Arnie Skelton

Reading: Churchill’s Wizards - all about the history and art of deception and camouflage in war. Trouble is, I put it down somewhere and now can’t find it…..

Listening: I’m a fan of ‘House’ the TV series starring Hugh Laurie.  They always play excellent music on it, usually at the end, almost always by (relatively) unknown artists.  So I’ve been tracking down the playlists, and calling them up on Spotify.  If you’re interested, I can send you the full playlist, but for starters, try ‘The Weepies’ - a folksy boy-girl duo which reminds me of early Simon and Garfunkel…Ryan Adams is good, and features quite a lot, too…

Watching: my big treat of the moment is ‘Mad Men’,  yet another brilliant US TV series, based on the American Advertising world of the early 1960s. Everything about it is good, but it is the production values that are truly outstanding.  Be warned, there is a LOT of smoking (which is central to the whole feel of the period, and very symbolic), but the locations, lighting and above all the costumes are sensational.  I’m hooked, and it’s encouraged me to go through my dowdy wardrobe and smarten up!!!  If you are already a fan of the Sopranos, then you’ll be pleased to know that Mad Men is made by the same team…