[Bones McCoy]

Always Phoebe, Allegra and Jocasta.

Why are Sharon, Tracey, Hayley, Trisha and Sangria never delivering these letters?

[Youngian]

There isn’t much master builder Roger Bisby doesn’t know about insulating houses. He inserts a Partridgesque caveat to distance himself from the antics of Stop the Oil protestors

[Tubby Isaacs]

I actually put the wrong link up. Here is Jenkins having his arse handed to him BTL.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... -women-ban

[Youngian]

Is Jenkins a queer?

[Abernathy]

John Crace, absolutely knocking it out the fucking park.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024 ... john-crace

I achieved more at international trade. Here I negotiated a stunning trade deal with North Macedonia which was worth a staggering 0.00002% growth to GDP over the next 50 years. I had looked the naysayers in the face and had proved them wrong.

[davidjay]

That was absolute genius.

[Youngian]

An unforeseen problem of labour shortages in the retail sector is Adrian Chiles will have to pack himself some sandwiches and a flask in future

In the early hours of a motorway service station, I learned that the 24-hour city is over
The M&S was shut. The Costa was shut. Burger King, Greggs and KFC were shut too. Maybe us humans just weren’t designed to stay up all night. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... 1716465491

[Dalem Lake]

I don't know why the Guardian has him a columnist. Every single piece he posts looks like the most irrelevant shite ever.

[davidjay]

Apart from Littlejohn-standard entitlement ("Why can't I get what I want, when I want?) it's also nonsense. Parts of London have always closed surprisingly early, most city centres used to be deserted once the shops shut at 5.30, pubs closed at eleven at the latest, Sunday trading laws.

[kreuzberger]

I don't know why the Guardian has him a columnist. Every single piece he posts looks like the most irrelevant shite ever.

Indeed, it is a mystery but he is married to Katherine Viner, the editor of The Guardian.

[Bones McCoy]

I don't know why the Guardian has him a columnist. Every single piece he posts looks like the most irrelevant shite ever.

He seems a blend of Peter Kay (Does anybody remember Opal Fruits) and the Lifestyle columnists who write in the women's pages of the Express and Mail (Met Imogen and Alegra for lunch, lots of prosecco, but the cafe didn't have full butter croissants. Woke ruins everything.).

[Bones McCoy]

Apart from Littlejohn-standard entitlement ("Why can't I get what I want, when I want?) it's also nonsense. Parts of London have always closed surprisingly early, most city centres used to be deserted once the shops shut at 5.30, pubs closed at eleven at the latest, Sunday trading laws.

You've Lloyd George to thank for that.
Won't somebody think of the arms industry.

(Popular history claims that the Lloyd George government introduced pub closing hours to ensure prompt and sober arrivals at munition plants during the first world war).

[Youngian]

Apart from Littlejohn-standard entitlement ("Why can't I get what I want, when I want?) it's also nonsense. Parts of London have always closed surprisingly early, most city centres used to be deserted once the shops shut at 5.30, pubs closed at eleven at the latest, Sunday trading laws.

The odd well publicised service stations are all-nighters but Colonel Sanders isn’t going to hang around on the off chance that Adrian Chiles pops in at 2.30am.

What’s happened to the Mail’s Adrian Chiles wannabe columnist Boris Johnson, quietly shelved as he couldn’t be arsed?

[Andy McDandy]

I think he's still knocking them out - there was one recently about ducks and aren't we a nation of animal lovers and hasn't Carrie made me a big softy. But they're not advertising him prominently, and I suspect he's doing his contractual obligation and nothing else.

All his columns follow the same pattern anyway - self deprecating anecdote, "my friends", appeal to nostalgia and/or chocolate box history, great British something or other, I did something amazing as mayor of London/PM, don't let Khan/Starmer ruin it.

[davidjay]

Apart from Littlejohn-standard entitlement ("Why can't I get what I want, when I want?) it's also nonsense. Parts of London have always closed surprisingly early, most city centres used to be deserted once the shops shut at 5.30, pubs closed at eleven at the latest, Sunday trading laws.

You've Lloyd George to thank for that.
Won't somebody think of the arms industry.

(Popular history claims that the Lloyd George government introduced pub closing hours to ensure prompt and sober arrivals at munition plants during the first world war).

And the Defence of the Realm Act also banned buying drinks for other people, so no getting a round in. You couldn't even buy a drink for your son who was home on leave.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Indeed, and it was enforced. In a local pub a man was charged with 'treating' for buying his pal a drink. And convicted, fined and pilloried.

But then local people also attacked Belgian refugees for being forrin.

[davidjay]

Apart from Littlejohn-standard entitlement ("Why can't I get what I want, when I want?) it's also nonsense. Parts of London have always closed surprisingly early, most city centres used to be deserted once the shops shut at 5.30, pubs closed at eleven at the latest, Sunday trading laws.

The odd well publicised service stations are all-nighters but Colonel Sanders isn’t going to hang around on the off chance that Adrian Chiles pops in at 2.30am.

What’s happened to the Mail’s Adrian Chiles wannabe columnist Boris Johnson, quietly shelved as he couldn’t be arsed?

Indeed. We can all remember the odd all-night cafe or petrol station but they were usually one-man businesses with minimal overheads and a dedicated clientele (taxi drivers, railway workers et al).

[Malcolm Armsteen]

And tarts.

[soulboy]

Apart from Littlejohn-standard entitlement ("Why can't I get what I want, when I want?) it's also nonsense. Parts of London have always closed surprisingly early, most city centres used to be deserted once the shops shut at 5.30, pubs closed at eleven at the latest, Sunday trading laws.

The odd well publicised service stations are all-nighters but Colonel Sanders isn’t going to hang around on the off chance that Adrian Chiles pops in at 2.30am.

What’s happened to the Mail’s Adrian Chiles wannabe columnist Boris Johnson, quietly shelved as he couldn’t be arsed?

Indeed. We can all remember the odd all-night cafe or petrol station but they were usually one-man businesses with minimal overheads and a dedicated clientele (taxi drivers, railway workers et al).

And journalists, once the final edition had been put to bed.

Ah, I see Malcolm had them covered.

[Youngian]

Do the legendary Wapping pubs with obscure market trader licences still exist? Printers, journos and market traders boozing it up at 7am.