Category Archives: Blog

David Gilmour Live at the Circus Maximus  Rome- film review 17/9/25

Posted on September 18, 2025 by garylongden

I went to the same school as Gilmour ( Perse) and lived in the city ( Cambridge). We were not contemporaries at school, but I recall seeing Syd Barrett around Cherry Hinton, a Cambridge suburb and pink Floyd were very … Continue reading →

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From the Caribbean to the Mediterranean 2025

Posted on August 31, 2025 by garylongden

My fifth cruise, my third transatlantic repositioning cruise from the Caribbean to the mediterranean on Voyager, my first journey on her. Once again we were starting from Barbados, a long haul flight from Birmingham Uk and finishing with a relatively … Continue reading →

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At a stroke

Posted on August 26, 2025 by garylongden

In the morning I had been playing in the woods with pre school age  grandchildren. I was booked into the hospital for the afternoon for a routine echo sound in response to a feeling of general malaise. An unremarkable day. … Continue reading →

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David Bowie , Heroes- an appreciation

Posted on August 13, 2025 by garylongden

Great songs transcend their immediate space and morph into something grander, greater and immortal. “Somewhere Over the rainbow” and “My Way” are obvious examples of music standards that have enjoyed that rite of passage. “Heroes” is edging its way into … Continue reading →

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Football season 2025/26

Posted on August 9, 2025 by garylongden

This is the third successive season that I have seen Mansfield’s opening game, First at Crewe, then at Barnsley. Mansfield are always well supported away from home, and a crowd of 5170 which may prove to be Burton’s highest home … Continue reading →

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The Salt Path- film review

Posted on August 7, 2025 by garylongden

*** Lovely contrived schmaltz. I watched this knowing that the real life protagonists were fraudulent grifters and enjoyed it far more as a result. Every device that you can think of is wheeled out, Gillian Anderson as dodgy Wyn and  … Continue reading →

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Ten Years a Dad- Tom Allsopp Midland Fringe Festival 2025

Posted on August 6, 2025 by garylongden

Tom is the Black Country’s answer to Tim Minchin. Now if you don’t like Minchin I accept that is faint praise .But I do- and I like Tom’s work very much. Tom is a membrer of Lichfield Poets, Tim Minchin … Continue reading →

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Unbroken – film review

Posted on August 6, 2025 by garylongden

** The story, co-written by the Coen brothers and others, is based on a blockbuster sized book by Laura Hillenbrand. Inevitably the story has to be retold. Jolie’s inexperience makes this an uneven exercise. The first half is strong, the … Continue reading →

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black vinyl- white powder, by Simon Napier Bell, book review

Posted on August 6, 2025 by garylongden

**** In his own words this is an exploration of “the centrality of drugs and drug culture to the development of the British music business”, A legendary manager in  pop and rock, this account by Napier Bell is an exhaustive, … Continue reading →

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St Davids Cathedral- Wales

Posted on July 24, 2025 by garylongden

St Davids  Cathedral, Wales – a travelogue Somehow, despite being in my sixth decade, and a regular visitor to Wales I had never made St Davids. A t trip to the Pembrokeshire coast rectified that omission. The UK’s smallest city … Continue reading →

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