Hillman Imp
When it came to writing Mum’s tribute at her funeral I had no shortage of material and throughout various drafts the celebrant Philippa would gently chastise me that I had too many words, and that we were just too pushed…
Neil
James: Tomorrow
To the Bristol O2 Academy on a Saturday night for a special warm up show for James’ forthcoming arena tour and summer festival shows. Cheap tickets (relatively speaking that is at “only” £50 a pop) and an intimate venue with…
The Verve: The Drugs Don’t Work
There is usually that moment in any gig when one of “the” songs is launched and there is that murmur of recognition which suddenly ripples out across the crowd, an awed aww of appreciation at what is about to be…
The White Hart, Salisbury
The White Hart in Salisbury is an iconic Grade II listed Georgian hotel with a dramatic pillared entrance, a coaching inn dating back to at least 1635. And for us it has always been a vital staging post between Sway…
Happy Birthday Mum
March is a Mum month. First up there was Nan’s birthday on March 9th, then Mum’s on March 14th, with Mother’s Day just before or just ahead. It was a big month for Interflora, presents and cards, meals out and…
Franz Ferdinand: Take Me Out
We are off to see Franz Ferdinand at the lovely Bristol Beacon, née Colston Hall (as it inevitably will remain for me after four decades of going to gigs at that venue). My Franz Ferdinand track of choice and my…
Take That: Shine
Initially I did not take much notice of Take That’s comeback in 2006. Given the poor state of Gary Barlow’s post-split standing and the absence of Robbie, I figured it could well be a short-lived return. Whilst Patience exceeded expectations…
The Henri Poincare
Peter was the honorary counsel for France in Bristol, being officially appointed to that role on February 27, 1984, a position he then held for nearly two decades. I always thought it sounded very exciting having read Graham Greene’s thriller…
A Mini Adventure (1)
I had always fancied a Mini Cooper, the motoring equivalent of Britpop, even though I knew they were baby BMWs in all but name ever since the German takeover and relaunch in a larger and more modern style in 2001.…
The Triffids: A Trick of the Light
This is another band tale drawn from my informative Bristol student years of 1987-1990. But there’s very little of the traditional rock ‘n’ roll story arc, the narrative here is a of a cult band from Western Australia who burned…