Paul Scott

Last night, 23 October, BBC2 screened the original Halloween. Next Saturday, neither main BBC channel, ITV or C4 are showing any horror/supernatural film on actual Halloween. Make it make sense.

Get this bastard signed.

@johnnymains.co.uk had you heard about this new outfit? www.vanitaspress.co.uk?fbclid=IwdGR...

French protestors have destroyed the beautiful Limoges City Hall by setting it on fire. I understand the desire to protest but never the desire to destroy architecture.

Imagine being an Asian or Muslim officer at HMP Birmingham this morning and having to work alongside Cllr Alan Feeney who you now know thinks you're a "parasite" #Reform #ITV

Imagine having paid Cllr Alan Feeney to play a role at your Asian or Muslim weddings to now discover that he really thinks you're "parasites"? #Reform #ITV

At what point did decent customer service disappear in the UK? Companies seem unwilling to even bother to respond when you want them to sort out their own cock-ups or, if they do finally bother, cock it up even more.

“If you don’t like public executions just don’t watch it” says the crowd trying to ban drag shows and books

This is me for the next three weeks, elevated for the most part. Then they remove dressings and I wait another four weeks to have the wires removed. What I need now are some good books!

Is The Innocents (1961) a horror film? I see it described as such on occasion (including today) but I don't regard it as such. What say you?

Today, I shall mostly be having a toe cut in three, the middle part of it thrown away, then the other two bits stuck back together. As you do.

Had to go to local hospital for a pre-op assessment this morning. Very efficient, nice staff. But £4.10 for ONE hour's parking! This NHS Trust apparently made over £1 million profit on car parking in the last financial year. Bet they bloody did.

Adored Stephanie Cole since discovering the second series of Tenko in the early 80s. Could break your heart in drama then kill you with her superb timing in comedy. One of our greats, and should've been a DBE. Vale.

And now Tim Curry. Christ's sake. Can we lose someone we all hate next?

Couldn't we have kept Dolly Parton a bit longer? God knows we need more people like her. Prodigiously talented and incredibly generous and decent.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.

I stage managed for Jimmy Cricket once. Eighteen months later he was performing at the other (larger) theatre in town but popped into my place first to say "Hello" and see how things were. Just the loveliest guy.

Another author tells me Jason Arday's forthcoming memoir has been co-written. Now we know what The Salt Path's Raynor Winn has been up to for the last year.

Reverse this stupidity. Find £3m easily by reducing Parliamentary catering. Net cost in HoC was £7.4 million in 2024-5. HoL catering typically incurs an additional multi-million-pound deficit, which previously totalled around £8 million over a 3-yr period. #JodrellBank

My usual appeal at this time of year to musical directors and those who programme Christmas concerts to include the beautiful award-winning The Bee Carol @johnwmerrick.bsky.social (hear on the link below)... www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/a...

Happy Quatermass Day to those who celebrate and especially to those who keep the flame burning such as @tobyhadoke.bsky.social and @accordingtojond.bsky.social

Arthur Fery, you little beauty. Another fabulous match but that third set? #Wimbledon

What a vile example of human being Katie Hopkins is

When I see professional singers clearly goldfishing on stage in an ensemble number, I do think it's a bloody cheek, frankly.

The awful Lucy Connolly is now, unsurprisingly, monetising her notoriety through a self published book about her tweet and going to jail.

What on earth is going on in the job market? I'd hoped after COVID work life balance might be more important but now most jobs I see expect regular evenings and weekends (with no TOIL) on top of your 37 hours per week and/or if travel is required merely a "contribution" towards mileage.

Silly little man. The BNP polled better in 2010 than you did yesterday.

Right now on X, there are hundreds of accounts posting that Bluesky is where all the paedophiles and leftists went. Almost like an orchestrated campaign. 🤔

The way this country's politics have gone in the last 15 years really makes me want to move to another European country. Unfortunately the same people that have caused the division and hate are the same ones that made it so much harder to move abroad. I despise them. #FarageRiots

Me? Move this excellent book by @ottoenglish.bsky.social into this vastly more prominent position on the shelves in my local Waterstones? Do I look like I would do such a thing on a hot day while seeking sanctuary and air conditioning...?

This cannot be stated strongly enough.

Buy this book. You'll thank me for it. Although you should really thank Otto.

Sky News projecting a national vote share for Reform of 27%, based on results so far. That’s four points down on what they achieved in local elections last year. Somewhat of a counter to the prevailing narrative. More evidence that Reform appears to have peaked.

Reform is a protest party. A protest against decency, integrity, kindness, expertise, and progress. It's a party of pettiness and hate, and it is made up of petty and hateful people from the grassroots to the very top. What it doesn't have is competence. So good luck with the bins and potholes.

Suspect that Reform have not only been helped by an apathetic or controlled national media but by the fact we don't have any local papers any more to report on their council fiascos.

Three lost songs from Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe have been discovered. Two were never performed, one only sung in New York. Fascinating. open.substack.com/pub/marc1543...

As it’s the anniversary of Miller’s Whistle, have a read of this:

@jkaconductor.bsky.social I hope that somehow you can wheedle it to conduct the first public performances of the three newly-discovered lost songs from Iolanthe

Boris Johnson was a product of the media and their failure to hold him to account. Donald Trump is a product of the media and their failure to hold him to account. Nigel Farage is a product of the media and their failure to hold him to account. Are these really the people we want to be in charge?

@joebottomley.bsky.social new one for you! Enjoy... youtu.be/5luv-5gp_WM?...

BBC 4 schedulers really are a bit daft. Why screen The Wicker Man tonight when they could have shown it on May Day next Friday?

So NOTORIOUS is out in paperback on May 7th. And though it's no best selling Matt Goodwin ... I hope you will avail yourself of a copy. Or even several copies. 1/2

18 months ago started getting high blood pressure (150/102 region) so put on 50 mg Losartan. All been fine. Until recent readings in same level and occasionally up to 170/106 and 180/108. Now on 100 mg Losartan. The joys of being in your 50s, eh, kids?

END OF SEASON SALE: "Shadows and Gestures - Scripts after M R James" (for solo performance) can be got until the end of April for a mere £10 inc p+p. Only by emailing me at the address here: www.nunkie.co.uk/contact

Has FIFA asked for its Peace Prize back yet?

I once reported a large bearded dragon to the police which was on the roof of a house in my former village.

I once played first vacuum cleaner with a 50-piece symphony orchestra.

stacks of tickets left for "A Pleasing Terror - Two Ghost Stories by M R James" in Levenshulme tomorrow night. Book here aptlevenshulume.eventbrite.co.uk

@joebottomley.bsky.social I just learned something I never knew about 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. I knew Routledge stopped the show every night with Duet for One. But on the final/7th performance on Broadway the audience went so wild they wouldn't stop so she encored the whole number again! All 9 mins!