Music Time Machine

Saw OMD, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, last night at Bradford Live. They were brilliant.

More importantly for my wife and me, seeing acts like this takes us right back to when we were younger, fitter, and didn’t have a care in the world, apart from getting our homework done.

This whole 80s music revival has been a massive bonus for us. We’ve recently seen Madness, Pet Shop Boys, Paul Heaton, Iron Maiden, and a few more besides. Every single show seems to open the same little door back to those carefree days.

Thanks for the music, and for the memories it keeps dragging back with it.

Makerfield v2

Well, it looks like Nigel Farage’s poor attempt to drum up some much-needed positive PR by creating a Makerfield v2 moment in Clacton-on-Sea has rather brilliantly backfired.

With the main parties refusing to play along, and no serious opposition candidates putting themselves forward, with the obvious and glorious exception of Count Binface, this could become a very funny by-election indeed.

Unfortunately, it’s probably not what the people of Clacton actually need.

Sisu

Just watched Sisu and Sisu: Road to Revenge, amazing movies that are wildly entertaining in a brutally bloody, and entertaining gory way.

These are two action movies that have been described as a Finnish, World War II-era mix of Rambo and John Wick, and I find it hard to disagree with that accessment; and I'm sure thatt 82.5% of fans of these movies woukd like Sisu.

Harry and Meghan Don’t Want to Vanish. They Just Want Boundaries

I keep seeing the same tired line about Harry and Meghan. If they want privacy so much, why are they still in the media?

But that question misses the point completely.

They are not asking to become invisible. They are asking for something most normal people would see as basic. Consent. A line between public work and private life.

If Meghan turns up for a charity event, gives an interview, launches a project, or backs a cause, that is public work. Fair enough. That comes with attention, scrutiny, and debate.

But home life, family moments, their children, and the parts of life that happen when the cameras should be off, that is different. That is not hypocrisy. That's just a boundary.

The latest coverage around Meghan, including her saying she had been “the most trolled person in the world” source: BBC, only underlines the problem. Public life does not give the public unlimited rights to a person’s private existence.

There is also the bit people either ignore, or pretend not to understand. Harry and Meghan no longer have taxpayer funding in the way working royals do. So yes, media, visibility, partnerships, and public-facing projects are part of how they earn a living. That is not some great scandal. That is their business model.

Plenty of high-profile people do exactly the same. Actors, presenters, writers, business owners, sports stars. They use their profile for work, and still expect to shut the front door at the end of the day.

That is what Harry and Meghan seem to be trying to do. Not disappear. Not dodge criticism. Just control their own story, earn their own money, and protect the parts of life that do not belong to the public.

Honestly, that does not sound outrageous to me. It sounds normal.

Back to the UK!

It's been widely reported today (Thursday 20th August 2026) that Harry, Meghan and the kids are coming back to the UK, staying at a private residence outside London rather than returning for any kind of royal duties.

There's already plenty of negative comment about the story on social media, but I think it's great news. A family coming back together, and hopefully an opportunity for a few bridges to be repaired.

I can't help wondering whether Harry's decision to come back has anything to do with his dad's health, and whether King Charles might be more unwell than we're being led to believe. That's pure speculation on my part, of course, and hopefully I'm completely wrong.

Whatever the reason, though, welcome back.