tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60799712012-01-20T06:37:39.467ZLooked for LA's divine secrets - without much luckJames Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-65793681274085593592010-09-25T03:16:00.002+01:002010-09-25T03:27:40.292+01:00

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-70256035590694174792010-02-24T01:35:00.004Z2010-02-25T05:00:27.093Z

The worst thing about owning a Kindle is the torrent of questions every time I get on public transport. Yes it's a Kindle, no it's not like reading a pooter, no my eyes don't hurt, now please go back to your Danielle Steele.I need to disguise it with something appropriate.Like a book perhaps.

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-13425186885812708642010-02-04T03:10:00.011Z2010-03-11T06:13:53.057Z

A funny thing happened to me on the way back from my mum's memorial.They're not really words I'd imagined I would ever write, but there they are. Funny thing and mum's memorial. Choice words for an opening sentence - mischievously winking back at me in all their shining inappropriate glory. I wrote them so I have no excuse. Actually not entirely true. I experienced them and then wrote them. So

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-32985510341304400522009-06-17T20:38:00.008+01:002009-12-05T20:23:48.959Z

I’m in New York at a TV Promotion and Marketing Conference and awards. Three feet in front of me is the legendary artist Ralph Steadman clutching my mobile phone looking for a hammer. Three feet behind me, 2000 or so people are staring. At me. Bewildered. And I’m embarrassed. Very embarrassed.This is not one of those dreams and I’m not naked. Nudity could not strip me of any more dignity.It wasn’

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com70tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-85332125092376220052009-04-23T17:00:00.003+01:002009-04-23T18:37:45.311+01:00

Exactly one year to the day I attended the funeral of an old friend's father (see below), I found myself burying my own mother. Time and irony can be so cruel. My greatest counsel, my best friend and a source of so much love, laughter and joy, it's hard to picture this time next year. It was a beautiful, warm, soulful day surrounded by people we loved and people that loved her. Before we laid her

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-49732075600574790382009-03-05T12:39:00.004Z2010-02-25T05:01:14.567Z

When I was 10 I had to do a project over the school holidays on London. My sister, ever the sucker for punishment and probably press ganged by my mother, took me on a two week tour of London's sights. St Paul's Cathedral (still have the picture of the transept I took); Oxford Circus (still disappointed there were no lions and clowns); the London museum (complete with authentic smells of

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-18552474531990240052009-01-11T13:33:00.006Z2010-02-25T05:01:44.223Z

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-1113228144421385932008-07-24T21:54:00.008+01:002010-02-25T05:03:07.429Z

About three hours ago a doctor of osteology I had never met before looked at me gravely, made a faux dramatic pause and told me, “You may never straighten it again.”No! Rewind doctor! This wasn’t how I pictured it. This wasn’t how it was meant to be. But it also wasn’t the worst fear realised, that I had always imagined it might be.My worst fear isn’t injury. I kind of have a morbid

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-76823905590064091842008-04-28T01:14:00.007+01:002010-02-25T05:04:44.467Z

I went back to the 'Duchamp Man Ray Picabia' exhibition at the Tate today. Actually, 'went back' masks the obsessive truth - it was my fourth time - and I'm acutely aware how mildly compulsive that is. To claim I wrote a thesis on Marcel Duchamp some years ago is probably a pathetic excuse. To make sense of it, the first three times I was stalking my prey, this time I went with a determined and

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-67448076835476966692008-04-23T01:56:00.004+01:002010-02-25T05:05:10.770Z

'The first of the summer sun is out," someone said to me bizarrely at a funeral earlier today. I recalled the phrase from something. I came home and did a search and found it was something quasi navel gazing I had written for friends just after returning from Los Angeles. I reprint it here merely because I can't think of anything more enlightening right now, and the sun is indeed, out...We

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-41961489966038263352008-04-05T02:49:00.007+01:002008-04-05T11:57:17.960+01:00

Some mathematician or statistician or simply mere cynic once hypothesized that if you put enough monkeys in a room with enough typewriters, paper and of course time - they'll eventually write the complete works of Shakespeare. (They may have also written the complete works of Jeffrey Archer along the way but the Baboons ate it).The Monkeys are chattering.If you sit quietly, alone, at peace for

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-66745432523342558772008-01-28T23:32:00.001Z2010-02-25T05:05:25.388Z

I adore the BBC's occasional tendency towards pure unashamed self indulgence. This evening their Radio 4 announcer excitedly told us about two new documentaries next week. Both unsurprisingly about the BBC.The first was a look at the BBC's homophobia in the 50's and 60's as told through a reporter who wanted to do a piece back then on lives of gay men. This was followed on Tuesday with a

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-1902092601901980882008-01-17T20:05:00.000Z2008-01-17T20:07:54.895Z

Washington DC on a snowy afternoon.There is so much to say about this I'm not quite sure where to begin

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-4313676623105780662008-01-11T21:42:00.001Z2008-01-11T23:12:23.391Z

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-54856446502316750022007-12-27T03:07:00.000Z2007-12-27T03:12:03.000Z

This is what the score looked like for the first 25 minutes or so of today's West Ham Vs Reading game.The boys and girls behind the Quantel desk at Sky must have pissed themselves silly at this one. Happy Christmas VT.

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-64091580417455699452007-12-06T23:00:00.001Z2010-02-25T05:06:29.921Z

"You're an analog guy in a digital world," a bikini clad minx said to David Duchovny on 'Californication' the other night. "Nope, but I'm gonna steal that line," he retorted.It felt familiar. A few hours earlier I was caught in snarling traffic and as is my inclination, fell into a day dream, oblivious to the honking horns and the mediocre DJ patter on the radio around me. A brake light reverie.

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-36006633191204177352007-11-23T00:27:00.000Z2007-11-23T02:42:08.747Z

Sony/Metrodome release, 'The Counterfeiters" gets a front of house release at The Screen on The Green. This is Islington for chrissakes. What did they honestly expect to happen?Good film, though its namesake truly is one of 2007's hidden gems.(Thank you Vicks, you made my day.)

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-16743318034651005162007-11-22T00:38:00.000Z2007-11-22T00:54:13.136Z

When Heather Mills speaks, the world should listen. She claimed yesterday that since Cows produce an excess of Ozone depleting methane, we should switch to Rats milk for all our dairy needs.If Heather says it then milking rats we must do.After all, she's already milked a Beatle.QED

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-83363844783186230732007-10-09T23:48:00.000+01:002007-10-09T23:53:39.649+01:00

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-84947707158171490412007-09-30T00:33:00.001+01:002007-09-30T01:55:41.262+01:00

Some months back I was caught on camera making an illegal u-turn and, given the name of the camera, was perturbed to find I may well have been the 6 o'clock bulletin (see below). So this week Hammersmith and Fulham Council write to me again. I kinda feel like we're pen pals now.This time they want 60 quid. Same camera, different offense. Driving in the bus lane apparently.While initially

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-43960143823165303712007-09-11T00:43:00.001+01:002007-09-11T00:49:08.377+01:00

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-55084393473086245612007-08-31T00:22:00.000+01:002007-08-31T00:27:03.848+01:00

Poor Branson. Go head to head with Murdoch and look what you're reduced to.

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-60081900835122312012007-08-23T01:00:00.000+01:002007-08-23T02:20:25.210+01:00

Oh, the lights that now burn brightest Behind stained glass Will cast the darkest shadows Upon the human heart- Matt JohnsonReligion again. For about a year now I've become quietly, but increasingly interested in the so called 'New Atheists'. I say quietly since to be vocal and evangelical about them, seems to me to be playing into the

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-53007257666771193682007-08-19T11:20:00.001+01:002007-08-19T11:24:19.405+01:00

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-90038170464818056972007-08-16T19:22:00.000+01:002007-08-16T19:33:33.697+01:00

Deepest, darkest Soho 12am... As you get older you see all sorts of things in all sorts of places chained up - some of which you swear never to speak of again. Come to think of it, the same goes for toilets. This nicely combines the two me thinks.

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-67981707146665818082007-07-29T23:07:00.000+01:002007-07-29T23:23:18.367+01:00

Alright I know this is completely silly and puerile and I'm probably suffering from delusions of Dennis Norden, but I caught this while watching Channel 4 News on Thursday and it just makes me laugh. I dumped it down from my Sky+ and stuck it on YouTube. In the future all news will have such moments to keep us happy.

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-7356032635390391662007-07-25T11:16:00.000+01:002007-07-27T23:13:31.218+01:00

Hammersmith and Fulham council have written to me which is nice of them. I like letters. Apparently I failed to comply with a sign and they want 50 quid. They even sent a photo . It's definitely me, I even appear to be smiling if you squint at it in the right way.What's concerning me more is what's written in the top left of the screen.Was this such a heinous a crime, that I made the 6pm

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-47240675679727521622007-07-22T22:26:00.000+01:002007-07-22T22:28:15.265+01:00

Like a 1/3 of the planet, I'm taking Harry Potter to bed tonight.Does that make me a slut?

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-34751356210613518952007-07-22T19:31:00.000+01:002007-07-22T19:59:52.310+01:00

So last year Max at Smithereen and I made a short film called 'Truth in Ad Sales' that went through the Meeja industry, in the words of The Independent, 'Like a dose of bad Oysters.' It currently has over 1/4 million hits on You Tube and a fair amount of commentary.It looks like this:I get back from holiday last night to find a message from a well known biscuit company asking if I would help make

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-65948088512633841842007-07-11T17:40:00.000+01:002007-07-11T18:19:10.452+01:00

I'm off to Florence today to play best man at my dear friends Alison and Andrew's wedding. Set in a 'secret' castle high in the Florentine hills, I'm expecting the most romantic hitching I've ever seen. Accordingly I've put huge pressure on myself to get the speech right and fufill the best man duties diligently. Yet I find it achingly hard to write for people I love and care about so much. I

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-12311027135414749242007-07-07T02:34:00.000+01:002007-07-07T02:43:25.197+01:00

My nephew Ben was picked to be one of many kids singing behind Madonna at Live Earth today.Accordingly I spend the whole day preying he's not caught on camera picking his nose.My sister Caz 'facebooks' me saying Maddy is slagging the kids off on her blog, so as indignant uncle, I google it.It reads: "I'm working with this huge choir and it seems everyone in the choir wants to sing louder than me.

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-23929238583241798552007-07-05T00:09:00.000+01:002007-07-05T00:19:31.120+01:00

Monday night I meet Matt Regan in Clapham for some dinner and some speech writing.Out pops a rainbow.It happens everyday in South London apparently.Now I know why people choose to live there.

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-76471280286108356342007-07-04T21:44:00.001+01:002007-07-05T00:02:48.009+01:00

I drag my flu addled semi-hallucinogenic self round to the Ladbroke Grove Sainsburys for more water and Vit C. They've just expanded the place, resplendent with a sock aisle and an ethnic section.I notice a Kosher shelf sitting between the Italians and the Afro-Caribbeans.I like that, my place in the world sits safely between the Italians and the Afro-Caribean. I took some comfort.I also took

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-1482895756235012072007-07-03T01:11:00.000+01:002007-07-03T01:13:31.642+01:00

Sorry to add to the throng - but it's just occurred to me....Paris Hilton has served 23 days of a 45 day conviction. Guess that's another sentence she's never managed to get to the end of.....

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-76874015180520867012007-07-01T23:58:00.000+01:002007-07-02T00:33:22.041+01:00

I've been dreaming a lot lately. A lot more than normal. Dreams where the past distorts and melds and churns out strangely logical combinations of seemingly random memories. My time in Asia comes up a lot - the last one was where I was back in school (which was now a hotel for reasons I cannot fathom) but set in Singapore where I was studying for the job I once had there at Disney/Buena Vista.

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-88183392841007862382007-06-28T16:32:00.000+01:002007-06-28T16:37:02.396+01:00

The hottest English July day since records began was recorded yesterday when temperatures reached 36.5c(97.3f).It didn't drop much below that throughout the night and if such things were recorded, it was probably the most sleepless night in British history as well. I tried every method to get there - book, shower, movie, shower, book in shower - all to no avail. I think I might have taken more

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-1159351868531368322006-09-27T11:10:00.000+01:002006-09-27T11:11:08.536+01:00

(Reposted from an article first written in 2004)Some of my best friends are: (Black)(Gay)(Jewish)(Lesbian)(Chinese)(Indian)(Rabbits).Please delete as appropriate according to how you’ve used it. And you have used it. Be honest. It’s a caveat. And as a such it’s usually preceded with, “I’m not fascist/homophobic” and more often not followed with, “But….”As a casual armchair anthropologist I am a

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6079971.post-1068846672989279152003-08-30T21:48:00.000+01:002007-07-03T01:33:49.631+01:00

“She’s seen her fair share of devils in this, Angel Town”- Shaun MullinsIf I had to sum up my first three months in Los Angeles, it’s been religious. Not in the metaphorical spiritual sense, that my forefathers felt after alighting the Mayflower and stepping into a grateful dead concert, but in the absolute biblical sense. It has, literally, been religious.The United States as we know is riddled

James Gilbeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09812099199467008397noreply@blogger.com1