On the centenary of her birth, we remember how much Queen Elizabeth II touched the nation, with tributes by everyone from Alan Sugar to Ann Summers, the Bank of England to Bobby Davro, Crazy Frog to Cash Converters.
thelionandunicorn.com/2022/09/16/e...
"We had a bit of a street image. The first pictures we were kinda like in Adidas, tight fucking jeans, braces and Fairisle shirts. There was nothing tartan about us."
Les McKeown, singer with the Bay City Rollers, died five years ago.
thelionandunicorn.com/2021/04/22/l...
Socialist film director Roy Battersby was born 90 years ago today. His debut feature film was the decidedly odd "The Body" (1970).
thelionandunicorn.com/2026/02/25/f...
Apologies - we blame Wikipedia and have now locked our 'researcher' in a darkened room with a bottle of whisky and a revolver. Thank you for the correction.
"A reappraisal is due, which is dirty work, but someone has to do it…"
My new article on the Rolling Stones' "Black and Blue", 50 years on from its release.
#musicsky #rollingstones #article @lionunicorn.bsky.social
Read here:
"There’s something outside. And it’s trying to get in…"
Television's greatest dramatist, Nigel Kneale, was born 104 years ago today.
thelionandunicorn.com/2025/07/20/d...
"The once bad-boys of rock and roll were seen to have nothing new to say, now that the climate had changed."
@benfinlay74.bsky.social on the Rolling Stones' "Black and Blue", 50 years on from its release.
thelionandunicorn.com/2026/04/18/b...
"The problem was, they weren’t to be trusted. They advocated lunatic policies and, like all zealots, turned a blind eye to the means."
Clare Francis is 80 today. After hanging up her yachting shoes, she wrote novels, including this fine tale of terrorism... thelionandunicorn.com/2018/11/24/r...
On the subject of "lifelong sex education", here's Gene Hunt: "Never trust a man who owns a sex guide. There are some things you should know how to do without reading a manual."
thelionandunicorn.com/2026/02/07/h...
Come on @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social let's get a rerun of Cribb from the early 80s.
"To be Right-wing is smart. He’s not sincere about it. He’s not sincere about anything."
Novelist John Braine was born 104 years ago today.
thelionandunicorn.com/2018/09/30/r...
"I understand you were paying them to take off items of clothing at a shilling a garment."
A Victorian detective as seen from the 1970s. It was all sex and class, apparently.
thelionandunicorn.com/2026/04/10/h...
Harry Secombe died 25 years ago today. Here he is in the movie, Davy, "an interesting curio, a study of a way of life that was about to vanish, and a reminder that Islington Green was once a dowdy, down at heel area".
thelionandunicorn.com/2025/10/05/f...
"I understand you were paying them to take off items of clothing at a shilling a garment."
A Victorian detective as seen from the 1970s. It was all sex and class, apparently.
thelionandunicorn.com/2026/04/10/h...
"America is in fact a dictatorship. Your President has total power, unlike the leaders of the Soviet Union..."
Novelist Derek Lambert died 25 years ago today.
thelionandunicorn.com/2018/05/16/r...
Novelist Peter Lovesey died a year ago today.
To mark the occasion, @alwynturner.bsky.social has written about the TV version of his detective Sgt Cribb.
thelionandunicorn.com/2026/04/10/h...
"Above all, our victory in 1992 killed socialism in Britain. It also, I must conclude, made the world safe for Tony Blair..."
On the anniversary of the 1992 general election, we remember the winner.
thelionandunicorn.com/2017/04/06/c...
In Spring, a middle-aged man's fancy turns to playlists...
thelionandunicorn.com/2026/04/03/s...
"Has any modern politician unleashed hatred on the scale that she did?"
On the anniversary of her death in 2013, let's revisit Mark Lawson's short-story collection "Bloody Margaret".
thelionandunicorn.com/2024/09/01/r...
2) And here is a playlist I made which includes the best track from every album for both part 1 and 2 of this top ten!
www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Today being the anniversary of the death of film director David Greene, let's remember The Strange Affair (1968), based on DSgt Harold Challenor ("the scourge of Soho" who's said to have inspired Joe Orton's Inspector Truscott in Loot).
thelionandunicorn.com/2025/12/21/f...
I have to say, I gave a little whoop of delight at this ethereal beauty being in the top spot...
music.youtube.com/watch?v=vcvz...
The sun is out, it's a bank holiday, you'll be looking for the right soundtrack to the season.
And here's @benfinlay74.bsky.social with some suggestions.
thelionandunicorn.com/2026/04/05/s...
It's springtime for bitterns and kingfishers...
@benfinlay74.bsky.social's guide to the best albums for the season.
thelionandunicorn.com/2026/04/05/s...
"I have survived to middle age with half my wits, while thousands have died with all theirs intact. Evidently quality of wits is more important than quantity…"
James Callaghan became prime minister 50 years ago today.
thelionandunicorn.com/2016/03/25/o...
"How could I ever leave here
With the English sky so blue?
Could I turn from the trees,
As they bend in the breeze,
or forsake the evening dew?"
Anthony Horowitz, creator of Foyle's War, is 71 today.
thelionandunicorn.com/2025/10/31/t...
"How could I ever leave here
With the English sky so blue?
Could I turn from the trees,
As they bend in the breeze,
or forsake the evening dew?"
Anthony Horowitz, creator of Foyle's War, is 71 today.
thelionandunicorn.com/2025/10/31/t...
Arnold "the Jacker" Jackson was born 135 years ago today.
He won Olympic gold in the 1500 metres, though it wasn't that big a deal. "On the whole, I think I prefer golf, hockey, boxing and hiking to athletics."
thelionandunicorn.com/2016/08/10/o...