From Brother Baker's Star Garter page on Facebook, and apropos nowt musical at all, this is toppermost of the poppermost advertising

This may have been put up or Word-emailed already (I've been away for a bit), but if not I think the Massive will be appreciative. The whistling soundtrack may get on your wick if you're not a huge Roger Whittaker fan but, that apart, this is a little work of art

http://vimeo.com/12433033

I'm working in a village outside Rochdale called Milnrow. At lunchtime I paid my respects to the fallen at the memorial gardens there - so many names on the plinth for such a small place, including six men with the surname Butterworth. I felt a little of Milnrow's abiding sense of loss as I looked at the wreaths neatly laid there. And I reminded myself to post this by a genius from over the Pennines in Leeds

I saw it first on Discovery a while back. If you haven't seen it, check it out on 4OD. It's a real-time reconstruction using professional & amateur handheld footage taken at the scene, emergency services audio & news broadcasts. No commentary or talking heads, just the odd explanatory caption. It puts you right there. Extraordinary.

Stelling's got the gig!.

I still don't quite believe I've seen this. Mark E Smith reads the football results-ah.

This is very rare clip of The Big Heat singing Watch Me Catch Fire on OGWT in 1984. Written by Elvis Costello in his ridiculously fecund mid-80s period, it was, as Brother Kershaw says, a big airplay hit , but came out just before the Bradford stadium fire and was immediately dropped from all playlists thereafter. It's a great piece of blue-eyed soul & I think it's safe to say it's unavailable anywhere else but here. Enjoy.

Not in any way pop or rock and apropos nothing at all except the desire to give the Word massive a chuckle this Blue Monday, but if you missed the BBC coverage British Masters yesterday you missed this Peter Alliss gem.
Commenting on eventual winner Fernandez-Castano's all-over-the-place scorecard, his co-commentator remarked that Carol Vorderman would be required to add it up. 'Ooh, Carol Vorderman' said Alliss lasciviously, 'I like her. I was watching Countdown last week and got aroused..(perfect pause)..Seven letters. Very good.'

Paul Cole, the gentleman standing next to the black maria on the Abbey Road cover, died in February. Story here http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/feb/15/30gtpaul-cole-man-on-beatles-abbe...

Good Elvis Costello interview in this month's mag, Mr H, although EC always puts his best side out; does he really enjoy supporting Dylan and, er, The Police?
As someone who devoured his every last fart and whistle for 20 years I find his latest stuff uninvolving, but he's always had a way with a cover version and this one of Christina Aguillera's Beautiful

from the House soundtrack is up there with the very best. I can't claim to know what a hit sounds like anymore but surely this is one? Could a younger person (most of you, judging by the 'Birthday hit' thread) enlighten me?

This got buried here,
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/new-word-podcast-morrissey-switchb..., under my musings about DAB radio, so I've rescued it because I think the parish might fancy a rant of a grey Monday...

Re Kevin Greening, here's http://botherer.cream.org/?p=833 an interesting blog piece, reprinted in Private Eye, about how the Mail on Sunday end of journalism works. The blogger
doesn't name the hack but PE does - take a bow one Daniel Cochlin.

For light relief, go forward a couple of days in the blog to see REM & the Muppets. It's well worth it.