RIP Helen Cresswell, author of The Bagthorpe Saga, which made me larff so much as an 11-year old that I’ve never dared go back and try reading it again.[…]

Alix Campbell writes:
Statues, icons and paintings cry and bleed all the time. It can happen to almost any figure – the Virgin Mary, Jebus, any number of obscure saints, and even a Dutch statue of Elvis. Liquids exuded include blood, tears and oil.[…]

I am listening to a track by THE ROOGALATOR! Another tiny ambition fulfilled, it’s called “Love And The Single Girl” and it’s a bit ‘jazzy’, like a naffer Joe Jackson maybe. It will not be being played at the next […]

Racial puppetry in right-wing comics – fascinating and well-researched stuff, right-wing strips (as opposed to editorial cartoons) have never really caught on in the UK so it’s hard to think of an equivalent for this kind of thing. Also j[…]

Bits of Nick Southall’s latest Stylus essay fits comfortably into a growing trend, anxiety over download culture and the hyperconsumption it allows. The cynic in me suggests that critics worry about this new world because it’s harder to f[…]

Seen at Victoria this morning, an advert for Holiday Inn with a picture of an egg and the text:
“Poached. Boiled. Scrambled. Then fried?”
the idea being that Holiday Inn will do your eggs any way you want, even the atomic way! Quite how t[…]

On the cover is the smiling face of Al Martino. Sorry ladies, he’s 78.
The theme is ‘underrated number ones’
1. LORD ROCKINGHAM’S XI – “Hoots Mon”: Big end-of night feelgood stomper.
2. FLOYD CRAMER – &[…]

The Nu-Guardian reaches Friday and so it’s time for the new look Review, or rather Film & Music. And something leaps out at me. They’ve replaced the old “at home with…” feature, in which musicians talked about their[…]

A few weeks ago a copy of the first ever biography of Belle And Sebastian landed on the FT doormat. The FT doormat gave it to me, and I decided that I would use my extensive contacts amongst reformed members of the feared Sinister ‘massive&#821[…]

AIM: To determine whether pink wine is just red and white wine mixed together.
APPARATUS: Glasses. Pen. Paper. Sample of food scientists.
INGREDIENTS: One bottle each of cheap red, white and pink wine.
METHOD: A glassful of pink wine was poured, and […]