Author Archives: writewyattuk

About writewyattuk

This is the online home of author, writer and editor Malcolm Wyatt, who has books on The Jam, Slade and The Clash under his belt and many more writing projects on the go, as well as regularly uploading feature-interviews and reviews right here. These days he's living his best life with his better half in West Cornwall after their three decades together in Lancashire, this Surrey born and bred scribe initially heading north after five years of 500-mile round-trips on the back of a Turkish holiday romance in 1989. Extremely proud of his two grown-up daughters, he's also a foster carer and a dog lover, spending any spare time outside all that catching up with other family and friends, supporting Woking FC, planning adventures and travels, further discovering his adopted county, and seeing as much of this big old world as time allows. He can be contacted at thedayiwasthere@gmail.com and various social media online portals, mostly involving that @writewyattuk handle.

Where past meets present, with a bright future – the Ruth Eastham interview

Posted on May 30, 2014 by writewyattuk

Ruth Eastham prides herself on ‘edgy fiction where past meets present’, with fine examples of her craft in her first three beautifully-observed teen reads, 2011’s The Memory Cage, 2012’s The Messenger Bird, and the recently-published Arrowhead. In her latest offering, she turns an … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio | Tagged Arrowhead, Bletchley Park, children's fiction, El Dorado, italy, lancashire, Lonely Planet, Preston, Ruth Eastham, Slovenia, The Memory Cage, The Messenger Bird | Leave a comment

Your town is not dragging Mark Steel down

Posted on May 23, 2014 by writewyattuk

Ever listened to Radio 4’s Mark Steel’s in Town? It comes highly recommended, following the stand-up comic, author, columnist and esteemed travel broadcaster around the UK, talking about often less celebrated areas. He’s far from patronising too, funny but never … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre, Football | Tagged Chorley Little Theatre, Coalville, Crystal Palace, Elliot Steel, Greenwich Tunnel Club, guildford, Have I Got News For You, Kent, Mark Steel, Robin Ince, Saffron Walden, Sudbury, Swanley, Tony Benn | 2 Comments

Judy Street refused UK entry, but hoping to return later this year

Posted on May 16, 2014 by writewyattuk

I don’t tend to do breaking news on the writewyattuk blog, but on the morning of Friday, May 16, it was announced that Judy Street – the subject of a feature and interview on this site last Saturday (May 10) … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 53 Degrees, Bolton, Edinburgh, Glenn Walker-Foster, Judy Street, Manchester, Preston's Got Soul, Russ Winstanley, Twisted Wheel, Wigan | Leave a comment

Pass the bass, it’s Evil Blizzard!

Posted on May 10, 2014 by writewyattuk

When it comes to live entertainment, arthouse shockers Evil Blizzard are in a class of their own, offering a truly theatrical experience, though not one for the faint-hearted. It’s difficult to explain what they’re all about, but the fact that … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Arne Wald, Black Sabbath, Dominic Brunt, Emmerdale, Evil Blizzard, Jeff Hordley, John Lydon, John Robb, Mark E Smith, Membranes, Preston, The Dangers of Evil Blizzard, The Fall | 3 Comments

A Northern Soul icon, after all these years – the Judy Street interview

Posted on May 10, 2014 by writewyattuk

It’s rather bizarre to think that an artist that recorded just two songs in the late 1960s passed into the rich history of soul music. Yet that’s the case for Judy Street. OK, so Judy’s story is about so much … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 53 Degrees, Bolton, Conrad Bachmann, Edinburgh, HB Barnum, Judy Street, Marc Almond, Northern Soul, Preston, Preston's Got Soul, Soft Cell, Twisted Wheel, Wigan | 3 Comments

Arrowhead points to success for Ruth

Posted on May 7, 2014 by writewyattuk

We often hear about boys of a certain age not engaging with books, but there are several fine authors out there who seem to be addressing that. There’s a perfect example in Ruth Eastham, with her latest page-turner, Arrowhead, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio | Tagged Arrowhead, children's fiction, Norway, Ruth Eastham, Scholastic, teenage, The Memory Cage, The Messenger Bird, Vikings | Leave a comment

Carrying on regardless with The South

Posted on May 5, 2014 by writewyattuk

It doesn’t seem right getting emotional on hearing Tony Hatch’s Crossroads theme. I really can’t put my finger on why either, save for nostalgia and the fact that my Nan was the only person I knew who watched that … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged 53 Degrees, Alison Wheeler, Crossroads, Dave Hemingway, Dave Rotheray, Gaz Birtles, Jacqui Abbott, Paul Heaton, Preston, Sweet Refrains, The Beautiful South, The South, Tony Robinson | 2 Comments

Where did it all go right? In conversation with From the Jam’s Russell Hastings

Posted on May 3, 2014 by writewyattuk

I’ve suggested before now that if I had any problem with Bruce Foxton’s impressive 2012 comeback LP Back in the Room, it was the fact that –despite clearly being a collaborative effort – it only carried his name on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Back In The Room, Bruce Foxton, David Moore, From The Jam, Mark Brzezicki, paul weller, Rick Buckler, Russell Hastings, Steve Barnard, The Jam, Tom Van Heel | 5 Comments

The South rises again – the Dave Hemingway interview

Posted on April 27, 2014 by writewyattuk

Cast your mind back, and follow me on a journey to my past, and the last time I got to meet Dave Hemingway. Unlikely as it seems – to me at least – it’s a quarter of the century since … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged Aldershot, Alison Wheeler, Dave Hemingway, Dave Rotheray, Hugh Whittaker, Hull, Jacqui Abbott, Norman Cook, Paul Heaton, Sweet Refrains, The Beautiful South, The South | 9 Comments

Recreating the world of Mitchell and Kenyon

Posted on April 20, 2014 by writewyattuk

With a new play being staged highlighting the world of visionary film-makers Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon, writewyattuk talked to Northern Irish playwright Daragh Carville about the lasting legacy of these celebrated Lancastrians. Two decades ago, a cache of historic films … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Films, TV & Radio, Comedy & Theatre | Tagged Amy Leach, Blackburn, Daragh Carville, Dukes theatre, James Kenyon, lancashire, Lancaster, Mitchell and Kenyon, Oldham, Oldham Coliseum, Sagar Mitchell, Vanessa Toulmin | Leave a comment