“The British constitution is puzzling, and always will be” - Queen Elizabeth, on a visit to a new college building, to a politics seminar
Desert Island Discs - Peter Hennessy
It seems to have got dreadful reviews and I’ve not seen any of the other films but I enjoyed Venom 3
Not sure if this’ll work…but this is my Halloween playlist
I don’t think I’ve posted this before. A sketch note/map that i did a few years ago of the walk from Salisbury to Stonehenge
I saw these today, near Canary Wharf. I imagine they come to life at night, when everyone’s asleep
I can’t wait
Oh no I can’t…
#Panto
If I ever meet Daniel Ek who, I believe, is “Mr Spotify” I’m obviously going to tell him off for how little he’s paying the artists.
But when I’ve finished doing that, I shall ask him if he can tweak the app so that you can click on the song title to get all the cover versions of that song
I enjoyed Play On at Salisbury Playhouse last night
It’s a jazz musical based on Twelfth Night
I should probably have looked up Twelfth Night beforehand, as I’m not great at Shakespeare, but it was good fun nevertheless
It’s on tour after it finishes at the Playhouse
Easy or easier cryptic crosswords
I can sometimes get a few answers in a cryptic crossword, but I’m not very good at them
I can do these though
There’s a bit about them:
Helping you to build up a toolbox of tricks to solve clues, our new Saturday puzzle is a gentle way in for those starting out on cryptic crosswords
And a recent intro:
The first thing to know about cryptic crosswords …… is that there’s no such thing as cheating. Use the dictionary. Look up a solvers’ blog. Phone a friend. It’s your puzzle. In any event, most of our online puzzles offer a “reveal this” option. How to solve cryptic crosswords – the ultimate beginner’s guide
I’m enjoying the second series of D.I. Ray
I thought this was very interesting
Does the Irish Republic Want Reunification? BBC Seriously podcast
Personally, I think the short answer is ‘yes’…but as the podcast explains, it won’t be straightforward for anyone
““Fifa always shout that they want the game to be inclusive, and they want the game to lead by example. Well, if so, then make sure that you align with sponsorships that are leading by example.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about the appointment of an England manager as I am about Thomas Tuchel
He got Chelsea punching above our weight, he was very popular with fans and players, and if his nationality upsets the knuckle-dragging sections of England’s media and fanbase then so much the better ⚽
In France, it is described as “a delicious little thing that only British television knows how to produce”.
I’m not sure about that…but this is a nice article about the Detectorists
This is worth a listen if you have an interest in UK politics - Matt Forde interviewing Rob Burley about political interviewing.
The Political Party Show 317 - Rob Burley - Tuesday, May 30, 2023
It’s particularly good on the friendship between Brian Walden, an ex-Labour MP who became a TV interviewer, and Margaret Thatcher. The friendship came to an end with a bruising hour long interview
Steve Coogan is making a film about it
Want to read: Why Is This Lying Bastard Lying to Me? by Rob Burley 📚
You would think that Spotify, with all its money and its smarts and its AI, would be able to distinguish between:
- the Showmen who were “a New Orleans–based American doo-wop and R&B group formed in 1961.”
and
- the Showmen who were “an Italian soul/pop/R&B group from Naples.”
Watching an episode of the Cleaner and they refer to a sea monster called the Oilliphéist
Apparently
“an Oilliphéist cuts the route of the River Shannon when it hears that Saint Patrick has come to drive out it and its kind.
In a comic addition to the story, the monster swallows a drunken piper named Ó Ruairc (O’Rourke). The piper is either unaware of his predicament or is completely unperturbed and continues to play inside the Oilliphéist’s stomach. The monster becomes so annoyed with Ó Ruairc’s music that it coughs him up and spits him out.” The Olliphéist - Wikipedia
Nick Hayward, of Haircut 100, recounts how shocked he was seeing Sparks wandering around his home town - Beckenham.
There is something particularly arresting about seeing someone famous, not on stage and not in London, but just mooching about the place in which you grew up
These are the only two famous people I’ve seen walking around Salisbury, and, coincidentally, I’m a huge fan of both
Nick Heyward reboots ‘the fragrance of rock’ - Word in Your Ear
Thoughts on the Bournemouth half marathon yesterday
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Hengistbury Head is nice. Outdoors-y but with a nice cafe and visitor centre
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lovely route…I didn’t realise how much I missed the sea
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the steep climb, at about 8 miles, up the side of Boscombe Chine was…. challenging (swears omitted here)
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just two portaloos at the three mile point is nowhere near enough
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we were lucky with the weather
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I didn’t win
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trying to spot my young, bearded, skinny chum coming the other away among lots and lots of other young, bearded, skinny people is enough to make you go cross-eyed. It’s like an endurance version of Where’s Wally
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it’s a nice medal. It looks a bit on-the-nose, but the detail is nice
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I’m very grateful to the organisers and volunteers for putting it on
<img src=“https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/139254/2024/img-20241014-144543.jpg" width=“270” height=“600” alt=“A medal with the text “13.1 Bournemouth” is shown with a blurred background.">
wish me luck! 🏃
