time

Seven million quid to fix a door. Its a different world. https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/new-door-for-house-of-lords-to-cost-7m-despite-security-concerns-342849/

I don't hate it as such, but it's always annoyed me somewhat that a band with one of the UKs finest songwriters' biggest hit was a bad cover version.

37 Falco – Rock me Amadeus +4 36 a-ha – The sun always shines on TV 36 Rick Astley – Never gonna give you up 35 Pet Shop Boys – It´s a sin 31 Communards & Sarah Jane Morris – Don´t leave me this way 29 Whitney Houston – I wanna dance with somebody (who loves me ) 29 Starship – Nothing´s gonna stop us now 26 M/A/R/R/S – Pump up the volume 24 Los Lobos – La Bamba 23 Bee Gees - You Win Again -3 22 T´Pau – China in your hand 22 George Michael & Aretha Franklin – I knew you were waiting (for me) 22 Pet Shop Boys — West End Girls 22 Berlin – Take my breath away 21 Madonna – Papa don´t preach 21 Jackie Wilson – Reet Petite 21 Mel & Kim – Respectable 20 Madonna – La isla bonita 18 Diana Ross – Chain Reaction -3 18 George Michael – A different corner 18 Steve ´Silk` Hurley – Jack your body 17 Ben E. King – Stand by me 15 Billy Ocean – When the going gets tough, the tough gets going 14 Europe – The Final Countdown 14 Wham – The edge of heaven 13 Michael Jackson & Siedah Garrett – I just can´t stop loving you 12 Boy George – Everything I own 12 The Housemartins – Caravan of love 10 Madonna – True Blue

Or Jacob Rees Smug, whose offspring include Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher and Anselm Charles Fitzwilliam.

I know a Maggie. She's 21.

37 a-ha – The sun always shines on TV 35 Pet Shop Boys – It´s a sin 30 Falco – Rock me Amadeus +4 28 Whitney Houston – I wanna dance with somebody (who loves me) 28 Rick Astley – Never gonna give you up 25 Communards & Sarah Jane Morris – Don´t leave me this way 24 Bee Gees – You win again 24 George Michael & Aretha Franklin – I knew you were waiting (for me) 24 M/A/R/R/S – Pump up the volume 23 Berlin – Take my breath away 23 Starship – Nothing´s gonna stop us now 22 Steve ´Silk` Hurley – Jack your body  22 Los Lobos – La Bamba 22 Pet Shop Boys — West End Girls 21 T´Pau – China in your hand 21 Mel & Kim – Respectable 21 Europe – The Final Countdown 21 Diana Ross – Chain Reaction 21 Madonna – La isla bonita 21 Ben E. King – Stand by me 20 Billy Ocean – When the going gets tough, the tough gets going 20 Jackie Wilson – Reet Petite 18 Madonna – Papa don´t preach 18 George Michael – A different corner 16 Wham – The edge of heaven 16 Madonna – True Blue 15 Michael Jackson & Siedah Garret – I just can´t stop loving you 14 The Housemartins – Caravan of love 14 Boris Gardiner – I want to wake up with you 14 Boy George – Everything I own 12 Madonna – Who´s that girl 11 Spitting Image – The Chicken Song 07 Cliff Richard & the Young Ones – Living Doll 02 Pet Shop Boys – Always on my mind 4 Ferry Aid – Let it bye -6

God knows what the algorithm's gonna give me when I play my Long John Baldry videos.

I thought longevity was all about living to an old age, but looking on youtube it would appear that it's about making your penis bigger.

Man. He's 37.

Not a strange name as such, but the boxer George Foreman named all five of his sons George.

Duncan Jones (now aged 51) was known as a child by the name Zowie Bowie, and don't forget Frank Zappa's kids Moon Unit & Dweezil; more recently (30 years ago) we had Pixie & Peaches Geldof, courtesy of Saint Bob & Paula. There must be more that I don't immediately recall.

That may be right, I've just checked my home bill and it includes a standing charge (27p/day). It could just have been the options for the club tariff I was presented with all had no standing charge as all the companies were after our business.

Standing charges were largely done away with a few years ago, with usage costs being increased to compensate. Now they want the best of both worlds.

Sports club

As our organisation's gas contract is ending shortly , the company has offered us new rates increasing the price per kWh from 3.7p to 25.3p - a 680% increase, in addition to which they want to charge £2.26 standing charge PER DAY, an increase of £2.26 over the current price!

another one...

As names go, I don't think Bambi is any more ridiculous than Molly-Mae.

33 a-ha – The sun always shines on TV 29 Pet Shop Boys – It´s a sin 28 Falco – Rock me Amadeus +4 27 Ben E. King – Stand by me 26 Rick Astley – Never gonna give you up 24 Bee Gees – You win again 24 Whitney Houston – I wanna dance with somebody (who loves me) 24 Steve ´Silk` Hurley – Jack your body 23 Starship – Nothing´s gonna stop us now 22 T´Pau – China in your hand 21 Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls 21 Berlin – Take my breath away 20 Billy Ocean – When the going gets tough, the tough gets going 20 Diana Ross – Chain Reaction 20 Spitting Image – The Chicken Song 20 Boris Gardiner – I want to wake up with you 20 Communards & Sarah Jane Morris – Don´t leave me this way 20 Europe – The Final Countdown 20 Jackie Wilson – Reet Petite 20 George Michael & Aretha Franklin – I knew you were waiting (for me) 20 Mel & Kim – Respectable 20 Madonna – La isla bonita 20 Los Lobos – La Bamba 20 M/A/R/R/S – Pump up the volume19 Madonna – True Blue 18 The Housemartins – Caravan of love 18 George Michael – A different corner 18 Wham – The edge of heaven 17 Boy George – Everything I own 14 Pet Shop Boys – Always on my mind 14 Madonna – Who´s that girl 14 Madonna – Papa don´t preach 14 Ferry Aid – Let it be 13 Cliff Richard & the Young Ones – Living Doll 9 Firm – Star Trekkin´ 6 Chris de Burgh – Lady in red -3 5 Nick Berry – Every loser wins -3

Never hurts to make sure.

76 George Michael – Careless Whisper 66 Madonna – Into the Groove 59 Nena – 99 Red Balloons +4 35 Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Two Tribes 23 Eurythmics — There must be an angel (playing with my heart) -5 Duran Duran – The Reflex -6

Felix Sienra dies a week after his 107th birthday.

76 George Michael – Careless Whisper 68 Madonna – Into the Groove 53 Nena – 99 Red Balloons 32 Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Two Tribes +4 27 Eurythmics — There must be an Angel 17 Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Relax -6 15 Duran Duran – The Reflex

Songwriter Mitch Murray is 83 today. He wrote early hits for Gerry & the Pacemakers, Freddie & The Dreamers & The Dave Clark Five and wrote the book How to Write a Hit Song (which apparently inspired a 12 year old Gordon Sumner to try his hand at writing), and later formed a partnership with Peter Callander, writing hits for Manfred Mann, The Tremeloes, Cliff Richard and Tony Christie. He had minor chart success with his recording of Down Came The Rain, which reached number 30 in the NME chart.

Update on the 'Traitors' discourse - I tried watching it (the UK version) on catch-up, got about 10 minutes into the contestants' introductions and lost the will to live.

Just finished the first season/series, and about to embark on the second. My opinion FWIW, well worth watching. I was initially sceptical (despite the presence of Christopher Walken) as I'm not Stephen Merchant's biggest fan. His writing is fine, but he tends to play Stephen Merchant in every role, but it seems to work quite well in this. First episode a little underwhelming to begin with but picks up towards the end, and subsequent episodes kept me interested.