Was I the only member of the Massive at last night's event? If so, you lot missed a treat. TSTL is the latest venture of The Word's own David Hepworth and its very very good. Its an evening of stand up story (as opposed to joke) telling and is a monthly venture held in an upstairs room at The Compass pub in Islington. NB The pub serves very good beer and, although I didnt try the food,(food being the enemy of the drinker and all that) it looked and smelled terrific and is worth a visit on its own merit.

Various Word galactico's were present. Jude Rogers told a story that, among other things, explained why Led Zep played a record of an old Welsh song as they trooped off stage at the end of their reform gig at the o2. Fraser, Mark Ellen and David Hepworth himself of course were also there.

I'd strongly recommend coming along to the next one if you can. You can find out more here: http://www.truestoriestoldlive.com/2010/01/the-morning-after/

I've done a fuller review in my blog if anybody's interested (and I'm not breaking any blog rules) here:
http://thelondoni.com/?p=228

An excellent night out. It might be an idea for a London Word Massive meet up at the next one of these in Feb?

This TV series was mentioned on the Great British TV thread of a while back. I have just noticed that it's being broadcast on Yesterday channel this coming week. If its as good as I remember it, it will be worth a watch.

Can somebody please check that Eamonn Forde is OK. Did he catch his bus this evening?

I went to the National Theatre last night to see Mother Courage. It is an astonishing and brilliant piece of drama that was dramatically (see what I did there...) enhanced by this guy singing some very weird and beautiful songs during the play.

Apparently he's a proper pop musician and everything. I like this song:

but I dont like it as much as the music he sang last night. Reminded me why I fell in love with (pop) music.

You can download a sampler album on his website www.dukespecial.com and I'd recommend you give him a try (the first song on it is from the play)/

I'd also recommend the play if you are in The Smoke and dramatically inclined.

This new Madness record is very special. It could be the best London record ever; its a fantastic piece of grown up pop. Well done the middle agers!!

I have just changed my email address. Where on earth do I go to re-subscribe to the newsletter? I am doing something wrong; can't find it anywhere...

Help

Andrew Harrison has just used the word "quake" in the thread about the ridiculous amount of time some of you spend posting on this darned site. Haven't heard the word for a while.

In a moment of serendipity I have just had a conversation with my daughters and used the word jip (or possibly "gyp"?) as in giving somebody jip. They had never heard of it. Ditto "aggro".

Are they out of use? Any other words that we used when we were young that are long gone?

When the team were discussing band names that never were during the superb 100th podcast, they talked about The Fancy Cheese People and Andrew Harrison, I think it was, mentioned the sign at Farringdon. There was a brief discussion as to whether the sign is still there. Spookily I can confirm that it is not; the sign is now inside the house of one of my best friends. He used to get the train into Farringdon every day and the sign amused him. He's in the property game and when he heard that the property with the sign was on was due for redevelopment, he got in touch with the owner and bought it (sign not property!). Much to the dismay of his house proud wife, he has insisted that the sign (which is of not insiginficant size) be put up in his living room. This has come to pass. His proudest moment was when he had the sign laid out in his back garden awaiting hanging in the living room. The Google Earth satellite chose that particular moment to photograph his back garden and the "fancy cheese people" sign could be seen in his garden. He has a print of that next to the sign.

Having just googled "fancy cheese people" it turns out to have been featured in Finistere - a film made to accompany the St Etienne album of he same name. Rock and Cheese Roll!! See link. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/image/0,,1803702,00.html

How did I miss him? Thanks for a great article in this months magazine. Have already purchased a handful of his cd's. Am playing them now on shuffle and they are perfect for a sunny morning. Quite possibly the soundtrack to my summer.

Seems to be lots of school stuff on here today.

Was recently chatting to a friend of mine who had a Mr Hunt as a teacher. All the kids, and apparently the teachers, only ever referred to him as "Waddock".

Any other hilarious school nicknames for teachers or kids?

Tonight I shall be at my local pub watching some people do this:

I cant believe anybody can be doing anything more glamorous than that, can they?

Having surprised myself by dancing for four (!!!!) hours at a party last week and then having read the Northern Soul thread below it made we wonder. As music was/is essentially designed to make us move our bodies:

Do you dance (enthusiastically when the opportunity arises)?

Did you used to dance but no longer do so?

Do you/have you always hate(d) the idea of dancing?

My good friend Charlie Gordon has mentioned that we haven't had one of these for a while, so, here goes...

Last 3 books read (honest injun, no posing). Mine are:

Playing The Enemy - John Carlin
The story of Mandela from 85 - 95, from the beginnings of negotiating his release through to Presidency, culminating in him handing the trophy at the 95 rugby world cup to the white afrikanner captain whilst a nation/world swoons. It is being made into a film right now by clint eastwood with morgan freeman as mandela. Its a good yarn and is homework/preparation for my forthcoming lions tour to SA (just watching not playng, though I will take my boots just in case!).

The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie.
Thought I should see what all the fuss was about. I thought it was a brilliant book. Very readable yet absolutely mind bending in its swirling narratives. I loved the concept of the two characters falling to earth at the start and then moving through time via their dreams.

The Great Fire - Shirley Hazzard
I read this beacuase Bryan Appleyard in the Sunday Times said she was one of the greatest of modern writers and I'd never heard of it. To be fair, there are not many car chases within but its a beatifully written story which I could not get out of my head. Not really a "page turner" but I found this utterly compulsive. And the language is fascinating. It feels very old fashioned but incisive. A great book.

I caught up on the last two podcasts last night. Laughed out loud at Fraser's corner taking and kayaking & empathise with David's medium pace outswingers. Its so true. My own private perversions include:

1. I walk down busy street pretending that I am Barry John drifting past English defenders in the Wales v England game in Cardiff in 1971 (I am very specific about this). He didnt seem to do anything perceptible when he beat people, no sidesteps etc, but just floated by the oncoming traffic. I aspire to sending pedestrians coming towards me the wrong way with a flick of my eyes.

2. I deal with changing trains at busy tube stations where people come at you from all directions by sidestepping and jinking in my mind like Shane Williams (or occassionally Phil Bennet)

3. Not sporting, but occassionally I get on a tube train or go into a room and pretend to be a spy in my mind and work who are the most threatening fellow travellers and who gets shot in what order. This last one isnt quite as cheery as the last two, obviously.

And of course the other thing that men really think about all the time is....

Thanks for everybody's help on the Song Title Party thread below.

It was a great party which degenerated into people ignoring the playlists that the host had carefully put together and people putting on song after song themselves - with gaps in between just like in the old days.

Resulted in loads of frenzied dancing followed by 30 seconds deep breathing followed by more frenzied dancing - repeat ad nauseum. Or at least 4 hours....

Somebody put Black Dog by Led Zep at one point & a couple of us headbanged to it. Thirty seconds in I could feel this was a bad idea & I had to look for a decent moment to stop without losing too much face. Later on "Oops upside your head" was chosen & down on the floor we all went. did it three times in a row, God it hurt.

I woke up on sunday feeling like I'd run a marathon or played rugby against the Sprinboks. Aching all over. Neck very sore thanks to the Zep - but the killer proved to be Oops Upside - it gets you in all the wrong places.

Any other painful and stoopid dances enjoyed by the Word massive?

PS. Strangely though...no hangover. Dancing seems to do that.