Lovely to explore Stevenage with @garius.bsky.social in the latest Monstrosities Mon Amour. Half an hour of being overexcited about utopian planning and corned beef podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...

Bantam Billy Idol

I was part of the team that conceived this survey in 1996. I can confirm these are the books Waterstones customers of that era voted for in their thousands. To widespread media disapproval, Lord of the Rings won by a mile.

THE BIG REVEAL! Chums, on Friday, 22nd of May (from 12.30) we're having the grand opening of High Barnet North London Hospice's Bookshop! There will be live CARTOONING from @marshallcartoon.bsky.social! There will be caricatures! There will also be....

Just enjoying the fact that people still love books enough to generate all of this furious book chat

My brother had all the part works and cassettes of The History of Rock back in the 80s. Quite the commitment. They were brilliant. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22732788...

Very much enjoying Mr Claypole’s outfit for doing manual labour in. #Rentaghost

Saw two junior sparrows earlier. Garden full of their glorious econo-cheep

I’m having a nice chat with @grindrod.bsky.social later this month about his amazing new book on LGBTQ+ lives in the suburbs. You can buy tickets for it in London or online secure.c20society.org.uk/Default.aspx...

Excellent episode about Stevenage: a town out of time. But the end piece about Corned beef reminded me of one of my fave bits of food writing @timhayward.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

This will be lovely, you should go along.

Three Days of the Condor is on. Nothing better than a 70s conspiracy thriller.

Two tickets have just become available on this Saturday's walk exploring the Lost Street of the Barbican, and the transformation to the place we see today. Details and booking here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-lost-s...

A year ago I met the lovely JB Gill (yes really) at Watford Gap services (yes really) and we filmed the history bit for a show called Britain's Best Service Station (yes really), which is going to be on Channel 5 on Sunday 24 May at 7pm (yes really). Must remember to do something normal.

This looks good - @indyhistnetwork.bsky.social - a network for historians working outside of academia

The abandoned military batteries on coast of Hookland hold their ghosts. Rememberings of war in brick and concrete cicatrix sheltering spectres we'd never charge with dereliction of duty. Spirits still standing watch, still gathering for a brew, a smoke, a natter. – #CJosiffe #Ghosts

Happy birthday to David Byrne. Here are Talking Heads performing Life During Wartime at Montreux in 1982. Watch the full concert at youtu.be/ldwpwrW6tno?...

Dublin friends! Next week I’m doing my first ever event in Ireland, at the Dublin International Literary Festival, with the brilliant @emmett-scanlon.bsky.social www.johngrindrod.co.uk/events/the-s...

I walked past Wes Streeting recently and he looked like a vent’s dummy Piers Morgan

Junior swans

This promises to be a great talk! #History #Heritage #LGBTQ #Queer #Dublin #Ireland #SpeirGorm

Dublin friends! Next week I’m doing my first ever event in Ireland, at the Dublin International Literary Festival, with the brilliant @emmett-scanlon.bsky.social www.johngrindrod.co.uk/events/the-s...

A great discussion from @grindrod.bsky.social and @garius.bsky.social on Stevenage, the first of the post-war New Towns and an incarnation of the post-war urge to build back *better*. A lot of this archive relates to the cultural side of that moment, the Arts Council spreading "high" culture 1/2

Today’s launch of “Belfastmen” at the Linen Hall Library with the inimitable @elainefarrell.bsky.social! Kindly hosted by Patsy Horton, on the library’s 2038 birthday! What would the founders think of this gay history book, I wonder…

Fabulous listen thanks to @garius.bsky.social and @grindrod.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/johngrin...

Was honoured to be invited onto one of my favourite podcasts by @grindrod.bsky.social. a real pleasure to be able to talk about the future that never was: Stevenage. And about it's forgotten chief engineer Eric Claxton, who was determined to create a home fit for heroes after the horrors of WW2.

The latest episode of Monstrosities Mon Amour is out: with the brilliant @garius.bsky.social on the joys of Stevenage johngrindrod.substack.com/p/monstrosit...

One day I will write a proper one man show and inflict it on the 12 lovely people who put up with me

Off to see Nick Mohammed, very excited

New episode of Monstrosities Mon Amour will be released tomorrow morning, featuring the marvellous @garius.bsky.social - but can you guess where he's chosen?

Advance copies of two books that look absolutely cracking: I loved Jack Parlett’s Fire Island, and Emma Warren is always great

Arrived at the Horse Hospital. Man, staggering over cobbles towards us, pointing at me: ‘Hitler! You look like Hitler!’

For anyone who has spent time shopping in #Nottingham this is a great listen. Hosted by @grindrod.bsky.social with @notrock.bsky.social I used to live opposite the Vic Ctr & at the top entrance it had a mural of the Palio di Siena which disappeared when it was extended substack.com/@johngrindro...

Off to a thing in the Horse Hospital today run by Concrete Atlantis and featuring Essex electro and @grindrod.bsky.social live podcast recording. Not sure what to expect but if we can get a cheer for Brutalism at some point that would be grand!

My mum got in touch to ask me about a writing prize I'd won, and it turns out I haven't won a prize: she googled me and AI invented a prize and I DIDN'T EVEN WIN, IT MADE ME RUNNER-UP

Off to see the amazing Gwenno at Bedford Esquires tonight. Woo!

Tomorrow! Join me for Monstrosities Mon Amour live!

Morning

Could you give me a hand with this bunting? Oh, no reason.

‘Milton Keynes City Council back in no overall control with the Liberal Democrats now the largest party with 20 councillors, while Labour is on 19, the Conservatives on 12 and Reform UK have its first nine councillors in the city.’ Could be worse I guess. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cg...

A Reliant Robin has just passed me with Sailor’s Glass of Champagne blaring out. Maybe the country will heal after all.

Putting a bit of love back, one place at a time… podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...

Exhausted. Only Hot Bergerac can save me now

Lovely to see Tales of the Suburbs in the window of Gay’s the Word. They have signed copies if you fancy it

Don’t let the jolly malevolent fascist in

Goodnight from Leah Flitford, yet again scrubbing ectoplasm off the skirting boards after a séance gone awry. Goodnight from Pengrove Primary School, where all the leaves and twigs on the nature table have twisted themselves to spell the words: ‘WE KNOW’. Goodnight from Hookland.

Off to social thing. Playing music to hype myself a little. Lullaby by the Cure comes on

Today’s innovation: reading all the signage in Morrisons in a Kim Gordon voice

Latest roundup on my newsletter: Monstrosities Mon Amour LIVE! Appearing on The Allusionist podcast! More events! Lying down! open.substack.com/pub/johngrin...

A friendly frisky dog jumped up at me today and I started petting it. His owner said: “he’s just had the snip,” like she was trying to reassure me. I felt like saying “and I’ve just had my womb out, so I think we’re safe.”