Could be anyone, Pharrell I know

Yesterday, the BBC reported that a bunch of Iranian youths had been arrested for making a Pharrell Williams tribute video. A short while later, they reported that the Iranian youths had been released.

Until I read these stories, I had never heard of Pharrell Williams. I'm still none the wiser as to who she might be. Some sort of pop-star, I presume.

Which raises the question: when did I become less trendy than a bunch of Iranians?

(The first person to observe that I have always been less trendy than a bunch of Iranians will be deducted 20 points.)

The pedant's revolt

James Wood, London Review of Books, 20-Feb-2014:

In The Emigrants, [W.G. Sebald] wrote about four such wanderers: Dr Henry Selwyn, a Lithuanian Jew who arrived in Britain at the beginning of the 20th century, and who lived a life of stealthy masquerade as an English doctor, before committing suicide late in life…

I have it on very good authority that most people who commit suicide do so late in life.

Tufnils

Bit of a major scoop for Gruts, this one…

You know that Nigel Tufnel from out of Spinal Tap?

Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel from out of Spinal Tap.

WELL…

It turns out that, not only is Nigel Tufnel an accomplished guitarist, but he's also a talented drummer. Understandably, given Spinal Tap's tragic history with drummers, Tufnel has never dared to play the drums on stage with the band.

However—how's this for a scoop?—I have managed to unearth rare footage of Nigel Tufnel playing drums for Nils Lofgren from out of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. The clip is taken from The Old Grey Whistle Test, May 1976:

Tap meets Springsteen: how Gruts is that?

British Summer Time

Spring back/Fall forwards, or vice versa. I can never remember. Anyway, I hope you all remembered to change your clocks.

But what precisely is ‘time’? Philomena Cunk, the thinking man's Brian Cox, visits the world-famous Greenwich Clock Museum to find out:

See also: Philomena Cunk on:

HELP!

One of our neighbours has lost a biscuit.

Missing biscuitShould you encounter a biscuit on your travels, please leave a reply below.

Thanks.