Category Archives: Entertainment

Steve Ditko

Posted on July 7, 2018 by Geoff Coupe

The Guardian reports today that Steve Ditko has died aged 90. He was one of the great comic book artists. I remember as a boy going round the corner to the newsagents in Walpole Avenue, in Douglas, Isle of Man, … Continue reading →

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Oh, Bugger…

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Geoff Coupe

Victoria Wood has died. The news probably won’t mean much to most of you, but to me she was the laugh-out-loud, singing version of Alan Bennett. A brilliant writer and comedy performer. Beat me on the bottom with a Woman’s … Continue reading →

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Media in the Home–The State of Play

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Geoff Coupe

I’ve written a couple of posts over the past six weeks about Hi-Fi and Home Cinema, and I thought it would be useful to document the current state of play here in the Witte Wand. Six weeks ago, I was … Continue reading →

Posted in Computers and Internet, Consumer Electronics, Entertainment, Music | 3 Comments

Media in the Home – The Journey Continues, and Roon is Discovered

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Geoff Coupe

Music My journey to get the best experience of listening to music began many years ago, when I was still a teenager. That was when I first dipped my toes into the waters of HiFi. Using the wages from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Computers and Internet, Entertainment, Film, Music, whs | 4 Comments

Seeing the Future

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Geoff Coupe

I was pulled up short today by the caption under the photo in this Guardian piece: “Xeno, an interactive monster with pullout snot, farting capability and 40 different expressions”. God, that will be me in not more than 20 years… … Continue reading →

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Wilson, Kepple, but no Betty

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Geoff Coupe

Funny how things can stick in your mind. Impressions from years ago that, even then, were hand-me-downs from your parents and older family members. Things that you would never have experienced firsthand, yet were alive to you. So it is … Continue reading →

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Lichtenvoorde’s Bloemencorso

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Geoff Coupe

The nearby town of Lichtenvoorde holds a Bloemencorso, or Flower Parade, every year on the second Sunday in September. For 2012, that was yesterday, and as it was a beautiful sunny day, we went along to watch the parade. There’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Events | 1 Comment

Litmus Test

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Geoff Coupe

Reading the reactions to Danny Boyle’s Olympic Opening Ceremony is something of a litmus test, gauging where the commentator resides on the spectrum from left to right, or from heartfelt to disingenuous. I have to say that I loved it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Events, News and politics, Performing Arts, Sport | 4 Comments

The Girl Who Waited

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Geoff Coupe

So I was otherwise engaged last weekend when the latest episode of Doctor Who aired. I had travelled to Northern Ireland to say a final goodbye to my dearest friend. That’s another story, and I don’t feel ready to tell … Continue reading →

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iPod Illusions

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Geoff Coupe

Marco Tempest is, on this evidence, a very good magician indeed.   (hat tip to Richard Wiseman)

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Almost Time

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Geoff Coupe

The next series of Doctor Who launches this weekend with what, by all accounts is a seriously good episode. Still, with Steven Moffat at the helm, I expect nothing less. I’ll be parked on the sofa, instead of almost behind … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Television | 5 Comments

“Up-to-the-minute 17th Century Technology”

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Geoff Coupe

I blogged a couple of weeks ago about the theatrical magic of Frankenstein. I regret that I haven’t made the effort to see earlier broadcasts of NT Live. And one production that I hope will be broadcast for NT Live … Continue reading →

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The Dream Machine

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Geoff Coupe

I’ve always had a soft spot for Adventure games, ever since the original Myst. I much prefer this genre of game over the first-person shooter type, which, frankly, I find appalling. After Myst, and its various sequels, there were a … Continue reading →

Posted in Computers and Internet, Entertainment, Games | 2 Comments

Royal Wedding

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Geoff Coupe

BBC TV is running a series of dramas under the theme of "Back to the 80s" at the moment. Last night, we had Abi Morgan’s Royal Wedding, a play set in a Welsh village on the day of Charles and … Continue reading →

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What If…

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Geoff Coupe

Sorry that I’m coming late to this, but here’s a terrific mashup of Doctor Who and 2001: A Space Odyssey…         (hat tip to Nicholas Whyte)

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The End of Time

Posted on January 1, 2010 by Geoff Coupe

So today I watched the second part of The End of Time, the Doctor Who story in which David Tennant bows out of playing the tenth Doctor, and Russell T. Davies bows out of being the main scriptwriter.   I … Continue reading →

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Storm

Posted on December 13, 2009 by Geoff Coupe

I’ve mentioned it before, but here’s another version of Tim Minchin’s wonderful poem "Storm"…    

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The Running Man Vanishes

Posted on December 10, 2009 by Geoff Coupe

Here’s a nicely-performed illusion by Ilya Larionov. He claims that there are no camera tricks, and I think he’s telling the truth. This can be done by skill alone – oh and having a fourth person to help out…   … Continue reading →

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Test Your Awareness

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Geoff Coupe

How observant are you? How many changes can you spot in this vignette?       (hat tip: Richard Wiseman)

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Predicting the Prediction

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Geoff Coupe

While I said that I hadn’t a clue as to how Derren Brown pulled off his "predicting the Lottery" stunt the other day, I’m coming round to the view that it relied on some sort of split screen illusion; like … Continue reading →

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