You could say teletext sort of gave us the internet before the internet was a thing. It gave us a clunky pre-cursor to online news, in a similar way to how Argos gave us a clunky pre-cursor to online shopping. The only tragedy is, while Argos has somehow managed to stay with us (I mean, that in itself is incredible), teletext is, for most, but … Continue reading I Love You, Teletext
I used to read books on my train journey to work. That felt valuable to me. Like I was doing something worthwhile with some otherwise-dead time. Recently though, my commute has been consumed by something else. Something on my phone. Something that threatens to devour my time, my thoughts, and possibly my sanity. That thing, as if you don’t already know, is Football Manager. It’s … Continue reading Barely Managing
If, like Alison Moyet, you go weak in the presence of beauty, you’ll want to hold onto something sturdy before scrolling any further. Because it’s time for a second instalment of brilliance from the mysterious bods at Gallantry. To re-cap, I have no idea who or what Gallantry were. I know only that they produced magnificent football catalogues in the 1990s. To see the 1994/95 … Continue reading Inside the 1995/96 Gallantry Catalogue
Who were Gallantry? I’m convinced that not a single person in the world knows. I’ve searched and searched, but nothing ever comes up (although, on the flip-side, I have inadvertently become an expert on military medals). The one thing I do know about them is that, for at least two years in the ‘90s, they produced glorious catalogues that have since become wonderful time capsules … Continue reading Inside the 1994/95 Gallantry Catalogue
No one writes letters any more, do they? I mean, it’s for the best really. Letter-writing was rubbish. You had to find some decent paper, and an envelope that was the right size, and some stamps. You had to do your best handwriting (who even has handwriting any more?). You had to lick the disgusting envelope, like some sort of animal. You had to walk to the … Continue reading You’ve Got Mail
In the mid ’90s, when I was around 14 or so, I developed an obsession with a play-by-mail game called ‘Pure Fantasy Football’. Each week, you had to fill in a form to pick your team, and send it off in the post. The actual post. With stamps, and paper, and envelopes and that. The way it worked was, you sent in your managerial selections, … Continue reading Playing by Mail
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