Packing my Library. In a reversal of my favourite essay by Walter Benjamin images from the Performance Foundation Archive before it moves: “a relationship to objects not emphasising their functional, utilitarian value but studied and loved as the scene, the stage of their fate”. – at City of London, London

Well, we grew up with the masts, ‘The Unfathomable Ship’ as Uwe Johnson called it from his Isle of Sheppey redoubt was our measure of life’s contingency (for those of us in Essex at least), and swimming the estuary will be just that bit less unnerving now. theguardian.com/uk-news/2026…

I’m not sure when Joseph Beuys proclaimed “Jeder mensch ein Künstler” he had in mind Bob Dylan & Johnny Depp, but they’ve somehow arrived in South Moulton St together which conspires to heighten the considerable distance between their musical & acting talent and their ‘painting’.

It’s not just that @kingsartshums is blessed by two Woolf scholars, it’s that Anna Snaith & Clara Jones write with such style, and when choosing a pub for their shared book launch know Bloomsbury borders well enough to bring us together at the wonderful Marquis of Cornwallis.

Jo Morton @Artangel welcoming performance students @kingsartshums to the Maughan Library they thought they knew, except being Artangel they have found a way for Terence Gower to work with @KingsCollegeLon archivists to reveal the first purpose built fireproof building in London.

Jump for joy the incomparable Jake Xerxes Fussell brought his southern Georgia song book back to Union Chapel tonight where he sat back and melted into his music like only he can. ‘The River St. Johns’ rolled off the apron and swept a packed church away. Modest, marvellous human.

My voice was ‘stolen’ by far-right Marystroyka in Moscow, and I’ve been chasing it for a while. The deeply sinister ‘Cold Sweat’ tonight, beautifully performed by ‘lip syncing’ @ForcedEnts @southbankcentre is as good as I’ve seen them in 42 yrs. How great they are back in London.

Just finished a book called ‘Pathology’ so wanted to hear Bill Callahan sing Pathol O.G and he did along with ‘Let’s Move to the Country’ and much else @RoundhouseLDN for a packed house. Echoes in the foyer of so many great nights here with Rustaveli & Illuminatus! What a venue.

The Surdoc Social Club off Lower Road is proper Surrey Docks (not Quays). And there’s only one Tony Humphreys who could bring together the broad church that celebrated his birthday tonight with the best fish ‘n chips around, and music to match. “C’est la vie” say the young folks.

This scammer clearly hasn’t taken the time to come to class where I take students through examples of my books mulched through the AI papparatus. My first years recognise the complete loss of humour in AI that any decent academic writing inhabits as it’s natural milieux. Poor D-.

I’ve always considered myself a ‘Friend’ of the wonderful Young Vic over four decades taking countless students there. But priority booking for Milo Rau’s incredible ‘Pelicot Trial’ at Young Vic (County Hall) is reserved for ‘Friends’ (£70) & ‘Patrons’ (£1750). Priceless though.

400 souls settled upon Conway Hall this evening to listen to Iain McGilchrist on that old AI and our reasons for hope. Late but not too late in the last human venue, we conceived a cypher so smart in its representative capacity, yet so banal in its intuition, we might feel again.

Thanks to a decade of commitment from @CultureatKings & Westminster Council, the toxic swamp that was hard on St. Mary le Strand & threatened our @kingsartshums students on departure each day has become a highway to heaven for believers and sceptics both. It’s truly welcome week.

Well that was a surprise but it always is. Almeida site was busy though it delivered some wonderful mid afternoon tickets to look at something special. The content warnings suggest it will be quite the opposite of matinee material which suits the world we live in & Caryl writes.

“Let’s get cracking” is Penny’s rallying cry to launch the 2nd half of Simon Stephens’ marvellous ‘A Slow Fire’ @JSTheatre, the spirit of this magical place whose meticulous care for her ‘audience’ could teach subsidised venues a thing or two. Simon sat behind us, a real writer.

“In Soho Square on my birthday” come Summertime as Kirsty said, walking in the sun between wonderful Sawada Tomoko in ‘Japanese Women Photographers’ at Photographers’ Gallery via my favourite Kaffeine where they gift banana-bread to celebrate my 70th & now @kingsartshums to work.

Never thought league tables beyond football meant much and certainly not when it comes to universities. But when it’s a matter of life and death such as pizza you need to know where you stand. And after several years of easy access to our local that might well now be the street.

Salty Brine’s ‘Living Record Collection’ is a neat conceit but in ‘How Strange It Is’ from Neutral Milk Hotel’s one-off ‘In the Aeroplane Over the Sea’, via Anne Frank’s ‘Diary of a Young Girl’ and Salty’s own journal whimsy, a kind of great reckoning in a small room takes place.

The writing was on the wall for the Gate Theatre but in its heyday 75 seat modest glory I often helped fill it with students, who loved it. There hasn’t been anything at the NT for ages that could touch its originality so it’s just so irritating to see the aberration of DP afoot.