| General election | Labour leader | Labour votes | Vote share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9,708,716 | 33.7% | |
| 2019 | 10,269,051 | 32.1% | |
| 2017 | 12,877,918 | 40.0% | |
| 2015 | 9,347,324 | 30.4% | |
| 2010 | 8,609,527 | 29.0% |
Saturday, July 25, 2026
An interesting fact
This is a good quiz question because anyone who watches the BBC or indeed reads the Daily Mail would refuse to believe the facts.
Story in Drablr
100-word stories are called "drabbles" in America but don't let that put you off.
Here is an example.
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
E mail from Antipodean Sci Fi
Email from Antipodean Sci Fi
Hello AntiSF authors and narrators,
Just a quick email to let you know that you have a story coming up on an episode of the AntiSF Radio Show soon.
713 Brunsia
Ache - by Charles Sartorius - narrated by John Dee
Gossamer - by John Doriot
Antari Girls Go Hard - by Cameron Scott Kirk
Awkward Customer - by Derek McMillan
30/08/2026
You can grab the audio from here <antisf.libsyn.com>, once the show is published as a podcast (usually around noon on Sunday, a little before the broadcast on 2NVR.
Ooroo for now,
Ion. Antari Girls Go Hard - by Cameron Scott Kirk
Awkward Customer - by Derek McMillan
30/08/2026
You can grab the audio from here <antisf.libsyn.com>, once the show is published as a podcast (usually around noon on Sunday, a little before the broadcast on 2NVR.
Ooroo for now,
Ion.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Monday, July 13, 2026
Audio version of "A Likely Story"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoX-Wb9r7gk
This was first published in Northern Flash Fictiion and this is the audio version.
This was first published in Northern Flash Fictiion and this is the audio version.
Wednesday, July 08, 2026
Friday, July 03, 2026
Signs on YouTube
https://youtu.be/TkIE-Xrfzak
I do not believe in horoscopes. Friends tell me that makes me a typical Capricorn.
Thursday, July 02, 2026
Monday, June 29, 2026
Abigail's Party
This review contains a spoiler.
Ferring Amateur Dramatic Society presented a production of the Mike
Leigh play "Abigail's Party" which was originally a 'Play for Today' on
the BBC.
The play is very representative of its time, right down to a lava lamp centre stage.
The Abigail of the title never appears. The party is next door to Abigail's house and includes a very worried Abigail's mother played excellently by Lina Grinstead.
A neighbour, Angela played by Julie Cleasby, adds humour to the production, especially with her unforgettable dancing. Her monosyllabic husband, played by Steve Baker, finds her such an embarrassment he allegedly suggested she could do with sellotape over her mouth.
The man of the house, played by Niall Conlan, is a local estate agent who is worked to death, quite literally.
The star of the show is Beverly, the excruciating host, played superbly by Sue Burroughs. A seventies' suburban party which starts out moderately dreadful deteriorates and deteriorates under Beverly's influence.
This is a first class production.
The play is very representative of its time, right down to a lava lamp centre stage.
The Abigail of the title never appears. The party is next door to Abigail's house and includes a very worried Abigail's mother played excellently by Lina Grinstead.
A neighbour, Angela played by Julie Cleasby, adds humour to the production, especially with her unforgettable dancing. Her monosyllabic husband, played by Steve Baker, finds her such an embarrassment he allegedly suggested she could do with sellotape over her mouth.
The man of the house, played by Niall Conlan, is a local estate agent who is worked to death, quite literally.
The star of the show is Beverly, the excruciating host, played superbly by Sue Burroughs. A seventies' suburban party which starts out moderately dreadful deteriorates and deteriorates under Beverly's influence.
This is a first class production.
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Things not to do
When submitting work to a magazine, which I do all the time, do not include the phrase "No AI was used in this writing. My robot told me to say that. :)"
They have no sense of humour about this.
Friday, June 05, 2026
Quiz Answers
1 Which planet
is furthest from the sun?
Nobody knows
(many planets are outside the solar system) but I will accept Neptune
as an answer!
2 It takes five
men six hours to dig seven holes. How long does it take one man to
dig half a hole?
You can’t dig half a
hole
3
The straits of Gibraltar are between the Atlantic and ?
A The
Mediterranean
4
A yellow ball in snooker scores?
Two
5
Which sport uses a foil?
Fencing
6
What does a dosette box contain?
A Pills
7
In Thomas the Tank Engine, Henry is which colour?
Green
8
The Aran islands contain how many islands?
Three
islands
9
Where is Wadebridge?
A Cornwall
10
Which planet is famous for the Great Red Spot?
Jupiter
11
What is Cafe au Lait?
A White
coffee
12
Joe Davis was a world champion in?
Snooker
13
Who wrote the book “Tom Jones”?
Henry Fielding
14
What is a penstemon?
a
flowering plant
15
Which was Daniel Craig’s first James Bond film?
A Casino
Royale
16
Marzipan is made from?
Almonds
17
Where would you find seas with no water?
On the moon.
18
The chemical element with the abbreviation Br is?
A Bromine
19
The Hoover Dam is on which river?
A The
Colorado
20
What is a Manx Shearwater?
A
bird
And the ever-popular grid. You need to find groups of four. All words have capital initial letters by tradition.
|
Police |
Trouble |
Jeopardy |
Ponce |
|
Lear |
Christmas |
George |
Top |
|
Phantom |
Paul |
Poor |
Bed |
|
John |
Water |
Jump |
Money |
Box – Police, Christmas, Poor, Money
Double – Trouble, Jeopardy Top, Bed
Saint = John Paul George Ponce
Jet = Lear, Phantom, Water, Jump
Thursday, June 04, 2026
Rage
I notice that after calling for people to "rage", millionaire Nigel
Farage made sure he was well away from the racists who were raging in the
streets with bricks and bottles.
It would have spoilt his suit.
It would have spoilt his suit.
Quiz
1 Which planet
is furthest from the sun?
2 It takes five
men six hours to dig seven holes. How long does it take one man to
dig half a hole?
3
The straits of Gibraltar are between the Atlantic and ?
4
A yellow ball in snooker scores?
5
Which sport uses a foil?
6
What does a dosette box contain?
7
In Thomas the Tank Engine, Henry is which colour?
8
The Aran islands contain how many islands?
9
Where is Wadebridge?
10
Which planet is famous for the Great Red Spot?
11
What is Cafe au Lait?
12
Joe Davis was a world champion in?
13
Who wrote the book “Tom Jones”?
14
What is a penstemon?
15
Which was Daniel Craig’s first James Bond film?
16
Marzipan is made from?
17
Where would you find seas with no water?
18
The chemical element with the abbreviation Br is?
19
The Hoover Dam is on which river?
20 What is a Manx Shearwater?
And the ever-popular grid. You need to find groups of four. All words have capital initial letters by tradition.
|
Police |
Trouble |
Jeopardy |
Ponce |
|
Lear |
Christmas |
George |
Top |
|
Phantom |
Paul |
Poor |
Bed |
|
John |
Water |
Jump |
Money |
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Thursday, May 07, 2026
Second Hand Books
Tuesday, May 05, 2026
May the Fourth be With You
Worthing Symphony Orchestra is 100 this year. This is amazing as many of them don't look a day over ninety.
They celebrated Star Wars Day (May the Fourth) with a spectacular concert of music from the movies.
This included a medley of James Bond themes featuring the work of Monty Norman and John Barry.
The most evocative and memorable themes were from Jaws by John Williams and Psycho by Bernard Hermann.
There was a lot to enjoy in this programme.
The finale was a performance of the Star Wars music. A volunteer taking the role of Princess Leia appeared during her theme but the best and most dramatic theme is that of Darth Vader. At the end a player representing the man himself appeared with a red lightsabre and bowed to the audience.
It was a great evening.
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
The Call of the Wild
Jack London made a fortune from the Klondike gold rush. He didn't find any gold but he wrote many successful stories instead. "The Call of the Wild" is an example. It is the story of the evolution of a dog (Buck) from the south lands who learnt the harsh lessons of life in a dog team.
It goes on to talk of the dreams which take Buck back to a primordial age.
Jack London's sense of humour is fierce and there is more than a little schadenfreude about his depiction of some of the quite unsuitable people who wound up out of their depth and frequently died from ignorance during the gold rush.
Thursday, April 09, 2026
Wednesday, April 01, 2026
Murder from Beyond the Grave (hardback)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/168278555319
The hardback edition of "Murder from Beyond the Grave" came out today.
Saturday, March 28, 2026
Nell Gwynne by Ferring Amateur Dramatic Society
The play opened with a messenger reading from a scroll. By Royal Command, the audience were forbidden the use of mobile phones. This set the tone for the production. You name it, this play ridiculed it.
Women were not allowed on the stage. Their roles were taken by men and boys. It was only in the reign of Charles II that this changed and the actors who had been sarcastic and unpleasant about Nell Gwynne ( played by Julie Cleasby) were forced to change their tune when they realised she not only attracted the hoi polloi to the theatre but also earned them royal patronage.
To say that Charles II (played by Roy Stevens) was a bit up himself would be an understatement. However, Nell Gwynne knew exactly how to bring him down to earth. He was not used to people who were not flattering him and that was the last thing she would do.
Credit must go to Martin Hoskins whose role of John Dryden ridiculed the writer's dependence on plagiarising Shakespeare and his inability to complete his work in time.
The fatal game of Pell Mell (a predecessor of Croquet), which put an end to the reign was depicted using mallets provided by Worthing Croquet Club. On his death bed, the king insisted, "Do not let poor Nelly starve."
The conclusion sees Nell return to the theatre and even take over the role of Dryden by writing an epilogue to the play.
It was a fun evening for all concerned.
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Places to submit work
Places to submit work
https://www.newpages.com/
http://www.pw.org/literary_
http://www.
https://www.facebook.com/
https://discover.submittable.
https://publishedtodeath.
https://thegrinder.
https://heavyfeatherreview.
https://www.clmp.org/programs-
https://discover.submittable.
https://publishedtodeath.
https://thegrinder.
https://heavyfeatherreview.
https://www.clmp.org/programs-
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