On guns and murder

While the murder of Jo Cox is deeply shocking, our thoughts should be with her young family.  But we shouldn't forget that this is not a unique event.  Stephen Timms was seriously assaulted at an advice surgery in 2010 as was Cheltenham Lib Dem MP, Nigel Jones in 2000 - where his assistant Andy Pennington was killed.

Andy was also an elected representive - a local councillor for Hester's Way ward - which has somewhat been forgotten in all the outpouring of grief in the Westminster bubble. 

The Guardian provides a history of attacks on UK MPs and it is not as rare as some might think.

But we should be grateful in this country - that despite the occasional outrage - we are relatively free from the sort of mass slaughter that is routine in the USA.  In this sobering map the outline of the States can be recognised just from the dots of mass killings since 2013.  Mass killings are defined as four or more deaths in a single incident.  More details here.

John Lennon - an alternative view of the 'secular saint'

I stumbled across this earlier today via Facebook.  And it is well worth sharing...

Friday favourite 137

BBC Four are doing a remarkable job in re-running TOTP from the 70s without featuring some of their now unsavoury presenters. Anyway here's the Stranglers from tonight's edition...

TV for cats in north Kingston

Spotted at the aviary at Crown Cars on the way back from school this morning...

Lou Reed - a life on the wild side

I didn't get round to doing a Friday favourite this week, but with the sad news of the death of Lou Reed today, here he is with a live version of the seminal 'Walk on the wild side'.

Wilko Johnson in Camden

Just returned from Wilko Johnson's farewell tour gig at Koko in Camden.  He played for more than an hour and half, ably supported by former Blockhead bassist Norman Watt-Roy and drummer Dylan Howe.  And a still angry Ruts provided the main warm up.

I have some video which if I can work how to download it I will share...

A visit to Coombe Conduit

The 500 year old Coombe Conduit is a hidden gem behind a non-descript wall opposite the popular Coombe Hill primary school in New Malden.

But for 350 years it gathered local spring water and piped it the three miles to nearby Hampton Court palace.  And today the water is still so pure it meets current EU drinking standards.

English Heritage has more.

40 maps that help make sense of the world

This is well worth spending some time on.  Particularly No. 38.

So farewell Mel Smith...

With today's sad news of the death of Mel Smith at the age of just 60 British comedy has lost one of its finest talents.  Not the Nine O Clock News on which he made his name was a ground breaking sketch show that reintroduced an eager audience (including me) to satire and underpinned the British comedy revolution that was know as 'alternative comedy'.  Here is Smith on top form in a sketch that completely undermined the objections to the Monty Python masterpiece 'Life of Brian' - and probably did for what was left of Malcolm Muggeridge's credibility after the 'blasphemy' debate on BBC2's Friday Night, Saturday Morning.

It was 75 years ago today...

That a steam engine called Mallard reached 126 miles an hour on the East Coast mainline near Grantham, Lincolnshire. The Beeb and others have lots more.  But I stumbled across this film earlier - an attempt to show how fast that really looks using 1930s technology:

Friday favourite 111

With the release of Shane Meadow's Stone Roses reunion film - Made of Stone - it's appropriate to give Manchester's finest ever band an airing, so here they are with the much underrated 'Ten Story Love Song' from their second album

 

The rules of playground football...

...with thanks to Christopher Brookmyer.

Vulcan bomber at Southend airport

Returning from my trip north via London's now sixth airport - Southend - which appears to be a mix of aeroplane graveyard and medieval church.  It also has one of the last remaining Vulcan bombers - parked up at the end of its rather short main runway.

Friday favourite 109

On Sunday Hibs return to Hampden Park to try to break their 111 year Scottish Cup hoodoo.  So here's a video put together by a fan showing the highlights of their campaign so far, to the tune of James's 'Destiny calling' - enjoy...

Friday favourite 107

Dolly Parton does heavy metal. Just wow!

UKIP Friday favourite 106

And there could only be one choice...

Friday favourite 105

Fife's finest, KT Tunstall, on her first UK TV appearance - on Jools Holland - blowing away the rest of the show with Black Horse and the Cherry Tree:

Friday favourite 104

Oldham's Inspiral Carpets with 'This is how it feels' from the dying days of the Thatcher government.

Friday favourite 102

This summer the Rolling Stones are to play Hyde Park for the first time since 1969, but sadly unlike 1969 it won't be free.  So for those without £150 to stand in a muddy field here they are first time round...

Friday favourite 101

From 15 years ago, the Manic Street Preachers first number one and the longest title of any number one in history (without brackets)...

A song that I felt at the time was relevant to the betrayals of the then Blair government - and  given the betrayal of this week well worth repeating.