A recent exchange on LBC Radio has brought into sharp focus one of the most contentious questions in contemporary British life: what does it mean to be English in a modern, multicultural nation? During the programme, host Ben Kentish challenged caller Benjamin, a supporter of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK then Continue Reading
The State We’re In 2024–25
The UK faces significant challenges, including rising homelessness and personal debt, with 354,000 people homeless and personal debt reaching £1.9 trillion. Despite slight improvements in mortgage arrears and inflation, high living costs persist, leaving many households financially strained. Overall, the situation remains precarious, with recovery still elusive.
NOT THE NINE O’CLOCK NEWS: THE BBC SKETCH SHOW THAT BIT BRITAIN ON THE ANKLE
A retro critique of Rowan Atkinson, Pamela Stephenson, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones, whose satire, songs and sketches helped drag British comedy into the modern age. THE SHOW THAT ARRIVED WITH A SMIRK Before Blackadder, before Mr Bean, before Alas Smith and Jones, before Talkback became one of the Continue Reading
SIR RICHARD STILGOE: THE LYRICIST WHO HELPED SHAPE MODERN MUSICAL THEATRE
From West End Success to Arts ChampionSir Richard Stilgoe has enjoyed one of Britain’s most distinguished careers as a songwriter, lyricist, broadcaster and musician, helping to create some of the world’s most successful stage musicals while becoming a passionate advocate for arts education. Best known for his creative partnership with Continue Reading
Film Review: T.I.M. (2023)
When artificial intelligence becomes the third person in a troubled marriageScience fiction has always reflected humanity’s greatest hopes and deepest fears. From HAL 9000’s chilling logic in 2001: A Space Odyssey to the philosophical soul-searching of Blade Runner and the emotional complexity of Ex Machina, intelligent machines have long served Continue Reading
The Future of Food: Towards a Slaughter-Free World
Could lab-grown meat, vertical farming and new food technology help create a world where no animal has to suffer for a meal?There is something deeply uncomfortable about loving animals while still living in a world built around eating them. Many people feel it. They will stroke a dog, feed birds Continue Reading
TIME TRAVELLERS OR INTERNET MYTH?
THE ENDURING MYSTERY OF ‘ALEXANDER SMITH’ AND ‘JOHN TITOR’ EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS A Masked man who says the CIA sent him to the year 2118 continues to fascinate millions online, despite a lack of evidence; and another who used a old computer to calculate space time travel…. The internet has never Continue Reading
Love and Law: Dramatic Skyscraper Proposal Leads to Arrests
Two renowned urban climbers were arrested after scaling the Empire State Building during a protest and marriage proposal. Authorities are reviewing security protocols following their unauthorized access and display of a peace message.
