Author: richardmapes

One of the oddities of growing up is that friends cease to be people you see every day and start to become people you remember liking and really should meet up with sometime soon....

Yay. Sunshine is here again. After an unsettled few days, it’s once again time for barbecues, Pimms by the river and slightly underwhelming festival lineups. Naturally, I won’t be wearing shorts. I have several...

Today, children across the country will be taking their Key Stage 2 SATs exams. Firstly, good luck to them. These are exams the children have worked hard for, and they deserve praise for this,...

One of my recurring nightmares is getting into a fight and suddenly realising my punches have the stopping power of wet tissue paper. This is odd, since this is far my thoughts during normal...

I’ve been listening to I’ve Never Seen Star Wars a lot recently. For those of you that don’t know, it’s a Radio 4 comedy show with Marcus Brigstock where a celebrity is asked to name...

I’ve been listening to Micky Flanagan’s What Chance Change recently and it’s been making me think. The show describes his struggle to rise above his working class, East End roots and make a success...

The problem with holidays is that, when you get back, the routine seems just that bit more routine. I suspect this is how rock stars feel, coming off stage from playing to 20,000 people,...

So it seems they’ve found Nessie. After years of myths, legends and million dollar searches, she (or he) has been found at the bottom of Loch Ness looking forlorn and abandoned. Unfortunately for the...

Back in the UK and a normal update schedule. Well, I say normal, but it’s 6 in the morning and I’ve already been up several hours. Jet lag is a strange thing – you...

Star system * – hated it. Resented the time spent seeing it ** – mediocre. Wouldn’t see again *** – good film to see on TV. Wouldn’t spend money on it. ****- enjoyable film...