mattypenny
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mattypenny.bsky.social
mattypenny
@mattypenny.bsky.social
Bloke from Salisbury

Pop and folk and reggae music, Chelsea FC, podcasts, slow af running, Powershell, a bit of politics

Posting mainly from my micro.blog account. When I go on a bit it renders as a link on here - sorry about that.
My crucial tracks over the last few days - Sylvia Tella, The Clash, The Pogues, The Creatures, The Beach Boys and Madness: https://mattypenny.micro.blog/2025/12/05/my-crucial-tracks-over-the.html
December 5, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Simon Schama on Downton Abbey

"‘a steaming, silvered tureen of snobbery … servicing the instincts of cultural necrophilia'"

I don’t think he liked it very much :)

Currently reading: The Great British Dream Factory by Dominic Sandbrook 📚
December 3, 2025 at 2:29 PM
I got a new old Salisbury postcard. Interesting bits are:

the people queuing up for a bus, presumably not knowing that they are going to be stars of both postcard and micro.blog

the designation of the Blue Boar Row as the A30 - befor... https://mattypenny.micro.blog/2025/12/03/i-got-a-new-old.html
December 3, 2025 at 2:07 PM
I found this pink-y, purple backlight on my keyboard. It makes me feel like Prince…while I’m turning things off and on again
December 3, 2025 at 8:36 AM
The end of my plod/jog around Salisbury is brightened up by Christmas
December 1, 2025 at 8:41 AM
I very much enjoyed this film. It feels like a properly grown-up film….in a good way

A new favourite Christmas film

Watched: The Holdovers 🍿
November 30, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Watching Final Score or listening to Sports Report always calls to mind the people I’ve known who supported, or particularly disliked, each club

People I haven’t seen for years, who may even not still be with us live on in my memory through Walsall, or West Brom, Bournemouth or Tranmere Rovers
November 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Thirty odd years ago, I was working on the Strand. One lunchtime I wandered into a bookshop, and found someone I vaguely recognised talking to a handful of people about Charles Dickens.

She did a couple of readings, and was ver... https://mattypenny.micro.blog/2025/11/25/thirty-odd-years-ago-i.html
November 25, 2025 at 8:25 AM
I thought this was a fantastic film. It was fascinating in the way that DJT has a dark fascination.

From a political point of view…. the shocking think about it was that it wasn’t that shocking.

Tmdb link
November 23, 2025 at 9:50 PM
My crucial tracks for the last week - The Fall, Nick Cave, June Tabor, Cypress Hill, Prince, and Ini Kamoze: https://mattypenny.micro.blog/2025/11/21/my-crucial-tracks-for-the.html
November 21, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Marvellous news. ‘The job of a lifetime’: Line of Duty to return for seventh season
November 18, 2025 at 10:53 PM
My Crucial Tracks for this week were cheerful and tearful - Stone in Love, Driving Away From Home, Goin' Back, Illegal, Sycamore Tree, the 59th Street Bridge Song.and the first Fairy Tale of the season?: https://mattypenny.micro.blog/2025/11/14/my-crucial-tracks-for-this.html
November 14, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Some nice quotes in the Cramps article in Vintage Rock magazine this month: https://mattypenny.micro.blog/2025/11/14/some-nice-quotes-in-the.html
November 14, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Scored my first own goal for a few weeks.

I can’t think of another sport where own goals are a feature. Players of basketball, cricket, rugby, golf, netball, baseball and ice hockey will never have quite that feeling.
November 13, 2025 at 8:51 AM
I’m getting attached photos through from Bluesky in my micro.blog feed now :)

(You can’t see too many photos of the Chelsea ’60s/’70s team)
November 12, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Thoughts on going to a silent disco in Salisbury Cathedral: https://mattypenny.micro.blog/2025/11/10/thoughts-on-going-to-a.html
November 10, 2025 at 9:18 PM
I didn’t get round to getting a poppy this year so I chipped in a few quid here

Royal British Legion -Donate

Pic is Klatschmohn by Christian Rohlfs from Wikimedia
November 10, 2025 at 7:36 PM
My Crucial Tracks this week - Just Like Honey, Emerald City, Working Class Hero, Lost Platoon, World Is Africa, Ain't Goin' to Goa, Mas Que Nada, and Are You Being Served?: https://mattypenny.micro.blog/2025/11/07/my-crucial-tracks-this-week.html
November 7, 2025 at 6:22 PM
John Cleese on the telly just now said that another prominent actress, who had been starring in an Ayckbourn play, was offered the role of Sybil but turned it down because she didn’t think it was funny. I wonder who it was?
November 5, 2025 at 8:44 AM
"[When he settled in London, Voltaire’s] only major problem seems to have been getting used to the local sense of humour. Instead of being subtly witty, Londoners talked surreal nonsense."

Plus ça change!

Currently reading: 1000 Years of Annoying the French by Stephen Clarke 📚
November 4, 2025 at 10:01 PM
I liked Carry-On. A couple of years back I sat down to watch Die Hard with Kid #2….and we were both a bit disappointed to be honest. It wasn’t as good as I remembered it. In a way this is more like the Die Hard that I remembered than the actual Die Hard was.

Watched: Carry-On 🍿
November 4, 2025 at 6:13 PM
There’s a nice bit about Brief Encounter in the Grauniad today

Brief Encounter at 80: why we’re still falling for David Lean’s 1945 romance

I didn’t know that the Kardomah cafés were a real thing Wikipedia
November 4, 2025 at 1:05 PM
My Crucial Tracks for last week - Elvis, Pussycat, Black Grape, Sandy Denny, Shane MacGowan and Sinead O'Connor, the Wurzels and my daughter: https://mattypenny.micro.blog/2025/11/03/my-crucial-tracks-for-last.html
November 3, 2025 at 9:49 PM
There’s a bit in Spinal Tap where they are accused of being sexist, and the band are confused and bewildered because surely it’s good to be sexy.

I have the same feeling of bewilderment and confusion when people use ‘antifa’ as if it’s a bad thing. Surely it can only be good to be anti-fascist?
October 30, 2025 at 4:37 PM
I haven’t seen this before…the White Hart is still a hotel in Salisbury. It’s titled “The departure from the ' White Hart', Salisbury, attended by Landlord, waiters, Postboys, Hostlers etc etc”

I don’t know if the statue of the hart would be the same one that’s now on top of the Hotel
October 30, 2025 at 11:47 AM