Category: Columns

We’ve all had a conversation with a child in which every statement you give is responded to with “but why?” As annoying as it can be, kids are great at getting to the bones of every issue, which is what this issue’s Time Travel article is all about. Our question is ‘why York?’ Why is […]

Regular readers of this column might remember the York School of Charm. For those who are less regular (or who suffer from Middle Aged Brain), this notable training college produces all those ‘anything is too much trouble’ staff whom we encounter when we’re trying to do something outlandish and completely unreasonable like post a parcel […]

Mine, mine, mine… I was never much of a gamer. For Christmas 1991 I asked my parents for a SEGA Mega Drive so I could play Sonic the Hedgehog like all my friends. They were okay with this, until they realised a Mega Drive didn’t have a keyboard. “Of course a computer needs a keyboard, […]

I’m going to talk to you about the best new video games in 2019/20. Okay, surprise surprise: I like video games. Probably too much. Did I tell you my son’s named after Tails from Sonic the Hedgehog? No, his name isn’t actually ‘Tails’ because that would clearly be stupid. He’s called Miles. After Miles ‘Tails’ […]

What do the stars have in store for you? The first week of the month brings a degree of frustration and tension when other people close to you fail to recognise your dreams and desires. Between the 7th and the 14th you go through an intensely busy period in which all your energies will be […]

Last month we peeled back the layers of history to expose the early life of that chap who is immortalised in bronze outside the Minster, Constantine the Great. Now, we pick up where we left off and look at his later years, in which he did war. Lots of war. Tensions rising So… there’s local […]

How do you define who someone is, and what they mean to you? Well, you work out what kind of cheese they are, of course.  I used to turn my nose up at mild cheddar. It’s not refined enough. Too safe. Uncontroversial. Basically just a bit boring. But I’ll happily eat it, and it’s the […]

Need. It’s a funny old thing, isn’t it?  I was mulling this over while waiting for the Number 4 the other day, when I realised I urgently needed either an umbrella or a cagoule, followed by a cup of tea in front of a log fire. In June. So much for global warming. There are […]

At the ripe old age of 37 and a half, I have finally achieved something I never have before. No, I still can’t drive (legally), and no, I’m still not allowed within 50 feet of Sophie Ellis-Bextor (legally). I’m talking about my living arrangements. You see, I now live alone. It’s very exciting. From birth […]

Happy Anniversary to Us! That’s right, my lovely adoring Your Local Link fan base – it’s our anniversary! One year of me taking the piss out of you and your silly Yorkshire ways. But the truth is (and if you weren’t already clued up then you’re not really paying attention), I love this place. I […]

Okay peeps, brace yourselves. This is gonna be a pretty heavy edition of Tech Talks. Ever heard of a monster movie called Cloverfield? The 2008 JJ Abrams film told from a behind-the-camera perspective of one of the characters? Other than its infamous ‘Blair Witch’ style, it had arguably the most impressive and successful marketing strategy […]

Remember the VHS? Bonus points for knowing what it stands for. Any guesses? Video Home System. You’re welcome. Most of you will remember the VHS with fond memories. Apart from the fact you had to sit and let it rewind for a good 10 minutes before you could press play if the person before you […]

For the past few months I have been sad. Clinically sad would be one way of putting it. Totally depressed is another. My life has been somewhat chaotic recently, from the breakdown of my marriage, to weird job stuff, and finding out that my deceased father might still be alive were it not for the […]

Just when I am wondering whether there will ever be any news other than Brexit, salvation has arrived in the form of “society interior designer” (whatever one of those is), Nicky Haslam. Writing in the Daily Torygraph, he recently asked: “How common are you?” Not very, would be my general answer. I frequent Boyes (the […]

Everyone gets mad about bins. There are few things I’ve been certain of in life, but one of those Very Few Things is that at some point in your life, my life, everyone’s lives, we have all been pissed off about our bins. Few topics make the blood boil like refuse collection. Green bins, recycling […]