alsoperson

What elation

In sport there can be moments of utter ecstasy. Those instants which are the difference between victory and defeat and if your team is on the winning side can make you punch the air in exhilaration. I already covered one of those from Superbowl XXIII when Joe Montana led the 49ers on a final winningContinue reading “What elation”

I’ll stand beside you in the rain

In 1983 I applied for university via UCCA (UCCA was for universities, it was PCAS for polytechnics, now they are merged as UCAS) which was pretty nerve wracking. I had been fascinated by Cambridge ever since I went there as a child, so it had to be top of my list, otherwise they rejected youContinue reading “I’ll stand beside you in the rain”

And possibly the complications

Australia meant little in the UK in the early 80s. First came Men At Work with their clever comedy song Down Under containing its stereotypical view of Australian life. Then came the soap operas Neighbours and Home and Away. (Early Neighbours cast including Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Jim Dale who would all go ontoContinue reading “And possibly the complications”

So many people have come and gone

My first summer scout camp turned out to be the best one. I didn’t think that it would be at the time as it seemed pretty primitive, but I did not know primitive at the time, but I would find out. The following year would be Gradbach (https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/10/09/young-blokes-sitting-on-the-benches/ ) and the year after that Lochearnhead,Continue reading “So many people have come and gone”

Well, he tries to keep his talkin’ to a minimum

A good commentator can add so much to sport. A bad one can destroy the experience. When I was at university all the football commentators felt the urge to talk all the time and if there had been an option to mute the commentary we would have done. My favourite commentator was Richie Benaud. AContinue reading “Well, he tries to keep his talkin’ to a minimum”

You cry out in your sleep

After Virgin lost the licence to print Doctor Who novels (https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/11/01/lets-all-meet-up-in-the-year-2000/ ) they had enough characters and concepts that they had created to continue the series. The lead character was the popular companion Benny Summerfield. She had to be split up from her husband Jason Kane (there are no happy ever afters in continuing fictionContinue reading “You cry out in your sleep”

When you’re down on your luck

Human being’s crave order. Patterns are seen when they are not there. The credulous visit psychics (watch an expose); pick out the bits in horoscopes that they agree with and ignore what they do not and, remember dreams that come true and forget the vast majority that do not. This is confirmation bias – seeingContinue reading “When you’re down on your luck”

Oh, the movie never ends

This is undoubtedly the Platinum Age of television. The arrival of streaming services and premium channels like HBO has altered the landscape of television. When I was a teenager I would search through the Radio Times (a TV listing magazine that covered two channels) for the few things worth watching. Now the issue is thatContinue reading “Oh, the movie never ends”

You’ll be alright tonight

2012 on tour in India. After a morning in Khajuraho we got a flight to Varanasi (formerly known as Benares in Colonial days). The airport in Khajuraho only had about five flights a day, but the security made us think it was a major hub. My suitcase was now very overweight due to souvenir purchasesContinue reading “You’ll be alright tonight”

First, they take your pride

Pete Wylie was part of the Crucial Three with Ian McCulloch (https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/06/18/cause-man-must-be-his-own-saviour/ ) and Julian Cope (https://fivemilesout.home.blog/2020/09/18/exploding-out-of-a-tunnel/ ) and was the last to succeed. John Peel and David Jenson fought for this to be a hit, they just kept playing in the evening until it finally made the charts and got daytime airplay. There wasContinue reading “First, they take your pride”