A couple of people I follow on twitter have been circulating a post from YouGov, which contains a survey about the relative attractiveness of accents. It turns out this poll was from November 2014, so it’s hardly hot current news, but so much about this really irks me. Putting…

Maybe not the Strangelove de nos jours, but still … — I sat down yesterday and watched Don’t Look Up, Adam McKay’s movie about what happens when a couple of astronomers in Michigan find something not altogether good in the sky. NOTE: SPOILERS. If you don’t want to know, skip to the “So What?” part. So, What Happens? Kate Dibiasky is a doctoral student…

Utilita Arena Newcastle, 20 December 2021 — It’s five days before Christmas, and you’d hope that Bill Bailey would be in a festive mood. Except he isn’t, not quite. Don’t get me wrong, he’s very pleased to be be in front of a proper audience again. And it’s a pretty full room tonight, in spite of the…

Fear and Loathing in Durham City — DISCLAIMER: I am writing this in a personal capacity as an alumnus of the University On 3 December South College held its pre-Christmas formal. Nothing unusual or untoward there, you may think: an occasion for ruminating on a first term back in Durham, with a semblance of normal student life…

When I was at sixth form, a school friend of mine went down for an admissions interview to read PPE at Oxford¹. During the course of proceedings he was asked about the Rule of Law and whether it applies equally to everyone. …

Newcastle City Hall, 5 November 2021 — Three years after last seeing them storm the Empire in Middlesbrough, Public Service Broadcasting are back on the road, promoting their latest album, Bright Magic. It’s actually been a long time since I was in City Hall. In fact, 6 years to the day after seeing Harry & Paul there…

A mental mindfuck can be nice — So, like everyone in the world and their dog, I have watched Squid Game, but in case you haven’t yet, there’ll be no major spoilers to ruin things for you. This is a thing that needs to unfold for you to fully appreciate. Gi-hun is a deadbeat. He’s an inveterate…

… it’s not about mushy peas — I picked up Tom Hazeldine’s book on a whim while browsing in Waterstones in Newcastle, a city which crops up a fair amount on the course of his discussions about the fractious and complex relationship between the UK’s regions. Let’s be clear from the outset, it’s not exactly a light…

Taking one for the team. You’re welcome — Just because you can make a film that is basically Buddhist Fast & Furious Highlander it really doesn’t mean you should. Ok, ok. It’s Saturday afternoon, and I was bored, so it was either this or another cookery show. I decided to jump in, purely for the purposes of science…