Eye Catching Words

In this week’s Eyecatching Words: Shamima Begum: evil or abandoned?  The next government: A bitter inheritance or a golden opportunity? Islamophobia? What’s that then?Trident: Faking it Lord of the Rings cosplay The millennium bug - 24 years later Bollocks to that

The last seven days and how to get over that feeling that you are an insignificant speck in the face of an uncaring universe.

7 Days, The case against Trident, Steep in Hampshire, and Yorkshire

In addition to a look back at the world over the last the week I will also be talking about the global threat from pigeons, and how a pineapple can accidentally enhance your sex life. This week’s main feature is a reflection on maleness in an age when gender and attitudes towards it have never been more fluid and, to some extent, have never been more controversial.

Smuggling sand, Artificial Intelligence, Get Ready for War, It's not 1997, Flashback, and Capturing the Moment

45 years of travel condensed into 20 minutes. Everything from Copenhagen drug dens to meeting Bill Bryson on a train.

Carpe Diem. Easier said than done as this account of one day in my life shows. Find out how I coped with over-enthusiastic pet food salesman, mad cats and a world gone crazy. Explore the myth of the randy milkman. And share my fantasy of being served beer by a former Colombian gunslinger whilst he wears a sparkly pink dress. And listen to a fab piece of music with a message.

Lessons in falling over. Dutch masters and 20th Century heroes. The Post Office scandal and how it could get worse. Trump's frontal assault on democracy in the US. The mouse that tidied up. Kitchen appliances with personalities. Mavis, Mammouls and the Middle East. And Elvis Costello.

Being happy in sad times, Time Shelter, and the ghost 1970s Christmas Past

Christmas, beer and pagan cheer

Looking back at 2020 and the collapse of the high street, Delulu as a way of life for Generation Z, and the benefits of talking to strangers

500 year old ships, Christmas Markets, Thanksgiving, Caterpillar Soup and a pyramid dismantled.

As well as an extended look back over the last week on a personal and global front, my take on the end of a 42 year NHS career.

As well as an analysis of the news, three features and a wonderful layout from Diana Ross

Israel / Gaza; Oops there goes another icon; this year's love letter to London; AI standup and more.

Who is really running the world and are conspiracy theorists just part of their plan? Is Iris from Morpeth right or does Wes Anderson have the answer?

The Loch Ne=ss Monster, Graduation day(s) and getting bolder as you grow older

A stream of consciousness view of the week and the latest on. the forthcoming apocalypse .

This week's episode looks back at the sixties through the photographs of Paul McCartney, recalls the year that Trump got elected through the eyes of his supporters, and uses the wisdom of Stephen Covey when planning the future. Plus a great dance off to finish.

A ramble through a week of Art, London river walks, and the musings of Aldous Huxley. Also some advice on how to live forever, thanks to QR codes.

Movies, food, Jane Austen and a walk in the park.

Lisbon, Kazakhstan, and Uxbridge. Bells and Spanish guitar. Upcycling and the pope. Never a dull moment on the Eyecatching Words podcast.

This is a very different podcast as it consists of a straight conversation between the Soul Mate and I about our wonderful experience of Lisbon with all the highs and lows and hacks and suggestions. Like the city itself this podcast is rough at the edges but full of fun and some hidden gems. Recorded against the backdrop of street sounds from below our balcony in the Graca District between Pena and Alfama, it is an hour of unscripted memories that you may find useful if you are planning a trip in the near future.

As well as the usual look back at the week, some advice on being a successful wedding guest and a brief look back at a trip to Jerusalem. Plus a spoonful of sugar. NOTE: Apologies for the technical problems with this episode ... there were issues ...

Boil in the bag funerals, the shape of water to come and black milk. Plus a surprise intervention from Mariella Frostrup and a great dance out at the end.

This week's episode is the big three-oh and is notable for being the first time I've used AI generated voices. The main theme is looking back - to last week and pink plastic trees, to four years ago when the government prorogued parliament, and to thirteen years ago when a volcano left me stranded a long way from home. Like an IKEA pencil it is short and to the point, but unlike a trip IKEA you won't have to put it together yourself and you won't be spending money on things you don't really need. Enjoy.

A look back at the week and in particular the evil that is Shell Oil and the relaunch of Boris Johnson as the Alpha Mail. On a more positive note, the history of the handshake and a song by the great George Michael.

When Woking hit the buffers. How to manage life's overheads. Rubber ducks all at sea and chips with Elon Musk.

The second part of this year's Hay Festival with reviews and a conversation about the place itself.

Eyecatching is let loose with his soul mate in the Welsh Countryside with some famous names including Richard E Grant, Simon Sharma Michael Parkinson and many others. Enjoy the critiques, the clips and the built-in bloopers.

The focus of this episode is on meaning and happiness, with a look at the poet John Donne and some evidence based research. In addition there is the usual selective view of the week's events and a take on the latest artificial intelligence debate. And maybe one or two rabbit holes ...

This week - a rear view mirror on my world; the fabulous talent of Tom Lehrer; AI on screen; and Mental Health Awareness Week

As well as a rear view mirror on the week and those local election results, I'll be giving a proper reaction to the coronation, explaining why September 10th this year could be a date to fix on when fixing the country, and as usual scanning the news for the latest on AI.

A 35 minute audio book fiction special for the coronation of King Charles III. A change of monarch causes a surge in the supernatural as ghosts of the British Empire come back to haunt a suburb of South London ...

A rear view mirror on the week and the week's news; the new Tory policy brainwave - just get on with it; Lost Mills and Ghost Mansions; and this week's take on Artificial Intelligence.

The week in the rear view mirror; Surviving depression; Reflections on the death of Stephen Lawrence thirty years on; Why you can't trust this Brexit obsessed government with Artificial Intelligence; and special bonus material: A walk along the Thames

A look back at the week at home and abroad including the Essex golliwog affair and its aftermath. Plus a review of Ian Dun't brilliant new book How Westminster Works and Why It Doesn't; How to replace the BBC's licence fee with something more 21st Century; and the latest on AI including the fake TV newsreader.

The spring edition with a review of religious customs; why men should not feel bad about drinking less beer; and how you might be able to rent you body to an AI in the future.

Why I write; The week in view; The wonderful world of mushrooms; Eight billion reasons to be a bit uneasy; and Tik Tok versus the arms race - a lesson for our times.

This episode majors on a fascinating conversation piece about Germany since World War Two, how it has developed, and how it is now emerging as the leader amongst Western liberal democracies as they struggle to overcome the problems of the last decade. Plus a personal roundup of news in a week that was so busy with big stories you may have missed what really mattered.

An irreverent look back at the week's news; Mother's Day is bollocks ;The Budget; Straplines ... plus a bonus blooper!

The week in view, Jo Brand and my life of crime, and never mind Gary what about Dave? A twenty four minute romp through my musings on the week and some fame by association.

The week in view; Greygate. Tomatogate and Partygate; Last train to Woking; The Generation Game; and a beautiful solo track from a recent earthquake appeal open mic night.

What we can do about the Ukraine one year on; The Plant Killers; Further on up the road Part 2; Radicalised old men; and where to get your t shirt in the new eye catching words merchandise store.

An emotional appeal for the victims of the Turkey / Syria earthquake; bizarre car stories; Sleepless in Seattle; and a tribute to Paul Jennings

My lunch with an armed robber; South London - The Musical!; Why Dad's Army isn 't funny any more

This week's  episode contains a satire on how political parties might restore strong and competent leadership, a plea as to how ordinary people can take the good fight back to the front line of hate, and recaps the great woke coffee affair which hit the streets of Connecticut recently. There is also a very personal poetic tribute to the city of my birth.

This week's bumper episode contains a fascinating link between oven chips and health and safety, a question about how Jane Eyre would handle living in the digital age, and a self indulgent look at the world of art focusing on the current Tate Cezanne exhibition. There is also a slightly mind boggling argument in favour of cannibalism. But please don't try it at home. Eating people is very obviously wrong. But we kick off with an interview with a veteran of the English Civil War, and some fascinating insights into the clothing, weapons and history of the death of King Charles the First.

This week's episode covers a magical trip to the magical city of Canterbury, a homage to two unsung heroes, Frank and Lizzie, reflections on climate change inertia, and an insight into the Bruges Group of oh-so-woe-is-me white heterosexual males. As usual these reflections stem from my journal which is published every day at www.blipfoto.com/eyecatching.

Art, Artificial Intelligence and Prince Albert share this week's airtime with James Thurber, red hats, and the local fire brigade. Unlike life it somehow makes sense. make a coffee, sit back, and enjoy the connections ...