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Travel back to 1979 with Question Time

Permit yourself a trip back to 1979. I commend you to the first episode of Question Time currently available on the BBC iPlayer. It’s a wonderful show and maybe, maybe, something to make you hanker after a better, more gentle and more personable age. And blimey, in some cases: how little has changed. Thirty years on we're still hearing some of the same arguments. Robin Day is a deliciously acerbic and yet lovable host. The audience questions are less pointed but still uncompromising. The answers are less spun. In fact both Teddy Taylor and Michael Foot offer some quite complex, nuanced ... Read more »

Where've you taken me to this time, old girl?

Where’ve you taken me to this time, old girl?

I'm sure everyone does this, right? Have a few beers, see a discarded wardrobe in the street, climb in and pretend it's a Tardis. Everyone does it. ... Read more »
Brighton Scenes #9

Brighton Scenes #9

Two ladies. Diddly diddley dee. Immaculately turned out. Venerable dames, dolled up and not a day under 80 (I guess) but looking fab and much younger. On a Saturday afternoon for a few pre-Christmas drinks with chums in a nice pub not far from the sea. Lady 1: What are you having love? Lady ... Read more »
Labour can win Brighton Pavilion

Labour can win Brighton Pavilion

The Argus has published a poll that puts Labour in the lead in Brighton Pavilion. Labour: 26% Conservative: 16% Green: 12% Link to the clipping. The Green’s Jason Kitcat has rubbished the poll and spent a great deal of bloggage slagging off the use of graphs by every party but the ... Read more »
Some reflections on social media

Some reflections on social media

I wrote this last spring for a recruiter regarding a job I wasn't really suited to and didn't get. The references are a bit old and it's a bit more of an essay than I would like but as a braindump it sums up some of the ideas I hold regarding social media and, seeing as I hate wasting copy, I ... Read more »
Taking a Shine to Shine...

Taking a Shine to Shine…

One good turn deserves another. I was the lucky winner of a cut and blowdry at Shine Hair and Beauty in a raffle at the Brightwest Twitter Meet-up back in September. Since they were generous enough to donate the prize, the least I can do is blog about how marvellous it was. Thankfully, I don’t ... Read more »
Don't show my dad this....

Don’t show my dad this….

Spotted this shop in Sussex. Hoping it doesn't give my old man any ... Read more »
Political ‘crowdsourcing’: must the ‘crowd’ always be the ‘usual suspects’?

Political ‘crowdsourcing’: must the ‘crowd’ always be the ‘usual suspects’?

The Brighton Argus has embarked upon an interesting social media ‘crowdsourcing’ experiment. Voters in the hyper-marginal Brighton Pavilion parliamentary constituency are invited to report their encounters with party candidates via Google Maps. The idea sprang from the Brighton Future of ... Read more »
Where's Ben Duncan's blog gone?

Where’s Ben Duncan’s blog gone?

I know that Ben Duncan and his other Green Party colleagues care keenly about openness, honesty and transparency. They're right. It's the lifeblood of politics. That's why I was terribly worried to hear that Ben Duncan's blog had disappeared from blogland in the past few days. I'm a regular ... Read more »
Is Caroline Lucas on the Bus in Brighton?

Is Caroline Lucas on the Bus in Brighton?

Yesterday, the Brighton Argus (print edition) reported a press release from Green Leader Dr Caroline Lucas claiming a day's travel on Brighton and Hove Buses costs £3.80. Obviously, as any Brighton resident will know, a CitySaver ticket costs £3.60 daily (and there are huge savings available for ... Read more »
The Argus and Booze Brighton: Some thoughts

The Argus and Booze Brighton: Some thoughts

Last week the Argus ran a front page piece about the number of places in town that sell alcohol: “Booze Brighton has one bar for every 84 households” I think The Argus missed the point. This is a resort city with two universities and that, combined with a native population that I venture ... Read more »
My David Cameron

My David Cameron

I've been loving the efforts of people to thoroughly lampoon David Cameron. MyDavidCameron.com has lots of lovely spoof posters. You can make your own here. Here are some of my own efforts. Nothing clever. Just a bit childish. Here's a brace for for Doctor Who fans and lovers of The Divine ... Read more »
Smash EDO: I never hid my face.

Smash EDO: I never hid my face.

When I was 17, I was arrested during a Reclaim the Streets demo at the Old Steine in Brighton. I spent the afternoon in cells and my bicycle was confiscated. Subsequently, I went to court, pleaded guilty and took the punishment (bound over for a year and a modest fine, as I recall). On the protest ... Read more »
Sell on eBay to help the people of Haiti

Sell on eBay to help the people of Haiti

You’ve doubtless been moved by the heartbreaking tragedy in Haiti over the past few days in the aftermath of the earthquake there. I’ve found the urge to help overwhelming and yet, combined with a sense of powerlessness, also very frustrating. This article from DFID caught my eye today: ... Read more »