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I'm always too scared to visit this chemists. I can't imagine why. ... Read more »
A tweak here and a tinker there...

A tweak here and a tinker there…

Have you noticed? We’ve tidied the place up a bit. Do you like it? Good websites are evolutionary. A tweak here and a tinker there. Every version is the iteration before the one that comes next. A few weeks back I was chatting with my good chum Sue Bailey, AKA blogmum. Regular readers will ... Read more »
Brighton Scenes #7

Brighton Scenes #7

Backstreet boozer not far from the sea, sunny Sunday evening. A flame haired, ill-tempered 30-something woman approaches the bar. She has enjoyed a few scoops. And I don’t mean ice cream. Her: (Rudely) What wine have you got? Barman: Red or white, madam? Her: White. (As if he should have ... Read more »
TV Nostalgia: Crystal Maze

TV Nostalgia: Crystal Maze

The Crystal Maze was a big deal during the early nineties. If you were like me and in your early teens, it was required watching and, frankly, terribly exciting and cutting edge. It represents the pinnacle the adventure-style game shows that replaced boring old quiz shows for a while and filled the ... Read more »
TV Nostalgia: Treasure Hunt

TV Nostalgia: Treasure Hunt

Early on, Channel Four specialised in Granny-Vision. Countdown was obviously vital for the old folk as well as students. Treasure Hunt was Sunday afternoon entertainment. Certainly in our household, it was family viewing. Especially if Granny was around. Treasure Hunt in a nutshell (as I ... Read more »
Farewell Henry Allingham

Farewell Henry Allingham

I live a stone’s throw from Brighton’s oldest church, St Nicholas’s. So I felt an urge to attend the funeral of Henry Allingham, one of the last veterans of World War 1. Many hundreds of people were there too. It was a moving occasion, even outside the church. Sombre certainly and all the ... Read more »
Stockman's Plinth Innings

Stockman’s Plinth Innings

It was a tremendous giggle to go and see my mate Martin Stockman strut his stuff on Anthony Gormley’s fourth plinth as part of the ‘One and Other’ project. Dressed in cricket whites, resplendent in team blazer and cap he read his own poems (some with a cricket theme) and also lyrics from ... Read more »
How 31 Year Olds Consume Media

How 31 Year Olds Consume Media

Matthew Robson (aged 15) wrote a memo for Morgan Stanley called ‘How Teenagers Consume Media’ and caused a stir. I’m hoping to be as helpful with my own memo along similar lines. Don’t expect it to make the front page of the FT any time soon though. How 31 Year Olds Consume Media By Dan ... Read more »
TV Nostalgia: The Boy from Space

TV Nostalgia: The Boy from Space

It’s amusing to think back to the notion of schools’ television when I was a kid in the 1980s. Whole classes would sit in front of a big telly and watch broadcasts live or on video. The video was much sought after, as I recall. Televisions were wheeled from room to room. Telly time was ... Read more »
Real Ale Tasting Notes

Real Ale Tasting Notes

One non-snobby reason I like Waitrose is the very real commitment to local produce. And one of the reasons to rejoice about this policy is their selection of bottled ales from Sussex. Selflessly, I have taken it upon myself to shell out, stock up and tuck in for you, dear readers. Hepworth’s ... Read more »
TV Nostalgia: The Adventure Game

TV Nostalgia: The Adventure Game

(It seems like I've been blogging mostly politics these past few weeks. Here's a bit of whimsy... the first in a possibly new series of nostalgia telly posts). The Adventure Game lurks dimly in my memory and sometimes I worry that I’m the only who can recall it. I think it was on at about 6pm, ... Read more »
Introducing Twistory: 1914

Introducing Twistory: 1914

Twitter is people saying what they're doing right now. So what would history be like if it had played out on Twitter? I'm calling it Twistory. Sellar and Yeatman meets Web 2.0. All the history you can remember in 140 characters. Here's a chunk of something I've been working on these past few ... Read more »
In Praise of British Citizenship Ceremonies

In Praise of British Citizenship Ceremonies

Patriotism, let alone nationalism, is not that British. We seem coy about celebrating our nationality and it's rather a shame. Until recently the Union Flag was seldom flown on public buildings and, unlike in other parts of the Commonwealth where the Queen's portrait is often seen or the States ... Read more »
The Practical Way to Keep Fit

The Practical Way to Keep Fit

I picked up a set of about 12 self-help manuals in a charity shop a few weeks back. They have proved to be mightily entertaining. I think Harry Robert's 1939 volume 'The Practical Way to Keep Fit' is superb. The illustrations are of particular amusement. Here are some choice ... Read more »