RIP the great Rob Burrow We had the privilege of giving Rob Burrow CBE and his wife Lindsey Pride of Britain awards last yr An incredible man and a truly incredible family My heart goes out to them 🖤 With the deepest respect 🖤

Today marks 7 years since the Grenfell Tower fire. 72 people lost their lives in this preventable tragedy. They were victims of corporate greed and institutional neglect. The fight for justice is far from over. #Justice4Grenfell

Woke to the news that my sister-in-law has been awarded an MBE for services to manufacturing. Very proud of her.

I was interviewed for LISP, after one of my poems was included in their poetry anthology: londonindependentstoryprize.co.uk/post/craig-smi…

Born on this day in 1896, Wal Hannington, toolmaker and union organiser who, in 1920, founded the National Unemployed Workers Movement. He was surveilled, harassed and imprisoned by the British state for decades. He'd have been a formidable figure in the social media era.

Haha, that's me, that is!

I *think* this is my first interview where I talk about writing: londonindependentstoryprize.co.uk/post/craig-smi… I managed to shoehorn in poetry and football, writing and cafes. And this: "The first draft is just a starting point. It's all about the edit" LondonISP

Sensational change of aura from Amadou Onana here. He went from BBC Four to ITV2 in an instant

Willie Mays has gone. A star from a sport that I don’t follow, but somehow someone I knew enough about to tip my cap at his passing. I didn’t know this Public Enemy song about him, but it’s a fitting tribute, with some great footage.

A great Monmouth crowd for My Family and Other Rock Stars last night. Thank you to all who came, to Jude Rogers 💙 for flawless chairing and Rossiter Books for extra special #independentbookshopweek selling!

I find Barbara Jones' version of Changing Partners immeasurably beautiful: youtube.com/watch?v=0NXUZ4…

Tonight's Question Time special was FASCINATING. Starmer's answers substantive & specific; his body language relaxed; heartfelt & convincing on restoring integrity & public service to government. All the stuff you'd expect from someone whose all-time favourite album is this one.

“This hurricane is a direct result of the climate crisis that Grenada, the Caribbean, and other Small Island Developing States are on the front line of.” Ecocide

Bot Farm. In 2016 100,000 + were poured into social media from the 45 admin side. They formed and attached agendas and attack 8 years later. These are the people you argue with. Designed. And real people follow in clumps and attach their souls.

It's still possible to obtain a rare copy of my 2023 poetry tabloid pamphlet ROYAL for nothing by DM'ing me your postal address. It's a sequence of 19 poems in Chaucer's favourite Rhyme Royal form but it's got some bang up-to-date swear-words in it too.

If they really had 'legitimate concerns' they wouldn't need to lie so much.

Mostly fascinating interview with Paul McCartney about his drumming: he plays right-handed because he didn't want to mess around with the set-ups of the drummers on whose kits he was messing around. open.substack.com/pub/robertdoer…

2 men jailed today 4 social media posts that stirred up the recent far-right violence . So why is the BBC interviewing Douglas Murray seated in a Chesterfield spouting the same vile nonsense ? Is a condescending posh accent still a Get Out of Jail Free Card in the UK ?

A succinct and thought-provoking summary of how regulation in the UK prioritises the rights of businesses and their investors over the needs of the general public.