But why is Ewan McColl on the sofa with you?

We both got here the same week!

good looking people" won't that be same as the "recap on Friday's social" though?

It's a shame Andrew couldn't make it - we were (surprisingly) somewhat short of beard action!

This is the version of Solisbury Hill referred to in the 'cast. Somehow, the use of the folding bicycle takes the song somewhere else altogether...

Is that a cast-iron guarantee that listening won't spoil everything for those of us who have not seen all five series of The Wire?

Depends on your powers of deduction. If you've not made it to the end of Series 3, I'd give it a miss. Otherwise you're safe.

If powers of deduction are proportional to grasp of what the hell's going on and who the hell everyone is, then I'm probably safe. But I'm only half way through the first series. Think I'll wait. Thanks, Lucas

I'm mentioned in the podcast (under my real name) thanks to a conversation I had on Saturday evening with Paul Du Noyer. I'm ridiculously, insanely proud...

The Winner Takes it All (or One of Us) is probably the greatest single ever made full of lust, wit and (barely concealed) anger.

...and I remember when he was in Family Affairs.

In response to "the strange experience of sharing the same space as exceptionally good-looking people" topic I would like to say I have been struck dumb, reduced to a drooling, snuffling and blushing idiot, in the presence of Nina Persson from The Cardigans/A Camp. She really is as stunning in the flesh as you would imagine and thoroughly charming.
She did utter the immortal lines, since imprinted on my heart, "so are you coming for a drink too then?" - which my wife keeps insisting were aimed at her too and not just to me (which is how it pans out in the dreams...).

Greta Scacci's partner is her first cousin!!!

About twelve years ago, I was briefly in the same room as Juliet Binoche. I was aware that she was obviously quite good looking, but had never been that struck by her. Then I saw her, standing in a doorway. She was leaning against the door frame waiting to speak to someone. She looked pretty tired, a bit spotty and hadn't really bothered with make up or neat attire. And you know what? She was classically, incandescently, jaw-on-the-floor drop dead gorgeous. And I'm not really talking about how she looked: it was more an indefinable presence. I guess that's what star quality is.

I met Nicolas Parsons last year. He was wearing a cravat. He didn't look foolish.

That's star quality

I feel I must talk about the Answer Me This comment. Why are they complaining that you 'stole their format' when, only a few months ago, you had a half page feature on them? The only reason I checked out their podcast was because of that article. I gave it a couple of shows and thought it not worth continuing with. To say you stole their format is like saying to a novelist "Hey, stop writing. I'm writing the novel this year." I haven't seen insecurity like that since the golden age of the Kubrick cease and desist letters.

was it the acoustics? the intimate atmosphere created by just the 2 of you chatting? SAD maybe?

Heard the bill mcclaren news last week, but DH's comments describing "dark saturday afternoons in february at 20 to five sitting with father" really struck a chord...I blubbed like a baby

Had never realised she and Tim Finn were an item when he did this for the Coca-Cola Kid:

She seems to have a wry attitude to her fame---always remember a photoshoot for a magazine cover (Indy?) a few years ago when she was wearing a Hamnett-style big T shirt with the slogan "You'll go blind ..."

I think this could work, if it were done as a sort of Q&A session with the panel sat with an audience it might be quite fun. Andrew Collins gets away with it! Perhaps you tell some of the HORA's that for legal reasons would not make the podcast...

I like the idea of a special Word Concert too...it's all happening.

though can't say Driis really sold me his new Extended Player. He's obviously needing to get rid of some of the 'grime' from his 'house', apparently in an 'old school' fashion, which I take to refer to my mum's mixture of vinegar and lemon juice (though she doesn't keep it in her 'handbag') rather than the preparatory products available for this purpose in most good (Homerton) High Street shops. And as for Fraser's melting moment with his cables, I'm sure in all his TV and movie experience Idris rarely encounters such a well mannered and, er, frankly over qualified sound man!

what that circular thing is in Andrew Harrison's lap in the above photo.
It's really bugging me.

Tuned in(?) for my first ever listen to see what Mr Elba had to say for himself. Never got that far. Am I the only one who thinks that this particular Word podcast sounds like an indulgent shrink listening to a mildly deranged Tony Blair blathering on after a few spliffs?

I was moved by the stilling of this great voice, too, although no lover of rugby. I totally identified with David's observation that his avuncular, authoritative tone evoked the early darkness of a dreich Saturday afternoon in February.

http://www.arsenal.com/usa/sh/usa/news/features/idris-elba

That's all.