It is a good time of year for this kind of thing (though the digital signage on the A102 was flagging up expected poor air quality tomorrow - the yin and yang of nice sunsets).

Solstice sunset (or was that last night? I dunno. Ask an astronomer if it’s important).

I’ve just put the bins out. #FathersDay

Good afternoon to all you

I’m assuming that the reason I’ve not seen my teenager yet is that she is arranging something extremely elaborate for Father’s Day, befitting of the esteem in which she holds me.

Playing two gigs today, so looking forward to carrying around my own personal radiator in the form of a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp in a heatwave. Pelton Arms in Greenwich from 5-7pm, for your best chance of seeing us in an air-conditioned environment.

The three main components of this wholly-improvised performance were Pat Thomas on piano, Tyshawn Sorey on drums, and the bloke behind me eating out of an enormous bag of crisps, made out of some kind of extra crackly material.

Pat Thomas and Tyshawn Sorey at LSO St Luke’s this evening. A privilege to see them perform, but at 40 minutes and no support act, probably the shortest concert I’ve ever been to.

Feels like this has been an issue for years (Westminster always bad) that got worse when Hackney and Camden suddenly went cold on late licences. Glad this points out the Met’s role too. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

FAO: the Bright Phoebus crew: earthackney.co.uk/events/brigh...

#NowPlaying An unexpected delight from a band that I’d largely lost track of. The most “this is the sound of a band actually playing together in a room” recording that I’ve heard in ages, with an ambience that really suits this sweaty weather.

Four pictures from this morning’s walk along Charlton Road.

Good to see a new iteration of this installation on my way to Parkrun.

Friday night by the river.

I enjoyed my look around ‘Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica’ at the Barbican but would really like to read a review by someone who knows what they’re talking about.

You probably think you have seen everything that London’s cultural scene has to offer, but have you seen Alan Titchmarsh’s orange Uniqlo jumper?

Big Keir's parting gift to a generation of teenagers

Quite sweet that the Barbican has someone on the door of its new Pan-Africanism exhibition (‘Project a Black Planet’) to warn you that it contains “some themes of racism”, but maybe somewhat redundant (unless the median Barbican art gallery visitor is dafter than I assume).

The whole “Hexit” concept is ludicrous and vox pops are a terrible way to cover any store, but “Would Essex want us back?" made me guffaw in public (GIP). www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Going to the office on a Friday: “At least the train in will be quiet”. Southeastern Trains: “we’ll see about that!” It does seem like short-formed trains on the Greenwich line are here to stay.

It is looking at least slightly more likely that we’ll look back at this period and the unpleasant weirdos that Reform have been standing for election - and the corruptness of their leader - and think, “of course they weren’t going to get anywhere”. For today, anyway.

This is going to be…interesting. Marathon Sunday is one of the best days of the year in my neighbourhood but I’m not wholly convinced that disrupting a Saturday on top is a good idea.

Awake to an email from HMRC telling me my tax code has changed, and if I go to Gov Dot UK and complete various challenges and riddles I could potentially find out why, and what difference it will make. I think that might have to wait until the heatwave has passed.

Just seen that an old friend – Scottish – has started playing guitar in an REM tribute band, under the stage name of ‘Peter Buckfast’. He was already playing in a surf band as ‘Jet Haggis’.

I recommend that viewers of a sensitive disposition in the London region do NOT look at next week’s weather forecast.

Putting the Analog Africa 'entire catalogue' playlist on shuffle seems like the best approach to an afternoon's work in an increasingly sweltering loft room: open.spotify.com/playlist/4s6...

while waiting for the museum to open you can always visit the manhole cover commemorating the vanquishing of the Whitechapel fatberg

Festival Hall to a nearer-to-home pub for the second half, avoiding the O2 Barry Manilow crowds.

Mulatu Astatke at the Festival Hall this evening (seen from the second row from the back of the circle). Great show! Would like to know who the musicians in his band were.

If the global demolition industry can speak with one voice… that feels like a potentially very powerful lobby.

I’m going to play the ‘went to school with the children* of miners in the north east’ and give my considered response to that Al Carns cobblers from earlier: 1. Do us a favour, you patronising clueless twat 2 ‘chiselled’ not ‘hewn’, m8? You’re an idiot.

The Waitrose £5 meal deal has gone up by an inflation-fuelling 50p. Rachel Reeves must condemn.

May reading and re-reading (belatedly).

No ‘Cape Verdean Blues’ tonight, eh, jazz fans!!!

You’ve got to assume that a significant % of the UK population lives somewhere where, if they traveled for up to an hour by car or train, they’d end up somewhere different enough to their home to justify a short holiday.

Deeply saddened to learn that David Plowden, one of American's finest photographers, has died. His photographed things that were fading away, from steam trans to rural ways of life, viewing the world with compassion, yet without sentimentality. A true gentle man. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/13/a...

Hopefully the minimum age policy(47) of BlueSky will keep us safe

Kids are resourceful and will simply move their social media activity to the reviews section of Screwfix after curfew

Big group of pre-schoolers here getting massively into a well-executed Punch & Judy show - great to see!

The Lambeth Walk is being done. Makes our setlist look like the latest pop hits by comparison.

Good afternoon.

@shootershilly.bsky.social Here’s the deets

Playing guitar at a community festival today, for the first time in ages. We’re on after the Pearly King and Queen’s singalong… (Shrewsbury Park, up the top of Shooters Hill)

Very much enjoying Cardiff. Anywhere where it’s Saturday, the sun’s out and there’s a big Pride event on is off to a good start vibes-wise, but the National Museum was excellent, the Gwen John exhibition delivered, and now we’re having an outdoor cocktail watching the post-Pride passeggiata

Thin Lizzy fan and the timeline of Gwen John’s artistic life - Cardiff, June 2026.

The sun is shining on Cardiff Pride.

Modern House / murder stairs themodernhouse.com/sales-list/m...

Bunch of teenage boys on the train all wearing polo shirts. The Mod Revival is back on! (This time with a broccoli haircut twist)

The stall is open! Stockroom in Stockport for the zine and print fair. Open till four. Come on down!!!