My subject is memory. Occasionally names or concepts fail to come to mind when I want them to. Sometimes I have struggled to remember the names of actresses, like the one who played Bubble in “Absolutely Fabulous” and the woman who played Cassie in the original UK series of “House of Cards”. Similarly, about five… Continue reading Word of the week: Spiegelhalter
A year ago this week the actor and comedian Tony Slattery died. I wrote this piece about him the day we heard the news, recalling how he was a schoolfriend of my brother’s, and a family friend for many years after that. I have written many thousands of words about him since them, not finalized… Continue reading The champagne had turned to vinegar
“All I Have To Do Is Dream” was a 1958 #1 here in the UK for The Everly Brothers, a double A side with “Claudette”. I added it to my repertoire in September 2021. I can tell you the exact date without having to check anywhere else: Saturday 11 September 2021, or the 20th anniversary… Continue reading Repertoire: “All I Have To Do Is Dream” and my reasons for playing it
Sad news today. The actor and comedian Tony Slattery has died aged 65. He was a schoolfriend of my brother’s, and a family friend for many years after that. He has been mentioned a few times on this site. The handful of references to him on other pages can give you a sense of our… Continue reading Tony Slattery RIP
In the late 1980s, when I was still in my 20s, my listening habits changed. My radio station of choice for most of my life had been BBC Radio 1. In the 1970s we switched from there to the newly created Capital Radio from time to time but Radio 1 was the default station on… Continue reading Capital Gold in the late 1980s
My daughter turned 18 last month. I mentioned it in this piece about Berlin. When my son turned 18 two years ago we took a symbolic trip to a nearby pub for him to buy a pint of beer for the first time. It was a pint of London Pride, for me. He had lemonade.… Continue reading Buying your dad a pint for the first time
My daughter returned last night from a school trip to Berlin. A week earlier she celebrated her 18th birthday. She was only away for three nights, but it felt like longer. She had a cold the weekend before she left, and I have had one for the last few days, but had recovered enough to… Continue reading Berlin Memories
A few months ago a friend invited me to a show at the Albert Hall. He and I worked together on a project over 25 years ago and have stayed in touch, but have not worked together since 1999. His current employers have a box at the venue. He doesn’t entertain corporate clients in the… Continue reading A box at the Albert Hall, 2024
I have been poorly recently. In May, for the first time in many years, I was laid low with a chest infection. Long ago, starting in 1998, I had chest infections fairly regularly, half a dozen or so over a 10-year period. The first one, in the summer of 1998, really knocked me back. I… Continue reading “We can call it pneumonia if you like”
I am in a Sam Cooke frame of mind, singing and playing a range of his songs that I have learnt over the last 25 years. Some of them reached #1 in various countries. He only had one UK #1, as a songwriter: “Only 16”, recorded by Craig Douglas (1959). He wrote and recorded “You… Continue reading “Touch the Hem of His Garment”
The Compartments 