I was very pleased to be asked to review the latest short film by Jaschar Marktanner Vielleicht besser so (Perhaps Better That Way). If you’ve seen Jaschar’s work or if you read my earlier thoughts on his clever sci-fi piece Turing Test, you’ll know this is a filmmaker who thrives on intimate ideas and big … Continue reading
It seems obvious that we’d all like the places we live to be beautiful as well as practical, but it often feels like it has to be one or the other. That’s especially true when it comes to installing mobility equipment in the home – if you want your independence, then you’ll have to forget … Continue reading
Judy Matheson is one of the most memorable performers from the golden age of British horror – and much more besides. Her appearances in classic Hammer films and other horrors made a lasting impression on many of us, but that was just a small part of her career impressive career on stage and screen. So, … Continue reading
As the owner of two left feet (and old, flat ones at that), I’m always impressed by people who can dance. And, on the occasions I’ve seen professional dance performances, I’ve been blown away. So, I was interested to learn of a new top-quality programme from National Dance Company Wales (NDCWales) called Surge (Gwefr in … Continue reading
Kudos to Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre, which has announced a free, weekly writing programme, offering expert advice and training for budding playwrights. Hone Your Craft will cover character creation, re-drafting and structure, how commissioning works, and alternative ways to get work made. Continue reading
If a computer has a conversation with a human, and an evaluator can’t tell which is which, the machine is said to have passed the Turing test. Proposed 75 years ago by the British mathematician, Alan Turing, variations of the test are used today to assess the progress of artificial intelligence (AI). And that’s the … Continue reading
If there ever really was a golden age of children’s TV in the UK, surely it was the 1970s. Or do I only think that because that’s when I was a child? A new book A TV Box of Delights, subtitled A Golden Age of British Children’s TV, looks at programmes from the mid-1960s to … Continue reading
Those very good friends of this blog, The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco have released a new album. And to mark the occasion – some notes on the ten tracks, along with ten things about the band (nine of which are true). With thanks to the band’s Malcolm Moore, here are those notes about the new release, … Continue reading
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, I’m sure many of us spent some of our unexpected free time writing. I took the opportunty to dabble in creating some flash fiction stories – tiny snippets of fiction – just for my own amusement. As I played around with them, they took on some commonalities – set in … Continue reading
The new single from London singer-songwriter Rebecca Poole is released on Friday (20 June 2025) – a day before midsummer’s day. Appropriately, it’s called Summer Days [not to be confused with the Emily Sanders classic of the same name], and it captures the mood of the season from the start – “Don’t you love those … Continue reading
PieceOf Pink Pie 