I, Daniel Blake review: Still one of the most quietly devastating British films around
Some films do not need monsters to be horrifying; I, Daniel Blake is one of those films. There are no killers lurking in the shadows. No supernatural twists. No grand spectacle. Just a man who has worked all his life, suffered a heart attack, and suddenly finds himself forced to navigate a system that should […]
Zombies Run! review: Back to independence and still changing lives
Here’s a fact for you. About 10 years ago, maybe longer? I wanted to start running. But I had no clue where to begin or what to do. I went out in the wrong trainers, no clue the distances or really what I should be working to. The first thing I changed was tracking my […]
Dragonfly review: A quiet British drama that suddenly cuts deep
We’ve done independent music, food places, and even a market full of independent traders. Now, it’s time for our first independent film coverage. Enter, Dragonfly. Written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams, Dragonfly is a British drama starring Andrea Riseborough as Colleen, Brenda Blethyn as Elsie, and Jason Watkins as Elsie’s son. It premiered at […]
The Reytons are back, and A Love Letter To A Broken Town already feels worth getting loud about
You know when a band starts off as one song recommendation and then somehow ends up becoming part of your regular life? That was The Reytons for me. I was on a proper Jamie Webster binge when Amazon Music decided to throw Slice of Lime my way, and fair play to it, that algorithm knew […]
Chester Market review: Great food, clunky ordering
Despite being born at the Countess and living just down the road, I had somehow never actually made it to the new-look Chester Market. That felt a bit daft, really. I had visited a few of the traders back in the old market days before the Forum site shut, so there was something quite nice […]
Cisk and Cisk Excel review: 2 Maltese lagers built for sunshine
Why are we reviewing Cisk? Well, this is a story of when a wedding, a gaming friendship, and a lager all collide. Many years ago, I made a friend from Malta through a gaming site. We ended up playing a lot of Destiny together, then in around 2017, he and his girlfriend came over to […]
Why places like Red Brick Market matter, even when they’re not perfect
I’ve been going to Red Brick Market in Liverpool for a few years now, back when it was still part of the old Cains Brewery building and since the move to its current home over the road. And honestly, it is one of those places that is very easy to like. The concept alone does […]
TikTok made us do it: WALWIN just crashed onto our radar with Make Stacy Great Again
Some discoveries arrive gently. Others kick the door off its hinges. WALWIN was very much the second one. Like a lot of modern obsessions, this one started with a bit of doom scrolling. One minute it was mindless thumb movement, the next there was a teaser for Make Stacy Great Again and an opening line […]
Dreaded Mead review: Smooth sips and spiced surprises
Dreaded Mead is a Lancashire-based meadery which focuses on honest ingredients and simple but mighty flavour. They offer a diverse range of flavours, alongside some spectacularly tempting seasonal bottles (their Valentine’s Day mead mimics strawberries and cream!). I have, in the past, very much enjoyed a bottle of their Traditional Mead, which kept things very simple and […]