One of the pleasures of Mark Gattis's documentary on the artist John Minton, which was screened last summer, was the appearance of Norman Bowler. As I wrote when posting an earlier interview he gave about his memories of Minton: One of my early heroes was Detective Sergeant (eventually Detective Chief Inspector) Harry Hawkins in Softly, Softly and then Softly, Softly: Task Force. He was played for a decade from 1966 by Norman Bowler, who turned up many years later as Frank Tate in Emmerdale. Before Softly Softly, Bowler was an artist's model and bodybuilder. He was a member of the ...
There is an interesting point in a post by Mark Pack on the number of wards the Liberal Democrats are fighting in next month's local elections. It is that the Greens are fighting fewer wards than they did four years ago. In 2015 they put up candidates in 38 per cent of wards being contested. This time round the figure is 30 per cent. I report this not to gloat - I feel warmer to the Greens than I do to the Tiggers, Change UK or whatever they call themselves - but to suggest it is another reason why a ...
Second paragraph of third chapter:So, I lingered with my family. David made a his classic slow-recovery breakfast: waffles with butter and maple syrup, or ice cream, if you wanted it, which the kids invariably did, except for Jo who ate her waffles naked to prove one of her more esoteric points. Don't ask me which one. There was also bacon, and stewed apples. Not even Jo turned those down. I drank a third cup of coffee while talking about nothing much with the kids.Gritty complex far-future espionage story, whose heroine is recalled from retirement with her young family to investigate ...
I like teasing people by asking (a) which political party has increased its share of the vote at the last five general elections in a row? and then following up with...
A song about three deaths: Johnny Ace, who killed himself in a shooting accident in 1954 when Paul Simon was 13; John F.Kennedy, assassinated in 1963; and John Lennon, murdered in 1980. This live performance took place during the Simon and Garfunkel concert in Central Park in 1982, two years after Lennon's death. When someone rushes on to the stage yelling "I gotta talk to you", there is real danger in the air.
Sat, 12:35: RT @Glasgowin2024: The news that Glasgow is our bid location was announced at the @ytterbiumcon opening ceremony. And now the news is get... Sat, 16:05: RT @erik_kaars: "We had to kill the Vikings, bc they bathed and brushed their hair and our wives couldn't resist such sophistication" is a... Sat, 16:59: RT @chrisgreybrexit: I've no idea whether the cave painting theory is right, but completely agree with the points about Brexit sources (inc... Sat, 18:53: The Life of Sir Denis Henry, Catholic Unionist, by A.D. McDonnell https://t.co/JiRfsHos6C Sat, 19:10: RT @wishusdonna: All set for @BSFA Awards. Follow @Lapswood ...
I have to confess that until all the headlines about Diane Abbott yesterday, I had no idea that the relatively innocent act of sipping a Mojito on a tube train was illegal, thanks to measures brought in by Boris Johnson when he was Mayor of London. But my main reaction to this spectacular non-event was to wonder what on earth the world has come to when sipping that Mojito is worthy of a public apology and acres of virtual and actual newsprint when lying and cheating your way to a narrow referendum victory is not. March 29th was the day ...
I have just published a counter-factual novel in which a fictional executive mayor of the Cardiff Capital Region (spoiler; there is no such post) is assassinated. It is available on Amazon here if you are interested. However, no credible fiction writer could have conjured up the present political situation. Having voted to leave the European Union, in a referendum, which, it subsequently transpired, was marred by rule-breaking, illegal expenditure and over-inflated and undeliverable promises, we are still members nearly three years later, and on the verge of electing members of the European Parliament, who may sit for just a matter ...
It is critical to always be using social media to capture more email addresses - then you can reach your entire intended audience, and control the flow of communication to your supporters.
Cheer number one: the proportion of seats being contested by the Liberal Democrats in this May's local elections is up significantly from four years ago.
This weekend sees two important religious festivals. On Friday, jewish communities marked Passover, which marks the Israelites' freedom from slavery and bondage and today Christians celebrate one of the most important days of the year for them, Easter Sunday. On the Lib Dem website, Lib Dem Peer Monroe Palmer writes about the significance of Passover: Across the world, Jewish families will sit around the Seder table to share food and recount the tale of how Moses led the Jewish people to their emancipation and deliverance. In retelling the story of the Exodus, we are reminded that the forces of oppression, ...
