Because of the new television version of Amadeus ("flat, airless and banal"- Guardian), there's been much recent discussion of Paul Shaffer's original play and of the 1984 film. A television documentary about Paul Schofield has recently appeared on YouTube. Simon Callow, who played Mozart to Schofield's Salieri in the first production of the play, talks about the experience in the video above. (Just click play to see the extract.) If you watch the whole programme on YouTube, you will see that Schofield was regarded by his contemporaries as a peerless stage actor. Because he made relatively few screen appearances, his ...
It's not just Scottish MPs who worry about island ferries: Andrew George's St Ives constituency, as well as the far west of Cornwall, takes in the Isles of Scilly, which are 28 miles off the Cornish coast. In this latest Cornish Times column, the Liberal Democrat MP reports a meeting with the transport minister Keir Mather: He says he wants to help. I've invited him to visit, to help him better understand the challenges islanders face, and then help ensure sustainable solutions are found. Scilly may be an exceptional place. But it's also a tough place to survive, especially if ...
As I biohacker I do quite a bit of self-experimentation. There is an interesting ethical question about self-experimentation. Obviously people have the right to make their own decisions. Self Experimentation has a long history in Medicine and at least five Nobel Prize winners have won a prize following self experimentation. However, it is potentially dangerous and people have died. The
In some ways, but far from all, I was a mildly precocious kid. For example I began to be a regular reader of The Economist from my early teens, long enough to see long term pictures and trends, but equally long enough to develop a brand loyalty. From the beginning, I appreciated the conceit of the The Economist: that it was a newspaper, not a magazine, like the lesser titles based in America, such as Time or Newsweek, but more, that its editorial judgement was based on a set of principles that emerged from an almost high table approach to ...
Christmas is a time for traditions, so in the run up to Christmas it is time against for this piece of comedy genius with a Christmas flavour from the Australian duo, Bryan Dawe and the late John Clarke. The authorities are having a little immigration problem as a troubleshooter for Australian Immigration reveals: Perhaps the Australian authorities need to partner up with NORAD to get on top of the issue.
Late last week, council leaders and directly elected mayors in 62 affected council areas received an unexpected letter from Local Government Minister Alison McGovern. The contents of that letter were nothing short of extraordinary: an offer to cancel the upcoming local elections in their areas — if they so choose. This sudden and unprecedented proposal carries a very clear and troubling message. Labour and the Conservatives have suffered significant losses to Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats throughout this year. Both major parties are now deeply concerned about the prospect of further defeats in May. Let us not forget that ...
Photos: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service A bank of the Shropshire Union Canal has collapsed near Whitchurch and boats have been left in a sinkhole or teetering on its edge, reports BBC News. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service describes what has happened:Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is currently responding to a major incident in the Whitchurch area following a significant breach of the Shropshire Union Canal near Drawbridge, Chemistry, Whitchurch. At about 4:22am, Fire Control received reports of a canal bank collapse with large volumes of water escaping into surrounding land. Crews form Whitchurch, Prees, Shrewsbury, Newport, Albrighton and ...
In the run-up to Christmas, nice to post a few photos of Christmas in earlier years! With thanks to Margaret Speed and Dundonian History for All, a packed and colourful City Square, on 6th December 1984, for the Christmas lights switch-on.
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR THE WEST END WARD - MONDAY 22 DECEMBER 2025 TO FRIDAY 9 JANUARY 2026 Old Hawkhill - road closed from approximately 50m south of Hunter Street (building defect) from 9 October 2025 for approximately 3-6 months. Forthcoming Roadworks Riverside Drive/Riverside Esplanade - overnight (7.30pm to 6.00am) lane closures on Friday 9 January for Veolia Water work.
The Observer reports that culture secretary, Lisa Nandy has given a clear signal that time is up for political appointees to the BBC board as she embarks on the corporation's charter review. The paper says that she has told them that "political appointments to the board have undermined the sense of independence and trust from the public": Nandy herself has previously been accused of leaning on the BBC's chair, Samir Shah, to get rid of director general Tim Davie over the Bob Vylan Glastonbury episode, a move she denies. She insists "my job is to make sure that the BBC ...
Peter Jukes says Boris Johnson and Alexander Lebedev must be investigated in a new public inquiry into Russian influence "If you are young or have a young family, should you vote for millionaire Nigel Farage? For me, he is likely to directly impoverish and disenfranchise the young - Reform UK policies are already shaping up in this way. Where will it end?"Mark Cunliffe itemises Reform's attack on the young. "This punishment represents the state's most severe power to harm its citizens. Understanding how and why it is used tells us about our appetite for punishment and the state's power to ...
Another day another tunnelling announcement from the Regional Mayor who has a strong tendency to make big announcements that lead nowhere! In the summer he suggested a £1 billion scheme to take traffic off the Strand. We had some fancy words but no idea where the money would come from and what the added extra value from such a scheme would be. Now he is a proposing a £5 billion scheme to link Lime Street and Central stations. These are, of course, already linked but only one way on the Chester Line link that lops round in the City Centre. ...
I heard this the other day and was instantly transported back too... Well, it turned out to be the spring of 1994. Mr. Jones was everywhere then, so much so that I'm surprised to find it never got higher than no. 28 in the UK singles chart. It was a big hit in the US though. But what is the song about? Wikipedia (crediting an old Counting Crows FAQs) thinks it knows: The song is about struggling musicians ([Adam] Duritz and bassist Marty Jones of The Himalayans) who "want to be big stars", believing that "when everybody loves me, I ...
Our campaigning for peace and reconciliation has always rested on respect for the rule of law, a determination to uncover the truth, and a refusal to tolerate ideologies that promote hatred, war and terrorism. The fragile ceasefire in Gaza must not distract us from prosecuting war crimes thoroughly or from accelerating progress toward a two-state solution. I usually avoid conflating the Israel-Palestine conflict with broader issues around Islamophobia and antisemitism, but recent events compel me to speak plainly. In the wake of the appalling atrocity in Sydney, it is right to express solidarity with the victims and their families. Those ...
With thanks to SJ Bogue and Dundee Memories, the Agacan back in 1999 - best İskender then and still is!
At last, we have some commonsense from this government, with the announcement that they have ordered an independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics in response to the "shocking" case of Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, who was jailed in November, after admitting to taking bribes for pro-Russian interviews and speeches when he was a Member of the European Parliament The BBC report that the review will be led by former senior civil Philip Rycroft and will report back in March: Speaking in the House of Commons, [Communities Secretary Steve] Reed said: "The ...
