It was an unsettling point in my life when I realised I was older than the characters in Friends. People on television, people in power simply must be older than little, simple me, grinding a living in Wakefield. And the crazy adventures these sitcom characters have; that must all be coming my way in just Read the full article…
“Don’t think; just do.” That is the philosophy of one of the greatest 20th, and now 21st century thinkers, I have ever encountered. The man is called Fred Mostyn. I first came across him at Breton Hall, when students lived and learned there. He travelled to Wakefield from Wales to begin university. He packed in Read the full article…
Bet you are all sick of hearing about this Long Division Festival, aren’t you? If you were into slightly obscure but utterly brilliant indie music, you would have got your ticket by now, I am sure. So instead, I am going to tell you about other parts of the festival that are open to all Read the full article…
How quickly things can change. I remember all the old people when I was young (so, anyone over 25) saying how time went so fast, each year disappeared quicker than the last. That’ll never be me, I thought, spending afternoons that felt like seasons down in the park, playing football. Yet here I am. It Read the full article…
Oh how I envy those of you not on Facebook this last week. The whole thing is covered like maggots on a corpse with short videos of people pouring water over their heads. These people, after achieving the heroic task of getting a little wet and a bit cold then nominate someone else to do Read the full article…
What a typically Wakefieldian letter we were treated to in the Express last week. The one protesting against houses being built in ThornesPark. I have no issue with that in particular, but it was so sad to see the main argument against the plan, which would be part of a wider aim to see a Read the full article…
Just over a year ago, a member of the Wakefield musical community vanished into thin air. Clive Smith was booked to play Long Division, but simply didn’t turn up. His manager and long time friend, Mr Alan Lobley, used every means at his disposal to find him, from getting local artists to release unfinished Clive Read the full article…
Should The Hepworth charge an entry free? There is a lot of anger out in Wakefield, if the Express is an accurate barometer of sentiment in the city, about our Council giving over £6 million to The Hepworth whilst simultaneously closing day-care centres and other important services. I’m not going to defend the closures, but Read the full article…
I’ve long thought the old public information films need to make a comeback. There’s one at the moment for keeping off railways lines. I’m struggling to think of anymore. Last week’s letter to the Express complaining of Ambulance waiting times was a good example. The telling comment was the complainers anger at having to wait Read the full article…
I was in Perpignon last weekend. It’s in the south of France, in the Catalonia region. I’d gone done on the train to watch Wakefield Wildcats play an away game. I won’t be talking about that game. I’m no expert, but it was awful. It was funny to see all the Wakefield folk in the Read the full article…