If you have access to Times Radio I'm appearing just after 1.40pm on behalf of Nottingham Playhouse to contribute to an obituary of my friend, playwright Trevor Griffiths, who did some of his most significant work there, the 1975 play 'Comedians' & an adaption of 'The Cherry Orchard'.

Killer last sentence. theguardian.com/world/2024/apr…

The sequel to Mr Bates vs The Post Office is being live-streamed and Toby Jones is doing a brilliant job. youtube.com/watch?v=EwA-nn…

Thought I might doze off during The Children Nottingham Playhouse A well made, old fashioned, intelligent, superbly cast, three hander on a theme that couldn’t feel more relevant. But it cut through the jet lag and woke me up, the way great theatre can. Last performance tonight.

US trip physical music haul. A couple from a flea market outside the terrific Texas dive bar 'The Devil's Backbone'. The rest from the brilliant Waterloo Records or the superb LOUISIANA MUSIC FACTORY. Now, where to start?

Yesterday evening this gentleman walked into our shop and helped himself to, amongst other things, our Charity Collection Pot.
If you have any information on him then please call Nottinghamshire Police on 101 and quote the incident number 0322_04042024
Please Share.
Thank you.

This post has now been updated with audio of 'On the Banks of the Old Ponchartrain' and some photos of Tennessee Williams' one time home in Vieux Carre, where he set the play of the same name, as it is now.

Trevor Griffiths had a huge impact on me as a young writer. He was the great political playwright of our age. Glad I wrote to tell him this & we became friends. Do let your heroes know you love them while they're alive. Condolences to Gill & their children theguardian.com/stage/2024/apr…

Thank you, Richard.

On Serendipity. An account of how I found myself in New Orleans watching Bob Dylan play a mesmerising show at the Saenger Theatre on April Fools' Day. davidbelbin.com/blog/2024/04/o…

This year's Bob Dylan Discussion Weekend will be the 3rd w/end in June (Friday 21 - Sunday 23).
With great food by award-winning writer Sarah Beattie
at our home in SW France.
Dylan audio, Dylan talk, good local wines, making friends.

Full details:
michaelgray.net/dylan-weekends…

Talking of Kevin Coyne People's Pop Polls: Your Favourite Songs

I should add that the buses are very like NCT in one way: just about everybody always thanks the driver when getting off.

RESULTS! David Belbin joins us to pick over the latest set of votes, also featuring your suggestions for the best runs of Number One singles in chart history.

Farewell drinks with my fellow fellows at UT followed by two brilliant shows at The Continental, best club in the world. James McMurtry solo upstairs then John Dee Graham and the Fighting Cocks in resplendent form downstairs. Nights don’t get much better. Thanks, Austin Tx.

Of course I managed to land the one barber in Austin Tx who turned out to be a hardcore Liverpool FC fan. Meet David. We had a detailed discussion of tactics, chances & management. I was invited to watch the Brighton game in an Irish Pub on Sunday. Sadly, I'll have moved on by then.

A thing I particularly like in Austin Tx is how every regular bus has a bike rack on the front & passengers wait patiently for cyclists to use them. Seen drivers get out & help too. Of particular interest, perhaps, to cities like Sheffield, where I'm from, that are full of hills.

Why not Join Nottingham City of Literature's Trustee Board?

At this time, we are especially interested in people with expertise in Marketing and Communications, Youth Empowerment and Finance.

If you'd like to find out more please read our pack or drop me a DM:
nottinghamcityofliterature.com/wp-content/upl…

This is fascinating. Congratulations ⁦Anne Margaret Daniel 🌻⁩ on discovering the long-lost script that - I learnt from this story - helped Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby on its journey to being considered a classic. Wanna know more about those plot changes! theguardian.com/books/2024/mar…