Leaving London — whenever I do leave London it’s always the end of whatever trip I’ve been on to Europe, wherever else I’ve been in the country or continent. It was the case the last three times, it will be again next year wh[…]

Vanishing London: The Harvill Press London Writing Series
I read Harvill books. I don’t read any old Harvill book, obviously, because some of them look very long and very boring but there’s an amazing strike-rate of quality in the numbere[…]

Super-villain Names News: uncharted territory entered (via ILC)[…]

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists
I’m not going to review this book. On Amazon, dan2004 says “you certainly get a lot of laughs per pound” and “A reader” says “I kept putting itdown and down and down aga[…]

full moon over scratchwood
So I’m just back from a. real proper actual holiday abroad for the first time in more than 20 years (ie not a work-related trip and more than three days) (more on this when blog7 switches theme), and b. depping while[…]

Defenestrated
Just in case anyone’s interested in keeping up with the not-exactly-shock-a-minute final 24 hours of the transfer window, the Guardian has a rolling update going. It doesn’t look like anything much is happening, though.
Tal[…]

My walk to work every morning takes me along the back side of Buckingham Palace. The other side of the road – Grosvenor Place – is all blocky Regency pomp and big pillared porticos, interrupted by the occasional corporate HQ. The biggest […]

The So-Called “Happy World” Exposed aka “Must we throw this filth at our sweet-toothed kids?”. The phrase “kids and adults love it so” takes on a new and sinister meaning.[…]

Night Time Milk: maybe this should be on PROVEN BY SCIENCE as it is the subject of an experiment! My colleague has just bought me a carton of Night Time Milk which will help me sleep easily. Apparently. I don’t know whether or not it will work […]

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest – Edinburgh Festival
The Scottish tabloids were full of Christian Slater’s 35th birthday. Big Daddy O’s lap dancing club had thrown him out for ‘swearing’. ‘Hellraiser’ Slater […]