Author Archives: Paul

I’m loosely associated with a societal and environmental think tank, so I was invited along to hear Michael Gove deliver a lecture about climate change and the pollution of our planet. I’m neither Labour nor Tory and always judge politicians on their individual merits, regardless of their party. Gove, I have to say, was rather […]

Because, on the tube at least, it shows human beings at their best. People from all walks of life are are all in the same boat (or train carriage) in conditions that they’d have every right to find intolerable. Squashed in like sardines, they endure delays, distress and discomfort. And yet those millions of journeys […]

When I was a child, my favourite place in the world was Marine Ices. In an era when dull, cardboard flavoured ice cream came in blocks from newsagents or tubs from Bejam, , this wondrous place opposite Chalk Farm tube offered an array of exotic Italian gelati that made me dizzy with excitement. A few […]

No, not Eric but Clapton – London, E5 where my son has just moved. It’s an area I’ve never known much about. Except that until recently it was considered rough and undesirable. Now it’s the acme of East London hip. With a mix of indigenous Londoners – both black and white – plus a healthy […]

This week saw the launch of the new John Lewis ad. Elton John’s starring role was one of the worst-kept secrets in advertising. It’s a spectacular piece of work, beautifully put together. And yes, it is more an ad for Elton John than for John Lewis. What’s more it will definitely pique interest in Sir […]

45 years ago today, Princess Anne married Captain Mark Philips at Westminster Abbey. Although it’s now supplanted in the nation’s memory by the subsequent weddings of Anne’s brothers and nephews, at the time it was huge. 14th November 1973 was declared a National Holiday and the service attracted a global TV audience of 500 million. […]

Every pop fan of a certain age can remember Bowie doing Starman on Top of the Pops. His androgynous alien persona was like nothing we’d ever seen before and when he put his arm round Mick Ronson to sing the chorus, our parents went into meltdown. David Bowie wasn’t just talented, he was also shrewd, […]

Unbelievable. If you’ve ever seen her in real life, you’ll know that she looks about twenty years younger. Though I also think “Only 70?” She had her first hit in 1964 with Shout but she was only 15. By the time she was 20, she had her own prime time show on BBC1 but by […]

Lit a firework or owned a pet. The first because I’m terminally clumsy and would never have made it to adulthood with a full complement of fingers. The second because I just don’t understand why anyone would want to own a dog or a cat. I know – millions of people do, and they all […]

Peter Young, one of my all-time favourite broadcasters, died yesterday after a long illness. The DJ’s DJ with a dry sense of humour and a phenomenal knowledge of music, PY presented the Capital Countdown on Saturday mornings, counting down London’s best-selling singles. It was usually quite different from the UK Top 40. Reflecting London’s musical […]