, and enjoy being a true global citizen
Grant Sharkey is an ultra-prolific double bass-playing funny troubadour. In 2013 he set out to release and tour two albums every year for twenty years – November 2021 sees the release of ‘Wolk Music’. Armed only with his double bass and his razor-sharp political wit, Grant has carved his own path through the music industry […]
John Tenido review of the Shang-Chi movie and its links to ten rings and the rise of Asian input and influence.
For centuries, football and rugby have been the main attraction in the UK, but they are not the only sports in the world. The Premiership, The World Series, the Superbowl and the National Basketball Association (NBA) Playoffs are some of the sporting world’s biggest and most anticipated events. Basketball particularly has been adored by countries all […]
With over 150 million premium subscribers and 356 million monthly active users, it’s no surprise that Spotify has been the king of the streaming service platform for a while. But that’s all about to change as in the early part of June, Apple introduced a new and mesmerising feature to Apple Music that could change the […]
The consequences of Brexit are devastating the music industry. The government must help musicians get back on their feet.
Begone! A political poem about the state of our country and the moral demise of our political system. It’s our families who mourn in pain.
Novel. Novelty. Newness. The newest literary form. Only a few hundred years old. A callow youth compared to poetry and drama.
Many will know of James O’Brien from his national 10am to 1pm weekday radio show on LBC. To borrow one of his phrases, “depending on which football shirt you are wearing” you’ll probably either think of him as a champion of progressive politics or a patronising woke lefty. But look back to when LBC was […]
In 1992 we lived and worked in Dorset. A beautiful count where I was Deputy Head of Lytchett Minster School.
Two of my colleagues were language teachers and together, we decided to create a European fortnight of theatre, music and food to celebrate the Union. Most of the staff and students got involved, and we produced several Spanish and French plays, held three concerts and hosted a Brazilian/Portuguese dance group who happened to be visiting Bournemouth.
Amen and Amen! For the first time in 65 contests, two songs with the same title might appear in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest final. That’s definitely a “might” as there’s every chance that Slovenia and Austria could get knocked out in their semi-finals on 18 and 20 May, hidden away on BBC4 before the […]
The stark change to the lives of the UK’s musicians and actors is heartbreaking. Prior to 31 December 2020, lockdown aside, a musician could jump onto Eurostar, pass speedily into France or Belgium and carry their instrument without paperwork, tariffs or red tape to their venue. Maybe for a week, maybe for a whole season. Post-Brexit, only 90 days is permissible.
Progressives are frequently accused of the desire to ‘cancel’, for example, by tearing down statues of slave traders or denying a speaking platform to those with unsavoury or dangerous opinions. During a period where the Government can’t find time to legally award and report on multi-million pound contracts, it has found time to announce its […]
Poetry was something I mainly read only at school. Of course there were examples of more accessible poetry from writers like Roger McGough, Pam Ayers and John Cooper Clarke, but their occasional appearances, often awkwardly slotted into a few minutes of TV time seem to have declined over the years. Recently I attended an online […]
“our website is filling up with digital and online activities”. Some of this is work designed to be digital and interactive, and some might be made for Zoom. There is experimentation and some work that is more traditional, audio only work and also film.
My love of badgers began when I was seven on finding a badger’s skull in a Derbyshire wood near my home. I could not have been more excited had I discovered a brontosaurus. In wonder, I stroked the large sagittal crest and carefully manipulated the non-detachable lower jaw. Immediately I felt a transcendental interconnectedness, an […]
Local music festivals have a variety of talented artists from all genres of music depending on the particular festival’s target audience. Very often artists are happy to travel from far afield to places such as Hallaton in the East Midlands to perform to their fans. It is a fantastic privilege for me to be able […]