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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 6h

Well, then. I went a bit further forward in the newspaper archive. It's fair to say this story takes some unpredictable turns.

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 6h

"Bum tiddle tiddle, bum tiddle tiddle..."

William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 6h

"The Beatles, originally known as 'The Cockney Beetles'..."

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 9h

Think they were operating at a significantly higher level, mind!

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 9h

Not sure whether this is the original or the re-recorded version. If the latter, it's apparently one of Steve Coogan's less celebrated achievements.

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 9h

...UNTIL NOW. It's predictably appalling. www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8wb...

Rhondda Rhant Rhap

YouTube video by William Ham Bevan

www.youtube.com

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 9h

So, who remembers the Rhondda Rhant Rhap from 1991? Made using a leaked hot-mic of Neil Kinnock and James Naughtie, banned in the High Court by the BBC, a "sure-fire Christmas number one", never troubled the charts. And not available anywhere online...

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 11h

Oh Christ. In a university not short of self-publicising prats, this one managed to stand out in my generation. I remember he got annoyed when one student newspaper revealed his real name was something like Derek.

James Heale @jaheale.bsky.social · 12h

‘He just likes getting up in the morning and kicking socialists. He’s in it for the love of the game.’

Profile in this week’s Spectator of Sheridan Westlake, the man who has served ten successive Tory leaders:

www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-...

Why Sheridan Westlake is the Tories' best weapon

Who is responsible for Labour’s recent woes? For some Conservatives, the answer is obvious – Sheridan Westlake. He is that rarest of beasts: an effective Tory operator who has served every leader sinc...

www.spectator.co.uk

Reposted by William Ham Bevan

Emma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 1d

🚨Christian children were told they'd "be Muslim by year 6"!🚨

😱Sounds outrageous?

You know the drill…

If it sounds outrageous and designed to trigger you into being angry with “other” people, then you need to do some 🪏

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🧵

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 2d

Ford Madox Ford and TV-am's Mike Morris are actually the same person

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 2d

! indeed!

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 2d

Lovely sounds. Funnily enough, only dug out my old CZ-230S at the weekend, so my daughter could make some typhoon noises for her school music project!

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 3d

No way of letting you down gently here, I'm afraid... www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wale...

Penscynor Wildlife Park: Traumatic chimpanzee escape remembered

Two of the animals were shot dead after leaving their enclosure and heading for a village school.

www.bbc.co.uk

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 3d

Very much so!

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 3d

If you were privileged to attend a Swansea state school in the 80s, it was Penscynor Wildlife Park (before the day when the chimps escaped, and got taken out by police marksmen), Tredegar House, or - if you'd really lucked out - a tour of the Spontex sponge factory.

Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 3d

My 9yo is going on a school trip to Abba Voyage this week for a tenner, which I'm just throwing out there as the best school trip I've ever heard of

Felicity Hannah @felicityhannah.bsky.social · 3d

Inexplicably, my son’s very standard state school - in a mixed area, not a particularly affluent one - arranged a £4K trip to Kenya last year. I keep meaning to do a story on the astonishing escalation of the school trip.

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 3d

Classic Top Gear, if no one else has had it. Both tunes are bangers, too.

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 5d

Also sartorially comforting: I actually wore a bowtie that big to the 1991 Bishop Gore May ball.

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 7d

...just as soon as they've finished remixing Moskow Diskow. www.thetimes.com/article/8c9a...

Meet the young Tories dreaming of a bright blue future

The Conservatives know they have a problem with Gen Z voters. At the party conference, The Times met a new breed of activists who are embracing the challenge

www.thetimes.com

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Reposted by William Ham Bevan

Toby Earle 🇺🇦 @tobyontv.bsky.social · 8d

if you’ve ever watched the apprentice, that’s the world without arts or humanities degrees

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 8d

Of the six on my English degree: a TV exec responsible for big global hits; one who started the first blog on a national paper; one MBE for services to UN poverty relief; a life spent in community citizen's advice; one of the UK's foremost book reviewers. And then me, but five out of six ain't bad.

Joel Morris @gralefrit.bsky.social · 8d

This is a good game.

I have an English degree and boosted a major publishing house’s share price, and saved a high street retail chain from closure.

If a Mickey Mouse degree lets you create actual Mickey fucking Mouse, it’s probably easily as good “for the economy” as business studies.

Patrick Ness @patricknessbooks.bsky.social · 8d

*deep sigh* Again, I have an English degree and have contributed rather extensively to the British economy, including writing a show that pumped £10 million into Wales. But the stupidity is the point here, of course.

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 8d

The headmaster was engaged in a long-standing affair with the head of French (true), and their love nest was the flat above a local cake shop called Le Crumpet Maison (dubious).

The Fence @thefence.bsky.social · 9d

Fence #26 will be a special on all things print, and in tribute to the storied history of the UK gutter press, our letters page wants your GOSSIP & SCANDAL.

So, we're asking you all: what was the most scandalous (true or false) bit of gossip that dominated your school or neighbourhood growing up?

A photo of assembled paparazzi waiting to snap your shame for the scandal sheets.

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 9d

A more familiar Grayson crops up in this 1987 edition of Famous for 15 Minutes - a showcase of up-and-coming bands on C4... m.youtube.com/watch?v=IT5g...

The Thieves-Star Spangled Banner

YouTube video by ScotsBhoy6767

m.youtube.com

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 11d

Ryan Paris is god tier when it comes to French summer campsite pop, which really is a thing over there. #forgotten80s

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William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 11d

*Lindt

William Ham Bevan @hambevan.bsky.social · 11d

All this and Virna Linda too...?

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