Here’s a list of the songs that I performed in public for the first time during January 2025. Each month I aim to play at least one new song from each of the following repertoires: Songs that reached #1 in the UK. Songs that reached #1 somewhere else. Songs that have not reached #1 anywhere.… Continue reading Repertoire: Songs debuted in January 2025
“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
Last September I had two medical appointments on the same afternoon. The second of these, at the dentist, had been booked six months earlier: the twice-yearly check-ups for me and my two children. Having turned 60 I am eligible for free eye tests, but still have to pay for all dental visits (including check-ups). So… Continue reading The 266 Bus Route
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
I have created a new Category for this site, Repertoire, to keep a record of songs that I play in public for the first time. It only includes songs that I have committed to memory and played in front of other people in a public space. It will not surprise anyone who knows me that… Continue reading Repertoire: A Summary for 2024
Last month, for the first time ever, I visited a hospice. I have visited people in hospital hundreds of times, but had never even seen the outside of a hospice. One of my favourite cousins on my mother’s side had taken ill. She told us many years ago that she had cancer that was “incurable… Continue reading Word of the week: Hospice
Happy New Year to you. 2025 is a square number, 45 squared to be exact. The last time that I wrote about the mathematical properties of a New Year was in 2017, the most recent year that was prime. 2027 is the next time that the year will be a prime number. The last year… Continue reading 2025 is a square number
Here’s a list of the songs that I performed in public for the first time during December 2024. Each month I aim to play at least one new song from each of the following repertoires: Songs that reached #1 in the UK. Songs that reached #1 somewhere else. Songs that have not reached #1 anywhere.… Continue reading Repertoire: Songs debuted in December 2024
Since September I have been hosting quiz nights on Sundays at a local pub, as explained in this piece. Here’s a record of the 10 rounds of questions for the quiz on Sunday 22 December 2024, most of them Christmas-themed. Round 1: Christmas winners and losers What is this year’s Christmas #1? Which athlete won… Continue reading A Quiz from Sunday 22 December 2024
Since September I have been hosting quiz nights on Sundays at a local pub, as explained in this piece. Here’s a record of the 10 rounds of questions for the quiz on Sunday 15 December 2024. Round 1: Pot Luck with a Christmas theme According to the New Testament, in which city was Jesus born? Viscum… Continue reading A Quiz from Sunday 15 December 2024
The Compartments 