SgtPep

My favourite French jokes:

‘French trains roulent aux quais’, and

Q: Why did the French chef kill himself?
A: He lost the huile d’olive.

Best sporting journalist in the country.

Done!

YouTube video by Celfo Music Industries Paul & Linda on Mike Yarwood Christmas special. Dec. 10 1977 FULL VID IN CHANNEL BIO #thebeatles

Not a sitcom but Mike Yarwood used to do Denis Healey as a punk. Here he is with Paul and Linda McCartney in 1977. m.youtube.com/shorts/S3f-2...

In the UK you could dial 16 and get a random chart hit played tinnily through your phone speaker. About 20p a minute. 8081 (I think) would get you “At the third stroke, the time (sometimes sponsored by Accurist) will be…. You would use it to set your LED button-press digital watch. Bill to parents.

If you mean Mike Batt, I too had a go at him on Twitter when he attacked Macca for, according to Mike Batt, having no reason to release Now and Then. Like HE gets to tell Macca his artistic priorities. I suggested, and in no uncertain terms, that he remember he’s a Womble. I’ve not liked him since.

You’re young. This was considered très très posh until as little as forty years ago. You could listen to Dial-A-Disc or call the talking clock whilst at stool. Deadly handy.

This documentary is fascinating, revelatory, full of brilliant insight, and ultimately very moving (that unsigned contract, anyone?!). Everything you do is a labour of so much love, brilliantly executed. Thanks so much Mark - you are an absolute nonpareil.

Outstanding episode, and what a coup! Features the least interesting ‘When I met Mart’ anecdote ever, which is nevertheless interesting! Flawed masculinity! Sordor (or -idness)! And is it me, or is David’s real voice a bit like Mart’s, as well as his literary one?! Great episode, thank you Jack.

He has a forensic intelligence, but it’s based on real world experience rather than political expedience: a brilliant lawyer and a good man. A PM basing policy on circumstances and advice from subject matter experts rather than performative ideology is what we need now. Be careful what you wish for.

I’d be fascinated to know any particularly strong conclusions from the discussion (was it recorded?). And I really hope I can come to this event in future.

A flawless masterpiece, brilliantly interpreted. I believe it’s the only song ever written almost entirely in the modal perfect. I wept.

I went to see Indian Ink at a West End theatre with my mother and we found ourselves walking in right behind the Two Ronnies. My mother turned to me and said very loudly, “I thought the fat one was dead!” They both visibly twitched, but thankfully said nothing.

I love that ‘, say,’ in this passage, before a punchline of which few (if any) would be capable. Martin subtly indicating his own brilliance: ‘Try this one for size. I have others.’ Ps Just finished Flesh and All That Man Is. Great. Plenty of M Amis in there, also some Camus. But fully original.

Let’s hear it for the boy…

bsky.app/profile/jack...

Genius. My all time favourite too, just beating the obscene fan poem for the Spice Girls which is far too rude to repeat here and far too vulgar to be from the sophisticated pen of Ms Martin.

Absolutely superb message.

Thanks, that’s very kind of you.

Great article. But there’s nothing about Martin Amis’s last email to him? I would like to know more about their reconciliation. I like reconciliations.

One of the greatest tours of all time I believe.

Another brilliant article, the last (?) of several from this PDC championship by the best British sports journalist writing today. I wish Martin Amis was around to admire it.

A portrait in superstar misery. Poor old George.

So why repost it? Easy for me to say, but please, don’t worry about it.

Well… anyone who has just read the Booker Prize-winning Flesh, as I have, will recognise the tone of that amazing passage. Great novel. Szalay’s bringing it home.

Wow, great to see that weblink again after all these years. Great website, where I and others (such as Geoff Norcott, now a famous comedian) would chat about Martín Amis, 20-30 years ago. Are there any such sites today?

Yeah me too (though the Other People handbag is a bit, erm, clunky). Well I mean the angle of the dart suggests a nuke, doesn’t it, or at least a missile?

The cover of the latest UK London Fields paperback is a brilliant pictorial quadruple pun.

I believe Will Self’s brother is called John Self, and Martin Amis was seated next to him at a wedding for a laff. I may be wrong…

“Falling inflation has given the Bank of England the confidence to reduce interest rates to stimulate demand and growth in the economy,” said no one today.

Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey is underrated and happy and joyous and wonderful.