iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

The new London Blue Note venue is brilliant and Senegal's Baaba Maal is a great entertainer at 73. I would recommend seeing both

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 7h

Excited to be visiting London's newest jazz club

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 15h

I'm just about to tackle my first mince pie of the season. Happy Christmas everyone!

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Postcard from Stratford, London (artfully ignoring the just-out-of-shot football stadium)

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Here's my favourite photo I took in September. What's yours? (This is a group of tourists at the Neue Wache Memorial in Berlin. It's a war remembrance building with the statue 'Mother with her Dead Son' by Käthe Kollwitz'Neue details here www.visitberlin.de/en/neue-wach...)

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Nine years ago, I went down from the 19th row to the front and encouraged everyone to stand up as Wilko performed with John Cooper Clarke at the Royal Albert Hall, to celebrate Wilko's 70th birthday. Eagle-eyed viewers will spot me in these two pictures, in my black Wilko t-shirt!

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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 · 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 · 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 · 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

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 · 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 · 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

"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

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

Second #pub of Saturday is a packed White Cross on the river at Richmond. Landord's off so I had to resort to Twickenham Brewery's Naked Ladies!

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

Saturday #pub today is The Sun Inn at Richmond. It claims to be London's premier rugby pub but, thankfully, football is on the telly. It's a Fullers pub but sells none of the brewer's stouts I love. Instead guest beer is Timothy Taylor's Golden Ale, a refreshing 3.4% brew.

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

I've had a fun and interesting week. I hope you have two. (Elektra/Persona at the National; Avenue Q at the Shaftesbury; Chelsea 4 Brighton 3 at Stamford Bridge; late night at the BFI, Southbank)

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I rushed out to buy it because it was one of the first ever 12-inch singles sold. But, you're right, it was better than almost everything around at that time. Look at the dross that stopped it getting to number 1, leaving it peaking at no 7 in November 1976!

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I saw Elektra/Persona at the Lyttleton. It's mainly a theatrical version of Bergman's 1966 film, with Cate Blanchett and Nina Hoss putting in powerful performances as the actress and nurse and a camera and screen showing their shifting personas. But it lacked the love and horror of the film.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The last to leave. Wednesday night, BFI, Southbank. #London

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

This teacher really enjoyed #AFCWimbledon's climactic winner against Walsall

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I saw Avenue Q at the Shaftesbury Theatre. It's a very slick and fast-paced Broadway musical with puppets and lots of inappropriate gags. I was more entertained than I expected but my enjoyment of the show was improved by moving from my 23rd row restricted view seat to the middle of the 10th row.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

I'm off to the theatre tonight to see Avenue Q and then tomorrow to see Elektra/Persona at the National. One is a psychologically-intense drama based on Sophocles & Ingmar Bergman and the other is a musical-comedy featuring foul-mouthed puppets. A contrast but I know which I'm likely to enjoy more!

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

We saw Chelsea beat Brighton 4-3 at Stamford Bridge in an entertaining game which saw Chelsea take a 3-0 lead within half an hour, but then throw away an easy-looking victory with some poor-defending. But if the Blues carry on scoring more than they concede, then it could be a good season.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

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

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I saw Chelsea beat Luton in the second round of the League Cup. Luton are a busy League One side but Chelsea gradually wore them down to win 2-0 in what felt like a fairly perfunctory victory. Leeds at home in the next round

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

"The posh. The entitled. The venal. The grifter." John Crace doesn't hold back in today's Guardian

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Social media posts from MP Rupert Lowe are getting increasingly racist and unpleasant. Is it being driven by the fact that the more the divisive political content he posts the more money he earns on social media. His income from his abhorrent posts now equals the pay he gets acting as an MP.

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SimonRead @simonread.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

It's League One football as AFC Wimbledon take on Reading. One of these sides looks to be struggling this season, and it's not Reading

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