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Simon Harper

@onesharper

Web/UX, writer, comedy/music nerd & uncle. Lapsed cynic smiling politely. Like cult music/radio/TV/film/books/art & sport. Beard growth comes in 3 colours.

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04.09.2023
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Latest posts by Simon Harper @onesharper

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World Book Day

05.03.2026 09:11 πŸ‘ 19 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Ken Adam/Temu

28.02.2026 22:22 πŸ‘ 79 πŸ” 21 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

This is superb. Beautiful and essential.

28.02.2026 20:17 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
"Sounds can have their own meaning" – Remembering Γ‰liane Radigue | The Quietus Warren Hatter reflects on the life of an extraordinary, innovative artist, ignored for most of her life before being celebrated this century

I wrote a β€˜Remember Them’ piece for @thequietus.com about the wonderful Γ‰liane Radigue. I hope I’ve done her justice thequietus.com/news/remembe...

25.02.2026 12:45 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

Every promo shot of every British electronica trio c. 1997.

15.02.2026 15:46 πŸ‘ 113 πŸ” 31 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 0

Plans for the day:

1. Gaze into the abyss, while somehow preventing the abyss from gazing back

2. Pancakes

17.02.2026 07:10 πŸ‘ 98 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 0

AFAIK you don't get ads if you pay for premium. Otherwise, it's ads all the way and some of them don't even allow you to dismiss after they've 'finished'. A dismal end to what used to be a great app, but hasn't been for several years now.

14.02.2026 14:24 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

If you use AI for writing anything, or β€œmaking” anything creative, you know what that says about you?

That you have fuck all to offer the world, and the sad thing is: you don’t even want to change that.

It’s just so fucking pathetic.

30.07.2025 21:16 πŸ‘ 32 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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This has tickled me immensely

12.02.2026 22:45 πŸ‘ 144 πŸ” 64 πŸ’¬ 12 πŸ“Œ 11

It's had absolutely awful UX for ages, but I stuck with it through grim dedication. It's going in the bin now.

12.02.2026 22:57 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I'm genuinely impressed at how Evernote continues, against all odds, to somehow find ways to keep getting even worse. Superb commitment to the bit.

Imagine thinking that forcing ads into a *note-taking app* will make people pay you rather than, say, lead to them binning off using your app entirely.

12.02.2026 22:54 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
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Clausewitz's First Principle There are many essential elements necessary for a good Bond film.Β  007 himself.Β  A girl.Β  A villain.Β  And, somewhere in the mix, a lair.Β  Bo...

I wrote a listicle like in the good old days of the internet where I've ranked the lairs of Bond villains from worst to best. dissecting007.blogspot.com/2026/02/clau...

12.02.2026 11:28 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
A still from Keeping Up Appearances, in which Hyacinth Bucket is delivering the line β€œthis is not a cornflake establishment”

A still from Keeping Up Appearances, in which Hyacinth Bucket is delivering the line β€œthis is not a cornflake establishment”

Tori Amos in 1994:

07.02.2026 21:29 πŸ‘ 298 πŸ” 87 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 1

Listening to some jams while writing. Loving the new Wet Tuna track.

Tune in!

08.02.2026 15:53 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Arrived yesterday! πŸ™

05.02.2026 07:04 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Would prefer keeping it as its own feed. Maybe just a tweak to the name rather than a new one, to cover how it started & where it's going? The Book Club: James Bond & Beyond, something like that (but better)?

Really enjoying the podcast btw, and it's spurred me on to read the continuation novels. πŸ™

17.01.2026 12:36 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
The Trailhead 195 (1/4/26)

Here’s my most recent radio show archive. It’s a little survey of *some* of my favorite music of 2025. Become a paid sub to Ambient Audiophile and get access to more shows www.mixcloud.com/jeff-conklin...

10.01.2026 16:07 πŸ‘ 15 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Sick Sad Motherslug | Ana Gavrilovska | Substack Sick Sad Motherslug is mostly about music I like, sometimes about books and movies I like, and occasionally about other things I like. Click to read Sick Sad Motherslug, by Ana Gavrilovska, a Substack...

Working feverishly on my Fave Jazz of 2025 list to get it out the door tomorrow. It's a great day to sign up for my little newsletter if you haven't yet. πŸ™ƒ

motherslug.substack.com

30.12.2025 22:37 πŸ‘ 41 πŸ” 7 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
RIP 2025

Namewall of some noteworthy names who died in 2025. 

There was too much text for one ALT description, so Part 2 and 3 to follow.

Part 1: Jan - Apr 

JAN:  
A.D.O.R. / David Lodge / Wayne Osmond / 
The Vivienne / Brenton Wood / Barbara Clegg 
Laurie Holloway
Christopher Benjamin / Sam Moore 
Keith Dewhurst / Merle Louise / Joel Paley 
Tony Slattery / Gwen Watkins 
Paul Danan / Diane Langton / Linda Nolan 
David Lynch / Joan Plowright 
Jules Feiffer / Denis Law 
Geoff Nicholson / Claire van Kampen 
John Sykes / Garth Hudson 
Charlotte Raven 
Elisa Rae Shupe 
Christopher Hughes 
Marianne Faithfull 

FEB: Brian Murphy 
Dave Jerden / Mike Ratledge 
Dafydd Elis-Thomas / Tony Roberts 
Tom Robbins 
Tony Kinsey 
Nike Arrighi / Tommy Hunt / Simon Mawer 
Steve Hodson / Julian Holloway / Kim Sae-ron
Rick Buckler / Jamie Muir 
Gene Hackman 
Jerry Butler
Gwen McCrae 
Bill Fay 
Chris Jasper 
Roberta Flack / Robert John 
Henry Kelly 
Boris Spassky 

MAR: 
Bill Dare / Marged Esli / Joey Molland / Angie Stone 
Kathryn Apanowicz / Geraint Jarman
Roy Ayers 
Brian James / Troy Seals 
Richard Fortey / D’Wayne Wiggins
Bill Ashton / Athol Fugard 
Stedman Pearson 
Cocoa Tea
Sofia Gubaidulina
Eddie Jordan 
George Foreman 
Gillian Baxter / Andy Peebles
Jemini the Gifted One 
Richard Chamberlain 
Lee Montague 

APR
Val Kilmer / Johnny Tillotson
Clem Burke
Ted Kotcheff / Nino Tempo
Mike Berry / Max Romeo 
Roy Thomas Baker 
Jean Marsh / Mario Vargas Llosa 
Wink Martindale
Mac Gayden 
Colin Berry 
Clodagh Rodgers
Pope Francis
David Thomas
Virginia Giuffre / Philip Lowrie
Jane Gardam / Mike Peters

RIP 2025 Namewall of some noteworthy names who died in 2025. There was too much text for one ALT description, so Part 2 and 3 to follow. Part 1: Jan - Apr JAN: A.D.O.R. / David Lodge / Wayne Osmond / The Vivienne / Brenton Wood / Barbara Clegg Laurie Holloway Christopher Benjamin / Sam Moore Keith Dewhurst / Merle Louise / Joel Paley Tony Slattery / Gwen Watkins Paul Danan / Diane Langton / Linda Nolan David Lynch / Joan Plowright Jules Feiffer / Denis Law Geoff Nicholson / Claire van Kampen John Sykes / Garth Hudson Charlotte Raven Elisa Rae Shupe Christopher Hughes Marianne Faithfull FEB: Brian Murphy Dave Jerden / Mike Ratledge Dafydd Elis-Thomas / Tony Roberts Tom Robbins Tony Kinsey Nike Arrighi / Tommy Hunt / Simon Mawer Steve Hodson / Julian Holloway / Kim Sae-ron Rick Buckler / Jamie Muir Gene Hackman Jerry Butler Gwen McCrae Bill Fay Chris Jasper Roberta Flack / Robert John Henry Kelly Boris Spassky MAR: Bill Dare / Marged Esli / Joey Molland / Angie Stone Kathryn Apanowicz / Geraint Jarman Roy Ayers Brian James / Troy Seals Richard Fortey / D’Wayne Wiggins Bill Ashton / Athol Fugard Stedman Pearson Cocoa Tea Sofia Gubaidulina Eddie Jordan George Foreman Gillian Baxter / Andy Peebles Jemini the Gifted One Richard Chamberlain Lee Montague APR Val Kilmer / Johnny Tillotson Clem Burke Ted Kotcheff / Nino Tempo Mike Berry / Max Romeo Roy Thomas Baker Jean Marsh / Mario Vargas Llosa Wink Martindale Mac Gayden Colin Berry Clodagh Rodgers Pope Francis David Thomas Virginia Giuffre / Philip Lowrie Jane Gardam / Mike Peters

Just some of those we lost in 2025. The gaps are there for us to remember those close to us. Wishing us all a better 2026. x

31.12.2025 11:00 πŸ‘ 182 πŸ” 73 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 4

Some 2025 favourites...

Album: Gwenifer Raymond - Last Night I Heard the Dog Star Bark
Fiction: Mark Bowles - All My Precious Madness
Non-fiction: John Higgs - Exterminate/Regenerate
Film: Ballad of Wallis Island
Cinema experience: Hundreds of Beavers, GoldenEye
Podcast: A Wheezing Groaning Sound

23.12.2025 17:32 πŸ‘ 8 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Listening to this right now, and really enjoying. Thanks as always for your recs, Geoff, and wishing you and yours a happy and safe holiday season. πŸ™

23.12.2025 15:35 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Hope they're well soon!

30.11.2025 13:57 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

It's a great record. If you like that I strongly recommend Nicklas' other band, Edena Gardens, too!

30.11.2025 13:56 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
IX, by Papir 7 track album

papir.bandcamp.com/album/ix-2

30.11.2025 11:06 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
Screenshot from Strava showing my Papir-powered PR (15k).

Screenshot from Strava showing my Papir-powered PR (15k).

The new Papir record, 'IX', sounded fantastic on my run this morning. πŸ‘

30.11.2025 11:05 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Ah, I'm at a matinee of the Penny Dreadfuls/Sherlock Holmes thing at the Rep that afternoon, so not sure if I'll make it to this afterwards.

24.11.2025 19:04 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

As another failed COP conference now sentences future generations to a hell we refuse to even imagine, now would be a great time for US arts/music writers to get creative working with climate science communications, writing on artists affected by disaster, protest music, etc. as much as we can.

22.11.2025 18:34 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

A moment, please, to consider the absolute majesty of Daphne Oram's unbelievable score to this. A pitch shifted, time stretched, frequency agile glimpse of the future of music production; a liberty-taking all analogue remix of Sandy Nelson's Teen Beat realised in real time with the visuals.

18.11.2025 18:01 πŸ‘ 142 πŸ” 48 πŸ’¬ 11 πŸ“Œ 3
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November 16th

I know it's a Sunday. It's no bloody excuse! One week from now get off your bum and down to The Kitchen Garden Cafe in Birmingham.

www.kitchengardencafe.co.uk/event/gwenif...

09.11.2025 12:00 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House.

Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.

They are not the same.

30.10.2025 16:01 πŸ‘ 39548 πŸ” 14913 πŸ’¬ 571 πŸ“Œ 666