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All posts by Malcolm Toogood

Have your Second Vote – Now

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on November 28, 2018
Posted in: Breaking News ..... not.

peoples vote

Have you noticed how the Question Time audience make more sense than the panel recently?   I’m sorry to say that’s because our politicians and media have completely lost touch with the mood of the country.

One of the most noticeable differences has been the greater number of calls for a “ Peoples Vote ” from the panel than from the public.  That’s because there is less appetite for one out here than within the Westminster Bubble, inflated as it is by the hot air generated by the media circus surrounding it.

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Stitched Up?

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on November 18, 2018
Posted in: Breaking News ..... not, Where's that Handcart?.

Brexit

In June 2016, over 33 million of us went to the polls in a historic Referendum, the highest public turnout recorded for any poll in this country.  We all held passionate views as to why we should Stay or Leave the EU, for whatever reason, and we all placed our vote in the sure and certain knowledge that the result, whatever it may be, would be honoured by Parliament.   It now emerges that, whichever way we voted, we have been stitched-up – not by politicians, nor by the media, but by faceless bureaucrats who were more concerned in preventing their gravy train being derailed.

Let’s not get into how or why the nation has become divided – how the previous Prime Minister ran away from the wreckage he had created, or how Her Majesty’s opposition has taken its title way too literally.  Let’s also recognise the truly democratic way in which the vast majority of those who voted to ‘remain’ have accepted the result, and have been prepared to move forward despite having not wanted to go this way.   Continue Reading

A Brexit Parable

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on May 22, 2018
Posted in: Where's that Handcart?.

The negotiations on a better EU deal for Britain conducted during the period of the coalition government had, unsurprisingly, reached a complete impasse, when it was decided that the best course of action would be to hold a sporting event to settle the issue.  If the British won then they would put membership to their people, if the Europeans won then Britain would remain a member on the prevailing terms.

politico.eu

Various sports were considered and rejected.  A soccer match between England and Germany was the obvious choice but the British, fearing it may end in a penalty shoot-out, declined.  The next suggestion was a Rugby match between Scotland and Italy, but this time the Europeans felt that would be too one-sided. Continue Reading

Album of the Year 2016

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on December 22, 2016
Posted in: Albums of the Year.

My New Year’s Resolution for 2017, after a second virtually blogless year, will be to return to writing for pleasure more regularly – a task made easier by the departure from our lives of the near two-year long threat of someone building a shed at the bottom of our garden – something that will be covered soon, but not in this blog.  Because the subject matter here is far more pleasurable – my Album of the Year 2016

Album of the Year 2016

For my new readers’ benefit, I have selected a personal album of the year ever since I started buying vinyl in the early 1960s.  During the ‘seventies, this singular personal choice evolved into a small-circulation printed newsletter for selected friends, through a wider-circulation email in the ‘nineties that contained a top ten, to ultimately, in 2008, this annual blog on my musical experiences throughout the year.   For the featured albums, the criteria I use are that I must have a copy in my collection that has been purchased during the year, the album’s UK release date has to be in the year being reviewed, and the list can contain no compilations or live albums.  Other than that, it’s pretty-much open-house. Continue Reading

Album of the Year 2015

Posted by Malcolm Toogood on December 31, 2015
Posted in: Albums of the Year.

I couldn’t believe it when I realised that this will be my first blog in a year! Such has been the saga of the past fifteen months, which started with a broken arm, then continued via various other distractions, some good, others not so. However, throughout the year the musical backdrop has been consistently good, so here is my review of the year, finishing with my choice of Album of the Year 2015.

aoty15

The first two purchases for the year were carry-overs from 2014 which, had I been aware of them at the time, would have definitely both made it to the shortlist. Someday World by Brian Eno and Karl Hyde is a wander through an electronic landscape that is much more accessible than some of the former Roxy Music keyboard man’s ambient efforts over the last ten to fifteen years. Maybe it was the collaboration with Underworld’s frontman that created this infectious album which almost demands to be played regularly. Continue Reading