SimonRead

The last night of the 606 Club's 50th birthday festival saw 3 brilliant acts provide an exciting 3.5 hours of excellent music. Polly Gibbons opened, followed by Ian Shaw with Claire Martin, and then a rousing soul set from Imaani, Wayne Hernandez and the 606 Horns. Live music at its intimate best.

AFC Wimbledon threw away a 1-0 lead to draw 1-1 with Wycombe Wanderers. It's the kind of game that the club needs to be winning to avoid relegation

#Blackandwhitefilm of the day: The Seventh Seal, 1957. Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece about a knight playing chess with Death to extend his life. The film, about faith and death, has been voted one of the best ever made. Judge for yourself on BBC4 at 9.30pm youtu.be/NtkFei4wRjE?...

It's finally settled: Britain's oldest #pub is in Somerset and dates from the late 1300s. (All the old pubs I've been too that have claims to be Britain's oldest are "modern marketing exercises")

I've had a fun and interesting week. I hope you have too.

Friday trivia: I took this picture two years ago today. What's the location?

Number of the day: 16,400 - the number of centenarians in the UK in 2025, which is almost twice the 8,700 recorded in 2005

The job search continues. I hoped to make money out of my discovery that smearing a fast-moving object with the fibrous inner part of a fruit, slowed down the object. But scientists dismissed it as simply being 'pulp friction'

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: Meet John Doe, 1941. Frank Capra's brilliant satire of corrupt journalism and politics. Gary Cooper is the down-and-out pushed by ambitious Barbara Stanwyck to sell a dodgy dream for a despotic leader on @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social at 1.15am youtu.be/9j3gdbdnoEk?...

It's 60 years since this magnificent slice of pop hit the charts. It took an unheard of six weeks to record, with the engineer saying the last take sounded exactly like the first! The single was marketed as a "pocket symphony". It's certainly no little merry melody youtu.be/8de_EbOd22M?...

It's 60 years since this magnificent slice of pop hit the charts. It took an unheard of six weeks to record, with the engineer saying the last take sounded exactly like the first! The single was marketed as a "pocket symphony". It's certainly no little merry melody youtu.be/8de_EbOd22M?...

The world's smallest violin is needed

The job search continues. I had high hopes for my limbo business, but it quickly went under.

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: Last Holiday. 1950. Told he has only six weeks left to live, Alec Guinness leaves his tedious job to see out his last days quietly in a hotel, but gets several surprises in a deliciously dark comedy on @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social at 3pm youtu.be/MuQ1zbkA8GE?...

This is long overdue but pretty unenforceable, I reckon. Every time I've asked a fellow traveller to turn down their loud music, they've reacted very negatively and often aggressively. It's as if they want to provoke a reaction.

I love this picture published in today's Guardian to show how autumn colour is arriving. It's prompted today's quiz question: what is the place pictured?

The 606 club is celebrating its 50th anniversary and served up three great acts on Sunday: singer and pianist Lianne Carroll, Brazilian music specialists Samara, and the funky Wonder of Stevie celebrating the music of Stevie Wonder. A great evening!

Back at the brilliant 606 Club tonight for their 50th anniversary festival. Three great performances in store...

Number of the day - $92m (£69m): the predicted spend in the US on Hallowe'en dog costumes this year. (Prediction from the US National Retail Federation. The pictured costume costs £17.82 from Amazon)

Well done The Sun's headline writers

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: The Day The Earth Stood Still, 1951. Astounding sci-fi with a prescient warning from space. Michael Rennie wants earth to live in peace but gets a violent US welcome. SF classic (with marvelous music) on @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social at 4pm youtu.be/OfpSXI8_UpY?...

I've had a fun and interesting week. I hope you have too

Yet another five day wonder for Trump www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Here's an exhibit in a Southampton museum. Which film does it remind you of?

We saw The Wedding Present in Southampton. It was a 35th celebration of their Seamonsters album, but they also did most of their classics and some great-sounding new songs. 40 years after I first saw them they remain one of the most exciting live bands to see.

Thursday quiz: which city am I in today?

The job search continues. I was upset about failing the Medical Licensing Assessment to become a doctor, so I bought a first aid kit. I thought I'd treat myself.

The job search continues. I saw these pretty leaves and quickly harvested them to sell for autumn displays, until I found out they are poison ivy. It was a rash decision.

The bots don't really get my sense of humour

The job search continues. I gave up my job in the dairy factory shredding cheese as it got on my nerves. It was grating.

Great moments in rock (pt 94): Today in 1969 a Detroit DJ broadcast a phone call claiming that if you play 'Strawberry Fields Forever' backwards, you hear Lennon say: "I buried Paul." It started a ridiculous worldwide rumour that Paul McCartney was dead youtu.be/44GB53rnI3c?...

Should the government slap taxpayers aged over-40 an extra 1p income tax to fund #socialcare? Former pensions minister Steve Webb said people could opt out of the scheme but those who remained would build up a discount on future social care costs. www.financialplanningtoday.co.uk/news/governm...

The job search continues. I thought my book about the history of the Black Death would interest my publishers, but they accused me of plaguerism.

Pre-match #cocktails today were at Jak's in the King's Road. Mine was a Man On Fire (£16) - an interesting mix of Illegal Mezcal, Ardberg Whisky, lime juice and agave syrup. My pal's was a French Kiss (£15.50) - cognac, black raspberry liqueur, pomegranate, lemon juice and floral bitter. Pip pip!

I saw Chelsea beat a poor Bournemouth 5-1 at Stamford Bridge. It was a pleasing win with some good goals, but the Blues still can't keep a clean sheet

I've had a fun and interesting week. I hope you have too

Our second quiz victory of the week saw us win the Southfields Grid Residents Association annual quiz at St Barnabus Church. My favourite question: what was created in 1941 by Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie to be added to US GI ration packs?

Now THIS is how you write a story. Devastating.

Pleased to be part of the winning team at the excellent #quiz at the Barley Mow pub in Marylebone last night. Try my favourite question of the night: which three American states only contain letters that are worth one point in Scrabble?

The job search continues. The bank turned down my application for a loan to open an Origami business. They said it was likely to fold.

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: The Card, 1952. Excellent dramatic comedy: ambitious Alec Guinness climbs the social ladder but pays the price. Glynis Johns, Valerie Hobson and Petula Clark add their charms to his bittersweet rise on @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social at 4pm youtu.be/GqXKM_TM1WI?...

The new London Blue Note venue is brilliant and Senegal's Baaba Maal is a great entertainer at 73. I would recommend seeing both