“He won’t talk to anyone, he never has,” said the manager of British wrestling superstar Kendo Nagasaki when I requested an interview. So I asked if I could get into the ring with him instead. “Are you sure?” The manager was surprised and I was seriously spooked when Kendo turned up in full mask and regalia, with good reason. He took me apart. It still hurts.
Category Archives: Independent
A balm for the soul of a Pope in a gilded cage
The Sistine Chapel Choir was about to release its first album and a British man was among its ranks. That meant the rare chance to be inside the chapel during a concert and gaze up at the famous ceiling, reflecting on what life must be like for the man who had become Pope.
Thank you Ma’am: a republican writes on why we should all be grateful to Her Majesty
I don’t want a Queen. Hereditary monarchy is unfair, unjust and should have no place in a society that values every citizen equally. She owns all the dolphins in British inshore waters for one thing, and that can’t be right. Want one! But since we have to have a Queen, for now, we should beContinue reading “Thank you Ma’am: a republican writes on why we should all be grateful to Her Majesty”
Gallipoli – or why the hell do we bother to remember?
Please, take five minutes out with me to sit and think about things that matter. This was written for The Independent On Sunday yesterday. They died in the dark, some of them. Young men, volunteers mostly, cut down by bullets and bombs, fire and fever. Australians, New Zealanders, Brits and Irishmen, Africans and Indians and many,Continue reading “Gallipoli – or why the hell do we bother to remember?”
The Walk Of Shame
Come with me on a walk that will ruin your life. It will trash your income and slash your life expectancy by decades, as we stroll from one part of London to another. But it will also demonstrate the gross inequality that is plaguing Britain and that ought to be making people mad at the start of this election campaign. This piece for The Independent on Sunday inspired our Radio 4 documentary The Walk: For Richer, For Poorer