Jeff Evans
@jeffevanswriter.bsky.social
Beer, television, music, quizzing, not necessarily in that order. Author: The Penguin TV Companion, Rock & Pop on British TV, numerous books on beer; former editor of the Good Beer Guide; question writer for Mastermind and other TV series.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
Your annual reminder that “Blue Monday” is a complete fiction invented by a company that wanted to sell you more holidays.
Enjoy January! It’s quiet and cosy and time for semi-hibernation, reflection and being kind to yourself!
Enjoy January! It’s quiet and cosy and time for semi-hibernation, reflection and being kind to yourself!
January 19, 2026 at 8:30 AM
Your annual reminder that “Blue Monday” is a complete fiction invented by a company that wanted to sell you more holidays.
Enjoy January! It’s quiet and cosy and time for semi-hibernation, reflection and being kind to yourself!
Enjoy January! It’s quiet and cosy and time for semi-hibernation, reflection and being kind to yourself!
Reposted by Jeff Evans
Can you believe @uniofreading.bsky.social is 100 years old this year?
And as part of their celebrations, they're running a series of guided walks in and around Whiteknights and London Road campuses, each telling different aspects of their history.
whatsonreading.com/venues/unive...
And as part of their celebrations, they're running a series of guided walks in and around Whiteknights and London Road campuses, each telling different aspects of their history.
whatsonreading.com/venues/unive...
January 16, 2026 at 10:03 AM
Can you believe @uniofreading.bsky.social is 100 years old this year?
And as part of their celebrations, they're running a series of guided walks in and around Whiteknights and London Road campuses, each telling different aspects of their history.
whatsonreading.com/venues/unive...
And as part of their celebrations, they're running a series of guided walks in and around Whiteknights and London Road campuses, each telling different aspects of their history.
whatsonreading.com/venues/unive...
Reposted by Jeff Evans
Britain is one of the best places in recorded history to be born, live, work and grow old. Lots of room for improvement obviously but combat the pessimism, it’s the forerunner of fascism.
every provocateur who wangs on all the time about Britain being “broken” should be sent to an actual failed state or autocracy for a month as a learning experience, there’s no shortage of them
January 17, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Britain is one of the best places in recorded history to be born, live, work and grow old. Lots of room for improvement obviously but combat the pessimism, it’s the forerunner of fascism.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
Tyneside Lambic Trail is back, weekend of 24th & 25th January. Some great venues below & world-class beers.
See @craftbeerncl.bsky.social for FB link.
See @craftbeerncl.bsky.social for FB link.
And for those of you who hate Meta, here’s the route for 24th January:
12pm - 1pm: The Town Mouse
1pm - 2pm: Mean Eyed Cat
2.30pm - 3.30pm: Axis
3.30pm - 4.30pm: The Central Bar
5pm - 6pm: Free Trade
6.10pm - 7.10pm: Cumberland Arms
7.30pm - 8.30pm: House Bar
8.40pm - 9.40pm: Elder Beer
12pm - 1pm: The Town Mouse
1pm - 2pm: Mean Eyed Cat
2.30pm - 3.30pm: Axis
3.30pm - 4.30pm: The Central Bar
5pm - 6pm: Free Trade
6.10pm - 7.10pm: Cumberland Arms
7.30pm - 8.30pm: House Bar
8.40pm - 9.40pm: Elder Beer
January 17, 2026 at 9:53 AM
Tyneside Lambic Trail is back, weekend of 24th & 25th January. Some great venues below & world-class beers.
See @craftbeerncl.bsky.social for FB link.
See @craftbeerncl.bsky.social for FB link.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
St Mary's church in Aldworth. Home to the Aldworth Giants (the De La Beche family), a 1000 year old yew and the final resting place of Laurence Binyon and Marianne Faithful. Oh and near the best pub in England!
January 11, 2026 at 11:59 AM
St Mary's church in Aldworth. Home to the Aldworth Giants (the De La Beche family), a 1000 year old yew and the final resting place of Laurence Binyon and Marianne Faithful. Oh and near the best pub in England!
Reposted by Jeff Evans
Rock ’n’ roll–themed Shindig!, which showcased many of the era’s top musical acts, wrapped up its two-and-a-half-season run on ABC in 1966.
January 8, 2026 at 3:28 PM
Rock ’n’ roll–themed Shindig!, which showcased many of the era’s top musical acts, wrapped up its two-and-a-half-season run on ABC in 1966.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
Magic Rays of Light at BFI Southbank kicks off tomorrow, Thurs 8, with four documentaries from the early television service.
On publication day for the book, I am introducing the programme and have written accompanying notes, which I reproduce here.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-a...
On publication day for the book, I am introducing the programme and have written accompanying notes, which I reproduce here.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-a...
Magic Rays at BFI Southbank 1. - Illuminations
John Wyver writes: The Magic Rays of Light season at BFI Southbank kicks off tomorrow night, Thursday 8, with a programme of four documentaries made for the early television service. On what is also p...
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk
January 7, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Magic Rays of Light at BFI Southbank kicks off tomorrow, Thurs 8, with four documentaries from the early television service.
On publication day for the book, I am introducing the programme and have written accompanying notes, which I reproduce here.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-a...
On publication day for the book, I am introducing the programme and have written accompanying notes, which I reproduce here.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/magic-rays-a...
Reposted by Jeff Evans
We are very pleased to announce that 'Brewery History' will be publishing a special issue later this year containing a selection of Martyn Cornell’s work.
January 7, 2026 at 10:22 AM
We are very pleased to announce that 'Brewery History' will be publishing a special issue later this year containing a selection of Martyn Cornell’s work.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
One plus of bad weather is listening to local radio.
BBC Tees is excellent.
The presenters are enthusiastic, fun and know the area. Listeners are treated with respect.
BBC Tees is excellent.
The presenters are enthusiastic, fun and know the area. Listeners are treated with respect.
January 5, 2026 at 7:07 AM
One plus of bad weather is listening to local radio.
BBC Tees is excellent.
The presenters are enthusiastic, fun and know the area. Listeners are treated with respect.
BBC Tees is excellent.
The presenters are enthusiastic, fun and know the area. Listeners are treated with respect.
Repeated on BBC2 this Wednesday (but, of course, the whole series is already on iPlayer).
#OnThisDay 1990 : The first episode of One Foot In The Grave was broadcast on BBC1. Richard Wilson as Victor Meldrew and Annette Crosbie playing the wife took the lead roles which saw six series between 1990 to 2000.
#90s
#90s
January 4, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Repeated on BBC2 this Wednesday (but, of course, the whole series is already on iPlayer).
Reposted by Jeff Evans
We are screening a number of pre-war documentaries made for the Alexandra Palace service, a Jack Rosenthal drama about the service from there, and rarely-seen feature films from the early 1930s that in different ways imagine how television will be realised (including High Treason, 1929, pictured).
January 2, 2026 at 7:10 AM
We are screening a number of pre-war documentaries made for the Alexandra Palace service, a Jack Rosenthal drama about the service from there, and rarely-seen feature films from the early 1930s that in different ways imagine how television will be realised (including High Treason, 1929, pictured).
Happy New Year, all. Please keep supporting pubs and breweries this January. None of us would be happy if most of our income dried up for a month.
January 1, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Happy New Year, all. Please keep supporting pubs and breweries this January. None of us would be happy if most of our income dried up for a month.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
It would have been Bernard Cribbins' 97th birthday today.
My class made a video to go with his 'Right, Said Fred' and I gave him a copy.
He asked for the names of every child involved.
A couple.of weeks later, the school received a box of goodies and handwritten notes for every child.
A legend.
My class made a video to go with his 'Right, Said Fred' and I gave him a copy.
He asked for the names of every child involved.
A couple.of weeks later, the school received a box of goodies and handwritten notes for every child.
A legend.
December 29, 2025 at 12:08 PM
It would have been Bernard Cribbins' 97th birthday today.
My class made a video to go with his 'Right, Said Fred' and I gave him a copy.
He asked for the names of every child involved.
A couple.of weeks later, the school received a box of goodies and handwritten notes for every child.
A legend.
My class made a video to go with his 'Right, Said Fred' and I gave him a copy.
He asked for the names of every child involved.
A couple.of weeks later, the school received a box of goodies and handwritten notes for every child.
A legend.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
NYE and en route to the Diff so a good time as any to listen again to this three-part series looking back at Red Dragon Radio (with a bit of the backstory behind ILR’s early years in south east Wales, too)
Produced by @theliveluke.bsky.social with contributions from me.
www.buzzsprout.com/2544630
Produced by @theliveluke.bsky.social with contributions from me.
www.buzzsprout.com/2544630
For South Wales, From South Wales: The Red Dragon Story
Too celebrate the 40 Anniversary since its first broadcast, Chris Moore and Jason Harrold look back on the 25 years Red Dragon dominated South Wales.
www.buzzsprout.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:08 AM
NYE and en route to the Diff so a good time as any to listen again to this three-part series looking back at Red Dragon Radio (with a bit of the backstory behind ILR’s early years in south east Wales, too)
Produced by @theliveluke.bsky.social with contributions from me.
www.buzzsprout.com/2544630
Produced by @theliveluke.bsky.social with contributions from me.
www.buzzsprout.com/2544630
Reposted by Jeff Evans
The word is that I’ve a 'movie' out shortly. It's true. My 2022 theatre show The Beatles / Evolver:62 was filmed, and selections from that + new material shot in Liverpool and London comprise a feature that'll be streaming from Feb 2026. More details to follow, sample here vimeo.com/1023543808?f...
Evolver : 62 Promo
60 sec trailer for the forthcoming feature length documentary The Beatles Evolver: 62 with Mark Lewisohn Director / Camera / Editor: Chris Purcell Producer / Camera:…
vimeo.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:52 AM
The word is that I’ve a 'movie' out shortly. It's true. My 2022 theatre show The Beatles / Evolver:62 was filmed, and selections from that + new material shot in Liverpool and London comprise a feature that'll be streaming from Feb 2026. More details to follow, sample here vimeo.com/1023543808?f...
Reposted by Jeff Evans
And! I’ve been looking all over for this and finally found it
December 29, 2025 at 1:51 PM
And! I’ve been looking all over for this and finally found it
Reposted by Jeff Evans
Reposted by Jeff Evans
Here's a photo of me turning in a blistering 33.52 at #parkrun yesterday. It's a very unflattering photo of a 55yr old man with a bit of a hangover (and a cold, it transpired) doing his best. I'm just posting this to let you know that if you're thinking about giving it a go, you really should.
December 28, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Here's a photo of me turning in a blistering 33.52 at #parkrun yesterday. It's a very unflattering photo of a 55yr old man with a bit of a hangover (and a cold, it transpired) doing his best. I'm just posting this to let you know that if you're thinking about giving it a go, you really should.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
I’ve used the BBC Written Archives Centre for research and I deplore the new restrictive rules and the sneaky way they were introduced. It’s unbecoming of a public institution that is supposed to be about informing people to effectively close off proper archival research.
Just up on the Telegraph, a thorough and thoughtful piece about the wrongheaded policy changes at WAC. Thanks to Kate Murphy, @illuminations.bsky.social, @unamccormack.bsky.social and @marklewisohn.bsky.social for giving up their time. Gift link here
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/65a1031...
www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/65a1031...
The BBC scandal of 2025 that went unnoticed
The Written Archives Centre has closed its doors to the public, despite being funded by the licence fee
www.telegraph.co.uk
December 24, 2025 at 11:52 AM
I’ve used the BBC Written Archives Centre for research and I deplore the new restrictive rules and the sneaky way they were introduced. It’s unbecoming of a public institution that is supposed to be about informing people to effectively close off proper archival research.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
I've signed this. I spent three years in and out of Caversham for a thesis on one particular aspect of the BBC's history. But the BBC is one of the UK's four or five most crucial institutions of the last 100 years. Impossible to write much of that history with limited access to those archives.
The open letter is here and still open, but use the email at the top to do so. tinyurl.com/bbcwaccampaign
December 24, 2025 at 12:40 PM
I've signed this. I spent three years in and out of Caversham for a thesis on one particular aspect of the BBC's history. But the BBC is one of the UK's four or five most crucial institutions of the last 100 years. Impossible to write much of that history with limited access to those archives.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
Some more positive news from here in Shropshire today.
Historic pub reopens
After its shock closure in July 2025, the Three Tuns Inn in Bishop’s Castle has delighted residents and tourists alike by reopening its doors in time...
orlo.uk
December 24, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Some more positive news from here in Shropshire today.
Reposted by Jeff Evans
The open letter is here and still open, but use the email at the top to do so. tinyurl.com/bbcwaccampaign
December 24, 2025 at 8:39 AM
The open letter is here and still open, but use the email at the top to do so. tinyurl.com/bbcwaccampaign
Reposted by Jeff Evans
The BBC is trying hard to put a positive spin on its damaging policy changes at the Written Archives, which have alienated the research community. Here's our rebuttal to today's "good news" story. tinyurl.com/WACrebuttal
December 23, 2025 at 1:39 PM
The BBC is trying hard to put a positive spin on its damaging policy changes at the Written Archives, which have alienated the research community. Here's our rebuttal to today's "good news" story. tinyurl.com/WACrebuttal