My Life as a Bookseller

Working at Waterstone's in the early 1990s, Steerforth quickly discovered that bookshops were magnets for eccentrics, kleptomaniacs and the mentally ill - and that was just the staff... Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I spent the best part of 18 years working in bookshops. Where did all the ... Read More...

Some Remarkably Boring Postcards

Steerforth finds that some things can be so boring they exert a curious fascination... There is a point at which things can be so boring that they become interesting again. That applies to people too. When I was a student, I had a temporary job as an assistant in a reference ... Read More...

On the awfulness of 1970s television

Continuing our 1970s theme, Steerforth recalls that decade's obsession with bizarre dance shows and other strange telly... The above picture shows the Easter story, expressed through the medium of dance. How anyone thought it was a good idea to tell the story of the crucifixion of Jesus through dance and mime, performed ... Read More...

Cub Scout badges: The dark side

Revealed: the shocking truth about the less well-known Cub Scout badges... When I was eight, a great-uncle offered me the princely sum of 50p to join the local Cub Scouts. I'd never had that much money before and was sorely tempted, but I couldn't bear the idea of having to wear ... Read More...

Sir Gerald Nabarro, MP – The Abominable Showman

They don't make politicians like this any more (and it's probably just as well, really)... In today's media age, politicians are subject to such a high degree of scrutiny that it encourages a culture of blandness and conformity. Where are the mavericks? Consider Sir Gerald Nabarro, whose autobiography I discovered one ... Read More...

Candy and Andy

Steerforth lifts the lid on Gerry Anderson's worst idea - an unintentionally grotesque show so awful that it traumatised a generation despite never even making it onto television... In 1966, at the height of his powers, "supermarionation" creator Gerry Anderson came up with a bold concept for a new television series. He ... Read More...