News and Rants

Rarely do I dabble in politics in this irksome little column, my irregular tirades against all and sundry and the Fuckwits of the World. The great EU debate trundles on. Lies & counter-lies, fiction & conjecture night after night. Blatantly exaggerated statistics, twisted and turned more than Keith Richards’ fingers,...

Listening to reports of corruption surrounding the world cup kicking off, or was it that Coe bloke’s gang or maybe both ? Who really cares in our troubled world ? When I was a kid you’d have had a proper kicking if you were called Sebastian. Staggeringly huge amounts of...

Walked in to Roughtrade Records today. Baffling mix of books, vinyl and cd’s with a promise of cassettes to come soon – whoopee doo. Fancied some Mavis Staples having caught part of her set on a Glastonbury re-run. If it’s not at least forty years old I can’t listen to...

I stumbled blindly into business, or more correctly self-employed survival in the days when answer phones were a real big deal. One of those Thatcher encouraged. “Not got a job you bloody sponging worm? Well work for yourself” “Ask Norman about a bike while your at it, now get out...

Sat in the window of the Lord Roberts like a pot plant watching the world go by from my bar stool. , Damp grey February evening , almost a promise of light nights to come. Freddie Mercury types loitering and casting the odd glance. Camp little boozer in Nottingham’s Lace...

Just been in a boozer called the Dog & Scroat, as big as my shed, watching a three piece do Zeppelin covers for ageing bikers. Bulging bellies, bandana wrapped round a chrome dome. Sweating under the heavy old leather. Whole bunch is knackered. One of them’s had an acid trip...

Just comatose on the sofa with a proper dose of Plague, none of that light weight man flu, this is a full-on near death experience with symptoms only alleviated by ginger and lemon tea while chewing on willow bark – source of aspirin, old indian trick. That’s North American Indian....

Saturday afternoon painting the shop. I used to spend Saturdays totally chilled one way or another. Now I’m in a shop, a space that was just a lock-up a few months ago, on a Saturday, I can’t believe it. Strange how life takes these unexpected turns. I hate painting. Done...