iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The job search continues. My attempt to sell Happy Days products was shut down by the authorities. They accused me of running a Fonzie scheme.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

With all this coverage about Manchester City finally emerging, I missed this about one of the architects of the takeover. He sounds like a right wrong 'un, but who would play him in the movie?

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#music #playlist I had great fun putting together this almost six hour playlist of toe-tapping and finger-clicking jazz, ska and R&B rarities and classics from the late 50s and early 60s. Enjoy! open.spotify.com/playlist/44M...

open.spotify.com

Now I'm hip - Beatnik Sounds of the late 50s and early 60s

All the jazz, ska and R&B that the cool cats were listening to

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

A former Olympic boxer has become a Financial Planner after winning his only professional bout. He said: "I turned pro for the money only to realise that money gives you a little bit of happiness, but it gives you zero fulfilment." A sensible move? www.financialplanningtoday.co.uk/news/olympic...

financialplanningtoday.co.uk

Olympic boxer turned Planner joins Skybound Wealth

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

My first away trip of the season saw AFC Wimbledon lose a 1-0 lead to end up with a draw with Cambridge United after a 91st minute equaliser. I'd never been to Cambridge so made sure to enjoy several of its pubs and a walk along the Cam.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I've had an interesting and fun week. I hope you have too.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#Fraudsters are now trying to trick people into believe their #scam emails are genuine by adding the heading: 'If this message was incorrectly flagged as spam, kindly mark it as "Not Spam".' As usual the giveaway is the dodgy email address of the sender. Block the crooks.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

A London investment broker has today gone into special administration. It has had 15 names in its history. That's a signal, perhaps, that it wasn't terrible reliable despite having been authorised by the FCA. Should the regulator have acted sooner? www.financialplanningtoday.co.uk/news/london-...

financialplanningtoday.co.uk

London investment broker enters special administration

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Ed Sheeran's star has waned so far he's now satirical fodder for Private Eye cartoonists

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Postcard from the top of the Reichstag building in Berlin. It's free entry the German parliament and is well worth a visit. Although, sadly thousands of other tourists had the same bright idea!

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Berlin culture: we're at the Deutsch Opera to see a production of Tosca, in a German opera house, sing in Italian, with subtitles in English. Cosmopolitan!

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Why am I always fascinated by city rivers? This is The Spree, Berlin's main river, pictured in Charlottenburg, which was a separate town until 1920.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Time for reflection in Berlin

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I've had a fun and interesting week. I hope you have too.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The job search continues. I was sacked from the department store for stealing an item. I told them I'd been diagnosed as having kleptomania and the doctor had told me to take something for it.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: Shadow Of A Doubt, 1943. Hitchcock's favourite of his films. Joseph Cotton is charming Uncle Charlie, but his adoring niece Teresa Wright fears he may have a dark secret. Suspensful and chilling #FilmNoir on @Film4 at 11am. youtu.be/QAdjnumtmXs

youtu.be

Shadow of a Doubt Trailer (1943) Alfred Hitchcock

YouTube video by the villain whispered

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It was 40 years ago that I first saw The Wedding Present and it was great to see another iteration of the group in Kingston playing an acoustic set of some of their best from the last four decades. It was also a great pleasure to chat to David Gedge - but much less of a pleasure for him!

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I saw The Children at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith. Hard-hitting drama about former workers at a nuclear power station after a disaster. Meera Syal, Declan Conlon and Kerry Fox faced up to their past with anger and regret and with issues, but it lacked coherency for me. It runs until 3 October.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I'm heading to #Berlin for the first time this weekend. If you've been there, what would be one tip you'd give me: something to see or do, or advice on getting around. Many thanks

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: Sahara, 1943. Rugged Humphrey Bogart leads a ragged multi-national tank crew in an heroic hopeless rearguard fight against hundreds of Nazis in the desert heat. It's a classic gung-ho war drama on Legend Channel at 3pm youtu.be/NuHYqjUnxMA?...

youtu.be

SAHARA (1943) Theatrical Trailer - Humphrey Bogart, Bruce Bennett, J. Carrol Naish

YouTube video by Biggest Trailer DataBase

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Can you spot 18-year-old Michael Caine's first film appearance, in the audience at a youth club in the government 1951 propaganda film 'On National Service' film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/41653

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

"I don't mean to be bold, but may I hold your hand" Marc Bolan was killed in a car crash at Barnes today in 1977, a staggering 49 years ago. T Rex made some brilliant records, at least to this kid's ears. It all started with 1971 number one Hot Love for me youtu.be/--EcVz-KaVU?...

youtu.be

Marc Bolan & T.Rex - Hot Love

YouTube video by DreamyLadyify

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

youtu.be

SAHARA (1943) Theatrical Trailer - Humphrey Bogart, Bruce Bennett, J. Carrol Naish

YouTube video by Biggest Trailer DataBase

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: Seance On A Wet Afternoon, 1964. British psychological kidnapping thriller with Kim Stanley and Dicky Attenborough as a mentally-unstable medium and her cowed husband. It's deliciously disturbing on @talkingpicturestv.bsky.social at 1.30pm youtu.be/oLrtv6YfyVE

youtu.be

Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) Original Trailer [FHD]

YouTube video by HD Retro Trailers

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Claire Cullingworth @ccullingworth.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This made me smile, attached to an ordinary cast iron drainpipe on a house in Durham. #TinyJoys

A cast iron drain pipe going down the side of a white-painted house. A crest of red feathers and a bright orange beak made from something solid have been attached around it. It looks remarkably like "Feathers McGraw", the evil criminal penguin from The Wrong Trousers.

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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026

Your regular reminder: If the Russians stop fighting, the war ends. If the Ukrainians stop fighting, their land will be occupied, their leaders will be killed, their history and language will be erased, their children will be kidnapped to serve Russia.

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Reposted by SimonRead

Dukenfield @dukenfield.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Freeview (UK) #film of the day : Mike Hodges' crime thriller Get Carter (1971 106 mins.) starring Michael Caine, Ian Hendry & Britt Ekland [BBC 2 23.05 & iPlayer for 30 days] letterboxd.com/film/get-car... Unhand Alf Roberts you ruffian!

letterboxd.com

Get Carter (1971)

Jack Carter is a small-time hood working in London. When word reaches him of his brother's death, he travels to Newcastle to attend the funeral. Refusing to accept the police report of suicide, Carter...

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Rock trivia: can you name these three famous musicians pictured together at the the Whisky A Go-Go on Sunset Boulevard in 1974?

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Can you trust #AI? Not when it comes to financial advice. AI models give wrong answers to financial inquiries 57% of the time while on harder questions the AI models make mistakes in 88% of cases. Anyone using AI advice faces making costly mistakes www.financialplanningtoday.co.uk/news/ai-mode...

financialplanningtoday.co.uk

AI models found to give inaccurate financial advice

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I saw The Meffs, easily the best Essex punk band I've seen in years! They played their new album at Kingston College tonight putting it across with loads of energy and fun. Brilliant!

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Saw a rare event, an AFC Wimbledon win at home. They beat Doncaster Rovers 1-0 with a well-taken free kick just ahead of half time. They're up to seventh in the league, which is highly flattering, but pleasing.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I've had a fun and interesting week. I hope you have too (Maze in Hammersmith; The Story at the Olivier; Kasabian in Kingston; Chelsea 6 Leeds 3 at Stamford Bridge)

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The job search continues. My plan to make money by shipping frogs and snails to sell in France went awry when the custom authorities confiscated all the frogs. I ended up with less cargo.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

"So you think my singing's out of time, well, it makes me money" The amount of AI music is rising, with Spotify removing millions of AI tracks from its platform last year. But do casual listeners even care whether the tunes they hear are original or created by computer?

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

ridiculous but fun game at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea come back from being 2-0 down at 52 minutes to win 6-3 against Leeds United in the League Cup. Football is crazy sometimes.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

National Treasure trivia: What was founded in 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck?

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Last night's view of the South Bank from the National Theatre during the interval at 8.30pm. I can't think of any other London theatre that offers such a magnificent view to enjoy midway through a play

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I saw Kasabian at Circuit in Kingston with Sergio Pizzorno the perfect front man, full of passion and energy and whipping up the crowd expertly, and even joining the crowd for one number. The small-sized venue means you get a real feeling of intimacy with the powerful music too. Excellent gig.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

#blackandwhitefilm of the day: How Green Was My Valley, 1941. Is it the Welsh in me that makes me love this evocative Oscar-winner? Strong characters and touching story sees proud mining family struggle at the start of the 20th century on @Film4 at 4.25pm youtu.be/SWthT6_MTHk?...

youtu.be

How Green Was My Valley (1941): Re-issue Trailer - Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara - Classic Dramas

YouTube video by Turner Classic Movies

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

We saw The Story at the Olivier Theatre. It's a 2003 US play about journalistic ethics and racism which seemed curiously out of date. Great performances, as always, and an interesting first half, but the story fades away leaving me unsure why it is being produced now. It runs until 24 October.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Monday's theatre treat is The Story, a hard-hitting play about journalism that I'm really looking forward to

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The South Bank, Monday evening, summer's gone

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The job search continues. I got fired from the clock-making factory after I put in some extra hours.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

We saw Maze at the Hammersmith Apollo. There's no Frankie Beverley anymore, but it's a tight band playing funky life-affirming soul giving everyone in the audience a happy, dancing time. And we snuck down the front for Joy and Pain, which was glorious

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Now at the excellent Tap Tavern #pub in Richmond. There's a crisp fiver on offer to anyone who can name the two beers I've chosen!

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