Contents of this page are in bold with the other 3 items on other pages:
Annual Calendar - Specific Events and Anniversaries this year
The Previous Year in Review
UK Governance and Society
Atlas and Country Information
Help Science online
New: The Universe in Context
New: Learn More through Online Lectures
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
My Guides to Campaigning, London and Research issues
Newsletters
Polling and Election Results
New: Political Writing, Articles, Papers and Book Contribution
Conflicts and Aid
History Writing
Arts and Culture - things that grabbed my attention in the past year
General and Archive Material
Outlines of Knowledge
UK Governance and Society
Useful Government services website
Cabinet Office Manual - sets out the UK "unwritten" constitution and political conventions. This is the nearest thing we have to a single volume formal description of the UK constitution.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-manual
New Zealand with quite similar arrangements has a more formal Cabinet Manual endorsed by each new Government and can be found here: https://www.dpmc.govt.nz/our-business-units/cabinet-office/supporting-work-cabinet/cabinet-manual
New: UK Constitution - a mapping exercise by UK Parliamentary Staff
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9384/
The Rule of Law - The Bingham 8 Principles:
https://www.cpl.law.cam.ac.uk/sir-david-williams-lectures/rt-hon-lord-bingham-cornhill-kg-rule-law
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5803/ldselect/ldconst/118/11805.htm
Recent discussions on the Rule of Law in a more values fragmented, zero-sum & populist era
https://www.biicl.org/documents/12532_bingham_lecture_2024.pdf
https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/rule-of-law-principles-challenges-and-government-commitments/
https://supremecourt.uk/uploads/speech_Lord_Sales_121224_b52c07f7e8.pdf
Life in the UK Citizenship Test Guide
https://lifeintheuktests.co.uk/study-guide/
UK Key Institutions listed below:
Elsewhere I flag the importance of institutions (state, civil society and cultural) to human socialisation and belonging. The hollowing out of many of them over the last 40 years has likely contributed to perceptions of decline impacting on political disaffection.
UK Parliament (this also covers English Domestic legislation)
UK Judiciary
https://www.supremecourt.uk/ (this has a UK wide responsibility)
https://www.judiciary.uk/ (this mainly covers England and Wales)
Scottish Government https://www.gov.scot/ Parliament https://www.parliament.scot/ & Judiciary https://www.judiciary.scot/
Welsh Government https://www.gov.wales/ & Senedd https://senedd.wales/
Northern Ireland Executive https://www.northernireland.gov.uk/ Assembly https://www.niassembly.gov.uk/ & Judiciary https://www.judiciaryni.uk/
UK Local Government
Regional Level Metro Mayors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directly_elected_mayors_in_England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directly_elected_mayors_in_England
Main Tier Authorities (Unitary/1st Tier and 2nd Tier (many merging at present)
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-government-structure-and-elections
Local Government Association (mainly England): https://www.local.gov.uk/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_make-up_of_local_councils_in_the_United_Kingdom
3rd Tier Town/Parish/Community Councils: https://www.nalc.gov.uk/
COSLA - Scottish Local Government Association: https://www.cosla.gov.uk/
Welsh Local Government Association: https://www.wlga.wales/home
NILGA - Northern Ireland Local Government Association: https://www.nilga.org/
For Parliamentary and Local election results - see below
New: List of Government Departments, Agencies and Public Bodies: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations
Useful Machinery of Government Organogram: https://machinery-of-government.vercel.app/
UK Government Statistics
UK Flag Registry at the Flag Institute: https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/uk-flags/uk-flag-registry/
New: UK Regulators: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regulators_in_the_United_Kingdom
New: Ombudsman Schemes: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/how-to-use-an-ombudsman-in-england/
Office of Budget Responsibility: https://obr.uk/
Bank of England: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/
Bank of England Inflation calculator from 1209AD to the present: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator
UK Banking Institutions: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/data-collection/institutions-in-the-uk-banking-sector
Business: https://www.cbi.org.uk/ and https://www.iod.com/
Company information: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house
Co-operatives UK: https://www.uk.coop/
Lists of Co-operatives in the UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_co-operative_movement
Trade Unions:
Lists of Trade Unions: https://www.tuc.org.uk/unions and also current and former ones here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-list-of-trade-unions
TUC Trades Council’s England and Wales: https://www.tuc.org.uk/trades-councils
Scottish TUC (STUC): https://www.stuc.org.uk/
STUC Trades Council’s in Scotland: https://www.stuc.org.uk/trades-councils/
Civil Society/Voluntary Sector: https://www.ncvo.org.uk/news-and-insights/news-index/uk-civil-society-almanac-2023/?
Main Political Parties by membership: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_affiliation_in_the_United_Kingdom
NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/
List of Hospitals:
England: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hospitals_in_England
Scotland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hospitals_in_Scotland
Wales: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hospitals_in_Wales
Northern Ireland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hospitals_in_Northern_Ireland
UK Universities: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_the_United_Kingdom
UK Schools: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Search
UK Courts, Tribunals and Appeals: https://www.gov.uk/browse/justice/courts-sentencing-tribunals
How to Volunteer to become a Magistrate: https://magistrates.judiciary.uk/
UK Police Forces: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_police_forces_of_the_United_Kingdom
UK Fire & Rescue Services: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_services_in_the_United_Kingdom
Registered Social Housing Providers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/registered-providers-of-social-housing
Royal Mail: https://www.royalmail.com/
Major Mobile Phone Operators: EE, O2, Three and Vodafone & other mobile phone service providers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_virtual_network_operators_in_the_United_Kingdom
Water Companies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_water_companies
Energy Suppliers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Energy_companies_of_the_United_Kingdom
List of UK Airports: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_the_United_Kingdom_and_the_British_Crown_Dependencies
List of Motorways UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motorways_in_the_United_Kingdom
National Highways Roads: https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/
Railway Franchises: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companies_operating_trains_in_the_United_Kingdom
List of Current UK Bus Operators: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_bus_operators_of_the_United_Kingdom
Canal and River Network: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/canals-and-rivers
National Cycle Network: https://www.walkwheelcycletrust.org.uk/national-cycle-network/
Cycle Routes UK: https://www.cyclinguk.org/routes
Safe Cycle Routes London: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?hl=en&mid=1XlpvN9R-Wg7qZHyezO8y-eVlftr4e0WX&ll=51.516975804561284%2C-0.21828576419061996&z=10
National Trails (Walking): https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/
National Parks UK: https://www.nationalparks.uk/
National Trust (500 places): https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
National Trust for Scotland: https://www.nts.org.uk/
English Heritage (400 places): https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
Historic Scotland: https://members.historic-scotland.gov.uk/
CADW (Wales): https://cadw.gov.wales/
Love Heritage NI (Northern Ireland): https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/topics/love-heritage-ni
Theatres List: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_theatres_in_the_United_Kingdom
List of Music/Performing Arts Venues: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_venues_in_the_United_Kingdom
Cinemas List: https://www.ukcinemas.org.uk/
Art Galleries: https://www.artshaus.co.uk/art-galleries and map: https://artmonthly.co.uk/magazine/site/uk-gallery-map
Museums list: https://www.museums.co.uk/
London Free Musems: https://londonist.com/london/free-museums
List of UK Libraries: https://librarycampaign.com/list-of-uk-libraries/
Football Clubs List:
England: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_football_clubs_in_England
Scotland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_football_clubs_in_Scotland
Wales: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_football_clubs_in_Wales
Northern Ireland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_association_football_clubs_in_Northern_Ireland
Rugby Union Teams:
England: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_rugby_union_teams
Scotland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rugby_union_teams_in_Scotland
Wales: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Welsh_rugby_union_clubs
Northern Ireland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Rugby
Rugby League Clubs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rugby_league_clubs_in_Britain
County Cricket Teams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_cricket
Race Courses in the UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_racecourses
Golf Courses UK: https://www.golfnow.co.uk/
Tennis Clubs in the UK: https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/in-your-area/
Athletic Clubs in the UK: https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/get-involved/find-a-club/
Main Beliefs/Religious Faiths in the UK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_Kingdom
UK TV Channels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_television_channels_in_the_United_Kingdom
UK Radio Stations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_radio_stations_in_the_United_Kingdom and links to online sites here: https://www.radio-uk.co.uk/
Newspapers in terms of circulation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_newspapers_in_the_United_Kingdom_by_circulation
Decline in newspaper circulation 2019 to 2024: https://x.com/Samfr/status/1996218686118506779
Mass Media: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_media_in_the_United_Kingdom
Alternative Media (incomplete): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_media_in_the_United_Kingdom
Main Social Media Platforms in the UK: https://danslee.co.uk/2024/12/01/social-tables-heres-the-top-uk-10-social-media-sites-in-2024/
British Armed Forces: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Armed_Forces
Crown Dependencies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Dependencies
Difference between Great Britain and United Kingdom: https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-great-britain-and-the-united-kingdom
British Overseas Territories: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Overseas_Territories
List of UK Diplomatic Missions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_diplomatic_missions_of_the_United_Kingdom
4. Atlas and Country Information
Atlas and Country Information
New: International Institutions
United Nations: https://www.un.org/en/
European Union: https://european-union.europa.eu/index_en
Council of Europe: https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal
NATO: https://www.nato.int/en
List of current and former Military Alliances: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_military_alliances
List of Intergovernmental Organisatons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_intergovernmental_organizations
List of European Countries by membership in International Organisations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_European_countries_by_membership_in_international_organisations
List of Trade Blocs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_bloc
List of Supranational Environmental Agencies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_supranational_environmental_agencies
Digital Atlases
Online copies of Atlas PDFs (with useful geological, geographical, environmental, ecological and human impact pages):
https://drtayeb.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/student-world-atlas-malestrom.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/596/nystrom_world_atlas.pdf
Country Gazetteer
CIA World Factbook - note: a very comprehensive resource but will in some places reflect the official political views of the U.S. government towards some countries or international disputes
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/
Global Radio and TV
Spin the globe to find the digital live feed of radio stations across the world
Links to nearly 5,000 TV Channel live streams and Youtube channels across the world.
UK Radio https://www.radio-uk.co.uk/
5. Help Science Online
Help Science Online
Citizen Science is the co-production of scientific knowledge by scientists collaborating with the public. Here are some websites to do that:
GridRepublic: http://www.gridrepublic.org/
Zooniverse: https://www.zooniverse.org/
Juno Cam: https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam
UK Meteor Network: https://ukmeteornetwork.co.uk/ and https://twitter.com/ukmeteornetwork
Aurora Watch: https://twitter.com/aurorawatchuk
Asteroid Classification: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/the-daily-minor-planet
Active Asteroids: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/orionnau/active-asteroids
ExoAsteroids: https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/exoasteroids/
6. The Universe in Context
The Universe in Context
Understanding the scale of the grandeur of the universe and our planet should not be a scary thing as displayed in the concept of the Total Perspective Vortex in Douglas Adams’ Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Total_Perspective_Vortex
Below are some useful links to explain what sort of Universal Context we are in:
Scale of the Universe
https://scaleofuniverse.com/en
Zoom out and in visualisation of the universe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17jymDn0W6U
Galaxy Superclusters
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rENyyRwxpHo
Visual flyby of a survey of Galaxies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK2ob1lsh7U
Survey of Galaxy Formation
https://www.illustris-project.org/?
3D master survey of the Universe
https://uwaterloo.ca/news/astrophysicists-create-3d-master-map-universe?
Visualisation of 100,000 nearby stars
https://stars.chromeexperiments.com/
All the nights stars photographed
http://skysurvey.org/blog/2011/2/17/for-all-the-nights-stars?
Distance to Mars simulators
https://theaveragescientist.co.uk/hohmann-transfer-simulator/
How to confirm extra-terrestrial life
How many people have ever lived on Earth
https://www.prb.org/articles/how-many-people-have-ever-lived-on-earth/?
You can also generate random examples based on historic demographic statistics of any example human that has ever lived here: https://anyhumanever.com/
What does 7 billion humans look like
https://www.7billionworld.com/
A history of the World in 60 seconds
https://x.com/BrilliantMaps/status/1997531927964758075
New: Weather Replay - find what the weather was like each day back to 1940: https://weather-replay.climate.copernicus.eu/
The Triangle of Everything
https://triangleofeverything.com/#-3.0,8.5,1.00 also shown here: https://x.com/infobeautiful/status/2086827476152443181
7. Learn More Through Online Lectures
Learn More Through Online Lectures
Gresham College: https://www.youtube.com/@GreshamCollege
Starmus Festival; https://www.youtube.com/@starmusfest This is an astrophysic, science and music festival held around the world: https://starmus.com/
Hay on Wye Book Festival https://www.youtube.com/@HayFestivalOfficial
World Economic Forum, Davos in January puts online many discussions: https://www.weforum.org/
Extra: Some Useful Philosophy Links and Thinking Tools
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/
Philosophy Basics Online Guide: https://www.philosophybasics.com/
Downloadable Philosophers Toolkit: https://ia803206.us.archive.org/31/items/the-philosophers-toolkit-3rd-edition-by-f-3thinker-z-lib.org/The%20Philosophers%20Toolkit%203rd%20Edition%20by%20F3thinker%20%20%28z-lib.org%29.pdf
Intuition Pumps and Other Thinking Tools: https://wrenchinthegears.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Intution-Pumps-And-Other-Tools-For-Thinking-Daniel-Dennett.pdf
Philosophy Visual Guide: https://cdn.oujdalibrary.com/books/653/653-philosophy-history-ideas-theories-whos-who-how-to-think-(www.tawcer.com).pdf
Philosophy Downloadable Graphic Guide: https://archive.org/details/philosophyforbeginners
8. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence
This was a section added in 2024 as the issue of generative AIs seriously took off in 2023 after the programmes that create Large Language Models were only developed in 2017 and Chat GPT only launched in November 2022.
I read Jamie Suskind’s Future Politics published in 2018 at the end of 2022 and do recommend it.
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/future-politics-9780198848929?cc=us&lang=en&
An extract is here:
https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9780192559494_A35506016/preview-9780192559494_A35506016.pdf
I’m also in various AI and Democracy practitioners WhatsApp groups so get updates every day now.
A survey of AI’s rapid expansion is in three articles here:
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-ai?
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-generative-ai?
Here is a useful 48 page “Tech Handbook on “AI and Campaigning”
Three free AI powered search chatbots are here:
Google Bard
Bing Chat with GPT-4
https://www.bing.com/search?q=Bing+AI&showconv=1&FORM=hpcodx
You Chat
A useful series of 2023 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (aimed at young people) is on the BBC iplayer for a year which gives a basic introduction
Below are a few recent online articles
A Techy View
https://www.wired.com/story/guide-artificial-intelligence/
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/an-executives-guide-to-ai
BBC Resources
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-74697280-e684-43c5-a782-29e9d11fecf3
BBC on open AI Chatbots
https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/gpt-3
BBC A-Z
Educational
https://www.learningtree.co.uk/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-understanding-ai/
Learning approaches
https://www.coursera.org/articles/how-to-learn-artificial-intelligence
A range of pdfs on various AI Subjects:
Campaigning
PR Ethics
Use by Government
Academic Institution
Civil Liberties and Equality
https://alliedmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/peoples-guide-ai.pdf
9. My Guides to Campaigning, London and Research Issues
My Guides to Campaigning, London and Research Issues
My Note on free or cheap London and my London Miscellany of Music, Food, Late Night, Early Morning, Seasonal Events, Lectures, Books, and nearby places
https://goo.gl/MjwjRN More arts and culture material is below
My Guide to enjoying art, culture and science online - this was produced in 2020 during the start of Covid 19 Lockdown so may be a little out of date now. I hope to revise at some point
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11do78ePadd_MVdRxgZ4H0MACJZfLEax13jSXl0x6vXY/edit?usp=sharing
My Note on useful books that cover a wide range of current research issues
My Note on free or cheap Campaign Resources
I should also flag here a document I did not produce which is the 2024 Election Tech Handbook https://electiontechhandbook2024.uk/
My Note on the 'Oyster Card Gym'
https://www.facebook.com/notes/charlie-mansell/oystercard-gym/10150447803776887
Since around 2009/10 I have been writing notes around 'Frameworks for Social Change and Behaviour Change' which are over 130 pages long and synthesizes lots of change approaches and may eventually be a useful toolkit. This is still incomplete and I will eventually link it to here when I eventually complete it.
10. Newsletters
Newsletters
I have contributed to occasional email newsletters on various political and campaigning issues. Email me if you are interested in subscribing. An example was the TCC Newsletter https://us7.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=2d5854f07b5ded8f521fcb4f2&id=f4d4b0514c
11. Polling and Election Results
Polling and Election Results
A useful reference section for understanding what all the polling really means with comparisons back many years. I update this list each year as more sites become available
Current election results (including by-elections) and polling feeds
https://twitter.com/britainelects
https://twitter.com/EnglandElects
https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK
https://twitter.com/electpoliticsuk
https://twitter.com/BallotBoxScot
http://averypublicsociologist.blogspot.co.uk/p/local-council-by-elections.html
https://electionmaps.uk/byelections-since-le2025
https://twitter.com/UK_Polling
Current Polling
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election
http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/polls.html
http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/homepage.html
http://www.britishelectionstudy.com/
http://www.whatscotlandthinks.org/ (Scotland)
https://twitter.com/roger_scully (Wales)
Past polling
http://www.markpack.org.uk/opinion-polls/
http://whatscotlandthinks.org/opinion-polls (Scotland)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_1997_United_Kingdom_general_election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2001_United_Kingdom_general_election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2005_United_Kingdom_general_election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2010_United_Kingdom_general_election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2015_United_Kingdom_general_election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_United_Kingdom_general_election,_2017
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_2019_United_Kingdom_general_election
Election Polling Predictors
http://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/userpoll.html
https://devolvedelections.co.uk/scotland/
https://jaclarner.github.io/senedd_etholiad_sim/
https://seneddseatprojector-cymru.cavendishconsulting.com/
https://devolvedelections.co.uk/
Past election results
http://data.london.gov.uk/elections/
http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=2278
http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3755
http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3684
http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3686
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/our-work/our-research/electoral-data
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7529/
http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/ (Northern Ireland)
https://www.theedkins.co.uk/byelections/index.htm
http://www.andrewteale.me.uk/leap/
Polling & Next Election Targets
https://www.electionpolling.co.uk/
EU Elections
https://twitter.com/EuropeElects
US Election sites
https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/
https://www.cookpolitical.com/
http://election.princeton.edu/
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/
https://twitter.com/AmericaElige
https://twitter.com/USA_Polling
World Elections
https://twitter.com/ElectsWorld
https://twitter.com/CanadianPolling
https://twitter.com/PollingAusNZ
https://twitter.com/AsiaElects
https://twitter.com/AfricaElect
12. Political Writing, Articles, Papers and Book Contribution
Past Articles, Papers and Book Contributions
I contributed a chapter to the book "So you want to be a Politician" by Shane Greer, which can also be read more about here, here and here.
I was a contributing author to this academic paper "Building cohesion and trust in London—a social marketing approach" in the International Review on Public and Non-profit Marketing which is here and downloadable here,
I am cited as a source to this paper by Professor Tim Bale "Ploughed Under? Labour’s Grassroots Post-Corbyn" which is here.
I have also contributed articles to Total Politics Magazine, Politics First Magazine and Government Gazette Magazine. Some of them are collected here.
In 2008 after Boris Johnson won the London Mayoralty I co-authored a Report to senior London politicians explaining the campaign to stop him had failed because it had started implying he was a "Joke candidate" (ie "Have I Got News for You" TV programme bumbling appearances) and there was a need to focus all the time on framing him as a "threat". The report was prescient over the failed attempts to reframe Boris Johnson over the next 11 years which then did not stop him rising to Prime Minister for 3 years to the great disadvantage of the country.
From the 1995 to 2004 I was a Director of Sutton Regeneration Partnership regenerating both a 2,500 home Council estate using public money and with active tenant and leaseholder consent and developing community economic and cohesion activity in a longer more established large Council estate. I wrote a few articles then about that work but have not been able to find those. I recall I did flag issues around community anger leading to cohesion issues.
In 2007 in a pub in Croydon I sketched out a behaviour change concept called "Eyesore Gardens" mainly aimed at private landlords who bought ex-Council properties but let them run down with "mattresses in the front garden". My suggest was that one could make "tangible change" literally overnight with a behaviour change programme. I was fortunate others liked the concept and it played its part to contributing to improving community cohesion in barking and Dagenham by 2010. It's a lesson of quick and tangible action in an era of high national community disaffection tht I believe is even more relevent today.
NEW: Current Political Political Writing
There are currently two broad areas I am exploring set out below:
Political Institutions
This year I thought I would write a bit about the the institutional nature of some political parties
I produced the very detailed Labour Dashboard https://sites.google.com/view/labourdashboard/
This comprises:
Labour Dashboard: An analysis of the Labour Deputy Leader election, modelling of member segments for future elections and a first attempt at creating an “Online Labour Conference” for those watching it at home.
Labour Almanack: A useful page of links to find events and a calendar similar to this
Labour Archive: A collection of reference materials including a detailed 36 year membership analysis and useful link to Citrine’s ABC of Chairmanship
I also produced a short study of the founding conference of Your Party and the attempted development of a 6th UK wide party: https://sites.google.com/view/yp-aggregator/
Its three pages covered:
Its Founding Conference voting
An attempt at an internal segmentation of its membership
It’s rules and founding documents
The regional distribution of its membership
It's early structure
It's first CEC election
NEW: The Rise of Political Disaffection across Values
At present I am also addressing why a strategy of fighting mainly Reform was going to be difficult in a more fragmented politics covering the following 5 broad hypotheses and will expand on them further later in the year:
The initial development of multiple "Values Fronts" which had started to reach a critical mass from summer 2024: Security/Patriotic, Opportunity/Aspirational and Cosmopolitan with a subset in the latter segment in a small number of 30-50 seats called Global Issues (eg Kashmir/Middle East) are very important
The much longer history of the rise of political disaffection from 1999 helped the collapse of a single "all things to all people" cross-values disaffection "soak up" institution from 2010. That was then further aided by social media driven "long-tail" engagement of "late adopters" to disrupt the traditional "bell-curve" of "diffusion of innovation" of progressive values, plus lesser known changes to electoral systems leading to a low entry cost FPTP system easily enabling long-term smaller challenger and new "start-up" parties. This longer-term approach enables a simple measure called the "Disaffection Index" which should be a key metric for modern politics.
How some values around "expressive" Moral Certainty and Ethical Certainty mean some people with a strong disappointment over being politically "betrayed" over the last quarter of a century by more than one of the traditional 3 parties are provided with an opportunity of energised Challenger politics which is more oppositional and if it does note take power never betrays them again. This presents a major challenge for the traditional 3 main parties far more used to a mix of more pragmatic instrumentalist Moral Complexity or Ethical Complexity.
The material economics of the cost of living crisis and how it impacts on motivational values but also on "Class Consciousness" (much the highest with the economic "top 6%" and a more accurate framing than 1% v 99%) and subsequent "agency" that may in future come out of it.
The use of the assessments above to examine whether a simplistic media assumption of "Bloc Politics" of Left v Right will be the only frame in the next 3/4 years or will a cross-cutting politics of the challenger parties v the traditional parties lead to in effect "three poles" by 2028/9 most shown by three sets of tactical voting sites (a left pole, a right pole and a best placed traditional party pole) which may lead to the 600 MPs of traditional parties hoping to get an endorsement from 2 out of 3 poles
13. Conflicts and Aid
Conflicts and Aid
The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 generated the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War and the largest conventional war since the two Gulf Wars with combined casualties at the end of 2023 of around half a million which dwarfs any other current conflict. Time Out magazine produced this useful guide on how to provide humanitarian assistance for Ukraine
https://www.timeout.com/news/23-ways-you-can-help-the-people-of-ukraine-right-now-040722
At the same time that nearer conflict should also remind us of many other conflicts and refugee crises around the globe whether caused by war, long-term political or communal conflicts, government crackdowns or increasingly nowadays, climate change: Sudan, Gaza, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Burma/Myanmar, Congo, Kashmir and Xinjiang for example.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_armed_conflicts#Deaths_by_country
Many of these crisis areas can be donated to at the Disasters Emergency Committee website
On top of that my local Labour Party has also, in response to tragic events in Israel and Palestine has, created a Global Solidarity page as a useful aggregator of humanitarian activity in support of aid there and many other places as well as longer term issues around Human Rights, Peacebuilding International Development, Climate Change and Ecological Diversity:
https://suttonandcheam.laboursites.org/global-solidarity/
A useful set of links to understand the background to some conflicts:
14. History Writing
History Writing
In 2023 as a result of a number of people I knew for a long-time sadly passing away, it prompted me to write down many things I was aware of in my local area: .
A local political history
https://suttonandcheam.laboursites.org/a-short-history-of-sutton-cheam-clp/
Local political biographies
https://suttonandcheam.laboursites.org/in-memoriam/
I also produced a short history and other information on the Cooperative Movement for Sutton Branch Coop Party https://sites.google.com/view/sutton-co-op-party/
15. Arts Leisure and Culture:
Things that grabbed my attention in the past year
Arts Leisure and Culture: Things that grabbed my attention in the past year
I have continued a short arts and culture section I first wrote for 2023’s Almanac after 2022 became the first year of normal after lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
This is a more personal choice section so more generally I recommend the Google Arts and Culture site which partners with 2000 museum and art galleries over online materials:
https://artsandculture.google.com/
And also my now out of date listing of arts and culture online listing at the end which I did during lockdown and which I will update for the modern more virtual/home-working era at some point.
In terms of live face to face arts and culture I specialize in London related culture and my link above of free/cheap London places has loads of places to go, which I have visited over the years.
After the excitement of getting out again in 2022 and 2023, this year, like the election dominated 2024, was a quiet year as the backlog of new places to visit was complete.
However there were some interesting places to visit and livestream events to report on and also an opportunity to list the new things coming in coming years so this section may also act like a preview of the future.
Short Review of Places in 2025
This year I focused more on East London. A few places are below:
Hackney Bridge
Found this food/drink venue that opened in 2022 north of the Crate Brewery completely by accident when walking in the area.
A few pubs follow:
The Gun - Docklands
Lots of seating areas with Thames views
https://www.thegundocklands.com/
Great views of the Millenium Dome on opposite side of the Thames plus also the Docklands “Blue Bridge” https://islandhistory.wordpress.com/2018/06/20/the-blue-bridge/
York Square - Queens Head
An East End friendly locals pub on York Square (which feels a little Albert Square in Eastenders)
with another pub on the square too the LGBTQ+ friendly Old Ship
Sun Wharf - London Bridge
Not often do I list a Wetherspoons but they have opened some pubs at railway stations recently such as this one under London Bridge that is in the old London Dungeon space and backs on to the Shunt Lounge site
https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/25509468.inside-sun-wharf-wetherspoons-london-bridge/
They also this year opened the Walham Green in the former ticket hall of Fulham Ticket Hall of Fulham Broadway tube station
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/walham-green-fulham/
Seven Dials Food Market Hall - Covent Garden
Been past this a few times after Kerb (the street food company) opened it, but finally visited it this year.
https://www.sevendialsmarket.com/
Will go back some time this year as near the soon to open Covent Garden Guinness Brewery - see Preview section below.
Silvertown Tunnel
This opened this year and to complete my usage of such things I used a bus to go under it to add to my bus trips under the Blackwall Tunnel, my walks under both of the Woolwich and Greenwich Foot Tunnels and use of the Woolwich Ferry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvertown_Tunnel
V&A East
The Victoria & Albert (V&A) East Museum and V&A Storehouse partly opened in the old London Olympic Park area along with the David Bowie Archive at the Storehouse and I visited this year but will go back for a better view when more of the complex opens - see Preview section below.
Much of the material is free to access and this along with all the other attractions in the Olympic Park and neighbouring Hackney Wick creative quarter will be accessible by a 7 minute High Speed Javelin train that still runs from St Pancras
V&A East information here
And here
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/about-va-east-museum?
V&A East Storehouse
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/about-va-east-storehouse
David Bowie archive
Sadlers Wells East
https://www.sadlerswells.com/your-visit/sadlers-wells-east/welcome-to-sadlers-wells-east/?
Along with the V&A East complex, Sadler’s Wells East dance theatre opened as the whole area becomes the creative quarter that was planned some 13 years after the end of the London Olympics. I visited but will go back for a better look later this year..
London Food Secrets
At Borough Market I flagged in 2023 a London secret that if you join the much shorter Raclette queue at the very popular Kappacasein at Borough Market you can still order its superb Toasted Cheese sandwiches too
https://www.kappacasein.com/eat
And I always recommend the Cheese Wheel pasta at Camden Market
https://www.cheesewheellondon.com/
This year I also flag the Cheese barge at Paddington Basin
https://www.thecheesebar.com/experiences/the-cheese-barge
Which is near the Paddington Basin Street food market at Merchant Square
Livestreams - a modern way to view culture
The post Covid era rise in online cultural activity continues as remarkable the number of “livestreamed” events there now are. With so much replicable by AI which in a few years you will likely simply “content create” for yourself watching real live bands on a livestream may actually become a more “human” aspect to online life? There is also now a commercial livetream sector for musicians to perform: https://lounges.tv/
At the same time there also many free events.
Here are a few of my favourite online live moments of the last year where I focused more on the surprising range of festivals that are shown on TV or online:
Jean Michel Jarre - Concert in Samarkand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ar8wLepCaY
Radio 1 Big Weekend - Liverpool
https://www.bbc.co.uk/backstage/bigweekend
Radio 1 at Reading and Leeds
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b007xt4m/radio-1-at-reading-and-leeds-festival
Glastonbury Weekend
Having been 4 times, watching the streams of 5 stages with a timetable does give you a good festival experience over a weekend, especially if you can rig it up to watch it having beers near or in a garden
https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/egmzp6
All you need is the iplayer
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b007r6vx/glastonbury
A line-up list
https://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/line-up/line-up-2025/
A map - useful if you have been before to get a good feel for it
https://www.glastopedia.com/festivals/maps
And the webcam of the site to get a live feel of the site
https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/glastonbury/webcam
And the radio station to get updates on line up changes
https://www.worthywebplayer.net/
In 2027 Glastonbury takes a break but as shown here other festival are worth being aware ot.
Coachella
US version of Glastonbury perhaps? It repeats it’s line-up over two weekends and there is a live feed, though some is on quite late
https://www.youtube.com/@Coachella
Your get some historic moments as what looks like Blur’s final gig (a bit of Beatles 1966 Candlestick park final gig feel to it) was shown late in the night in 2024.
Nerina Pallot’s At Home Christmas event
This is an enjoyable annual event. A live Christmas hour long musical event when singer songwriter Nerina Pallot does requests from her fanbase whilst slightly tipsy from the Sherry and also responds to the live comments from the 800 or so watching. A proper live interactive online gig to end the year
https://www.youtube.com/@nerinapallottv
Sometimes you have to be fortuitous spotting a live online event which tends to be short notice and gets less coverage unless you are on lots of mailing lists. However If you don’t do that or can’t get to a gig here is how to watch and or listen to live music online 15 hours a day pretty much every day of the year
The Temple Bar pub in Dublin is regularly online with a live feed and a youtube live stream
https://thetemplebarpub.com/live-music/
Switch the most recent sound livestream on usually marked “live”
https://www.youtube.com/@livefromthetemplebar/streams
and then watch their webcam here and the webcam screen can be “grabbed” by your mouse so you can even move closer to watch the band. Its a remarkably clear live feeling webcam too
https://www.earthcam.com/world/ireland/dublin/?cam=dublinpub
Plus a webcam of it outside
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4UZ4UvZXrg
Having flagged this in 2023, its interesting to note more people are actually watching Bar livestreams whether live music or not if they cannot get out as much as before: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9z0d9pd2xo
Previews
London in 2026
Bayeux Tapestry in London
It will be interesting to see whether thai will be as popular as the 1.6m who visited the Tutankahmun exhibition of 1972.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/press/press-releases/bayeux-tapestry-displayed-british-museum
Southbank Centre - 75th Anniversary
Such a great space so an opportunity to celebrate it with a number of events
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/press/the-southbank-centre-unveils-75th-anniversary-programme/
Guinness Old Brewers Yard
For those who already like the very large multi-level Dublin originated Porterhouse Pub in Covent Garden (which I have gone to after the GLA St Patrick’s Day festival)
https://www.porterhouse.london/
we will also see the opening of a Guinness Storehouse micro-brewery and culture hub opening in in December 2025 Covent Garden too https://www.guinness.com/en-gb/our-craft/old-brewers-yard
V&A East Museum
The next stage of this opens in September
https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/east/five-things-to-know-about-va-east-museum
Quentin Blake Museum of Illustration
Opens in Clerkenwell in May: https://qbcentre.org.uk/
Museum of Youth Culture
Opens at St Pancras in Spring 2026: https://www.museumofyouthculture.com/
London Museum of Shakespeare
This is opening soon and will provide access to the remains of a Shakespearean Theatre and a Museum too. More here: https://bompasandparr.com/case-study/museum-of-shakespeare/
And more will be here
https://www.museumofshakespeare.org.uk/ and here: https://www.thestageshoreditch.com/history-heritage
South by Southwest (SXSW) London festival
The US festival for music and tech comes back to London in June 2026
Museum of London
To come in London in 2026 is the reopened Museum of London in Smithfield near Faringdon
https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/smithfield/
In the meantime the Museum of London Docklands is still open and still has an evocative recreation of Dockland streets on its second floor
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands
Preview of London beyond 2026
Olympia
As well as the new Museum of London we will also see Olympia substantially rebuilt and expanded with a roof garden, and a new theatre and music venue. It was assumed this would open in 2026, but it now looks like 2027.
London Tunnels
These are due to open in Holborn in 2027 opening up old war time tunnels: More here: https://thelondontunnels.com/ and here: https://londonist.com/london/news/kingsway-tunnels-holborn-open-public
Earls Court
After Olympia completes Earls Court will have a massive regeneration development which may openfrom 2030 onward. More here: https://www.placesforlondon.co.uk/projects/earls-court here: https://londonist.com/london/latest-news/what-s-happening-with-the-earl-s-court-development and here https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/planning/regeneration-transforming-our-borough/earls-court-development
With the Olympic Park now much operational with new venues from 2025 following past regeneration at Paddington, Kings Cross and Battersea Power Station and the Olympia regeneration nearly complete and Earls Court about to start, the next area likely so see regeneration is the large Waterloo/South Bank creative area where Waterloo Station is likely to see a of re-design of its frontage as well as far more opening up of its undercroft areas
https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/housing/regeneration-projects/waterloo-station-vision
Already the old Eurostar terminal has been redesigned so there is a big Brewdog pub
https://drink.brewdog.com/uk/brewdog-waterloo
and a Wetherspoon pub the Lion and the Unicorn (named after a 1951 Festival of Britain pavilion)
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/the-lion-the-unicorn-london/
that now better connect Leake Street Arches graffiti tunnel
https://www.leakestreetarches.london
plus the Vault Theatre with its useful footpath to
Lower Marsh arts venues like Vaulty Towers
https://www.vaultytowers.london/
to the rest of the South Bank.
Also with the Udderbelly area at the edge of Jubilee Gardens being rebranded after 2023 as a more permanent bar and events space called Between the Bridges
https://betweenthebridges.co.uk/
the whole area is expanding further in the coming years
Outside London Preview in 2026
Some places and events it might be worth visiting in 2026 from North to South:
Commonwealth Games Glasgow
Leeds - 400 years a city
https://news.leeds.gov.uk/news/call-for-city-celebrations-to-mark-historic-leeds-400-milestone
Southport Cultural Festival
https://www.southport2026.com/
We Invented the Weekend Festival
Free Festival at Salford Quays and Media City in Greater Manchester
https://www.weinventedtheweekend.com/
Lowry Arts Centre Salford, Greater Manchester - 360 Free Immersive gallery
https://thelowry.com/lowry-360-5htn
Salford, Greater Manchester - 100 years a city
https://www.visitsalford.info/salford-100
And opening of the Salford Rise elevated walkway
Peak District National Park 75th Anniversary
https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/home
Lincoln Museum Fully Reopens
https://www.lincolnmuseum.com/
Winnie the Pooh 100th anniversary events in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex
Reopening of the Folkestone Leas Lift Funicular Railway
Portsmouth - 100 years a city
https://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/portsmouth-100/
New: Beyond London Beyond 2026
UK City of Culture
This lasts for one year and occurs every four years. Bradford was UK City of Culture in 2025 and the next one will be in 2029
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_City_of_Culture
Bristol and Plymouth have bid for it https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgl8zkgzy07o and full list is:
Blackpool
Bristol
Exeter
Ipswich
Peterborough
Plymouth
Portsmouth
Swindon
Wrexham
There will also be a new Town of Culture award announced for 2028 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gl85y6nxyo
and the shortlist is here: https://x.com/PolitlcsUK/status/2075248645314597371
Large towns:
Basildon
Birkenhead
Grimsby
Rotherham
Medium towns:
Corby
Great Yarmouth
Leith
Pontypridd
Port Talbot
Small towns:
Ilfracombe
Isle of Bute
Lerwick
Sandown
Strabane
Stockton Town Centre Ward
New Songs I liked in 2025
This year a quick evening’s trawl through a year’s worth of my youtube video history to see what turned up from new songs in the last 1-2 years. There were more this year. Enough for a “sequenced album's” worth. Some comments are shown for each one below but the simple playlist is also here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne9Z-jZ06_U&list=PLLa0y9WaPtw0t33Av0c86MAX3n5jFlsYE
1 Seafret & KT Tunstall - Five More Seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne9Z-jZ06_U
A collaboration by K T Tunstall. Sounds a little like the Kooks who also released an album this year but I have not covered it, but it can be listened to here
2 Gracie Abrams - Blowing Smoke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypYgfd4CcIA
In a year of Taylor Swift touring dominance this by someone she has toured with was a great song
The other standout track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82_CsoY1AgE
3 Myles Smith - Stargazing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p9EauIOPm8
The rise of African heritage “country music” was noticeable and exemplified by the UK’s Myles Smith. Other tracks here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZUp0zaQNcA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VbDkDALT7w
4 Shaboozey - Blink Twice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NLDbLsC56g
…and also by the rise of US’s Shaboozey who has also collaborated with Myles Smith in the song above. Another track here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIPzbeQMn9Y
5 Kowloons - I Don’t Care
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDq_iC4qCy8
Good to see them release their first single. I do seem to have a predilection for bands from Merseyside!:)
I first came across them in 2021 when I found their cover of the lost La’s second album track Fishing Net
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8S0qViazQ4
6 Esther Abrami - Apple Tree
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep71Pnq0mvo
Heard this played whilst watching the BAFTAS film awards and checked it out after. Arguably the original Piano version here is at least the equal of the violin led version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNUD67-yDSQ
7 Wunderhorse - Arizona
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbeOj2OEkfU
Have made it big in recent years and this is a recent song
But I also like this track too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0tFZ5d5uWQ
8 Royston Club - Cariad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA_Pd7PEDC
A powerful emotional song from a Welsh Indie band
9 Hayley Mary - Ruby Wednesday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14cDrYfXxtk
My youtube history has featured some Australian Indie.. This is a recent solo outing from Hayley Mary, lead singer from the band The Jezebels probably best known for the track Endless Summer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvCr1UAcPc4
10. Alexis Strum - If You Think I’m Too Much (you should go find less) (Bright Light Remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nybt5YfUAps
Was not planning to add this, but having covered acomeback after a totally stalled musical career last year where her two binned albums were finally released, it was good to see the self-release a third album after 18 years and this was the most lively track.
But I also liked her remake of her late 2000’s indie band Bo Pepper song Life B4 Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWscJxfk5oo
The original is also here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vug0r2Qyxd0
11 Rosalía - Berghain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htQBS2Ikz6c
Bonkers brilliant song by someone pretty big in latin music circles, but perhaps a little less known in the UK. This also features Björk
12 Rhiane Downey - The Consequence of Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBnbq8RjpDQ
Getting much bigger in her own right after her touring with Paul Heaton in the Beautiful South and doing all those duets with him.
Older songs I discovered or rediscovered in 2024
It’s good fun at Christmas checking through a year's worth of youtube video history to see what was of general interest - especially the more obscure stuff. So here in pre-streaming parlance is a curated & “sequenced albums worth” of 15 from a longlist of 40 tracks listened to, and the text below has stories or comments and links to many other songs from those artists. However the simple 15 song playlist is also here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnZrmtLXr0o&list=PLLa0y9WaPtw2_BbvqMOlMNbz0nleS8NLI
1. Mock Turtles - And Then She Smiled
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnZrmtLXr0o
Saw them live in summer 1991 just as they released this after the much better known track “Can You Dig It”. A perfect summer song really.
2 Delays - Nearer than Heaven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbIddy1G_OY
This was marginally ahead of the more mid 60’s track that is also below with gorgeous high treble harmonies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8wgJftpGDA
and its b side
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZZVjo5DKe8
Indie band of the 2000’s but sadly their Lead singer Greg Gilbert died after a long fight against cancer in 2021…..
3 Lunar Fields - Get Set Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRVnekkWjnQ
…..so as a tribute here is a little known track from Greg Gilbert’s side project the Lunar Fields. Surprised it has not been licensed for sporting events?
4. Alessi’s Ark - Over the Hill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47O4fuXQpeQ
Notes from the Treehouse album was released in 2009 and was a very good album and I always thought she should be bigger.
5 Blue Aeroplanes - Colour Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weNepI3KhWo
Saw them at Glastonbury in 1992 on the main stage but also at the Water Rats in dancing right up at the front. Both were brilliant gigs
Some great lyrics and the guitar solo at 3.38-4.25 is one of my favourites from a band that could often have 3 or 4 lead and rhythm guitarists on stage
6. The Sundowners - Back to You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeQWdrY_r5o
Was going to add the Coral (maybe next year?) but this Merseyside duo do include a relative. This track reminds me a little of the third album by All About Eve. Probably better known for their 1960’s Californian style track Hummingbird
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Rnxs6jWE8
And similarly psychedelic Into the Light
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQYUcmEl8k4
7 Dave Brubeck - Golden Brown??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qs1J612nZs
A fake video from the Covid era when someone created a version of the Strangler’s Golden Brown as pretended as first done by Jazz musician Dave Bruback. Just superbly done
8 Kitty Macfarlane - Namer of Clouds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMNGDwpVYF0
A tough choice between these two beautiful folk tracks which which really give a feel for the Somerset Levels which I luckily spent a few weeks exploring one warm Autumn and also at a Christmas and New Year.
The second track is about the 2014 Somerset floods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk54H-OWCn4
In 1995 early one morning down the A303 down to Glastonbury I saw the mists rising across much of the Somerset Levels (“a sea and islands” is the only way to describe the image) and in 2014 I stood at night by a river and pub in the Levels with a full moon framing the Tor. One can certainly see how the landscape became seen as quite mystical
I chose the Namer of Clouds track as it has a serious story. It’s about Luke Howard who in 1802 came up with the nomenclature for clouds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud#Homospheric_nomenclatures_and_cross-classification
Because of this, Howard is referred to as "The Godfather of Clouds", the "namer of the clouds", and the "father of meteorology".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Howard_(meteorologist)
There is Radio 4 interview here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000q3qd
of her with Gavin Pretor-Pinney of the Cloud Appreciation Society
https://cloudappreciationsociety.org/
to talk about the importance of looking up conducted at Burrow Mump (another mini-Glastonbury Tor on the south side of the levels)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrow_Mump
near King Alfred’s Isle of Athelney
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athelney
More on the area was recently covered in a recent edition of BBC’s Countryfile
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002mrdv/countryfile-somerset-levels
9 Tim Burgess - Oh My Corazon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDQ7CRxn064
Just love the sound of the chorus of this track by Tim Burgess is a solo break from his band the Charlatans
10 Oasis - She is Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHeszfOsrPo
It was a year of Oasis reuniting. I saw them just before they released “What’s the Story Morning Glory in 1995. Rather than choose one of their better known songs I chose a slightly lesser known double A single from 2002 with an unreleased quite romantic not very Oasis video
Other perhaps lesser known Oasis songs worth listening too are:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1qz2I60108
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4-QVuW1fAw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJMOTbaVh44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpxGFlN6njc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKiI6hiLvK8
11 Pale lights - 4 O’clock in the Morning
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ondc3VwiK2o&pp=0gcJCRYKAYcqIYzv
Could not be a playlist from me without a fully jangly song, so this is one I played this year.
12 Ben Taylor - Just Like Everyone Else
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg7tQZ8-K_I
I first heard this in a coffee shop in Clapham, found out who he was (the son of Carly Simon and James Taylor) and by complete accident found he had a gig at the glorious Union Chapel (full of candles) in Highbury on a Sunday two weeks later. Love the very late 1964, early 1965 Beatles influenced middle eight.
13 Snow Patrol - Open Your Eyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk1Q9y6VVy0
Was going to put in the Allende dance remix (maybe a few long remix versions in future) for this but decided the original was better in a playlist with the slowly rising guitar/synth lines (worth waiting until 4.01 for it to really kick in) rather than a dance beat so kept that. The video is an edit of the 1970’s French short film C'était un rendez-vous (English: It Was a Date) which is superb one take shot of Paris ending up in Montmartre which of course is a place going for a nice meal outside a cafe watching artists painting in the Autumn in my experience.
The Allende Remix is here and also has the full film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWjJWGisV3Y
14 Carole King - Pleasant Valley Sunday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtyqPzeso5A
A superb writer of songs, but this may be a surprise. Her demo of the Monkees song Pleasant Valley Sunday which with its harmonised Californian vibe shows it could have easily been given to the Mamas and the Papas too.
15 Dougie MacLean - The Gael
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pCv7k_Hzvg
Possibly one of the most visceral endings to a film is the last 8 minutes of the the Daniel Day-Lewis movie Last of the Mohicans (he should have got an Oscar for that too) so I have not put the link in here (it can easily be found), but this mournful song adds to the almost inevitable sets of tragic outcomes and catharsis. It was orchestrated as the song “Promentory” for the movie here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tjdswqGGVg
but I think I prefer the original song from 1990
16. General and Archive Material
General and Archive Material
Covid-19 Websites
UK Government Website https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
UK SAGE site https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies
UK Independent SAGE site https://www.independentsage.org/
London school of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine website https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/research-action/covid-19
UCL Covid website https://www.ucl.ac.uk/coronavirus/
US CDC research websites https://www.cdc.gov/library/researchguides/2019novelcoronavirus/websites.html
World Health Organisation https://www.who.int/
Post-Brexit Websites
Government: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/brexit-guidance
The full UK/EU agreement: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/relations-non-eu-countries/relations-united-kingdom/eu-uk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement_en
Institute of Government (Non- Partisan): https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/our-work/brexit
Constitution Unit (Non-Partisan): https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/research/uk-and-europe
The Consequences of the Change set out by EU https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_104
Other Useful EU Explanatory documents: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2531
Trade Justice Movement Analysis of the Agreement https://www.tjm.org.uk/resources/briefings/tjm-analysis-of-the-eu-uk-trade-agreement
UK in a Changing Europe Research Unit https://ukandeu.ac.uk/
Best for Britain (Remain) https://www.bestforbritain.org/
The New European (Remain): https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/
Brexit Central (Leave): http://brexitcentral.com/ (archive)
Another Europe is Possible (Left politics: Remain and Reform): https://www.anothereurope.org/