Saturday 20th June 2026

I first heard of The B52s back in July 1979 when it was featured on BBC's ill-advised reboot of Juke Box Jury. If I remember correctly, it was panned.

And I didn't get it either.

A year later, and Give Me Back my Man was featured on Radio 1's Roundtable.

I loved its driving bass, and Cindy's lead vocal. Years later I found a 7 inch and bought it. Over the years I have grown to love it.

And then in 1983, Song For a Future Generation bewitched me. I bought the 12 inch and played it to death. It was as kitsch as heck, fun and brilliant.

In 1989, their career when through the roof when Cosmic Thing was released, and two singles, Love Shack and Roam were huge global hits.

But never saw them live.

And then a couple of years back they announced their final tour, so I thought I had lost the chance of seeing them perform. But the tour carried on: residencies in Vegas, appearances on TV shows, and a double-headed tour with Devo across America last year was carried on into 2026 with a show at the old Millennium Dome, the O2.

I forgot about the release of the tickets until and hour later, when there were a few of the more expensive seats left. But as Jools liked them too, we stumped up the cash, over £400 for two tickets, but the cost softened by the fact that Lene Lovich and The Rezillos would play on the bill too.

We booked a room at the Union Jack Club, and all we had to do was autumn, winter and spring to pass, and us remember that the gig was on.

As it happened, the O2 and their partners never let me forget as the e mails came tumbling in as the day of the gig approached.

Jen was going to look after the cats, we briefed her on Friday night. So all was set.

We woke up on Saturday as usual at about half five. After the usual chores we went to the gym to do a session as we would miss out on Sunday.

Then back home for breakfast, a brew and a shower, so we could leave the house just before ten to go to Jen's where we would leave the car then catch the electric bus into town to the station.

We briefed Jen some more, and she was happy. So we left her and Sylv and walked to the bus stop at the end of her street, and on time was the bus.

It took us via Richmond Park, Tesco and the two new roads and overbridge down past the castle and round the town before dumping us off at the station. Buses are time to link up with the main London trains.

We bought our ticket to Waterloo East, then sat on the platform to wait.

It was a glorious day, sunny and a light wind, enough that it was cooling.

Though when the train left the portal of Harbour Tunnel, we were greeted with fog, which had just rolled in.

It cleared by the time we got to Folkestone, so after that it was a trundle up through the Kent countryside through Ashford, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks along the UK's longest piece of straight line, and through long tunnels in the North Downs and into suburbia.

We got out at Waterloo East, where it didn't feel hot. Warm, but again with a breeze.

Up the slope and down the side exit onto Waterloo Road, with the station's latticed glass frontage in front of us. Over the road, and then along until we came to the junction, where a GSV search had revealed a gastro-pub, two sushi restaurants, several pizza places, and a Cuban place.

That sounded interesting, so we went there.

Jools had pulled beef, and I ordered pulled pork. Both came with beans, rice and plantain.

We both had a cocktail, and me a beer. Then waited for the food to arrive.

Not as spicy as expected, though the beef had better flavour.

We walked back to the Union Jack Club, as our room should have been ready for three. We were twenty minutes early, so were told that could we wait for quarter of an hour?

We could.

So, we retired to the bar, where the rugby was just beginning, the final between Exeter and Northampton. As it started, it became clearer that there aren't rules as such, players tackle each other, ruck and mauls form, and sometimes the referee blows, sometimes not. Two players were carried off within ten minutes with serious leg injuries, while the game carried on round them.

We went back to reception, got our key, so went up to the 18th floor. We had views over Waterloo West and to the City and St Pauls beyond. I spent half an hour watching trains arriving and departing, before snoozing for an hour.

At five we got our stuff together, and walked from the UJC to Waterloo, then down two sets of escalators down to the Jubilee Line to catch a train for the six stops to North Greenwich.

The train was pretty full, but we got seats. And sadly, for a railway completed in the 1970s, its trains do not have air conditioning. But as I wrote that, I realise that the 1970s were not last decade, but 50 years ago!

We go to the surface, where there was a nice cooling breeze blowing, making it much fresher than expected.

We went to a small Sainsbury's to get a sandwich and drink, then sat outside eating and people watching, as it was a target rich environment.

Doors opened at six, so we walk to the O2 arena, and joined the line to get through security, then up another escalator to the first concourse, where there was food, drink and merchandise, but at prices you would not believe!

A thin t shirt would cost you £49, and a pint of lager in a plastic glass would rip you off £9.50.

There were queues at all sections, with those doors not opening until half six.

It was hot and humid, as it would be in the arena. When they let us in.

At seven we were let in, and our seats were three rows from the front in posh seats that kind of reclined but also had holders for drinks. Maybe they had a tad more legroom.

But being one block along from the side of the stage meant we had great views. And as we sat, familiar tunes played as the final touches were made to the stage for the first turn.

I have written about Lene Lovich before. I first heard Lucky Number whilst staying with a family friend in Leytonstone. She was on one of the London magazine news shows, and I loved the song, even if it was unconventional, and her more so.

It was a huge hit, but she couldn't really follow it up, though New Toy and Say When did trouble the top forty.

The mixing desk had all settings turned up to 11, and it was loud.

LOUD.

Adjustments were made, and it was better. Lene came out covered in a metallic shawl, but after the first song took it off.

Being bottom of the bill they did a short set, maybe six songs, and s played to a half empty arena. But Lucky Number obviously got a good reception, and the band did at the end of their set, with Lene overcome by the great reception.

A half hour wait while roadies clear one quarter of the equipment from the stage, and then Scotland's Rezillos took the stage, bloody loud too.

The band are best know for a punk-pop hit, Top of the Pops, but are so much more than that, having supported The Ramones in 1977 and themselves having played CBGB's too at that time.

The two singers, Faye Fife and Eugene stalk the stage. Eugene, with a huge leather jacket making him look like a small ogre growing at the audience when Faye was singing.

They have new material out in the autumn, and did a couple of tracks from that as well as the better know songs. And were gone after little more than half an hour, leaving us with our ears ringing.

Next up were Devo.

Devo, I thought I knew from Jocko Home, Whip It and a few other tracks, but bloody hell, they took the stage and grabbed the night by the throat and did not let go.

Incessant beats, driving bass lines, and angular guitars, while well thought out graphics played out on the large screen behind.

There was barely a pause between songs, and their sheer brilliance had me won over very quickly.

There was a pause, then they came back without keyboards to cover their earlier work, and again battered us into submission.

No doubt one of the top five gigs I have seen. And such a surprise. Devo are still brilliant, maybe better than they ever have been.

See them now!

And so to the main act, from Athens, GA: The B52s.

Only three original members left now, and the vocals of Cindy Wilson didn't seem to be a clear as before.

That aside, it was a party night, lots of huge, fun-filled tunes, songs from all periods of their career. As before, the huge screen behind them showed graphics and clips of videos from their career, thus showing how old they are now.

Fred isn't so mobile, and at one point sit on the drum riser as the Cindy and Kate took lead vocals on at least two songs back to back.

We got Roam, then Love Shack and an encore of Rock Lobster. And was done.

Huge cheers died down as the house lights came up.

Refreshment proces were so high, we did not eat or drink since we joined the queue at six, so after climbing up to the concourse, then down onto the main floor of the O2, we traipsed round, but saw a pub open, playing B52s tunes loudly.

In order to let the queues at the Underground station die down, we stopped for a beer/coder, but after paying I found that Budvar was off, so got a pint of La Chouffe for the same price!

That went down well.

After downing that, we walked across the plaza to the tube station, then down to the platforms where hundreds were waiting for the next train. But we all got on, though it was like an oven on board.

Six stops later we get off the crowded train, and make our way back to street level, over Waterloo Road and back inside the club.

I went to the bar for a night cap, a large Glenmorangie, at quarter to midnight. On the large screen TV the Germany game had just finished, so I took the rest of the wee dram up to the room, and from the room window looked out over the city scape towards The City.

It was still hot.

All change at Number 10. Again.

So, Sir Keir has resigned as Labour Leader.

Last week Andy Burnham won the by-election, so can enter the Commons, and be elected as PM if there were to be a contest.

There will be.

Or, there could just be a coronation.

Starmer has not resigned as PM, as the country has to have a leader, only when there is a new Labour leader can he be replaced.

Starmer, despite what the right wing press and chattering classes might say, is a good man.

However, all he had to do was not be as bad as the 15 previous years of Conservative rule, and make the country a better place.

It is hard to see how he has improved on things, since he won a handsome majority two years ago, and so a mandate to implement his Party's manifesto pledges.

It is hard to see how things are much better. Even his reset with the EU is bogged down and the next meeting with the EU is probably going to be cancelled in July, even before his resignation.

He has supported continuing arms sales to Israel even as they continue a genocidal war against Palestine, committing numerous war crimes in the process. Starmer, let's not forget is a human rights lawyer, then made it a terrorist offence to support Palestine and not Israel. History will not be kind.

The main reason should have been when he lost the confidence of the House of Commons on national security issues during the Mandleson scandal. When the Commons doesn't believe you, then you should have resigned then.

Although you wouldn't believe it reading the papers or listening to the BBC, numbers corssing the Channel in boats is nearly 40% down on last year, but such stories don't suit the narrative that is expected to carry Farage into Number 10 come the next election.

And as the multiple resignations by Tory PM's in the last decade didn't trigger and election, they have no claim for the higher moral ground when they call for one now.

No Prime Minister has lasted a full five year term in a decade now, and it is hard to come to the conclusion that the UK is ungovernable.

Friday 19th June 2026

And here we are, having reached the weekend once again. Just having to get through Friday.

Though for the recently retired, that's not too difficult.

I do go back to sleep after the alarm went off, rising at five to six, just in time to see Jools leave for yoga, and after drinking my coffee do the bins.

It is the start of another min-heatwave, which will build from Friday before peaking on Tuesday and Wednesday, possibly breaking the all time temperature record.

Climate change?

I find stuff to fill my time: videos, podcasts and the such, so that I am all caught up when Jools returns at half eight, so we can have breakfast together.

Jools is the taxi provider for knit and natter, so sets off at half nine to collect her charges.

Leaving me home to sit in the back garden until it gets too hot, then make creamed spinach which I had failed to make during the week.

At half midday, Jools returns, we have a quick lunch of rolls and crisps before we have to be in Whitfield to pick up Jen and Sylv from the sports centre.

We arrive just as they were walking to the bus stop: where were you, you were supposed to be here at one?

You said that you talk after your class so to be here at quarter past.

Which it is now.

Oh.

Oh indeed.

The reason for collecting them was that we were to play cards, and Mike joining us as he has a suspected broken foot so can't work.

The six of us sat round the big table to play Meld. Mike picked up the rules quickly, so that was fine.

But with six it took ages, not quite as long as feared, but two and a bit hours for one game.

By which time the heat was unbearable, not helped I think by Jen's skylight letting in huge amounts of sunshine and heat. We bailed on more cards, so go home at four, and once in pour glasses of ice cold beer and/or cider, and relax in the cool shade of Chez Jelltex.

To top the day off, I win the quiz, so am in a good mood for when the footy starts at eight.

And that was your day.

Thursday 18th June 2026

Nine years ago our friend from New Zealand, Tony, was staying with us again for a few days, and from my blog for the day I saw visited Canterbury, had a wander round, then drove to (allegedly) England's smallest town, Fordwich all before opening time. And all of which I have no memory of.

But there were pictures to show it all happened. Which shows why me writing these words is so important, like Annie Nightingale said, Chase the Fade!

We were going to Canterbury this day too, but in the afternoon. Before that, being a Thursday, it was phys day, so up with the larks and blackbirds, drink coffee and be out of the house by ten to six.

Though in truth we were at least ten minutes behind schedule, and once outside greeted with thick fog hiding the world and sun from view.

Always amazing how in such bad weather, about 10% of drivers don't bother with lights of any kind on their cars, driving by touch, apparently. I put on our foglights and get to Whitfield safely.

I don't up the resistance after all, so do another session at level 15, and try to keep he RPM down to about 60, rather than push the kcalorie counter nearer to 400, as I was sweating buckets.

We needed no shopping, so back home for a brew and breakfast, and a lazy morning during which we both had a shower, and me a shave, so was all smelling lovely come ten.

I have the pleasure of now being able to shop in actual shops for clothes, not specialist online shops for the man with the fuller figure. Might not sound much, but it shows the progress over the last year.

And I needed a new pair of walking shoes, with decent tread, for our upcoming trip to the Alps and Spain. So, a visit to Go! Outdoor in Canterbury was called for.

A quick blast up the A2 trying to get ahead of the trucks heading away from the port, and bypassing pop-up roadworks too, we make it to Wincheap, turn onto the trading estate and outside the shop.

I go in, and knowing what I want, pretty much exactly, meant I found the shoe in three minutes, tried both on in another couple, walked up their test "slope" and down again.

I'll take them.

Though they were not cheap.

On the way to the tills I buy a pair of shorts, a pair of weather-proof trousers and a humourous t-shirt.

We'd better get out before I buy something else!

What else to do?

Well, it was lunchtime, and ten past opening time. So, a pub lunch, then?

Yes.

We park by the old Abbey, and walk to the pub we usually walk by, which had humourous road signs outside advertising gin and beer.

We go in.

And there are just one other group inside, and to hot outside, so we take a table and order a meaty sharing platter, though it comes on a board. And drinks.

It goes down grand, and passes the time to half one when we will walk to the "New" Marlow Theatre.

The city centre is packed with schoolchildren from all over Europe and tourists. The narrow cobbled streets are clogged with people, but we walk on. Stopping at an ice cream van for for dairy ice creams in waffle cones to munch and lick on the way to the theatre, stopping at the bridge over The Stour to finish them.

The fog had cleared earlier, and the day had turned warm and sunny, and the forecasted rain seemed unlikely. But as we stood on the bridge people watching, rain began to fall, so we went into the theatre while the rain came down harder.

Even as a teen, I found Yes, Minister very funny. It's follow up, Yes, Prime Minister was even funnier. It was Thatcher's favourite TV show too, as it wasn't just funny, but pretty much how Whitehall was.

Anyway, Jonathan Lynn has written a third part, I'm Sorry, Prime Minister, and the play is touring the country, and for a few days is playing in Canterbury.

I remember the New Marlow being built, and we have attended shows and plays here before, but never sat at the very top circle. Upon taking our seats we found the balcony was so close that it was uncomfortable even for a few minutes. But as the six rows behind us were empty, we thought we would take seats in one of them.

But the usher stopped us from sitting in the row behind, as these were more expensive, and we could only go onto one of the two very back rows. As no one was sitting in the six rows, this seemed harsh and over-zealous, but we climbed to the top and sat there, where the legroom was better, but not by much.

The play was excellent, with only four actors, but the acting and script was wonderful, and poignant.

Once the show ended, we climbed down the stairs, through its windows we had wonderful views over the city's rooftops to the cathedral, which still towers over the city. Much as it has done for nearly a thousand years.

Outside, the rain had stopped, and the crowds were less. So we walk back past the Christchuch Gate, over the main road and the pub, back to the car.

Traffic wasn't so bad heading out of the city, so we turned eastwards up the old A2 and eventually onto the bypass and home to Dover.

Wednesday 17th June 2026

And so we reach the middle of the week.

And its a rest day from phys, so normally would be a lay in, only my brain and body conspired to have me awake at just before five.

I do manage to go back to sleep for an hour, so am up at six, ready for the day.

We got an early morning call from Jen, which is unusual: he internet was down, could we help? Jools said she'd help, and as she was to catch a train to Bromley later, after her keep fit class was cancelled, she would catch a bus to the station, as I had some light orchiding planned. You'll not be surprised to hear.

The orchid group on U3A has not been a success, and only Iain has attended more than one day, and one couple attended the meet at PGD at the end of May. So, the group is scrapped, but Iain would like to carry on and see more orchids.

I was asked about the Lizards at Betteshanger County Park. I knew they were there, but nothing else, so the guy went on Tuesday and found hundreds of Lizards, thousands of Pyramidal, and a handful of Bee.

So instead of coming here, as the two locations were north of Deal, so I would pick him up at his place in Walmer/Deal, not sure where the boundary is away from the coast.

He was waiting, so we drive through the maze of roads and drives that make up the post-war sprawl away from the coast, always heading towards the tower of St Leonard in Upper Deal.

The park was on the way to Sandwich, made where the spoil heap from the colliery was, flattened and landscaped.

We drive through the arch, similar to Jurassic Park, though not with dinosaurs, just Lizards.

The park is an educational place, and two classes of high-schoolers were being briefed of their tasks for the day, exploring the site. I had been given detailed directions, so we set off up the impressive set of steps past the adventure playground, and along the fenceline beside a track were several Lizards.

They were also in three areas of grass left to grow, and in the edge of a hedgeline.

We take shots, and I try to identify other plant species as we made our way along the track to a bank, which would lead to more orchids.

There were Lizards in most areas of grass, and in the edge of the scrub on the left hand side of the path.

Where foxes or rabbits had burrowed into the ground, we could see that there was no soil, but broken rocks and small lumps of coal, which is perfect for our native plants which have taken over the site.

Further along, among to hundreds of Pyramidals, we came to a handful of Bee Orchids, always a joy to find them, even if we knew they were there.

Once we had found the Bees, we turned round and walked back to the park's centre, seeing more plants: Nullein, Dyer's greenweed , Cudweed, Geraniums, and huge amounts of Ragwort among many others.

We pay the parking fee, and drive on to Sandwich, then through the houses are passing over the level crossing, arriving at Sandwich Bay just before midday.

We were here to check on the Marsh helleborines, and to show Iain the Southern marsh.

After checking the bird ringing was done for the day, we get permission to enter the dune slacks, so walk over the meadow, then through the long grass to the entrance.

There were SMOs everywhere, many very dark in colour, and just about at their peak. I lead Iain over through the plants, looking for the tell-tale bent spikes of helleborines.

I see none at first, then see the first, just opening. And as I looked harder, there were maybe fifty small spikes, with many more emerging.

We take shots, then explore the rear of the site to look for hybrids, and find that the last spike before the fence was D. x grandis, with heavily spotted leaves and boldly marked leaves.

And with that we turned and walked to the observatory.

On the way home I dropped Iain back off at his home, and it will now be about two months until we meet again on an orchid hunt, due to Operation Eclipse next month and into August.

Once home I have lunch: a bread baton with strawberry jam and salt n vinegar crisps. Its my go to sarnie, and I live the sweet and savoury flavours.

Photographs were downloaded and reviewed, then to wait for news as when Jools would return from Bromley. Of course she would return midway through the first half of the early game, meaning by the time the train arrived late and we came back home, then cooked pizza for dinner, it was half time in the game.

Portugal v Congo, and despite taking an early lead, with Ronaldo as centre forward he had as much movement as a garden statue, and yet stayed on for the entire game. It ended 1-1.

And then came England's first game in the tournament.

Croatia had knocked England out in semi-finals in recent years, so this was going to be a tough game. And yes, many of their players are nearing the ends of their career, Modric is now 41. It was 2-2 at half time as England took the lead, only to go to sleep after each and concede.

But in the second, England came out roaring. Scored a third in the first two minutes, and could have had at least three in a scramble soon after scoring, the keeper somehow pawing the ball off the line over and over again.

England scored a fourth in the closing stages, so ease to a 4-2 win. Though doubts over the defence remain.