Alan Sargeant

Had a hand in researching and fact-checking this podcast series from Blanchard House. Now available on Audible. Joe Nocera narrates. Builds on the research of Fitzgerald grandees, Horst Kruse and Matthew J. Bruccoli. I may even feature myself ... audible.co.uk/pd/American-Dr…

Professor Horst Kruse may be better known for his groundbreaking work on Max Gerlach — the real life inspiration for Jay Gatsby — but his ‘View from Kant's Window’ reveals philosophical dimensions of Gatsby overlooked by many scholars. amazon.co.uk/F-Scott-Fitzge…

Graduated in Sheffield with Irfan in the 90s. Restored contact with him in the early noughties after my move to Scotland when he was able to contribute some wonderful pieces to an ezine I ran. He's doing some great work now on the early days of film. louisleprince.net

@BBCMOTD Finished the game off without mercy. So cool, clinical and efficient. Havertz seemed spoiled for choice when it came to where he was going to place the ball in the last goal.

Germany's biggest World Cup win since...

July 1992, Don Valley Bowl Sheffield. Free festival. Like the warning about Jools Holland's ‘tepid jokes’. I took heed, don't you worry. Saw Steve Harley twice that year. Inspirational artist for me. Poor man's Bowie to others. I beg to differ tho.

@MsPocketRocket Land of the Giants. Maybe.

A spaceship from Earth lands on a mysterious planet where everything is 12 times their original earthly size. Name this American Sci-Fi series.

@SkyNews This picture of Tommy rings a bell. I think he was singing 'Parklife'.

Tommy Robinson says he's been detained at Heathrow Read more 🔗 trib.al/4c5gqld

@MsPocketRocket Vienna, I think.

Question of the day: What was the name of Rigsby’s cat in Rising Damp?

@Richard_AHolmes Wasn't there a triumphant intervention against Russia at the time that the McSweeney FAC hearing was gaining pace? They always seem to surface at Starmer's weakest moments. Neverthless, a climate of crisis often restores faith in the king. It's like something from Shakespeare.

BREAK: The UK has seized a shadow fleet tanker! Early this morning, British armed forces intercepted the SMYRTOS, as it attempted to pass through the English Channel. Sir Keir Starmer said the “successful operation” delivered a “blow” to Russia and those fueling Putin's war in Ukraine. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said: "Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin's illegal war."

@MsPocketRocket Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel. Great performer. Saw him twice '92 — first at the Sheffield Leadmill and then at the free 'Don Valley Bowl' festival. Great song. Was about his former band mates.

You've done it all You've broken every code & pulled the rebel to the floor You spoiled the game No matter what you say For only metal, what a bore Blue eyes blue eyes How come you tell so many lies? Come up & see me, make me smile Or do what you want, running wild Who sang it?

@Richard_AHolmes Timing seems convenient, but a good move all the same.

Proving that the stories about the stories are often so much better. Another great investigation. This one is the Granddaddy of Conspiracy Theories. This where all that wackiness started.

@ronmanagernottm La La La La La La ... etc Used to get this every week. Think and Abba and Flintlock strip was featured then tho.

Alvin Stardust, David Cassidy, Sparks, Gary Glitter, Showaddwaddy AND Sally James? Look-in from October 1974 had the lot.

@MsPocketRocket Belle & Sebastian?

Can you name this children’s TV series?

@nypost So exactly what will have been achieved? He's back where he started. The only possible gain has been in Russia.

Trump says Iran 'no longer' wants a nuke in deal that could be signed Sunday trib.al/yjDULvP

@cazjwheeler Crikey. There's something seriously amiss about all of this. If true, this is not the usual drill. Somebody somewhere certainly doesn't want Starmer going anywhere.

New: Morgan McSweeney is back advising the Prime Minister – four months after he resigned over his role in the Mandelson scandal. The former No 10 chief of staff is advising Sir Keir Starmer in his moment of greatest peril, multiple government and Whitehall sources told The i Paper. McSweeney is helping the Prime Minister and has “never really gone away”, one minister said. “He has been on the end of the phone 24/7,” one source said. “He has been wargaming a leadership contest and believes Keir still has a chance if there are three or more [challengers] in the contest. He has been working out how the votes could go. It’s mad.” Exclusive with Richard Vaughn

@GroomB Those are some heavy-duty glasses.

RIP. Bradford's David Hockney, 1966, photo by Jane Bown.

@cockneycampaign These folk were cheerleading Putin over twenty years ago. He represents everything they aspire to.

Epstein claimed he had also been to Russia and met with Putin

@MsPocketRocket Middle of the Road.

Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep (1971) who sang it?

@TarasKuzio Putin is at war with history. That's why it's unlikely to ever end.

Why is Putin delusional about the war? The usual line is he is being fed lies by his political subordinates and military officers, in the Soviet tradition of lies become bigger as they go up the chain. A more important reason, which is largely ignored, is: 1) Putin is obsessed with Ukraine and Ukrainians 2) Putin and Russian imperial nationalists deny the existence of Ukraine and Ukrainians. 3) Putin and Russian imperial nationalists cannot accept realty because that would force them to admit Ukrainians have agency: that is, Ukrainians are a separate nation. 3) Hence, Putin and Russian imperial nationalists continue to under-estimate Ukrainians (which is very good). 4) And, Putin and Russian imperial nationalists continue to believe Ukraine is a fiction, a Western puppet state (which is also very good).

@MsPocketRocket Michael Landon. Or 'Pa' as I like to call him.

Bonanza, name the character 👇and who played him.