Gemma O’Brien

Halloween season reading. Lots about the supposed Highgate Vampire plus some interesting background about Bram Stoker. Also the less common vampire bat regurgitate some of its meal to not only feed their immediate clan but also other bats who are strangers.

YouTube video by GCB Music Sticky Moments with Julian Clary - Episode 1

Guaranteed winter blues buster: youtu.be/QjG40dWe81Y?...

Indeed!

Thank you Helen! Shane McGowan’s family submitted photos of him in his memory and a piece about 2nd gen Irish punk and post punk. There was also a brilliant photo of a surgeon in a Red Cross team with Samuel Beckett in Normandy (he was an interpreter, store-keeper + ambulance truck driver in 1945.

The exhibition is on until Christmas so do go and have a look! Thank you to @photomuseumirl and everyone who worked on the exhibition.

…the aim to uncover the rich social histories of Irish emigrants through photos and text. Dad and Michael moved from Dublin to London in the 1950s and lived and worked in Camden in the 1960s (where the LIC is based).

The photo collections document how Irish people lived, worked, travelled and found joy. It was very moving and affirming to see photos of Dad and his twin brother Michael included in this wonderful exhibition with other families…

Joined here with my lovely niece Yasmine at the opening of a photo exhibition ‘Photo Album of the Irish: England’ celebrating the stories of 25 families of which ours was one at the @londonirishcentre in Camden.

Moving and joyful evening at the launch of @danielrachel.bsky.social brave new book that delves into the motives behind why musicians have flirted with problematic fascist imagery. Great discussion between Susie MacDonald and Daniel and beautiful music by the Oysland Klezmer Quartet.

I really enjoyed this novel. Brilliantly crafted characters and the careful attention given to the story was very satisfying. Very amusing in parts too.The mix of post-war Eastend characters with those who are considered culturally ‘high brow’ communing and finding soul-ties in a classless utopia.

Wordle 1,590 6/6

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Not keen on this 3 day 6-try streak 😨

Church Row, Hampstead yesterday evening. One of my favourite streets in London.

More watery wordy adventures via Albert Durer and Thomas Mann in ‘Albert and the Whale’ by Philip Hoare.

That’s brilliant!

Bought this book about the Blitz club after seeing the exhibition at the Design Museum which was v good! An invigorating and uplifting read as well as realistic. Particularly liked his breakdown of were New Romantics Thatcherites - a view that Dylan Jones subscribes too. He argues absolutely not.

I enjoyed this book - I returned it to the library before I could take a picture - An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth. This is Chris Hadfield the astronaut who sang ‘Starman’ in space. Lots of wise words. A memorable read.

Southwark Cathedral Sunday eve. Sermon denouncing politicians who appeal to the baser instincts of humans.

Lots of interesting and progressive ideas in this book (1996) - a written conversation between the authors. Interesting to consider (not talked about in this book) how Christianity has been used by the Far Right to promote insidious ideas, most of which have very little to do with Christianity.

And for something entirely different, the materialist Christopher Hitchens’ autobiography. Not difficult to imagine what his stance would be today about the Middle East.

Attended a talk recently by Rupert Sheldrake. This is one of his more recent books. He talks of ‘morphic resonance’ an unconfirmed theory of collective memory as well as more tangible ideas of collective singing and walking to name a few things.

Supporting the Jam, sausages with the Bay City Rollers and defying skinheads: post-punk girl group Dolly Mixture look back The all-girl trio gave punk a playful spin and drew admirers in Paul Weller and Captain Sensible – but, singer Debsey Wykes recalls, faced confusion for being out of step with era’s noise and anger

www.theguardian.com/music/2025/s... Supporting the Jam, sausages with the Bay City Rollers and defying skinheads: post-punk girl group Dolly Mixture look back | Music | The Guardian

Richard Rogers at Sir John Soane’s museum.

Also the intricacies of Kate Bush’s story-telling and how Side A and Side B were brilliantly thought out. Lovely artwork by Daria Hlazatova too!

40 years of ‘Hounds of Love’ by Kate Bush. Listening to it this evening at the Horse Hospital made me realise how contemporary it still sounds and what a feat it was for a woman to write and produce her own music in the mid 80s.

Suede at the RFH on Sunday. Brett came to say hello to us in row D … and the rest of the auditorium to the chagrin of security. Great gig. Lovely to hear To the Birds and a piano version of The Asphalt World.

Wordle in 2 today!

YouTube video by KTLA 5 Video Vault: Rare David Bowie Interview (1993)

Some good hair in this new-to-me video. “I dont listen to any new music; I listen to Iman!” ❤️ youtu.be/QrJAbDQmjCE?...

Novel Toby’s Room by Pat Barker

Before and during WW1 Slade art students negotiate love, art and the brutal physical realities of war with visits to Charleston (Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell) along the way. A page turner!

Finally read the 800 page Malcolm McLaren bio by Paul Gorman courtesy of a dear soul who introduced me to the world of Alex Trocchi (who McLaren knew via situationist circles) when I was at art college (over 20 years ago now). An epic, inspiring, sometimes uncomfortable read yet an important one.