UPDATE: The year began with a defeat for an attempt to extradite Julian Assange has remained in Belmarsh prison since an attempt to extradite him failed at the beginning of the year. Now the appeal begins at London’s high court and there are potential game-changers in the long-running saga of the Wikileaks co-founder’s future. One… Continue reading Something Wiki this way went – and now all journalists have to fight for Assange

He struts his dad-dance stuff on a Zimmer-man frame and lusts after an ex at 76 The Penny just hasn’t dropped has it Rod! Strutting like a cross between an ageing peacock and Max Wall, sounding like Leggin’ Flip and doing a bit of dad hand-jiving doesn’t cut it any more… And ‘nicking’ the essence… Continue reading Why hasn’t the Penny dropped you old shocker Rod?

In the dark welsh valley,On the mountain side,Lay the little childrenClose to where they died.Their little lives are endedBefore they reach their goal,Tender little childrenHave paid the price of coal. We will never forget – Aberfan 21-10-66 #aberfan #slagheap #kingcoal #welsh #schoolchildren

Just a few thoughts about writer’s block … I was standing in the  gentle rain next to my ancient glinting American limousine outside my rented cottage in the heart of once-merry Ol’ England. The cottage has stood for 400 years next to a lake where owls screech at 3am. I was having a cigarette. And… Continue reading New skid on the block … when a writer just can’t find the right words

This piece has been written by Remedy John, a singing minister from Nigeria. It hasn’t really been edited but has been left in the writer’s own words with all the foibles, complications, text-speak idiosyncrasies and excitements. It’s the story of how he scoured the world for lyrics, performers and snippets of sounds for a song… Continue reading SONG OF THE NATIONS… A REMEDY FOR RACISM

Bob Spiers was an old-fashioned kind of man. Big, bluff and tough. He had to be, he lived on the streets of Garstang in Lancashire as a beat bobbie. But at one time people felt that Bob had a ‘spiritual awareness’ about one of the worst series of crimes in the North of England, the… Continue reading Lest we forget … a farewell to Bob Spiers, the cop who found Leslie Anne Downey’s body

Film editor Bob Mori sent the Preservation Society his thoughts on the impending strike in LA by the backroom workers who say they are short-changed by movie moguls and entertainment gurus. The industry is estimated to be worth more than 700 billion dollars, yet many who work in it earn a barely living wage. More… Continue reading Hollywood lives … how celluloid gods still deny comfort to those who work ‘backstage’

It is almost 60 years to the day that Edward Evans was bludgeoned to death with an axe by Ian Brady in a tiny nondescript council house in Hattersley. Edward had just turned 17 in 1965 and like so many way back then, he portrayed himself as a man about town, a sharp-dressed youth with… Continue reading We must never forget Edward Evans, the Brady and Hindley victim whose murder finally brought the perverted killers to justice

Discussion is the spice of life… and Leigh and Rodney talk about everything from diesel to healthcare to illegal immigrants #fuelcrisis #truckdrivers #lorrydrivers #HGVs

Hollywood is being described as in turmoil as up to 200,000 backstage workers voted to go on strike. And celluloid captains of the industry of dreams and riches beyond belief fear that the curtains will drop on multi-million productions. More than 98 per cent of union members have voted for the strike, according to the… Continue reading Celluloid dream about to grind to halt as Hollywood workers pull plug on ‘nightmare’ pay and conditions