A wet Table of Dreams greeted us as we rocked up on Thursday lunchtime. I don’t think it was overnight rain, but dew instead. Once again we were playing under Tupperware style skies. When it’s grim here, it can be bloody grim.
This all meant for a very slippery table. The non-wind ball had little bounce and skidded whilst keeping low. If this was cricket then my delivery would be unplayable. But it wasn’t cricket. I was wiff waff. I lost 4-1.
An assault on your senses from start to finish. The beats are so fresh; the delivery matches the dictation of the drums. The first four tracks are perhaps the best opening four tracks on any album. No shit. Like all great artists, Run D.M.C managed to develop cartoon characters of themselves, whilst still sounding relevant. A nod and a wink, but all the while knowing that they have the balls to back it up. Outstanding.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
“Will they have a ceremony for the last domain to be turned off, kind of like the last Blockbuster was. Does anyone remember Blockbuster?”
via @davewiner
“We were joined by colleagues from government: Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Steve Reed, Chief Whip Jonathan Reynolds, and the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney.”
“The song “Cowboy” is seen as being instrumental in the development of the fusion genre country rap.”
And it is for this reason alone that I bailed after the third track. What a bloody racket.
⭐
After the crappy rain and storms of the day before, Wednesday afternoon had perfect conditions at the Table of Dreams. The air was deadly still. If you stood at one end of the table then you were blessed by catching a winter sun tan. The rain had also washed off the muddy footprints from the entitled local middle class little shits.
GAME ON.
The weather may have been blessed, but as ever, my table tennis skills were a little left field. I actually do have the skills; it’s the focus and concentration that I find hard to maintain. I raced to a 1-0 lead. I couldn’t be arsed to continue with my tactical game of hard and fast, forcing backhand errors. Time for some spin. Time to walk away with a 5-1 defeat.
Oh dear.
Riding high: the triumph and tragedy of Tom Simpson
Colchester ranked in the top 20 most romantic UK cities
Colchester Condom, innit.
Police confirm U-turn on controversial policy not to investigate stolen bikes left outside train stations for more than two hours
Wonky as fuck. It sounded like my MacBook was tilted at an angle as I streamed it. Beyond all the dizziness, there’s not a lot going on. Meat ‘n’ two veg indie songs played on out of tune guitars with reverb. JAMC did it far better.
⭐ ⭐
The Beatles released Let It Be only eight years before The Scream came out. It sounds like a musical lifetime has shifted in that period when you listen to the Banshees debut compared to The Beatles. The music of 2026 is very similar to that of 2018. Sure, the Banshees weren’t alone responsible for this transformation, but The Scream does show what is possible when you refuse to play alongside the established rules. It’s still accessible, with the rhythm and SHOCK tunes! Hong Kong Garden is a little, erm, awkward these days. Still a great debut.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
All your favourite bands hate fascism
Uncle Bill doing what he does best: write, record, release.
via @memespring
26 things all cyclists should learn: Get to know the basics to make your riding simpler, cheaper and more enjoyable
As the title suggests, Madcap is a BONKERS album. It most certainly wouldn’t have been released in 2026, with the fragile mental health of the artist exposed for all to hear. But I rather like the raw, emotional feel when compared to the shitty generic content that clutters up streaming services these days. Genius in the madness, etc.
