Wes Ball

The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care? The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity

I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...

That is a deep, deep memory of obscure coalition-era, Labour Party history. Bravo.

“Legendary” could also mean “veteran”.

The finest of institutions…. With the finest of school dinners too, clearly. No need to justify or explain!

You got them? You must have gone to a posh school!

I’ll be speaking on a @futuregovforum.bsky.social panel with some of Labour’s best do-ers later this evening. Come and join us to talk about building trust in government and politics. Drinks available too!

Treated myself to my first Vitamin D tablet of the season this morning….

Happy Be Here Now day to all who celebrate.

Don’t know what I’m talking about? Cross over to the other place to catch up now.
x.com/wes_ball/sta...

Berkhamsted!

Unrelated. But he refereed in the Football League even when a minister in the first Wilson Govt, I think.

England 60-5 at lunch, that’s what could go wrong, Martin…. You’ve jinxed it, and you know you have!

Ian Bell obviously.

This to the max.

Niche observation: all of Hertfordshire is in the South East except Berkhamsted and Tring - shoved into the Central region. What have we done to deserve that?

When Keir Starmer said, "I want a politics that treads more lightly on your life" I cheered out loud.... and I work in a politics-adjacent profession! I think too many people don't realise quite how little most people care or pay attention; or the upset and distrust that Westminster drama causes.

Ou est la Hotel de Ville?

Prescient stuff from Adrian.

Lessons from the Yes campaign Adrian McMenamin takes a look at how the Yes campaign got closer than most folk expected, and what lessons we can take from the campaign experience.   It is just over a month since the people …

Stumbled across this from 12 years ago. Holds up pretty well. www.labourhame.com/lessons-from...

The Long Goodbye Time, at last, to write about Agnes.

It'll be two years, this Monday night. Time, at last, to write about Agnes.

Tough action needed on this extreme anti-social behaviour.

I know a shameless leadership bid to please party members when I see one!

A thread of London documentaries currently on BBC iPlayer from the 1950s to 1990s.

Well worth a look... (1/18) 🧵

Spurs sack the only manager to win them anything in two decades. How very Spursy

Some lunchtime about why I'm right and Alex Petridis' classist and dismissive take on Britpop is Peak Guardian and Peak Wrong.... with an an amazing playlist as a reward if you make it all the way to the end.

Wes Ball on X: "Loads of musos reflecting on the 25th anniversary of Oasis releasing Be Here Now this weekend. Pretty much all wrong. Let me tell you why this summer day 25 years ago was absolutely bloody brilliant. 1/n" / X Loads of musos reflecting on the 25th anniversary of Oasis releasing Be Here Now this weekend. Pretty much all wrong. Let me tell you why this summer day 25 years ago was absolutely bloody brilliant. 1/n

Ha! For me, it was just before my A-Level results, so like you it's deeply engrained in my psyche! You may already have, but if not, follow the link for my long thread about why Be Here Now is great. Though, yes, it was massively over-amped x.com/wes_ball/sta...

It is! Well spotted! I didn’t think anyone would get this far down. The #parklife hashtag was as much a reference to my general unhinged ranting.

Good shout on Country House. So many examples. I can’t tell you how much that article annoyed me….. or rather I just have, at great length!

🇬🇧🥤🧵[Britpop thread] incoming

(For those who don’t know me, I’ve got form for this over on twitter - some links further down the 🧵)

Incentive to stick with it is the link to an epic playlist at the end. 1/22

You can listen to the whole playlist here. Because why not prove Alex Petridis is wrong.

open.spotify.com/playlist/4V6...

ENDS

My final rant… isn’t there something inherently political and subversive about a band releasing a song about working class kids organising a game of football in the park and getting home in time for tea?

It’s a way of saying “we are here and we matter”

#parklife

21/22

In summary.

It’s the exact opposite of what the naysayers like Alex insist on telling us (for all his columnist cash).

You would struggle to find a musical movement or era with more social commentary and political insight than Britpop.

20/22