Into print

Some weeks ago I started writing an article on the Green victory in Brighton at the 2010 General Election. Pleased to record that this week it's been published in the online edition of Politics Review., a magazine that is focussed and directed at A level Politics students. It's the first time I've submitted anything, having used the magazine extensively for over 10 years. Must admit to being rather pleased, both on a personal level and because the ideas contained within it should make students reconsider some of the orthodox ideas about the electoral system and voting behaviour in England.

At the Borderline

I know of no London club like the Borderline, in recent years some of my favourite Americana acts have played there. Memorable nights watching Richmond Fontaine, South San Gabriel and Chuck Profitt. Last night Madison Violet took the stage. The concert was moved from the much lamented Luminaire Club, but in truth the journey to Tottenham Court Road was far preferable to the hike round to Kilburn.

Its the second time I've seen Madison Violet, and once again they didn't disappoint. The act was very similar focussing strongly on last year's album " No fool for crying". From the opening song The Ransom, Lisa and Branleigh struck up an immediate rapport with the crowd. Playing for about 80 minutes there was time to talk about their home backgrounds in Canada, and you immediately realise just how different London must be to so many artists.

Madison Violet seem to switch effortlessly from one string instrument to another, it was such a lovely set, played by two women who seem to enjoy the communication with an audience and deliver a polished yet natural pewrformance.

Wem-ber-ley !

A great night at the Emirates. 60 minutes of torture, the bloke behind me, abusing, Wenger, Arshavin but most of all Bendtner. Then at around the hour mark, Bendtner, cuts in from the left and fires past the Ipswich keeper. Scenes of wild excitement, including the the critical mass behind my right ear. Of course as so often happens - "when you get one, you'll get more". Two further goals inquick succession, and the Gooners are going to Wembley.

Last night we had tickets in Block 6, seats that were only used at half time. We stood, sang, held scarves aloft, as football should be. A grand night out.

Now tickets for the final at Wembley might be a trickier project !

Time away

The past few days have been spent circumnavigating the M25. Two days in Guildford for work. Hard work but very enjoyable, The hotel is to be commended for having a really good gym. It would have been easy to fritter away time but the gym filled the vacuum. Whilst running on a treadmill I heard the news of Alan Johnson's rsignation and Ed Balls elevation to the post of Shadow Chancellor. Whilst interested I was content with the news that Johnson had resigned for personal reasons. End of as far as I was concerned. Sadly the British media don't work to those rules, and I awoke on Friday morning to the news that the tabloid press had been scuttling around the sewers and revealed the "personal reason." I wonder if they will ever accept that people regardless of their occupation are entitled to privacy. It seems not.

By election and aftermath

The Oldham by-election was a bit of a non event. Labour retained what was a safe seat . The li Dem vote vote didn't collapse largely because of tactically voting by Tory voters. The Tory vote subsequently dropped, perhaps because their voters realised that they weren't really trying. a "gentle campaign" in the words of Eric Pickles. Sadly UKIP and BNP took 4th and 5th spots, leaving the Greens in 6th with just over 500 votes.

Now Oldham is not natural Green territory, but I'm still bewildered that those who oppose the cuts don't see through the Labour alternative. On Sunday Ed Miliband was interviewed by Andrew Marr, here was an opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who are likely to lose their jobs as a result of cuts, and he blew it. Still more "we are a responsible opposition " " we won't oppose all cuts" etc etc.

There is a need to present an alternative to the cuts agenda and Labour isn't offering it. Last week the debate to privatise the " Royal Mail", an extreme case of selling off the family silver. A chance for Labour to ally itself with the postal workers. Deafening silence, why ? Because Mandelson had wanted to do the self same thing a few years back.

Miliband did talk of "a good society" as one with "a village post office" and a "zebra crossing".
Yes people want to play an active role in their communities, but they expect leadership from government.

This week the political battleground will turn to reforming the NHS. Cameron during the 2010 election campaign said that he had no desire to tamper with the NHS. Well he has no mandate for these reforms. The BMA are exposing the strain that health practioners are being placed under. Let's hear some opposition in Parliament.

An entertaining 0-0

4287 fans near filled Kingsmeadow on a foul night to watch Wimbledon play Luton. The sound of it is almost like old days. Memories of the 1988 semi final at White Hart Lane come flooding back. The fact that we meet now in the Conference says much about the economics and politics of football in the last twenty years.

Last night the Dons were fortunate to get a point. Luton were both big and mobile, and during the second half they had the chances to easily claim all three points. On the night the mixture of woeful finishing, the woodwork and an excellent display from Dons keeper Seb Brown denied them.

I can't remember too many clear cut chances for the Dons but a point when you don't perform is not a disgrace, Somehow I sense that Luton and the Dons may play again at the business end of the season.

Waterloo Sunset

A day off and a trip to London to visit the Gauguin exhibition at the Tate Modern. The gallery itself was shrouded in controversy when it opened, ridiculed in the media for some of its displays. Yet yesterday I found it welcoming, spacious and appealing. It's a converted industrial building with a riverside location on the south bank of the Thames.

The exhibition of Gauguin's work was thematic rather than chronological, and although quite crowded there was just enough space to stand and dmire and hink about the artist at work. Many years ago I visited a Gauguin gallery in Pont Avon in Brittany, so this was a chance to come face to face with other work by an artist that intrigues me. At first I questioned the paintings he produces on his stays in later life to Tahiti and Martinique. Over time I've come to enjoy and perhaps understand them better.

I'm not really an art gallery person if such a thing exists. Some visitors yesterday seemed to blend effortlessly into the surroundings ; however exhibitions are a different matter. The chance to view an artist's work in greater depth and to learn something of their life is an experience that I find hard to resist.

After seeing the exhibition we sat on the balcony overlooking the river, with St Paul's cathedral staring us in the face. The river boats , a welcome new feature to the London landscape moved on the Thames. The Millenium pedestrian bridge carried people across the river, as the words of Ray Davies masterpiece "Waterloo Sunset" swirled around my head, like the "dirty old river" down below. A walk along the riverside took us past the rebuilt Globe Theatre. London is so full of wonder and surprises as a city. You can in it or near it most of your life, and yet it still holds treasures that you've not seen.

Finally facing my fears we walked across the millenium bridge and made our way around St Paul's, statues, monuments revealing London's past while all around people hurried about focussed on their daily life. However as long as they gaze at Waterloo Sunset they are in paradise.

The Ashes 3-1

We retained the Ashes after the Melbourne test but this week the final nail was put into Australia with another innings defeat in the 5th test at Sydney. For any English cricket fan its been a wonderful few weeks. Essex batsman Alastair Cook was chosen as player of the series which will be fondly felt locally. A few days before I ordered match programmes from Australia, I was stunned for them to be delivered just days later. The company I ordered them from, had chosen to send them express, so this England cricket supporter could read of our successes.

The weekend saw papers issue special supplements , the books and dvds will follow in weeks.

The Cup and the News

There was a time when the 3rd Round of the FA Cup was one of the big days in the sporting calendar. Sadly those days have gone. Nevertheless the pairing of Arsenal v Leeds United, set my mind swirling back to the 1970s, when both teams were regular visitors to Wembley. The game kicked off at 12.45pm, another sign o' the times. We made our way by Underground, which at weekends is an ordeal not to be recommended to those suffering from stress or claustrophobia.

As we approached Kings Cross just three stops from the Arsenal. The sound of leeds fans filled the platform. "Marching all together" and various other football chants. The fans all adult men were quick to sing of their hatred from Man Utd and of course cockneys ! It was a throwback to the 1980s, a type of tribalism rarely seen in the premiership given its all seater stadiums and inflated prices. For Leeds the chance to play at the Emirates was incentive enough to travel, and about 10,000 made the trip.

When the Arsenal fans chanted "we'll never play you again" they were rather premature. The game was a game of two penalties and it wasn't until the 90th minute that Cesc Fabregas fired the Gunners level after Theo Walcott had been pulled back in the box. Both sides will have to do it again in Yorkshire in 10 days time, for the right to host Huddersfield Town in the next round.

The second half of the weekend has been dominated by the news from Arizona and the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Giffords. The attack although probably the act of a mad individual acting alone nevertheless seems to me the end product of the increasingly polarisation within the USA that I have explained to students in recent years. The lack of tolerance and the promotion of "using 2nd amendment rights" to right perceived political disagreements is disturbing to say the least. The news that Palin had Gifford's district marked with gunsights on her website prior to the attack, is repugnant. At present the government agencies in the US and also the British media seem reluctant to draw these conclusions, but the rhetoric of violence that has pervaded US politics of late has come home to roost.

The only other item I have focussed upon is the statement from David Attenborough that nature/environment studies should sit alongside English and Maths on the school curriculum. Attenborough is a national treasure and if anyone will be listened to it will be him. On this theme a number of celebrity chefs are trying to persuade the British public to widened the taste in fish. it seems that 80% of fish consumed in the UK is just 5 species (cod, haddock, salmon, prawns and tuna). In these circumstances its hardly surprisingly that stocks are depleted; hopefully tastes can be altered before it is too late. Apparently many fisherman dump many fish simply because they don't think them sellable, changing tastes is essential if these species of fish are to survive.

Parking the Bus

The first 15 minutes of Arsenal v Manchester City were amongst the most exciting I've witnessed at a football game in a long time. 2nd v 3rd in the Premiership, should have been a clse encounter, but in those opening minutes Arsenal absolutely battered City. They were like a boxer hanging onto the ropes. During the first half the Gunners hit every piece of woodwork imaginable.

How did City respond ? They dropped deeper and deeper. They offered nothing in attack. As the time wasting became more blatant, it became apparent that they were content with a 0-0 draw and the resulting point. Years ago teams regularly sought to win at home and draw away, this was seen as the recipe for negative football . To tackle the problem the points system was changed to offer 3 points for the win. This was clearly no incentive for Mancini and Man City.

They have spent over £200m assembling the most expensive squad in the Premiership and they parked the bus, feigned injury, wasted time and basically frustated the Gooners.

£200 m is a lot to pay for a bus !

Body Clock malfunction

The Ashes in Australia has had a serious affect on my body clock, I seem to be able to wake at before 5am without a problem, now that's early even for me, but this means that I can fall asleepo by the middle of the evening. Today its all been worth it, the cricket from the SCG, what a classic ground, was what any England fan would want. Centuries for two batsmen and the opposition all but ground into the dirt. When Australia turned to the batsmen to bowl you know the white flag is being waved.

Anyway now all I have to do is find the energy to get to Arsenal v Man City tonight. The two clubs that provide fans with the sharpest contrast of how to build a successful team and club. One manager who struggles to spend and the other who simply seems to present the owner with a wish list. Arsene Wenger has been critical of how Man City have distorted the transfer market, and of course he's right. Sadly in a business dominated by short term success ( the number of managers sacked this week must be some sort of record),many fans accept any route that brings trophies. Give me organic growth and the nurturing of talent any day. Here's hoping for three points for the Gunners tonight.

New Years Day

For some reason New Year celebrations have never really caught my imagination. That might be best expressed by the fact that we were asleep by midnight. A good curry followed by Tim Burton's " Alice in Wonderland "was the plan. Well I completed part one, but fell sleep during the film.

The next morning saw us travel to Kingsmeadow for AFC Wimbledon v Hayes & Yeading. Hayes are the nearest conference team to us, but yet it doesn't make it a local derby. Even with a 3pm kick off the crowd seemed somewhat muted, perhaps still getting over the over indilgences of the previous evening.

January 1st also saw the first sighting of the Dons Trust Gazebo. Elaine & I had waited months for a permanent base following the changes at the ground in the close season. The gazebo seems the best solution. Of course you first have to erect the gazebo. The instructions were not clear or really detailed. We gathered fans around us and at one time there were 12 people attempting to put the structure together. Finally the task was accomplished and I have no doubt that we found more passing trade. Now comes the thorny issue of where to store the structure. It does not pack down that easily, and this make take some negotiation in the weeks ahead.

On the pitch the Dons won 3-1 to remain top of the league. A swift journey home, not too much traffic on the M25 and the chance to watch Birmingham v Arsenal as live. Another fine display by the Gunners (0-3). Later in the evening onto the World Darts Championship but sadly what I suspected occurred. Phil Taylor who had not reached his normal high standard in the tournament fell at the quarter final stage.

The New Year has been a barren period for political news, but things will stir tomorrow when VAT goes up to 20% and people remember the pre-election promises not to alter the previous 17.5% level. At the same time rail fares have increased way above the rate of inflation, not a good time to be a commuter.

45rpm

To quote Bruce Springsteen " we learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school" (No Surrender 1985). Well yesterday afternoon I was watching the DVD of the making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, and Bruce explained hoe Steve Van Zandt had a great feel for the three minute pop song, that had the power to lift you .

I started to think about that and it sent my mind swirling back to my early teenage days when buying a 45rpm single meant so much. The song that you played again and again, that you just had to listen to. I remember walking the streets of Tooting during the winter of 1966 looking for a record shop that was open where I could exchange my record token I'd been given for a copy of Reach Out I'll be there by the Four Tops.

Well records have given way to CDs and buying the CD single has given way to downloading, and I'm not sure whether young people still get that feeling of excitement at hearing a song. They certainly don't get the tangible feel of buying the record, or standing in a booth at the shop listening to it. That experience is frozen in time.

Perhaps I'm wrong and its a period of your life, before you are absorbed by albums. In 1966 I was really only familiar with "Best of" LPs. However the three minute single, soon gave way to listening to longer pieces and bands that produced singles were often derided by the time I reached university.

For years I've pondered the fact that popular does not equal quality, but throwing myself back to 1966 and picturing myself walking along Tooting High Street clutching my Four Tops single

has helped me think about the experience of music buying that started for me back in 1964 when I walked into Hurleys of Balham and bought "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks. Perhaps buying your first record, was like other first time experiences of adolescence , part of the move to adulthood, to be savoured in hindsight.