Author Archives: Paul

A young person said this to me today. “No”, I replied, “I bought them brand new”. Then I realised I bought the black suede creepers he so admired from Johnson’s in the Kings Road when I was still at school. Which made my Stray Cat-style rockabilly footwear very vintage indeed. Like most people, I’ve gone […]

There are some rare politicians regarded, even by their political opponents, as genuine and decent human beings. Kate Hoey is one, Frank Field is another and John Major is another. Even Ken Livingstone, who could hardly be more politically opposed to Major, has often praised him. They were both local councillors in Lambeth and Livingstone […]

Is Sounds of the Sixties on Radio 2. It’s a Saturday morning staple on their schedule and this week Brian Matthew celebrated 25 years as presenter. He was already 61 when he began and I love the fact that he’s now 86 and still in the chair. His early 1960s heyday on the Light Programme, […]

According to the BBC, you’d rather live in Kesgrave. It featured in the top ten of England’s most desirable post codes. A top ten which – surprise, surprise – didn’t contain a single London postcode. Kesgrave is an anonymous suburb of Ipswich and I’m sure it’s perfectly nice. But as a desirable location, does it […]

There was a time when that phrase could only be uttered by a man. But now Sam is just as likely to be a woman. As are Alex, Charlie, Gerry and Robin. Shirley was also once a man’s name. The 1980s wrestler Big Daddy’s real name was Shirley Crabtree. So was his father’s before him. […]

Dick the Bad is big news this week after his funeral at Leicester Cathedral following the shock discovery of his bones under a car park where they’d lain undisturbed for more than 500 years. It’s a little known fact that John Lydon, at Malcolm McLaren’s behest, based “Johnny Rotten” on Richard III. Co-opting the old […]

But not because he was offended by their remarks about gay couples raising surrogate children. No, he should boycott D&G just to stop himself looking increasingly absurd. Sir Elton is a colourful,outrageous queen trapped in the body of fat, balding accountant. And unfortunately, no amount of flamboyant apparel will ever make him look anything other […]

Andrew Lloyd Webber is 67 today. Yes, I thought he was older than that too. I can’t remember a time when he wasn’t famous. From the release of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1970, when he was just 22, he’s enjoyed a career of phenomenal and unbroken success. However, Mr. Byrne, our music teacher was less […]

To get to the London Borough of Camden. One side of Kilburn High Road is in Brent; the other is in Camden. Before licensing laws were relaxed, Brent was regarded as Outer London and Camden was Inner London. During the week, Outer London pubs had to close at 10.30 but those in Inner London could […]

My week-long loss of taste and smell. Yes, you can laugh but I went down with the flu last week. Even though I’d pretty much recovered, I still couldn’t smell or taste anything and that’s more depressing than you might think. Life seemed drained of fun, pleasure, sweetness and scent. I was preparing for a […]