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      • Filled with emptiness
        07/31/2006
        A darker mood.
        I was told that a kind, interesting and intelligent man who I had had the pleasure of working with took his own life yesterday. Never would I have guessed that something like this could happen to someone like this. I don't know what of the many things I could wish for with

      • Work to play
        07/28/2006
        Tonight saw the farewell party for my colleague Duncan, who is spreading his wings and flying Down Under for a new life. The company turned out in force, boarding a special 'party bus', which is basically a London double decker with some balloons and a portable karaoke amp. Ought to try th

      • Here comes the future
        07/24/2006

        Impending fatherhood is one of the major events that has made me want to start this whole writing thing.
        I was in the supermarket today and picked up an item of food where the best before date is after the due date of our baby. That is quite a big moment, believe me. If you want to try

      • Sunday's service
        07/23/2006


        A view of a Sunday night spent at altitude. Whilst others gather in front of televisions to absorb light-hearted drama, I have a seat situated several miles above Germany, Holland and then the North Sea. The Ryanair flight's soundtrack is occasional shriek of an infant, the rattle o

      • Run into the ground
        07/20/2006

        Very unwisely, I had agreed to take part in this evening's City of London road race. At the time I was a) unaware of how hot it would be today and b) of how little training I would squeeze in. Five kilometers of progressive torture. Like running on a microwave turntable set to 72 rpm.
      • Rolls bowls
        07/20/2006

        The unhappy-looking individual in this trio is myself - having just been awarded last place / wooden spoon / booby prize in the bowling group that I joined with colleagues. To my right you see Tania, whose grasp of 'direction' strengthened throughout the evening, whilst mine did not.

      • Comedy haircut
        07/18/2006
        Had my hair cut today. Not normally a moment of supreme comedy, but today fitted the bill very well. Next to me was a wideboy customer who loved to talk; loved to tell a proper yarn. Whilst the Lebanese hairdresser carefully trimmed his close-cropped head of hair, the customer entertained him with a

      • The Real Pop Idol
        07/16/2006
        Billy Idol scares parents, children and wetland birds. And he is one of the best performers I have seen, giving every song the kind of energy you would when you know that you should technically be dead by now.
        He is 51 at the time of writing, yet has a body that could work its way onto the cov

      • Riffs and midriffs
        07/16/2006
        I returned to the Guilfest today - I simply could not resist the idea of more Rock. The thing I began to notice about established bands is that they have lost the urgency of performing. The can be a good or a bad thing. The nerves aren't quite what they were, and this can either lead to a tepid

      • Summer onstage
        07/15/2006
        It was off to Guildford with the photo press today to try out the cameras in the quintessential surroundings of a British summer festival. The Guilfest is a little different - both the performers and the crowd are a little past their prime*, but all the more splendidly relaxed for it. 90s acts such