The world according to Kirkey
I remember the days when concerts created candid individual connections. Serious solitude within the masses is a gift; something to be revered, relished, and protected. Whether it was headbanging to Motörhead at the Oxford Apollo, playing my private air guitar to Status Quo at The Milton Keynes Bowl, or lamenting lost loves to Level 42 … Read more
Live entertainment is unparalleled. By being there – for instance at a concert, sporting event, theatre or air show – you are part of the unfolding history. There is an explicit emotional link between you and the main event that can often have a magical and lasting effect. Seeing Queen at Wembley in 1986 and … Read more
From my perspective, WhatsApp is a terrific tool for convenient communication; fast and often furious. However, there is an important qualification to this assertion: one to one chat is champion. Unfortunately, being connected to a group chat is where it all seems to get gruesome. Even more grotesque are the community groups – a virtual … Read more
I love a good natter: from idle chit-chat through to the philosophical riddles of life. At the lower end of the communication continuum, the topic of talk rarely bewilders or bamboozles me. Similarly, gratuitous gossip – although often exciting as long as I’m not the central character – comes without cerebral strain. I prefer to … Read more
I’ve often heard proud Brits extol the virtue of our democracy. Some will even go as far as championing our unwritten constitution – a mishmash of conventions, common law, and Acts of Parliament ─ as a marvel of democratic resilience and flexibility. The fact is that the majority of citizens don’t have a Scooby-Doo about … Read more
The way we feel the day after an emotional high is usually in direct contrast to the manner in which our passions pulsated just a few hours previously. Psychologist Dr Elizabeth Lombardo describes this phenomenon as a “happiness hangover,” asserting that our instinctive ambition to hit a target is rewarding, a natural high, an adrenalin … Read more
Seeking literary stimulus whilst lazing in the garden soaking up the scintillating sunshine – a pretty rare British occurrence – I decided to harness the power of social media. Ever so slightly exaggerating my status and always looking for the double entendre I declared, “Laying naked in the garden looking for inspiration for a topic … Read more
As a practising hypochondriac I have never been slow to react to a bodily function giving me distress. Anything from man flu upwards usually necessitates a Google health check, or a conversation with someone in the medical fraternity. In my quest for immortality this proportionate response has given me a high degree of reassurance. However, … Read more
Music of the Spheres World Tour: Cardiff, Tuesday 6th June 2023. I feel embarrassed. Confused. Dumbfounded and distressed. I’ve lived my life with scant awareness of one of life’s most exceptional experiences. Coldplay live! That is, until I was educated at the Principality Stadium, bang in the middle of the Welsh capital, whereupon an eruption … Read more
A not so long time ago, in the Milky Way galaxy, I once had some pretty far, far away thoughts. Apologies to all Star Wars aficionados out there for my clumsy corruption of the opening sequence, but in keeping with one of the principal characters, I used to look like Chewbacca: hair fucking everywhere. My … Read more