Listen man, Brian Wilson can do no wrong

I don't care. I love him, and I think this is probably the greatest rap track ever recorded. Thanks to Nick Offer for the art, and to HUCK for the scout.

Beaneath the pavement, the beach!

It was forty years ago today. In Paris, during May 1968, a revolution of the imagination was underway. Students rallied for the workers of the world to be realistic by demanding the impossible. They made up killer slogans and even better posters. They chugged on Gaulois and lobbed cobblestones at coppers. It was so much fun, the workers came out to play with them. The French government and the economy was brought to its knees, and for a few fleeting moments it looked like the funkiest overthrow of a regime in history was about to happen. Then, according to who you ask, either the Communists sold out the revolution (again) by negotiating a deal for extra pay between the government and the workers at the Renault factories, or the rebellion dissipated when the college summer holidays started. I prefer the latter. Who knows, some of the kids may have gone surfing. Either way, for a brief moment, the landlocked, beret-rocking intellectuals of freedom realised where true liberty was to be found.
Beneath the pavement, they realised, lay the beach!

Is accordian music the future of the surf sound?

According to Mr Simon Skelton, purveyor of fine. locally crafted surfboards in North Devon's Braunton, it just might be. Mr Skelton is a renowned fetishist of all things woodsy, English and obscure and known to rip on a Bellyboard. I dropped into his shop Gulf Stream, said hello and was treated to a series of quaint renditions of squeezbox ditties. Support your local accordianist.

The primary element of my dawn patrol.

A fitful sleep, an anticipated alarm call and a low rev chequered flag beating the shipping forecast. Dull murmurings from Bush House teasing out the fact that I live on a Celtic archipelago and that I have five coastlines to choose from. Who wants to be a local?

Knostiness

More Monochrome from the Newport neo-troglodyte.

The Inaugural Duke

Classic footage including Hynson, August, Noll, Buzzy Trent, Wally Froiseth and others narrated by Bruce Brown. Classic and rare Dora interview too. You can see the Dark Knight trying to be as obscure as possible. And not quite making it.

Homage to Woody Brown

Been out the loop for over a month because of deadlines for the next book, and also because of the sad loss of my mother Patricia Anne Fordham. Sadly, first post back is a last post for inspirational surfer of spectacular longevity and energy Woody Brown. One of the originals, Woody was still surfing into his nineties and is one of the true elders of the tribe. Rest In Peace Mr Brown.