The End of KP ?

It looks like the party is finally over and we’ll never see Kevin Pietersen bat for England again. The writing has been on the wall since he was effectively expelled in February 2014.

However, as with students who don’t toe the line but have the undoubted ability, there was always a chance differences could be put aside.

A Massive Election

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and come last Friday evening, I was wishing that I'd backed a Tory majority by a much larger stake than I actually did. Ok, I won a few quid but I could have bought a new car based on the hunch that became reality.

How did they do it? It's left many people shaking their heads, crying foul and insulting those who
dared to vote Conservative.  The Tories won simply because people don't like change. This is especially true when the alternative to the status quo isn't just unknown but also looks and sounds like a bloody shambles.

Spring time

I was very happy to stand next a museum horse and carriage

It's officially spring time here in South Korea. The temperature has reached the high teens during the day and we have the odd rainy day too. Compare that to the dry, sunny (still chilly) winters here and you have something that plays havoc with my mind.

The Glastonbury Tales 2009 - redux

I wrote this piece, separated into three parts to document my Glastonbury festival experiences from 2009. It was published on my former music review site but I’ve brought it back to life here and now.  

6am Wednesday, I have had two hours sleep maximum but the nervous energy is already kicking in as I wake myself up with both caffeine and an ice cold shower. I was drunk last night or should I say this morning and a day in bed would be the best option but instead I am off to do it all again several times over at the Glastonbury festival. 

Top ten terrible songs - Part II

It's took me all of three weeks to come up with another five songs and today it looks like this. There's 100s of songs that I dislike with a passion. In theory, a top 100 would suffice but I'm a lazy sod, so ten will have to do. 

Before we start, a big hello to the person who sent me an email calling me a c**t for listing Journey's 'Don't stop believing' in the top five. It's good to know one is revered.

 6) Joe Dolce - Shaddap You Face

This is the song that has gone down in legendary terms of utter awfulness. Not only did it knock John Lennon's 'Woman' of the no-1 spot but it also kept 'Vienna' by Ultravox off the top spot for three weeks too.  As I boy I was partial to the odd novelty song but this takes the biscuit. It's just plain bad and anyone who bought this record should still be hanging their heads in shame 30 years later.

Top ten terrible songs

I like music, it's been a social and emotional crutch in my life at times. I used to play original Beatles 45s on my parent's record player from an early age which has resulted in two things. One, I'm a lifelong Beatles obsessive and anorak. Two, I'm a total music snob.

Growing up in the 1980s was an interesting time for a host of socio-economic reasons, not least the music  scene. For the large part the 80s was bloody awful in terms of fashion and hairstyles. I recall men with perms and girls wearing chunks of plastic as jewellery as two fine examples.

Navy Larks

April 2002 saw one of my finest pranks and practical jokes. I don't say this loosely either, I love to wind people up and if there is a shocking, risqué side to it then even better.

I was serving in the Royal Navy and based at HMS Collingwood in Fareham, Hampshire. This weekend in particular was a big sporting one. Middlesbrough were playing Arsenal in the FA Cup Semi Final in Manchester and it was the London Marathon too.