The Guardian has published a photo story of Farage on the local election campaign trail over the last few months.
The photographer Sean Smith surely deserves some kind of official recognition.
The pictures are notable for a few of things:
A lot of pubs are involved, not one of them is a Wetherspoons
Most pictures are notable for the presence of large men with beards- Farage’s ‘security’
While there are people, whether Reform members or just curious people in most photos, thronged is not the word for it
What the story can’t reflect but has been covered elsewhere is that Farage arrived at the many of the locations not by car or train but by helicopter or plane. For the few not the many as usual
Better than most others I’ve seen in England. You remember a couple of years back they would all just slouch along anyhow and with only the haziest idea of how to sing or shout slogans. Well today they are much better. And besides, one sees a much better representation of normal working class people in Left-Wing demonstrations, where before they would be a combination of intellectuals, and as often as not, lumpenproletariat. That what mass-basis can mean.
London May Day march 1937 to Hyde Park in solidarity with the Spanish Republicans. Organised by the Labour Party.
Extract from Richard Evans biography of Eric Hobsbawm.
The picture is of Emma Goldman at the Hyde Park demonstration on May Day 1937. She was a well known anarchist, who Hobsbawm at this point seems to have regarded as an annoying distraction at best in the Spanish Civil War. He wrote ‘apparently these anarchists are starting troubles in Catalonia’
Reform election stunts always find a ready and often credulous media audience.
Farage popped up in Golders Green on 30th April to condemn anti-Semitism. It certainly should be condemned and Farage does know of what he speaks since he is still to properly deny claims from Jewish students when he was at Dulwich College that he was a holocaust denier.
Meanwhile a little to the East a coachload of Reform supporters have been complaining that they were refused service at a Wetherspoons. The manager was filmed (obviously without permission) refusing to serve a couple of Reform types.
The claim was of course that service was refused because the individuals were Reform supporters. This prompted a rare-ish correction from Spoons. They pointed out that not only was the Reform coach parked in the pub’s loading bay but they were filming at the pub presumably as some kind of election stunt.
It cant be claimed that Wetherspoons is not political. The thoughts of Chairman Tim are readily available inside and actually on *some* points- beer taxes he is right.
As an active socialist and a regular pub go-er I have no issue with politics and pubs. You’d expect a range and friendly chat and if that doesn’t work there are always other subjects- is there any chance Spurs won’t get relegated seems popular at the moment.
There are also of course some pubs that are known as trade union type bars or those that have a left-ish clientele (and conversely those that don’t) but anyone should feel welcome, otherwise its not really a pub.
Of course you can have political events at many pubs. Rooms can be hired if speeches etc are happening or areas reserved if its mainly drinks.
What happened in Spoons Braintree was something that at least some Reform supporters are known for- a sense of entitlement. Of course they could take over the pub for an election stunt. Well, actually, no, they couldn’t
As a 24-year-old Cambridge academic, I was lucky enough to be involved in the writing of the May Day Manifesto of 1967. It was a genuinely collaborative project among a range of leftwing intellectuals of the day, a bunch of whom descended on Raymond Williams’s cottage outside Cambridge to cobble together a powerful indictment of Harold Wilson’s Labour government. EP Thompson scribbled away in one corner of the living room, Stuart Hall discussed neocolonialism in another, while Ralph Miliband phoned in from the LSE. The general air was one of tweeds and pipe smoke. There were no women, a fact that even the most dedicated militant of the day would not have found in the least strange.
It appears that PIF investment may be directed towards cricket in future
Elizabeth Ammon reported in The Times (18th April 2026) that early consideration is being given to launching a new World T20 league which would sit alongside rather than compete with existing T20 competitions. Some matches would be played in Saudi. However the ruling body of cricket the ICC will need to be on board before anything happens…
Lords cricket ground ditched its beer supply contract with Brewdog in March went it went into administration and was bought by US outfit Tilray.
It has now announced that global beer company Asahi UK will provide beer to the ground from May 2026.
Asahi have a range of brands from Peroni to Fullers London Pride (which was long sold in the Pavilion at Lords) and Meantime. The latter two beers are brewed at Chiswick.
The Grocer reports that Asahi will also brew an Old Father Time ale (4.1%). This will be available in members bars.
While its good to see Fullers London Pride at Lords, the Global Corporate aspect of the new deal is arguably not really cricket…
This week marks 100 years since the erection of Old Father Times at Lords Cricket Ground.
A weather vane it was gifted to the MCC by Sir Herbert Baker architect of the second grandstand at Lords on its completion.
It depicts the passage of time although there is no agreement on whether Old Father Time is removing the bails to indicate the close of play or putting them in place to signal its start.
Old Father Time has one of the most iconic and most recognised beards of all time
Below is the menu for the State Banquet attended by Trump and King Charlie in 28th April along with Rory McIlroy and others. While it seems to give a nod to the King’s preferences it is notable that there is no cheeseburger or incinerated steak in sight, in fact no meat at all..
First Course
Garden vegetable soup
Hearts of Palm salad
Second Course
Herb ravioli filled with ricotta and morels, dressed in a parmesan emulsion
Third Course
Dover sole meunière (a pan-fried French fish dish)
Potato pavé
Spring ramps
Snow peas
Dessert
Flourless chocolate cake (in the shape of a beehive)
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