Playlists 27 to 46

I realised that it has been around 2 months since I last updated my playlist pleasures on this blogspace. Since then, I have had occasion on assorted journeys to listen to another 20 alphabetically influenced playlists via my iPod. When I last provided an update, the musical journey had got as far as the letter E. As you will see below, the journey has swiftly moved on now to the letter I, with a few surprise calling points along the way.

PLAYLIST #27
Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
The Killers - Everything Will Be Alright
Ash - Evil Eye
Massive Attack - Exchange
U2 - Exit
Madonna - Express Yourself
Travis - Eyes Wide Open
Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face
Ian Brown - FEAR
Oasis - Fade Away
The Thrills - Faded Beauty Queens
The National - Fake Empire
Razorlight - Fall, Fall, Fall
Crowded House - Fall At Your Feet

PLAYLIST #28
McAlmont & Butler - Falling
The Rifles - Fall To Sorrow
Oasis - Falling Down
Cherry Ghost - False Alarm
KT Tunstall - False Alarm
Pink - Family Portrait
White Lies - Farewell To The Fairground
David Bowie - Fashion
Fyfe Dangerfield - Faster Than The Setting Sun
Queen - Fat Bottomed Girls
Lily Allen - The Fear
Muse - Feeling Good
Jamiroquai - Feels Just Like It Should
Deacon Blue - Fergus Sings The Blues
U2 - Fez (Being Born)

PLAYLIST #29
Corinne Bailey Rae - Feels Like The First Time
Sting - Fields Of Gold
White Lies - Fifty On Our Foreheads
Moby - Find My Baby
Snow Patrol - The Finish Line
Fyfe Dangerfield - Firebird
Embrace - Fireworks
Morrissey - The First Of The Gang To Die
Lotus Eaters - The First Picture Of You
Roberta Flack - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues
Port O'Brien - Fisherman's Son
Elbow - The Fix

PLAYLIST #30
Coldplay - Fix You
Queen - Flash
Massive Attack - Flat Of The Blade
Travis - Flowers In The Windows
Lene Marlin - Flown Away
U2 - The Fly
Regina Spektor - Folding Chair
The Beatles - The Fool On The Hill
Rolling Stones - Fool To Cry
The Killers - For Reasons Unknown
Simply Red - For Your Babies
Oasis - Force Of Nature
The Cure - A Forest
Moby - Forever

PLAYLIST #31
The Magic Numbers - Forever Lost
The Pretenders - Forever Young
Alanis Morissette - Forgiven
The Thrills - Found My Rosebud
Echo & The Bunnymen - The Fountain
Crowded House - Four Seasons In One Day
Sharleen Spiteri - Francoise
Kings Of Convenience - Freedom And Its Owner
The Cure - Friday I'm In Love
Elbow - Friends Of Ours
White Lies - From The Stars
The Beatles - From Me To You
Madonna - Frozen

PLAYLIST #32
Johnny Cash - Fulsom Prison Blues
Massive Attack - Future Proof
Lamb - Gabriel
Chemical Brothers - Galvanize
Echo & The Bunnymen - The Game
Oasis - Gas Panic
Nerina Pallot - Geek Love
Regina Spektor - Genius Next Door
Glasvegas - Geraldine
The Beatles - Get Back
Texas - Get Down To Night
The Dandy Warhols - Get Off
Rolling Stones - Get Off Of My Cloud
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Get On Top
U2 - Get On Your Boots
The Eagles - Get Over It

PLAYLIST #33
Pink - Get The Party Started
Athlete - The Getaway
Texas - Getaway
Prince - Gett Off
Electronic - Getting Away With It
Simple Minds - Ghostdancing
The Specials - Ghost Town
Alanis Morissette - Giggling Again For No Reason
Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Oasis - The Girl In The Dirty Shirt
The Beatles - Girl

PLAYLIST #34
Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You
The White Stripes - Girl You Have No Faith In Medicine
Supertramp - Give A Little Bit
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away
Hothouse Flowers - Give It Up
Green Day - Give Me Novocaine
Dirty Vegas - Given You Everything
The Killers - Glamorous Indie Rock N' Roll
Bat For Lashes - Glass
Coldplay - Glass Of Water
Simple Minds - Glittering Prize
RPA/UN Of Sound - Glory
Portishead - Glory Box
Oasis - Go Let It Out
Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way

PLAYLIST #35
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Coldplay - God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
The Dandy Warhols - Godless
Shed Seven - Going For Gold
Oasis - Going Nowhere
The Jam - Going Underground
Lamb - Gold
Kings Of Convenience - Gold In The Air Of Summer
Manic Street Preachers - Golden Platitudes
Klaxons - Golden Skans
Razorlight - Golden Touch
David Bowie - Golden Years
U2 - Gone
Texas - Good Advice
Feargal Sharkey - A Good Heart
Bat For Lashes - Good Love

PLAYLIST #36
RPA/UN Of Sound - Good Lovin'
Queen - Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy
Jack Johnson - Good People
Green Day - Good Riddance
The Courteneers - Good Times Are Calling
The Hoosiers - Goodbye Mr A
Supertramp - Goodbye Stranger
Kooks - Got No Love
Hard-Fi - Gotta Reason
Embrace - Gravity

PLAYLIST #37
U2 - Gloria
Rumer - Goodbye Girl
The Killers - Goodnight, Travel Well
Snow Patrol - Grazed Knees
Moby - Great Escape
The Rifles - The Great Escape
Coldplay - Green Eyes
The National - Green Gloves
Madness - Grey Day
Elbow - Grounds For Divorce
Oasis - Guess God Thinks I'm Abel
Delphic - Halcyon
Texas - Halo

PLAYLIST #38
Oasis - Half The World Away
Nerina Pallot - Halfway Home
Queen - Hammer To Fall
Garbage - Hammering In My Head
Alanis Morissette - Hand In My Pocket
U2 - The Hands That Built America
Blondie - Hanging On The Telephone
Moby/Sinead O'Connor - Harbour
The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
Brandon Flowers - Hard Enough
Alanis Morissette - Hands Clean

PLAYLIST #39
Hard-Fi - Hard To Beat
Sheryl Crow - Hard To Make A Stand
The White Stripes - The Hardest Button To Button
Coldplay - The Hardest Part
The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy
Reverend & The Makers - He Said He Loved Me
Alanis Morissette - Head Over Feet
Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels
Arcade Fire - Headlights Look Like Diamonds
Snow Patrol - Headlights On Dark Roads
Echo & The Bunnymen - Heads Will Roll
KT Tunstall - Heal Over
Rumer - Healer
Nerina Pallot - Heart Attack

PLAYLIST #40
Blondie - Heart Of Glass
The Eagles - Heartache Tonight
Bryan Adams - Heaven
Queen - Heaven For Everyone
Reverend & The Makers - Heavyweight Champion Of The World
Skunk Anansie - Hedonism
Bloc Party - Helicopter
Oasis - Hello
AC/DC - Hells Bells
The Beatles - Help!
The Fratellis - Henrietta
The Sundays - Here's Where The Story Ends
Whitesnake - Here I Go Again
David Bowie - Heroes

PLAYLIST #41
The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun
Icehouse - Hey Little Girl
Fyfe Dangerfield - High On The Tide
Coldplay - High Speed
Jamiroquai - High Times
Echo & The Bunnymen - Higher Hell
Oasis - The Hindu Times
The Rifles - History
The Propellerheads - History Repeating
U2 - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Razorlight - Hold On
Joss Stone - Holding Out For A Hero
Green Day - Holiday
The Thrills - Hollywood Kids

PLAYLIST #42
Sheryl Crow - Home
Dirty Vegas - Home Again
Kings Of Convenience - Homesick
Simon & Garfunkel - Homeward Bound
Moby - Honey
Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women
Muse - Hoodoo
The Dandy Warhols - Horse Pills
America - A Horse With No Name
Razorlight - Hostage Of Love
The Eagles - Hotel California
Squeeze - Hourglass
The Futureheads - Hounds Of Love

PLAYLIST #43
Madness - House Of Fun
Doves - House Of Mirrors
The Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun
The Courteeners - How Come
RPA/UN Of Sound - How Deep Is Your Man
Travis - How Many Hearts
Snow Patrol - How To Be Dead
James - How Was It For You
The Killers - Human
Nerina Pallot - Human
The Pretenders - Human
Dirty Vegas - Human Love
Regina Spektor - Human Of The Year
Bruce Springsteen - Human Touch
The Beatles - Hey Jude

PLAYLIST #44
Oasis - Hey Now
Dolores O'Riordan - Human Spirit
Travis - The Humpty Dumpty Love Song
Madonna - Hung Up
Bruce Springsteen - Hungry Heart
Dido - Hunter
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Simple Minds - Hypnotised
Muse - Hysteria
The Pretenders - Hymn To Her

PLAYLIST #45
Corinne Bailey Rae - I'd Do It All Again
Kings Of Convenience - I'd Rather Dance With You
U2 - I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Deacon Blue - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
The Pretenders - I'll Stand By You
Sharleen Spiteri - I'm Going To Haunt You
Blondie - I'm Always Touched By Your Presence Dear
The Passions - I'm In Love With A German Film Star
Pigeon Detectives - I'm Not Sorry
Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire
Oasis - I'm Outta Time
Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
The Stone Roses - I Am The Resurrection
The Beatles - I Am The Walrus
Elvis Costello - I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down

PLAYLIST #46
Rolling Stones - I Can't Get No Satisfaction
The Killers - I Can't Stay
Razorlight - I Can't Stop This Feeling I've Got
The Eagles - I Can't Tell You Why
Red Hot Chili Peppers - I Could Die For You
Last Shadow Puppets - I Don't Like You Anymore
KT Tunstall - I Don't Want You Now
Texas - I Don't Want A Lover
The Beatles - I Feel Fine
Crowded House - I Feel Possessed
Pigeon Detectives - I Found Out
Mumford & Sons - I Gave You All
The Pretenders - I Go To Sleep
Ray Charles - I Got A Woman
James Brown - I Got You (I Feel Good)
Oasis - I Hope, I Think, I Know
The White Stripes - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
Split Enz - I Got You
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot
The Coral - I Remember When
U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

The good pub guide - Part 1

Whilst engaging in an exchange of bar-room musings with a friend of mine, we got into talking about pubs. During the conversation, my friend asked me how many pubs and bars within Brighton and Hove I had ventured into in my life on this planet up to now. This prompted me to go away and raid the old memory bank and see if I could hit upon something like a definitive ball park figure. I hope that over the course of this blog, I will be able to provide exactly that, as well as sharing some of my experiences and memories of pubs that I have been in and saying which of Brighton and Hove's hostelries are worth frequenting, and which should be given a wide berth.

Deciding on what should make the list though required some basic guidelines. The question I was posed was "how many pubs had I visited in Brighton and Hove", so it was only right and proper that the boundaries I confined my retrospective pub crawl to remained in that area. Therefore, pubs that I have visited in Shoreham-By-Sea, Lewes, Burgess Hill and Hassocks are not included in the tally. Portslade was the most obvious boundary to the west, while Telscombe Cliffs is as far as the eligibility criteria stretches to the east. The corridor around the bypass that includes Devils Dyke, Patcham and Falmer were what I settled on as being the appropriate boundary. As for the southern boundary, I figured that anything at the other end of the blue aquatic expanse would be French terra-firma.

The other main guideline was deciding on what establishments would be eligible for a listing. If all of the watering holes I had visited followed the convention of being a classic British spit and sawdust establishment, then finding a definitive figure would have been more straightforward. The issue that presented itself was that a number of said hostelries I have visited were borderline as to whether they were bars or nightclubs. In the end, I felt that I could only list places that essentially were bars with a club, rather than clubs with a bar. Hence, I have not included such joints as Oceana (or its predecessor Event II) or the Casablanca jazz club, but I have included a couple of bars with established club nights, such as Revolution (previously The Standard) and The Arc. I have also excluded restaurants from the tally, but I have included what you might term "gastro pubs" that I have visited.

There are also certain places where I have comsumed drinks for a bar, although the primary reason for being at the venue was for another activity. I am particularly thinking of sports venues where drinks were consumed as part of day's activity or after the activity had finished. I have decided that it would be wrong to exclude such venues from the overall tally, but I have decided not to provide any rating for these venues.

As you might expect, there are some establishments that have had a refit or a name change during my years of legal drinking. Some pubs in fact have had 2 or 3 name changes in that time. I have decided, for the purposes of clarity, to just list one entry for each venue, but make a reference to the other names the venue has had where that applies.

Despite having been to a good many pubs and bars in my hitherto fourteen years of legal drinking, upon tapping into my memory bank, it would appear that there are still a good number of pubs and bars within Brighton and Hove where I have yet to sample the core products.

I will list the pubs I have visited by each area of Brighton and Hove, along with a short summary and a rating. Without giving away the total pubs/bars I have visited at this juncture, this is likely to require 3 or 4 instalments in total.

So let's get down to business. This is thirsty work though, so I'll have a pint of Guinness regular from the tap, if you don't mind.

QUEENS PARK/HANOVER AREA
1. The Hanover - Older readers will recall that this pub was once called the Queens Park Tavern and it was my local all the while I lived at home. Strangely, given that it was a local, I never set foot in the place under its old guise. The pub had a bad reputation and it was not until the pub was re-opened and re-branded as The Hanover that I paid a visit. There are examples of name changes to pubs that ruin their character, but The Hanover has been greatly enhanced by the change. It has a relaxed, chilled out atmosphere and also does some good food, particularly at weekends. The pub is spacious and uncluttered and the bad days of the QPT are a hazy memory. Rating 8/10

2. Duke of Beaufort - Situated on the corner of Queens Park Road and Islingword Road, almost opposite the iconic Pepper Pot, the Duke is a no-frills pub that I think has had the same owners for the whole time since I first set foot in the establishment over 10 years ago. The pub is perhaps best known for having a Thai restaurant upstairs, although I cannot say that I have had the pleasure. The pub has all the usual pub amenities such as a big screen, digital jukebox and a pool table (it had one in its beer garden at one point) but on the downside, it has also inherited some of the clientele that previously frequented the Queens Park Tavern. Nothing terribly bad about the pub, but not as appealing as some other places that are nearby. Rating 4/10

3. Walmer Castle - If The Hanover is a prime example of how a pub can be positively transformed by a refit, then sadly the Walmer Castle is the polar opposite. I used to regard the Walmer Castle as the best of Hanover's many fine hostelries when it had a vibrant, outlandish exterior and a calm and relaxing interior, including two fish tanks which added well to the ambience. It was the perfect place to unwind on a slow Sunday after a heavy Saturday night. A refit late last year, however, has stripped the place of its character with the bright exterior replaced by a dull grey, while the inside has become a soulless and deserted place. Sad when it happens, but the Walmer has fallen upon hard times. Rating 8/10 pre-refit, 3/10 now

4. The Racehorse Inn - Pub at the junction of Queens Park Road and Elm Grove which has recently had a name change, with the new pub setting itself out to be a food oriented venue. I have not visited the new venue and in fact only visited its predecessor once, when I did not find the place to be a welcoming or luxuriating location. Rating 3/10

5. The Constant Service - This pub used to very deliberately set itself as a no-frills and no-gimmicks pub that just knew how to serve a good pint. In recent times, the pub has moved a little from its original standpoint and now has a couple of television screens that broadcast live sport. As a Harvey's pub, it also retains a following among the local real ale drinkers. Overall, a friendly and cheerful pub with a pleasant courtyard for drinking on those warm summer days. Rating 7/10

6. The Horse & Groom - Another example of a pub that never recovered from an ownership change. This used to be a regular haunt of mine on Sunday afternoons in the early part of the noughties for the Super Sunday football and a few pints of Boddingtons (a beer served in very few pubs in Brighton or Hove). The licensees had run the pub for over 10 years but when they moved out of the area around 5 years ago, sadly the pub's fortunes rapidly ran south. After an incident in which thieves attempted to steal beer from the cellar, it was long after that the pub closed altogether. A great shame as the H&G was a vibrant and lively alehouse when I first sampled it and it also had 2 memorable features that made it stand out. These being the deliberate wall of graffiti in the men's toilets and the lovely warm, open fire on winter days. Rating 7/10 pre-ownership change, 2/10 afterwards

7. The London Unity - This pub is a few doors down from the now closed Horse & Groom yet its clientele and atmosphere could almost be a million miles away. Whereas the H&G was the classic spit and sawdust establishment, The London Unity is well known as a vibrant, student oriented venue with regular live music and DJs playing at the venue. I have not visited the place for a few years now, but I can remember back in the day that it was a very cramped and busy venue on Friday nights when a DJ was playing. Despite this, the pub also retained a slightly homely feel, with a range of board games being available to play in the back room. If you dislike noisy pubs, this place is probably not for you, but it is definitely a place for the latest crop of freshers to check out. Rating 7/10

8. The Cobden Arms - I tend to find pubs situated in backstreets are either hidden gems or insular, cliquey dives that time forgot. Sadly, in the case of the Cobden Arms, my two visits have led me to believe that this place belongs in the second category. All of us at some time or another will have experienced that feeling of being stared at as a stranger on someone else's patch. This particular experience came when I visited the Cobden Arms for the first time. I was half expecting the landlord to set an Alsatian on me and force me to leave the premises due to me being this illegal alien invading their space. Avoid like the plague. Rating 1/10

9. Reservoir - Like the Cobden Arms, this place is found in one of the backstreets lying between Islingword Road and Elm Grove. Unlike the Cobden Arms, it is quite a decent watering hole, although first impressions could leave you feeling a little bit cold. The pub is a little bit soulless as it does not have the feel of a traditional pub and it is also a pub that is largely deserted during daylight hours. Yet, this strangely makes the Reservoir a good place to unwind for a quiet drink away from the hustle and bustle and it has a small, but perfectly formed beer garden. The place also tends to come alive on Friday and Saturday nights, with it being popular with young professionals and students. Not the most atmospheric of pubs, but it is quite a welcoming place to unwind for a couple of pints before heading somewhere bigger and brasher. Rating 7/10

10. The Pub With No Name - The pub with the identity crisis is actually a lot more savvy than it sounds. Hell's own hill Southover Street helpfully has five pubs on it to retire to for a much needed rest, with the Pub With No Name situated at the very top of both the hill and the billing. There is a lot to like about the place which seems to be popular with both families venturing out for Sunday lunch and weekend sports fans watching the match on the big screen. The mixture of the 2 groups is not always an easy alliance, but the welcoming nature of the pub and its well spread layout means that generally it is not a major problem. The drinks are relatively inexpensive compared to other places in the area and the food is popular too. Rating 8/10

11. Sir Charles Napier - Southover Street pubs seem to have something for everybody and the Sir Charles Napier is the pub for the more traditional alehouse drinker and it generally serves an older clientele. It is renowned as a pub that is a keen supporter of real ale and so several of the beers available on tap are relatively unheralded regional ales. This makes the pub very popular in CAMRA pub guides and the like and it does have the feel of a local's local. Those that are looking for a bit more vibrancy and action, however, will find that this place is not for them. Quirky, but not really a pub for the fashionistas. Rating 5/10

12. Dover Castle - Situated on the next turning down from the Sir Charles Napier, the Dover Castle is the complete antithesis. This is very much a student oriented pub and it does not have the spit and sawdust feel that its near neighbour has. This makes it off-putting for some, but I think it actually works to its advantage. The pub used to get (and I imagine still does) very busy on Friday and Saturday nights and it has certain parallels with the London Unity in its vibrancy and liking for DJs. Like other pubs in Hanover, it is the kind of pub that you would have a couple of drinks in rather than stay for a whole evening, but it is not a bad starting point for an evening out. Rating 6/10

13. The Greys - Alehouse fanatics in the area will know that The Greys is situated directly opposite The Geese and that the two pubs have what might be termed as a friendly rivalry. The Greys tends to be quite popular with the local culture vultures and the pub has been known to put on both live music and have poetry evenings. I have only visited the place a couple of times myself, but was quite struck by how unspoilt the place was. For those that want to avoid pubs with televisions, music and pub games, The Greys is the perfect antidote for you and it also has a highly acclaimed kitchen. Not been back for a while, but it is no indictment on the pub. Rating 7/10

14. The Geese - Directly opposite The Greys and generally attracts a younger audience and is particularly popular when live football is shown at the venue. Word of warning though, the place can sometimes get quite cramped on such days, not helped by how small and narrow the gangway is around by the bar. Traditionally an Irish pub, you can always be certain of a decent pint of Guinness at The Geese, which always goes down well with me. There just seems to be a missing ingredient to this place that I cannot quite put my finger on and so I tend to visit other pubs in the area as a rule. Rating 5/10

15. The Albion Inn - Albion Hill has four pubs situated on it, if you include the Walmer Castle at the very top of the road. Sadly, there is little to recommend in any of them and one visit to The Albion Inn was more than enough for me. My experience of visiting was similar to the one I experienced at the Cobden Arms and again it is the very definition of the locals' local. But even the locals seem to have deserted the place now. If you have never visited the pub, count yourself fortunate. Rating 1/10

16. Spread Eagle - There is one thing I liked about this pub and that was the colour of the exterior, a rich shade of green. Apart from that, there is very little else to recommend about the pub just further down from the aforementioned Albion Inn. The pub has become a victim of the recession and has been closed for several months. Forgive my churlishness, but I doubt anyone has noticed. Rating 1/10

17. The Setting Sun - For people that like a settle in a beer garden on a summer's afternoon, I cannot think of a pub garden anywhere in Brighton or Hove that is better to chill out in. Situated at the top of a steep hill, you can view all of Brighton's famous landmarks whilst sitting in the Setting Sun's beer garden. Like the Walmer Castle, this place used to be a hair of the dog location on a Sunday morning after the Saturday night before. The pub can be almost deserted on school nights, but it tends to flourish at weekends during the summer months. Has friendly bar staff and a homely feel to the pub as though you are sitting in someone's living room. If spicy food is your thing, this place always used to tick the boxes too. Not been back for a while, but should imagine it still retains its best features. Rating 7/10

18. The Cuthbert - This pub is no longer called The Cuthbert and has recently been turned into a gastro-pub, which I must admit seems like a curious decision given its location in a residential area between Queens Park and Craven Vale. The old Cuthbert was a slightly strange pub, mixing local hardened drinkers with young families wanting to make use of the beer garden. The garden was by far the best feature of the pub, being both spacious and also providing good views of Craven Vale and the Whitehawk hills. The pub was never the most welcoming of places and it will be interesting to see how its successor does given that its location means it will not draw that many clientele from outside the area. Rating 5/10 (as The Cuthbert)

19. The Cornerstone - This is a pub that has had a number of name changes over the years, starting out as The Admrial Napier, before becoming The Flying Pig and then The Sun before finally settling on its current name around 4 or 5 years ago. The Cornerstone is quite a cosy pub to retire to of an evening and it has some comfortable seating as well as the opportunity to prop up the bar. Apart from background music, the venue does not really do mod-cons, but it relies on its clientele to provide the atmosphere. On a quiet night, it can seem quite flat. Far worse places in the area though. Rating 6/10

20. The Wellington - My hazy memory has some recollection of having visited this pub in Elm Grove just the once on the way home from work several years ago. I think I may have stopped for one drink, decided the place was so dull and then left. This is renowned as more of a traditional drinker's haven which tends to mean you will either love the place or give it a wide berth, depending on your viewpoint. As I have not returned since my only visit, you can see where I stand. Rating 3/10

Notable absentees: The Montreal Arms, The Winner, Freshfield Inn

BRIGHTON STATION/SEVEN DIALS

21. The Tin Drum - Local franchise The Tin Drum has 4 or 5 pubs in the Brighton area where it differentiates itself from the traditional type of pub by offering table service for both drinks and food. The Tin Drum's origins are Polish and this is reflected in both their food menu and some of the drinks available from the bar. The place is a little bit on the expensive side, and food wise, they are not always the most generous with their portions. But, the service is always friendly, it is a pub you can retire to with your laptop to finish your work and there are also a good range of books and newspapers to choose from and a couple of leather sofas to recline on. A trip for fried breakfast on a Saturday morning while reading the Saturday supplements is recommended. Rating 7/10

22. The Crescent - Pub situated next to the Streamline taxi office on Clifton Hill and which is a popular after-work haunt for people working in the area. Has the feel of a very traditional pub with snug style seating in areas of the pub, plus a reasonably sized beer garden with further seating on the pavement at the front of the pub. People that tend to take the 'less is more' attitude with regards to pubs will probably warm to this place. Rating 7/10

23. The Good Companions - Here is a pub that holds many memories for me. I used to go to sixth form college just up the road and so many a free period in my college days was spent in this pub. Purely in the name of research, you will understand. Fast forward eight years and this pub would become my local, once I moved to the Seven Dials area. At first, the pub had not changed at all in the intervening period and still in fact had the same owners. In the five and a half years I have resided in the area since though, the pub has gone through three changes of ownership and two refits, in a bid to rid itself of undesirable customers. The latest change of ownership has seen the pub discontinue its showing of Sky Sports, which I think may prove to detrimental to its revenues at weekends. A pub with plenty of potential, if only it could attract the right customers. Also a pub where the earth regularly moves, owing the Hove to Brighton railway line going straight under the pub, hence the train on the sign outside. Rating 6/10

24. The Chimney House (formerly the Marquess of Exeter) - As the Marquess of Exeter, I visited this establishment on my final day at sixth form college when the pub resembled a place that time forgot with its dishevelled carpet and portable television. A decade later, I returned to discover that the Marquess was no more and that the pub had become a gastro-pub by the name of The Chimney House. The pub seemed pleasant enough, although a little bit short on atmosphere. I have not been back again since, but I would regard this to be a pub that is most suitable for having a couple of leisurely drinks and a spot of lunch in at the weekend. Rating 6/10 as Chimney House, 3/10 as Marquess of Exeter

25. Shakespeare's Head - There are 2 pubs in Brighton by this name, but the superior pub is the one located just down the hill from the Seven Dials. Although the pub is not the biggest place and subsequently it can get rather cramped on weekend nights, the pub retains some good qualities. Top of the list being its food menu, with the pub particularly noted for its sausage menu. I can also vouch for the good quality of their Sunday roasts. Although a compact pub, it is a pleasant place to relax over a pint or five and a popular venue for works drinks. Rating 7/10

26. The West Hill (formerly The Belle Vue) - This pub changed its name around eighteen months ago having previously been long established as the Belle Vue. As the Belle Vue, the venue was well renowned as being one of the few conventional pubs with a late licence at weekends, usually closing at 3 am on Friday and Saturday nights. I am not sure if this remains the case, but previously this resulted in the pub being vibrant and busy in the early hours, but conversely, it would be empty during daylight hours. Due to doing its best trade in the small hours, this occasionally meant the pub got a few people that had not paced themselves well by the end of the evening. Being a pub that stayed open late though was the main selling point, otherwise there were no outstanding features. Rating 5/10

27. Zuma - The site of a former bank at the Seven Dials junction, this kind of has the feel of a "trendy wine bar", with a quirky and arty feel to the way in which the bar is laid out. From recollection, the drinks there were a little bit on the pricey side, but the place seemed reasonably popular with a good mix of people present. Rating 5/10

28. Couch/The Rat & Trumpet - Back in the mists of time, this place just down from Seven Dials was called The Compton Arms and had a reputation for being a trouble spot. Subsequently, the pub has gone on to have three re-brandings, the latest of which sees it called 'Foggs'. As Couch and The Rat and Trumpet, the venue very rarely seemed to attract regular punters and lacked the friendly charm that the best pubs in the area have. The challenge as 'Foggs' remains in its location and I cannot see the new name making this hostelry any more appealing. Rating 2/10

29. The Battle of Trafalgar - One of my favourite retreats in my part of town, The Battle of Traf is the ideal 'hair of the dog' pub in the Dials/station area. The pub has a couple of in-house chefs and the pub is particularly well known for its Sunday roasts, which this author has sampled on several occasions. Apart from one minor criticism at the chef's penchant for peas, there is little fault to find in the Battle's menu. The pub has a homely feel with a round dining table in one corner, plus a cosy fireplace surrounded by some old hardback books. If the fireplace is the vantage point of choice in winter, then the beer garden is the place to be in summer and it is one of the best beer gardens to have a cool beer with your friends in the warmer months. A very good pub for all seasons and occasions. Rating 9/10

30. Sussex Yeoman - The Sussex Yeoman is located directly opposite the Trafalgar and is another pub well regarded for its food menu. I first encountered this pub when I was at university and ended up in there one day after lectures. Since those days, the pub has tidied itself up after it had a re-fit when it changed hands a few years ago. The pub has got some comfortable seating and is generally a busy and popular haunt on a Friday or Saturday night. There are other pubs I prefer in the area, but the Yeoman has a lot going for it. Rating 6/10

31. The Eddy - Another pub that has had a few names in its time, although in my drinking years, it has mainly been known as The Eddy or its predecessor, The Tap & Spile. I did not sample the pub when it was the Tap & Spile, but as The Eddy, the pub has carved itself a niche as a pub that attracts young professional types and as a sports bar with a big screen, it tends to be at its busiest on Sunday afternoons for big football matches. The Eddy also has an extensive food menu, although I have not eaten there myself. A decent pub and for those that are looking for somewhere to watch televised football at the weekend, this offers a plausible option. Rating 6/10

32. Duke of Wellington - Sometimes there are pubs that you become attached to and which add up to more than the sum of their parts. The Duke is one such place. In some senses, the pub defies convention because the only food it serves are pizzas, plus sandwiches and baguettes on Brighton & Hove Albion match days, whose supporters frequent the pub pre-kick off, while its beer garden is essentially a very small patio. Where the pub scores high though is in terms of its welcoming charm. When I was first introduced to the pub over 10 years ago by a university friend, the pub was a family run pub with a close knit set of regulars who would very quickly learn your name. Only one member of the family remains involved in running the pub and some of the regulars of yesteryear have moved on to be replaced by some new faces, but the Duke has retained its character. The pub had a major refit three and a half years ago and lost some of its regulars in the aftermath. However, the Duke has gradually rediscovered its mojo and is always a good place to prop up the bar and watch televised sport. Its Sunday night quiz nights are good craic too. Definitely one for the shortlist of best Brightonian boozers. Rating 9/10

33. Caxton Arms - Here is a pub that is a good example of a hidden gem tucked up a Brighton backstreet. This is another place with fond memories for me as it was the location of my works leaving do after leaving my previous job after six and a half years. Situated in the road that runs parallel to Queens Road, this pub's name pays homage to the man who invented the printing press and there are little decorative props in the pub that pay further homage. The pub has 2 bar rooms, with the back room also having a pool table and book case and has also occasionally had a television screen. In addition, the Caxton offers a range of traditional British pub grub until 9:00 pm most nights. Despite being in a backstreet, this pub gets very busy after work on a Friday night and is also popular at weekends. That is a sign of the Caxton's quality and I always look forward to a visit there. Rating 9/10

34. Royal Standard - This is a tiny pub that is situated on Queens Road just down from Brighton station. I have some recollection of a visit to this pub on St Patrick's Day a decade ago when they were serving Irish stew. The stew was delicious, but subsequent visits to the Royal Standard have been somewhat underwhelming. Generally, the pub seems to be pretty empty and lacking life. Because of its size, there is possibly not much that can be done to revitalise this pub, but it certainly seems as though it needs a new lease of life. Rating 3/10

35. The Queens Head - In terms of geography, this pub probably just wins the award for being the nearest pub to Brighton station, although there are 2 or 3 other pubs that can state a legitimate claim too. I broke my duck in visiting this pub earlier this year and was quite impressed with it, with the staff being friendly and the seating being comfortable, while the drinks were reasonably priced. There are other pubs in the vicinity that I prefer, but for a post-work drink near to the station, the Queens Head has a relaxing charm that makes it suitable for that occasion. Rating 6/10

36. The Railway Bell - For those of you that have not visited The Railway Bell, consider yourselves lucky. I have visited only once and walked past many hundreds of times more and these experiences are enough to tell me that my life is not void from having not returned. Aggravation seems to go hand in hand with the pub and the staff I encountered when I went there did not go out of their way to be welcoming. I have not returned for several years, but accounts I hear from others I have spoken to indicate that the place has not improved with advancing years. Rating 1/10

37. Grand Central - There are not many pubs around that can boast a theatre being upstairs, but the Grand Central is one such place. It was (and I guess still is) notable for having a roof terrace that was worth putting the world to rights in on a sunny summer's day. Inside, the pub is a little bit on the flat side and lacks some of the atmosphere that a more traditional pub tends to have. Not bad, but not great either. Rating 5/10

38. The Windmill - I remember this pub as being unique in the sense that I cannot think of any pub that had a red telephone box in its beer garden. Not sure if the box is still in the garden, but it was certainly different. The Windmill is located along Upper North Street and so tends to attract a mix of people from Seven Dials, as well as people working nearby in Western Road. The pub has a low ceiling and because of this, getting a mobile phone signal there is always a challenge. The pub has a bit edge to it which makes it not to everyone's taste, but it is decent enough to go to for a couple of pints. Rating 6/10

39. Prestonville Arms - Quiet Youngs pub situated in a backstreet between the Seven Dials and Old Shoreham Road, this is the kind of place that you could go to for a peaceful pint in midweek. I think the pub used to run a music quiz night on one night of the week that gained a cult following. I have only been there on a couple of occasions, but it seemed like a decent enough local pub, but it is a little bit out of the way for me to frequent. Rating 5/10

40. The Dyke Tavern - The curious thing about Brighton is that one area of town that is chronically lacking in pubs is the Withdean and Westdene area and so on one occasion, after having been to watch Brighton play at Withdean Stadium, in trying to find a pub showing the evening match, I had to walk all the way down Dyke Road to the Dyke Tavern before I found a suitable resting place. Apart from having a big screen, there was little reason for me to have visited the pub, which had a strange mix of customers and looked in need of a few licks of paint. Subsequently, the pub has had a makeover and is another to go down the route of targetting gastro-heads. I have no particular desire to return, however. Rating 2/10

Notable absentees: The Evening Star


This completes part 1 of my pub crawl. In part 2, I will mention which North Laine and town centre pubs I have visited, before moving on to the Hove pubs in my later instalments.

Playlists 23 to 26 - D & E

PLAYLIST #23
Moby - Dream About Me
Newton Faulkner - Dream Catch Me
Blondie - Dreaming
The Coral - Dreaming Of You
The Cranberries - Dreams
Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
Travis - Driftwood
The Cars - Drive
REM - Drive
The Beatles - Drive My Car
Garbage - Drive You Home
Madness - Driving In My Car
Madonna - Drowned World
The Verve - The Drugs Don't Work

PLAYLIST #24
Garbage - Dumb
Ladyhawke - Dusk Till Dawn
Mumford & Sons - Dust Bowl Dance
The Killers - A Dustland Fairytale
White Lies - EST
Ryan Adams - Easy Plateau
Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach
Klaxons - Echoes
Dolores O'Riordan - Ecstasy
The Kooks - Eddie's Gun
Regina Spektor - Eet
The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
Squeeze - Electric Trains
U2 - Electrical Storm
Stone Roses - Elephant Stone

PLAYLIST #25
The Beatles - Eight Days A Week
Rachael Yamagata - Elephants
U2 - Elevation
Madness - Embarrassment
Jamiroquai - Emergency On Planet Earth
Corinne Bailey Rae - Enchantment
Don Henley - The End Of The Innocence
Muse - Endlessly
Snow Patrol - Engines
Nerina Pallot - English
Metallica - Enter Sandman
The Killers - Enterlude
Delphic - Ephemera
The Cardigans - Erase/Rewind
The Coral - Eskimo Lament
Crowded House - Even A Child

PLAYLIST #26
The Jam - The Eton Rifles
U2 - Even Better Than The Real Thing
Manic Street Preachers - The Everlasting
Echo & The Bunnymen - Everlasting Neverendless
Moby - Everloving
Sheryl Crow - Every Day Is A Winding Road
The Noisettes - Every Now And Then
Richard Ashcroft - Everybody
Keane - Everybody's Changing
Nerina Pallot - Everybody's Gone To War
The Kinks - Everybody's Gonna Be Happy
Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I Love You Less And Less
Morrissey - Everyday Is Like Sunday
Texas - Everyday Now

Playlists 19 to 22

PLAYLIST #19
The Kinks - Days
The Beatles - Day Tripper
Cherry Ghost - Dead Man's Suit
Travis - Dear Diary
White Lies - Death
Coldplay - Death and All His Friends
The Thrills - Deckchairs & Cigarettes
The Kinks - Dedicated Follower of Fashion
Jamiroquai - Deeper Underground
Fatboy Slim & Macy Gray - Demons
Blondie - Denis
Manic Street Preachers - A Design For Life
U2 - Desire
The Eagles - Desperado
James - Destiny Calling

PLAYLIST #20
Prince - Diamonds and Pearls
Madonna - Die Another Day
Sheryl Crow - The Difficult Kind
Deacon Blue - Dignity
Oasis - Digsy's Dinner
Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana
INXS - Disappear
Snow Patrol - Disaster Button
Pulp - Disco 2000
Mercury Rev - The Distance From Her To There
Crowded House - Distant Sun
Corinne Bailey Rae - Diving For Hearts
Echo & The Bunnymen - Do It Clean

PLAYLIST #21
Pulp - Do You Remember The First Time
Basement Jaxx - Do Your Thing
Fyfe Dangerfield - Don't Be Shy
Joss Stone - Don't Cha Wanna Ride
Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Don't Forget Me
Richard Hawley - Don't Get Hung Up In Your Soul
The Pretenders - Don't Get Me Wrong
Hothouse Flowers - Don't Go
Oasis - Don't Go Away
Razorlight - Don't Go Back To Dalston
Sharleen Spiteri - Don't Keep Me Waiting
The Beatles - Don't Let Me Down
Coldplay - Don't Panic
The Thrills - Don't Steal Our Sun

PLAYLIST #22
Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger
The Libertines - Don't Look Back Into The Sun
Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop
Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Queen - Don't Stop Me Now
Crowded House - Don't Stop Now
Madonna - Don't Tell Me
Amy MacDonald - Don't Tell Me That It's Over
The Coral - Don't Think You're The First
Dirty Vegas - Don't Throw It Away
The Noisettes - Don't Upset The Rhythm
Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)
Manic Street Preachers - Door To The River
Delphic - Doubt
Men At Work - Down Under
Texas - Drawing Crazy Patterns

Playlist update - playlists 15 to 18

Continuing my alphabetically themed playlists, I have now made it as far as D. Here are my recent musical listening pleasures for your delectation.

PLAYLIST #15
David Bowie - China Girl
Nerina Pallot - Cigarette
Oasis - Cigarettes & Alcohol
U2 - City Of Blinding Lights
Muse - City Of Delusion
Arcade Fire - City With No Children
Delphic - Clarion Call
Coldplay - Clocks
Corinne Bailey Rae - Closer
Dirty Vegas - Closer
Semisonic - Closing Time
Simple Minds - Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel
Nirvana - Come As You Are

PLAYLIST #16
Embrace - Come Back To What You Know
James - Come Home
The Beatles - Come Together
Neill MacColl & Kathryn Williams - Come With Me
Travis - Coming Around
Paolo Nutini - Coming Up Easy
Pulp - Common People
The Coral - Confessions of ADDD
Squeeze - Cool For Cats
Midlake - Core Of Nature
Jamiroquai - Cosmic Girl
Delphic - Counterpoint
Primal Scream - Country Girl
Bruce Springsteen - Cover Me

PLAYLIST #17
Richard Ashcroft - C'mon People (We're Making It Now)
Dandy Warhols - Country Leaver
Snow Patrol - Crack The Shutters
James - Crazy
Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Ladyhawke - Crazy World
Prince - Cream
Echo & The Bunnymen - Crocodiles
The Courteneers - Cross My Heart & Hope To Fly
Brandon Flowers - Crossfire
Jimi Hendrix - Crosstown Traffic
U2 - Crumbs From Your Table
Texas - Cry
The Charlatans - Cry Yourself To Sleep
New Order - Crystal

PLAYLIST #18
The xx - Crystalised
The Thrills - The Curse of Comfort
Echo & The Bunnymen - The Cutter
Oasis - D'You Know What I Mean
Glasvegas - Daddy's Gone
Nerina Pallot - Damascus
Regina Spektor - Dance Anthem Of The 80s
Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
Bat For Lashes - Daniel
Mercury Rev - The Dark Is Rising
The Kinks - David Watts
Sharleen Spiteri - Day Tripping
Coldplay - Daylight
The Beatles - A Day In The Life

No pets have been harmed in the writing of this blog!

Greetings.

I trust the summer recess has been good to you all. The summer was good while it lasted, which as usual, was for all of a fortnight. And plenty has happened while I have abstained from rambling in these parts. We have a new coalition Government which largely led to condemnation (did you see what I did there?).

Staying on the political scene, a former premier decided to release his memoirs recently and was seemingly keen to stress that dossiers were not the only thing he had occasion to sex up. The publication of his book provoked riotous scenes at a book signing event in Dublin. Such violent behaviour had not been witnessed in the Emerald Isle's chief Metropolis since the Great Guinness Shortage of 1987.

And in a summer where there have been scenes of harrowing poverty in certain parts of the world, it has been good to see that the British press has, as ever, provided people with a true sense of perspective by devoting most of its column inches to philandering footballers and a woman whose idea of a cheap laugh was to put a cat in a wheelie bin. It was quite appropriate that the woman in question came from Coventry, given that her detractors did not need to send her very far in their condemnation. Perhaps she should get a job as an RSPCA inspector. I mean, in the history of inappropriate jobs, it would be about as appropriate as, say, making a world leader who committed to 2 conflicts in the Middle East a peace envoy for the region. I can assure all my readers, however, that no animals have been subjected to cruelty in writing of the latest instalment of this blog.

Right, well duty calls. So let's get down to business.

9 years and what have we learnt?
I sit here writing this blog as 12 September is soon to become 13 September, but it was Saturday's date that has left a lasting impression on everyone. September 11, 9/11 as the Americans call it. 911 is of course the American emergency services number and it is somewhat poignant to recall how members of the emergency services made incredible sacrifices almost 9 years to the day in the commercial heart of New York City.

Every generation has those "I remember where I was when..." days that defines their era, that provides an association to a particular moment in their life. I would think people currently in their 40s and 50s would put the day of Elvis Presley's death in that category. People in their 60s could possibly recall where they were when they heard of the news of JFK's assassination by Lee Harvey Oswald on a grassy knoll in Dallas. More recently, the death of Michael Jackson being announced last year via the various breaking news channel brought an almost surreal twist to what, in essence, was not a huge shock.

To say that 9/11 was one of those days though does not really do it justice. It has probably been the most significant, defining news event of all of our lives. It is said that when America sneezes, the United Kingdom catches a cold, but it would not just have been the UK that caught the contagion that fateful day 9 years ago. The whole world had their eyes transfixed on their television screens, made only too aware of their own vulnerability in a dangerous world.

It goes without saying that I remember exactly where I was on 11 September 2001 and what I was doing. I remember the afternoon in almost precise detail. Back then, I was a slip of a lad at 23 years and 1 month old and had graduated from university earlier that summer and like many graduates, hoped that my scroll would lead me to shiny and prosperous places the other side of the rainbow. I had started work in my new job a few weeks earlier, except that my place of work was not altogether new as I had previously completed a work placement with my employers while at university.

On that afternoon, some 9 years ago, I found myself asked to carry out a job for which I barely felt qualified. I was to participate on an interview panel to interview an interim manager of the organisation's fledgling catering project. Given that my culinary skills have never quite matched those of Gordon Ramsay or even Rusty Lee, this was something of an unusual request. The interview itself was largely forgettable in the detail except that the person interviewed was successful in their recruitment and held the fort until a permanent manager was found, a manager who I believe remains in that job to this day.

What happened after the interview should have been mundane but it was the first glimpse I had into the reality that while my working day had been comparatively unusual, it would not be changing the path of my life. The interview had been taking place at my organisation's head office which was not where I usually worked. I had to go and retrieve some belongings from my usual office and collect the post before making my way home. The usual office was just slightly more than a 10 minute walk from head office. For the hardened Brightonians amongst you, it was situated next to the site of the old Co-op department store off the London Road.

The first consciousness I had of the life changing events across the pond was when I strolled past a newsagents along my walk back to the office. Outside was a newspaper placard with the headline 'plane hits Twin Towers'. Normally the words on newspaper placards tend to pass me by, but there was something about the power of these few, short words that resonated in me. I just remember thinking 'that's got to have caused some damage'.

The possibility that a big event was taking place was reinforced as I walked up the side street en route back to the usual office. The road, (which again for the Brightonians amongst you, was Upper Lewes Road), is a completely residential road with rows of terraced houses and where a lot of the properties' front doors are not shielded from the main road by a garden path, and therefore you get a good glimpse of people's living rooms. On that afternoon, nearly every living room of every property I had occasion to glance at had a television on and from what I could make out, nearly every one of them seemed to have their television tuned to the BBC News. There was also a remarkable quietness on the streets; there was barely anybody around, which given that this was around 4:45 pm on an early September afternoon a week after children had gone back to school did not seem quite right. By this time, I realised that something dramatic must have been unfolding and I should get home and see what the extent of the developments were.

There are thousands of images that people will recall from that horrific day and the moments when they first watched the scenes of atrocity on their television. What particularly stays with me is that Arsenal were playing a Champions League football match on the television that night in Mallorca, which in their infinite wisdom, UEFA allowed to go ahead despite nobody being in the mood for the contest given the more significant events in New York. Thankfully, UEFA saw sense the next day and all of the matches scheduled for the Wednesday night, including Manchester United's match in Greece, were rightly postponed.

Nine years on from this life affirming day, when ordinary New Yorkers reported to their offices for what they expected to be a fruitful Tuesday at work only to never be able to return home to tell their loved ones of their achievements and the deals of the century they clinched during the day, it is pertinent to ask what has the world learnt from what happened that day and what the future holds. One has to say that the uncertainty and terror that gripped the world then remains as much of a problem now, albeit perhaps the sources of both is more widespread than it was in 2001.

What has become more apparent is that the "Special Relationship" that the United Kingdom believes it enjoys with the US is not as mutually beneficial as it would like to hope it is. Indeed, closeness with the US has exposed the UK to greater risk of terror on its shores due to it being damned by association by those opposed to the US's values, or perceived lack of them. This was tangibly demonstrated by the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005, a day which I also remember with clarity. I remember going for a job interview in London less than a fortnight later which was held a stone's throw away from The Oval tube station. A couple of days after my interview, an explosion was detonated at that very tube station.

The anniversary of 9/11, as well as the release of Tony Blair's memoirs serve as a reminder of the great work and sacrifices that British troops have made to attempt to keep the peace in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sadly, many of these servants to their country have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and become martyrs, statistics of a Government atrocity chart. The grey numbers do not do justice to their work, fighting for a cause they believed in, if not necessarily in conflicts they agreed with.

The two key conflicts which the UK have committed their troops to post-9/11 have been in Iraq and Afghanistan and in both cases, there seems to be no sign of the original objectives for taking troops to those countries being met. The purpose of being in Iraq was misreported at the time and while removing an evil dictator by using what was tantamount to illegal force may be seen as a victory by some, the initial reservations that I had of there being no coherent exit strategy and no thought given to what backlash there could be after Saddam Hussein was overthrown appear to remain as salient now as they were in 2003.

I think that there was an expectation that all Iraqi people would be eternally grateful to the western forces for overthrowing the oppressive regime running their country, forgetting that to a good many people, Saddam Hussein and his henchmen were regarded as heroes, standing up to the might of overbearing western forces who were sticking their nose in a trough that was not theirs. Added to which, many Iraqis would have lost their livelihoods during the course of the conflict which damaged land and crops and so the average Iraqi who earned his living from his or her country's natural resources saw their prospects of future prosperity greatly diminished, not enhanced from the events leading to Saddam's very public execution. And yet these people were expected to just be grateful? Hmm, doesn't sound very plausible, does it?

And then we have Afghanistan, where the UK's presence in the aftermath of 9/11 was to try to aid in the tracking down of Osama Bin Laden. Nine years on, and Bin Laden is still at large, presumed to still be alive, but whose presence is only confirmed by occasional speeches appearing on AlJazeera and via YouTube. The real fight is taking place with the Taliban and with splinter groups who have made their way across the border from Pakistan. The clock is ticking and yet no-one appears to be any nearer to resolving the original issues, all the while barely a week passes without there being a news report of another atrocity of a British serviceperson on Afghan shores.

Despite there being no resolution in sight in these Middle Eastern countries and no sign of short term wholesale withdrawals of troops, the United Kingdom still seems happy to provide unwielding support to the United States in their tackling of the enemy of the day who does not share their Capitalist ideals. This suggests that 9/11 and what followed with the July bombings in London in 2005 has not completely taught us of the perils of getting drawn into other people's battles. The next generation of possible terror comes from countries whose potential hording of nuclear weapons is not known but should not be under-estimated. If China or North Korea have a serious grudge against an overzealous enemy, they could have the nuclear warhead that could cause lasting damage, so the UK must be selective in any future causes it chooses to fight. The danger is if the United States elects a Republican candidate in 2 years time. Barack Obama's popularity ratings are low in his home country right now, primarily because of the global recession. Should Obama be usurped in 2 years time, however, the alternative could spell bad news for those who prefer a peaceful existence.

The behaviour of the American pastor, Terry Jones, only further inflames religious tensions between Muslim devotees and the Western world. In fact, as his namesake from a certain British comedy troupe might attest to, he is not the Messiah just a very naughty boy. Jones' bugbear about a mosque being situated in the World Trade Center regeneration area of New York was flawed on the grounds that it is accusing Islam and all of its followers of being responsible for, and damned by associated with the 9/11 bombings. This type of generalisation does nobody any favours and it is why people in their everyday surroundings display negative behaviour in the company of their fellow citizens from an Islamic persuasion, at least on a sub-conscious level. By this I mean that when we have been on a train journey and we see a bearded Arabian gentleman get up from his seat, carrying his backpack and walking through the double doors, a good many of us will, sometimes without realising it at the time, keep our gaze focused on where they are going. There will always be an innocent explanation, usually involving the carrying out of essential bodily functions, but this is the impact that Terry Jones and other self-appointed spokespeople have in our everyday lives. If there's no smoke, there should be no fire.

You would hope and wish that the office workers who perished in the rubble in 2001 did not die in vain and that the lifelong trauma that emergency crews suffered that day would at least lead people to learning some lessons. But, can any of us say that life is any more certain now than it was then? The net has widened so far as potential future feuds are concerned, while existing ones seem no nearer to a peaceful conclusion. People may not think about the dangers facing them on a daily basis, but the culture of fear has definitely intensified in the years since 9/11 and fear and ignorance added to fundamental cultural or religious differences are the ingrained characteristics in every conflict of note ever fought, right back to the Battle of Hastings. The difference is that back then the enemy came armed with a crossbow, now their weapon of choice is not known for certain, but the not knowing only adds to the fear.

The 9 years have been a paradox in that the world has advanced so much, and yet the challenges remain as complex as they were then and the lessons heeded appear minimal.

Hague should man up
It seems to be the season to be slinging mud at the moment, with the popular press printing a series of exposes on celebrities involved in acts of debauchery and treachery. Even the broadsheets have been getting in on the act, with the Daily Telegraph highly prominent in the press coverage of William Hague's sharing of a hotel room with an advisor. In case you missed this earth shattering story, in reality, it was a mistral in a Wedgwood.

According to what we were told, Hague shared a room with his "special advisor" (special advisor, nudge nudge, wink wink) when he had an overnight stay in Birmingham after one of the televised pre-electoral leader debates. The pair shared a twin room rather than each getting their own single room. On the surface this just seems like a cost cutting initiative when you can imagine that every last hanger-on with the three political parties would have been booking up rooms for an overnight stay in England's second city.

There will be those that find two men sharing a room an unusual circumstance. Yet, why is this exactly? There was a time when this was quite an innocent occurrence. Lest we forget that Morecambe and Wise shared a bed for comic effect in many of their sketches and yet I do not recall there being any sexual liaison suggested about these long standing comic partners. You will say of course that people would know that they were acting, it was not for real, but there are those that believe that soap operas are real, so surely someone, somewhere must have sniggered, must have wondered if Eric really did have a thing for his little Ern, but I am not aware of anyone believing this.

I have shared a hotel room on a few occasions on overnight stays with male friends without, at least to my knowledge, there being any amusement or rumour. On a holiday once in the glorious city of Prague, I shared a room with my holiday companion in which twin beds were provided. Upon arriving in the room, the first 5 minutes were spent trying to find suitable enough distance between the 2 beds so that we would not disturb one another with our post-Staropramen and dumplings influenced snoring.

William Hague's mistake in this situation was not that he shared a room with an aide, which seems pretty trivial the more you think about it, but that he chose to tackle the issue in quite a confrontational way, resulting in those that wanted to believe he was gay actually having more amunition for their argument. Hague has always tried to present himself with a slightly faux, regular alpha male image. The tough Yorkshire lad from humble beginnings who could drink 14 pints if the occasion demanded. You kind of sensed that he was striving to relive his early 20s when rather than enjoying a cocktail of pints and kebabs, he was more likely propping up the bar at the Conservative Club discussing the possible reform of the House of Lords.

Mentioning that he and his wife had been trying, unsuccessfully, to produce offspring seemed a really unnecessary disclosure which compromised his wife's privacy after what surely for her had been a distressing ordeal. And this compromise achieved absolutely nothing other than getting people to gossip more fervently than they had before.

It would have helped also, if Hague had taken more care over his attire when photo opportunities arose. Allowing himself to be caught on camera wearing a tight fitting, plain long-sleeved white T-shirt and baseball cap while in the company of his aide, wearing a cheesy grin was not a smart move. In fact, the photograph could only have been made camper had Graham Norton and Gok Wan hovered into the background while wearing spandex, dancing to the tune of YMCA.

What is particularly disturbing about this episode is why Hague is ashamed to be suggested as being a homosexual by a very small minority of ill informed nobodies. Why does Hague feel this undermines the ability for him to his job or makes him a potential figure of ridicule, when he holds other traits that are more likely to make him a social outcast and for which he should feel a sense of shame; namely that he is a Conservative MP. It also calls into question why one's sexuality is of crucial importance to the media other than providing the source of idle gossip, or indeed why someone's sexuality is of any relevance to the job they are undertaking. There are several MPs from within Hague's own party who are openly gay and it does not seem to have impaired their progress untowardly within the Westminster corridors.

William Hague has shown himself to be a heavyweight figure in British politics over the past decade or so and has generally fostered respect on all sides of the house, despite his party allegiance and his quirky persona. Given this level of respect, Hague really should not have got embroiled in full scale confrontation with the press concerning the rumour mill because he has now only added credence to nasty rumours where no genuine foundations previously existed.

Cricket in a fix
From William Hague to William Hill. The sports pages that have not focused on the extra curricular activities of Wayne Rooney have focused on the spot fixing allegations concerning the three Pakistani cricketers alleged to have bowled no balls at specific times in the fourth test against England on the hallowed turf of Lord's.

For those of you not up on cricketing terminology; and let's face it, cricket is a sport that polarises people more than most between those that feel a day's play is a less appealing alternative than a paint drying convention and those that feel the games subtleties and idiocyncracies make it a thing of beauty; what is being suggested is that three Pakistani cricketers conspired so that bowlers would put the whole of their front foot over the crease when delivering the ball, thereby invalidating the delivery and allowing a punter somewhere in deepest Asia to make a killing if the illegal delivery occurred at the time of the punter's choosing.

The three Pakistani cricketers alleged to be involved in the conspiracy included the Pakistan captain Salman Butt, plus two Pakistan seam bowlers, Mohammad Asif and 18 year old Mohammad Aamir, who had caught the eye during England's innings in the Lord's test match by taking 6 wickets during the first 2 sessions of the match. It was also Aamir who unwittingly seemed to give the game away by being shown to bowl a no-ball where his front foot was not just over the line, but almost halfway up the pitch. At least his colleague Mohammad Asif had only narrowly put his foot over the line, showing that he knew exactly what was required.

It is important to emphasise that nothing has been proven against the Pakistani trio as yet, however damning the News of the World's video evidence would appear to be and how it fits with when no-balls were bowled during the match. It is also important to distinguish between "spot fixing" which is the crime alleged to have been perpetrated in the Lord's test match and "match fixing", where a team supposedly conspires to throw a match in order to produce monetary reward either for themselves or a third party. That is not to condone the actions of the perpetrators if they are found guilty, but a distinguishment does need to be made, particularly because of the circumstances within this particular test match.

On the first day, England had endured one of their typical batting collapses with the Pakistani bowlers taking full advantage of the low cloud cover on an overcast day in St John's Wood. The aforementioned Mohammad Aamir had produced a golden spell of bowling, taking six wickets as England had stumbled to 102 for 7 just after lunch on the first afternoon. If Pakistan could skittle the three remaining England wickets quickly, Pakistan would have a session and a half to bat themselves and likely make mincemeat of the England total. Given what was to be exposed by the News of the World, what happened next would only arouse suspicion amongst the cynics.

Pakistan did not take three quick wickets, in fact they did not take another wicket for the rest of the day. Eventually, Pakistan did take a wicket, but it was not until after lunch the following day by which time England had added another 331 runs and both Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad had scored huge centuries. Broad finally perished for 169, having played the innings of his life and produced a score he is never likely to surpass given that he is more renowned as a bowler. South African born Trott was last man out for England having scored 184. The innings that these two players had produced had turned the whole match on its head, with England posting an imposing score of 446 for their first innings which would barely have been conceivable just 24 hours earlier.

This massive partnership between Trott and Broad completely demoralised Pakistan and during the course of the second afternoon, their team lost 14 wickets. Firstly they were bowled out for a paltry 74 runs and as they were so far behind England's first innings total were asked to follow on. They did so and found themselves 41 for 4 by the close of play on day 2, staring down the barrel of a heavy innings defeat. By the time the third day's play commenced on Sunday morning, The News of the World had released their allegations both in print and via video media and England wrapped up a crushing victory with muted celebrations when Pakistan were bowled out for 147 just after lunch. An excellent score at snooker, but a sub-standard one in test cricket.

It is easy to see, given the nature of the allegations and given the previous history of controversy surrounding Pakistan, how people could believe that Pakistan had conspired to throw the match. It maybe true that certain Pakistan players had been made aware of the story about to break in the Sunday press and they took their eye off the ball, to speak in appropriate cricketing parlance. But I think this does not take into account the match situation. Pakistan had put England in trouble when the conditions favoured their swing bowlers. England started to get themselves out of trouble when the sun came out on the first day, which meant conditions became less favourable for the bowlers and the longer messrs Trott and Broad stayed in and were seeing the cherry like a football, so the Pakistan bowlers became more erratic as they became tired and demoralised.

The possibility that Pakistan could have contributed to the throwing of the match should not be completely dismissed, but there is no real evidence to suggest that their capitulation was anything more than a classic example of the schizophrenic make-up of their nation's cricketers. Both Pakistan, and to a certain extent India, have always been countries that have had two faces when playing the game and you can never be certain of whether Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde will be in town on any given day. The manner of Pakistan's meek surrender was certainly unfortunate given the timing of the spot fixing allegations becoming public knowledge, but it just seemed to show all the classic signs of Pakistan giving up the ghost when the match got away from them rather than appearing to be a deliberate attempt to make financial gain.

There have been calls in the aftermath of this scandal to review the place of betting in sport, with critics of the vice accusing it of intoxicating sport with the rife aftertaste of corruption. There is no question that betting does expose sport to the dangers of illegal fixing. Serial gamblers who wish to make a killing have their contacts and have their ways of influencing outcomes to make individual gain. This has been seen in horse racing over the years, a sport that is possibly only matched in the mainstream by boxing for its potential for corruption.

People that are suggesting that betting should be banned, however, are missing a fundamental point. That point is that the gamblers who are betting on the timing of no-balls in cricket matches and other specific outcomes are often people who are betting in countries where gambling is illegal, therefore they are betting "underground". Betting cartels in South East Asia are particularly rife and are notorious for making a killing on unusual outcomes. Followers of Premier League football will recall that in the latter part of the 1990s, three top flight matches in London were abandoned due to floodlight failure, which it transpired was influenced by a Malaysian betting sting. Although cricket is not played in Malaysia, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that major bets could have been placed there, although it is equally feasible that bets were placed underground in Pakistan, which being an Islamic country does not recognise gambling as an acceptable pastime.

It is also interesting to note that the whistleblower in this story happened to be a gentleman called Mazhar Majeed, who apart from being a man who seemingly likes a flutter on two flies crawling up a wall also happens to be chairman of Croydon Athletic football club, who play in the Ryman League division one. Seemingly the FA's plan to ensure that all football club owners in this country are passing a fit and proper ownership test is working impeccably. Majeed was shown on camera by the News of the World informing its readers of the precise moments when his plan was carried out to order by Pakistan's bowlers. It is somewhat sickening to think that Majeed could have profited twice from this fiasco, firstly by winning his bet on the contrived timing of the no-balls and secondly by selling his story to the Murdoch corporation to blow the whistle on his windfall.

The world's moralists have poured scorn on the Pakistani cricketers incriminated and have encouraged the cricketing authorities to throw the book at the offenders if they are found guilty of wrongdoing. It is hard to see there being any alternative to a long term ban for the offenders if guilt is proven. However, while it is not the intention of this blog to offer excuses for immoral behaviour, it is worth considering the social, economic and safety factors that could sway a young Pakistani cricketer to risk their career in order to make a short term financial gain.

As the harrowing scenes of the recent Pakistani floods have shown, Pakistan is a poverty stricken country that is vulnerable to natural disaster, as well as being a volatile, socially damaged nation. Unlike in England where most leading cricketers come from affluent and privileged backgrounds, in Pakistan several of its leading players come from slums and shanty towns. The riches that cricketers can make from their profession can help keep a roof over the heads of their families and give them access to clean water. With this in mind, it is not hard to understand how a persuasive, quick talking businessman offering a large sum of a cash in order to overstep a white line on three occasions could prove too great a temptation.

But there is also another consideration to make, which is what could happen if the request was turned down. If the player just told the fixer they wanted no part of their scam and hung up the telephone, do they know who they are dealing with? As we know, money corrupts individuals and it can turn people to violent crime. A rejection of the fixer's advances could potentially not only put the individual player's personal safety in jeopardy, but also that of their family. In an ideal world, the player would just have the strength to say no and report what had happened to the Team Manager or the captain. But in this situation, the captain has been implicated himself, so it is unlikely that a young player like Mohammed Aamir would have been lent a sympathetic ear.

What does not help Pakistan and their players right now is that they are already ostracised by the cricket community. A lot of this is, sadly, of their own making due to previous indiscretions and they currently are unable to play home test matches because of the serious social unrest in their country which means that opposing teams will not risk their safety by touring the country. But it is the ban on Pakistani players from the Indian Premier League that is particularly crippling Pakistan's top players. From what I can see, this ban is effectively a restraint on trade made by the Indian cricketing authorities for no other reason than good, old fashioned prejudice. The IPL hypes itself as the greatest showcase of its sport, featuring all the world's best players but because Pakistan are the noisy neighbour that could end up trashing the party, the authorities have decided to ban them from attending. Given how lucrative the IPL is for a cricketer to carry out six weeks work at about 4 hours a time, it is clear to see how Pakistan's top players are missing out while their counterparts from other countries are cashing in.

Imposing any blanket ban on betting on sporting events is a non-starter and it would end up doing more harm than good, because as was discussed earlier, a lot of the major fixing scandals have occurred from betting cartels in places where gambling is illegal and therefore not properly regulated. What should be looked at in countries where gambling is legal and has clear regulations is the impact of spread betting. Spread betting is where a punter can bet on almost outcome or occurrence in a given sport. This is particularly common in football betting and so could include the number of throw-ins in a match, the number of corners or yellow cards, or the minute in which the first goal was scored.

The problem with spread betting is that it can lead to potential examples of spot fixing, as in the case of the Pakistani no-balls, without having a direct impact on the actual result of the match. I recall a football match between Manchester United and West Ham on the final day of the 1996/97 Premier League season which was effectively a dead rubber as the Red Devils had already won the Premier League title and the Hammers were safe from relegation. At the start of the match, West Ham kicked off and their forward Paul Kitson kicked the ball straight out of play 3 seconds after kick off. There was no team-mate in the vicinity of where the ball went out to whom he could have been intending his pass and so Manchester United were awarded a cheap throw-in, while people at the time speculated that Paul Kitson or an associate could have won a tidy sum on the timing of the first throw-in. One suspects there must have been many more of these types of incident in football and in other sports over the years which have passed without investigation.

Spread betting seems to be a way of nerds making money. Prior to becoming compulsive gamblers, I am imagining that the typical spread better used to turn up their local rail terminus with a notepad and Bic. When you consider that the type of bet that Mr Majeed and his associates was supposedly placed on Pakistan bowlers wasting a delivery with a foot fault at an allotted time in the match, you would think that if anyone was to set foot into Betfred or Ladbrokes in this country wishing to place a similar bet, the precise nature of the bet would arouse suspicion and the customer would be politely advised of where the door was. Where gambling is not properly regulated, unusual betting patterns are not recognised and this only increases the risk of lucrative fixes. This is the best argument for ensuring gambling is legal and stringently regulated.

A sight to put you off your breakfast
They have been re-arranging the furniture again on the Titanic, or at least the sinking ship that is breakfast television. GMTV finally bowed out after 17 years of comfy sofa chat in order to make way for the brave new world of a revolutionary breakfast programme, Daybreak, which is such a diversion from its predecessor that it seems to have retained most of the reporters that had worked on GMTV. The great mystery is that GMTV managed to last 17 years. I mean, I would have thought they would have run out of furniture as I assumed that whenever there was a set change it was because Eamonn Holmes had eaten the upholstery.

Strangely, Daybreak does not seem to differ at all from GMTV except that the rebranded show has decided to go for two marquee names to front the programme. Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley, fresh from their departure from the BBC, find themselves waking the nation up with their mixture of whimsical chat and pouting to the cameras. You decide who provides which service better. Personally, not being the best morning person, I prefer to see a photogenic face when I am coming around and getting my eye in and Chiles' bulldog chewing a wasp features are perhaps better served for evenings as he is likely to scare small children and thereby make sure they go to bed on time.

I found it strange that Daybreak dispensed with the services of the frosty but downright sexy Emma Crosby whilst retaining a place for Kate Garraway, albeit a demotion to their Showbiz Editor, which one would assume also means a demotion in pay. Crosby never seemed to be warmed to by the largely female audience on GMTV which I can only speculate was because they thought Crosby was the kind of girl that wouldn't think twice of stealing their spouse. There was something of a glint in her eye that sugggested mischief, but to me at least, Daybreak have traded down by replacing Crosby with Christine Bleakley, although I am sure Frank Lampard disagrees with me.

So what of Daybreak's dream ticket? Chiles and Bleakley were greater than the sum of their parts on The One Show, but then there was no real expectation on them there. Chiles served a very long apprenticeship at the BBC before coming to the attention of a primetime audience, but his laid back style is far more suited to a BBC audience where no adverts curtail the broadcasts. Chiles is already missed on Match Of The Day 2 which was infinitely more watchable on a Sunday night than Gary Lineker's cliquey gentleman's club version on a Saturday night primarily because of Chiles' bar room banter where he knew exactly what questions the average football supporter would want to ask a football pundit. In his place, the BBC have given his former slot to the abysmal Colin Murray, who looks like a child left in charge of Bournville and only adds to the long list of Radio 1 DJs who make for moronic television presenters.

Chiles could do no wrong at the BBC and as well as being the perfectly laid back choice of host for The One Show and Match of the Day 2, he showed a great gift for observational humour on The Apprentice: You're Fired programme which seemed like a tailor made televisual vehicle for him. With the next series of The Apprentice scheduled before the end of the year, it will be interesting to see who the BBC replace Chiles with on this show. My prediction is that the former Blue Peter presenter Richard Bacon will get the gig, who lacks the gift for self-effacement that Chiles always used to possess.

Now, you will notice I say "used to possess". I cannot help but wonder whether Chiles has started to believe his own hype in recent times. Every time I have seen him since he has defected to ITV, he has seemed to be playing the galleries for laughs, whereas his style once came very naturally. His presentation on ITV's World Cup coverage seemed a little bit forced, spending so much time laughing at North Korean players' warm-up routines that he left little time for the game that was being screened to have any meaningful pre-match analysis. My early impressions from what I have seen of Daybreak so far is that Chiles again seems to be trying to dominate the show with cheap humour. Ironically, it seems he is trying to borrow from the Big Breakfast, a show fronted by his nemesis and the man who forced him out of the BBC, Chris Evans.

Bleakley was always the straightwoman in the Chiles-Bleakley axis on The One Show and it would appear that this is the role that the tangerine perma-tanned Ulsterwoman will be providing on Daybreak. Bleakley seems to be quite content to sit in the background and play second fiddle to Chiles' erratic line of questioning, but if reading the autocue effectively is the key part of your brief, there is no doubt that Bleakley carries out this duty to the best of her ability. Again though, I question whether morning television makes best use of Bleakley's abilities and after 13 years working for the BBC mainly at a regional level, the fast paced nature that fronting a breakfast programme on a commercial network requires does not seem ideally suited to her.

So what of the show that the pair left behind? I have always been intrigued by the success that The One Show has enjoyed because, to my mind, it just seems like a classic example of cheaply assembled, formulaic television. You get the sense that most of the show's budget goes on hiring a high profile guest but the actual content of the programme is confused, not least because the format of the show allows for little time for the guest to contribute anything meaningful. Authors expect to come on to plug their new book, recording artists expect to plug their new CD and comedians expect to plug their tour dates, but perhaps do not expect to be asked for their opinion on the hazards of rising damp or for their favourite type of confection, or to experience the mild inconvenience of sharing a sofa with Gyles Brandreth. One can only conclude that the success of the programme is dependent upon the presenters.

The BBC's choice of replacement presenters for the departing Chiles and Bleakley was certainly a risk, but in a way they are sticking with the tried and tested. Jason Manford provides the comedic angle, although he has played his role quite straight in the early weeks of his involvement on the show. Manford is a decent stand-up comedian, although there are funnier stand-ups of his type, such as Lee Mack who are around on the circuit. You get the impression, however, that Manford who is father to a couple of young children is wanting to cut back on the hard grind of touring and is therefore looking to carve out a career in the mainstream, just as many stand-ups have done before.

Alongside Manford, the BBC have again invaded their regional television pool of talent and have selected Alex Jones, who looks disturbingly like a Welsh identikit version of her predecessor. Jones has looked quite accomplished in her new role to date, although it is worth remembering that she has a number of years of television presenting experience behind her, which means she should be able to guide Manford who is more used to sitting the other side of the coffee table as a guest. The pairing shows early promise but the problem they face is one of association. The One Show is always about the presenters rather than its loose fitting content and for many they will be damned by association. To many, that programme will be remembered as a Chiles-Bleakley vehicle and the new pair will need to take ownership at an early stage in order to retain the core viewers.

Chiles' departure because of the BBC's decision to hire Chris Evans for one night a week was a curious case of throwing your toys out of the pram and one can only conclude that Chiles felt that Evans' presence was a threat to his long term future. I mean, looking at it simplistically, how could Chiles complain about being asked to work one night less a week? But Evans' decision to join The One Show and the BBC's decision to approach him for that programme were both equally curious. Evans hardly needs the money that fronting one 30 minute primetime television show a week would provide him with and he already has plenty on his plate by presenting a 2 and a half hour breakfast show for five days a week. Evans is known in the business for choosing his projects carefully. He mentions in his autobiography how he rejected the chance to present Deal Or No Deal before the show was offered to Noel Edmonds.

Yet, it seems to me that Evans has signed up to present a show that is not the best vehicle to showcase his talents. For starters, The One Show is only on for 30 minutes. There was a spell where the BBC extended the programme to an hour on a Friday night, but it seems they have discontinued with that experiment. In order to get best use out of Evans though, the programme needs to be longer than 30 minutes. You also would think that the brief for the Friday show will need to change. If the show follows the same pattern as the other 4 nights per week and just takes the form of a magazine show discussing items such as health, local history and the arts, I can see Evans very quickly becoming bored. This is a man who once launched people's weekends with a highly energised, risk taking show which had the biggest guests and the best music of its era. If TFI Friday was the perfect warm-up for a Friday night out, then The One Show is the perfect warm-up for an early night. Then again, maybe this is just a telling sign of the ageing process.

With Jonathan Ross having left the BBC in readiness for a defection to ITV next year, the BBC had a spare Friday night entertainments slot available. Ross' show was produced by the former producer of TFI Friday and the show was heavily influential on the format of that programme, which was a successful vehicle for Ross for many years before the fallout from Sachsgate lowered his stock. With this in mind, Evans would have been the perfect host of any replacement show on a Friday night, but as he is older and wiser now, it could have been a cleaner and more family oriented programme than TFI Friday. The One Show occupies the right time slot on a Friday night for this type of show, but the wrong kind of format. Instead, the BBC have decided to move Graham Norton's show to Fridays and have made him the king (or should that be the queen) of Friday nights, when I would say that his show was better suited to the slot it was in already at 10:30 on a Monday night.

The good news for the BBC is that the prototype for a perfect Friday night entertainments show is out there at the moment. The bad news is that ITV have already launched it and it is being hosted by Paul O'Grady. O'Grady's defection from Channel 4, allied with Jonathan Ross' departure from Auntie means that ITV have the services of two of the best light entertainment talents in the country at their disposal, while also have the added bonus of having offloaded the hideous Piers Morgan, who has bizarrely landed a slot presenting Larry King's former chat show in the United States. O'Grady is a great family entertainer with a sharp wit and a true appreciation of his audience and he now has what looks like the right type of programme and time slot on a Friday night with his new live chat show to truly establish himself as one of the televisual elite and leave the BBC trailing in ITV's wake.

My advice to the BBC would be to reduce The One Show as we know it to being a 4 nights per week project, leaving the 7:00 pm slot on Fridays free for a new light entertainment and music extravaganza. Evans should be the man to host the new show and he could perhaps have a younger sidekick to present the show with him. I would leave Alex Jones free to focus on One Show duties and would instead look to someone like Lauren Laverne, who seems free of a lot of the hubris that the BBC's main music presenters have and seems like someone who does not take herself too seriously. The show should go out live and run for an hour at least, maybe even an hour and a half which then would leave time for three guests, plus at least three music acts, as well as some comic segments. The show should loosely set out to be a cross between Top Of The Pops, TFI Friday and Later With Jools Holland.

Music, guests and family entertainment is what Friday primetime viewing calls for, not cowboy builders, strangely shaped vegetables and Dominic Littlewood.


That's your lot for now, or if you are an onion, that's chalot. I hope to be back with some more musings on life's finer and trivial points again soon.

Playlist update

Following on from my last blog post, here is another instalment of the alphabetically influenced playlists I have been listening to on my travels. I am now ploughing through the 'C' tracks.

PLAYLIST #11
Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer
Thin Lizzy - The Boys Are Back In Town
Don Henley - The Boys Of Summer
Melee - Built To Last
U2 - Bullet The Blue Sky
Razorlight - Burberry Blue Eyes
Ash - Burn Baby Burn
Madonna - Burning Up
Muse - Butterflies & Hurricanes
Corinne Bailey Rae - Butterfly
Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way

PLAYLIST #12
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Cabron
Travis - The Cage
Regina Spektor - The Calculation
The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreamin'
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
Blondie - Call Me
Corinne Bailey Rae - Call Me When You Get This
The Last Shadow Puppets - Calm Like You
The Courteneers - Cameo Brooch
The Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love
Texas - Can't Resist
The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now
Keane - Can't Stop Now
Mockturtles - Can You Dig It?
Ash - Candy

PLAYLIST #13
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Can't Stop
Paolo Nutini - Candy
Jamiroquai - Canned Heat
Madness - Cardiac Arrest
Prefab Sprout - Cars and Girls
Hard-Fi - Cash Machine
Oasis - Cast No Shadow
The Verve - Catching The Butterfly
Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Kings Of Convenience - Cayman Islands
Madonna - Celebration
Coldplay - Cemeteries Of London
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Chamber
Fleetwood Mac - The Chain

PLAYLIST #14
Mercury Rev - Chains
Oasis - Champagne Supernova
Lightning Seeds - Change
Tears For Fears - Change
David Bowie - Changes
Sheryl Crow - A Change
Paul Weller - The Changing Man
Shed Seven - Chasing Rainbows
The Noisettes - Cheap Kicks
The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
Semisonic - Chemistry
Snow Patrol - Chocolate
Deacon Blue - Chocolate Girl