The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has reviewed Bruno Fernandes missed penalty for Manchester United against Fulham on Sunday after Arsenal fan and former BLF Award Winner Michael Rosen suggested that Fernandes beard may have been at fault.
The BLF Football Beards research team have reviewed the penalty. There does not appear to be anything obviously wrong with Fernandes follicles. However it was noted that as Fernandes prepared to take the penalty referee Chris Kavanagh inadvertently brushed against him.
The BLF finds this action disrupted Fernandes precise alignment of his follicles with the ball and the net. When the ball is kicked the beard will move slightly as a result, and the resulting air turbulence can be key to directing the ball into the net. On this occasion follicles, ball, and kick had become out of sync with the result that the penalty was missed.
Nigel Farage (b 3 April 1964) on the history of the 1970s.
Nigel Farage has been quoted in the Sunday Telegraph (24th August) to the effect that the British economy is in as bad a state now as it was in the 1970s. The Labour Government 1974-79 had to get a bail out from the IMF (with resulting cuts in spending), something the Telegraph (but no one else) thinks is imminent in 2025.
Between 1975 and 1982 Farage was at Dulwich College, a public school, and he was 12-13 years old during the IMF episode. He clearly had little direct insight at the time, but he might of course have researched the 1970s since. However there is scant evidence that Farage, books and research are in any way connected.
Farage, or much more likely the Reform media office, told the Telegraph:
It is the 1970s all over again…we had terrible times in the 1970s, but at least we were fairly united as a country, as a culture. This time we have bad economic times here, worse coming, in a nation that is bitterly divided’
From this we can conclude one of two things. Either Farage has a dreadful memory (he is 61, it does happen) or he is engaging in his trademark dissembling.
As someone who was politically active in the 1970s and can remember it, the decade saw the rise of the fascist National Front, arguably forerunners of Farage, stirring up hate, leading to racist attacks and murders. Opposition from the Anti-Nazi League and others saw that particular far right wave decline.
We know from Farage’s former Headmaster at Dulwich that the young Nigel was at least sympathetic to those trying to stir up division, so perhaps he did learn something in his school years.
Engels retired in 1870 and Marx was a full time activist and researcher so neither had a specific need to avail themselves of the provision in the 1871 Bank Holidays Act for a vacation. In 1879 the holiday was on the first rather than the last Monday of the month. However Engels had already been in Eastbourne for several weeks as had Marx in Ramsgate- both favourite seaside destinations.
Engels was keener on sea bathing than Marx who liked the sea air and walks. Typically the English weather was a subject for discussion
MARX T O ENGELS IN EASTBOURNE Ramsgate, 27 August 1879 62 Plains of Waterloo
DEAR FRED, The weather has been deteriorating from day to day, but it’s always tolerable for an hour or two and the SEA BREEZE is beneficial, showers notwithstanding.
The Campaign for Real Conkers, that opposes bans on conker playing and unnecessary rules and regulations in games has said that that the season has opened as usual and will run until mid-October.
Early indications are that 2025 will see a good crop of conkers and dry, warm weather looks to have produced a good crop of conkers on trees.
The campaigners they are maintaining their usual ‘anything goes’ approach to conker games, to encourage people to play without arbitrary rules.
Campaign Organiser Keith Flett said, we anticipate a full and safe conker playing season over the next six weeks or so, until at least the so called World Conker Championships on October 12th which the campaign traditionally boycotts
Guide on how to play real conkers safely in 2025
1] Select your conker. Do this yourself. DO NOT use a conker provided by someone else who may give you a poor specimen.
2] There is no specific kind of conker that makes a good game winner. Large conkers may more easily splinter for example. Some prefer conkers with flat and sharp edges
3] You may use the conker ‘as is’ known as ‘organic’. Alternatively you may seek to harden it by baking it, soaking it in vinegar etc. There is no guarantee that an artificially enhanced conker will perform any better than an organic one.
4] Drill a small hole through the conker. A nail will often achieve this. Again you must do this yourself
5] Thread the conker through the hole you have drilled. A strong chord, perhaps a shoelace is best
6] You are now ready to play.
7] Make sure that the chord is long enough to allow you to stand at least 1 metre plus away from your opponent. This would generally be the case as space is required for the conker swing.
8] Players take alternate turns to try and hit and destroy their opponent’s conker
9] Those with poor aim may hit the knuckles of their opponent more often than the conker so you may wish to wear gloves.
10] The winner is the player who determines their opponents conker unusable in further rounds, usually by causing it to splinter into two or more pieces
The 38 bus has a place in left history. David Widgery left an MS on it and Sheila Rowbotham notes journeys in her memoirs.
It runs from Victoria Station through Central London to Islington, central Hackney and ends at Clapton Pond- the Lea Bridge Roundabout. However, for those who may not have noticed, TFL have plans to curtail the route at Holborn in 2026. Details are on the TFL website https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/bus-routes-19-38 Comments are open until 23rd January 2026. While TFL doesnt have a great record of listening to individual comments if local Councils, Councillors, residents associations etc get involved then changes are not always a fait accompli
I catch it from time to time often on Friday evening from Angel Islington to central Hackney (destination the Cock Tavern E8 obviously).
I was on board again from Angel Islington to Hackney (the journey continues to be disrupted by the apparently never ending roadworks in central Hackney) on Tuesday 16th December, for (of course) Christmas drinks with friends Hazel, Ian and James
What were they were talking about on the upper deck?
It was a very seasonal discussion about what the difference between a cold and the flu was and whether it was possible to go to work if you had the latter (no seemed to be the answer)
A 38 Journey a few months ago found the following discussion
Jeremy Corbyn is starting a new party
Hotels in New York are crap
Good places to eat in Dalston
Holidays in Europe.
What they were not talking about
Small boats
Farage
Asylum seekers
I might add that despite media stories about the North London Elite, both Hackney and Islington remain majority working class areas. But for balance in London bus travellers particularly at commuting time (it was 5pm) can be more middle class than might be the case in some other places. Bus travel in London (card only) remains low cost though that’s no help if you have no money
Lord Glasman: getting rid of lanyards is the key success of Brexit
When I mention the words Lord (Maurice) Glasman to Labour Party members, let alone wider audiences, the invariable reaction is ‘who?’
Glasman, the co-founder of Blue Labour- has a higher opinion of himself than others it would seem.
Glasman who was critical of New Labour twenty years ago (far too liberal) is now busy urging Starmer to move right. It’s likely he has some influence on Morgan McSweeney.
It being the peak of the August silly season Glasman can be found writing in the Sunday Times (24th August). A lot of his column is about getting rid of the ECHR, lawyers generally etc. You would be hard pressed to put one of Farage’s fag papers between Glasman’s views and those of the owner of Reform UK.
However at one point Glasman diverts to one of his favourite subjects, lanyards
I attended a MAGA rally during President Trump’s second inauguration and I witnessed people throwing their lanyards in the bin and declaiming, ‘Free, Free at last, thank God Almighty I’m free at last’ to great applause from those around them. What began with Brexit was finalised with Trump’s 2024 Election’
While reality is but a distant vista for Lord Glasman it still exists. Brexit was a failure and lanyards are still with us.
Golf. The fact that two female teens were allowed on to the driving range at the golf club (Jazzer was spending time in the nineteenth hole) suggests that, unreported by the BBC, the golf club has become a bit less stuffy than Martyn Gibson has suggested. Racist Lawrence Harrington appeared and endeavoured to give ‘advice’ to Chelsea and Zeinab. Perhaps surprisingly Martyn Gibson called him out
Sgt Knacker Burns Corrie Contract extended
Sgt Burns is officially doing the job Oop North. Actually he is in Coronation St. Since Fallon has offered Chris & Martha house space it appears that Knacker’s Corrie contract has been extended.
Dross, another puzzling BBC storyline. Clearly the Lakes Tourist promotion team have gained access to Archers scripts. It could be worse. The Ambridge Socialist swimming advisor has indicated that Ed and Jazzer swimming in a lake without training and preparation could lead to unfortunate consequences.
Ambridge cricket. Time for it to be franchised, even if Henry or perhaps even because Henry could be the new Jacob Bethell
Parliament returns on September 1st. The MP for Clacton will be representing his constituents (in Washington, again)
Parliament returns from the summer recess on 1st September and MPs will be in the Commons to address, no doubt, a range of issues. How successfully is another matter. However the MP for Clacton will be absent again, as he will be in Washington, again. He is a keynote speaker at the National Conservative Conference in Washington, a gathering of far right Trump allies
Neo-Liberals don’t like people having holidays when they should be working (they take holidays themselves obviously) and that perhaps is the reason why there is more noise around the August Bank Holiday.
It was moved from the first to the last Monday of the month temporarily in 1965 and permanently in 1971. It was not changed in Scotland. The situation has some complexities. Scottish school summer holidays start earlier and return earlier than in England and Wales. Hence a late August holiday would be during school term. In addition Bank Holidays do not have the same statutory status, and so may not be taken. However since 1996 Scottish Banks now close on the last Monday of August*
I tend to agree with the Guardian (Editorial) in 2019 that it would be better to move the holiday back to the first Monday with some important caveats.
Firstly the Editorial writer doesn’t know why the change was made. From the late 1940s there was pressure from the leisure industry, industry itself and the TUC to soften the focus on a summer holiday period that was very much around the end of July and early August including the Bank Holiday. It was felt that encouraging a wider spread of holidays was a good thing.
I agree but I think this has happened now anyway, although school terms still provide restrictions for all involved in education.
Secondly Britain does not have enough Bank Holidays. That doesn’t mean that May Day should be abolished and replaced with Trafalgar Day or Margaret Thatcher Day in the autumn. It does mean that we need to have at least one more public holiday between August and the end of December and the same between January and Easter. I’ve always favoured 30th January but I appreciate that is a touchy subject even 376 years on
Finally the Guardian argues that changing working patterns mean that Bank Holidays are no longer really special. It might be an idea to step outside of Guardian HQ in Kings Cross on 25th August and have a look around (albeit there is filming in York Way).
Not only are there lots of people working on the day who would probably prefer not to be (with pay), for those who are not working it is likely to be one of the very few Mondays in the year when work does not interrupt them. Of course I can take Monday off in any week but that doesn’t stop the mails and calls. On Bank Holiday Monday it mostly does though.
*thanks for earlier comments about shorter daylight hours! To leave error uncorrected is a sin etc
During August the Financial Times Saturday magazine has been posting articles about beer. Its a welcome change from the broadsheet (which the FT in print still is) culture of focusing on wine. Last week it was Johnny Garrett on UK Hops. This week (23rd August) Jaega Wise writes on pub games.
Her perspective in summary is that Gen Z like things to do in pubs rather than (as I do) sitting there stroking my beard and pondering how to achieve socialism (or scrolling social media). Of course that means darts, pool, karaoke etc. She also argues that Gen Z are attracted to heritage, hence the boom in Guinness drinking and increasing interest in cask ale. A YouGov survey (commissioned by SIBA) suggests 25% of 18-24 year olds drink cask.
Jaega Wise’s list of the best games pubs is above. The first is a 5 minute walk from my Tottenham abode..
