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Renewal coming up for litter police that only fine smokers in central ward
90% of all fines issued by Kingdom are issued in Central ward. The private company that is cost neutral to the council was brought in as part of the mayor’s clean streets initiative. Picking up litter costs the city £6 million a year, according to the council. What Kingdom say: They were brought in “as […]
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If Cats Disappeared From The World, Genki Kawamura
There’s a sparse and young, almost delicate sense to Genki Kawamura’s writing that cheered me up no end even though this was a book about death. The lightness to life and what we hold too close is really what this book is about. Kawamura is 39 and is now the author of three books; If […]
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Bristol gin [tonic optional]
On international gin and tonic day, we’ll undoubtedly be drinking some Psychopomp tonight, which is an incredibly good Bristol gin made right in the city centre on St Michael’s Hill. It was at the owner Danny Walker’s gin club that I first heard that each city used to have its own gin-making process. In 1789, […]
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Sophie Hannah, The Mystery of Three Quarters; a Poirot mystery
The Mystery of Three Quarters is Sophie Hannah’s third Poirot mystery following the Monogram Murders and the Closed Casket. As with any ‘revisiting’ of such characters, the first thing to note is the tone and how believable the new Poirot is; it is unfortunate that the storyline only comes second in these cases. There are […]
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Why climate deniers exist and spend $0.5 billion doing so
The extent of the climate denial industry created by the polluters. Pollution would cost these industries £200 billion A YEAR so instead they pay half a billion to create this network of denial. A bargain. February 4, 2014 – In this speech, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse reveals the “carefully built apparatus of lies” constructed to deceive […]
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Urban geography reading list – Tom Slater’s top 10
The following article was first published by ex-University of Bristol academic, Tom Slater, in the Urban Geography Journal in 2013. The article no longer exists at that link and the author has kindly given his permission for me to reproduce it here. Bristol is in line for some big changes to its landscape — tall […]
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1000 Books to Read Before You Die, a Bristol perspective
1000 books is an incredible number to find and write about but the essays and sections feel like they have had individual attention rather than just being quick summaries, in this collection. From King to Kafka and the Quran to Nora Ephron, the book selections must fit most moods as they are incredibly varied. It […]
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Book review, The Psychology of Time Travel
This is the debut novel from Kate Mascarenhas who is a part-Irish, part-Seychellois midlander. Since 2017, Kate has been a chartered psychologist. Before that she worked as a copywriter, a dolls’ house maker, and a bookbinder. She lives with her husband in a small terraced house which she is slowly filling with Sindy dolls. This […]
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Review, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (not!)
In this tale, which seems like the female and slightly less funny but more sinister version of The Rosie Project, Eleanor Oliphant is ‘weird’ and fine with being alone and with her routine until she decides she’s in love and is going to do something about it. The narrative proceeds then to follow someone pursuing […]
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The last days of Bristol’s libraries
A year from now, Mayor Marvin Rees will begin campaigning for his next term of office and the number of libraries open in Bristol will be down by 63%. Most libraries will only open for three days a week. There are now 27 funded by the Bristol City Council but after the horrific Conservative austerity […]
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Ephemeral digest 