Category Archives: Politics

Radio

I don’t listen to the radio enough. Last week, Radio 5 Live were in the bar for a live broadcast. It was a two hour politics programme, with a focus on next month’s local elections.

This was one of four programmes, from Cardiff, Birmingham, Gateshead and Edinburgh. I didn’t think in advance to ask why Gateshead was included. There was something of a transport theme, so I could understand why they were interested in the bar. But Gateshead.

I was impressed with how well run the programme was. Yes, I know that the BBC’s been doing this a while, but there was a lot going on and it somehow fitted together seamlessly.

The dog made her radio debut too. It wasn’t planned, but we did learn that she either likes or dislikes tap dancing. Her reaction to this was very much the same as to cocktail shakers. She was pretty loud.

Matt Chorley, the presenter, proved to be a genuinely nice guy, as was Ian, the sound engineer. They stood out, but everyone was great.

Yesterday, a week later, a couple from Barnsley came in the bar. They stayed a while, longer than their one planned drink. They’re in the area for the beer scene; it happens regularly.

Weirdly, one does work for a beer related radio station. I’d never heard of it, and need to look it up, but she records short sections in bars and asked if it’d be ok to this.

They were really nice people too. Maybe the radio attracts nice people.

Socialism

Remember the Charlie Brown Christmas song? It goes, ‘Oh Christmas tree, oh …’.

I much prefer, ‘Then raise the scarlet standard high’.

Yes, I know there’s the old Labour Party version. It’s more current, more correct; but the old version is so cool. And, in the weird place we’re in right now, so relevant.

Anyway, a Christmas tree.

Madness

I was a huge Madness fan in my (and their) younger days. Since their Ladykillers tour brought them to Newcastle yesterday, I had to grab some tickets.

Squeeze, who I’d (weirdly) never actually seen live before, were supporting, and they were a huge bonus. Particularly since I’d not known that Glen Tilbrook had rejoined the band.

I’d actually watched the Ladykillers, the classic old film, on TV yesterday afternoon. I’d assumed that the tour of the same name was unconnected, but the gig definitely had something of a theme, with images and clips from the film. There were also, unusual for this band, pretty open criticisms of UK politics.

Yes, they’re getting on a bit, but they do still put on a good show.

It was also clear that they’d had some coaching in the Northeast dialect, when they performed Wor House. There was also the correct pronunciation of Newcastle, as opposed to the inappropriate Newcarstle.

Save Us Now

Apparently, there is a new political movement in Gateshead. They are shining a light on corruption.

This leaflet arrived through our letterbox this afternoon.

Unfortunately, this new political party, which wants my vote in the local elections, aren’t able to achieve even a minimal standard of grammar in their marketing material.

There’s the obvious apostrophe fail, several instances, spaces before commas (on a pretty big scale), and missing full stops.

Oh, then there’s the weird change in font, presumably to fill a page.

Should I mention the scaremongering about Gateshead Council’s pruning trees to allow a 5G signal to work more efficiently?

Now, Gateshead Council are rubbish, but is there really a subversive move towards streetlight 5G transmitters?

I’m more concerned, as I’ve previously mentioned, about their tendency to demolish old buildings and their failure to maintain clean streets.

I shall read what they have to say at www.saveusnow.org.uk. although I think they should have gone for a .com. it does appear to be complete rubbish though.

Photoshop the verb

Somehow, I’d missed the formalisation of Photoshop as a verb. Like many, many other people, I’d used it as such since the 90s, but I’d not realised that it had been adopted by dictionaries until this morning when, on breakfast news, a clip was shown of Theresa May accusing Russia of using fake news along with photoshopped images. 

As a committed Linux user, I’ve used Gimp as a most capable alternative to Photoshop. While I do recognise that gimped may not work quite as well as a verb, it feels wrong that mainstream dictionaries should offer free advertising for Adobe. 

Currency

Seriously, Scottish notes are much better on the eye. 

More effort seems to have gone into the design. Darwin still takes a bit of beating though. 

Peebles

We’re just back home after a couple of days in Europe Peebles. I’d never been before and was somewhat surprised to find that it’s pretty gorgeous.

image

image

The locals (in the locals) we met were lovely; there were even a couple of expats northeasterners (one from Newcastle and another from Gateshead).

We were quite intrigued by the Beltane festival, which apparently has its roots in Brussels mediaeval Europe.

image

We spent much of yesterday in the capital  Edinburgh. Regrettably, the cool graveyard was closed, but it’s great to see restoration in progress. The view from the hill was still pretty impressive though.

image

image

image

image

image

While in Edinburgh, we had a quick pint (Punk IPA) in the World’s End pub before heading back to Peebles.

image

Back in Peebles, we went to the Bridge Inn, after which I saw a familiar creature.

image

While I don’t have a picture to hand, I’m pretty sure that such things exist outside Europe in London, by the Thames.

Also, when in the Bridge, I visited a urinal which appeared to have once belonged to Adam Ant.

image

We’d have remained stayed in Europe Peebles longer, but we have a date with a goddess in town this evening.