It's batshit crazy, but still people vote for Trump.

'He lived on pub lunches.' Fabulous obituary by David Hopps of the great Dickie Bird. I doubt the world will see his like again. www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/s...

Typically astute if very scary piece by Timothy Garton Ash. Sometimes it's not so great to have your views confirmed by an expert. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I always thought Danny Kruger was adept at hiding his proto-fascist credentials. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

After 8 months of weekly instalments the final chapter of my historical novel, Maynard’s War, about the lives and loves of The Bloomsbury Group during the First World War is available now. Watch this space for news of the 2nd novel in The Bloomsbury Trilogy. bloomsbury.substack.com/p/maynards-w...

Great thread by @bengoldsborough.bsky.social He's dead right, this cannot be tolerated, and we must all fight back in whatever way we can.

So Peter Mandelson was friends with Jeffrey Epstein? Of course he was.

Not sure if I’ll get here again this season, September weather being what it is, but today Lord’s looked gorgeous in the autumn sunshine.

'History shows that when governments see “reform” as a money-saving exercise, they end up with neither reform nor more money.' Very good piece by @stephenkb.bsky.social in the @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/0e56...

Okay it's just another list, and I know they're entirely subjective, but Charles Ives at no 2 is quite audacious. I shall have to dedicate the rest of my life to promoting the work of the criminally underrated Alan Hovhaness, who is not included here. www.classical-music.com/features/com...

Chapter 38 of my historical novel, Maynard’s War, about the lives and loves of The Bloomsbury Group during World War One is now available to read. The war is over, and J.M.Keynes, Vanessa and Clive Bell, and Bunny Garnett struggle to adjust to a new world. bloomsbury.substack.com/p/maynards-w...

Fabulous obituary of the great Jerry Adler in @theguardian.com. But what a sad photo. Of the three of them, only Steven Van Zandt survives. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

Chapter 37 of my historical novel, Maynard’s War, about the lives and loves of The Bloomsbury Group during the First World War is now available. Keynes returns to Charleston to regale Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell with tales from the Paris peace conference. bloomsbury.substack.com/p/maynards-w...

This will be worth a listen, and it confirms what I and others have been saying about the great, original music making of The Last Dinner Party. youtube.com/post/Ugkx4QM...

Jesus, 40 years ago there was a (very ligitimate) campaign to get Peter's substituted for Mercator's. Nothing changed then and I suspect nothing will now. It won't change, in fact, until there's a massive rebalancing of global power. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Politicians aren't criticising judges here – they're just attacking members of the public doing their civic duty. What would poor Magna Carta say if she were alive to see it?

Well, they don't actually think about the consequences of any of the mad schemes they advocate, at least not in terms a rational person would understand.

Organized crime!

Chapter 35 of my historical novel Maynard's War is now available. February 1919: At the Paris peace conference, things get personal between J.M. Keynes and the German negotiator, Dr. Melchior. bloomsbury.substack.com/p/maynards-w...

The great Robert Wilson has died. Einstein on the Beach remains one of the best things I've ever seen on stage, and so glad I caught his Krapp's Last Tape at the Barbican a few years ago. Just brilliant. Great Obituary by Michael Coveney. www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/a...

Yeah, but it's still not cricket. Just a big fireworks party punctuated but a few sixes. www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/a...

Chapter 34 of my historical novel, Maynard’s War, about the lives and loves of The Bloomsbury Group during World War One is now available. It’s January 1919 and J. M. Keynes heads for Paris as the peace conference begins in earnest. bloomsbury.substack.com/p/maynards-w...

Something lighter and a little more personal from me today, featuring the great Julie Christie. markbraund.substack.com/p/a-career-i...

Sorry to hear of the death of Gareth Lawrence, who taught me so much when I was studying for the #WSET Diploma. He was immensely knowledgable, a brilliant teacher and very funny, though many of his jokes were lost on my much younger fellow students. www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/07/wset...

New piece from me, inspired by the compelling new TV drama The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and a recent post by the estimable @carneross.bsky.social. markbraund.substack.com/p/the-evil-t...

Not sure this is necessarily the right decision, but something needed to be done with this grotty corner of Woolwich. I spent a lot of time in Riverside House in the early 1980s when it was home to the business school at Thames Poly. Happy memories. www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/2025/07/26/r...

Oh my goodness. I saw the whole of Gooch's remarkable innings from my seat in the old grandstand, and by a weird coincidence I was telling a friend about it only last night.

I saw my first wind turbines in the California desert on a drive from Palm Springs to LA back in 1990. I thought they were beautiful then, and I think they're beautiful now.

Thank God for Geldof (again).

Chapter 33 of my historical novel Maynard's War is now available. It's Christmas Eve 1918, and while Vanessa Bell is in labour upstairs, J.M.Keynes, Duncan Grant and Bunny Garnett discuss the prospects for the Paris peace conference, downstairs. bloomsbury.substack.com/p/maynards-w...

British politics on the slippery slope towards the situation in the United States where money dictates policy. Everyone who cares about democracy should sign this petition.

How fucking brilliant.

It's true, I am a bit drunk, but I stand by every word. Utter though?

Cat Stevens on BBC4 now, in concert from 1971. He was 23, for God's sake. Utter genius.

Suspect this is true. What's worrying is the number of apparently rational well-educated people who have no moral foundation to anchor them.

My parents weren't much into music, so I was largely left to develop my own taste. But one singer they did listen to was the great Cleo Laine. What a voice. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...

'The Guardian has reached out to Hogan’s reps for comment.' My how things have changed. www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...

The right to protest seems no longer to hold as Britain becomes a fully-fledged police state. Shaming. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Another one bites the dust. The Strawbs were a very good band, criminally underrated imho. RIP Dave Cousins. www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...

And a very good bit it is too!

This sounds great. I met Simon Parkes once, in 1987 I think. We were hiring the Brixton Academy for a benefit gig for Nicaragua. He could not have been nicer, gave us the full tour of his amazing building, and a really good deal, if I remember correctly. www.loudersound.com/bands-artist...

If you still doubt that what's happening in Gaza is genocide, you should read this harrowing account by a British medic working there. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Chapter 32 of my historical novel, Maynard's War, about the lives of members of the Bloomsbury Group during WWI, is available now. It's Christmas Eve 1918, and Vanessa Bell is about to give birth. But will Duncan Grant make it back in time? bloomsbury.substack.com/p/maynards-w...

The point about this is that nobody's labour effort, however brilliant and innovative they are, is worth £7m million a year. Until we rocognise this, there's no chance of creating a more equal society. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Actually, Mr Billionaire, the UK started going to hell when people like you began moving here. Enjoy the UAE, I'm sure you'll find it a better fit for your values. www.thetimes.com/article/6e70...

Very sad to read of the passing of David Boyle, a great thinker and writer on how we might reconfigure the economy and society. Fine obituary by @andrewsimms.bsky.social and Lindsay Mackie. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...

This is a very good piece by @iandunt.bsky.social and cause for some hope, at least if liberals / progressives can get their messaging right.

Yep. Even Joe Biden knew there's no such thing as trickle-down. We're governed by a bunch of deluded amateurs.

Thank the Lord for @eddavey.libdems.org.uk. BBC News should be shut down. No longer fit for purpose. More interested in so-called balance than the truth.

Fabulous concert @wigmore-hall.org.uk this afternoon by clarinetist Emma Johnson and the Orchestra for the Environment. The Holst, Puccini, Vaughan Williams and Paul Reade were all excellent, but I was blown away by Emma's own concerto, The Tree of Life, which brought to mind John Adams.