Category Archives: Art, books, theatre, cinema

Jehnny Beth and Simon Armitage at King’s Place, 9 June 2018

Posted on June 14, 2018 by John S

Last Saturday Kath and I went up to King’s Place, near King’s Cross, to hear a fascinating discussion between Jehnny Beth, the singer with the band Savages, and the poet Simon Armitage. It was facilitated by Radio 4’s John Wilson, … Continue reading →

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My novel: “The Decision”

Posted on April 28, 2018 by John S

I’ve written a novel. It’s called “The Decision”. It’s now available for sale – direct from me at the moment. Like to know what it’s about? Here’s a summary; “The Decision” is a novel about politics, the environment, relationships and … Continue reading →

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Leeds, Manchester, Aldous Harding, 18-19 November 2017

Posted on November 21, 2017 by John S

Aldous Harding is a singer from New Zealand who has been described as psych-folk. In other words, the foundation of her music is folk, but it twists and turns into something quite different. Her second album, “Party”, came out this … Continue reading →

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Music and colour at the Tate Modern

Posted on October 14, 2017 by John S

There has been a great exhibition at the Tate Modern, which is just coming to an end. “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power.” A fascinating account of, mainly, art in the 60s and 70s by … Continue reading →

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“Chasing Trane” – the life and music of John Coltrane

Posted on August 20, 2017 by John S

Last week I went to the ICA Cinema to see John Scheinfeld’s “Chasing Trane”, a new documentary about the great jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. For me, the greatest of the sax players, the man who took the instrument to the … Continue reading →

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A few days at the Edinburgh Festival, August 2017

Posted on August 14, 2017 by John S

My wife, Kath,  and I have just spent a few days at Edinburgh Festival. It’s the first time I’ve been to the festival since 1981, when I went up for a week and slept on a friend’s floor, while going … Continue reading →

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Some poems – “Growin’ Up – Snapshots/fragments”

Posted on August 8, 2017 by John S

So, this is a new venture for me. Poems. The poems here are snapshots and fragments of memories from the first 25 years of my life. Some of the memories may be faulty, but they are moments which resurface from … Continue reading →

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lovelondonscenes 131 – Brick Lane, on reflection

Posted on May 18, 2017 by John S

In April I had a walk through the City and onto Brick Lane and Spitalfields. This one I took of a building which fired the image back at me. My favourite Brick Lane moment was just off Brick Lane. The … Continue reading →

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In Manchester

Posted on April 2, 2017 by John S

On 24 and 25 March I spent some time in Manchester, one of England’s great cities, but one I don’t know terribly well, other than for its football and music. I’ve been there quite a few times in the past, … Continue reading →

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Prague – the culture

Posted on March 5, 2017 by John S

In my first blog on Prague, I quoted Milan Kundera about the centrality of Czech culture to that of Western Europe. We experienced some of that in our three days in the city, focusing on the art and that historical … Continue reading →

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