What's It All About?

Well, we are now at week 42 on the 2026 calendar and it’s fair to say the UK Singles Chart has been quite unique this year. I have been updating my followers whenever there has been a change at the top, a new No. 1, but for 23 of those 42 weeks it remained the … Continue reading "Girl Power 2026, SIX The Musical and “2 Become 1”"

Did you watch it? It’s been called the most remarkable documentary series ever made and 70 Up is supposedly the last time we’ll touch base with the 14 children who took part in the original Seven Up. I think I first got hooked watching the second documentary in 1970. I’m only four years younger than … Continue reading "Seven Up to 70 Up, Frank Sinatra and “It Was A Very Goo...

Anyone who read my last post about our trip to Rome, would have noticed I was a bit negative about it. So much so I had to return later and add a postscript sharing all the good things about the city. That now done, I’ll finish off this two-parter about our Italian adventure by sharing … Continue reading "Alyson’s Italian Job, Part Two – Sorrento"

Today is quite a big day for me and one I am strangely excited about. It’s not often that you celebrate getting older but when it comes with a monthly remuneration attached, not quite so bad. To be clear, it’s not my birthday, it’s just that anyone born after the 6th of April 1960 is … Continue reading "A Significant Non-Birthday, The “Dolly Effect” and The Dulc...

I’ve now had many days to process this one, but I still can’t quite come to terms with a world that no longer has Dolly Parton in it. We all know that many of the music stars of our youth are now on borrowed time, but when it came to, “Who might be next?” I … Continue reading "Big Hair, Big Heart, Big Personality and A Very Big Songbook: RIP Dolly Parton"

I am puppy-sitting again and not at home in front of my computer where I do my blogging. I did however get an alert recently letting me know I had written this post 10 years ago, and did I want to share it again. As it wasn’t read by many people back then I am … Continue reading "Pop Quiz Jeopardy, Wham! and “Freedom”"

I’ve had the busiest of summers, the busiest since starting this blog but as of now I have four straight weeks at home until the next big adventure. Looking forward to it as I do like my usual routine and it has been supremely compromised of late, in a good way of course. Last time … Continue reading "More Festivals, More Castles and The End Of The Monoculture"

I’ve written about our local music festival around here many times, despite never having experienced it for myself. I’ve dropped DD and her friends off, picked them up, and washed the mud off their wellies, but have always dithered, and never quite got round to buying tickets. At first (it’s been going since 2004) I … Continue reading "The Tartan Heart Festival 2026: The Hu...

Last time I wrote about my trip to Inverclyde, but since then I’ve had trips to Fife and Aberdeen, met up with lots of old friends, watched a World Cup Final and a Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, witnessed the appointment of the seventh PM in 10 years and finally, I am watching in disbelief, as … Continue reading "Yet More Trips Away, “Castles In The Air” and Castles On Hills...

Since celebrating this blog’s 10th birthday, I’ve done a pretty good job of posting something new every Saturday as that’s pretty much my only free day for blogging nowadays. I averaged 50 posts per year over the first 10 years so I thought it would be really easy to aim for that target going forward … Continue reading "More Weekends Away, “Shipbuilding” On The...

Well, I was wrong. A few weeks ago I predicted that few members of the famous Tartan Army of Scotland football supporters would be able to afford the extortionate prices being charged to head to the US for the 2026 World Cup. Instead they have first wowed the people of Boston, then the people of … Continue reading "The Tartan Army On Tour, A Sad Loss For The Town and Who Is Going To Topple S...

WIAA: Alyson…, I didn’t see you posting anything new around here last weekend. Not like you. ALYSON: I know WIAA but I was having one of the best weekends of my life and it’s taken quite a few days to come down from the high. WIAA: Ah, that would be because of the football I … Continue reading "The Take That Circus Tour 2026 Comes To Glasgow and I Was There!"

Well, despite you all having experienced a heatwave down south this week, we in the far north have had much more manageable temperatures to deal with for which I’m grateful. I did however look out a summer dress for one of our sunny days, which was nice, but it seems rain is now forecast for … Continue reading "An “Alfie” Anniversary, Blog Names and Cher Turns 80!"

I was saddened to hear that the primary vocalist from the band Dr Hook, Dennis Locorriere, passed away last weekend at the age of 76. Although he was an American, born in New Jersey, he had been living in East Sussex with his third wife for some time. If like me you turned 16 during … Continue reading "That Long Hot Summer, “Sylvia’s Mother” and RIP Dennis Locorriere"

Well, it’s a busy old Saturday for me as a lot of things are going on at the same time. This afternoon I am meeting up with DD and the friend I went to Eurovision with for cocktails, an early birthday celebration for me and a belated celebration for her. Ironically tonight is also Eurovision … Continue reading "Eurovision, Cocktails and A Beach Boys Anniversary: 60 Years Of “Pet&...

DD was on holiday from work this week, and one of the things she did was head through to Aberdeen to watch Maisie Peters perform in a small intimate venue. I’ve noticed her Maisie album on the shelves but can’t say I knew anything about her, until now. Turns out Maisie is a 25-year-old British … Continue reading "Maisie Peters Visits Aberdeen, Olivia Rodrigo Gets Her “Driver’s Li...

WIAA: Alyson…, oh Alyson. ALYSON: Hi WIAA, I’m sorry I missed adding to your pages last weekend but I was away from home, having a wonderful couple of days with another man. WIAA: Oh. Didn’t expect that to be the reason! What did your other half say about that or did you not tell him? … Continue reading "Not So Clandestine Affairs, David Cassidy and “The Puppy Song&#82...

Well, another freaky coincidence happened this week in relation to this blog. If you dropped by last weekend you may have noticed that I’d written about the Geordie genius Sam Fender, whose song Rein Me In has now been at the top of the UK Singles Chart for eight of the last nine weeks. Various … Continue reading "Lindisfarne, “Meet Me On The Corner” and Another Weird Blogg...

For those of you following my updates as to what is currently at the top of the UK Singles Chart, I haven’t had to do that for a while as the Sam Fender / Olivia Dean collaboration, Rein Me In, has reigned supreme (pun intended) for seven of the last eight weeks. It only slipped … Continue reading "A New Appreciation For Sam Fender and “Seventeen Going Under”"