Nicky Bond's Blog, page 17

Gargantuan Mistakes All Over the Place...

Everyone cringe-watching
Matt Hancock.I don't usually watch I'm A Celebrity. I did the whole thing once, about six years ago, but since then I get the gist of each camp's comings and goings via other watchers' chat. This year, I've even less interest. Time will tell but it feels like a gargantuan mistake to put a disgraced sitting MP, still awaiting an inquiry into excess deaths during his time as Health Secretary, into a light entertainment show. The juxtaposition is simply too jarring and feels...

Gatekeepers and Cheerleaders...

It's time, once again, for the monthly Ramble. No Weekly Update this time, just me and some paragraphs banging on about whatever. Exciting, yes? This week, the topic is Imposter Syndrome. Or rather the fleeting feeling of joy when it's kicked into touch. First of all, let's get down to brass tacks. Imposter Syndrome is... 

'"a psychological occurrence in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud"

Bloody g...

Too Old For That Bucket List...

Michael Owen being younger
and brillianter than me.The year was 1998. A flatmate's boyfriend was reading the sports' pages and said, 'Nicky, what do you think about this Liverpool player that's been called up for England?' I didn't think anything because I had no idea who he was, nor anyone who played for Liverpool Men but as the token scouser in my East Midlands Uni, I presumably did my best to represent. Later, when I found out Michael Owen was nineteen, I felt a gut punch of disappointment. I ...

Mantel, Attention-Seekers, and Wishing I Were Scottish...

From @isthatscully
on Twitter.Once again, and for all the wrong reasons, the world's eyes are watching. Mirth-filled and incredulous they're wide-open, unable to process the chaotic madness as it unfolds. 
Normally, that would be the set up to a joke. I'd lure you into thinking I was referring to the current UK political mess, but then land a punchline about something completely different. But nope. You were right first time. It really is that ridiculous. There are, however, some small blessings ...

Any Excuse for a Lansbury Gif...

QueenA month ago, the country was mourning the death of the Queen, whilst I felt largely indifferent. But now? I totally get it. Angela Lansbury, queen of my heart, died last week. All the phrases that were bandied about during the royal period of mourning suddenly make sense. She was like everyone's nan... She's been there my entire life... I never thought she'd actually die... all felt real for the first time. For me, anyway. 
QueenWhether it was Murder She Wrote throughout your youth, kids' cl...

Kalush is coming to Liverpool!...

The Kalush Orchestra won 
Eurovision 2022Commiserations to Glasgow! You had a cracking bid that I was convinced was the clincher. Turns out, myself, the bookies, and the months-long fan chat, was wrong. The European Broadcasting Union and the BBC have chosen Liverpool as the host of Eurovision 2023. Woohoo for all concerned.
Scousers who only watch on the Saturday night in May, have got a lovely surprise coming. Liverpool will live and breathe Eurovision, weeks up to the night. The fortnight run u...

If I Had a Dog, I'd Call it Los Barcos...

This is the sort of
GIF I'd use.It's time for the monthly Ramble and aren't I glad about that. Because if I had to write  an update after the week just gone, my opening paragraph would be 'WTF???' Repeated forever in bold, next to a GIF of a dropped jaw. (For readers from the future, the UK just got a new PM, she tanked the economy, and we're all fucked.)
So let's delve into some escapism. But first, a quick preamble. 
Perimenopausal insomnia is the worst. Yep, I'm not mincing my words. I imagine a...

Stretching for Good News...

Happy memories

Since last week it's been a mad scramble to catch up with the news. Some of it's been fanfared via iPhone news alerts. Other headlines have been less blatant. Did you see Mrs McClusky died? The best fictional headteacher from all our Grange Hill memories. Kenneth Starr also died. Perhaps a more divisive figure than the actress, Gwyneth Powell, who played everyone's favourite headteacher. Hilary Mantel of excellent writing fame has also left us too early. And then there's the sad ne...

A Weird AF Week...

Me and the news.I made the decision early doors, to switch off the TV and ignore the Internet. It was for the best. After hearing the actual news - the Queen has died - information outlets quickly filled with speculation and nonsense. Then they repeated it, ad nauseam. I realised I needed to stop shouting at the telly and do other things.
But that makes for a strange week. As a self-confessed news junkie, I've felt unmoored. Desperate to hear from reputable outlets about the war in Ukraine, I sea...

On We Go...

It's hard not to feel sorry for Liz Truss - a sentence I never thought I'd write if I lived to be a thousand years old. Two days into the top job, the job that only a tiny fraction of the country actively want her to have, and she's front and centre outside Number Ten, solemnly orating about the Queen's death. My mind wandered to the scene inside. Bags still packed, the chaos of a house move all around. 'Where's my good black dress?' Was it in the blue case? For the love of God, will someone shi...